Quarterbacks

John Skelton (ARI)–Skelton is not expected to play Sunday after injuring his ankle in last week’s win over the Seahawks. Early reports indicated that Skelton will be out 2-4 weeks so the job will go to Kevin Kolb for the time being.

Jake Locker (TEN)–Locker is on track to start for the Titans in Week 2 although he has been limited in practice this week. He hurt his left shoulder in last week’s loss to the Patriots but the injury will not be serious enough to keep him out.

Running Backs

Fred Jackson (BUF)–Jackson sprained his LCL in his knee on Week 1 and is expected to miss at most four weeks. C.J. Spiller will take his spot in the backfield and he produced well once Jackson exited against the Jets, so don’t expect the Bills to rush Jackson back too fast.

Rashad Jennings (JAC)–Jennings was held out of practice on Thursday, which has made his status questionable for Week 2 against the Texans. The Jaguars have no reason to rush Jennings, who is recovery from a knee injury, so don’t expect to see him on the field this week.

Daniel Thomas (MIA)–Thomas was held out of practice on Thursday for the second straight day which has been caused by a concussion he sustained in Week 1. He is considered questionable for Week 2 against the Raiders, but he will have to improve significantly if he wants to play in this one.

Jonathan Stewart (CAR)–Stewart fully participated in practice for the second straight day on Thursday, which means he is likely to play this week against the Saints. He missed last week’s game with an ankle injury but he appears to be over it, so expect him to split the carries with DeAngelo Williams on Sunday.

Trent Richardson (CLE)–Richardson reports no issues after practice on Thursday and is expected to not be limited in this weekend’s game against the Bengals. This is a great sign for the Richardson, who recovery from knee surgery and now we will be able to really see what he can do with a full workload.

Arian Foster (HOU)–Foster was a full participant in practice on Thursday after exiting practice early on Wednesday due to an illness. He is expected to play this weekend against the Jaguars, so don’t hit the panic button.

Jonathan Dwyer (PIT)–Dwyer was able to return to practice on Thursday after being held out of practice on Wednesday with a foot injury. The injury does not appear to be serious so he should be in the mix to get carries out of the Steelers backfield on Sunday.

Rashard Mendenhall (PIT)–Mendenhall, who is recovery from knee surgery, has now participated in practice each of the last two days. He is considered probable for this weekend’s game against the Jets, but don’t expect him to get the bulk of the workload.

Ryan Mathews (SD)–Mathews was limited in practice on Thursday and is considered questionable for Sunday’s game against the Titans. He is recovery from a clavicle injury so the Chargers need to make sure he can take hits before he returns to action and it appears he is still a week away from returning.

Marshawn Lynch (SEA)–Lynch was a full participant in Thursday’s practice and is considered probable for this week’s game against the Cowboys. The Seahawks top running back has been suffering from back spasms, but it appears he has put that behind him.

Wide Receivers

Devery Henderson (NO)–Henderson suffered a concussion in last week’s loss to the Redskins and has yet to practice this week. He is considered questionable for Sunday’s game against the Panthers but if he doesn’t get on the practice field on Friday he will likely be downgraded to doubtful.

Nate Washington (TEN)–The Titans are hopeful that Washington will be able to play on Sunday, but he has yet to practice this week due to a calf injury. He is expected to practice on Friday and if he does he should be a go for this weekend.

Kenny Britt (TEN)–Britt has been limited in practice this week but is expected to play this weekend against the Chargers. He missed Week 1 due to a one-game suspension and will need to keep his head straight if he doesn’t want that to happen again.

Pierre Garcon (WAS)–Britt suffered from a foot injury on Sunday and has been limited in practice this week making him questionable for Week 2. The Redskins reported that if he can tolerate the pain they will let him play, but that

Steve Smith (CAR)–Despite being limited in practice on Thursday, the Panthers are confident that Smith will play on Sunday. He is suffering from knee soreness, but the injury done not appear to be serious, but more of a lingering one.

Calvin Johnson (DET)–The Lions expect to have their top receiving option on Sunday after Johnson was able to return to practice on Thursday. He missed practice on Wednesday due to a foot injury, but it doesn’t appear to be too serious.

Austin Collie (IND)–Despite practicing in full on Wednesday, Collie was not able to practice on Thursday which makes him questionable for this week’s game against the Vikings. The Colts report that he is ready to play this weekend, but we will have to wait and see.

Hakeem Nicks (NYG)–Nicks returned to practice on Thursday as expected but was limited in is participation due to a foot injury. Although he is listed as questionable, Nicks will be on the field on Sunday but his snaps may be limited.

Denarious Moore (OAK)–Moore was close to playing in Week 1, but the Raiders did not want to take the chance on him injury his hamstring further so he didn’t play. He has been able to practice this week in limited participation, but if he plays on Sunday his snaps will be limited.

Jeremy Maclin (PHI)–Maclin missed practice again on Thursday, suffering from a hip injury, and will likely be out Week 2 if he doesn’t practice on Friday. Be sure to read up on his participant, if any, on Friday to determine him availability for Sunday’s game against the Ravens.

Sidney Rice (SEA)–Rice did not practice on Thursday for the second straight day making his status for Week 2 in question. He suffered a knee injury in last week’s loss to the Cardinals and even if he does play it will likely be in a limited fashion.

Tight Ends

Dustin Keller (NYJ)–Keller was unable to practice on Thursday after suffering a hamstring injury on Wednesday. He came down with the same injury this preseason, so expect him to be a game-time decision for Sunday’s game against eh Steelers.

Antonio Gates (SD)–Gates suffered a rib injury in Monday’s win over the Raiders, but is expected to play on Sunday. Over the last few years Gates didn’t practice but played on Sunday’s so seeing him as a non-participant in practice this week isn’t a big deal.

Kickers

None to Report

Matthew Beck is a Fantasy Sports Columnist for Rotoinfo.com. If you have any questions or comments feel free to e-mail him at matthewbeck@rotoinfo.com.  Also follow him on Twitter @MatthewRBeck for up-to-date Q&A and fantasy information. 

Pitching it the theme of this Monday piece as we take a survey of some of the starting pitchers who have taken the hill recently.

Brett Anderson seems to have forgotten just how hard this game is. Returning from Tommy John Surgery, Anderson has been as good as any pitcher in baseball over his four outings. In fact, he’s pitching out of his mind right now. Anderson has been so good that’s he’s allowed a total of 17 hits and three walks over 26 innings (he’s gone at least six innings in each of his four starts). That effort is good for a 0.66 WHIP as batters have hit a mere .185 against him. Anderson has also allowed a total of two runs in his four starts leading to a 0.69 ERA. He’s out of control right now and is a must start even if you’re in a 6-team mixed league (please tell me you aren’t). Still, he’s not Craig Kimbrel, so let’s hope when the regression comes that it’s slow and steady and not emphatic.

Bronson Arroyo doesn’t strike anyone out, the last time he had seven Ks in a game was 12 starts ago, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t been an impressive hurler of late for the Reds. Arroyo has won his last five decisions and has emerged with a “W” in five of his last six starts. During that run of six starts Arroyo has allowed more than two earned runs in just one outing, he allowed three runs over 6.1 innings to the Cubs on August 17th. It shouldn’t be that much of a shock that he’s had success. After a 3.73 ERA and 1.20 WHIP in the first half he has a 3.56 ERA and 1.19 WHIP since the All-Star break (11 starts). Again, 38 Ks in 68 innings is terrible, but everyone is able to look past that when you see that his record has been 8-2 in that time.

Chris Capuano has had a great season for the Dodgers as he’s posted a 3.59 ERA with a 1.18 WHIP, 7.72 K/9 mark an a 3.16 K/BB ratio in what will end up being his best season since 2005. After being battered for 12 runs in back-to-back starts to end August, there was a worry that Capuano’s successful run of success was coming to an end. Consider that sentiment put on hold. In his last two trips to the hill Chris may not have a win, but he’s allowed five runs and given the Dodgers a chance to win both games (which they did after he was removed). Capuano has been particularly effective when pitching at home this season as he has a 2.84 ERA and 1.09 WHIP over 14 outings at Dodgers Stadium.

Michael Fiers probably wasn’t drafted in any 12 team mixed league back in March (I’d be shocked if he was literally drafted in any of the hundreds of thousands of leagues). That means he will go down as one of the better waiver-wire additions of the 2012 season. In 19 outings, 18 starts for the Brewers, Fiers is sporting a 3.15 ERA with a 1.18 WHIP. When you add in more than a K per inning, 111 in 109.1, an a 3.70 K/BB ratio, you have a borderline elite pitcher — off waivers. His production has clearly slipped since mid-August as he has gone 3-3 with a 6.44 ERA and 1.62 WHIP. He’s still struck out more than a batter per inning, 31 in 29.1 frames, but he’s also seen his walk rate skyrocket to 4.3 per nine leading to some of his struggles. He’s no longer a lock to start every time he’s on the hill at this point, but he has allowed one earned run in two of his last three starts so he still seems to have some mojo left.

Jeremy Hefner has been all over the map his last four starts. In two of the outings he’s tossed 14 innings and allowed three runs total for the Mets. In the other two outings he’s allowed 10 runs over just 7.2 innings. The rookie has had a rough go for the Mets this season with not much positive going on. He doesn’t beat himself with walks (1.61 per nine), and he’s a decent ground ball arms (47 percent of batted balls), but that’s pretty much the extend of his efforts. He’s been even worse in his 10 starts this year with a 5.24 ERA and 1.46 WHIP. He’s barely worth a look even in NL-only leagues at the moment.

CC Sabathia has made four starts since he returned from the DL and all of them have lasted at least 6.1 innings. Three of the four outings have also been of the “quality” variety, and in point of fact his ERA in the four games is 3.58 compared to his 3.56 ERA for the year. He looks to be pretty close to the CC of old, even though he’s actually allowed 13 runs over his last three starts (10 have been earned). The real problem has been the long ball as he’s been taken deep six times in the four starts. He’s now allowed 21 homers on the year, his most in three seasons even thought he’s yet to hit 170 innings this season after going over 237 each of the last two. That home run rate should even out a bit over the rest of the season unless oddity reigns, and with it Sabathia should return to being a fantasy star.

Jeff Samardzija’s season ended on a high note. In his last start of the year he was allowed to throw a season-high 120 pitches on the way to complete game against the Pirates (he allowed three runs, two earned, while walking one and striking out nine). Samardzija will finish his first season as a Cubs’ starter with a 9-13 record, but that doesn’t begin to tell the story. In his 28 starts he punched out 180 batters in 174.2 innings, and with just 56 walks he had better than a three to one strikeout to walk ratio. He also posted a 3.81 ERA and 1.22 WHIP, ratios that wouldn’t hurt you in any format. Not just that JS, who slumped in June with a horrific 10.41 ERA and 2.06 WHIP, rebounded hard over his final 13 outings sporting a 2.58 ERA, 1.07 WHIP an a 4.32 K/BB ratio as he threw strikes, struck batters out, and just didn’t issue walks. That’s the key to success folks. His performance obviously didn’t dictate shutting him down, but the Cubs likely are doing the right thing here given that Samardzija threw 174.2 innings this season, five innings more than he tossed in his first four seasons in the big leagues. If only the Nationals had been so forgiving with Stephen Strasburg.

Ray Flowers can be heard daily on Sirius/XM Radio on The Fantasy Drive on Sirius 210 and XM 87 from 7 PM EDT Monday through Thursday, and 9p-12a Friday’s. Ray’s baseball analysis can be found at BaseballGuys.com and his minute to minute musings can be located at the BaseballGuys’ Twitter account.

STRASBURG NEAR SHUTDOWN

The absolutely ridiculous case of Stephen Strasburg appears to have finally reached it’s conclusion. For MONTHS the Nationals have said that Strasburg has an innings pitched limit, but that’s all they would say. It had been reported that he would be shut down at 160 innings. The club denied that was the case. It was then reported that 180 innings was his limit. The club denied that. Well, guess what? It’s gonna end up being about 165-170 which, what do you know, is pretty much what EVERYONE thought it would be despite the Nats doing their darnedest to deny it since March. Up to 156.1 innings on the year, manager Davey Johnson told the press that it looks like Strasburg will make two more starts before having his season shut down. Currently Strasburg leads all NL hurlers with an 11.23 K/9 mark, and his fastball velocity of 95.7 mph also leads the way. The Nationals will stick to the plan though, flawed as it might be. They’re telling their team, currently with the best record on the NL, that 2012 doesn’t matter. They’re going to shut down their best player for the last three weeks of the year and through the playoffs. Sorry everyone else, but we have to protect Strasburg for the future (as I’ve written many times it doesn’t matter how closely they monitor his workload, pitches an innings aren’t the issue. The problem is that Strasburg has faulty mechanics). I don’t get it. When the Nationals season ends short of the World Series their club, front office, and fans will be left to wonder what could have been if the team had continued to pitch the best arm they had.

BUSY 24 HOURS FOR CARDINALS

That title is certainly apropos…

Lance Berkman’s knee isn’t close to 100 percent an as such he will likely be limited to mere pinch hitting duties over the final month of the season. Even at less than 100 percent I’m still betting the old fella can swing the stick well enough to have a few big hits the rest of the way. It seems like this might be the end of the line for the switch hitter so he’ll be motivated to do whatever he can to help out.

Chris Carpenter hopes to be able to return from neck and shoulder woes before the end of the 2012 season. To that end he will face live batters Tuesday as he continues to work his way back from surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome in July. I don’t know if it’s reasonable to expect him to make it back, and I wouldn’t be counting on him to enter the starting rotation, but NL-only leaguers can hope.

Rafael Furcal’s elbow is jacked up. At this point surgery is not indicated since his UCL is not torn, and there is a flicker of hope that he might be able to get back out onto the field by the end of the month. Daniel Descalso and Pete Kozma will fill in until Furcal proves capable of playing.

Shelby Miller, a legitimate top-10 prospect in baseball on the hill, will be promoted to the big leagues Tuesday. Owner of 70 Ks and just seven walks over his 59.1 innings, he’s on the mother of all rolls right now. Miller isn’t slated to start with the big league club this year, he’ll work out of the pen before vying for a rotation spot in 2013.

Oscar Taveras, one of the best outfield prospects in baseball, might be called up to help off the bench when the 2012 Double-A season ends for Springfield. All Taveras has done is hit .323-23-94-83 with a .957 OPS and 10 steals in 123 games on the farm.

The Cardinals are 9.5 games behind the Reds in the NL Central and tied with the Braves for the NL Wild Card lead.

THIS AND THAT

J.P. Arencebia (hand) looks likely to return to action for the Blue Jays at the end of next week. He’s been out since July 25th which might cause you to forget that he had 16 homers and 50 RBIs in 81 games this season. Hand/wrist injuries can sap a guys power, so be wary of him picking right up where he left off.

Francisco Cordero’s injured toe is better, but now his shoulder is acting up being described as “cranky.” My questions. Do you even know what team Cordero is on? Hint, it’s the Astros. Do you even care?

Need a .300 hitter at catcher? Ryan Hanigan is hitting .285 on the year but over his last 100 at-bats he’s sitting at a cool .300 with a .405 OBP. You could do a lot worse for your second catcher, even if he doesn’t have any power (two homers in 270 at-bats). Speaking of Reds’ catchers, Devin Mesoraco has been recalled. Look for him to see some game action, though he’s been a major disappointment this season hitting .210 with five homers in 52 games.

John Mayberry just wrapped up a solid month of August. The Phillies outfielder hit .290 with a .838 OPS over 27 games as he went deep five times, knocked in 13 and scored 12 times. He’s started off September in the same productive manner with four hits and two runs scored in two games. Speaking of Phillies’ outfielders, boy is that Juan Pierre washed up. Wait, he’s hitting .300 with 32 steals. Never mind.

Carlos Santana is hitting .248 with 14 homers, 61 RBIs and 55 runs. Those are solid totals for a catcher, but for a backstop who was taken #1 or #2 in the majority of drafts this year that clearly isn’t what was hoped for. Still, the young Indians catcher has been killing if for weeks now. Over his last three games he has five hits, five RBIs and four runs scored. Moreover, going back to the All-Star Game this guy has gone deep nine times with 31 RBIs over 40 games. He’s also hit .287 with a .919 OPS. Killing it like I said.

Dan Uggla is likely to lose playing time the rest of the way. Batting .208 with a .713 OPS on the year, it was only a matter of time before the Braves made the decision (newly acquired Jeff Baker would likely pick up some extra work). History is a powerful thing, and Uggla has never failed to go deep 27 times with 82 RBIS and 84 runs in any of his previous six big league seasons. There’s no way he’ll get to those numbers this season, but even with all the horrible work at the dish he’s still driven 17 balls into the seats, produced 64 RBIs and scored 72 times. If he gets those numbers up to 20-75-80 on the season, it will be the 7th straight year that he will have reached all three totals. No second baseman in history has done that 7-years in a row (Uggla is currently tied with Jeff Kent for the longest streak of all-time for the position).

Joey Votto is close to a return from his knee issues. Many thought it would happen this past weekend, then we were told Monday, now we’re hoping for Tuesday. It’s not that he’s had any setbacks mind you, it’s just that the Reds refuse to let up and with a nearly insurmountable lead of 9.5 games over the Cardinals why not give Votto a couple of extra days if he needs it? Of course, his fantasy owners hate the decision.

Ray Flowers can be heard daily on Sirius/XM Radio on The Fantasy Drive on Sirius 210 and XM 87 from 7-10 PM EDT, Monday through Friday. Ray’s baseball analysis can be found at BaseballGuys.com and his minute to minute musings can be located at the BaseballGuys’ Twitter account.

Quarterbacks

Matthew Stafford (DET)–The Lions had a small scare when Stafford exited last Saturday’s game with an injury to his non-throwing hand. He line up with the first team at practice on Monday with no signs of casting on his injured hand. Expect Stafford to play in Thursday’s game against the Bills and he should not drop down the rankings after this injury.

Michael Vick (PHI)–Vick practiced for the second straight day on Monday and continues to make progress in his recovery from a rib injury suffered in last week against the Patriots. Vick is starting to slip down the draft boards with his most recent injury, which means he could be a great value pick this season if he can stay healthy. He is listed as probable for the start of the regular season but will not play in the Eagles preseason finale as a precaution.

Running Backs

Jonathan Stewart (CAR)–Stewart was carted off the field in Sunday’s game against the Jets after suffering an ankle injury in the second quarter. Stewart is considered questionable to start the regular season and has already been ruled out for Thursday’s game against the Steelers. If Stewart is unable to go in Week 1 DeAngelo Williams will get the workload for the Panthers which will give him the upper hand in the committee-backfield.

BenJarvus Green-Ellis (CIN)–The Bengals have yet to see much preseason action this year due to a foot injury and is questionable for this week’s game against the Colts as well as the start of the regular season. The injury does not appear to be too serious since he has been on the field in full pads for practice. It appears the Bengals are taking a precautionary approach with Green-Ellis so expect him to be on the field come Week 1.

Trent Richardson (CLE)–Reports out of Browns camp reveal that Richardson is recovery well from arthroscopic knee surgery and the team is very optimistic that he will be ready for Week 1 against the Eagles. With this latest news Richardson should start to climb back into first-round status as he once was before the injury. I would not be surprised either way with his status for Week 1, but at least the news is encouraging for those who already drafted.

Ronnie Hillman (DEN)–Hillman was limited through the first few weeks due to a hamstring injury, but was able to make his preseason debut on Sunday rushing the ball 10 times for 29 yards against the 49ers. Hillman suffered the injury in the beginning of training camp and the injury was too much for him to get on the field, which led to Willis McGahee taking total control of the Broncos backfield. Hillman is expected to be active for Week 1, but will get limited carries with McGahee getting the bulk of the workload.

Kevin Smith (DET)–Smith left Saturday’s preseason game with an ankle injury but it does not appear to be serious. The Lions are already down Jahvid Best, who won’t be available until after Week 8 when he is able to come off of the PUP list, so they really need Smith to be ready for the season opener. He is listed as questionable for Thursday’s game against the Bills, but will likely be rested to prevent an injury before the start of the regular season.

Adrian Peterson (MIN)–On Monday, Peterson was able to participate in contact during practice for the first time this preseason. This is a move in the right direction, but Peterson should not be expected to get eh full workload once the regular season begins. He is already ruled out for the Vikings preseason finale and should be handcuffed by Toby Gerhart if you are willing to take the gamble on Peterson moving forward.

Ahmad Bradshaw (NYG)–Bradshaw once gain finds himself in the training room, this time with a bruised right hand. The injury does not appear to be serious, but with the emergence of David Wilson this preseason he will have to push through the pain or else he is going to fall behind. Bradshaw is questionable for Wednesday’s game against the Patriots and if he doesn’t play he will continue to fall down draft boards.

Ryan Mathews (SD)–Mathews is currently recovery from right shoulder surgery and received good news from a recent checkup. He was cleared to start doing upper-body workouts, and has already been performing leg workouts so this is a good sign. He is questionable for the start of the regular season, but he feels he will be ready. You can never take a player’s were when dealing with injuries, but the fact he is so confident is a step in the right direction.

Wide Receivers

Steve Smith (CAR)–Smith is currently suffering from infection in his foot and it looks likes he will be able to play in the regular season opener. On Tuesday Smith was walking around the training facility and acknowledged that he feels he is going to be ready. He will miss the last preseason game, but it won’t matter too much since he already has great chemistry with second-year quarterback Cam Newton.

Miles Austin (DAL)–The Cowboys hope to have Austin back for the start of the regular season and it appears they will get their wish. Austin will not play in the Cowboys final preseason game against the Dolphins on Wednesday but he said he will be ready for the season opener. Austin is currently suffering from a hamstring injury and will need to prove himself after playing only 10 games last season. He has fallen down draft boards this season and has turned into a solid value pick if he can stay off of the injury report.

Austin Collie (IND)–Collie suffered his third concussion in two years last season and is expected to be cleared to resume football activities next week. He is listed as questionable for the start of the regular season but if he isn’t cleared next week he will likely miss Week 1. Collie is a low-end No. 3 wide receiver this season in standard leagues and if he returns to action he could be a great target for rookie quarterback Andrew Luck.

Hakeem Nicks (NYG)–Nicks was not expected to play until the regular season after suffering from a broken foot, but claims he is going to play against the patriots on Wednesday. The Giants have yet to make a decision on his availability for the game, but it is a good sign he feels he is healthy enough to play in the preseason finale. He will be needed this season as the Giants will be without Mario Mannigham and Jake Ballard, so Nicks could see an increased role in the offense.

Santonio Holmes (NYJ)–The Jets offense has looked terrible this preseason and Holmes hasn’t been much better. He played in his first preseason game on Sunday night against the Panthers finishing with just one catch for eight yards. Holmes is still suffering from back, rib and hamstring injuries but will likely be ready for Week 1.

Tight Ends

Jermaine Gresham (CIN)–Gresham is listed as questionable for this week’s preseason finale against the Colts after suffering a knee injury in the Bengals game against the Packers. He was forced the leave the game, but the injury is not considered to be serious. Gresham finished with six touchdowns in 2011 and if healthy he could be a sleeper pick at the tight end position in the later rounds if he can stay healthy.

Jermichael Finley (GB)–The Packers have many weapons in their offensive attack, but they will likely be without Finley for their final preseason game on Thursday. He is currently suffering from a quad injury, but he will be missing the game because of the birth on his newborn child. The injury does not appear to be serious, but Finley has fallen down draft boards after failing to live up to expectations the last few seasons.

Matthew Beck is a Fantasy Sports Columnist for Rotoinfo.com. If you have any questions or comments feel free to e-mail him at matthewbeck@rotoinfo.com.  Also follow him on Twitter @MatthewRBeck for up-to-date Q&A and fantasy information.