In an ideal world, every lineup decision would be a stone cold lock. Easy enough my mother-in-law could pick our players. Peyton Manning, check. Adrian Peterson, of course. Dez Bryant, yep. Antonio Games, why not. In reality, injuries are mounting, position battles wage on, defenses are being defined as weather is constant thorn in our ass. Friday's Injury Report As we know many of our lineup decisions revolve around the Friday Injury Report. Each week we scour this memo searching for any last minute info to help sway our decision. As always we have three categories we are examining. The first is "Probable / full participation in practice." These are the players dealing with the everyday aches and pains of being a professional football player, but almost certain to take the field. Examining Friday's Injury Report we find; Zac Stacy, Greg Olsen, Willis McGahee, Arian Foster, Andre Johnson (we'll come back to this), Bilal Powell, Stevie Johnson, C.J. Spiller, Vernon Davis, Wes Welker and Eric Decker. Each should be downgraded slightly, and started as needed. The second category is Out, and Doubtful. These are players standing on the sidelines in street clothes collecting zero fantasy points. Players we must bench week seven includes; James Starks, Santonio Holmes, DeMarco Murray, David Wilson and Roddy White. Man was I wrong about Steven Jackson. I saw the second coming of Michael Turner plus receiving skills. But S-Jax is just a repeat of the 30-year-old version. He sits yet again with the never ending hamstring injury. The third and final category is "Questionable," and or "limited in practice" (dun, dun, daaaahhhh). Questionable is the silent killer synonymous with the dreaded Game Time Decision (GTD). Reading the tea leaves, here is my interpretation of what to expect with the Week 7's GTD. Mike Williams found himself listed as questionable, but oddly was full participation in practice. All systems appear go as a mid/lower WR3 in matchup facing the leaky Falcons secondary........... Calvin Johnson is a GTD after being limited in Friday's practice, but repping the Probable tag. Having practiced every day this week, he's a lineup lock. Although, he could be on a "limited snap count," Calvin does more with less than any other WR in the league............ The Packers are just playing games calling James Jones Questionable. He's not playing......... Jags WR Justin Blackmon has been dealing with a hamstring injury. He is a bit scary after not practicing on Friday. Blackmon has stated there's "no question" he'll play. I'm going to point you to the Inactive Report below. If he's active, start him as a high WR3.............. The Titans are listing Jake Locker as a GTD. With a bye coming in Week 8, no reason to risk him. Truth be told, he should be left on the waiver wire in standard 12 team leagues.......... Eddie Royal did not practice. Yeah, more targets for Antonio Gates and Keenan Allen.......... Mid-week Cecil Shorts told reporters "he couldn't sleep due to the pain." Suddenly, he's telling everyone he's planning to start. Something's rotten in Denmark. I'm sitting Shorts............ Martellus Bennett has become a replay of the same TBS movie. He continues to see plenty of action, despite his GTD status. I'm starting Bennett as a mid/lower TE1.......... The Eagles are playing the Harbaugh card from a year ago listing Michael Vick as Questionable/Full. The longer Nick Foles wins, the longer Vick's injury will linger on. Start Foles if needed and sit Vick............. And that leads us to Robert James Gronkowski; aka Gronk. On Friday he was cleared by the doctors, cleared by the team, and cleared by his agent Drew Rosenhaus. I could make a strong argument to sit Gronk, but I'd be playing the Devil's advocate. If he makes his triumphant return to the ring, he starts on our fantasy teams. Sunday Checklist Inactive report From the department of redundancy department I bring you; "While our weekly wrap up starts with the Injury Report, it will end with the Inactive Report. Released 15 minutes before kickoff, any player listed on the Inactive Report will not see the field, a guaranteed zero fantasy points. Even if your entire team appears primed and ready to roll, always, always check the inactive report. Make this mistake once and you'll know what I'm talking about." The Weather Report As stated, I'm going to give the same advice every week; make sure to check the wind speed and the Doppler Radar of the city in question on game day. If wind exceeds 12 MPH, start to downgrade players accordingly. If a "significant" moisture cell, (red, yellow or dark green) his headed toward an NFL stadium, downgrade your player(s) accordingly, emphasizing our QBs and WRs. As of 2:00 AM EST on 9/27 three cities are forecasted to experience poor weather are; Green Bay (vs. Cleveland), Miami (vs. Buffalo) and Jacksonville (vs. San Diego). On Sunday morning we should monitor each for isolated thunderstorms. Bye Weeks Some weeks the byes have very little meaning; i.e. Atlanta and Miami. But with the Saints and Raiders taking the week off there are a handful of starters missing from our lineups. Make sure to set your lineup accordingly. Start 'Em If You Got 'Em Cam Newton hasn't been a world beater this season, but should take flight in a prime matchup against the 17th ranked St. Louis Rams............ DeAngelo Williams should also get one more crack in your starting lineup as St Louis ranks 31st against the run. Even MJD ripped off 70 yards against the Rams........... I recommended him last week and I'll do it again this week as Giovani Bernard has a plus matchup against the 26th ranked Lions rush defense. I want a piece of that.......... Of course, we're starting Philip Rivers and Antonio Gates, but Keenen Allen is a near-must start this week against the 20th ranked Jacksonville secondary............. Dallas vs. Philly, yes please. Even Terrance Williams has lower WR3 status.......... For the first time in his career, Brandon Jacobs looks to be a solid RB2 with the league's worst rush defense coming to town............ Believe it or not, even Eli Manning is startable as a mid/lower QB1 going up against the 31st ranked Minnesota pass defense. Hakeem Nicks has upside as a WR3 while Rueben Randle is also an option as a spot start low WR3............... Bilal Powell has lower RB2 status going up against the Mayo- and Wilfork-less New England rush defense............. The only person I'm sitting in the Colts vs. Broncos game is Blue, the Colts mascot. Even Coby Fleener has low end TE1 value this week. Start 'em if you got em.[Editor's Note: If you're in a league that starts mascots, Blue is a top-tier Mascot-1 for Week 7.] Buyer Beware I believe Tampa Bay's 19th ranked pass defense is slightly skewed after getting slaughtered by Nick Foles. With Julio and Roddy missing, Matt Ryan will find little success throwing to Harry Douglas and some other guys. Matty Ice is cemented on my bench..........We should also note TB is ranked 7th against fantasy RBs. I'm also sitting Jacquizz Rodgers and Jason Snelling......... Mike Glennon has been getting some publicity, and if you're hurting for a high-end QB2 then he's your guy. Buyer beware because this game cold become the Doug Martin show............ With a revamped defensive line, Carolina is ranked 2nd against signal callers. Sam Bradford owners better think twice about starting the streaky QB2............. I can't figure out the Chargers backfield. Just as Danny Woodhead starts pouring it on, in steps the presumably injured Ryan Mathews. One of these two will have a big game in a cream puff matchup against the 28th ranked Jags rush D. Personally, I'm rolling the dice on Woodhead........... Although Buffalo is prone to giving up yardage on the ground, they've only surrendered two touchdowns to running backs. I'm benching Lamar Miller this week.......... The only players locked into my lineup from the Chiefs vs Texans game are running backs Arian Foster and Jamaal Charles. Yes, that does include sitting Andre Johnson......... Vegas has set the over/under on the 9ers vs. Titans at a league low 40 points. Not a lot of passing going on in the Music City as Vernon Davis and Frank Gore are the only lineup locks, while Colin Kaepernick is riding the pine.......... Jordy Nelson going up against Joe Haden. Although impossible to sit, temper your expectations on him and Aaron Rodgers (we should note Jermicheal Finley actually gains value)........... Twice a year the Ravens and the Steelers collide leaving fantasy owners in their wake. This week the only players we can begrudgingly start are Torrey Smith, Antonio Brown and Ray Rice, while Le'Veon Bell is more of a bye week replacement. Trust Your Gut Last but not least, trust your gut. No one knows your team better than you. On Saturday night the NFL lost one of the great characters of the game as coach Bum Phillips passed away. My favorite Phillips quote came when it was rumored Earl Campbell couldn't run a mile. When asked by a reporter Phillips responded; "when it's third and a mile, we won't give him the ball." God bless Bum Phillips. Good luck and we'll see you on the flip side.