The 2010 Texans will return to the field with a similar core of offensive playmakers that we saw one year ago. There were no major changes at quarterback, wide receiver, or tight end. The biggest move the team made at a fantasy-relevant skill position was the selection of Ben Tate in the 2010 NFL draft. Tate could be the week 1 starter.

QB: Matt Schaub : 366-of-546, 4429 yards, 26 TD, 14 INT, 43 carries, 86 yards, 1 TD – Schaub was an elite fantasy quarterback in 2009 and will land inside the top 8 again in 2010. Andre Johnson is arguably the best receiver in football and will return as Schaub’s top option. Schaub also had a connection with the now-healthy Owen Daniels early in 2009 before the tight end suffered a season-ending injury.

Andre Johnson is a safe bet for a top 5 finish among wide receivers.

RB: Ben Tate : 194 carries, 774 yards, 7 TD, 28 targets, 20 receptions, 161 yards, 1 TD – Tate is a risky pick right now because he is a rookie and has yet to participate in offseason activities with the team. Still, it appears that he will be the top RB option once he gets a few practices under his belt. His competition for looks will be Arian Foster, the current RB1, and Steve Slaton, who has serious questions about his health at this point in time.

RB: Arian Foster : 99 carries, 445 yards, 3 TD, 17 targets, 13 receptions, 115 yards – As mentioned, Foster is atop the depth chart at running back right now, but it appears that Tate will take on that role once he settles into camp. If Tate disappoints or is slow to learn the offense, however, Foster could be the lead back in a stellar offense. He’s worth considering once the other starting RBs are off the board.

RB: Steve Slaton : 82 carries, 327 yards, 2 TD, 39 targets, 32 yards, 253 yards, 1 TD – There are serious questionmarks about Slaton’s health, but he will see playing time if he can back on the field. With Tate and Foster set to handle early down carries, Slaton could be a huge asset for this team on third down.

WR: Andre Johnson : 158 targets, 94 receptions, 1414 yards, 9 TD – Most people rank Johnson as their top fantasy WR and you should too. Not only is he one of the most talented receivers in the game, he is also one of the most heavily relied on. Considering the team made no major changes around him in terms of pass catchers, there is no reason to believe that will change in 2010. AJ is a safe bet for a top 5 season.

WR: Kevin Walter : 79 targets, 56 receptions, 668 yards, 3 TD – The Texans awarded Walter a 5 year contract extension this offseason, which brings back the top WR option after Johnson. Walter will barely crack the top 50 when Johnson is on the field, but he would be a must-start WR option if AJ were to go down. He’s an option for your bench.

WR: Jacoby Jones : 62 targets, 39 receptions, 592 yards, 4 TD – The Walter contract was semi-surprising when you consider the team has said they’d like to get Jones more involved in the passing game. He is not expected to return punts this season, however, with Trindon Holliday in town, which will allow him more time to focus on receiver. Jones is someone I want to put on a sleeper list, but it’s hard to see him making a significant impact with Johnson, Walter, and Daniels stealing looks. Johnson owners should consider him late as a handcuff.

TE: Owen Daniels : 107 targets, 72 receptions, 904 yards, 7 TD – Daniels was a top 5 option at tight end in 2009 before suffering a season-ending injury. There is little reason to believe his role in the passing game will change, so expect a top 10 season for Daniels, who is entering a contract year.

Indianapolis Colts

Quote Head Coach Jim Caldwell:
“(On Anthony Gonzalez)He looks good. I’ve had the chance to watch him here the last few weeks actually. He’s moving well, and certainly catching the ball well, but also I just think he looks like he’s well equipped to start right where he left off. I think he’s done very well at this point.”

Returning from an injury that cost him the entire 2009 season, Anthony Gonzalez will compete with Austin Collie for time in the slot.

The Spin:
Reports claim that Gonzalez has the same speed that he had last year and looks like he is 100%. Gonzalez almost exclusively played the slot in 2008. I think we will see that again. I expect Garcon to be lining up on the outside and Gonzalez in the slot. It appears the odd man out in this situation could be Austin Collie if Gonzalez performs up to expectations.

Other news:
Pre-OTA reports show Donald Brown getting all of the first team work. However, Addai was held out of practice. To me, really what the starting gig comes down to is who can protect Peyton Manning better. If Brown shows he can be a solid blocker for Peyton, Brown is the back that I want. The more work he gets with Manning, the more likely it becomes that Brown could be a good blocker and get more playing time.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Quote Head Coach Jack Del Rio:
“Well, I think the one guy we have that is clearly the best guy in the group is Mike Sims-Walker. He had a nice mini-camp this weekend. I think after that you’ve got Mike Thomas and Jarett Dillard; they would be two and three in my book from last year, and those guys are now here working every day with David and getting the timing down.”

The Spin:
Jack’s comment at first glance seems to lay out the depth chart pretty cut and dry for us. But as all good coach speak implies, nothing is ever set in stone. Jack informs us of the depth chart from last year and tells us that the same guys are working with David Garrard. Troy Williamson was on IR for much of the year so it is easy for Jack to not mention him. Right now Williamson is on the outside looking in, but I do think Williamson has a chance at the starting gig opposite Mike Sims-Walker. Team reports claim that Dillard has really impressed to date. Mike Thomas is currently penciled in as the WR2.

Quote General Manager Gene Smith:
“(On Deji Karim)He can mismatch a linebacker, a safety, a third corner,” said. “He’s smart. He graduated from college. You can do things with a guy like that.”

The Spin:
6th round rookie RB/KR Deji Karim is a name to get familiar with. He has impressed and from all indications it appears he has the lead for the job as the kick returner.  Karim has also voiced that the Jaguars have told him they do intend him to be a change of pace back at some point. So far in camp he has not had too much work as a RB but he has impressed when given the chance. Rashad Jennings meanwhile looks as if he has added weight and strength. I think Karim could actually help Jennings value in 2010. Karim being the return specialists allows Jennings to focus solely on the offense. I think that Jennings will end up getting more carries than last year. Look for Jones-Drew to be rested more in an effort to keep him fresh.

Houston Texans

Quote Head Coach Gary Kubiak:
“(Arian Foster) went from first year to second year a big jump, just watching him practice,” said Kubiak. “Foster is taking advantage of rookie Ben Tate’s absence. He showed enough late last season to believe he has at least a puncher’s chance of starting in Week 1.”
“(Tate) is way behind everybody right now, but we’ve got to be smart and get him well before he competes.”

The Spin:
Arian Foster’s stock does get a boost with him getting work over Steve Slaton, but I would not entrench Foster as a stud (or starter) just yet. Ben Tate has been out with a hamstring injury. Ryan Moats is out with family issues. Slaton is working with the second team and has lost 11 pounds from last year. Slaton is looking to reclaim some of the quickness he had in 2008. This could be a situation in which Slaton is gearing up for more of a 3rd down role. If Tate proves that he deserves carries this year as he is expected too, it could leave Arian Foster with limited carries in a running back by committee situation. Kubiak claims that Houston really needs Slaton to have an impact this year. In a pass happy offense like Houston, the 3rd down back might have the best value. Slaton still could end up being the best back to have this year even with his surgery.

Other news:
6th round rookie return specialist Trindon Holiday has impressed the staff. Holiday posted the 2nd best overall 40 time in the 2010 combine. Return leaguers should obviously take note and Jacoby Jones owners take note as well. If Holiday takes over the punt and kick returning duties, we could likely see the coaching staff get Jones more involved in the offensive game plan. This bodes well for Jones’ value as a receiver.

Tenneessee Titans

Quote Head Coach Jeff Fisher:
“Because of the fact Bo is not here and Alge will not be returning, right now Craig [Stevens] and Jared are our tight ends. Cookie [Jared Cook] can get open as we all know. He has a much better feel for the line of scrimmage now.”

The Spin:
This news was before Bo Scaife returned to camp so we can’t take too much from it. However, it is good to see that Jeff Fisher appreciates Jared Cook’s receiving ability. This is a situation to watch, but I would not put to much stock in this unless there is an injury to Scaife. Fisher loves to go with veteran guys and likes to run the offense with multiple tight ends. Add the fact that Titans are a run first team and I just don’t see Jared as having much of a chance of a breakout in 2010.

Quote Head Coach Jeff Fisher:
“Clearly Justin [Gage] and Nate [Washington] with the experience can make the plays. They have shown in and are reliable. Then the rest of the group is bunched up there. We will see what happens.”

The Spin:
As expected, Gage and Washington are the starters right now. This does not bode well for Damian Williams. Considering Fisher’s likeness for veterans, I just don’t see how Damian will get on the field very much in 2010 without injuries ahead of him.

Other News:

Stafon Johnson has been getting most of the recent work with the first team and the staff has been impressed with his quickness. It is always good to hear the staff is impressed with someone, but don’t buy too much into this. Chris Johnson, Javon Ringer and LeGarrette Blount were all out for various reasons. At best, Johnson is 3rd on this depth chart and still may not make the team.

Running Backs –

Maurice Morris – I’m fairly certain that I was the only one talking this cat up all week and it paid off with a huge effort on Sunday. I speculated that Morris could touch the ball close to 20 times and he responded with 17 carries for 126 yards and a rushing touchdown along with 6 looks, 5 receptions, and 35 receiving yards. That’s a solid 20+ point effort in most formats.

Advice: I see no reason why anything would change in weeks 16 and 17. Morris should continue to approach 20 touches each week unless the team decides to give Aaron Brown a chance to show what he do. I can’t guarantee Morris will go over the century mark again, but he’s a solid RB2 play in 12 team leagues.

Jerome Harrison – Not many people had Harrison in their lineup this week and rightfully so. There was no telling if Harrison would see most of the looks, or if it would be Chris Jennings, who saw 20 carries in week 14, compared to just 7 for Harrison. Still, even has the backup, Harrison should’ve been considered a very deep sleeper up against the porous Chiefs. He showed up big time with 34 carries, 286 yards, and 3 touchdowns in what is the biggest fantasy performance by a running back this season. This is not Harrison’s first big game of the season. Back in week 4 he went for 152 yards on 34 touches, but the next week he touched the ball just 8 times with Jamal Lewis back in the fold. Lewis is gone now, but Jennings is still in the mix in Cleveland.

Advice: You almost have to consider Harrison in your flex spot for week 16, but you shouldn’t feel comfortable about it and you won’t hear me recommending it. The Browns run offense has been anything but effective for a majority of the season and the split in carries has been off the charts inconsistent. He has upside, but don’t be shocked if he ends up with 28 total yards on 9 touches.

Michael Bush – An injury to Justin Fargas allowed Michael Bush to rush for 133 yards and a score on 18 carries against Denver on Sunday. Prior to that game, Bush had carried the ball only 8 times since week 11. Fargas’ injury seems to be minor and if he is back in the fold next week, Bush cannot be relied on for double-digit looks once again. Although you’d expect him to see more looks after such a strong effort, it’s still a three-headed monster in Oakland.

Advice: Unless Fargas is out or Coach Cable says otherwise, Bush is third in line for carries and should not be considered in any format. If Fargas is out or Bush is named the RB2, those of you in very deep leagues who are desperate for help at your flex spot can consider his services.

Jason Snelling – Michael Turner made his return in week 15, which led to the masses dropping Snelling. Turner lasted only 1 carry before sitting out the rest of the game and it’s unknown whether he will suit up for the rest of the season, especially considering that Atlanta has been eliminated from the playoffs. Snelling ended up with only 64 yards, but did have an intriguing 21 looks, which was 10 more than seen by Jerious Norwood.

Advice: Snelling has done an okay job filling in for Turner when he’s missed time and that, coupled with the fact that he could start the team’s final 2 games, means he’s worth consideration as a flex play going forward. That said, if Turner plays, Snelling should not be in your lineup.

Derrick Ward – Whenever I’ve had an empty roster spot this season, Ward has been a player I’ve consistently turned to. Cadillac Williams has stayed relatively healthy so it hasn’t quite paid off as I’d hoped, but consider that in week 15, Ward carried the ball 19 times compared to 12 for Williams. Williams did, however, rack up 88 total yards on 13 touches, which was more efficient than the 73 yards on 20 touches for Ward. Neither has been overly impressive this season, but it’s worth keeping an eye on the timeshare.

Advice: You can’t rely on 20 touches for Ward unless news breaks that he is the new starter. If you have a roster spot to fill, he’s a good speculative pick for your bench, but nothing more right now.

Wide Receivers –

Lance Moore – Moore was back in the fold in week 15 and took advantage by scoring a touchdown despite only 2 looks. Despite the score, two looks should concern you if you’re considering using him in week 16 for several reasons. (a) It’s two looks. That’s not a lot (b) The Saints threw the ball 45 times, which is almost a dozen more pass attempts than they average a game this season and (c) The percentage of passes going to his teammates was about the same as in recent weeks. I’d mention that Jeremy Shockey was out as another reason to be skeptical of Moore, but David Thomas filled in with a whopping 10 targets, which is more than even Shockey is accustomed to.

Advice: Moore will always have decent potential because of the outstanding offense he is a part of, but he’s going to have trouble finding playing time with all the stars around him. At this point, he’s only worth a desperate play in a deep league.

Malcom Floyd – Floyd didn’t exactly light it up after Chris Chambers was cut loose, but he’s now been targeted a total of 16 times over the last 2 games. That is a healthy number for a player not being used in most leagues, but part of the reason for that is the fact that he’s caught only 7 of those 16 balls.

Advice: Any player seeing 8 targets a game in an above average offense is worth keeping an eye on. Floyd isn’t the safest play, but he has a ton of upside and is worth consideration in WR-deep leagues.

Josh Morgan has now been targeted at least 8 times in 3 of the 49ers last 4 games.

Josh Morgan – One of the most popular sleepers heading into this season, Morgan has been a disappointment for fantasy owners who reached on him in their draft. He’s quietly been picking it up over the last few weeks, as he’s now been targeted 8 times in 3 of the 49ers last 4 games. His numbers from the last four games (which includes a 3-catch, 14-yard week 14 effort) total to 29 targets, 22 receptions, 174 yards, and 2 touchdowns. Morgan is the third option in San Francisco with Michael Crabtree and Vernon Davis keeping Alex Smith busy, but he’s a talented receiver yet to break out who is now seeing almost double-digits in looks every game.

Advice: Definitely worth considering in deeper leagues and someone you should definitely snag for your bench if you’re in any type of dynasty league. The Gore-Crabtree-Morgan-V Davis offense has tons of potential.

Tight Ends –

Bo Scaife – Although Scaife is anything but a gamebreaker, he’s been extremely consistent over the last 6 games and is worth a mention. In those six games, he’s been targeted 42 times, has 25 receptions, 261 yards, and 1 score. He was targeted 10 times on one occasion and has caught 5 balls three times. His high for yardage is 68. What does that all mean? It means he’s a safe play for close to 8 points in PPR formats and considering all the targets, it’s only a matter of time before he gets into the endzone again.

Advice: Again, he doesn’t have a ton of breakout potential, but he’s safe for 4 catches, 50 yards. If you’re desperate for tight end help and looking around on the Waiver Wire, he’s worth a look.

Quick Hits and Follow Ups –

Arian Foster / Ryan Moats / Chris Brown – I’ve been preaching this and preaching this. Stay away from Houston running backs. Everyone was excited about Foster this week and I just didn’t understand it. All it takes is one fumble and the “starter” gets sent to the bench for the rest of the game. Anyone who owned Steve Slaton or Ryan Moats knows all about this. If you played Foster in week 15, now you do, too.

Felix Jones – His touches continue to increase over the last month or two and it’s something worth keeping an eye on. Since week 11, he’s seen no fewer than 9 looks in any given week. His latest effort was 15 looks (14 touches) against the Saints. He racked up 68 yards on those touches and is still averaging just under 6 yards per carry.

Greg Camarillo – Mentioned him last week after he was targeted 17 times in 2 games. Make it 27 times in 3 games after 10 more looks this week. He only caught 5 of them for 46 yards, but bump him up a few notches on your watch list.

Devin Aromashodu – Devin Hester was out again so another guy I mentioned last week saw significant action. Aromashodu saw 10 more targets, but disappointed in the execution part of the deal with only 2 receptions for 10 yards. Hard to recommend him going forward, but if Hester is out again in week 16, those double-digit targets in back-to-back weeks make him worth consideration in deeper leagues.

Bernard Berrian – 7 targets, 5 catches, 36 yards. 6 targets , 4 catches , 43 yards . 5 targets, 3 catches , 25 yards. Those are Berrian’s stat lines from his last three games. Add to the equation that Brett Favre and the running game are struggling and that 6-4-35 average line feels even worse.

Kevin Curtis – Back in the fold in week 15, but was targeted only twice. Jeremy Maclin should still be out in week 16, but there is no reason to believe Curtis will see more than 4-5 looks a game going forward with Jackson, Celek, Avant, and Brown ahead of him for looks. He has potential because this offense is so stellar, but he’s not worth the gamble this week.

Runningbacks:

Sammy Morris – I talked about Morris’ return to the lineup last week and it’s worth expanding on with another game in the books. In week 13, Morris was looked at 11 times, which was only 3 fewer than what Maroney saw. This past Sunday, Maroney carried the ball 22 times and targeted an additional 3 times. Morris, meanwhile, carried it only 6 times and was looked at a total of 9 times. Kevin Faulk was also in the mix in week 14, racking up 13 of the team’s 47 RB looks. Although Maroney still appears to be unquestioned starter, don’t get too comfortable, especially considering Fred Taylor could be back any day now.

Advice: Morris should only be the lineups of desperate owners in very deep leagues. He’s worth holding as a handcuff to Maroney in standard leagues, but nothing more.

Shonn Greene – Greene was a hot add when Leon Washington went down for the season earlier this year, but the looks just aren’t coming for the rookie. Over the last five games, he’s been looked at 7, 4, 11, 11, and 6 times, respectively. Those aren’t big numbers, but they aren’t bad for a backup. Consider that the Jets are the league’s run heaviest team (at 59% run, they run it 7% more than the next closest team) and Greene is an injury to 31-year-old Thomas Jones away from seeing a majority of the 36 carries the team averages a game. Think about how valuable Ricky Williams is now that Ronnie Brown is out of his way in Miami. Same concept.

Advice: Unless you’re in a very shallow league, Greene should be on someone’s bench. Sure there are only 2-3 weeks left in the regular season, but if Jones goes down this week, Greene is a must-start the rest of the way.

Arian Foster – I talked about Foster a bit on Twitter ( @FDC_MikeClay ) last week as a player who could be called upon should Gary Kubiak turn his attention away from Chris Brown or Ryan Moats. Kubiak followed cue, providing Foster with a team-high 17 looks in the Texans’ week 14 game. Moats touched the ball 11 times and scored the team’s only rushing touchdown, while Brown carried the ball only 3 times. Foster managed only 34 yards on 14 carries, but did open some eyes with 54 receiving yards on 4 targets (4 catches).

Advice: If you’ve been shuffling your bench spots between Moats and Brown, Foster is someone to add to the mix. He’s worth a bench spot for now, but I wouldn’t feel overly confident with him in my lineup until we see what his role is going forward. Pay attention to what Gary Kubiak has to say this week. If he officially moves Foster ahead of Brown on the depth chart, he’s definitely worth a roster spot in most leagues and not the worst flex play in deeper formats.

Kenneth who? Rams backup RB Kenneth Darby would have significant fantasy value if Steven Jackson were to miss any time with an injury.

Kenneth Darby – At this point in the fantasy season, your bench should be mostly filled with handcuffs who would make a huge impact should the player in front of them go down with an injury. Enter Kenneth Darby, who is currently the backup RB to Steven Jackson. Darby is nothing spectacular on his own, but consider that Jackson leads the NFL in looks and touches and is responsible for 84% of the Rams’ rushing attempts this season. If he were to miss a week (he’s been on the injury report for weeks now), wouldn’t you want Darby on your side?

Advice: In all but the shallowest of leagues, Darby is a must own for Steven Jackson owners. In standard-to-deep leagues, he’s a player worth stashing on the bench if you have a spot.

Runningback Committees:

Chris Jennings/Jerome Harrison – I touched on this committee last week, but that was after a game that saw Harrison out-‘look’ Jennings 21-7 in week 13. It was a different story against the Steelers in week 14. Jennings carried the ball 20 times and scored once to account for all his looks. Harrison meanwhile carried it only 7 times for 9 yards and was targeted three times.

Advice: The Browns running game has been awful this season and this unlikely to change regardless of who is carrying the ball. Jennings and, to a lesser extent, Harrison are worth consideration in deep leagues, but you don’t want to be starting either one of them.

Maurice Morris / Aaron Brown – Kevin Smith is out for the season, which means Maurice Morris and rookie Aaron Brown (likely in that order) take over. Smith is currently ninth in the entire NFL in looks, which means there are plenty to go around. Morris has carried it 42 times this season, which is the 2nd most on the team, and has been targeted 19 times. Comparatively, Brown has 21 carries and 11 targets to his name.

Advice: Morris has been battling injuries and it’s worth considering that the team could give the rookie Brown a shot to handle the majority of the looks, but until we hear or see otherwise, Morris is the player you want to claim on the waiver wire in all formats. Brown is worth a pickup for your bench in deeper leagues.

Brandon Jacobs / Ahmad Bradshaw – It should be surprising to see Jacobs name here considering that he is owned in all leagues, but this is more about Bradshaw, who needs to be considered in more. Very quietly, he has taken on a bigger load and has basically split the workload 50/50 with Jacobs over the last month. In the last four games that both players were active, Jacobs has 51 carries for 205 yards and 3 TDs. He’s caught 5 of his 7 targets for 97 yards and a score. Meanwhile, Bradshaw carried it 47 times for 175 yards and 1 score. He was targeted 10 times and caught 7 for 73 yards. Clearly, Jacobs has been more of a fantasy asset thanks to the 3 additional TDs, but he’s done it on only 1 more look than Bradshaw.

Advice: Jacobs is still a must-start in all 12-team formats, but his value isn’t quite where it was a year ago. Bradshaw isn’t the worst flex option in 12-team leagues, but you shouldn’t feel too comfortable with him in there. He’s definitely worth considering in deeper leagues.

Julius Jones / Justin Forsett – After Jones saw 17 more looks than Forsett in week 13 (25-to-8), it seemed that the veteran had earned his job back as the feature back. That was not the case in week 14 as Jones was looked at only 12 times, while Forsett touched the ball 13 times. Jones had one more carry and was more effective in the ground game than Forsett, but Forsett racked up 47 receiving yards on 4 targets (4 receptions), while Jones managed only 1 reception on 2 targets for 4 yards.

Advice: There is no telling who will see more of the looks in week 15 and beyond, but the most likely scenario is that they will split the workload down the middle. Neither should be treated as anything more than a flex play in 12-team leagues, but both should be considered in 16 team leagues.

Wide Receivers:

Greg Camarillo – Camarillo’s production has been extremely inconsistent all season long and the constant rotation between him, Ginn, Bess, and Hartline does not make things any easier to predict. That said, Henne has looked his way 17 times over the last 2 weeks, which grabbed my attention and it should have yours as well if you’re scraping for WR help in deeper leagues. 10 of those looks did come in week 13 when the team threw the ball an unorthodox 52 times (37 was their previous high on the season), but he was then targeted on 7 of the team’s 29 pass attempts in week 14, which was a team high. He caught all 7 passes for 110 yards, which is a solid 18 point PPR effort.

Advice: Not the most reliable option, but Henne is throwing his way and this wouldn’t be the first time he made an impact in PPR leagues. The odds of him scoring are slim, but if you’re looking to fill that last WR slot in 12-team PPR leagues, Camarillo is likely one of the best options on your waiver wire.

Julian Edelman – Unlikely to make a significant impact as long as Wes Welker and Randy Moss are racking up the looks, but Sam Aiken was out with a shoulder injury in week 14 and the rookie Edelman returned from his own injury. He was targeted only once in the game, but it’s always worth keeping the Patriots WR3 on your radar.

Advice: Really only worth a bench spot in deeper leagues at this point, but should also be considered as a handcuff for Welker owners.

Pierre Garcon / Austin Collie – Did you know that Pierre Garcon has been targeted 90 times this season? That’s more than Marques Colston, Devin Hester, Davone Bess, and Roy Williams. In fact, over the last 6 games, Garcon has actually been targeted more than any other Colt, with 3 more than Reggie Wayne and 5 more than Dallas Clark. In that span, he saw 54 targets and caught 27 for 456 yards and 2 scores. Clark and Wayne have more receptions and touchdowns, but Garcon has significantly more yardage. 9 targets a game is hard to find and it’s especially impressive considering he is the team’s third option in the pass game. To a lesser extent, Collie is worth mentioning. He has a touchdown in each of the last 2 games and is up to 6 on the season. He’s averaging nearly 7 looks a game, which is a healthy dose, especially considering who is throwing the ball to him. I’ve seen him dropped in a few leagues and that shouldn’t be happening.

Advice: Both are must owns in 12-team leagues. Garcon should be starting for someone and Collie is at least worth a bench spot.

Jason Avant / Reggie Brown – Jeremy Maclin is out a week or two, which cements these two into larger roles for the next, well, week or two. Maclin was seeing between 6-9 targets each week and those need to be spread around. Maclin was out in week 12 and the two combined for only 6 looks. Avant by himself was averaging nearly that over the last 4 games. Most were disappointed with that effort and many people will be down on both of them going into week 15. You shouldn’t be, especially Avant. The Eagles ran only 52 offensive plays against the Giants, which is their 3rd lowest output of the season and ran the ball 5% more than they normally do.

Advice: The Eagles will pass the ball and they like to spread it around. DeSean Jackson and Brent Celek will get plenty of work, but there are still plenty of looks to go around. Expect 6-8 looks for Avant in week 15 and 3-5 for Brown.

Devin Aromashodu – Bless you! With 12 targets, 8 receptions, 76 yards, and a score in week 14, Aromashodu is sure to be a hot commodity on your league’s waiver wire for people desperately looking for WR help. Should you get into the mix? I say yes. Despite the fact that Devin Hester was inactive for the game, Cutler has campaigned for Aromashodu to see more work and the Bears are the 3rd pass heaviest team in the league. His stock will take a hit if Hester is active in week 15, but don’t be surprised if he is Cutler’s second, if not first, option.

Advice: If you’re looking for someone to take a chance on at WR in 12-team or deeper leagues, Aromashodu is your man. There is a lot of risk here, but the reward could be another game with double-digit looks.

PHI WR3 Jason Avant – 20 targets over the last 3 weeks, but only 42 on the season. Considering how the Eagles like to spread the ball around, it can be frustrating to own any of their receivers. That being said, DeSean Jackson will likely miss some action, which should only mean more looks for an up-and-coming receiver in a pass-heavy offense.

Jason Avant has been a vacuum for the Eagles over the last 3 weeks and could see even more looks with DeSean Jackson likely to miss some time.

Advice: Assuming Jackson is out, he’s worth a spot start this week if you’re desperate for a WR in any 12 team+ league. He is definitely worth at least a bench spot in deep leagues and in some standard formats.

PHI WR4 Reggie Brown – Is expected to start this week against Atlanta with DeSean Jackson likely on the shelf. He could easily see 6-7 targets on a team that is averaging 36 pass attempts per game and possibly more if the Eagles are trailing.

Advice: Won’t help you much once Jackson is back, so you’re better off rolling with Avant. That said, he’s not the worst one week fill-in.

WAS TE1 Fred Davis – Chris Cooley was officially placed on Injured Reserve, which means Davis is the starter for the rest of the season. Since Cooley was injured a few weeks ago, Davis has been targeted 10, 4, 6, 3, and 9 times, respectively. That is clearly a bit inconsistent, but not terrible for a tight end.

Advice: Borderline starter in 16 team leagues and should be on someone’s bench in all but shallow leagues. Considering the potential he has to catch 5-7 balls, if you’re shaky at tight end, he’s at least worth a spot as your backup.

ATL RB2 Jerious Norwood & RB3 Jason Snelling – Snelling was the main man in week 11 when Michael Turner and Norwood were out, but saw only 4 carries in week 12 when both were active. If Turner misses more action, you should expect Snelling and Norwood to split the carries, with Norwood seeing a heavier dose of the 3^rd down looks and Snelling carrying the ball more, primarily near the goal line. If Turner is active, Norwood will spell him and Snelling won’t see more than 5 looks.

Advice: Norwood’s production will be limited to no more than a few carries and several targets a game regardless of whether it’s Turner or Snelling stealing a majority of the carries and goal line looks. He’s worth a bench spot in deeper leagues and a start if you’re desperate in a PPR league and Turner is out. Snelling should be on someone’s bench in all leagues considering Turner’s health issues.

CHI WR3 Johnny Knox – Knox is probably owned in most of your leagues, but some owners have been dumping him after a poor November. He went without a score from weeks 7-11 before finally catching one in week 12. The week 12 score might prompt people to jump back on the bandwagon, but consider that he was targeted only twice in week 12 and 5 times the week before. He’s made some big plays and Chicago is throwing more than all but 2 teams, but he’s the 4^th or 5^th option in the pass game most weeks and is lucky to have 6 balls thrown his way.

Advice: The potential is there for the rookie, but he’s too shaky to start right now. If you have room, leave him on your bench and keep an eye on the target numbers.

STL WR2 Brandon Gibson & WR3 Danny Amendola – Gibson has now been targeted a grand total of 33 times over the last 3 games, but only 15 of those looks were receptions and those catches were translated into only 172 yards and 0 touchdowns. Amendola is back as a relevant contributor to the passing game after Keenan Burton’s season-ending injury with 15 targets for 11 catches over the last 2 games.

Advice: The Rams offense has been better as of late, but it isn’t going to score touchdowns very often, which means limited value for its wide receivers not named Donnie Avery. That being said, both are seeing a ton of looks and with looks comes production. Both are worth bench spots in deep leagues, but you shouldn’t feel comfortable with them in your starting lineup.

HOU RB2 Chris Brown & RB3 Ryan Moats – The Texans’ cloudy runningback situation is taking form over the last few weeks. It appears that Brown will see most of the carries and Slaton won’t be far behind. Slaton will also be used heavily as a pass catcher out of the backfield. Ryan Moats is not being used at all and likely won’t be unless Slaton struggles or is injured.

Advice: Brown should be treated very much like Beanie Wells. He’s going to carry it 10-15 times most weeks and could score a touchdown here or there, but his value will always be limited (especially in PPR) because another back (Slaton for HOU and Hightower for ARZ) is stealing a portion of the carries and 3^rd down looks.

TEN WR2 Kenny Britt – Vince Young and the rookie Britt seem to be developing some chemistry and that could bode well for Britt’s stock going forward. He’s been targeted by Young 16 times over the last 2 weeks and has responded with 11 catches for 170 yards and 2 scores. Britt should continue to see a respectable amount of looks over the next few weeks, but 2 things will consider to hinder Britt’s stock. (1) Justin Gage is still out with a back injury and could return and take back his starting job soon. (2) Tennessee is throwing the ball only 22-25 times a game most weeks now that Young is behind center. The 43 pass attempts in week 12 are not something you can expect to see going forward.

Advice: Britt is definitely worth a roster spot in deep leagues, but you shouldn’t feel comfortable with him as a starter in a your standard 12 team league.

PIT WR3 Mike Wallace – Wallace has caught only 3 balls total over the last 3 games with the lowlight of his season coming in week 12 when Dennis Dixon failed to connect with him on any of the 4 passes thrown his way.

Advice: Although the rut started while Roethlisberger was behind center, it is not time to give up on Wallace. The Steelers will continue to throw his way 5-7 times a game, which has been enough for him to put up decent numbers. He’s not someone you want as a #1 or #2 WR, but he’s a respectable 3^rd option in most leagues.

CLE WR1 Mohamed Massaquoi & WR2 Chansi Stuckey – Massaquoi (20 targets over the last 2 weeks) and Stuckey (14) seem to have earned the trust of Brady Quinn, who has thrown their way a ton over the last 2 weeks. Stuckey has been more consistent, with 5 catches and a score in week 11 and 4 catches in week 12, while Massaquoi went from 5 catches, 115 yards, and a score in week 11 to only 1 catch in week 12.

Advice: Massaquoi is Quinn’s #1 option, which gives him at least some value in most formats. He’s not the worst you can do in 16 team leagues, but his production is too volatile to be starting him in 12 teamers. Stuckey seems to be developing chemistry with his new quarterback, but don’t expect much more than a few looks and catches each week from him in this shaky offense.