Sunday, October 4, 2015

Sunday morning updates -- Week 4

Good morning, Fools. I write this while watching my Dolphins "hosting" the Jets in London town. I was in Wembley Stadium the first time the Dolphins played overseas, for the "American Bowl" against the 49ers in 1988. That was when I was young, single, working for American Airlines and could fly to London for about $30 roundtrip -- in first class, mind you. I'll never forget being amongst the enthusiastic, but confused, British fans who chanted "Offense! Defense!" during the game. Very strange...

It's also very strange to have live football on so early now. Can't image you all on the West Coast tuning in at 6:30 am!

There were no significant offensive inactives for either of this morning's teams, as I tweeted earlier. Here's the rest of the news we can use to dominate our opponent(s) this weekend...

It's not yet official, but Andrew Luck is expected to be inactive today due to his nagging shoulder injury. Matt Hasselback will be leading the Colts offense, which means it could be trouble for those counting on TY Hilton, Donte Moncrief and the rest of Indy's receivers. Hasselbeck was sharp in limited mop-up action late last season, but we haven't seen him start a game since he was a Titan in 2013. I wouldn't start anyone but Hilton and Frank Gore from Indy's side, and then only if you don't have better alternatives.

Jay Culter may return today. You're not desperate enough to start him, of course; but his presence would sure help Matt Forte and Martellus Bennett. If Alshon Jeffery is active, everyone benefits. But Jeffery's status is less optimistic than Cutler's.

Arian Foster is expected to make his first appearance of the 2015 season today. If he plays, he's a good -- though not entirely safe -- start against the Falcons.

Marshawn Lynch's arrow is pointing down even further now, due to his bum hammy. He's the proverbial game-time decision. Looks like Thomas Rawls will get the first start of his NFL career on Monday night against the Lions, with Fred Jackson remaining the third-down back. Rawls is my "Flier of the Week," so he could be strong whether or not you're a Lynch owner. The problem is, you'll probably have to make your decision before we know Lynch's status for certain. Risky indeed...

On the opposite side, Joique Bell won't play for the Lions, leaving the backfield mostly in rookie Ameer Abdullah's hands. It's a tough matchup, and Abdullah hasn't looked great yet. But he's scored twice in three games and will have a lot more opportunities this week with Bell out. Fellow rookie Zach Zenner will also get in the action. If he outshines Abdullah, as some think he may, look for him among my recommended pickups in Monday's column.

DeMarco Murray should be back in the lineup today, but it's hard to trust him against the Redskins. Actually, it's hard to trust him in the Eagles offense against anybody.

If you've been enjoying Steve Smith's performance thus far this season, you'll need to make other plans for a while. He broke four ribs during the Thursday nighter. No indication yet how long he'll be sidelined, though he's definitely out at least Week 5. Fellow wideout Michael Campanero is out for the season with a back injury. The Ravens acquired Chris Givens from the Rams yesterday. Breshad Perriman can't get healthy fast enough for Baltimore.

Givens' departure means Brian Quick will finally see the field today against the Cardinals. He was a fantasy stud for a brief stretch in 2014, until he suffered a serious shoulder injury. If he's fully healthy, perhaps Quick can give the Rams' passing game a lift. Lord knows, Nick Foles could use the help.

Looks like Davante Adams (ankle) will miss today's game. You know you have to start James Jones now. Crazy that neither the Giants or the Raiders saw anything in him.

TE Dwayne Allen is expected to be back today, but see above for Colts receiver prospects.

Vernon Davis (knee) most likely won't play today, though you could argue he really hasn't played all season.

Josh Scobee was a fixture in Jacksonville for 11 seasons. Then everything fell apart when the Jags traded him to the Steelers. Scobee was released after he missed two more field goals on Thursday night. Chris Boswell will be Pittsburgh's fourth kicker this season. As long as Big Ben is sidelined, he's not worth picking up; even if he proves to be accurate.

That's it for now. My Dolphins look pretty awful so far. Gonna need to send them some positive, uninterrupted vibes in the second half. As any Dolphin or Jet fan knows, no lead is ever safe when these teams meet.

I'll be tweeting the inactives and other late-breaking news a little later. Good luck today, Fools!

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