Fantasy Football: Wednesday News and Notes

So there's more to the daily practice reports than just who played and who didn't. That's what we'll look to cover this week, especially as some injury news is coming across the wire. No one really seems to be safe from violent hits. Let's get to it.

Tony Scheffler and Eddie Royal are both likely to miss this week's game, and anything beyond that has yet to be determined. That means we need to look for fill-in plays. Who would we recommend?

On the tight end side:

Greg Olsen, Chicago

Olsen is becoming a more reliable target as Kyle Orton is becoming more comfortable under center. He still is prone to dropping footballs, but there are worse options on waivers. He's available in most formats, and should be a decent play this week.

John Carlson, Seattle

He's the only reliable and consistent receiver in Seattle. That isn't saying much, but it's better than nothing. Carlson is just 31 percent owned, but has amassed 168 receiving yards this season on 12 receptions.

Zach Miller, Oakland

He is still very raw, but Russell has looked to him as an outlet when the rush gets to him. Since that has happened a fair amount, expect Miller to see more and more opportunities coming his way.

Other tight end options would include Anthony Fasano in Miami and Dustin Keller on the Jets.

Receivers to fill in for Royal would include:

Devery Henderson, New Orleans

Going up against Oakland and a soft pass defense should help pad the numbers that Brees is already putting up. Henderson is hit or miss, but this should be much closer to a hit week.

Greg Camarillo, Miami

Odd that we're recommending a Miami receiver, but he's been the beneficiary of Chad Pennington's poor arm. Camarillo works the underneath coverages very well and may come out as a surprise option in the Wildcat formation. He's a Wes Welker-type receiver.

Martin Gramatica may not be kicking for New Orleans this weekend. The Aberdeen News is reporting that Taylor Mehlhaff is heading to the Bayou to sign a contract to kick for the Saints. Not exactly earth-shattering news, but teams should prepare to change their kicker as necessary. There are plenty of good ones available in all leagues.

One of the popular early defenses, Tennessee, and one of the regular stalwarts, Pittsburgh, are on byes this week. Owners needing to look for a defense to fill in for the week should immediately look to Washington. The Redskins draw a hapless Rams offense that, even coming off a bye week, should be good for a couple interceptions and very few points. Who else could fill in?

San Diego

They draw the Patriots, so this is a tough matchup, but the Chargers looked decent against a Miami team that moved the ball very well against New England. They still have a better secondary than what Miami has, and the Dolphins put plenty of pressure on Cassel without worrying about what Moss did deep.

Minnesota

They may struggle against the pass, but they draw Detroit. The health of Jon Kitna and his ability to start haven't been determined at this point in time. Even still, the Vikings can hang with these guys. A high school team can hang with these guys.

Kevin Curtis is seeing more action in practice this week for the Eagles. Curtis has been sidelined with a sports hernia for the early part of the season, but should be back with the Eagles soon. His return will impact the looks and touches of Greg Lewis and Hank Baskett more than anyone else. Relying on those two receivers for more than another week is going to be hard.

Anthony Gonzalez suffered a concussion in last week's game against Houston, but Peter King of SI is reporting that Gonzalez should be in the lineup this week against the Ravens. Baltimore has been very strong against both the run and the pass this season, so separation for even the best receivers will be hard.

Marvin Harrison has already struggled, so the Colts will be looking for Gonzalez to come through. Don't expect a huge game, even if he is in the lineup.

Brian Westbrook did not practice on Wednesday, according to the Eagles' website. Westbrook is nursing broken ribs and is likely going to be limited at best. Correll Buckhalter is the obvious grab off the waivers, but there are still other options.

Look to:

Le'Ron McClain, Ravens

McClain was mentioned in our Week Five Hangover as the guy to own in Baltimore right now. He's only about 35 percent owned to this point, yet is getting all the carries around the goal line.

Tim Hightower, Cardinals

Take everything in the above sentence, except substitute Arizona. Hightower has been surprisingly effective in recent weeks and that role could expand if James struggles breaking free from tacklers.

Deuce McAllister, Saints

There are plenty of carries to go around in New Orleans, and Deuce is going to see his share. Given the way Bush is being used, McAllister is going to be needed to keep Bush's legs fresh toward the end of games.

Chris Chambers will likely be held out of the game this weekend against the Patriots. As a result, owners should upgrade Vincent Jackson. Jackson is still a third receiver or flex option at best, depending on the league. Couple this with LaDainian Tomlinson's toe injury, and you may end up with the Pats' defense as a sleeper play in deep leagues.

What do you make of Donovan McNabb? Well, he's obviously upset about the way he played. He vented as much after the game and now on his blog as well. This week should get better for him. There are many leagues that the toss-up is between McNabb and Eli Manning.

If you like high upside, you need to trust McNabb here. If you want consistency, Manning is going to put up some solid numbers against the Browns as well. McNabb just has a higher ceiling.