QB Carson Palmer, Cincinnati Bengals
After sitting out last week, Carson Palmer is listed as questionable for Week 5. However, the good news for fantasy football owners is that Palmer is expected to play in Week 5 despite his elbow injury.

QB Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers
Rodgers is listed officially as questionable and is being called a game-time decision. That said, it’s looking more and more likely that he’ll play.

RB Brian Westbrook, Philadelphia Eagles
Westbrook was unable to play last week due to an ankle injury. This week he has practiced and very well could play.

RB Willis McGahee, Baltimore Ravens
McGahee is questionable and will be a gametime decision. Look elsewhere for a safe start.

WR Anquan Boldin, Arizona Cardinals
Boldin is out for Week 5 after undergoing face surgery.

WR Brandon Lloyd, Chicago Bears
Due to a hip injury, Brandon Lloyd will be out in Week 5.

WR David Patten, New Orleans Saints
Patten has been ruled out for Week 5.

WR Deion Branch and Bobby Engram, Seattle Seahawks
Although neither wide receiver has played this season, both are expected to play in Week 5.

WR Justin Gage, Tennessee Titans
Gage is listed as doubtful and is expected to miss Week 5 of the fantasy football season.

WR Plaxico Burress, New York Giants
Burress will not play in Week 5 due to suspension.

TE LJ Smith, Philadelphia Eagles
Although listed as questionable, the latest indications are that Smith should be able to play.

Chris Henry of the Cincinnati Bengals has been activated following a four game suspension. Henry, who has seen his share of trouble with the law, immediately becomes a player of interest in fantasy football.

If Henry is on your league’s waiver wire, you should definitely think about picking him up. With Chad Johnson (or Chad Ocho Cinco, if you will) and TJ Houshmandzadeh not playing as well as usual, Henry could see a lot of passes headed his way.

However, not only is this good news for Henry, this is very good news for Carson Palmer. Palmer has been a below average fantasy football quarterback so far in 2008 but he usually has very good chemistry with Henry. Additionally, opposing defenses have a lot more trouble defending three talented wide receivers rather than just two.

It may take Henry a few games to be a featured part of the Bengals’ offensive attack, but he’s definitely a fantasy football sleeper to keep an eye on.

Can Chris Henry be the Bengals savior?

Photo: Newscom

Quarterback - Carson Palmer, Cincinnati Bengals
In Week 1, Carson Palmer went up against an amped Baltimore Ravens squad. He didn’t perform well but all hope isn’t lost. His schedule gets easier and he has two of the best wide receivers in the game in Chad Johnson (or Chad Ocho Cinco) and TJ Houshmandzadeh.

Running Back - Maurice Jones-Drew, Jacksonville Jaguars
Maurice Jones-Drew didn’t get many carries and didn’t do much in the carries he did get. But don’t think he’s in line for a poor season. MJD started off slow last year and ended up playing very well as the season wore on.

Wide Receiver - Torry Holt, St. Louis Rams
It’d be difficult for a wide receiver to be more invisible than Torry Holt was in Week 1. But Holt has a history of putting up numbers and should bounce back nicely. If you can buy him for a discounted cost, go get him.

Tight End - Tony Gonzalez, Kansas City Chiefs
Even though Tony Gonzalez saved a man’s life this offseason, the fantasy football world is already starting to forget about him after the first week of the season. But with Damon Huard now the quarterback, Gonzalez should quickly ascend to the top of the tight end pack.

Photo: Newscom

Chad Johnson of the Cincinnati Bengals finds his name in the lights once again. This time, the news is bad. According to a report, the Bengals have learned that Johnson has a partially torn labrum.

This type of shoulder injury could require season-ending surgery, however initial reports indicate that Johnson will instead try to play with a shoulder harness. Last season, Kellen Winslow of the Cleveland Browns suffered from a similar injury and was able to make it through the season with a harness.

In terms of fantasy football, this is bad news for Chad Johnson fantasy owners. Johnson is now a big injury risk and one bad hit and he could be out several weeks. Combine that with Johnson’s ankle surgeries and Ocho Cinco’s unhappiness with the Bengals, and Johnson now appears to be a wide receiver to avoid.

Unless Chad Johnson drops far in your fantasy football draft, go ahead and let another fantasy owner in your league deal with the headaches. Besides, we also had Chad Johnson as overrated even before this news.

Photo: Newscom

While running backs are usually the position you draft first in a fantasy football draft, quarterbacks are oftentimes responsible for how your fantasy team does in a given week. In 2008, there are many quality fantasy quarterbacks available in the draft. Here is our updated list of the top ten fantasy quarterbacks for the 2008 fantasy football season:

1. Tom Brady - Despite Brady’s injury, he remains on the top.
2. Tony Romo - With T.O. on his side, expect greatness.
3. Drew Brees - His value continues to rise in recent weeks.
4. Peyton Manning - With several question marks, Manning falls.
5. Carson Palmer - Palmer has a high ceiling but there is risk.
Read more

• First Round Fantasy Football Mock Draft
• Second Round Fantasy Football Mock Draft
• Third Round Fantasy Football Mock Draft

Fourth Round Fantasy Football Mock Draft
1. Wes Welker, New England Patriots
2. Brandon Marshall, Denver Broncos
3. Willie Parker, Pittsburgh Steelers
4. Earnest Graham, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
5. Thomas Jones, New York Jets
6. Carson Palmer, Cincinnati Bengals
Read more

Where are quarterbacks being drafted in 2008 fantasy football drafts? This will give you a good idea of where to expect the top quarterbacks to be drafted:

Tom Brady, New England Patriots - Middle of the first round.
Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts - Middle of the second round.
Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys - Late second round.
Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints - Late thirdround.
Carson Palmer, Cincinnati Bengals - Middle of the fourth round.
Read more

With fantasy football 2008 right around the corner, let’s take a look at the most overrated fantasy football quarterbacks for the upcoming fantasy football season. These are fantasy quarterbacks who are being picked higher than their current values should merit.

Derek Anderson - While he did very well last season, Derek Anderson has an relatively inexperience receiving corps and a high profile backup.

Carson Palmer - Even though he is very talented, Carson Palmer is on a team that is heading downward and has a sometimes loony lead WR.

Marc Bulger - With Issac Bruce gone and Torry Holt aging, Marc Bulger is no longer the fantasy stud he used to be a few years ago.

Eli Manning - Don’t let a Super Bowl victory blind you to the fact that Eli Manning has been a very average fantasy quarterback.
Read more

Chad Johnson recent sat down with ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith to discuss the frustration he’s felt during the offseason. The Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver has been busy in recent months.

First, Chad Johnson wanted to be traded. Then he showed up at minicamp for the Bengals. Then he confronted a reporter. Then he underwent surgery.

Now we have this Chad Johnson video:

After a number of quarterback had huge fantasy football seasons in 2007, this year’s fantasy football quarterback crop is extremely top heavy. The top three quarterbacks on the board could and likely should be drafted very high in fantasy football drafts. Additionally, there is a strong second tier in this first edition of quarterback rankings for the 2008 fantasy season.

1. Tom Brady - Easy choice. He has Randy Moss on his side and should be great again.
2. Peyton Manning - Manning is one of the most reliable fantasy players of the last decade.
3. Tony Romo - Outside of Brady, no quarterback has a higher ceiling than Romo.
4. Drew Brees - After a slow start, Brees was again very good at the end of 2007.
5. Carson Palmer - Palmer is healthy and Ocho Cinco is mad. Good combination.
6. Derek Anderson - Anderson has great weapons in and up-and-coming offense.
7. Ben Roethlisberger - Big Ben is steady and has deceptively high potential.
8. Matt Hasselbeck - With a questionable running game, Hasselbeck will get the call.
9. Donovan McNabb - If healthy, McNabb could have another big year.
10. David Garrard - Garrard has more weapons and is coming off a great season.

Can Donovan McNabb stay healthy?

Coming Soon … Quarterback Rankings - 1 thru 25

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