NFL Injuries Update (Oct. 3rd)

Cleveland's James Davis Out For Season

This is big, unexpected news, as the rookie looked very sharp in preseason, and was on the verge of getting more carries.

With Davis gone, however, Jerome Harrison will step-in as the full-time starter until Jamal Lewis is fully healthy, and Lewis's age and ineffectiveness could eventually lead to Harrison becoming the feature back this season.

Harrison put on a solid show against the Ravens last week, and should be a quality Flex play this week against the Bengals.

Marion Barber Likely to Play, but Tashard Choice Expected to Start

For Jerry Jones and the rest of the Cowboys, this is their attempt at playing it safe. I'm sure they'd like to sit Barber for a second straight week, but with an untimely injury to Felix Jones as well, Barber is needed for the Cowboys' trip to Denver.

Regardless, Choice should start the game and get the bulk of the load, and even with Barber likely to play, makes a solid RB2 play.

Willie Parker Out, Rashard Mendenhall to Start

Mendenhall was benched last week, but appears to be back on Mike Tomlin's good side. Still, even without Parker, it's very likely Pittsburgh uses third down back Mewelde Moore more than usual, instead of strictly going with the under-whelming Mendenhall.

The hype has been high on Mendenhall since early last season, but he has yet to prove his worth. He'll get plenty of opportunities to show he's worth being part of a timeshare when Parker returns.

Derrick Mason Late Addition to Injury Report For Ravens

This shouldn't be anything to get worked-up about. Mason is an aggressive and tough receiver who sacrifices his body every game, so this is just precautionary. Besides, it's being reported that he was only limited in practice on Friday due to an illness.

Look for Mason, who is averaging 16.1 yards per catch right now, to start this week and give you solid value as a WR3.

Wes Welker Still Questionable, Randy Moss Off of Injury Report

It looks like we're going down to the wire with Welker's status again. On the bright side, Moss's back woes seem to be behind him, especially after delivering his second more-than-10-catch game of the season.

Welker looks to be in better shape this wee as he's at least been participating in practice, albeit on a limited basis, and even practiced on Friday.

Check back here on Sunday before their noon game with Baltimore to get the final verdict. If Welker can't go, Julian Edelman could get another shot at putting up his week two numbers.

Dwayne Bowe Still Questionable For Sunday

Not much has changed, but at least he's practicing. Bowe was limited in practice on Friday, but the fact that he's there and trying shows his hamstring is getting better.

Regardless of whether or not he's ready to go, however, this would be a good week to pretend he's still injured, as his numbers don't project well against a stout New York Giants defense. If he starts, you could play him as a valuable WR3, but expecting anything more is a bit unrealistic.

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