Oakland Raiders vs. Miami Dolphins Reggie Bush -- The Dolphins made it extremely clear that they were not satisfied with last year's running game in the 2011 offseason. Ricky Williams was sent packing to Baltimore and Ronnie Brown moved on to the "Super Team" in Philadelphia. The Dolphins brought in new, young blood via free agency and through the draft. Once the Dolphins secured Bush and drafted Daniel Thomas, the new personnel was in place and the new strategy was ready to roll. Bush was going to be used as the complimentary back to Thomas. Isn't it funny how things work out sometimes? Instead of Bush becoming a third-down specialist he's become more or less the featured back in Miami. As a matter of fact, he's just a few carries away from amassing the most rushing yardage he's ever had in one season. Not bad for a change-of-pace back. The question becomes how will Bush's 2011 production impact the Dolphins' purposed game plan moving forward? Thomas has been slowed by hamstring injuries all through the season, and one would think that wouldn't be the case next year. What is going to happen to the Miami running back situation in the long run? This is entirely up to Bush. If he continues on the pace he's on and proves that he was right in saying that the New Orleans Saints underused him, then he would deserve the featured back role. It could be more a lightning-and-thunder situation and less of a thunder-and-lightning formula. As long as coach Tony Sparano continues to use Bush in the" right way" then there is no reason to think that the stats wouldn't continue to come in. If Bush can keep up this pace for the rest of the season and earn the role again in 2012 then dynasty owners of Thomas would lose a ton of value, especially if Bush continues to see goal line touches and even worse, succeeds. I'd look for Bush to continue rolling with about 75 yards rushing and 50 yards receiving with a touchdown and further his already expanded role. Tennessee Titans vs. Buffalo Bills C.J. Spiller -- Not exactly a great showing last week from Spiller. Being a former first-round pick we know the kind of ability and talent that Spiller must have. Neither talent nor ability was demonstrated in way, shape or form in Week, 12, though. Spiller received the best chance he's had to put up big numbers since he was drafted and was stuck on the depth chart behind both Marshawn Lynch and Fred Jackson. Here and now in 2011, Lynch is playing on the opposite side of the country ...

Carolina Panthers v Detroit Lions Cam Newton- Nobody saw last weeks drop off coming. That matchup against the Tennessee Titans should have been a complete joy for owners. Instead fantasy managers were blindsided by a runaway freight train when they checked on Newton's numbers. The Panthers looked like the Panthers of old. They were completely unable to get anything going at all on either side of the ball. Newton disappointed for the first time in 2011 and this game against the Lions could make two in a row. The Lions are a sneaky good defense and provide one of the best pass rushes in the entire league. When Newton decides to run the Lions' defensive ends have enough speed that they could be used to successfully channel Newton up the middle of the field where the linebacking core awaits. This game is a great chance for us to see how Newton not only rebounds from a complete flogging but also how he handles that purposed containment. As well as the Panthers have been this season that offensive line still needs some work. The offensive line is nowhere near the caliber of the talent that makes up the defensive front of the Lions. Newton will have much less time in the pocket to wait for the deep routes to develop. That means that he won't be able to connect with Steve Smith in the same manner that they have grown accustomed to. Newton will need to be accurate on his short passes and move the chains with short chunks of yardage. Don't expect either DeAngelo Williams or Jonathan Stewart to be huge factors in the running gaming, per usual. Newton will have a huge workload and will need to be extremely efficient to avoid turnovers. This game gives us the opportunity to see not only how Newton handles intense pressure but also how accurate he really is. Newton's accuracy has been highly scrutinized since his college days. It's one thing to throw a complete bomb down the field to a receiver as fast as Steve Smith in a "go and get it" type of mentality compared to needing to be spot on when given a small window to throw into. I expect Newton to provide owners with another solid, number one quarterback outing. But I also expect him to play like a rookie quarterback and make a few mental mistakes that will sway the game. The yardage will be there but so will the turnovers and the sacks. Oakland Raiders v Minnesota Vikings Michael Bush- Oakland is currently in a situation that fantasy owners lose sleep over. What do you do with a wealth of talent at ...

Running Wild Michael Bush should again give fantasy owners a boost for the second straight week as Darren McFadden will not play on Sunday against the Vikings. This has to hurt owners expecting Run DMC to only miss one week, especially if they didn't handcuff him with Bush. Nonetheless, those who own Bush should enjoy another fine day. He has been averaging well over 100 yards rushing in the two plus games that he has replaced McFadden. Minnesota doesn't have the strong run defense they've had in previous years so Bush should put up solid numbers and is a must start for at least Week 11. Seeing that he has received no less than 17 carries in any of the last three weeks and 30 last week, I can see Oakland giving Bush at least 20 hand offs in this matchup and a few passes as well. He should be fantasy gold for the fourth straight week so enjoy. Felix Jones will play this week after missing the last four games with a high ankle sprain. There is no doubt that he will return as the backup to DeMarco Murray, but he does have some value for fantasy. It's unclear just how many carries he will receive on Sunday so be careful, but you have to like the matchup with Washington. Jones is still a solid running back; he just has a problem staying healthy. Obviously Murray is the back to own and start for Dallas and I don't see Jones getting more than 10 carries this weekend and that's being generous. Remember though, Jones is one of the better pass catching running backs in the league though and it only takes one screen pass for him to have a solid fantasy day. I don't recommend starting him in Week 11 until you see how healthy he is and how the Cowboys plan on using him in a backup role. Daniel Thomas has been nursing a hamstring injury for much of the season, but did come back last week. He is still the backup to Reggie Bush, who has made quite a fantasy impact over the last month, but Thomas still gets a decent amount of work. Last week he did get 17 carries, which is very encouraging considering he was coming back from injury and Bush's hot streak. Thomas only managed to gain 42 yards, but the good news is that Miami still has trust in him and actually gave him more work than Bush, who did score two touchdowns, but only had 14 carries. Keep a close eye on Thomas in Week 11 against Buffalo. This is a very enticing matchup and I don't see anything wrong with using him as a flex spot option. The Bills have given up the 7th most fantasy points to running backs on the ...

Running Wild You can never really trust a Mike Shanahan backfield, but it's starting to look like Roy Helu may have a lock on the starting running back spot in Washington, for now. Ryan Torain has fallen out of good graces with the coaching staff so it could be Helu's show now. Helu is coming off a very intriguing Week 9 where he only rushed 10 times for 41 yards, but had 14 catches for 105 yards. Fourteen receptions in one game for any player is incredible, let alone a running back, so Helu will definitely be a hot play come Sunday. He is going up against a solid run defense in Miami, but the pass defense is very soft. I see him contributing very similar to last week's effort. It's almost a certainty that Helu won't crack 14 receptions again, but look for him to get around 20 touches. This kind of workload out of a running back is plenty reason to get him in your starting lineups for Week 10. It looks like the New York Jets are finally back to their ground-and-pound ways and this bodes very well for Shonn Greene and his fantasy owners. In his last four games, Greene has received a total of 81 carries and has run for 345 yards. He doesn't offer you much in the receiving area, but getting 20 carries a week is very solid for a running back these days. Take advantage of that and keep him in your lineup. The Jets have done a great job in the last month of spreading the ball around and opening up running lanes, so he should continue to have success as the season progresses. Greene gets the slumping New England Patriots this weekend that just cut nose guard Albert Haynesworth, so there should be some holes to run through. The offensive line is getting stronger and stronger and this only adds to the notion that Greene is a must start in fantasy every week. A few weeks into the season it appeared that Daniel Thomas was going to be the premier running back for Miami, but a nagging hamstring injury has forced him to play sparingly over the last month. With that, Reggie Bush has taken full advantage. Bush is averaging close to 18 touches a game the last two weeks and is coming off his best performance of the year in Week 9 where he ran for 92 yards and a touchdown and caught three passes for 50 yards. Perhaps the most impressive stat of all for Bush is that he has been getting seven yards per carry during this two game span and 4.9 yards per carry for the season. Thomas has practiced fully this week, but Bush will still be starting for the Dolphins against ...

I have a term for fantasy football players who routinely turn in three straight four-point performances on the heels of a twenty-five point outing...ULCERS! The good news is that if you are positioned for a deep playoff run you probably don't have many ulcers on your team, but if you do, now is the ideal time to move them before they cost you a championship with an untimely implosion. There is no doubting Michael Vick's ability to put your fantasy team on his back and carry it, but you can't ignore his tendency to disappear from time to time. Much of Vick's contributions rely on him being able to tally significant rushing numbers. He has only passed for more than 250 yards in five games. He will likely put up good numbers with upcoming games against the Cardinals and Patriots, but he faces defenses that are stingy against fantasy quarterbacks in the Jets, Cowboys and Dolphins in weeks 14-16. Chances are you drafted Vick with a pretty high draft pick and you are reluctant to trade him away, but if you are just outside of the playoffs and need a boost, you need to try to move him for multiple players to bolster your roster. Given the scarceness of reliable starting running backs, I would never suggest dumping an inconsistent back. I would however, encourage you to capitalize on those few good starts and move a player for a more consistent back. On the heels of two good performances you might be able to find a trading partner for Reggie Bush. Daniel Thomas was expected to be the Dolphins' primary ball carrier, but he has been hindered all season with hamstring problems. Bush is running better than he ever has in his pro career, but just isn't trustworthy in the long term and despite Thomas' inability to stay healthy, Bush only has six more carries. In previous seasons you could count on Bush to contribute in PPR leagues, but this season he has only been targeted 26 times. Move Bush while you still have an audience. I have warned against trusting Chris Beanie Wells all year, so I'm not going to change my tune now. Wells has turned in a few respectable performances anchored by a three touchdown outing in week four, but his knee problems are not going to get any better as long as he doesn't rest. Given his propensity for injuries and a playoff stretch of matchups that include tough running defenses, now is the ideal time to trade Wells if you can find the right deal. Don't be afraid of Chris Johnson or LeGarrette Blount if the price is right. ...

With only one month left in the season and the playoffs right around the corner, owners are looking for players to help them in the stretch run. I'm putting together a team right here of "Stretch Run Saviors" that can help take owners to the promised land. Some of these players are still available on the waiver wire or can be had in a trade for a fair price. My team is composed of a standard lineup of one quarterback, two running backs, three wide receivers, a tight end and a defense. I didn't include a kicker because, let's face it, kickers are worthless. QB: Matt Moore I'm taking a big leap of faith here, my friends. Originally I wanted to put Tim Tebow in this slot but I feel like after three straight solid fantasy performances, I think the price might be too high at this point. In no way, shape or form am I saying that you should immediately insert Moore into your lineup and bench whoever your starting quarterback is. Still, after his heroic three-touchdown, 244-passing yard performance last weekend, Moore's upside is looking a lot better than it has all season. He's available on the waiver wire in almost all leagues and he has a number of solid matchups the rest of the way. In the next seven games, he has tasty fantasy matchups against the Buffalo Bills (twice), Oakland and a dream fantasy Super Bowl (Week 16) matchup against the gosh-awful New England defense. With the Dolphins' running game starting to show signs of life and Brandon Marshall beginning to come alive, pick up Moore off the waiver wire and stash him on your bench. If your starting quarterback starts to falter and his matchup isn't looking that appetizing, at least you'll have a potentially solid fallback option on your bench. RB: Reggie Bush Bush is probably the player on this list you're going to have to pay the most for after his 92 rushing yards, 53 receiving yards, one-touchdown eye-opening performance last weekend. There's a lot to like about Bush going forward starting with the fact that his running back by committee partner Daniel Thomas didn't look good against the Kansas City Chiefs last weekend, rushing for 12 yards on seven carries, clearly still affected by his season-long hamstring injury. What's most impressive about Bush is his upcoming schedule, which might be the most fantasy running back friendly schedule out there. He has Washington this Sunday, the Buffalo Bills twice, Oakland and Philadelphia - all teams that have weak rushing defenses. I've been...

Miami Dolphins rookie running back Daniel Thomas has been ruled out of Sunday's game against the New York Giants.

Last week Vinnie's feature pick (Denver) not only beat the spread but won outright. Thanks to the Jaguars, Falcons, Jets and Bears, however, it was overall not the best of weeks of Vinnie. Hope is renewed in Week 8, and here's why: Miami Dolphins @ New York Giants (-10): On paper the Giants' injury-riddled defense is soft enough to allow Daniel Thomas a decent rushing day, but this is where any match up advantage comes to an end for Miami. Matt Moore will undoubtedly become more focused on the Giants' pass rush than his receiving options; Dolphins' quarterbacks are being sacked close to four times per game, while this is likely the healthiest defensive ends Justin Tuck, Jason Pierre-Paul and Osi Umenyiora have been all season. Ahmad Bradshaw and Eli Manning will have no problem putting plenty of points on the scoreboard, versus the grossly underachieving Dolphins defense. Gimme the Giants minus the points. Cincinnati Bengals @ Seattle Seahawks (+2.5): Things in Seattle's favor here include, "the 12th man" and Tarvaris Jackson probably getting the nod at quarterback and ... that's about it, really. Cincinnati has a darn good pass defense, led by its corners and underrated defensive line rotation, which brings us to the things not in Seattle's favor. These include - but certainly aren't limited to - Marshawn Lynch and Zach Miller being questionable to play, the Andy Dalton to A.J. Green connection, and Cincinnati benefiting from a week off after winning its last three games. Bernard Scott should get some quality work in as well, subbing for Cedric Benson this week. Gimme the Bengals minus the points. Washington Redskins @ Buffalo Bills (-6.5): This one pits household names such as Anthony Armstrong, Terrence Austin and Logan Paulsen against those of David Nelson, Naaman Roosevelt and Scott Chandler. Actually, if it took you a second to figure which team was which, you're not alone. Although quarterback John Beck isn't as lackluster a contributor for Washington as the casual fan may believe, his supporting cast is going south in a hurry. Fred Davis and Jabar Gaffney can pick up some of the slack while Santana Moss is out, but this marks one of those weeks where it won't add up to nearly enough. Fred Jackson and Stevie Johnson, in particular, will fair quite well for Buffalo. Gimme the Bills minus the points. Cleveland Browns @ San Francisco 49ers (-10): Alex Smith is managing the 49ers offense more efficiently than at any point in his NFL career, and ...

The normal weekly start or sit options are difficult enough without all the bye week issues and injuries that are facing us right now. Here is a rundown of players who may help your team through this week and steal a win! Quarterback With weekly starters like Aaron Rodgers, Matt Ryan on bye this week along with other second tier options and several teams working in new QBs there are a very limited number of reliable quarterbacks to start this week. While he likely will not become a weekly starter, I believe a good spot starter this week is John Beck. Beck had a solid showing in his first start in week seven against the Panthers. Beck and the Redskins face off with the high powered Buffalo Bills. The Skins will likely be forced to put up a good deal of points to stay in the game this week. Beck tallied 279 yards passing with a TD and added a rushing TD for good measure in his debut. The Bills have given up over 290 yards in five of six games thus far. The Redskins offense is not without question marks with season ending injuries to Chris Cooley and Tim Hightower compounded by Santana Moss missing time with an injury. Fred Davis and Jabar Gaffney will be Beck's primary targets. Beck is currently owned in only 28% of leagues but expecting a 250 yard, 2 TD day is not out of the question. Running back If you play in a league where the owners all have a pulse you know there is no more difficult position to find a hidden gem than running back. With hot commodities like DeMarco Murray gobbled up off the waiver wire the options here may be especially slim and you may have to lower your expectations a bit, but there are still a few guys who may be able to contribute for your team this week. With Cedric Benson slated to serve his one game suspension this week Bernard Scott will get the start for the Bengals this week. Scott is only owned in 48% of leagues and if you are dealing with bye weeks and injury questions you could do far worst than to snatch up a starting running back for the week. Scott will be facing a stingy Seahawks' run defense and will likely share some carries but I project him to perform better than other potential fill-ins like Daniel Thomas or Maurice Morris. The Texans are coming off a week where they allowed over 100 yards rushing and will square off with the Colts this week. While the Colts offense is certainly not the same without Peyton Manning they should look to slow the game down and establish more ball control with...

Miami Dolphins running back Daniel Thomas appears ready to go after making the trip with the team for Monday's game against the Jets in New York.