Cedric Benson did not practice on Thursday. Rotoworld reports that Bengals players who don’t practice on Wednesday or Thursday usually do not play on Sunday, but that an exception might be made for Benson, who is the league’s 6th-leading rusher. Cincy’s game against Oakland is at 4:15 PM, so fantasy owners with Bernard Scott can simply wait it out and see if Benson is active on Sunday. Those without Scott have a tough decision to make.

Brian Westbrook should make a full recovery. This is great news for Westy, but his 2009 is still in doubt. The doctors are recommending he be re-evaluated in 2-3 weeks, which makes his return in Week 13 at the earliest. The Eagles were told to take a conservative approach, so even if he’s healthy enough to play, I’d expect the team to shut him down if they fall out of the playoff hunt. Fantasy owners should hold onto him in the event that he comes back for the fantasy playoffs, but if there is a good option on the waiver wire, it might be time to cut bait.

Jerious Norwood returns to limited practice. It looks like Michael Turner will be out this week, but he’s optimistic that he’ll be back soon. It’s not inconceivable that Norwood would get some work with Jason Snelling in a RBBC against the Giants, though he’s been out a while with a hip injury.

Kyle Orton has torn ligaments in his left ankle. Brandon Marshall owners should keep an eye on this. If Orton isn’t able to play through this injury, it’s a big blow to Marshall. Orton isn’t great, but he’s a lot better than Chris Simms right now.

Ronnie Brown reportedly has Lisfranc injury. This generally requires surgery and recovery takes a while. If this is indeed the type of injury he has, he will enter the 2010 season as a question mark.

DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart are both expected to play tonight. Williams sat out practice on Wednesday just to rest, nothing more. He’s a good RB1 play and Stewart is a solid RB2/flex play in most formats.

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The Chiefs waive Larry Johnson. It’s interesting timing. Maybe KC saw enough out of Jamaal Charles (6 rushes, 36 yards) and Kolby Smith (4 rushes, 17 yards) to make them confident enough to cut LJ loose. The Chiefs have some nice rushing matchups coming up, but if Charles is only going to get nine touches, he’s not worth starting. His 6.0 ypc was encouraging, however.

Portis doubtful for Week 10. Ladell Betts will get most of the work in the Redskins’ backfield, but Rock Cartwright might be involved around the goal line. Neither is a strong play in a bad matchup against the Broncos.

Chris Henry out for the rest of the season. Henry was a popular breakout pick back in August, but never truly made a significant fantasy impact on the field. Had Andre Caldwell not proved to be such a dependable third option in the passing game, Henry might have had a bigger season.

Westbrook out as long as he has headaches. Apparently, he was ready to play, but a headache on Sunday caused the Eagles to think twice. Concussions are dicey, but keep an eye on him this week. If he’s practicing, then he’s probably a go unless he gets another headache next Sunday. The game is in San Diego, so whether or not he makes the flight will be a good indicator of his status.

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Calvin Johnson is back at practice. Not only does this help his owners, but also those that have Kevin Smith and/or Matthew Stafford on their rosters. HC Jim Schwartz told the press that Kevin Smith was his “workhorse” back, so with Johnson back in the fold, Smith should have an easier time finding running lanes. He’s pretty much an every-week start in PPR leagues.

Jamal Lewis reiterates that he plans to retire after the season. The Cleveland offense is so anemic that this really isn’t news that’s going to help anyone this season, but those owners in keeper or dynasty leagues might want to pick up Jerome Harrison and or James Davis on the chance that they become the Browns’ feature back next season.

Anthony Gonzalez seeks second opinion on knee. This can’t be a good sign. Gonzalez was supposed to be back by now, and the fact that he’s not is already a red flag. We’ll see what this second opinion says, but it’s not looking good. The only reason he’d seek another

Westbrook cleared to resume practicing. He is coming back from a concussion. It’s a little worrisome for his owners, but this good news devalues LeSean McCoy a bit, so if you have Westy on your roster you could use this along with Leonard Weaver’s big day to try to acquire McCoy on the cheap.

Seahawks release Edgerrin James. This is a sign for more work for Justin Forsett, who will be Seattle’s RB2 behind Julius Jones. Forsett has been more productive at times than Jones, but the two are likely to share carries and catches in the Seahawks’ backfield. Forsett should now be owned in most leagues.

McFadden, Schilens back at practice. I’d wait a week to see how McFadden plays, but it’s still a good sign that he is back on the field. The Oakland passing game is a mess, so Schilens is barely roster-worthy at this point.

According to Philly.com, the Eagles are unlikely to rush Brian Westbrook back, even for a big game like Sunday’s tilt against the Giants.

From a fantasy perspective, Westbrook’s owners knew that he was going to miss a few games throughout the season, so they shouldn’t be surprised or angry about this news. LeSean McCoy is a capable backup, but it’s not like next week’s game against the Giants is a tasty matchup for either RB.

Desperate owners should look to Shonn Greene and/or Beanie Wells, who may be available. Greene is going to get most of Leon Washington’s touches and Wells is getting more and more work in the Arizona backfield. He’s a much better natural runner than Tim Hightower, though Hightower has more experience and better hands.

If Greene and Wells are gone, Mike Bell is another option. He is getting all of the Saints’ goal line work and has 27 carries in the last two games. He’s not going to post Westbrook-like numbers, but he should help fantasy owners get by. If Bell isn’t available, Justin Fargas ran really hard against the Jets and has a nice matchup against the Chargers in Week 8.

After their loss to the winless Kansas City Chiefs last week, the Washington Redskins stripped head coach Jim Zorn of his playcalling duties and handed them over to Sherman Lewis, who hadn’t even been with the team for a month.

The move was made in hopes to spark the Redskins’ dismal offense, but as their 27-17 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles tonight can attest to, Lewis isn’t going to change Washington’s misfortune over night.

The Redskins’ loss to the Eagles actually had very little to do with Lewis’ playcalling and more to do with Washington’s lack of execution. In the first half, quarterback Jason Campbell had a ball batted into the air by a defensive lineman and intercepted by linebacker Will Witherspoon, who returned it for a touchdown. Later in the half, Campbell escaped the pocket but didn’t get the ball out of his hands in time and was stripped from behind. The Eagles recovered and turned the gift into three points to take a 17-0 second quarter lead.

Campbell finished the night 29 of 43 passing for 284 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. For all intents and purposes, his final numbers weren’t bad (he had a QB rating of 91.6), but he often settled for check downs or underneath routes and both of his touchdown passes came around the goal line. He still struggled with hanging onto the ball too long and missing open receivers.

That said, his pass protection wasn’t that great and his receivers dropped a few passes. He also didn’t have Chris Cooley, who left the game early in the first half due to an ankle injury and never returned. All in all, it was a complete team effort by a Redskins squad that somehow generated 17 points from a brutal showing. Lewis wasn’t the problem tonight – lack of execution by the players was.

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Westbrook and McNabb to play. It looks like LeSean McCoy will eat into Westy’s touches, but he’s still a very good start against the Bucs’ sketchy defense. This should also be an upgrade for DeSean Jackson and even David Akers, who should see more opportunities now that McNabb is back under center.

Eli Manning sits out of practice. He’s looking like a game-time decision for Sunday. The good news is that he can’t make his foot worse by playing on it — it’s all about what kind of tolerance he has for the pain. I’d expect Manning to continue with the great season he’s having since mobility isn’t one of his strengths in the first place.

Giants want to involve Hakeem Nicks. On three targets, Nicks caught one pass for 54 yards and a TD in Week 4, while Mario Manningham went 1-43 on eight targets. Manningham is currently getting the lion’s share of looks, but he didn’t convert very well on Sunday. His conversion rate is now down to 56%, which is just mediocre. Nicks’ rate (43%) is even worse, but the Giants still want to get him involved in the offense. The only safe start for the Giants right now is Steve Smith.

Roy Williams (ribs) did not participate in practice on Wednesday. This an upgrade for the rest of the Cowboys’ receiving corps, and now Patrick Crayton looks like a decent start in most leagues while Sam Hurd becomes a sleeper with Williams sidelined. This hurts Tony Romo since he’ll have one fewer weapon to utilize, but he shouldn’t have trouble posting a nice fantasy line against the Chiefs. Keep an eye on Williams this week.

Braylon Edwards to start Monday night. You’d think they’d bring him around slowly, but the Jets don’t have a lot of options at WR now that Chansi Stuckey is gone. They’re going to take their new toy out for a spin. Will Braylon suddenly discover where his hands have been hiding the last year and a half? Only time will tell.

DeSean Jackson, Brian Westbrook miss practice. Westy has a long history of not practicing during the week and then killing defenses on Sunday, so plan to use him in Week 3. The Eagles play in the early game, so you’ll have an opportunity to make an adjustment if he’s inactive. While tweaked ankles can clear up fast, I’m a little worried about Jackson’s groin injury. Muscle injuries don’t typically just go away, but he may be able to fight through it. One wonders if the Eagles will risk it against a Kansas City defense that hasn’t shown much in 2009.

Dwayne Bowe fighting a hamstring injury. He was a limited participant in Thursday’s practice, but the fact that he was out there is a good sign for Sunday. Again, the PHI/KC game is at 1 PM ET, so you should have time to make a move if he is a surprise scratch. He was practicing again on Friday, so that’s a good sign.

Giants lose SS Phillips for the season. This is a serious blow to a Giants DT that has looked strong thus far this season. The loss of Phillips will hurt both in the passing game and in run support, and given the team’s other injury problems on defense, don’t be afraid to start players facing the Giants this week (mainly Cadillac Williams, if healthy, and Derrick Ward).

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The Eagles received great news Friday as running back Brian Westbrook underwent successful ankle surgery and is expected to be back to full health by the start of the regular season.

Andy Reid said he doesn’t feel the need for the Eagles to add another running back, even though Westbrook’s backups are rookie second round pick “Shady” McCoy and former Dolphin Lorenzo Booker. There was thought that Philly could sign a veteran like Warrick Dunn, but that seems doubtful now after Reid’s comments.

It’s a risk for the Eagles not to bring in another back this summer just in case Westbrook has a setback, but obviously they feel confident that McCoy and Booker will benefit from getting the maximum amount of reps in camp and preseason. The Eagles faced a similar dilemma last season when receiver DeSean Jackson got an opportunity to play because of injuries to guys in front of him on the depth chart and he excelled.

McCoy is an intriguing prospect. He’s not considered to be an every down back, but he has explosive talent and could be a viable addition to the Eagles’ offense. McCoy would be best used as a change-of-pace back to complement Westbrook so he doesn’t wear down in his first year, but at least he’ll see plenty of opportunities to show what he can do.

According to a report by Comcast Sportsnet in Philadelphia, Eagles running back Brian Westbrook will be sidelined until at least Week 1 of the regular season due to a high ankle sprain.

Comcast SportsNet reported that Brian Westbrook was examined by ankle specialist Dr. Mark Myerson in Baltimore on Wednesday and may need to undergo a procedure to clean out the ankle. Either way, according to the report, Westbrook is done until the start of the regular season.

The only official comment thus far from the Eagles came from offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg who said that he wasn’t “concerned” about the injury after discussing it with Westbrook on Tuesday afternoon.

While working out recently, the ankle began to bother Westbrook and he contacted head athletic trainer Rick Burkholder to check on it. Andy Reid said on Tuesday that Westbrook would see a doctor, but again, there has been no official update from the team since.

Considering he’ll turn 30 in early September and averaged just 2.9 yards per carry in Philly’s last six games of the 2008 season, this is incredibly damper news for the Eagles. As the article states, the team hasn’t officially stated that Westbrook will miss camp and preseason, but let’s assume for a moment that the report is true.

Philly did draft “Shady” McCoy in the second round this year, but he wasn’t considered a prospect that could be an every down back and he had injury issues himself while at PITT. The Eagles also have Lorenzo Booker, who is a poor man’s Westbrook but like McCoy, isn’t considered an every down back. In seven games for the Dolphins last year, Booker rushed for 125 yards on 28 carries.

If Westbrook is out for the rest of the summer, the good news is that McCoy and Booker will receive plenty of reps. But nobody should be surprised if the team signs a veteran as insurance. Edgerrin James is still available, as is Deuce McAllister, although he’s expected to be suspended for the first four games of the 2009 season, so it’s doubtful the Eagles would add him. Another cheap option would be to bring back Tony Hunt, who was released last October by the Eagles but is a player that has experience in the offense.

It’ll be interesting to see if the team makes this news about Westbrook official.

In a surprise move, the Bengals are going to go with Ryan Fitzpatrick over Carson Palmer. The word is that Palmer could play, so one wonders why Cincy would go with Fitzpatrick instead. This is a downgrade for Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh…Kellen Winslow was hospitalized on Thursday with an “unspecified illness” (ProFootballTalk.com reports that it is “swollen testicles.” Oi!) and is questionable for Monday Night Football. The fact that he plays on Monday is both a blessing and a curse. On one hand, he has an extra day to recover. On the other, it leaves fantasy owners wondering on Sunday morning who to start at TE. Keep an eye on the news on Saturday and if it looks like he’ll play, keep him in your lineup. For what it’s worth, “team insiders” expect him to play…Both Brian Westbrook and Reggie Brown are going to miss Sunday’s game against the 49ers. Correll Buckhalter is a good start in Westy’s place and Desean Jackson should see the bulk of extra work with Brown out…Marques Colston will return this week against the Raiders. Jeremy Shockey is very iffy. I wouldn’t count on him this week…Matt Hasselbeck continues to sit out of practice, but the team is expecting and hoping that he’ll play. He has a decent matchup this week, but if you have a similar option, it’s probably best to go with it…Roddy White missed practice on Thursday, but will likely play against the Bears on Sunday…Bernard Berrian has a tantalizing matchup with the Lions, but he has missed practice and is iffy. Keep an eye on this over the weekend…Jon Kitna is doubtful, and it looks like Dan Orlovsky will get the start.