Beware of forgotten football studs on the verge of returning from injuries.
New York Jets quarterback Chad Pennington appears to be close to recovering and might suit up for Sunday's game against Philadelphia.
Recovering from a broken left hand and torn cartilage in his right knee, St. Louis running back Marshall Faulk is aiming to return in the weeks ahead.
Stevie E. says start 'em
The Indianapolis offense is primed to put on its next show Sunday against Houston.
The trio of quarterback Peyton Manning, receiver Marvin Harrison and running back Edgerrin James appears to be back at full strength as the team enters the second half of the season.
James, sidelined since Sept. 21, is blessed with a soft match up against Houston as he tests the broken bones in his lower back.
Coming off a 100-yard, two-touchdown performance against Chicago, Seattle running back Shaun Alexander looks primed for a another big week against Cincinnati.
At the least, expect a solid performance from Alexander against a weak defense. At best, look for huge numbers.
Styf says sit 'em
With the Lions drowning in their own misery, make sure that you don't start any of them. Despite all the hype involved with the hiring of Steve Mariucci, the team still hasn't improved. And regardless of the fact that they are playing at the renovated Soldier Field against a bad Chicago team, they still will struggle.
Make sure that, despite the Jets' success last week, you don't start either quarterback. Chad Pennington likely will return and play this weekend, but head coach Herman Edwards said Monday that he would start Vinny Testaverde.
Styf says add 'em
The one person that definitely should benefit from the return of Pennington is wide receiver Santana Moss. He had an impressive week against the Texans, catching for 111 yards and a touchdown.
Lions fans already should be well aware of this pickup, but Cowboys wide receiver Terry Glenn would be a good player to add. Glenn scored three touchdowns against Detroit on Sunday.
Texans running back Domanick Davis has become a fantasy threat both rushing and passing recently. Davis ran 26 times for 129 yards and, for the second consecutive week, had 70 yards receiving from quarterback David Carr.
Despite the first loss of the season for the Carolina Panthers, wide receiver Steve Smith has emerged as a solid target for quarterback Jake Delhomme. He's had more than 100 yards receiving and a touchdown in each of the past two weeks, including 10 catches for 151 yards this week.
Stevie E. scouts the Spartans
Look for Tennessee receiver Derrick Mason to reap the rewards from his team's high-flying offense this Sunday when he faces Jacksonville.
Mason should make up for last week's two-catch, 39-yard outing against a soft Jacksonville team.
After a disappointing start to his season, Pittsburgh receiver Plaxico Burress returns from his bye week to meet St. Louis this weekend.
With just one touchdown this season, expect Burress to improve in the second half of the season as the Pittsburgh offense returns to form.
Remember to keep Detroit receiver Charles Rogers on the bench as he continues to recover from a broken collarbone.
Steve Eder can be reached at ederstev@msu.edu. Jon Styf can be reached at styfjona@msu.edu.
