NFL Fantasy Help -- Week 16

We took some hits this week in the running back position. DeMarco Murray broke his left hand in the Eagles game Sunday night and he had surgery on it on Tuesday. He is still a game time decision but it's a fair bet Joe Randle and Lance Dunbar will get more looks. Jamaal Charles is going through the NFL concussion protocol and has got to be questionable this week. Not only that, QB Peyton Manning in the last 3 games is averaging only 195 yards per game passing and only one TD. WTF!!!! This week is the championship weekend for many and it's tough when 3 of the best fantasy players are in question. That's football and I'm sure their respective teams are worried but as long as their respective teams win the numbers thing isn't their first worry. But, there's no doubt that if they put up big numbers is doesn't exactly hurt the teams chances of winning.

Is this the week then that Dallas will lean on Joe Randle to carry the rock? Or will it be Lance Dunbar? Or a combination of the two? One thing for sure, if Murray is out it won't stop Dallas from running the ball. One other thing. Besides the worry over who the RB for Dallas will be the main question is, are RT Doug Free and RG Zack Martin going to be able to play? If you didn't know both of the linemen suffered ankle injuries during the game. Free came out in the 4th and Jeremy Parnell took his place. Parnell did okay but there is a drop off. Martin got his ankle taped up and he finished the game but he was noticeably limping around doing it. The engine that drives the Cowboys is the O-line and 40% of that line is hurting and could be out. So, while you worry if Murray is playing, more importantly, you need to worry about the status of Martin and Free. If Dallas has to play with Mackenzy Bernadeau and Parnell it is not going to be the same line at all. What you'll have is pretty much the 2013 version of the line which wasn't nearly as effective as this year.

Is Peyton Manning hurt or what? Manning passing numbers are down-right anemic. You have to wonder if maybe Manning is working through something because there a lot of his passes are missing the mark which is definitely NOT Manning-like. I know it's Peyton Manning it may be worth considering, if your backup is good and especially if he has a good match up, benching Manning. It is either you league championship or most certainly the semi final. This is no time to be stubborn.

Another bit of bad news is that the Chargers #1 WR Keenan Allen is done for 2014 due to a broken collar bone. It's a bad break (no pun intended) to lose Allen and I'm not sure if I trust any of the other Chargers receivers to fill Allen's void. It will likely be a WR by committee situation to make up for the numbers. Do you want to put all your playoff eggs in the Malcolm Floyd basket? I thought so.

Today will be the first day of practice this week and these answers and some not yet discussed will be address today.