QUARTERBACKS

Matt Ryan is out for Week 13 due to turf toe.  Chris Redman is a little bit better than the average backup but he faces the Eagles’ #9 ranked defense this Sunday.  Jake Delhomme will sit out with a broken finger.  Matt Moore will face a Tampa Bay defense that has allowed 24 passing TDs – 3^rd most in the NFL.  Dennis Dixon did his best in his first NFL start, but the 12-for-26, 145-yard stat line wasn’t exactly thrilling.  Big Ben is back this week.  Jason Campbell said he blacked out after suffering a big hit against Philadelphia.  Despite the head injury potential, the Redskins expect him to play against the Saints.  Matt Leinart relieved Kurt Warner and completed 67.7% of his passes for 220 yards and 0 TDs.  Arizona expects Warner to return this week, but the concussion red flag has been raised.  Considering he was a last minute scratch last Sunday, owners will have to remain diligent when following Warner’s status.  Arizona plays Sunday night, making predictions a bit difficult on owners who have an early lineup deadline.  Joe Flacco threw his first touchdown in 3 games.  Green Bay is a little banged up, but their defense is generally solid across the board, so Flacco has a sufficient challenge Monday night.  Even if he does have a setback named Charles Woodson, keep an eye on his week 14 matchup against Detroit.

RUNNING BACKS

Michael Turner’s high ankle sprain forced an early exit in Week 12.  The Falcons rushed him back a little too quickly; don’t expect him to play this week.  Jason Snelling and Jerious Norwood will have their hands full against the Eagles in Week 13.  Justin Forsett shined on Sunday averaging 5.9 yards per carry on his way to 130 yards and 2 TDs.  Unfortunately, it looks like Jim Mora will start Julius Jones this week against the 49ers.  Forsett has been so much better than Jones; it’s hard to imagine this arrangement sticking. Interim Buffalo head coach Perry Fewell appears to be putting his stamp on the squad by going back to Fred Jackson as the primary rusher over Marshawn Lynch.  Lynch has been largely ineffective this season while Jackson has produced steady results, including a 73-yard, 2 TD game last week.  Cedric Benson is scheduled to return this Sunday against an anemic Lions defense.  It’s just in time, considering Bernard Scott has been spotted in a walking boot.  Larry Johnson topped 100 yards last week, but still expect Benson to regain his previous workload.  True, Rock Cartwright is the Redskins’ de facto #1 back, but he has been running into some tough defenses since his promotion.  If you have room, keep him stashed as a potential sneaky RB2 play in Week 14 versus the Raiders.  Cleveland placed Jamal Lewis on the IR with a severe concussion.  The Browns are interested in signing former-Bengal and the UFL leading rusher De De Dorsey, but look for Jerome Harrison and Chris Jennings to get the majority of reps.

WIDE RECEIVERS

Kenny Britt and Nate Washington both posted season-high yardage totals in a last-second win over the Cardinals.  Remember, the Titans prefer Vince Young to be more of a “game manager” but the circumstances in last week’s game caused him to air it out more than usual.  Justin Gage should be back this week, so owners planning to start any of the Titans receivers have to hope for Indy to get a big lead early and cause VY to play catch up.  DeSean Jackson won’t play this week after suffering a head injury.  Jeremy Maclin and Jason Avant get a nice uptick in value against Atlanta’s 27^th ranked pass defense.  Kevin Walter caught all 7 passes thrown his way last week for 73 yards.  He still hasn’t scored this year, but can be used this week against Jacksonville’s 26^th ranked pass defense.  Vincent Jackson has posted 3 straight ho-hum games in a row.   Over the past 3 weeks, he has total of 7 catches for 93 yards and 0 TDs.  The Chargers were victorious in every contest (actually they are in the midst of a 6 game winning streak), so there isn’t an urgent need to shake things up.  With Cleveland on the slate this Sunday, it’s hard to imagine the trend continuing for too long.  Keep him active against a mediocre Browns secondary.  Mohamed Massaquoi caught only 1 of the 8 passes thrown his way.  Even as the primary target on a poor team, he’ll be too inconsistent to rely on as an every week starter down the stretch.  The only game that looks appetizing is in Kansas City in Week 15, other than that, his situation is pretty difficult.

TIGHT ENDS

The Lions will place Brandon Pettigrew on IR with a torn ACL leaving Casey FitzSimmons and Will Heller to take over tight end duties. FitzSimmons showed some signs of competency, but owners should still be looking elsewhere for more consistent options.  Anthony Fasano returned after missing 2 games with hip surgery to catch 5 passes for 74 yards.  He’s an option, just not an elite one.  The Vikings list Visanthe Shiancoe as questionable, but they’re not indicating they anticipate him missing Sunday’s night game.