What About Westy?

Brian Westbrook owners know that every year their man is going get dinged up and probably miss a game or two. But having the one of the most productive RB's in the league is almost always worth the risk. This week presents a unique challenge. There are currently conflicting reports that Westbrook will almost certainly be inactive this week and that he has said he will play. Normal protocol in these situations is to have a backup ready to deploy when a final decision is made during pre-game warmups. Unfortunately, Philadelphia plays on Sunday night. So unless you're already holding Matt Forte on your bench, any backup options will have played by Sunday evening.

So let me draw your attention to one Rashard Mendenhall. The rookie RB will get his first start on Monday night and at 59% owned in Yahoo! public leagues, there is a chance you may be able to snag him as a Westbrook safety net. Granted, Mendenhall has not looked particularly impressive in his limited number of carries. And Baltimore is a tough defense. But he does offer a legitimate starter alternative that will allow you to wait and see on Westbrook.

If Mendenhall has already been claimed in your league and you still want to give Westbrook the benefit of the doubt, McGahee is questionable at the moment, as is Le'Ron McClain. So the 16% owned Ray Rice may also be an alternative.

Bottom line, if you have a solid starter to play in place of Westbrook in an early Sunday game, do it. But if you're thin on bench options in this first bye week. Consider Mendenhall or Rice as hedges on Westbrook's playing status.

Westbrook Apologizes

If you owned Brian Westbrook last season, you probably made your league playoffs. Between his awesome rushing numbers, and the fact that "Westy" is also the Eagle's best receiver, he's a one-man offensive unit. However, there was an incident during week 15 last year that shocked even the most devout Westbrook owner. In the closing minutes of their game at Dallas, Westbrook ripped off what should have been a tasty touchdown run. But in a move that showed remarkable heads-up football insight and utter disdain for fantasy owners, Westbrook sat down on the one, denying the Dallas offense another chance to take the field.

For those that didn't own Westbrook (or managed to pull out a in without the additional TD), Westbrook added "certified football genius" and "ultimate team player," to his credentials. But to owners who lost by a TD margin that week, Westbrook had committed the ultimate football sin (check out the titles on the YouTube video above. There are some very fragile fantasy owners out there).

Today on ESPN, Westbrook actually apologized to fantasy owners for last year's transgression:

I really couldn't care less whether Westbrook actually feels bad for letting down fantasy owners last year. Probably not. What is important here is that more premier NFL players are developing an appreciation for fantasy football, and the interest it brings to the game. Even more interesting is that more and more NFL players are actually fantasy owners themselves. For ethical reasons, most NFL players try not to own themselves. Maybe they should. Think about the incentive to achieve when there's fantasy pride on the line, not just a playoff spot.