Everything you need to know (and a lot that you don’t) about the fantasy implications of the NFL’s Week 12 action…

QUARTERBACKS

It looks like the beginning of the end of the Donovan McNabb era in Philly. He was yanked for Kevin Kolb after tossing two picks in the first half. Kolb didn’t fare any better…Joe Flacco (183 yards, 2 TD) was once again effective. He isn’t going to throw for a lot of yards, but he has tossed at least one TD in each of the last six games…Brady Quinn (94 yards, 2 INT) was supposed to have a nice day against a pretty bad Houston pass defense, but he stunk up the joint and was actually replaced by Derek Anderson (51 yards, INT), who didn’t do any better…Gus Frerotte (120 yards, INT) had a string of solid performances broken against the Jags. The Vikings got up by 14 early and didn’t look deep very often. Bernard Berrian (1-6) is suffering as a result…After a strong start, something seems to be wrong with the Denver passing game. Jay Cutler is averaging just 210 yards and 0.5 TD over the last two weeks.

Everything you need to know (and a lot that you don’t) about the fantasy impact of Sunday’s NFL action…

QUARTERBACKS

Frankly, it was a disappointing day from both QBs in the ATL/DEN game. Cutler finished with just 216 yards and a TD, while Matt Ryan threw for 250 yards, but failed to throw for a score against one of the worst pass defenses in the league. However, if not for a Roddy White dropped pass in the endzone, he would have finished with 290 yards (or so) and a TD…Jake Delhomme’s performance (98 yards, TD) against the Lions is pretty worrisome. I wouldn’t feel too good about starting him down the stretch. If you can’t rack up stats against the Lions, something is wrong…Tyler Thigpen (235 yards, 2 TD, INT) continues to play good fantasy ball and he has a pretty nice schedule coming up…Kyle Orton (133 yards) didn’t have a very good first game back, but the Green Bay corners are tough. He has better matchups in Week 12 (STL), Week 14 (JAX) and Week 15 (NO)…Matt Hasselbeck (170 yards, TD, 3 INT) had a rough first game back, but two of his three interceptions came in the fourth quarter when the Seahawks were trying to come back from a big deficit…It’s safe to say that Ben Roethlisberger (308 yards) has been a disappointment this season. He failed to pass for a TD for the third straight game, and with touch matchups in Week 13 (NE) and Week 16 (TEN), he should be benched if you have a better option…Phillip Rivers’ miserable day (159 yards, 2 INT) broke a regular season 16-game streak of at least one pass TD per game. To think, I actually had Matt Cassel in the starting lineup in one of my leagues, but started Rivers instead. Grr…Tony Romo (198 yards, TD, 2 INT) wasn’t spectacular in his first game back, but he should have better luck against the 49ers and Seahawks the next two weeks.

RUNNING BACKS

Michael Turner (25 carries, 81 yards, 2 TD) predictably had a great outing against a bad Denver rush defense, but this was his last good matchup until Week 17…DeAngelo Williams (14 carries, 120 yards, 2 TD) and Jonathan Stewart (15 carries, 130 yards, TD) shredded the Lions at will. Just when it looked like Williams might be pulling away in Carolina, Stewart had a big game to stake his claim on a good portion of the touches…Kevin Smith (26 touches, 138 yards) is the clear RB1 in Detroit and is a decent RB2 start on a weekly basis…Willis McGahee (11 touches, 25 yards) and Ray Rice (12 touches, 37 yards) pretty much split the touches evenly. There’s no telling what the Ravens are going to do with this RBBC going forward…Earnest Graham (1 carry, 3 yards) turned his ankle early in the game and it was Warrick Dunn (24 touches, 118 yards) that got most of the work. If Graham misses any time, look for Dunn (and possibly Cadillac Williams) to get the lion’s share of the carries…Ryan Grant (25 carries, 145 yards, TD) surprisingly had a huge day against a very good Bears defense. I think Green Bay has figured out that the team’s strength in the running game is misdirection, not lining up in the I-formation and trying to run it down the defense’s throats. They seem to be very successful on draws, traps and inside handoffs. Grant has now gained 584 yards in the last six games and is on pace for a 1232-yard season. He also has three TD in his last four games, but he’s still not involved in the passing game…Joseph Addai (26 touches, 153 yards, 2 TD) hadn’t had a decent fantasy game since Week 5, but he exploded against the Texans. He has a pretty favorable schedule down the stretch…Tim Hightower (11 carries, 35 yards) had a dismal day against a shaky Seahawks defense. That’s two straight bad starts and it makes him a very iffy start next week against the G-men…There is no RBBC in Pittsburgh if Willie Parker (25 touches, 115 yards). Mewelde Moore did catch five passes for 33 yards, however…After a couple of off weeks against very good defenses (TB, NYG), Marion Barber (30 touches, 153 yards, TD) looks like he’s back on track. He has two easy matchups in the next two weeks (SF, SEA) and then a rough road in the fantasy playoffs (PIT, NYG, BAL), but if Tony Romo can get back into the swing of things, Barber should have a productive stretch run.

WIDE RECEIVERS

My apologies to anyone that started Muhsin Muhammad (1-16) on my recommendation this week. If it’s any consolation, his crappy performance against a horrible defense is going to cost me a win…Lance Moore (8-102-1) is looking like an every week starter, even with Marques Colston (3-30) back in the lineup…Plaxico Burress (3-47) is struggling. He is averaging just 2.5-28-0.3 over the last four weeks. The good news is that he has a great matchup with a suspect Arizona defense next week…Bernard Berrian (3-46) had a quiet week, but things are looking great over the next five games (JAX, CHI, DET, ARI and ATL). Don’t be surprised if Berrian (and Frerotte) finishes strong…Ted Ginn (2 carries, 42 yards, TD, 4-51) has been pretty solid lately and he doesn’t have a tough matchup the rest of the year, so he can be used as a WR2/WR3 in PPR leagues.

TIGHT ENDS

Thanks for the goose egg, Tony Scheffler…Jeremy Shockey (6-39) was much more involved in the Saints’ offense this week. Look for Sean Payton to continue to use him in the weeks to come…Zach Miller (4-67) has gained 42+ receiving yards in six of the last seven games. The Raiders aren’t going to score much, but he’s a decent start in PPR leagues…

FREE AGENTS

And now, for a few guys that might be lingering on your league’s waiver wire…

Peyton Hillis (13 touches, 70 yards, 2 TD) appears to be RB1 in Denver, though Tatum Bell (7 carries, 34 yards) and P.J. Pope (4 carries, 35 yards) also got some work…Ryan Fitzpatrick (261 yards, TD) seems to be settling in as the starter in Cincy and can be used by desperate fantasy owners when he has a good matchup. Unfortunately, things are looking a little rough down the stretch…All signs pointed to a good game from Deuce McAllister, and while he did score a TD, Pierre Thomas got 20 touches to McAllister’s eight… Bryant Johnson (4-56-1) has caught at least three passes in each of the last three games and appears to be Shaun Hill’s favorite target…Shaun Hill (213 yards, 2 pass TD, 1 rush TD) has been more than solid since taking over as the starter in San Francisco. He has mediocre matchups the rest of the way, so he can be used in a pinch…Deion Branch (4-54) had a pretty good first game back. Now that Matt Hasselbeck is under center, Branch is a sleeper in the stretch run, if he can stay healthy…Kerry Collins (230 yards, 3 TD, INT) had his second straight great fantasy outing and has a favorable upcoming schedule with the Jets, Lions and Texans coming up in the next four weeks…Matt Spaeth (6-55) has caught six passes in each of the last two games with Heath Miller sidelined.

Here’s everything you need to know (and a lot you don’t) from Week 10’s fantasy football action.

QUARTERBACKS

Matt Ryan (248 yards, 2 TD) continues to look wise beyond his years. It’s not often a rookie makes for a good fantasy quarterback, but Ryan can definitely be used in the right matchups…Joe Flacco (185 yards, 2 TD) had his fourth solid game in a row. He is averaging 201 yards, 1.5 pass TD and 0.3 rush TD over the last four games…Gus Frerotte (151 yards, 2 TD, 3 INT)…It was looking like Marc Bulger (65 yards, INT) was bouncing back from a rough start, but he couldn’t get anything going against a sketchy Jets defense, so I wouldn’t trust him in my starting lineup right now…Jake Delhomme (72 yards, TD, 4 INT) was brutal against an Oakland defense that is susceptible to big passing days…Ben Roethlisberger (284 yards, 3 INT) had a rough outing against a good Indy pass defense. I’d still use him next week against a shaky Chargers pass defense and then reassess.

RUNNING BACKS

Deuce McAllister was a disappointment in the running game (5 carries, 18 yards), but he managed to catch a pass for a TD…Kevin Smith (24 touches, 123 yards, TD) is clearly the top RB in Detroit. Rudi Johnson only saw two carries…I guess we can’t trust Chris Mortensen. He said before the game that Ray Rice (9 touches, 19 yards) was going to see most of the carries, but it was Willis McGahee (26 touches, 121 yards, 2 TD) that was the feature back. I’d expect McGahee to get most of the work as long as he’s healthy…Just when it was looking like Ronnie Brown (14 touches, 66 yards, TD) was the clear RB1 in Miami, Ricky Williams (14 touches, 126 yards, TD) had a bigger day and just as many touches. Brown is still the better fantasy back, but Williams is a headache for Brown owners…Julius Jones (18 touches, 90 yards) looks to be RB1 in Seattle again, since Maurice Morris (2 touches, 17 yards) was barely involved…Ryan Grant (16 carries, 75 yards, TD) was impressive against a good Vikings rush defense. This bodes well for the stretch run…It looks like BenJarvus Green-Ellis (26 carries, 105 yards, TD) is going to get most of the work with Sammy Morris and LaMont Jordaon out with injury. He’s worth a pickup if available if you are in need of RB help…DeAngelo Williams (20 touches, 143 yards, TD) was stellar with Jonathan Stewart (7 touches, 21 yards) limited with an injury…With Willie Parker sidelined, Mewelde Moore (30 touches, 105 yards, 2 TD) is a great start in all formats.

WIDE RECEIVERS

Lance Moore (6-76-1) has put up starter quality numbers in five of the last eight weeks and is still an integral part of the New Orleans offense even with Marques Colston (7-140) back…Both Greg Jennings (3-37) and Donald Driver (5-46) were held down against a surprisingly good Minnesota pass defense. Aaron Rodgers was under pressure all day…Bernard Berrian was held without a catch by a very good pair of cornerbacks – Al Harris and Charles Woodson…Despite trailing big most of the game, Torry Holt (1-5) and Donnie Avery (2-29) couldn’t even get garbage stats against the Jets…Speaking of the Jets, they put up 47 points, but Jerricho Cotchery (1-18) and Laveranues Coles (1-14) had miserable fantasy outings…Expect Steve Smith (1-9) to bounce back in a big way against the Lions next week…Chris Chambers did not catch a ball in Week 10 and should not in fantasy lineups until he proves he is 100%…Plaxico Burress (1-17-1) caught a TD, but failed to convert any of his other five targets into a single catch. He and Eli Manning don’t seem like they are on the same page right now.

TIGHT ENDS

Jeremy Shockey (2-16) continues to struggle as he sprained his ankle late in the game. Billy Miller (5-65) seems to be getting more action anyway…Bo Scaife (10-78-1) is turning into a very solid option at TE. He is one of Kerry Collins’ favorite targets…After a big game last week, Owen Daniels (1-13) was very disappointing this week, especially considering that the Texans trailed most of the game. The Ravens defense will make a lot of players look bad…Kevin Boss (6-69-1) is now a starter quality tight end. He has caught a TD in each of the last three games and almost had a second TD tonight against the Eagles.

FREE AGENTS

And here’s some insight on a few players that may still be on your league’s waiver wire…

Michael Jenkins (6-72) is benefiting from Matt Ryan’s quick development and all the attention that is being paid to Roddy White (5-68-1). Jenkins is worth rostering for those owners in larger PPR leagues and White owners that want some insurance down the stretch…Justin Gage (4-47-1) bounced back from a bad Week 10 to post good numbers. He’s probably the best receiving option in Tennessee outside of Bo Scaife…Drew Stanton (94 yards, TD) was decent in relief of Daunte Culpepper, who was benched in the fourth quarter. It seems like Culpepper will get another shot next week, though I’m not sure why the Lions wouldn’t want to see what they have in Stanton…Todd Heap (5-58-2) had a huge game and will likely be a hot waiver wire pickup. Is this really a sign of things to come or just an aberration? I’m betting on the latter, but if you’re in need of TE help, Heap is worth a pickup…Ted Ginn (4-67-1) caught a bomb from Chad Pennington. He’s been fairly solid (18-328-1) over the last four weeks…Koren Robinson (5-38-1) has gone for 13-174-2 over the last three week…Dustin Keller (6-107-1) had a huge day, but he’s been up and down this season, so he’s nothing but a spot starter at this point…Justin Fargas (23 touches, 98 yards) didn’t score, but he’s the clear RB1 with Darren McFadden out…Tyler Thigpen (266 yards, 3 TD) is averaging 237 yards and 2.0 pass TD over the last three games. He also caught a TD pass last week. With Dwayne Bowe (6-72), Tony Gonzalez (10-113-2) and the improving Mark Bradley (9-81-1) to throw to, he’s a viable spot starter in most fantasy leagues.

Everything you need to know (and a lot that you don’t) about the fantasy implications of Sunday’s action.

QUARTERBACKS

Trent Edwards threw two picks and fumbled, but he threw for more than 197+ yards and a TD for the sixth time in eight games…Kyle Orton suffered an ugly ankle injury and it looks like he could be out for a month. Rex Grossman will fill in for him…Gus Frerotte (182 yards, 3 TD, INT) continues to play solid ball for Minnesota. Since he took over six games ago, he is averaging 245 yards and 1.3 pass TD per game.

RUNNING BACKS

Kevin Smith got 16 touches to Rudi Johnson’s 10, and Smith also scored a TD, so it looks like he is the lead back in Detroit…Cedric Benson (25 touches, 109 yards, TD) seems to be settling into the RB1 role in Cincy…All that pregame talk about Michael Bennett getting most of the work for Tampa Bay turned out to be erroneous. Earnest Graham is a solid start as long as Warrick Dunn is out. He fumbled twice, but threw a TD to Alex Smith to make up for it…There were rumors that the Cardinals were going to cut Edgerrin James’ touches and give Tim Hightower more of the workload, but I wasn’t expecting Hightower to register 23 touches (108 yards, TD) and James to register zero. It looks like Hiightower is officially RB1 in Arizona…Ryan Grant (20 carries, 86 yards) ran pretty well against a good Titans defense, which is encouraging for his owners. He failed to score a TD, however…The Denver running game was awful against the Dolphins. Three RBs (Michael Pittman, Andre Hall and Ryan Torain) combined for 12 yards on 11 carries…Michael Turner (31 carries, 139 yards) once again tore up a bad rush defense. He has four 104+ yard games (OAK, GB, KC, DET) against mediocre-to-bad defenses and four sub 58-yard games (PHI, CHI, CAR, TB) against four good defenses. He doesn’t get any action in the passing game (3 receptions all year), so he can’t make up for a bad rushing day in PPR leagues…Maurice Morris (8 touches, 43 yards) and Julius Jones (11 touches, 45 yards) split the RB work almost evenly…BenJarvus Green-Ellis (16 touches, 65 yards, TD) and Kevin Faulk (15 touches, 98 yards) split the work with Sammy Morris and LaMont Jordan out. Faulk has more value in PPR leagues while Green-Ellis is the better play in standard and TD-heavy leagues.

On Terrell Owens radio show, Tony Romo said that he was most likely going to sit out at least another week…Kellen Winslow has been suspended by the Browns for one game for his outburst which was directed at Cleveland management. He felt he was mistreated during the whole staph infection/swollen testicals incident. Look for Steve Heiden to have a decent day in Winslow’s absence…Larry Johnson is going to sit out (or be suspended) another week since he can’t seem to stop assaulting women in nightclubs. Kolby Smith got the start last week and Jamaal Charles also got some work…Matt Jones has reportedly been suspended for three games due to a violation of the substance abuse policy. This guy just can’t get out of his own way. He was actually putting together a nice season, and now this.

Neither Brian Westbrook nor Donovan McNabb are expected to practice this week. McNabb is listed as probable and is likely to play, but Westy is listed as questionable and is trying to recover from a high ankle sprain in seven days. That doesn’t usually happen, so my gut says make other plans at RB, especially since the Eagles play on Sunday night. Correll Buckhalter is Westy’s backup (not Lorenzo Booker) but he’s not a great option against a tough Bears defense. Still, if you’re a desperate Westbrook owner, Buckhalter is a great pickup. You can stick him in your lineup and then sub Westy in if it looks like he’s going to play…Willie Parker is likely to miss the next two weeks with a knee sprain. This is an opportunity for Rashard Mendenhall to earn some playing time. Thus far, he’s been an afterthought in the Steelers’ running game. The bad news is that he has a rough matchup with the Ravens in Week 4, but things look much better against the Jaguars in Week 5…Damon Huard is going to start for the Chiefs, which is an upgrade for Dwayne Bowe, Tony Gonzalez and probably Larry Johnson as well. Bowe is off to a good start, but Gonzo and LJ have been a little spotty thus far. Huard isn’t going to set the world on fire, but he has played well in stretches before and since the Chiefs always seem to be trailing, all fantasy owners need right now is a guy who can complete passes against a prevent defense…In a mysterious move, Trent Green will replace Marc Bulger as QB1 in St. Louis. Green is old and fragile, so this looks like a downgrade for the entire St. Louis offense, including Torry Holt and Steven Jackson. Both players are still startable, but do so at your own peril…If you’re in need of a QB this week, Brian Griese isn’t a bad option. He threw the ball 67 times against the Bears and should find some success against a Green Bay secondary that will be without CB Al Harris. The Packers figure to put up some points, so the Bucs will likely have to throw to stay in the game.