16.14

Putting football in Halloween terms, Miami Dolphins wide receiver Brandon Marshall is the only member of the Dolphins wearing a costume scary enough to bother the New York Giants this weekend. Look for the Giants to put corner Corey Webster, who has often been pitted against an opponent's top receiver this year, on Marshall; they feel if Marshall can be shut down, the rest of the Miami offense will fall with him. - Ryan R. Bonini

16.13

Don't be worried about the Jaguars lessening the load for running back Maurice Jones-Drew, who fumbled three times (losing one) last week. The Jaguars feel it was a freakish thing, and MJD doesn't have a history of fumbling problems. He was fighting for extra yards against the Ravens and the ball just kept coming out. They haven't lost confidence in their top back and won't cut back on his carries. With the passing game not scaring anyone, expect another healthy dose of MJD this weekend. He may even see some more snaps out of the Jaguars' wildcat formation. - Ryan R. Bonini

16.12

If your league rewards return yardage and touchdowns, you should expect Ted Ginn Jr. to have a solid Week 8. The San Francisco 49ers hired special teams ace Brad Seely to run that unit. The Cleveland Browns, the team Seely left, has made several notable mistakes in that department in the last few weeks. - Tim Heaney

16.11

Houston running back Arian Foster will be the target for the Jaguars' D this weekend. With receiver Andre Johnson still out, the Jags believe containing Foster is the key to success in slowing down the Texans' offense. This is a big game for the Jaguars, as they don't want to fall three games behind Houston entering midseason. - Ryan R. Bonini

16.11

The Cleveland Browns will increase Joshua Cribbs' reps this week with Mohamed Massaquoi concussed. Benjamin Watson should play, but Evan Moore will be more involved, most likely an increase in slot lineups; the Browns don't trust their backup receivers enough to increase their reps. Moore and Cribbs can be bye-strapped desperation plays in deep leagues. - Tim Heaney

16.08

Wide receiver Mike Sims-Walker didn't distinguish himself in his return to the Jaguars last week. Overall, it appears his return hasn't improved the talent level at receiver in Jacksonville. While the unit as a whole continues to be a concern, all signs point toward the Jags moving forward as is. Terrell Owens isn't an option and no other free-agent receiver appears likely to be an improvement to what the Jaguars already have. Fantasy footballers should expect mediocrity to be the name of the game moving forward. - Ryan R. Bonini

16.07

Don't get too enamored with Terrence Austin. Sure, he had a few catches on six targets with John Beck taking Washington Redskins snaps last week, but Austin's preseason chemistry with Beck is overblown. Many of the cornerbacks he lined up against aren't even on a team right now. Plus, he's more of a slot guy, and they only run so many three-wide sets. Though he's initially splitting reps with deep threat Anthony Armstrong, Niles Paul - a more possession-based option than Austin - could surpass Austin as the next best weapon behind Fred Davis and Jabar Gaffney. - Tim Heaney

16.06

While Brandon Jacobs is expected to be back on the field for the New York Giants at running back this weekend, don't look for him to see a boatload of carries anytime soon. He was only seeing about eight to nine looks per game before his injury, and his return isn't likely to change his total touches. While the Giants always say they want to give him the ball more, it is now a see-it-to-believe-it scenario. He continues to be a fringe option for your fantasy football squad. - Ryan R. Bonini

16.05

John Beck should improve as the season goes on; he'll make fewer mistakes than Rex Grossman did, and Beck ran the no-huddle well last weekend while looking better overall in the second half. But the Washington Redskins' upside is limited with Santana Moss and Chris Cooley sidelined. - Tim Heaney

16.05

Though Evan Royster or Tristan Davis might be mixed in eventually, they aren't expected to claw many Washington Redskins touches away from Ryan Torain and Roy Helu Jr. Expect something around 60 percent of the touches for Torain, 40 percent for Helu - of course, this is all within the Mike Shanahan arrangement that's always prone to change. - Tim Heaney

15.31

Jacksonville receiver Mike Thomas is still viewed as the team's best receiver, so don't be too worried about punt returns hurting his offensive snaps. Even if he misses a play here or there, the Jags don't plan to lessen the number of targets headed his direction. - Ryan R. Bonini

15.24

An insider's best guess on how the Philadelphia Eagles will cover the Dallas Cowboys: Nnamdi Asomugha on Dez Bryant, a safety-linebacker combo on Jason Witten and Asante Samuel or Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie on Miles Austin. The actual pairings, obviously, are up in the air and prone to change during the game, so this offense is potent enough to start its components anyway - especially Witten, considering how TEs typically torch Philly. - Tim Heaney

15.21

Andy Reid is 12-0 coming off a bye week. One of his best strengths is making new schemes against his next opponent with the extra week of preparation. The Dallas Cowboys' Tony Romo should see some surprising attacks, which could throw off the passing game a bit. He remains a solid start, but don't underestimate what Reid can bring to the table to stop him. - Tim Heaney

15.19

Just in case you forgot, LeSean McCoy is a darn good running back. Our Philadelphia Eagles source reminded us that McCoy is a better inside runner than Brian Westbrook, which should lend itself to convincing Andy Reid to running more when the situation calls for it. - Tim Heaney

15.18

Our Giants' insider feels the team has confidence in running back Ahmad Bradshaw and he could be an every-down back for a short-period of time if the team needed him to be, but they are far more comfortable having him share time with other backs. Keeping him fresh is always a desire, as is lessening the opportunity for injuries kicking in. - Ryan R. Bonini

15.17

Don't be so hard on the Philadelphia Eagles' offensive line. They're starting to come together as they gain more understanding of Howard Mudd's front-five philosophy. Turnovers have hurt this offense the most. - Tim Heaney

15.16

Soon, if not in Week 8, the New England Patriots will activate Kevin Faulk (knee) from the PUP list and suit him up. Will BenJarvus Green-Ellis lose touches? Perhaps, but probably not many, if so. And Danny Woodhead hasn't fallen out of favor, either; he's just been banged up. The organization brought Faulk back specifically for his skills in the no-huddle and blitz pickup, however. That has been Woodhead's role - and Faulk will be involved. If any fantasy football players in deep leagues own Woodhead, it's time to trade him in. - Nicholas Minnix

15.15

Michael Vick should continue performing more three-step drops in the future. That was another successful implementation by the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 6. It helps keep him upright as he makes his decisions - in running and passing. The Iggles' wideouts can get open quickly, so this idea works well. - Tim Heaney

15.11

The Philadelphia Eagles made strides in their Wide 9 defensive front during Week 6. They tightened up the formation on first downs. Even more important was Philly's increased comfort and aggressiveness in playmaking. They were quicker to the ball. The Dallas Cowboys might look to run more this week - with a decently sized back in DeMarco Murray that could give the Eagles' smaller front some issues. Either way, Philly's schematic improvements bode well for their future against the ground game. - Tim Heaney

15.04

This week, the New England Patriots should see plenty of situations in which they're able to isolate Rob Gronkowski on Pittsburgh Steelers 'backer James Farrior. That would open up a lot of things for Aaron Hernandez. There's no reason to doubt Mike Tomlin's assertion that Ike Taylor won't shadow Wes Welker, either. Hernandez and Welker could be in for pretty big fantasy football days, given that Tom Brady knows that D pretty well - Nicholas Minnix

14.58

Tony Scheffler returns to face his former team, the Denver Broncos. This might prompt the Detroit Lions to involve him more, especially with Titus Young's recent struggles. How deep is your league, and how desperate are you for a flex play? - Tim Heaney

14.49

Calvin Johnson and the Detroit Lions are confident they can go over the top on Champ Bailey and the Denver Broncos' secondary. Many of Denver's big plays allowed have come when Bailey has been dinged or absent, but Megatron moves around enough to take advantage of other weak spots in the Denver defensive backfield. - Tim Heaney

14.44

Head coach Sean Payton (knee, leg) coached from the booth last week when the Saints embarrassed the Indianapolis Colts, but the crafty offensive engineer was not calling the plays. Offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael took over for him, because Payton felt more comfortable allowing his trusted confidant to do so from the sidelines. We expect Payton to coach from the booth perhaps through the rest of the calendar year, although that doesn't mean he will hand over his baby full time to his OC, regardless of how well Carmichael performs. Expect the coordinator to receive plenty of offers in 2012 to run the offense of another NFL franchise, as the Miami Dolphins have reached out to Payton about Carmichael twice already under Tony Sparano. - Cory J. Bonini

14.44

Denver Broncos pass rusher Von Miller could see a little more resistance this week against Detroit Lions RT Gosder Cherilus, who has shown marked improvement this season, especially against QB attackers. - Tim Heaney

14.39

Expect the Detroit Lions to continue incorporating Keiland Williams as a 1A type back to starter Maurice Morris, who's also the better third-down option. Williams' bigger frame gives him the advantage on short-yardage and goal line plays. - Tim Heaney

14.39

Joseph Addai, unsurprisingly, is dealing with multiple physical ailments. With the ability that Delone Carter has, he's earned more carries, even when (if?) Addai is healthy. And Carter should get them. If he doesn't, something with the Indianapolis Colts is fishy. Fantasy owners should hang on tight to Carter, because his explosive ability puts his star on the rise - albeit, perhaps slowly. - Nicholas Minnix

14.39

Looks like Matthew Stafford (ankle) will play this weekend. As for the hubbub over the Detroit Lions quarterback's mechanics ... Stafford said he sometimes throws sidearm to adjust to certain plays. Many are overreacting saying it's his surgically repaired shoulder hurting him again. It's a stretch. - Tim Heaney

14.37

Our insider agrees with Phil Simms. The big question: Would the Indianapolis Colts, if they were in position, draft Andrew Luck anyway? And, would Peyton Manning be any nicer to Luck than Brett Favre was to Aaron Rodgers? - Nicholas Minnix

14.31

Look for a lot of Pierre Thomas this week with Mark Ingram (heel) out of action. The versatile Thomas should play on running downs and cede to Darren Sproles on third downs. Chris Ivory (foot, hernia) will come of the Physically Unable to Perform list and should see light work against the St. Louis Rams in Week 8. There is speculation that Ivory could garner some goal line carries, but that is a risky bet to take in fantasy leagues. - Cory J. Bonini

14.08

The Jaguars felt rookie quarterback Blaine Gabbert regressed a bit against the Baltimore Ravens last week, but it is hard to be down on him too much after a win. It's also tough to be too discouraged of his performance considering he played against Baltimore's tough defense; it was the third consecutive week he played against an upper-tier D. The Houston Texans should offer a slightly better opportunity for him this week, but he still should not be considered in your team's lineup. - Ryan R. Bonini

12.53

Rookie running back DeMarco Murray's assault on the St. Louis Rams last week was largely aided by poor tackling and defensive adjustments that have kept St. Louis from playing their preferred style of D. The Rams have had so many cornerback injuries that they are playing a Cover 2 shell, which keeps the safeties deep and allows for considerable running room. Our source counted 11 missed tackles of Murray by Rams safeties Quintin Mikell and Darian Stewart. - Cory J. Bonini

12.37

Brandon Lloyd was targeted 12 times (six for 74) in his debut with the Rams last week, but it is tough to judge his performance since A.J. Feeley was making his first regular-season start since 2007. Lloyd showed command of the offense and is their most gifted receiver. - Cory J. Bonini