15.58

The Atlanta Falcons ran a bunch versus the Carolina Panthers in Week 6. Roddy White's line was meager, but the Dirty Birds are still looking for him where it counts; he drew a couple of pass interference penalties in the end zone. Though Atlanta will probably run often again versus the Detroit Lions, it doesn't mean White is out of fantasy commission, especially with Julio Jones (hamstring) doubtful for Sunday. - Tim Heaney

15.33

Mike Sims-Walker returns to the Jaguars but will need a few weeks to refresh himself with the terminology and acclimate himself to catching passes from Blaine Gabbert before he will be called on to make any notable contributions. He should begin as the third receiver, no worse than the fourth, but has a chance to take over for Jason Hill, whose inconsistency has him on thin ice. The Jags have a bye in Week 9, and Sims-Walker may assume Hill's starting spot following the week off. MSW should be added for roster depth in deeper fantasy setups. - Cory J. Bonini

15.30

It might be a three- to four-second process in Week 7 for Sean Payton (knee) to relay plays to the sidelines, which will have to happen for the next few weeks. The New Orleans Saints head coach will send plays to offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael. If they streamline the procedure, maybe Payton will eventually just have to call out a play number; plus, in a pinch, Drew Brees could probably call some plays on his own. Either way, good thing NO has Joe Vitt to run the sidelines. He did the same thing with the St. Louis Rams several years ago when Mike Martz had to coach from the booth. - Tim Heaney

15.27

Jermichael Finley owners just have to accept that his numbers will only be good - not ridiculously good. The Green Bay Packers have too much talent at the skill positions for them to worry about forcing it to anyone. Finley has been a little frustrated, though; the Pack will probably do some little things to get him the ball a bit more often. He and Greg Jennings should each end up with 70 or 80 catches. That sounds like, in the near future, an upswing awaits Finley owners. And Jennings owners face a possible downswing. Time to get on the horn? - Nicholas Minnix

15.26

Not even the New Orleans Saints are sure if Chris Ivory (foot, groin) will have a regular role if and when he returns from the Physically Unable to Perform list. They'll probably wait until the last minute to make a decision on him; if Mark Ingram or Pierre Thomas, their primary between-the-tackles carriers, suffers an injury, Ivory will immediately be elevated to the active roster. Remember Ivory's name if you're forced to scrape for RB help in deep leagues in the next few weeks. - Tim Heaney

15.25

Sure, playing the New Orleans Saints wide receivers remains a dangerous game, but Marques Colston looks healthy and should build on his productive Week 6, especially this week against the Indianapolis Colts' secondary. - Tim Heaney

15.24

Opponents are already trying to add coverage to the New Orleans Saints' Jimmy Graham, per Drew Brees. It hasn't made a difference yet. Graham can still fight through any line-of-scrimmage aggression and double teams and will remain a top-flight fantasy play that commands an established, elite player in return for any trade talks. - Tim Heaney

15.23

Though New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton wants to involve Mark Ingram, it remains challenging because of this dynamic offense. On the bright side, though he isn't technically the goal line back, he's their best option for short-yardage and clock-killing situations. I was told: "If you said to Payton, 'Quick, gun to your head, who would get the most carries if you could choose?' he would say Ingram." This backfield remains risky, though, for fantasy purposes. - Tim Heaney

15.22

Center Olin Kreutz's abrupt resignation from the New Orleans Saints should drastically improve the rushing offense. Brian De La Puente is an upgrade. Kreutz looked overmatched this year and probably doesn't have the drive to play anymore. - Tim Heaney

15.20

Marcedes Lewis has been a major disappointment for fantasy owners this year, but he and Blaine Gabbert are close to being on the same page with each other. The coaching staff wants to make a concerted effort to send the ball Lewis' way more often. The tight end has dropped a few passes and has seen a lot of coverage rolled his way, however. Don't give up on him ... just yet. - Cory J. Bonini

15.19

Brandon Browner can cause matchup problems, but the Cleveland Browns' Greg Little, who's nearly the same size as the hulking Seattle Seahawks corner, told our source he didn't think he'd have trouble separating from Browner. This already weak pass D should suffer with Marcus Trufant (back) on Injured Reserve. - Tim Heaney

15.17

Joshua Cribbs' yearning for more work doesn't make sense, considering this Cleveland Browns offense has included him more often than previous incarnations. If he sees a work increase this week, it'll merely stem from the flow of the game, not the staff kowtowing to his demands. - Tim Heaney

15.14

With Kaluka Maiava replacing Scott Fujita (head) at SSL this week, downgrade the Cleveland Browns' run defense, and upgrade the Seattle Seahawks' Marshawn Lynch. The much bigger Fujita lines up oncoming opponents much better. Maiava is an upgrade in pass coverage, though. - Tim Heaney

15.13

Our Cleveland Browns whisperer doesn't think Peyton Hillis (hamstring) will play in Week 7. Said source also doesn't think Montario Hardesty is quite ready to take over the lead back role - for Hillis injury or otherwise - just yet. Cleveland still notes Hardesty's issues in catching passes and protection assignments. He has some burst and some long-term promise, but it'll take some time before the Browns trust him workhorse reps when Hillis is healthy. - Tim Heaney

15.12

Last time the Dallas Cowboys faced the St. Louis Rams' Steven Jackson, he ran roughshod over them for 160 yards while scoring thrice. S-Jax looked powerful against another top-rated run D (Green Bay Packers) in Week 6; the Cowboys are the league's top run-stuffing unit but could still be vulnerable. Expect St. Louis to keep the ball on the ground most of Week 7, especially if A.J. Feeley has to start. - Tim Heaney

15.10

Sam Bradford (ankle) is 50-50 to start for the St. Louis Rams. A.J. Feeley, who hasn't had extensive regular-season reps since 2007, doesn't have notable chemistry with anyone. He worked with Greg Salas and Austin Pettis when doing scout team work earlier in the season, but it's hardly enough to say either would benefit this week. - Tim Heaney

15.08

The St. Louis Rams' trade for Brandon Lloyd hurts Brandon Gibson the most. Danario Alexander and Greg Salas round out the top three in this receiving pecking order. PUP resident Mark Clayton (knee) could eventually eat into Alexander's work, though, when he is activated. Salas, however, might stave off any loss of targets because of his rejuvenated competence in the slot; he's a bigger Danny Amendola with some after-the-catch ability. The bye week probably helped the rookie regain some confidence. - Tim Heaney

15.07

New arrival Brandon Lloyd immediately becomes the St. Louis Rams' top wideout and remains a serviceable fantasy play even if A.J. Feeley has to start this week over Sam Bradford (ankle). Though the Rams remain interested in bringing Lloyd back after his contract expires following 2011, that could depend on whether Josh McDaniels sticks as offensive coordinator for 2012. Lloyd's familiarity with the system was the chief reason St. Louis acquired him. - Tim Heaney

14.41

How much do Dallas Clark's fantasy football owners miss Peyton Manning? The Indianapolis Colts don't throw as often, so everybody's numbers are down. But Clark has six drops - including three awful ones against the Kansas City Chiefs - and he lost a fumble last week. Is that balletic, one-handed grab against the Cincinnati Bengals a catalyst, though? His 6-57-1 line a sign of things to come? This season has been trying, and it's hard to get a read on Clark. Losing often brings out the true nature of many, but at least there's been a positive sign. - Nicholas Minnix

14.31

Running back Beanie Wells is fresh and ready to go. His Week 7 matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers shouldn't scare fantasy owners that are deciding on their lineups. Pittsburgh's vaunted run D is a shell of its former self without defensive linemen Aaron Smith (foot), Chris Hoke (neck) and Casey Hampton (shoulder) on the field. Furthermore, James Harrison (eye) isn't playing, so the linebacking corps has been shifted around and putting players out of position. Confidently start Wells this week. - Cory J. Bonini

14.28

It'll be interesting to see if Detroit Lions CB Chris Houston can stifle the Roddy White's fantasy football numbers this week. The Atlanta Falcons' star receiver has had a sub-par season thus far, and he and Houston are best pals from their days in the A together. Used to be that the opposition could beat Houston deep, but he's improved in Motown, is enjoying his best season as a pro, has some insight regarding White and is looking forward to the challenge. - Nicholas Minnix

14.23

Last week, Rashard Mendenhall enjoyed his coming out party of the 2011 season following a hamstring injury that had hampered him the week prior. Mendy rushed 23 times for 146 yards and a score. He was decisive and didn't dance in the hole against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The offensive line blocked and gelled better, too. One major reason for Mendenhall's outburst: the Jaguars. - Cory J. Bonini

14.21

As many fantasy football players know, the Detroit Lions are expected to rely on the serviceable (though far from spectacular) Maurice Morris while Jahvid Best (concussion) is out. The guess: roughly a 70-30 split for Mo and the Keiland Williams, whose future opportunities will probably hinge on his Week 7 performance. Maybe Stefan Logan gets a couple of touches. Eldra Buckley should be active, but only on special teams, at least initially. In deep leagues, Williams, who piled up a few quality fantasy games with the Washington Redskins in 2010, might be worth a stab, but otherwise, Mo is the only go here. - Nicholas Minnix

13.36

Despite fears to the contrary, considering Jahvid Best's history with concussions, there seems to be an indication from within the Detroit Lions organization that he's expected to be back on the field at some point this season. Don't look for him next week, especially since Detroit has a bye. Perhaps after the break? Fantasy owners: Hold your breath, and bring aboard Maurice Morris if you have the room. - Nicholas Minnix

13.21

The Redskins will be down two starting offensive linemen this week in Kory Lichtensteiger (knee-IR) and Trent Williams (ankle). The running game struggled mightily without them last week, but facing the worst run defense in the league this week should help offset the loss. Look for a touch split of approximately 60-30-10 for Ryan Torain, Tim Hightower and Roy Helu Jr., respectively, against the Carolina Panthers this weekend. - Cory J. Bonini

13.15

The John Beck era begins in D.C., and some minor changes to the offense will be implemented, despite offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan saying nothing would change. Last week, the 'Skins used more designed rollout plays with Beck at quarterback and will continue to do that to take advantage of his mobility. He is going to be less of a risk-taker than Rex Grossman was, which should limit his turnovers. Beck's fantasy value is marginal, at best, but he has chemistry with Santana Moss and Fred Davis, so there is reason to have hope. - Cory J. Bonini

11.36

Kellen Winslow has relied on receptions for most of his fantasy value, especially with his right knee continuing to hinder whatever burst he has left. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' tight end should have more success this week versus a Chicago Bears D that has been friendly to the position. - Tim Heaney

11.35

Don't be shocked if Devin Hester can shake Aqib Talib this week. The aggressive Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback likes to take chances - jumping routes and whatnot - and some Hester moves could easily butter Talib's toast. - Tim Heaney

11.02

The Chicago Bears might be sluggish thanks to their late travel schedule for their London Week 7 contest. They can't realistically expect to adjust to the jetlag in time to be at their peak on Sunday. Owned by the Glazer family, who also runs the Premier League's Manchester United football club, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are more accustomed to the London atmosphere. They arrived earlier this week, having learned their lesson from their poor effort in 2009, when they had a similar arrival schedule to Chicago's. - Tim Heaney

11.00

Two-wideout, max protect sets could become a more frequent part of the Chicago Bears' attack. It helped protect quarterback Jay Cutler for much of Sunday's game. Unfortunately, Mike Martz is going to do what he wants as much as possible; it's unlikely he'll drift completely from his high-flying formations.  - Tim Heaney

10.56

Devin Hester's extra practice time with Jay Cutler during the lockout is paying off. The Chicago Bears wideout hasn't really made any technical improvements as a receiver, but his increased comfort is making him a more dangerous weapon. He's becoming a better fantasy play. Still, don't expect his Week 6 output to be a frequent deal; no Chitown receiver or tight end can rise to that level of consistency. - Tim Heaney