Player Notes

David Garrard (Jac - QB)

Nov 3 - QB David Garrard has a 78.5 quarterback rating with five touchdown passes and five interceptions. He's also been sacked 17 times. His career passer rating coming into the season was 85.4. He's also been told to stop checking out of run plays to pass plays.

Nov 3 - Garrard completed 14-of-27 passes for 139 yards and two interceptions during Sunday's loss to the Titans.

Recommendation: Head coach Jack Del Rio elected to pass 27 times with Garrard, which netted just 5.1 YPA, while Maurice Jones-Drew racked up 22.1 YPC on just eight touches. The rush-pass discrepancy may change this week against a Kansas City rush defense that's yielding 131 yards per game.

Nov 2 - QB David Garrard changed a few running plays to passes at the line of scrimmage -- including the first two plays of the game -- but he might not have that authority in the future. Garrard was told later in the game not to check out of runs. "We took that privilege away or that ability away and said, 'Look, just hand it to him and let him run the ball,' " coach Jack Del Rio said of Garrard getting the ball to Maurice Jones-Drew more often. "MJD" had eight carries but finished with an amazing 177 yards. Del Rio said, "He (Jones-Drew) was getting 22 yards a carry. If we could have gotten him a few more carries, that would have been good for us. I like the times Maurice had the ball in his hands. I think he's an exciting player. We needed to have more times with the ball in our hands. Again, you can go back and second guess things all the time. I don't think that's the way to go."

Nov 2 - Garrard was 14 of 27 for 139 yards and two interceptions in the Jaguars' 30-13 loss to Tennessee on Sunday.
Advice: Garrard seemed like he might be a solid fantasy QB after leading Jacksonville to the playoffs in 2007, but he regressed last season and has been bad in 2009. He should only be on your roster in the deepest of leagues.

Adrian Peterson (Min - RB)

Nov 2 - Peterson ran 25 times for 97 yards and a touchdown and also caught a 44-yard pass in the Vikings' 38-26 win at Green Bay on Sunday.
Advice: There's little doubt Brett Favre's job has been made easier by Peterson, who continues to come up with a few all-world plays each week even if he isn't lighting up the scoreboard. Look for Peterson to run wild against the Detroit Lions after Minnesota's bye week.

Nov 1 - Peterson had 25 carries for 97 yards, including a one-yard touchdown, in Sunday's win over the Packers. He also added one reception for 44 yards.

Recommendation: A solid performance from Peterson who is on pace for almost twice as many touchdowns as last season. After a bye next week, he gets good matchups against Detroit and Seattle.

Steve Slaton (Hou - RB)

Nov 6 - Texans head coach Gary Kubiak refuses to name a starter at running back for Sunday's game against the Colts. All week long, Kubiak has been saying that all three of his running backs -- Slaton, Ryan Moats and Chris Brown -- will see action in Indianapolis.

Recommendation: However this situation plays itself out, you can expect Slaton to be on the field in some capacity. He may not be the top running back at the moment, but he's the most explosive of the three and is dangerous as a receiving threat. Without Owen Daniels (knee), we may see more of Slaton as receiver.

Nov 6 - Texans coach Gary Kubiak gave Slaton another vote of confidence Friday, saying that the team needs him to win this week against Indianapolis, the Texans' official site reports.

Recommendation: "I got a lot of confidence in Steve, you all know that," Kubiak said of Slaton, who has lost five fumbles this season. "I'm trying to work him through this the right way. We're going to need him to win this week." Kubiak continues to insist that all three of his running backs -- Slaton, Ryan Moats and Chris Brown -- will get work this week.

Nov 2 - During a post-game press conference, Texans head coach Gary Kubiak implied that Slaton, who lost his fifth fumble of the season on Sunday, will be involved in next week's game.

Recommendation: "I told Steve in the locker room to get his chin up. This team needs him playing well and making plays and I'm expecting him to come right back next week and help us," said Kubiak. In each of the two games previous to Sunday's win over Buffalo, Slaton had been pulled after laying the ball on the grass, only to come back and contribute in some meaningful way. He was not put back into Sunday's game as Ryan Moats rushed for 126 yards and three scores. While Kubiak isn't letting on about his plans for next week in Indianapolis, it appears that Moats has earned a larger share of the rushing load. Slaton can still contribute as a pass-catching threat out of the backfield or split wide -- more so now with tight end Owen Daniels (knee) done for the season.

Nov 2 - Slaton's fumbling issues caused the Texans to turn to Ryan Moats Sunday, but coach Gary Kubiak has not named a starting running back for Sunday's game against the Colts, the Houston Chronic;e reports. “Ryan took advantage of the situation,” coach Gary Kubiak said of Sunday's switch. "We'll go to next week. We'll see."

Recommendation: While it seems unlikely that Slaton will be totally cut off here, Moats rushed for 126 yards and three fourth-quarter touchdowns Sunday, an effort that figures to have earned him an expanded workload going forward. Slaton fumbled just three times in 16 games last year, but thus far, he has fumbled an alarming seven times (five lost) in eight games. He'll need to do better than that to hold on to (or regain) his lead role for the Texans.

Nov 2 - RB Steve Slaton has lost five fumbles in eight games. He lost two last season as a rookie. "I didn't talk to him personally; I talked to him in front of the team," coach Gary Kubiak said. "I told him to keep his chin up, that we need him. It's got to get fixed. The only guy that can fix it is Steve. We're all trying to helping him

Nov 2 - Slaton's fumbling issues caused the Texans to turn to Ryan Moats Sunday, but coach Gary Kubiak has not named a starting running back for Sunday's game against the Colts, the Houston Chronicle reports. "Ryan took advantage of the situation," coach Gary Kubiak said of Sunday's switch. "We'll go to next week. We'll see."

Recommendation: While it seems unlikely that Slaton will be totally cut off here, Moats rushed for 126 yards and three fourth-quarter touchdowns Sunday, an effort that figures to have earned him an expanded workload going forward. Slaton fumbled just three times in 16 games last year, but thus far, he has fumbled an alarming seven times (five lost) in eight games. He'll need to do better than that to hold on to (or regain) his lead role for the Texans.

Nov 2 - During a post-game press conference, Texans head coach Gary Kubiak implied that Slaton, who lost his fifth fumble of the season on Sunday, will be involved in next week's game.

Recommendation: "I told Steve in the locker room to get his chin up. This team needs him playing well and making plays and I'm expecting him to come right back next week and help us," Kubiak said. In each of the two games previous to Sunday's win over Buffalo, Slaton had been pulled after laying the ball on the grass, only to come back and contribute in some meaningful way. He was not put back into Sunday's game as Ryan Moats rushed for 126 yards and three scores. While Kubiak isn't letting on about his plans for next week in Indianapolis, it appears Moats has earned a larger share of the rushing load. Slaton can still contribute as a pass-catching threat out of the backfield or split wide -- more so now with tight end Owen Daniels (knee) done for the season.

Nov 2 - Slaton was sent to the bench after losing his fifth fumble of the season in a 31-10 win over Buffalo on Sunday.
Advice: After Ryan Moats came in and became the first player in franchise history to score three touchdowns in one game, totaling 126 yards on the ground, Slaton's situation became very unclear. Gary Kubiak won't say who the starter is going forward, but this doesn't bode well for Slaton's fantasy value either way. Be sure to scoop up Moats if he's still available in your league.

Nov 2 - RB Steve Slaton or RB Ryan Moats ... who will start for the Texans? "I'm going to play them all," Kubiak said, bringing Chris Brown into the equation. "I'm in no hurry to make that decision, but, obviously, we're going to need all three of them. We'll make a decision when we get to Indianapolis. Protecting Matt (Schaub) is a huge priority. Ryan and Steve are about the same from that standpoint. Chris is probably a little bit better than both of them. That's why we have Chris in a lot of those situations. Hands-wise, they both (Slaton and Moats) have great hands. Steve can go outside like a receiver, so we've got a little more confidence in him in that stand point."

Nov 1 - Slaton appears to have been benched after losing yet another fumble in the first half of Sunday's game against Buffalo.

Recommendation: Slaton's fumble was his seventh of the season, five of which have been recovered by the defense. With Slaton on the sideline, Houston has been turning to Ryan Moats, who rushed for 126 yards (26 carries) and three touchdowns.

Calvin Johnson^Q (Det - WR)

Nov 6 - Johnson (questionable, knee) practiced again on Friday and expects to play Sunday against Seattle, the Detroit News reports. "As long as everything keeps going the way it is the next few days, I'll be alright," Johnson said Friday.

Recommendation: Coach Jim Schwartz said Friday he's "optimistic" about Johnson's chances, but Schwartz expressed similar optimism last week, only to list Johnson among the inactives on game day. Detroit's late afternoon kickoff poses a problem as far as lineup decisions are concerned, but unless you have a clear-cut better option, we'd probably gamble with Johnson this week.

Nov 6 - Johnson (knee) practiced again on Friday and expects to play Sunday against Seattle, the Detroit News reports. "As long as everything keeps going the way it is the next few days, I'll be alright," Johnson said Friday.

Recommendation: Coach Jim Schwartz said Friday he's "optimistic" about Johnson's chances, but Schwartz expressed similar optimism last week, only to list Johnson among the inactives on game day. Detroit's late afternoon kickoff poses a problem as far as lineup decisions are concerned, but unless you have a clear-cut better option, we'd probably gamble with Johnson this week.

Nov 6 - WR Calvin Johnson missed the past two games with a right knee injury, but practiced all week and coach Jim Schwartz said on Friday that he's hopeful Johnson will play at Seattle on Sunday.

Nov 6 - WR Calvin Johnson was listed as limited again Friday, and coach Jim Schwartz said he would be a game-time decision Sunday. But Johnson seemed somewhat optimistic that he would play. He is listed as questionable.

Nov 5 - Coach Jim Schwartz said he was uncertain whether Johnson (knee/limited at practice Wednesday) would play Sunday at Seattle, the Detroit Free Press reports. "We'll probably give him a little bit more tomorrow than we gave him today, and maybe a little bit more Friday," Schwartz said Wednesday. "But it's probably still going to be a game-time decision."

Recommendation: Here we go again with Johnson, and this time the Lions kick off during the second wave of games Sunday. His participation Wednesday is a good sign, but still, have a plan B (even if it's someone like Bryant Johnson) on hand in case Johnson is forced to miss his third straight games.

Nov 5 - WR Calvin Johnson has missed two games with a right knee injury. He was listed as limited in practice Wednesday and Thursday, and coach Jim Schwartz said he would be a game-time decision Sunday at Seattle. But Johnson continued to look good in the portion of practice open to reporters, and he sounded somewhat optimistic that he would be able to return against the Seahawks. "We're going to just be careful, do what I can do," Johnson said. "As long as I don't have any setbacks, I think it'll look brighter for Sunday." Johnson said he felt no pressure to return because of the Lions' struggles on offense without him. But the Lions need him back not only because of the plays he makes, but because of how he opens up the offense for others. "He's not just a guy that you can bump and run with because he's so big," quarterback Matthew Stafford said. "You've got to put help over the top a lot of times, and teams don't like to single him up. It changes their philosophy."

Nov 5 - Coach Jim Schwartz said he was uncertain whether Johnson (knee/limited at practice Wednesday) would play Sunday at Seattle, the Detroit Free Press reports. "We'll probably give him a little bit more tomorrow than we gave him today, and maybe a little bit more Friday," Schwartz said Wednesday. "But it's probably still going to be a game-time decision."

Recommendation: Here we go again with Johnson, and this time the Lions kick off during the second wave of games Sunday. His participation Wednesday is a good sign, but still, have a plan B (even if it's someone like Bryant Johnson) on hand in case Johnson is forced to miss his third straight game.

Nov 5 - Johnson (knee) continues to practice on a limited basis, the Lions' official site reports. "He’s making progress. He’s getting a little bit more and every day he’s a little bit better," coach Jim Schwartz said Thursday. "He’s making progress. He’s still going to end up being a game-time decision on Sunday."

Recommendation: The bottom line here is that while there's some optimism regarding Johnson's Week 9 status, it is unlikely to be confirmed one way or the other until shortly before Sunday's kickoff.

Nov 5 - It appears likely that Johnson (knee) will play Sunday against Seattle, according to MLive.com.

Recommendation: Johnson was able to practice for the second straight day on Thursday, a great indication that the swelling in his knee isn't an issue at the moment. We'll want to see him practice on Friday, but his prospects for Sunday look good.

Nov 4 - WR Calvin Johnson was listed as limited Wednesday, and coach Jim Schwartz said he would be a game-time decision Sunday. But he looked good in the portion of practice open to reporters and seems more likely to play.

Greg Jennings (GB - WR)

Nov 3 - WR Greg Jennings had a season-high eight catches for 88 yards, including a 10-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter. It was only the second TD of 2009 for Jennings and his first since opening day.

Nov 2 - WR Greg Jennings came to life in the second half with all eight catches for 88 yards and a touchdown.

Nov 2 - Jennings caught eight passes for 88 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's loss to the Vikings.

Recommendation: Jennings was targeted a season high 12 times in the game. The Packers probably won't pass the ball as much next week against Tampa Bay, but it's good to see Jennings being targeted more often.

Nov 2 - Jennings had eight catches for 88 yards and a touchdown in the Packers' 38-26 loss to the Vikings on Sunday.
Advice: Jennings hadn't scored or totaled 100 yards in his last three games, so it was a positive sign to see him nearly do both against Minnesota. If Aaron Rodgers has more time to throw, Jennings' numbers would be better.

Sidney Rice (Min - WR)

Nov 3 - WR Sidney Rice has been the Vikings' most pleasant surprise of the first half of the season as far as a player emerging. He leads the team with 37 catches for 585 yards and two touchdowns. After back-to-back games of more than 100 yards receiving, Rice caught four passes for a modest 40 yards against the Packers.

Nov 2 - Rice had four catches for 40 yards Sunday in the Vikings' 38-26 win at Green Bay.
Advice: It was probably a bit much to ask for a third straight 100-yard day out of Rice, who's turned into Brett Favre's favorite deep threat. Still, it'd be nice to see more touchdowns from Rice considering he hasn't scored since Week 4.

Nov 1 - Rice had four receptions for 40 yards in Sunday's win over Green Bay.

Recommendation: After 212 yards receiving in the past two games, this outing was a letdown but he still got plenty of looks and remains Favre's first or second favorite target.

Jeremy Shockey (NO - TE)

Nov 3 - Shockey had five catches for 72 yards Monday night in the Saints' 35-27 win over Atlanta.
Advice: Shockey has only scored one touchdown since grabbing two in Week 1, but that shouldn't diminish his fantasy value. Drew Brees is clearly looking for him, but on a team with as many options as New Orleans has, he's not always going to score.

Nov 2 - Shockey (shoulder) is active for Monday’s game against Atlanta.

Recommendation: Shockey has been a reliable target for Drew Brees this season, snagging at least four receptions in all six games.

Nov 2 - Shockey (shoulder) caught five passes for 72 yards in the Saints' 35-27 win over Atlanta on Monday night.

Recommendation: Not only were many of Shockey's catches important (often on third down), but a few of them were of the highlight variety. It continues to be a nice comeback year for the combustible tight end.

Adam Vinatieri^O (Ind - K)

Nov 5 - PK Adam Vinatieri (knee) will not play against the Texans on Sunday.