Jay Cutler, Matt Schaub and Matt Cassel are on the shelf for a while and their replacements are rather ... uh ... uninspiring. Caleb Hanie will step in while Cutler tries to recover from hand surgery and will take the reigns of an offense that is largely dependent on the legs and hands of Matt Forte. Hanie will likely be asked to not lose the game more than he is expected to win the game. This approach does not translate well for fantasy football relevance. Verdict: Instant mashed potatoes. Easily found, not quite the real thing and painfully plain. Discard immediately while you can still tell what they are. The last time Matt Leinart faced off with the Jacksonville Jaguars, he completed half of his passes. Well, he only attempted six passes and those three completions only went for 22 yards. The now 28-year old Leinart has reportedly matured, meaning that he will likely spend the weekend prepping for the Jaguars rather than checking out the Black Friday deals on hot tubs. I can appreciate his newfound commitment to his career, but the fact is that Leinart lacks the talent to carry a team. Expect more than six pass attempts, but the Texans know that their only hope to cling on to the division lead lies with Arian Foster, Ben Tate and the running game. Verdict: Another helping of instant mashed potatoes here. The only thing that can make leftover instant mashed potatoes stomachable is to douse them with gravy. Andre Johnson is likely to return this week, and if he is able to return at full strength his talent will give Leinart a reliable target. Be careful though, and know your potatoes from your gravy. Tyler Palko, last year's leftover fruit cake and Kyle Orton's neckbeard ... three things that will never find themselves in high demand. If you find yourself dependent on Palko or Orton to carry your team you probably will want to get to the front of the line and ask Santa for a new quarterback now. By now, Kevin Smith and the Detroit Lions have already faced off with the Green Bay Packers. We should have a much better idea of how much of Smith's Week 11 heroics were him and how much were the Panthers' porous run defense. Verdict: The thing about sweet potatoes is, well, they aren't actually potatoes; they are actually a root. Is Smith the real thing? He is running with a renewed passion and appreciation for the game that he didn't have before. Some weeks he will likely be a great big, plain, root bound to the confines of his limited talent,...

THE STORY: The Houston Texans begin life with a new quarterback and will try for their first five-game winning streak in team history when they visit the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday. Quarterback Matt Schaub is out for the season with a foot injury and Houston will turn to Matt Leinart, who hasn't started since 2009 and hasn't started consecutive games since 2007. Leinart will be aided by the return of All-Pro wide receiver Andre Johnson, who missed the last six games with a hamstring injury, and a defense at or near the top of the NFL in every major statistical category. The Texans had last week off after their 37-9 rout at Tampa Bay on Nov. 13. Jacksonville lost 14-10 at Cleveland last week and is four games behind Houston in the AFC South. The Texans, who have lost four straight at Jacksonville, are off to their best 10-game start in franchise history.

The Houston Texans have placed quarterback Matt Schaub on season-ending injured reserve.

The bye weeks are done, but so are several players due to injury. If you're still alive at this stage of the fantasy season, it's no time to take your foot off the gas. While some players may struggle in attempting to fill the shoes of an injured starter, others will be up for the task. Choose wisely my friends, as mistakes at this stage of the season could cost you dearly. I utilize statistical analysis combined with over 15 years of fantasy football experience to give you an inside look of how players will perform on a week-to-week basis. The Studs list will be updated on a regular basis as players emerge and injuries occur, but be patient with those players listed early in the season. They were ranked and selected high in your draft for a reason. When using this list, try and remember a couple basic rules: 1) Studs - Always play your studs. Each position will include a list of players that are considered studs and should not be benched. If you have the luxury of needing to decide between studs, check out the matchups or feel free to let the shark tank assist you in your decisions. 2) Depth - Every fantasy team is different and some have more depth than others. Only follow the recommended moves if your team depth allows you to make such a move. Quarterbacks Studs Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay at Detroit Tom Brady, New England at Philadelphia Drew Brees, New Orleans vs. N.Y. Giants Cam Newton, Carolina at Indianapolis Matthew Stafford, Detroit vs. Green Bay Eli Manning, N.Y. Giants at New Orleans Tony Romo, Dallas vs. Miami Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh at Kansas City Philip Rivers, San Diego vs. Denver Michael Vick, Philadelphia vs. New England *Questionable: Ribs* Start Matt Ryan, Atlanta vs. Minnesota: Ryan has surpassed 300 yards passing in each of the past two weeks totaling 3 TDs and 1 INT. This week, Ryan has another solid matchup against a Vikings' pass defense that is ranked 28th in passing yards allowed including a league-worst 19 passing TDs. Ryan and the Atlanta passing attack will be soaring to the top of the stat boards this week with a very favorable matchup. Carson Palmer, Oakland vs. Chicago: While Palmer didn't do much last week (164 yards passing, 1 TD) against Minnesota, it was more a result of the glowing success of the running game rather than a deficiency in the passing game. Look for Palmer's numbers numbers to improve against the Bears this week who have allowed an average of 270.7 ...

Houston Texans quarterback Matt Schaub will see a specialist Tuesday to determine if his foot injury is season-ending.

Audibles Week 11 - The Thin Quarterback Waiver Wire Matt Schaub was looking as if he would reach the next plateau this season. Matt Cassel was having a mixed bag of results this season. Two players heading different directions ending with a glaring similarity. It's funny how quickly your season can end. For some of you in a non-keeper league, it's a quick dump to the scrap heap and a new pickup. If you find yourself in the unique situation of needing a quarterback, the wire is awfully thin. Hopefully you don't need to start one of these guys every week, but value exists in spot starts. Let's look at the candidates: Tyler Palko, Kansas City Palko is an undrafted signal caller who has bounced from NFL practice squad, to out of football, on to the UFL, and then back to the CFL practice squad. He was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers to their practice squad after Charlie Batch and Ben Roethlisberger were hurt and promoted to backup on the active squad behind Dennis Dixon for a single game before being released a month later in 2009. He was signed to a future contract in March of 2010 by Kansas City. Does this remind you of a certain bag boy that went on to win the Super Bowl after being cut and playing arena football? Great story, but there's only room for one of those. Palko is a liability at the very best, clinging to the last rung of a broken ladder. Advice: Take a pass and pick up the defense opposing him (New England Patriots). He is a very low-end quarterback overshadowed by more risk than reward. Matt Moore, Miami A week or so back, Moore was a topic of discussion after a solid game against Kansas City. Since then he struggled against Washington, a game in which he couldn't find the end zone. This week he faces a Buffalo team that ranks 20th in points given up to quarterbacks (17.56). He is a decent high-risk/reward play for those of you with bye week and or injury needs. Temper your expectations as Buffalo ranks 29th in points given up to running backs, which favors the run over pass. I suspect the Miami game plan will be to hand the ball off. I can't help but wonder if Buffalo jumps out to an early lead here and forces Miami to throw the ball. You could do a lot worse than Moore. He is averaging 193 yards per game, but has thrown an average of just .66 touchdowns per game. This week's matchup looks like he finds Marshall in the end zone to me. Advice: Desperate play but one that has upside if Buffalo gets on the board early. John Skelton, Arizona ...

Last week we talked about Stretch Run Saviors, players that owners can count on to produce in the final month of the season. Think of this article as a companion piece to Stretch Run Saviors, except going in the opposite direction. I've put together a list of players that owners should think twice about trusting in the crucial final month of the season and the fantasy playoffs. Many of these players were top draft picks and owners don't really have the option to bench them. Still, if you're in a league where the trading deadline hasn't passed yet, you might want to seriously consider trading a number of these fantasy football studs. Andre Johnson I consider Andre Johnson the poster child of this article. AJ owners have been through a lot this season. They've been lied to multiple times by Texans' coach Gary Kubiak, who made AJ's hamstring injury seem a lot less serious initially than his now six week injury really was. All signs are pointing towards AJ finally returning to action next weekend against the Jacksonville Jaguars. This was supposed to be a hopeful week for AJ owners but with the devastating news of the Texans probably losing Matt Schaub for the season, the quarterback downgrade to Matt Leinart definitely hurts Johnson's value. What may hurt AJ's value the most though is his too easy schedule going forward. Let's take a look at the Texans' schedule for the rest of the season, particularly the fantasy playoffs, Week 14-16. In the fantasy playoffs the Texans play the Bengals, Panthers and Colts. I'll give you that the Bengals matchup is good because the Bengals have a solid run defense and the Texans will have to pass to win the game. On the other hand, AJ's two matchups with the Panthers and Colts should be massive red flags for owners. Both teams have two of the worst run defenses in the NFL and it's easy to see the Texans building a huge lead in those games and running Arian Foster, Ben Tate and even Derrick Ward down those team's throats. Why would the Texans need to pass it to AJ, if they're up by 200 points? With AJ probably returning in Week 11 and trading deadlines approaching, owners should strongly consider trading Johnson before it's too late. AJ might have a few good games between now and the fantasy playoffs but his outlook in the final weeks of the season, when owners need him the most, does not look promising. Roddy White I think it's time for Roddy White owners to accept some 'Tough Love' and some 'Real Talk'. Through 10 ...

The bye weeks are back for one last hurrah to cause you lineup headaches. With several big name players either sitting this one out on a bye or suffering an injury, you may need to dig a little deeper to find the right mix of players this week. Several quarterback changes are in play this week, which has an effect on the receivers and tight ends as well as the running backs. Be sure to get all the facts before clicking the submit button. I utilize statistical analysis combined with more than 15 years of fantasy football experience to give you an inside look of how players will perform on a week-to-week basis. The Studs list will be updated on a regular basis as players emerge and injuries occur, but be patient. When using this list, try and remember a couple basic rules: 1) Studs - Always play your studs. Each position will include a list of players that are considered studs and should not be benched. If you have the luxury of needing to decide between studs, check out the matchups or feel free to let the shark tank assist you in your decisions. 2) Depth - Every fantasy team is different and some have more depth than others. Only follow the recommended moves if your team depth allows you to make such a move. Quarterbacks Bye Weeks: Curtis Painter, Drew Brees, Ben Roethlisberger, Matt Schaub Studs Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay vs. Tampa Bay Tom Brady, New England vs. Kansas City Cam Newton, Carolina at Detroit Eli Manning, N.Y. Giants vs. Philadelphia Matthew Stafford, Detroit vs. Carolina Tony Romo, Dallas at Washington Philip Rivers, San Diego at Chicago Michael Vick, Philadelphia at N.Y. Giants Start Josh Freeman, Tampa Bay at Green Bay: First the bad news. Freeman threw for less than 200 yards last week including one touchdown to three interceptions against the Houston Texans. This happened two other times this season, and in those games he's also thrown a total of four interceptions and no touchdowns. Now the good news. In the previous two times he threw for less than 200 yards, he responded the next game with at least 287 yards passing with a total of three touchdowns to no interceptions. With the Packers on the schedule and the fact that they allow an average of 284.3 yards passing (31st in the NFL), odds are good that Freeman has nice stats at the end of the day regardless of the outcome of the game. Don't shy away from Freeman this week despite what you saw Green Bay do to Minnesota on Monday night. Carson ...

The Houston Texans remain in wait-and-see mode on whether quarterback Matt Schaub's season is over.

Carson Palmer thinks it's 2006. On Thursday night, Palmer threw just 20 times, but completed 14 passes for 299 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He had zip on longer throws and threw a few nice deep balls. The Raiders are still a running team, but Palmer gives them enough of a passing threat to keep defenses honest. Palmer appears to be figuring out the offense, and is starting to look comfortable with his receivers. He is a viable backup. Harry Douglas is a receiver to keep an eye on for the Falcons. Douglas broke onto the scene on Sunday with eight catches (on 14 targets) for 133 yards. Douglas was a third round pick in 2008, but has had ongoing health issues that have kept him from reaching his potential. For the time being, he's healthy, and with Julio Jones slowed by nagging injuries, Douglas becomes someone to target on this week's waiver wire. Laurent Robinson should be owned in every league. Robinson had been productive enough to warrant a roster spot in most leagues even when Miles Austin was healthy. With Austin now nursing a hamstring injury, Robinson stepped up into a starting role. On Sunday, Robinson caught just three balls, but racked up 73 yards and two scores. With Austin set to miss a few more weeks, Robinson becomes someone that should be owned in every league, as his production down the stretch might take owners to the playoffs. Indianapolis Colts are barely ownable, let alone startable. It really is sad to watch. Reggie Wayne, Dallas Clark, and Joseph Addai have all been relegated to borderline waiver wire fodder. I drafted Wayne in the third round of a 12-team league this year, and have only started him once. The Kerry Collins/Curtis Painter experiment has been a debacle. It all goes to prove just how valuable Peyton Manning is to the Colts, and with his future in doubt, who knows what will go down? They'll most likely look to Andrew Luck and rebuild. John Skelton is good for Larry Fitzgerald. Who would have thought that?! Skelton was a poor fantasy starter last season, but as a backup for Kevin Kolb, Skelton has actually been pretty good. Against the Rams last week, he posted 222 yards and a score. Against a "better" defense in Philadelphia, he put up 315 yards and three scores. He has a better grasp of the offense and its personnel, and he also appears to just be better than Kolb right now. Larry Fitzgerald seems to be ok with Skelton, as he pulled down 146 yards and a pair of touchdowns. If Kolb sits again, Skelton will have a ...