The Roundup: Headline News for Week 12

Hope everyone had a chance to enjoy some good food and football on this Thanksgiving holiday. My brother’s team unfortunately didn’t get off to a good start, as we watched his opponent’s defense racked up 19 fantasy points while his own No.2 receiver struggled to finish with a mere 54 receiving yards.  But I guess the good news is that this week ain’t over yet! 
 
Speaking of which, even though we had three games on Thursday, it’s not too late to play in our free $1,000 Beat the Expert contest or our free $500 Start/Sit Challenge. Both contests do not include Thursday players. Try them out to see how you stack up to the pros! 
 
We still have plenty of football left, so let’s get ready for this Sunday’s games by checking out the headlines…
 
Wide Receivers:
 
Andre Johnson is expected to return to action this Sunday against the Jaguars after missing the last six games with a hamstring injury:  He will be without Matt Schaub as his quarterback for the rest of this season, but Matt Leinart should continue looking his way early and often according to CBSSports.
 
DeSean Jackson is listed as probable for this Sunday’s game against the Patriots despite the bruised foot:  He returned to practice in a limited capacity on Thursday and will likely earn the majority of targets in the passing game this week against New England’s defense that is permitting an average of 26 Fantasy points per game to opposing receivers.
 
Jeremy Maclin is listed as doubtful for this Sunday’s game against the Patriots with a hamstring strain and a shoulder separation:  Riley Cooper, who filled in for the injured Maclin and racked up 12 targets from Vince Young in last Sunday’s game, is expected to get another start this week.
 
Mario Manningham’s status for Monday night’s game against the Saints remains uncertain due to his knee injury:  According to CBSSports, fantasy owners should continue to monitor his status as New Orleans offers a favorable matchup and is allowing an average of 21.4 Fantasy points to opposing wideouts.
 
Santana Moss will likely make his return this Sunday against the Seahawks from a hand injury suffered in Week 7:  He should be grabbed in all fantasy leagues for this week’s favorable matchup and could be a solid WR3 down the stretch according to Rotoworld.
 
Darrius Heyward-Bey is listed as questionable but likely to be active for this Sunday’s game against the Bears with a head and neck injury:  If he can play this week, he  will be a solid bet to lead the Raiders in receiving on Sunday with Denarius Moore and Jacoby Ford both banged up.
 
Bills place Donald Jones on season-ending injured reserve due to his ankle injury:  With Jones out for the remainder of this season, Naaman Roosevelt and Brad Smith will likely share the No.3 receiver role behind starters Stevie Johnson and David Nelson. However, the Bills will be without Roosevelt this week due to his shoulder injury.
 
Running Backs:
 
Adrian Peterson is listed as doubtful for this Sunday’s game against the Falcons with a high ankle sprain:  If he can’t play this week, Toby Gerhart is expected to start in his absence.
 
Darren McFadden will miss his fourth straight game this Sunday against the Bears with a mid-foot sprain:  NFL Network reports McFadden is still very limited and could miss a few more games with his foot injury.  Michael Bush should maintain RB1 value in the meantime according to Rotoworld.
 
LaDainian Tomlinson’s status for this Sunday’s game against the Bills remains in question with a knee injury:  Joe McKnight is expected to receive additional carries if Tomlinson is unable to play this week.
 
Peyton Hillis could be active for this Sunday’s game against the Bengals after returning to practice on Friday:  If Hillis ends up being sidelined again this week, the Browns expect Montario Hardesty to return from his calf injury and start on Sunday.  According to Rotoworld, Hardesty’s return would send Chris Ogbonnaya back to a third-down role.
 
Fred Jackson is out for the rest of this season with a broken leg suffered during last week’s game:  C.J. Spiller is expected to start in his place this Sunday against the Jets.  The Bills also claimed Tashard Choice off waivers from the Redskins on Wednesday. 
 
Lions place Jahvid Best on season-ending injured reserve with a concussion suffered back in October: Kevin Smith, who has emerged as a quality replacement in Best’s place since re-signing with Detroit two weeks ago, suffered a mild ankle sprain during Thursday’s game.  So, until Smith returns, the Lions will have to depend on Maurice Morris and Keiland Williams to carry the load.
 
Quarterbacks:
 
Michael Vick is listed as questionable but will likely miss his second straight game this Sunday against the Patriots with broken ribs:  Vince Young is expected to get another start this week in place of the injured Vick.
 
Jay Cutler undergoes surgery to repair his fractured right thumb suffered during last week’s game: The Bears are hoping that he could return to action for the final 1-2 regular season games, but multiple sources estimate his recovery timetable to be 6-8 weeks.  Caleb Hanie will start in Cutler’s absence.
 
Chiefs claim Kyle Orton off waivers:  According to CBSSports, Orton has a very good chance to emerge as the starting quarterback over Tyler Palko, who was ineffective in place of the injured Matt Cassell last week.
 
That wraps up our Roundup for this week.  Enjoy the rest of this Thanksgiving weekend and good luck everyone!