A lot of questions came through the Season Pass Chat today about Justin Forsett. Of course, this was prompted by the team’s release of Edgerrin James earlier this week.

Blind logic would suggest that Forsett will assume the No. 2 role behind Julius Jones and immediately have fantasy value. I’m not so sure.

Some facts on Forsett, a seventh-round pick out of Cal in 2008:
* He is 5-foot-8 and 194 pounds. Also known as half the size of Brandon Jacobs.
* As a rookie, he was waived and signed to practice squads throughout the season. That’s never a good sign.
* The Seahawks didn’t trust Forsett to be their No. 2 back earlier in the season, signing two washed up backs in T.J. Duckett and Edge.

The point is, I’m not sure the Seahawks see Forsett as more than a strict third-down back. He can clearly excel in that role, will get a few more touches going forward and have some deeeeep PPR value, but look for Louis Rankin to fill Edgerrin’s old role. Yes, we’re talking about that big 5-7 carry per game role.

Rankin is a nice fit for the zone blocking scheme of the Seahawks and he may have more of a chance to eventually have fantasy value down the line.

Of course, with the Seahawks’ offensive line playing the way it is, none of their backs have much of a chance. Regardless, we’ll get a good look on Sunday as the hapless Lions are in town, meaning plenty of opportunities for the Seahawks to run the ball.

I use the word “sigh” way too much. And I don’t mean I exhale loudly a lot. I enjoy using the actual word, sigh, to express my emotions often.

For example: My car broke down on the Walt Whitman Bridge and I had to have a cop literally bumper car me across it. Sigh. … I have to go to my girlfriend’s friend’s wedding in New York during an NFL weekend. Sigh. … I had Lou Williams on my fantasy hoops bench and started Brandon Jennings tonight. Sigh.

Friday’s news about Anthony Gonzalez caused an extra loud sigh to come out of my mouth. I used a fifth-round pick on him in a couple leagues and have been stashing him despite some shallow rosters. I saw some late-season and fantasy playoff value in him. Forget that.

Gonzalez had a setback in practice recently, had a scope on his knee and has probably won’t be back to his normal self by year’s end, according to beat writer Phillip B. Wilson. Sigh.

Gonzalez was not a bad fifth-round pick. It just didn’t work out. And that’s the definition of sigh. Just an unfortunate turn of events that are really out of our control.

Austin Collie has 24 catches and four touchdowns in his last four games and is a solid PPR option down the stretch.

Before the season started, I wrote a column detailing the teams that I projected to have the best fantasy schedules during playoff time (Week 15 and 16). The moral of the story was don’t be the Buffalo Bills or John Stockton - don’t get second place.

Of course, some defenses have not lived up to expectations (Titans). Others have really surprised, in a good way (Broncos).

So as we start to creep closer to the fantasy playoffs, here’s an updated look at the teams with the best matchups in those two crucial weeks. Anticipated weather plays a part.

1. Cardinals - @ Lions, vs. Rams: Anquan Boldin could be a nice “buy low” as he’ll be healthy by this time.
2. Chiefs - vs. Browns, @ Bengals: We’ve talked enough about Jamaal Charles’ chances of being the starting running back by this time. How about Dwayne Bowe as a sneaky “buy low?”
3. Browns - @ Chiefs, vs. Raiders: Will it be the Jerome Harrison show by this time?
4. Colts - @ Jaguars, vs. Jets: Florida and then the dome is a great spot if the games mean anything to Peyton Manning and company.
5. Chargers - vs. Bengals, @ Titans: These games will almost certainly mean something to the annually late-blooming Chargers.

Check out today’s Dose for a more on the Jamaal Charles situation, but here are some quick thoughts on him.

* Herm Edwards never viewed Charles as an every-down back. This new Todd Haley regime says that they do.
* Charles has had more than seven carries just once in his career. That came in Week 9 last season when Larry Johnson was suspended for “Spitgate” and Kolby Smith got hurt. Charles came on and picked up 106 yards on 18 carries.
* Speaking of Kolby Smith, it’s hard for me to believe he’s ready to step right off the PUP list with that major knee injury and into a major role.
* The Chiefs offensive line is putrid, but they are getting a little healthier. Center Rudy Niswanger could be back for Sunday and tackle Branden Albert is expected to play.
* Larry Johnson is averaging 2.7 yards per carry this season. Charles is averaging 5.0 yards per carry this season.
* The Jaguars have a bottom-5 run defense and struggle against small, speedy backs like Charles.

What will Charles do with his chance Sunday? It’s impossible to say for sure because he's so unproven, but there’s no doubt he has a great opportunity.

Week 8 was a good reminder about injuries and superstars. Reggie Wayne didn’t practice on Wednesday or Thursday due to a groin injury. He was questionable and although we fully expected him to play, he was considered a game-time decision.

Of course, anytime a guy like Wayne is active, he needs to be in all lineups. It’s not like when Jerricho Cotchery is a game-time decision and we can safely bench him even if he is “up.”

So groin injury or not, Wayne popped off for a ridiculous 20 targets against the Niners. Sometimes more is made of these missed practices and “game-time decisions” than is warranted.

Anyway, on to this week’s highlights. Here are four pass-catching situations that caught our eye in Week 8:

Remember that for a complete target report, plus all the tools you need for Week 9, check out the Season Pass.

TEXANS
Andre Johnson: 10
Kevin Walter: 6
Ryan Moats: 3
James Casey: 3
David Anderson: 3
Vonta Leach: 2
Chris Brown: 2
Steve Slaton: 2
Owen Daniels: 2
Jacoby Jones: 1

Daniels went down for the season in the first quarter, so we can get a little glimpse at how the targets will shake out without him. Walter stands to be the main beneficiary and should be owned in all leagues. Casey has a knee injury of his own, but is an interesting name to keep in mind.

If Boldin would stop trying to be such a tough guy, it would benefit the team. His ankle and hamstring are nowhere close to 100 percent. He should sit down, let Breaston and Urban run with Fitz for a week or two and get right. Quick stat on Fitzgerald: He’s never averaged less than 13.4 yards per catch in his career. This season, he’s getting just 10.8 yards a grab.

CHARGERS
Vincent Jackson: 12
Antonio Gates: 6
Malcom Floyd: 4
Legedu Naanee: 1
Darren Sproles: 1
Chris Chambers: 1

The story here is that Chambers was benched for this game and then cut on Tuesday. Floyd is going to be one of the hottest pickups of the week, but he’s going to be a high risk/high reward type of play. He’ll have some chances for big deep catches, but a high volume of targets is unlikely.

PACKERS
Greg Jennings: 12
Donald Driver: 10
Donald Lee: 6
James Jones: 5
Ryan Grant: 3
John Kuhn: 2
Spencer Havner: 2
Ahman Green: 1
Quinn Johnson: 1

Havner caught two touchdowns and his two targets, but that’s obviously a fluke. The play with Jermichael Finley out is still Lee if you’re very, very desperate. The time to buy low on Jennings may be over, but a really big game has to be coming soon.

TARGET REPORT QUICK HITTERS:
Ted Ginn barely played receiver and ended up with one target. Drop him if you haven’t already unless your league counts return yardage. … Michael Crabtree has 15 targets in his first two NFL games. Never would have guessed that a month ago. … Among all tight ends with 40 or more targets, Dustin Keller has the worst catch percentage (47 percent). Greg Olsen is second-worst at 50 percent. … Tim Hightower has more targets on the season than Jason Witten, Santana Moss and Mike Sims-Walker.

Jamal Lewis wants to retire. Woo hoo! I am sick and tired of watching this guy ram it in there 20 times a game for three yards a carry. It's painful. If only Browns coach Eric Mangini would put Lewis out of his misery.

I think we’re all ready to see what Jerome Harrison can do as a full-time back. Shouldn’t the Browns just see what they have in Harrison over the long haul, considering their 1-7 record?

With Lewis nursing a hamstring in Weeks 3 and 4, Harrison put up these numbers:
Week 3 @ BALT: 16 carries, 52 yards; 5 catches, 33 yards
Week 4 vs. CINC: 29 carries, 121 yards, 5 catches, 31 yards

Two tough spots and two very solid performances. But as soon as Lewis got healthy, Harrison resumed his strict third-down duties. As Harrison languished on the bench, coach Eric Mangini offered up this explanation, per the Canton Repository:

Jerome Harrison “needs to work on his pass protection.”

OK, I can deal with that explanation. Harrison is just 5’9/205 and clearly is deficient in protection. But with Lewis admitting he's finished, Harrison has to get a look again. Lewis is a beaten man.

I’m keeping Harrison on my bench and waiting this thing out. Youth has to prevail in the second half of the year, no matter how stubborn Mangini is.

Owen Daniels’ season-ending knee ACL tear is going to cost his fantasy owners big time. The injury could cost Daniels even more.

Daniels is in the final year of his contract and will be a restricted free agent this spring. The Brinks truck was about to back into his garage. Now - well, we shall see. (Don't forget that Daniels has suffered two ACL tears before, once in high school and once in college.)

But forget Daniels’ problems. We have some serious problems of our own. His injury is a tough one to swallow because he was such a great value pick this season. He was the fifth tight end taken in ESPN.com live drafts, going in the seventh or eighth round.

Heading into tonight’s game, Daniels is the No. 1 tight end in fantasy. He was on pace for 80 catches, 1,038 yards and 10 touchdowns. Just a monster breakout season right down the drain.

As a Daniels owner myself in a couple leagues, I woke up today feeling like I got stabbed. The Texans had an interesting rookie prospect in James Casey, but he’s down with a minor knee injury of his own. So what now?

I gathered enough strength to take an early peak at the waiver wire in the leagues I own Daniels in, and what I found is not pretty. Fred Davis is available in one 10-team league, while Kevin Boss and Bo Scaife look like the best options in my 12-teamer.

Hopefully, our own waiver guru Chris Wesseling will have some better ideas in his Waiver Wired column tomorrow.

You can’t say that Texans coach Gary Kubiak didn’t warn Steve Slaton.

* After Slaton fumbled twice in Week 2, Kubiak said this: “My concern with him, as I told him [Sept. 22], he’s got three balls on the ground in (26) carries in two games. That can’t happen.”

* Following another fumble in Week 6, Kubiak pledged to work with Slaton in practice on his problem: “We’ve got to get his attention from that standpoint. Obviously, fumbles can get you beat. … It’s something Steve has to get corrected.”

* Kubiak was still positive after Slaton lost another fumble in Week 7: “People smell blood because he’s put some balls on the ground. Steve’s our guy, and I have a lot of confidence in him. It’s out job to help him find a way to hold on to the football.”

Obviously, Kubiak ran out of patience in Week 8. He benched Slaton for the rest of the game after a fumble on the Texans’ second series. Slaton now has fumbled seven times in eight games.

To make matters worse for Slaton, Ryan Moats came on and popped off for 126 yards and three touchdowns in the win at Buffalo. Kubiak had this to say Monday about Slaton possibly losing his job, per the Houston Chronicle:

“Ryan took advantage of the situation. We’ll go to next week. We’ll see.”

About the only positive Slaton’s owners can take out of Sunday is Owen Daniels’ injury. Slaton will be needed even more in the passing game, something he excels at.

It also helps that Slaton doesn't have a history of fumbling. He put the ball on the ground just three times on 318 touches last season.

As long as he can string together a few fumble-free games while playing in a committee with Moats and Chris Brown, Slaton should earn his team’s trust back. Regardless, it will be interesting to see what Kubiak has to say about Slaton at this afternoon's press conference.

Kevin Smith is part of a dying breed. Since Week 10 of last season, Smith has been a true feature back in every sense of the word. He gets about 20 carries every Sunday, he plays on third-downs and he doesn’t rotate series. What thanks does he get? Nicks, pains and a possible plan to reduce his workload.

After Smith aggravated his shoulder injury and tweaked his foot against the Rams Sunday, coach Jim Schwartz hinted that Maurice Morris will play a bigger role in the offense. Smith left the game early and didn’t come back in even though Schwartz said he could have. Morris picked up 63 yards on 14 carries while Smith got 45 yards on 16 carries. Here are quotes, courtesy of the Detroit Free Press:

“[Morris] did a good job, and that’s why we signed Maurice in the offseason,” Schwartz said. “He’s a running back that is proven in this league. And he’s gonna need to carry a load for us. He had some injury problems, been set back over the first half of the season, but we need him at full speed and we need him to be able to get some yards like that.”

The truth of the matter is that Smith’s 3.1 yards per carry average on the season is putrid. Is he getting worn down? Probably.

Over Smith’s last 16 NFL games, he’s touched the ball 349 times (308 rushes, 41 catches). In his final year of college, the Central Florida coaches strapped a saddle to his back. He carried the ball a stunning 450 times in 2007. These numbers are too high for someone of his size (6’1/211).

Smith was a valuable fantasy player mostly because of his workload. He’s currently the No. 19 fantasy RB in non-PPR leagues heading into the Monday night game. That value looks like it’s about to take a hit.

In case you haven’t been constantly refreshing our Player News Page all week (shame on you), here’s the latest news on all the injuries for Week 8.

*** Designates a true game-time decision.

Check that player news page about an hour before each game’s kickoff to find out the final inactives.

Also, use Gregg’s updated rankings and Evan’s matchup column for help with lineup decisions.

BRONCOS at RAVENS
- Joe Flacco (ankle) is a little sore but shouldn’t be limited in any way.

TEXANS at BILLS
- Andre Johnson’s reputation as a really tough player grows this week as he’ll play through a lung bruise.
- Shawn Nelson (concussion) is out.
- Trent Edwards (concussion) has been medically cleared but is out.

BROWNS at BEARS
- Phil Dawson (calf) is finally listed as probable.
- Adrian Peterson (knee) is back but is the No. 3 RB.

RAMS at LIONS
*** Calvin Johnson (knee) is a full blown game-time decision. Impossible to even guess right now if he’ll go.
- Matthew Stafford (knee) is expected to start despite being listed as questionable.
- Donnie Avery (shoulder) is nicked up all over but will start.

SEAHAWKS at COWBOYS
- Matt Hasselbeck (ribs) rested a little this week but is fine.

VIKINGS at PACKERS
- Percy Harvin (illness) is questionable but is fully expected to start.
*** Bernard Berrian (hamstring) practiced on a limited basis Friday and is a game-time decision. He’s not a strong play even if he suits up.
- Jermichael Finley (knee) almost certainly will not play. Donald Lee should get the majority of snaps.

49ERS at COLTS
*** Reggie Wayne (groin) practiced Friday, making him a likely to play. But he’s still a game-time decision.
- Donald Brown (shoulder) will almost certainly miss the game. Joseph Addai gets a big boost.
- Anthony Gonzalez (knee) is still out.

DOLPHINS at JETS
- David Clowney (ankle) is expected to play but should be benched with Jerricho Cotchery back.
- Jerricho Cotchery (hamstring) is listed as questionable but is fully expected to play.

RAIDERS at CHARGERS
- Chaz Schilens (foot) is still not ready to return.

JAGUARS at TITANS
- Javon Ringer (back) will not play.
- Nate Washington (quad) will start in a great matchup, but can Vince Young get him the ball?

PANTHERS at CARDINALS
- Muhsin Muhammad (knee) will not play, giving Dwayne Jarrett an opportunity.
- Dante Rosario (knee) will not play.
- Jonathan Stewart (heel) is listed as questionable but will play in a tough matchup.
- Anquan Boldin (ankle) practiced on a limited basis every day this week and is expected to play.

GIANTS at EAGLES
*** Brian Westbrook (concussion) still hasn’t been ruled out but isn’t expected to play. It will almost certainly be the LeSean McCoy show.
*** Mario Manningham (shoulder) says he’ll play but is a game-time decision.
- DeSean Jackson (foot) missed a little practice time but he was never in doubt.
- Ahmad Bradshaw (ankle) is risking a serious injury by playing, but he’ll go.

FALCONS at SAINTS
*** Jason Snelling (hamstring) didn’t practice this week and is questionable. He’s not an option.
- Jerious Norwood (hip) is questionable and also not an option.

There was a lot of movement in the backfields this week. Leon Washington is donezo, Brian Westbrook had his cage rattled viciously and Larry Johnson is finally getting what was coming to him.

Anyway, let’s get to three running back committees that caught our eye in Week 6.

Remember, for a full report on all 32 backfield situations from Evan Silva, check out the Season Pass.

SAINTS
Mike Bell: 12
Pierre Thomas: 8
Reggie Bush: 3
Heath Evans: 1

Mike Bell was on the field for 19 snaps last week, with 18 of those coming in the second half. His “closer” and short-yardage roles are intact. Outside of that, consider this a “hot hand” situation. Reggie Bush is touching the ball less than he ever has in his career including receptions. He’s not even much of an option in PPR until one of the Saints’ skill players gets hurt.

There was some talk that Woodhead would become the third-down back with Washington out. It’s really hard to see that happening. He’s a nice story and everything, but let’s be honest about his skills at the highest level. Obviously Greene is the hot name this week, but Jones is going to benefit a ton as well - especially in PPR formats.

PATRIOTS:
Laurence Maroney: 13
BenJarvus Green-Ellis: 7
Kevin Faulk: 2

This went pretty much as we thought it would when Sammy Morris went down. Maroney was clearly the primary back, and although he didn’t exactly drop and jaws, he was solid. Bill Belichick even went out of his way to give a positive sermon about Maroney.

COMMITTEE REPORT QUICK HITTERS
LeSean McCoy is a little inconsistent in his blitz pickups, but he’s good enough in that area to be on the field on every down. … I’m not buying the talk that Kolby Smith can step right off the PUP and really threaten Jamaal Charles. … Cedric Benson has 21 more carries than anyone else in the league. … Larry Johnson was averaging 2.7 yards per carry on his 122 carries. That alone should be enough to cut him. … Although he may be a better fit for the offense, Darren Sproles is not a feature back or anything close to it. He has six carries in his last three games.

Don’t just chalk up Sidney Rice’s breakout to the usual “third-year leap” chatter. If Tarvaris Jackson was still under center and Bernard Berrian was 100 percent, the fact that Rice is in his third season wouldn’t mean very much.

But since it’s Brett Favre chucking long balls and Berrian’s health has been inconsistent, we can say that Rice’s season is for real. He led the league in targets last week with 14 as his relationship with Favre grows closer than Lamar Odom and Khloe Kardashian.

On the season, Rice is 20th in the league with 48 targets and has hauled in 71 percent of those looks. Both are great signs that Rice can keep up his very solid WR2 pace.

Anyway, on to this week’s highlights. Here are four pass-catching situations that caught our eye in Week 7:

Remember that for a complete target report, plus all the tools you need for Week 8, check out the Season Pass.

CHARGERS
Vincent Jackson: 9
Antonio Gates: 6
Chris Chambers: 4
Malcolm Floyd: 3
LaDainian Tomlinson: 3
Darren Sproles: 3
Mike Tolbert: 2

The big news here was that coach Norv Turner said on Monday that he was going to take a “hard look” at giving Floyd more playing time over Chambers. It’s pretty clear to anyone watching that is best for the team. Chambers has been targeted 30 times and has eight catches on the season. Floyd has nine catches on 16 targets. Floyd is a nice pickup in deeper leagues.

Manningham’s drops are becoming a real issue. He’s only been officially charged with four all season, but you can bet Eli Manning has that number closer to eight or nine. Nicks’ big touchdown catch Sunday night was actually intended for Manningham, creating some real irony.

BENGALS
Chad Ochocinco: 11
Laveranues Coles: 4
Chris Henry: 3
Jeremi Johnson: 2
Andre Caldwell: 2
Bernard Scott: 1
John Paul Foschi: 1

How about the season that Chad is having? He’s currently the No. 2 WR in fantasy, trailing only Andre Johnson. This is the perfect example of what we call a “bounce-back candidate” during draft season.

49ERS
Vernon Davis: 11
Isaac Bruce: 6
Michael Crabtree: 6
Josh Morgan: 4
Frank Gore: 3
Michael Robinson: 1
Delanie Walker: 1

Lots of interesting stuff happening here. Alex Smith is now the quarterback, possibly opening up some more shots down the field. Michael Crabtree blew everyone away by being in on 89 percent of the team’s offensive snaps. And Vernon Davis has finally entered weekly TE1 status. All this from a team that wants to run the ball on every play, which means the upside on Crabtree is exciting but limited.

TARGET REPORT QUICK HITTERS:
Sam Aiken got three targets as the Pats’ No. 3 receiver last week. That position isn’t a point of emphasis in the offense. … Mohamed Massaquoi and Brian Robiskie combined to catch one of the 13 balls that came their way last week. … Terrell Owens leads the league in official drops with seven. … LeSean McCoy caught five passes on six targets Monday night, something we’ll see more of with Brian Westbrook (concussion) sidelined. … Ray Rice continues to lead all running backs in targets with 43 even though he was on a bye last week.

In case you haven’t been constantly refreshing our Player News Page all week (shame on you), here’s the latest news on all the injuries for Week 7.

*** Designates a true game-time decision.

Check that player news page about an hour before each game’s kickoff to find out the final inactives.

Also, use Gregg’s updated rankings and Evan’s matchup column for help with lineup decisions.

PATRIOTS vs. BUCS
- Sammy Morris (knee) and Fred Taylor (ankle) are out. Laurence Maroney is expected to get the start.
- Julian Edelman (forearm) is out. Sam Aiken is the Pats’ No. 3 receiver.
- Michael Clayton (hamstring) is listed as questionable but is fine. Still, he’s only a fantasy option if your league gives out points for blocking.
- Clifton Smith (concussion) is very questionable.

BILLS at PANTHERS
- Trent Edwards (concussion) will not play. It’s the Ryan Fitzpatrick show.
- Shawn Nelson (concussion) is out.
*** Jonathan Stewart (heel) is listed as questionable but practiced on both Thursday and Friday. He’s a game-time decision but we fully expect him to play.

JETS at RAIDERS
- Jerricho Cotchery (hamstring) and Brad Smith (foot) are both out. David Clowney gets another start, but he’s not much of a fantasy option.
- Chaz Schilens (foot) didn’t finish practice Friday and may have had a setback. He’s questionable, but we expect him to be inactive.

FALCONS at COWBOYS
- Roy Williams (ribs) isn’t 100 percent, but is expected to start.
- Jerious Norwood (hip) is out. Jason Snelling is the third-down man.
- Marion Barber (thigh) is a full go.
- Felix Jones (knee) is ready to go, but he’s third in the pecking order behind Barber and Tashard Choice.

SAINTS at DOLPHINS
N/A

BEARS at BENGALS
- Chris Henry (flu) is a game-time decision and is not a fantasy option.
- Brian Leonard (groin) is a go after missing last week.

PACKERS at BROWNS
- Jordy Nelson is out, meaning the No. 3 job belongs to James Jones.
- Phil Dawson (groin) is still not expected to play.
- Jerome Harrison (flu) is healthy and ready to go as Jamal Lewis’ clear backup.
*** Josh Cribbs (knee) is a game-time decision, but we expect the returner to play.
- Robert Royal (hamstring, flu) is questionable.

49ERS at TEXANS
- Frank Gore (ankle) is back and ready to go.

CHARGERS at CHIEFS
- LaDainian Tomlinson (illness) is a full go in a plus matchup.

VIKINGS at STEELERS
- Adrian Peterson (ankle) is a full go despite last week’s scare.
- Percy Harvin (shoulder) is questionable and shouldn’t be in fantasy lineups even if he plays.
- Rashard Mendenhall (knee) practiced fully Thursday and Friday. No worries here.

COLTS at RAMS
- Anthony Gonzalez (knee) is still out.
- Donnie Avery (hip) is expected to play in a tough matchup.

CARDINALS at GIANTS
*** Anquan Boldin (ankle) is a game-time decision and figures to be limited even if he plays. Upgrade Steve Breaston, who is virtually certain to play despite a lingering knee issue.
- Beanie Wells (hip) was limited in practice all week but should be active. Still, he’s not an option in his current role against the Giants.
- Ahmad Bradshaw (ankle) had some ups and downs this week but he’s a full go.
- Mario Manningham (back, ribs) practiced fully all week and will start.

EAGLES at REDSKINS
- Clinton Portis (ankle) practiced on a limited basis Saturday and will start Monday.
- Kevin Curtis (knee) is out. It’s all Jeremy Maclin once again.

A week from Sunday, the Eagles will play the Giants in Lincoln Financial Field at 1 p.m. About four hours after that game ends, the Phillies are going to play the Yankees (allegedly) at Citizens Bank Park in Game 4 of the World Series. Now that’s a timeshare.

Anyway, let’s get to three running back committees that caught our eye in Week 6.

Remember, for a full report on all 32 backfield situations from Evan Silva, check out the Season Pass.

SAINTS
Mike Bell: 15
Pierre Thomas: 15
Reggie Bush: 6
Heath Evans: 1

Bell was the goal-line back in this one, really biting into Thomas’ expected value. That said, Thomas was more of the primary back early on. Mike Bell was used as more of the “closer,” according to beat writer Jeff Duncan. We’re looking at a guessing game as to who will have the hot hand.

These numbers are skewed because Jacobs left in the second quarter with a stinger. As Gregg pointed out in his rankings today, Bradshaw didn’t play at all in the first three series. So Jacobs is still the man and I still consider him a buy low.

RAIDERS:
Justin Fargas: 23
Michael Bush: 6

You can’t watch Fargas without being a little impressed, at least by his determination. I mean this guy runs hard, and his coach appreciates it. Check out the quotes in this story. Expect Fargas to maintain the job while Darren McFadden (knee) continues his recovery.

COMMITTEE REPORT QUICK HITTERS:
Andy Reid used Brian Westbrook more late in the game in crunch time, but it was a pretty even timeshare with LeSean McCoy. Westbrook still has those hands. … Willie Parker is taking his demotion like a man. Rashard Mendenhall is going to have to choke away the job at this point. … Steven Jackson has touched the ball 140 times this season without scoring a single touchdown. That’s just weird, imagine if he played for a good team. … Fred Jackson is returning punts now, which shows he’s the clear No. 2 back. ... Among backs with at least 70 carries, Ray Rice leads the way with a 6.0 yards per carry average.

RANDOM THOUGHTS:
* I know he hasn’t had his bye yet, but Matt Schaub is the No. 1 player in all of fantasy football through six weeks. Of course, Schaub has been healthy. That’s obviously the concern about him maintaining that position.

* There are a few corners that we need to be aware of even if we don’t play in an IDP league. Darrelle Revis, Antoine Winfield, Nnamdi Asomugha and Champ Bailey are guys to think about when setting lineups. Use Evan’s Friday matchup column for help there.

* I have a problem with these games every year in London. Preseason? Fine. But not in the regular season. In a league where home field means so much, it’s messes with the competitive balance when the Bucs only have seven home games. Well, I guess the Bucs already have messed with the competitive balance this season.

* A few late-round NBA sleepers for the hoopsheads out there drafting this weekend: Brandon Rush, Roy Hibbert, Channing Frye, Anthony Morrow. Dr. A has a quick something to say about every player this is here.

Since Eddie Royal hasn’t been discussed enough this season, I’m going to quickly throw one more log onto the fire.

No one should have been surprised at all by his zero-catch outing on Monday night. If you’ve seen how Royal has been used all season, you know the 10-catch outburst in Week 5 was pretty fluky.

But I was a little taken aback that Royal’s role in the return game is taking some of the blame for his lack of snaps.

Denver Post beat writer Mike Klis wrote this in a sidebar on Royal:

Afterward, Royal humbly gave credit to his blockers, but denied the two long returns left him fatigued.

McDaniels gave him the rest of the second quarter off. Whether it's his tailbacks, receivers or returners, McDaniels believes in keeping the legs of skill position players fresh.

Last season, Royal returned 23 kicks and 14 punts. Of course, he caught 91 balls. This season, he’s returned eight kicks and 13 punts. It’s really hard for me to buy the claim that he’s too tired to be out there.

The Broncos simply don’t consider Royal that valuable in the passing game. If they did, he wouldn’t return every kick and punt. And he wouldn’t be in a rotation with Jabar Gaffney and Brandon Stokley.

One other bad sign for Royal was that lightly regarded Antonio Cromartie was in his jersey all night. After seeing that, I took a quick look at his catch rate using Rotoworld’s target report, and found a pretty scary stat.

Among all receivers with 40 or more targets this season, Royal’s catch rate of 44 percent is the worst. Dead last out of 33 pass catchers.

Royal is too talented for that number not to rise, but it’s still frightening and a major reason why he’s not a “buy low" or very start-able from week to week.