In a surprising twist, Ben Roethlisberger will sit out Week 12 against the Baltimore Ravens due to a concussion. Since he had practiced all week and since he has the reputation of being a player who will play with injures, most thought that Big Ben would suit up. Instead, Dennis Dixon will be the starting quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers. The backup in Pittsburgh is Charlie Batch — but he too is injured. That leaves the job to Dixon, who has only thrown one pass in his NFL career. Dixon is best known for his years at Oregon, where the athletic 6-foot-3 quarterback found himself in the Heisman talk a number of times. But right now, that Heisman talk is a long ways away. Instead, he faces a stout Ravens defense on the road in the... [Read more]

Adrian Peterson, the star running back for the Minnesota Vikings, was unable to practice on Friday due to an illness. As a result, the Vikings are now listing Peterson as questionable for the Week 12 game against the Chicago Bears. For fantasy football owners who have Peterson on your team, this news had to leave you feeling sick. The good news, however, is that the Vikings coaching staff is saying that they expect their star to suit up and play in Week 12. On the season, Peterson has 999 rushing yards and 11 rushing touchdowns. He also has 25 receptions for 215 yards. In his career, he’s always gotten at least 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns. In other words, he’s a consistent fantasy football beast. If Peterson can’t play in... [Read more]

While you are stuffing your face with turkey, your fantasy football team can also be stuffing its points total if you have the right players going. Here are some fantasy football studs that should have big games on Thanksgiving: QB Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers Aaron Rodgers is already arguably the best fantasy football quarterback in the NFL. Going against the Lions is just gravy. RB Marion Barber, Dallas Cowboys The Raiders will be in Big D. That should translate for a big game for the the Cowboys’ big, bruising running back. WR Calvin Johnson, Detroit Lions The only thing that slows down Calvin Johnson is injuries. If he’s playing, start him with confidence. But watch out, he’s currently listed as questionable. TE Kevin... [Read more]

With Washington Redskins running backs dropping like flies, fantasy football owners are scrambling to keep up. Heading into Week 12 of the 2009 fantasy football season, Rock Cartwright is expected to start at running back for the Redskins. Last week, Ladell Betts was the starter. However, after suffering a major knee injury early in the game against the Dallas Cowboys, Cartwright was handed the rock. He responded with 67 yards on 13 carries and 73 receiving yards on seven catches. Eventually, Clinton Portis is expected to get the starting job back. Portis is currently sidelined following a concussion. In the meantime, Cartwright is a solid start. He’s short but he’s powerful and after playing well in his first extended action, Washington’s... [Read more]

Shaquille O’Neal has missed five games due to a mysterious shoulder injury. As it turns out, there was a battle behind the scenes. O’Neal wanted a cortisone shot to help him get out on the court, while the Cleveland Cavaliers simply wanted him to rest. “I was cursing and screaming and trying to make them shoot me up,” explained O’Neal, “but they wouldn’t do it.” For fantasy basketball owners, they’ll be happy to learn that O’Neal plans to return on Wednesday against the Detroit Pistons. On the season, the Big Clevelander is averaging 11.3 points, 6.9 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.6 blocks. He’s hitting 53.2% of his field goals but only 47.4% of his free throws. Even though his... [Read more]