Here are a few quick hits and tasty bits for you to digest as you set your Monday night lineups.
Denver Broncos:
The Broncos plan to rotate running backs Selvin Young and André Hall this week. There has been no word as to who would get the goal-line carries, though Hall would appear to be the favorite.
Is quarterback Jay Cutler ready for prime time? This is a pivotal season for him as he tries to ascend to the upper tier of NFL signal-callers.
Wideout Brandon Marshall will not play, as he will be serving his one-game league suspension. Tight end Tony Scheffler stands to benefit from Marshall's absence, as his receiving skills will give Cutler a viable No. 1 receiving option.
IDP notes: D.J. Williams moves back to the weakside linebacker spot, and his tackle numbers should suffer as a result. Undersized Nate Webster will start in the middle; he's a sleeper in deeper IDP leagues.
Green Bay Packers:
The Aaron Rodgers era begins in Green Bay, and the Packers quarterback should be fine, especially with two talented wideouts at his disposal.
Running back Ryan Grant (hamstring) was back at practice Saturday, but it's being reported that backup Brandon Jackson will see quite a few reps this week. Grant is a risky fantasy play against the tough Vikings D.
Wideouts Greg Jennings and Donald Driver are both sound fantasy options, with the caveat that they'll be working with a new quarterback.
IDP notes: Weakside linebacker A.J. Hawk (chest) went through a full practice Friday and it looks like he'll start Monday night.
Minnesota Vikings:
Quarterback Tarvaris Jackson (knee) looks like he's ready to go, but he's far from being a viable fantasy option at this point.
New Vikings wideout Bernard Berrian did not appear on the injury report this week, so he's apparently over his battle with turf toe.
The Vikes will be without hulking left tackle Bryant McKinnie, who is serving the first of his four-game league suspension. McKinnie's absence leaves a huge hole on Tarvaris Jackson's blind side.
IDP notes: Keep an eye on how the Vikes deploy linebacker Chad Greenway; if he comes out in the nickel package, his fantasy value takes a hit. New defensive end Jared Allen posted 15.5 sacks for Kansas City last season. The secondary is full of playmakers, with corners Cedric Griffin and Antoine Winfield primed for more big fantasy numbers in 2008.
Oakland Raiders:
Quarterback JaMarcus Russell continues his development, but most fantasy owners should be content to watch from the sidelines for now.
Watch the running back split: rookie Darren McFadden should see some carries, but incumbent starter Justin Fargas will probably get most of the touches. Michael Bush could be the goal line back. Ugly? You bet--at least until things sort themselves out.
Wide receiver Javon Walker (hamstring) practiced Saturday and will be a game-time decision Monday night. Even though he'll be motivated to play well against the team that cut him, Walker is at best an iffy fantasy play.
IDP notes: Middle linebacker Kirk Morrison is a tackling machine and also very good in pass coverage. Former Atlanta cornerback DeAngelo Hall is a solid pass defender, but safety Gibril Wilson racked up 92 total tackles and four interceptions in just 13 games with the New York Giants last season.