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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Rotoworld shares the bad news that the Dolphins placed Ronnie Brown on IR, ending his season…

The extent of Brown’s foot injury still hasn’t been revealed, but the Dolphins wouldn’t have ended his season so early if it wasn’t significant. A Lisfranc fracture requiring surgery could jeopardize his availability for 2010 training camp. In standard leagues, Brown has been the No. 8 overall fantasy RB with eight all-purpose touchdowns, 746 total yards, and a rock-solid 4.4 YPC in nine starts. With no CBA deal on the horizon, Brown’s 2010 option will likely kick in, keeping him in Miami. He’s due $5 million in salary next season.

Obviously, this is a big blow to the Dolphins who already have RB Patrick Cobbs on IR. However, they do have a good backup in Ricky Williams who is more than capable of taking over.

From a fantasy point of view, if Williams is somehow available on your waiver wire, pick him up NOW. His matchups in the fantasy playoffs are all decent and the Miami running game is one of the best in the league. There are a few things to keep in mind: 1) He’s 32 years-old and hasn’t had a 25+ carry game since 2005, 2) he was basically out of football for two years so he doesn’t have the normal mileage of a 32 year-old RB, and 3) he has looked damn good this year, averaging a career-high 5.3 ypc.

The Dolphins plan to use Williams as their workhorse back. Lex Hilliard is listed next on the Miami depth chart, so he might be a guy to stash if you have room on your roster. Hilliard is a power back that hasn’t yet carried the ball in his two year career. However, he amassed 3,428 yards and 45 TD in three seasons at Montana. He averaged 107 yards and 1.2 TD in 23 games over his last two years in college. Given his age, Williams is susceptible to injury, and if he were to go down, Hilliard would likely be the lead back in a potent rushing attack.

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Every week, I will highlight a few players to start and a few players to sit at each position. I’m a firm believer in starting your studs, so I won’t tell you about how Drew Brees or Adrian Peterson has a tough matchup – just go ahead and keep them in your lineup. Instead, I’ll focus on the borderline guys – players you’ll only start under the right circumstances. It’s important to note that depending on your roster and situation, you may not be able to follow these recommendations. For example, if I suggest you bench a solid starter like Tony Romo, only do so if you have a clearly better option on your bench.

The “love ‘em” players are listed in the order that I’d start them this week.

Matt Schaub is coming off his bye and has a tasty matchup with a Tennessee defense that has given up an average of 270 yards and 2.6 pass TD per game…Eli Manning is also coming off his bye and has a date with an Atlanta defense that is 28th against the pass…The KC DT has been a little better versus QBs of late, but Ben Roethlisberger should still have a nice game. On the season, the Chiefs have given up an average of 234 yards and 1.6 pass TD per game…It’s tough to run on the Vikings, so look for Matt Hasselbeck to pass early and often to try to take advantage of Minnesota’s 23rd-ranked pass defense…The Giants have struggled against the pass of late, so Matt Ryan will have an opportunity to break out of his recent funk…Desperate? Miami has really struggled against the pass lately, so (gulp) Jake Delhomme should be able to post some good fantasy numbers.

I love Ricky Williams this week. Not only is he slated to be the Dolphins’ workhorse back, but he has a great matchup with a sketchy Carolina rush defense…Cedric Benson is a must-start if he can play, but if he can’t go,Bernard Scott should be able to post nice numbers against an Oakland defense that has yielded 156 yards and 1.6 TD on the ground this season…Rashard Mendenhall should have a very nice day against the Chiefs, who are ranked 27th against the run…Kevin Smith hasn’t tore it up lately, but a date with a suspect Browns’ defense should remedy that…Tim Hightower and Beanie Wells both look like nice starts against the Rams this week. I think I prefer Wells, who will get more work if the Cardinals are able to build a lead. It all depends on which Rams team shows up. If this game is competitive, Hightower is likely to see more touches because he’s more involved in the passing game…It’s tough to tell what’s going on in the Saints’ backfield, but Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush are both worth starting this week against the Bucs’ 31st-ranked rush defense. Tampa Bay has given up an average of 167 yards on the ground this season…Ryan Moats got the lion’s share of the touches in Week 9 and I’d expect that to continue this week against a struggling Titans rush defense…Michael Turner owners can turn (pun totally intended, ugh) to Jason Snelling. The matchup with the Giants isn’t great, but ATL doesn’t have any other good options at RB with Turner out and Jerious Norwood banged up…LeSean McCoy and Justin Forsett are likely to fill in for Brian Westbrook and Julius Jones, respectively. Neither guy has a great matchup, but in PPR leagues, both players are very startable.

Greg Jennings and Donald Driver should be in lineups this week, as they have a pretty nice matchup against the 49ers’ 29th-ranked pass defense…Roddy White should be a good start against a banged-up Giants’ secondary…Look for Sidney Rice to have a big game against the Seahawks, who have been torched by WRs in the last few games…The Chargers have been pretty good against the pass this season, but lately, they’ve struggled a bit. Brandon Marshall has a chance to have a nice game…Hines Ward is a solid atart against the Chiefs, though I’m a little worried that KC won’t be able to stay in the game without Dwayne Bowe…Obviously, Marques Colston is a good bet to have a bounce back game against the Bucs, but Devery Henderson and Robert Meachem will also have a shot to catch a deep ball or two…Kevin Walter is looking like a solid start against a shaky Titans pass defense. With Owen Daniels out, he figures to get a few extra targets…Desperate? Donnie Avery caught two TD last week and has another nice matchup this week as the Cardinals come to down. He’s not a dependable start right now, but if you need a guy, you could do worse…Really desperate? Maurice Stovall has gone for 7-93-1 over the last two weeks and the Bucs are likely to be playing catch up against the Saints this week.

David Garrard has been a little tough to figure out lately, so a bad matchup with the Bills’ 9th-ranked pass defense doesn’t bode particularly well…There are a number of good QBs that are still startable, but have bad matchups: Tom Brady (NYJ), Tony Romo (WAS), Carson Palmer (OAK) and Joe Flacco (IND)…Steer clear of Mark Sanchez, who faces a Patriots defense that is ranked 7th in the league in yards allowed (195 ypg). Bill Belichick’s DT should be able to give the rookie fits…Alex Smith has been pretty solid as the 49ers’ starter, but he has to play in Green Bay against a defense that shut down the Cowboys last week. Assuming the Packers show up, it could be a long day for Smith.

The Chargers have actually been pretty good against the rush of late, which is why I’d avoid Knowshon Moreno and Correll Buckhalter this week…Jamaal Charles was great against the Raiders, but those were the Raiders. This week, he faces a very stout Pittsburgh defense that is coming off of a loss. This could get ugly…I don’t like Marion Barber very much this week. The Washington run defense is coming on and he isn’t all that involved in the passing game this season…Likewise, I think Ladell Betts will struggle against a fired up Dallas defense that is still smarting from a tough loss to Green Bay last week.

Mike Sims-Walker is good enough to start just about every week, but Buffalo has been stingy against the pass this season, so be warned…The same goes for Chad Ochocinco, who has the unenviable task of going head to head with Nnamdi Asomugha this week…Devin Hester is a shaky start against a very good Eagles pass defense…Michael Crabtree may find the going tough against a good Packer secondary. Green Bay is ranked 6th against the pass in yards allowed, though they have given up the 4th-most pass TD this season.

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The strategy behind DTBWW is that each week, you pick up a defense, preferably one playing at home against a bad offense. And each week, you get pretty good numbers out of your DT position. To see how this approach performed last season, click here.

Last week, I recommended three DTBWW picks. Let’s see how they fared…

#1 Dolphins: 23 PA (0) + 3 SK + 1 INT + 1 FR = 5 fantasy points
#2 Titans: 17 PA (2) + 2 SK + 2 INT + 2 RET TD = 18 fp
#3 Cardinals: 20 PA (0) + 4 SK + 2 INT = 6 fp

The Dolphins were a little disappointing considering their opponent (TB), but they put up a serviceable point total. The Titans were excellent — TEN is averaging 14.0 fp over the last three weeks (in three very good matchups). Arizona was mediocre, but at least they didn’t put up a goose egg like my bonus pick (ATL).

On the season, my #1 pick is averaging 10.1 fantasy points, my #2 pick is averaging 10.7 fp and my #3 pick is averaging 6.8 fp. As a whole, DTBWW is averaging 9.2 fp, which are DT3 numbers. Not bad.

Let’s take a look at this week’s picks. Keep in mind that to be eligible for DTBWW, a defense must be available in at least 40% of ESPN fantasy leagues.

Pick #1: Cincinnati Bengals (@ OAK)
The Bengals are the #7 fantasy defense yet they are still available in 45% of ESPN leagues. Use this lack of respect to your advantage. They’re a good start this week against the Raiders and have the Browns and Lions at home in Week 12 and Week 13, respectively.

Pick #2: Dallas Cowboys (vs. WAS)
The Cowboys defense played pretty well against the Packers and this week they have a much easier matchup against Washington. They should come out with a lot of emotion after last week’s embarrassing setback.

Pick #3: Detroit Lions (vs. CLE)
The Browns’ offense is a mess and they will likely be without Josh Cribbs, so the Lions defense has an opportunity to dominate. It doesn’t hurt that the game is at home.

If none of these DTs are available on your league’s waiver wire, give these bonus picks a try (in this order): Cardinals (@ STL), Browns (@ DET), Dolphins (@ CAR), Jaguars (vs. Bills)

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Dwayne Bowe suspended for four games. Apparently, he violated the league’s substance abuse policy. Believe it or not, this makes Chris Chambers a viable fantasy option as the Chiefs don’t have much else going for them at WR. Lance Long may see more targets as well.

HC Mora admits that Julius Jones is “unlikely” to play in Week 11. This isn’t surprising considering that Jones was hospitalized on Sunday. Justin Forsett will get the start in a bad matchup with the Vikings. But from Week 12 on, Seattle’s schedule is pretty nice, so Forsett could potentially be a nice second-half pickup if Jones misses extended time. I wonder if the Seahawks are regretting letting Edgerrin James go.

Tim Hightower is still the Cardinals’ starter. This is going to be an interesting situation to watch down the stretch. The Cardinals have series of great rushing matchups, so will Hightower be as involved as Arizona tries to milk the clock? He seems to shine when Arizona is in catch up mode.

Cedric Benson may be a game-time decision against Oakland. The Raiders are terrible against the run, so whoever starts (Benson or Bernard Scott) should be a great start in Week 11. The team has already stated that the Larry Johnson signing has nothing to do with Benson’s injury, but the timing makes this hard to believe.

Ricky Williams will be the Dolphins’ every-down back with Ronnie Brown out. Brown apparently has two injuries — one to his ankle and one to his foot — and beat writer Omar Kelly says there’s a possibility that Brown will see a specialist. Williams’s value was already pretty high, but now it’s through the roof. Start him with confidence.

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Be sure to check out Week 10’s Fantasy Fallout and our Waiver Wire Watch. Still have questions? Fire away, but be sure to tell me about your league’s roster requirements and whether or not you’re in a PPR league.

Every week, I highlight a few players that you should target in waivers. I use the ESPN league data when filtering players, so the only players eligible for discussion here are those that are available on the waiver wire in at least 50% of ESPN’s leagues. I’ll list each player’s percentage-owned after their name so you have an idea of how available they are in leagues around the country. I’ll always try to mention a few players that are available in 90% of leagues for those of you in 12-team leagues or leagues with big rosters. I’ll rank them in the order I’d pick them up in a league with a high-performance, PPR scoring system.

Please note that these rankings are for total value through the end of the year. Players with particularly good matchups this week are in bold.

Alex Smith (17.0)
Of this group, I’d still take Smith first despite a bad outing against a suspect Bears secondary. He has a great upcoming schedule and has a few good options in the passing game in Vernon Davis and Michael Crabtree.
Vince Young (6.6)
Young has been very solid of late, and with the Texans and Cardinals up next, he has a chance to post decent fantasy numbers.
Mark Sanchez (46.4)
The rookie has been pretty good over the last three weeks, but with the Pats and Panthers up next, that may not last.
Jason Campbell (19.2)
Matthew Stafford (5.8)
Marc Bulger (3.7)
Josh Freeman (3.4)
Chad Henne (5.2)

This was a big week for RB injuries as Michael Turner, Julius Jones, Brian Westbrook and Ronnie Brown are all likely to miss time. If Beanie Wells (64.0) is on your waiver wire, he’s worth a pickup. The same goes for Darren McFadden (58.2) who will likely get more work in upcoming weeks.

Ryan Moats (48.3)
In Week 9, Moats out-touched Steve Slaton 19 to nine, so I’m assuming he’s the lead back for the time being. The lead RB in Houston has considerable value, so I’d put him slightly ahead of the other guys on this list.
Jamaal Charles (36.3)
Charles rushed for 103 yards and a TD against a very bad Oakland rush defense. He has more long term value than the rest of the guys on this list because he seems to be the team’s starter as long as he’s healthy. Be warned that he has a very bad matchup this week against the Steelers, but things get easier down the stretch.
Ladell Betts (16.9)
Betts was excellent (114 yards, TD) against a pretty good Broncos rush defense. He should be productive as long as Portis is out, and it looks like he’ll be out for at least another week.
Justin Forsett (1.4)
Julius Jones apparently does NOT have a broken rib, just a bruise causing bleeding in his lungs. The Seahawks are optimistic about a quick recovery, but this doesn’t bode well for Week 11 and he might be out even longer. Forsett was great in his stead but a tough matchup this week versus the Vikings limits his upside.
Jason Snelling (0.3)
Michael Turner has a high ankle sprain but the team is optimistic that he will be back soon. Recovery from high ankle sprains could take 2-3 weeks up to 6 months, but given the team’s tenor, I’m betting on the former. Snelling is capable, but didn’t look great against a very suspect Panthers rush defense. He’s most valuable to owners desperate for a short-term fill in.
Justin Fargas (16.8)
Sammy Morris (35.3)
Laurence Maroney has been pretty good holding down the fort, so there’s no telling how much work the Pats will give Morris when he does come back. He was slated to be RB1 before his injury, so I can only assume he’d eventually regain that role when he returns.
Shonn Greene (41.3)
Leonard Weaver (1.1)
He’ll get some work — especially around the goal line — with Westbrook out.
Bernard Scott (0.7)
Cedric Benson says he’s going to play in Week 11, but Cincy just signed Larry Johnson (though they say he’ll be inactive this week). Benson looks likely to play, so if he’s not practicing, Scott would be worth a pickup.

Donnie Avery (44.2)
Last week, Avery was my top recommended WR pickup and he had a 4-67-2 day against the Saints. He looks like he’s healthy and he has a great schedule down the stretch, so he should definitely be rostered in 12-team leagues.
Jeremy Maclin (41.4)
It’s hard to argue with a 4.2-61-0.7 average over the last six games. He’ll have his ups and downs, but the Eagles will be more likely to abandon the run with Brian Westbrook sidelined.
Austin Collie (48.5)
Devery Henderson (51.9)
With Lance Moore out, Henderson has at least three catches in each of the last four games. With Tampa Bay up next, Henderson should have a nice week.
Pierre Garcon (31.3)
Garcon has 15 catches over the last four weeks and it doesn’t look like Anthony Gonzalez is going to make it back anytime soon.
Mike Wallace (35.2)
A disappointing 1-16 day against the Bengals broke a nice run. Wallace should post a better line against a suspect Chiefs pass defense.
Robert Meachem (10.3)
Meachem only had one catch in Week 10, but he made it count for a TD. He also had a 41-yard run.
Nate Washington (12.2)
He’s not catching a lot of passes, but he has two TD in the last three games, so Vince Young is looking his way around the goal line.
Chris Chambers (32.6)
I’m not a fan, but 6-130-2 over the last two weeks is hard to ignore. He has a few tough matchups coming up, however.
Malcom Floyd (5.0)
Davone Bess (3.8)
Brandon Gibson (0.0)
With Keenan Burton out for the season, keep an eye on Gibson, who went for 7-93 against the Saints.

Dustin Keller (53.5) is getting hot, so I’d pick him up before moving onto the list.

Todd Heap (45.6)
Kevin Boss (39.4)
Benjamin Watson (35.5)
Fred Davis (3.3)
Tony Scheffler (22.2)
Brandon Pettigrew (6.6)
Bo Scaife (8.9)
Jermichael Finley (9.4)
Donald Lee (2.7)
Marcedes Lewis (11.6)

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