Here’s hoping your fantasy game today goes better than Cal’s game yesterday.  (Not Playing: The Entire Cal Defense)

Moping aside, it’s a bad week for injuries.  Especially if you have a New England receiver, a Tampa running back or any Eagles skill player at all.

Remember: Things can change.  Coaches are notorious for being vague on injury reports.  Check back here or follow us on Twitter for the latest.

Playing:

Steve Breaston, WR, ARI
Antonio Bryant, WR, TB
Earnest Graham, RB, TB
Percy Harvin, WR, MIN
DeSean Jackson, WR, PHI
Knowshon Moreno, RB, DEN
Randy Moss, WR, NE
Clinton Portis, RB, WAS
Cadillac Williams, RB, TB

Not Playing:

Dwayne Bowe, WR, KC
Phil Dawson, K, CLE
Earnest Graham, RB, TB
Jamal Lewis, RB, CLE
Donovan McNabb, QB, PHI
LaDainian Tomlinson, RB, SD
Wes Welker, WR, NE
Brian Westbrook, RB, PHI

Too Close to Call:

Marion Barber, RB, DAL (probably won’t play)
Brandon Stokley, WR, DEN

Things did not go well in Week 2.

In my defense I nailed Moss, Boldin, Slaton and the San Diego D on All-Bench.  Of course I couldn’t possibly be more wrong on Cutler, Larry Johnson and Carolina’s Steve Smith.  So the total wasn’t good.

But now things are evening out.  Brighter days are ahead.

(Wins) Team: Season (Week)
(1) All-Start: 53 (138)
(1) All-Bench: 91 (163)

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Here’s the most recent status for this week’s questionable-or-worse players.  No huge surprises, but some big names are sitting so double-check your rosters before the deadline.

I’ll update the list as new information comes in right up to early game kickoff so check back before finalizing your rosters.

9:04 Update: Wes Welker inactive, moved from Playing to Not Playing.
9:45 Update: Steve Breaston is active according to Jay Glazier.

Playing

Pierre Thomas, RB, NO (limited snaps)
Matt Cassell, QB, KC
Anquan Boldin, WR, ARI
Steve Breaston, WR, ARI

Not Playing

Antonio Bryant, WR, TB
Donovan McNabb, QB, PHI
LaDainian Tomlinson, RB, SD
Wes Welker, WR, NE

Too Close to Call

Deion Branch, WR, SEA

Week 1 could have been worse.

Like the NFL’s players (except Adrian Peterson), I’m still shaking the rust off.  So I’ll take an 85-72 All-Start win.  I did nail Matt Ryan and Cedric Benson on All-Start and Lee Evans and the Miami D on All-Bench after all.  Of course with four double-digit All-Bench performances I whiffed on my fair share as well…

But it’s a new week!  A week in which I take some big risks, putting quite a few Pro Bowl players on the All-Bench team.

Week 2 picks below, Week 1 results past that.

(Wins) Team: Season (Week)
(1) All-Start: 85 (85)
(0) All-Bench: 72 (72)

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After a week of millions of fantasy owners focusing their combined hope on Donovan McNabb’s broken rib, he’s listed on the injury report as doubtful.  While this doesn’t guarantee he’ll miss the game it’s not a very good sign, and it means that if he does play he’ll be injured and not have the benefit of any practice.

What I’m saying is that the hope was for naught.  You’re going to have to bench him.

So what can a desperate person do to fill that giant void?  While many of you have a solid backup option, most probably don’t.  But fortunately there are some passable options out there.  Not good mind you, but passable.

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Remember that list from a few days ago about hail mary free agents to pick up if you’re desperate, at least until Week 1 rolls around and someone breaks out?

Week 1 has rolled around.  Players have broken out.

Here’s five players you probably should have submitted a waiver claim for by now.

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For last-minute news even more breaking than this follow us on Twitter.

Playing

Kyle Orton, QB, DEN
Knowshon Moreno, RB, DEN (with a reduced workload)
Bernard Berrian, WR, MIN

Not Playing

Matt Cassell, QB, KC
Pierre Thomas, RB, NO
Anquan Boldin, WR, ARI (probably not, but a gametime call)
Deion Branch, WR, SEA (probably not, and not a starter anyway)

That’s right, Start/Bench is back!

If you’re just joining us, every week I choose a starting lineup of non-obvious players for an All-Start Team and an All-Bench Team, and pit them against each other using default Yahoo scoring. Basically, these are borderline guys who I think will have a good or bad week.

Last season All-Start (thankfully) won with a 9-3 record.  Their total scores were 1,167 for All-Start and 893 for All-Bench.  Can I beat that?  I really hope so.  And the quest starts…now.

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Over the weekend I was in Seattle at the Penny Arcade Expo, which is like Burning Man for nerds, for the other blog I contribute to.  And also because I love video games.  It was a great time, there was much gaming and I didn’t even catch Swine Flu.

Unfortunately it conflicted with a fantasy draft on Sunday morning.  And not just any fantasy draft.  The office fantasy draft, the one that will probably generate the most trash talking.

I had to autodraft.

Fortunately it didn’t go as poorly as I’d feared.  I got the best at two positions, Adrian Peterson and Antonio Gates, and I was solid all around.  But it didn’t autodraft me a backup quarterback.  And my coworkers apparently decided to hoard QBs like gold during a bank run.

So what’s a guy to do in this situation?  Or a similar one, say if your starter got a late injury?  Here’s some players who, in a pinch, can hold a spot as a backup until someone breaks out…

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