With the weekend upon us, here's your usual guide on how you'll be able to get some last-minute lineup help:

• Listen to FOX Fantasy Freaks Mike Harmon, Nate Lundy and Peter Burns from 10 a.m. until noon ET on XM 142 or foxsportsradio.com. You can call in with questions, or send them to the boys via Twitter.
• Chat live on FOXSports.com with Roger Rotter from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m.
• Send me a question via Twitter, or shoot an e-mail to jhalpin37@gmail.com. I'll be in some meetings Sunday morning, so while I'll do my best to reply to messages then, I can't guarantee anything after Saturday night this week.

On to the news:

• Isn't it annoying to own Anquan Boldin? The Cardinals WR didn't practice again on Thursday, and his status likely won't be determined until a pregame workout. After watching Boldin hobble around last week, I'd probably bench him either way. I think this guy will probably be a gametime decision the day he gets married. You never seem to know if he's in or out.
• Devin Hester missed another practice on Thursday with a sprained ankle, but the Bears seem to think he'll play.
• RB Kevin Smith and WR Calvin Johnson were both limited in Thursday's practice, but the Lions seem optimistic about the chances that both guys will play. Even if Smith plays, Maurice Morris is going to be a thorn in his side. I'd tell you why, but you'll have to read my weekly running back committees article for four more whole sentences on the subject.
• The Boston Herald reports that Patriots RB Sammy Morris could return from his knee injury in Week 11. Considering who Morris plays for, assume that you'll probably get no further information until a couple of days before the game. The CIA should operate under such a cloak of secrecy.
• Keep an eye on the status of Packers WR Donald Driver, who missed another practice on Thursday due to a neck/shoulder injury.
• Bucs WR Antonio Bryant was again limited in Thursday's practice due to his long-ailing knee. I don't think there's anything new to worry about here.
• Another day, another practice for previously concussed Eagles RB Brian Westbrook. He'll be on the field against the Cowboys this week.
• This report says that Raiders RB Darren McFadden might return next week. I'll believe it when I see it.
• Speaking of the Raiders, they're on a bye this week, along with the Bills, Browns, Vikings, Jets and Rams.
• If you own Chiefs WR Dwayne Bowe, this article might help you understand why he's so inconsistent. My favorite part is about Bowe needing "emotional recovery time" after making a big play. Good grief.
• Panthers WR Muhsin Muhammad probably won't play again this week due to his sprained knee. Two or three fantasy owners out there must have been crushed to hear that news.
• I think the thing I'm most excited about this weekend is the Bucs wearing their old creamsicle jerseys. Why they ever got rid of those masterpieces for the current unis, I'll never know.

See you back here Monday morning. 

Congrats to my New York Yankees on their 27th World Series championship. You know what would have been a good headline for one of the NYC tabloids to use this morning? 27TH HEAVEN, since the Yanks won their 27th title. What's that? The New York Daily News already used it? OK. How about the New York Post? The same, exact headline? Ouch.

On to the news:

• The Lions' week is off to a rough start. WR Calvin Johnson was limited in Wednesday's practice due to his lingering right knee injury, and his status will probably be a gametime decision. RB Kevin Smith missed Wednesday's practice because of the shoulder issue that made him leave last week's game, but he said he'll practice today. Keep an eye on both players as kickoff approaches; I think they'll both play, but Johnson might make you sweat it out.
• After missing Week 8 due to a concussion, Eagles RB Brian Westbrook practiced Wednesday and has been cleared to play this week against the Cowboys. Start him if you've got him.
• Cardinals WR Anquan Boldin didn't practice Wednesday because of his nagging sprained ankle, but one report says he's likely to play this week. Even if he does, did you see him limping around against the Panthers on Sunday? I think his 40-yard dash time would be 5.2 right now. That's minutes, not seconds.
• Colts RB Donald Brown was back at practice Wednesday, and should be ready to go this week. You're going to have to wait at least another week for WR Anthony Gonzalez, though.
• This Kansas City Star story adds more clarity to the Chiefs RB situation. It says that Jamaal Charles "can be counted on for a significant number of carries," while Kolby Smith "isn't likely to get many carries." I still like the idea of taking a free-agent flier on Smith, but if it pays off, it probably won't be this week.
• So Roy Williams thinks he's still the Cowboys' No. 1 wide receiver, huh? Do you think Williams can't see Miles Austin because he's always crossing the goal line 60 yards away?
• Don't forget your byes. The Bills, Browns, Vikings, Jets, Raiders and Rams are off this week. No Derek Anderson or JaMarcus Russell? What will fantasy owners do?
• Bears WR Devin Hester sprained an ankle late in Sunday's game, and hopes to practice today. He says he'll play, but after reading this story, I think you might want to keep a close eye on his status as kickoff approaches. Maybe I'm worrying about nothing.
• Packers QB Aaron Rodgers won't practice until Friday because of injuries to both feet, but he's expected to play against the Bucs. Do you need even one good foot against them? Anyway, TE Jermichael Finley is a long shot to play.
• Texans head coach Gary Kubiak isn't naming a starter at running back, but says that Steve Slaton, Ryan Moats and Chris Brown will all play this week. Unless Slaton fumbles again at the hotel, or on the team bus, or in the locker room ...
• No practice Wednesday for RB Sammy Morris. Don't expect him to start for the Pats this week.
• Saints WR Lance Moore's status is up in the air due to a sprained ankle. Don't count on him this week.
• This story suggests that the Steelers might give RB Willie Parker a little more work this week because he turf toe issue has subsides, and because the high altitude in Denver could require more rest for Rashard Mendenhall. So, Mendenhall might carry fewer than the 10 times he did against the Vikings?
• The Seahawks waived RB Edgerrin James earlier this week. The Edge wasn't helping you much, but Justin Forsett could pick up some fantasy value as Julius Jones' primary backup. It's not like Jones is Emmitt Smith back there.
• Remember that rookie QB Josh Freeman will start this week for the Bucs. Actually, don't remember it unless you're in a keeper league.
• Looking for more advice? Send your questions to Roger Rotter, who will host a live chat today at 3 p.m. ET.
• Read my latest Wide Write start 'em/sit 'em column on FOXNews.com, and watch this week's video. They'll bring a tear to your eye.

See you back here tomorrow, when I'll probably post a little later than usual. I promise the entry will be here by 10 a.m. ET.

Good morning, folks. Since I'm a Yankee fan, after posting this blog entry today, I plan to spend the next 36 hours curled up in the fetal position under my desk. Andy Pettitte on three days' rest in Game 6, huh? Let's say I'm skeptical. Or that I think he's going to get pummeled. I'm hoping for a 10-8 win.

On to the news:

• With Chiefs RB Larry Johnson set to serve his Twitter/gay/fan insult suspension this week, running backs Jamaal Charles and Kolby Smith shared carries in practice last week. Since Charles seems to fit the profile of a third-down back, I wondered if Smith might get a bigger workload, but this Kansas City Star story suggests that Charles will get first crack at the feature back duties. If you need a one-week starter, you could probably do worse than Charles.
• The Chargers have waived Chris Chambers, which makes sense since he's the most overrated wide receiver ever. Malcom Floyd's productivity should increase in the wake of this news, and he's a viable pickup in deep leagues.
• Texans' beat writer John McClain thinks that WR Kevin Walter will be the biggest beneficiary of TE Owen Daniels' absence. The logic makes sense, and you should grab Walter if you can.
• We have no idea how the Texans' running backs will be affected, because head coach Gary Kubiak is taking his time on naming a starter, and even when he does that we won't know how Steve Slaton, Ryan Moats and even Chris Brown will be deployed this week.
• Packers QB Aaron Rodgers might miss some practice time this week with a sore right foot and a sprained toe, but he's expected to play Sunday. In other Packers news from the same story, it sounds like TE Jermichael Finley will miss another week. By the way, did you know that Rodgers has amassed the second-highest point total in my FOXSports.com PPR league, which has standard scoring otherwise? I'll let you know who's first later in today's post.
• Trent Edwards is expected to return as the Bills' starting QB after the bye week. He's missed almost three games with a concussion.
• Speaking of byes, the Bills, Browns, Vikings, Jets, Raiders and Rams are off this week. Other than the Vikes, that's a real murderer's row, isn't it?
• Brian Westbrook's status for Week 9 is TBD due to his recent concussion, and he's expected to practice Wednesday (no contact).
• Lions WR Calvin Johnson is day-to-day, "getting closer," blah, blah, blah. Let's see if he practices Wednesday.
• Texans QB Matt Schaub is ahead of Rodgers on the fantasy points list. Surprised? Me, too - a little.
• Saints RBs Mike Bell and Pierre Thomas shared the workload again last night, but Thomas got into the end zone twice. Good luck trying to guess the better half of that situation every week.
• The Browns fired their GM yesterday, which makes sense since he's already had eight whole games to fix their problems. They're also apparently trying to get out of paying the rest of the guy's contract, which ought to sound great to anyone looking to get a job with them in the future. "So, you guys fire people without giving them a reasonable chance to succeed and stiff them on the way out? Where do I sign?"

See you back here Thursday morning.

Steve Slaton owners, your worst nightmare has finally happened. After the butterfingered running back lost another fumble with 6:28 remaining in the first quarter against the Bills, fed-up Texans head coach Gary Kubiak sent Slaton to the bench for the rest of the day.

Ryan Moats replaced Slaton and made like Adrian Peterson, running for 126 yards and three touchdowns. Kubiak was asked after the game if Moats was the team's new starting running back, and said, "We'll go to next week. We'll see."

Predictably, Kubiak also said he's expecting Slaton to "come right back next week and help," according to the Texans' Web site. Thanks for the coachspeak, coach.

If you own Slaton, there's not much you can do besides cross your fingers and follow the news for a hint of what the Texans' plans are, but it sounds like your high draft choice has become a matchup of flex play, at least for now. For those looking for free-agent running backs this week, Moats is a no-brainer. He might be a one-hit wonder, but you have to take a chance, right?

On to the rest of the news:

• Texans TE Owen Daniels has apparently suffered a torn ACL in his right knee. He'll likely get confirmation today that he's done for the year, and if you own him you need to get a replacement.
• Titans QB Vince Young looked pretty good yesterday against the Jaguars, but it's not like he didn't have plenty of help, as the Texans were able to run 49 times, with RB Chris Johnson gaining 228 yards. The key fantasy stat for me is Young's 12 carries for 30 yards. If he keeps the ball, oh, seven or more times per game, he's almost a lock to get some rushing touchdowns. Also, nice job by the Jags giving up 305 yards rushing against a team with a QB that doesn't throw very well. Big, big effort coming off a bye week.
• I'd like to salute all the Packer fans who booed themselves hoarse yesterday during Brett Favre's return to Lambeau Field. I never really thought there would be "boos mixed with cheers," or whatever some of the TV talking heads were saying. Sorry things didn't turn out better up there.
• Did I really read last night that the Colts targeted Reggie Wayne 20 times yesterday? Wayne caught 12 passes, including the game-winning TD from RB Joseph Addai, for 147 yards. I hope you didn't get scared away by Wayne's pre-game questionableness. 
• Sunday's stat line would seem to indicate that the Lions have turned to a full-blown running back committee, but Maurice Morris' workload was at least partly the result of Kevin Smith being limited with foot and shoulder injuries. If Smith is healthy, he's still the Lions' lead back, but Morris seems to be in line to get more carries.
• Panthers QB Jake Delhomme is reportedly OK after leaving Sunday's game with a chest injury. It was nice to see the Panthers use the "let Jake throw as little as possible" gameplan against the Cardinals.
• Has everyone noticed that Tony Romo has thrown for 918 yards and eight touchdowns with no interceptions over the past three weeks? Am I writing that only because I pimped him like crazy during fantasy draft season, and need a pat on the back since Romo is the only guy producing on most of my teams?
• After catching six passes for 81 yards in his second NFL game, 49ers WR Michael Crabtree has just about become an every-week fantasy starter for me.
• Yes, I saw that Ted Ginn Jr. returned two kickoffs for touchdowns against the Jets. I also noticed that he didn't catch any passes. You can't start a kick returner on your fantasy team, folks.
• You don't still own Willis McGahee, do you? The guy with 10 carries for zero yards in his last three games? Really?
• Cardinals WR Anquan Boldin hurt his ankle again yesterday, so we're looking at another week or tracking his practice availability. Yippee.

Enjoy Falcons-Saints tonight - I'll check it from time to time between innings of the World Series game. Did you see that play by Johnny Damon? Wow.

See you tomorrow.

Since it's Friday, here's our weekly look at what you can do for Sunday morning lineup assistance:

• Listen to FOX Fantasy Freaks Mike Harmon, Nate Lundy and Peter Burns on foxsportsradio.com and XM 142 from 10 a.m. until noon ET. Send the boys questions via Twitter by following them at @FantasyFreaks.
• Chat with Roger Rotter from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. Send questions now if you like.
• Send me questions via e-mail to jhalpin37@gmail.com, or via Twitter by following me @jhalpin37.

Now that we've got that out of the way, and since I'm happy this morning because the Yankees beat the evil Pedro Martinez, let's get to the news:

• Giants RB Ahmad Bradshaw has been cleared to keep playing with a cracked bone in his right foot - not to mention a troublesome right ankle - and he's apparently been playing on the injury for awhile, so no big deal, right? Well, it seems that the crack can break all the way through the bone at just about any time, and that would require season-ending surgery, or something close to it. At this point, you're probably in a cross-your-fingers situation with Bradshaw, just like the Giants. Don't trade for him, even if it's a buy-low deal. He's a ticking time bomb.
• Lions WR Calvin Johnson returned to practice Thursday, and while the team was encouraged by his progress in recovering from a knee injury, head coach Jim Schwartz said that Johnson and QB Matthew Stafford "have a ways to go" before getting cleared to play Sunday. You're looking at a Sunday morning decision on Johnson.
• As you've probably heard, Vince Young is once again the Titans' starting QB, replacing Kerry Collins. Young is available in nearly all FOXSports.com leagues, and I think his running ability makes him worth a look as a fantasy backup, especially since most leagues don't penalize horrible completion percentages. Mike Harmon thinks Young's presence upgrades the value of TE Bo Scaife.
• Texans WR Andre Johnson practiced fully on Thursday, and appears ready to go Sunday despite a bruised lung. Start him if you've got him.
• Eagles RB Brian Westbrook missed another practice on Thursday. The Eagles still aren't counting him out for Sunday, but I am. Unless you hear good news before kickoff, bench him. Also, how about the sports day coming up in Philly on Sunday? Giants-Eagles at 1, and Yanks-Phillies down the block at 8. Going to both of those games in NY gear sounds like it would be fun, as long as you don't mind getting spit on or anything.
• Colts WR Reggie Wayne (groin) and RB Donald Brown (shoulder) didn't practice again for the Colts on Thursday, and while the status of both is up in the air, it's more likely that we'll see Wayne than Brown. Also, WR Anthony Gonzalez isn't quite ready to return.
• Vikings WR Percy Harvin missed Thursday's practice with an illness for the umpteenth time this season. He's supposed to be OK for Sunday, but does he have something that won't go away? Is he the most occasionally sick receiver in the NFL? Or is he the kid from elementary school who always convinces his mom that he just can't get out of bed?
• This article suggests that the 49ers might throw more often in Chapter 2 of the Alex Smith Era. If you own Frank Gore, don't say you weren't warned. By the way, Gore has played three full games, and his rushing totals are 30, 207, 32. Way to be consistent.
• Trendy fantasy free agent RB Jason Snelling didn't practice Thursday for the Falcons due to a hamstring injury. Jerious Norwood sat out again as well. Apparently, nobody wants to back up Michael Turner. The Falcons play Monday, so if these guys stay uncertain, bench 'em.
• The Bills are hinting that RB Fred Jackson might not be an invisible man again this week. I'll believe it when I see it.
• Panthers WR Muhsin Muhammad has missed two straight days of practice due to a knee injury. If this news affects your fantasy team, times are really bad.
• Packers QB Aaron Rodgers was limited in Thursday's practice due to a foot injury, but he should be at full speed today. How badly do you think Rodgers wants to throw for 450 yards this week?
• I hear there's a great article on the site about the latest in the world of running back committees. You should check it out.
• Don't forget your byes this week. The Bengals, Chiefs, Patriots, Steelers, Buccaneers and Redskins are all off.

Good luck this weekend. I'll see you back here on Monday.