We near the halfway point in the NFL season and so very little is settled. The old adage that the cream rises to the top is apparent, and from a fantasy perspective, that is just as true. With that being said, here's this week's Game Balls.

QB
Matthew Stafford, DET, 352 yards passing, 3 passing TDs, 1 rushing TD - Well how do you do? Stafford finally puts up big numbers (remember, the cream rises to the top). This is the Stafford everyone enjoyed last year, and he did those stats with little to nothing (again) from Calvin Johnson. To me, this is a trend not a fluke, as Stafford is too good to underperform as he has. If you benched him, get him back in your lineup.

Blaine Gabbert, JAX, 303 yards passing, 1 TD - There were other QBs who put up better numbers, but since this was the rookie's first 300-yard passing game, he deserves his recognition here. Maybe not relying so heavily on Maurice Jones-Drew, who is injured, actually helps Gabbert's statistics.

Honorable mention: Tom Brady, 304 yards, 4 TDs - A jolly good performance from Brady in London. As expected.

RB
Doug Martin, TB, 135 rushing yards, 1 TD, 79 receiving yards, 1 TD: And there's the highly drafted rookie's coming out party. Martin was doing okay up until this week. But his owners had been waiting for a true breakout game, and they got it Thursday night. Martin is fully entrenched in the Tampa offense and is now borderline start-every-week type of RB.

Willis McGahee, DEN, 122 rushing yards, 1 TD: On Sunday night, McGahee exerted his will and showed that the Broncos are a balanced attack. With Peyton looking more and more like Peyton, McGahee will likely have looser defenses to face. Expect more of these type of performances from McGahee.

Honorable mentione: Steven Ridley, NE, 127 yards, 1 TD: Ridley is quietly a fantasy star. He consistently puts up solid fantasy numbers for the Patriots.

WR
Titus Young, DET, 9 catches, 100 yards, 2 TDs: I had been touting Young all year, and now the Lions have finally discovered another receiver other than Calvin Johnson. In fact, with Megatron's struggles, Young is stepping up his game, finally.

Julio Jones, ATL, 5 catches, 123 yards, 1 TD: This just in, Julio Jones is pretty good. The only problem with the Falcons offense is that there are so many weapons, that you just don't know who's going to step up. This week was Jones' turn.

Honorable mention: Denarius Moore, OAK, 5 catches, 96 yards, TD - Moore is making his case as a WR1 in most fantasy formats.

TE
Jason Witten, DAL, 18 catches, 167 yards - The only thing negative you can say about Witten is that he didn't score this week. Otherwise, in a PPR format league, Witten was an absolute beast.

Rob Gronkowski, NE, 8 catches, 146 yards, 2 TDs - I never condoned taking Graham as early as he was being drafted. But those who invested in Gronk are seeing their dividends pay off week after week. Wow, that's all you can say about the New England tight end.

Honorable mention: Heath Miller, PIT, 4 catches, 46 yards, 1 TD: Miller is quietly becoming a must-start tight end in all leagues.

GAME-USED SOCK AWARD
Eli Manning, NYG, 192 yards, 0 TDs, 1 INT - No one has been bigger fan of Eli than me. I still consider him an elite fantasy quarterback, but this week, against the Cowboys, Eli floundered. His owners suffered this week, and may have taken a loss as a result. So, for that Ei, here's a game used sock, worn by a large offensive lineman.

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INSIDE THE NUMBERS
Tight end Jason Witten has registered 940 yards or more receiving in five straight seasons and six of the last eight years. In 2011, he turned out a career-best 11.9 yards per catch and had 15 receptions of 20 or more yards. His numbers last season were diminished by the ailing wide receiving corps, but Witten still managed 79 receptions. It marked the fifth straight season he’s caught at least 75 balls. Touchdowns continue to be his biggest problem though as he’s scored five or less times in five of the past six seasons and has only eclipsed six TD’s once in his career.

SCHEDULE
They open up against the defending champs, the New York Giants, in the first of five nationally televised games. The bye week comes early (Week 5) so owners of Cowboys’ players will need to plan accordingly. The schedule’s most brutal stretch comes following the break with four of five games on the road at Baltimore, Carolina, Atlanta, and Philadelphia on tap and rematch at home with the Giants sandwiched in between.  Tough defenses loom in Weeks 14-15 with games at Cincinnati and at home vs. Pittsburgh followed by a Week 16 showdown with the Saints.

STUD
While he’s not a Tier 1 option as a fantasy QB Tony Romo is more than capable of carrying fantasy teams. After missing significant time in 2010 due to a broken collarbone Romo returned to start 16 games for the Cowboys in 2011 and broke the 4000-yard passing mark for the third time in his career and surpassed 30 TD passes for the second time as a pro. He finished particularly strong, throwing 24 touchdowns over the team’s final 11 games and only five interceptions. Romo is a great grab in Round 5 or Round 6 for owners that opt to not take a QB in the first few rounds.

DUD
After missing 16 games through his first four seasons, Felix Jones gave way to DeMarco Murray in 2011. Jones managed just one touchdown in 12 games last season and has made just nine trips to the end zone since breaking into the league in 2008. A season removed for having 233 touches for 1,250 total yards, Jones experienced a decline in both areas last year, finishing with 160 touches for 796 total yards. He’s still worth a look in the mid-to-late rounds as bench fodder and a great handcuff option for Murray owners.

SLEEPER
DeMarco Murray emerged from third on the depth chart to the starting running back for the Cowboys and was well on pace for 1,000 yards before suffering a season-ending ankle injury. He turned in an eye-popping performance against the lowly Rams’ defense, rushing 25 times for 253 yards and a touchdown and produced double-digit fantasy points in four of five outings during his run as the starter last year. Murray is a capable receiver out of the backfield which makes him even more valuable in PPR formats. Durability concerns keep from being a stellar fantasy RB1 option, but the upside is there for him to be a top producer that could slip into Round 3 or later on draft day.

NEW ADDITIONS
Jerry Jones had no problems shelling out the cash and taking some chances to improve a weak secondary this offseason. The Cowboys followed up the free agent signing free agent Brandon Carr by moving up in a trade with the Rams to draft Morris Claiborne with the sixth overall pick in April’s draft. Carr, a fifth round pick by Kansas City in 2008, is a diamond in the rough and a major upgrade. He’s a physical player that has the size to keep up in the NFC East. Claiborne promises to make an immediate impact as a rookie. Both players are viable IDP options and make the Cowboys ST/Defense a better fantasy commodity as well.

POSITION BATTLE
Though both Miles Austin and Dez Bryant are capable of putting up big numbers this season, the battle is one to see which players emerges as the Cowboys’ top wide receiver. Austin missed six games last year due to nagging hamstring issues which resulted into him yielding the worst numbers of his career. Bryant also battled the injury bug during his sophomore campaign of 2011, but he did prove to be a bit more consistent throughout the year. Entering his third season, Bryant figures to be on the rise and is poised for his first 1000-yard and double-digit TD season. Neither player is a great WR1 option, but both make great No. 2 fantasy wideout selections.

BENCH BUILDER
After scoring 11 touchdowns for Dallas last year Laurent Robinson fled for Jacksonville and a big payday via free agency. That leaves a big hole as the team’s WR3 spot is up for grabs. Entering training camp Andre Holmes is slated in the spot. He will need to hold off Kevin Ogletree, but if Holmes emerges he will see plenty of snaps in Dallas’ high-octane passing attack. He spent his rookie season on 2011 on the practice squad. Holmes will need to prove something during the preseason before he’ll warrant a late-round pick, but he could quickly become a hot commodity on the waiver wire if things continue to develop.

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QB Game Ball – Michael Vick, PHI – 21/35 for 242 PaYd, 3 PaTD’s; 130 RuYd, 1 RuTD
Vick continued to make his case for the MVP of fantasy football with an amazing comeback effort against the Giants in Week 15. Just when owners thought their top weapon was going to be contained, Vick exploded propelling many to their championship games.

QB Honorable Mention – Rex Grossman, WAS – 25/43 for 322 PaYd, 4 PaTD’s, 1 INT (Not many started him, but most wish they would have).

RB Game Ball – Ray Rice, BAL – 31 carries for 151 RuYd, 1 RuTD; 5 receptions, 80 ReYd, ReTD
After disappointing owners for most of the year, Rice delivered when it counted the most as he ran all over the Saints. Hopefully those that were counting on him were still alive to reap the rewards.

RB Honorable Mention – Jamal Charles, KC – 11 carries for 126 yards, RuTD; 3 receptions for 27 yards (Averaged 11.5 yards per carry. Just think what he would do with more touches).

WR Game Ball – Vincent Jackson, SD – 5 catches for 112 yards, 3 ReTD’s
With Antonio Gates and Malcom Floyd out, Jackson stole the show for the Chargers by pulling in three scores in Thursday night’s win over the 49ers.  The owners that stashed him away earlier in the year, finally had their rainy day come to them in Week 15.

WR Honorable Mention – Mario Manningham, NYG – 8 receptions for 112 yards, 3 ReTD’s (The Giants loss their game, but most of Manningham’s owners did not).

TE Game Ball – Jason Witten, DAL – 10 receptions for 140 ReYd, TD
Witten is hoping that Tony Romo never comes back. He continues to be the top target of backup Jon Kitna and with injuries to many of the other elite fantasy players at the position is likely to finish the season as fantasy’s top tight end.

TE Honorable Mention – Aaron Hernandez, NE – 4 receptions for 31 ReYd, 2 ReTD’s (It was Hernandez’s week to get the red zone looks from Brady. You just never know when they are going to come).

GAME-USED SOCK AWARD
Deion Branch, NE – 2 receptions for 33 yards, 0 TD’s
So many owners were drinking the cool aid on Branch, but facing a tough Green Bay defense was more than the veteran could handle this week.  He provided a quick reminder that he shouldn’t be considered anything more than a high-end WR3.

Stinky Sock Honorable Mention – Knowshon Moreno, DEN – 4 carries for 5 RuYd, 0 RuTD’s (He didn’t even muster a single point in most formats during semi-final weekend).

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QB Game Ball – Matt Schaub, Houston – 31/62 for 393 PaYd, 3 PaTD’s, 2 INT
Schaub finally delivered for fantasy owners that have waited all season by torching the Ravens down the stretch of Monday’s loss. We could’ve done without the two picks, but the Texans’ signal caller more than made up for it for the nearly 400 yards and three scores.

QB Honorable Mention – Alex Smith, San Francisco – 17/27 for 255 PaYd, 3 PaTD’s (very few owners out there had him in their lineups, but most wish they did).

RB Game Ball – Darren McFadden, Oakland – 123 RuYd, 3 receptions, 83 ReYd, 3 TD’s
What a day McFadden rewarded owners with during Week 14 in which he torched the Jags for over 200 total yards while finding the end zone three times. He remains a RB1 for any fantasy playoff push as the Raiders are determined to run the ball.

RB Honorable Mention – Michael Turner, Atlanta – 28 carries, 112 RuYd, 3 RuTD’s (The Falcons’ workhorse has three 100-yard games and six TD’s over last four weeks).

WR Game Ball – DeSean Jackson, Philadelphia – 4 receptions, 210 ReYd, 1 ReTD
Jackson remains fantasy football’s top playmaker broke out of his mini-slump in a big way, including the longest play of a season in the NFL, a 91-yard TD catch. He did it all despite tweaking his ankle during the game and missing some action.

WR Honorable Mention – Deion Branch, New England – 8 receptions, 151 ReYd, 1 ReTD (Branch defied odds and delivered huge effort despite terrible weather in Windy City).

TE Game Ball – Jason Witten, Dallas – 7 receptions, 69 ReYd, 2 ReTD
After missing in action for the past couple of weeks Witten was able to step up and score twice in Sunday night’s loss to the Eagles. He remains a top 5 option at the position on weekly basis, especially when you factor in all of the injuries at tight end.

TE Honorable Mention – Bo Scaife, Tennessee – 4 reception, 20 ReYd, 2 ReTD’s (scored two times for an offense that had gone 14 quarters without a touchdown).

GAME-USED SOCK AWARD
Adrian Peterson, RB, Minnesota – 14 carries, 26 RuYD, 0 receptions, 0 TD’s
The elite fantasy back was from elite in the opening week of the playoffs turning in his worst effort of the season. He mustered just 1.9 yards per carry as the Vikings struggled mightily versus a tenacious Giants’ D.

Stinky Sock Honorable Mention – Dwayne Bowe, WR, Kansas City – 1 reception, 3 ReYd, 0 ReYd (second straight dud week, though this time can be blamed partly on Brodie Croyle).

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The annual GSI Mock Draft is rolling right along. Don't miss our takes and explanations and offer your take too...

RECAPS: Round One | Round Two | Round Three

ROUND FOUR
37. BROERING - QB D. McNabb (PHI)
38. SIMON - WR B. Marshall (DEN)
39. DINSMORE - RB R. Brown (MIA)
40. BRYANT - WR W. Welker (NE)
41. WETZEL - QB A. Rodgers (GB)
42. SCHMITT - RB C. Benson (CIN)
43. SIMS - TE J. Witten (DAL)
44. MURDICO - WR R. Williams (DAL)
45. ANSELMO - RB K. Smith (DET)
46. CLASGENS - RB R. Bush (NO)
47. FISCHER - RB J. Stewart (CAR)
48. HUMBERT - QB P. Rivers (SD)

POSITION BREAKDOWN: RB (5), QB (3), WR (3), TE (1)

MY PICK: Like many others in the league, the time to get my RB2 came in Round 4. This league is not a PPR league, so Reggie Bush loses some of his luster. However, he is still a nice grab with the 46th overall pick and a steady RB2 option with upside. Injuries have been a problem, but he's worth the risk here. One look at his numbers through the first seven games (two rushing TD's, three receiving TD's, and 660 total yards) last season though so his potential to be a solid starting option.

BEST VALUE PICK: Aaron Rodgers will be valued much higher this season than last and rightfully so after he had 10 multiple-touchdown games in '08. I don't put him in the same ballpark as the top three quarterbacks, but he definitely is nice value 18 picks after Tom Brady went and 19 picks following Peyton Manning.

MOST LIKELY TO DISAPPOINT: Count me as somebody that is not buying into the Roy Williams being an automatic replacement for Terrell Owens in Dallas. Of the three receivers selected within this round, he by far has the best chance to be a bust. He had problems adjusting mid-season in Dallas and suffered a foot injury down the stretch. The potential is there, but at this point I can find somebody that had more than seven touchdown catches over the past two years.

FINAL TAKE: This round was predictable. We saw our first tight end go off the board in Jason Witten (nice pick), five teams go with RB2 and a few quarterbacks and wideouts. In general, waiting on quarterback didn't prove too badly for the three owners that took signal callers here.

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Here are some of the key injuries that fantasy owners need to be aware of from Sunday's action:

QUARTERBACKS
Daunte Culpepper, Detroit Lions - shoulder - Status unknown
Gus Frerotte, Minnesota Vikings - back - Left game on cart

RUNNING BACKS
Frank Gore, San Francisco 49ers - ankle - X-rays came back negative
Brandon Jacobs, New York Giants - knee - Appears to be alright
Peyton Hillis, Denver Broncos - hamstring - Out for season
Willis McGahee, Baltimore Ravens - shoulder - Left game and did not return
Ray Rice, Baltimore Ravens - leg - Left game and did not return

WIDE RECEIVERS
Brandon Stokley, Denver Broncos - ankle - Unclear on severity of injury
Kevin Curtis, Philadelphia Eagles - concussion - Did not return

TIGHT ENDS
Jason Witten, Dallas Cowboys - chest,ankle - Played through injuries

Fantasy Football daunte culpepper, gus frerotte, frank gore, brandon jacobs, peyton hillis, willis mcgahee, ray rice, brandon stokley, kevin curtis, jason witten

Here is our Line-Up Locks for Week 13. Three games on turkey day and they could all be turkeys, especially the afternoon games. This means that's there good match ups and good reason to watch football closely on Thanksgiving. Here's a quick look at those who has favorable matchups (LOCK IN) and those who deserve a spot on your bench this week (LOCK OUT):

QUARTERBACKS
Lock In:
--Tony Romo vs. Sea
My take: Romo will likely be munching on one of those freakish 8 leg turkeys Fox serves after the game. Romo will have a fantastic statline against a miserable Seahawk team.

--Brett Favre vs. Den
My take: The Jets are hot and are being led by Favre. Champ Bailey might play, but don't expect that to hinder Favre's numbers who will shred a terrible Bronco defense and connect for at least two TDs.

--Matt Ryan @ SD
My take: This just in, the Chargers cannot stop the pass. The strong Falcon's running game does hurt Ryan's statline, a little, but it also means less blitzing and more open receivers. Ryan will throw two TDs this week.

Lock Out:
--Matt Cassell vs. Pit
My take: Cassell has been an absolute stud the last two weeks. He makes for a tough choice of whether to start him or not, but this week it's such a tough match up that Cassell should take a seat on the bench this week.

--Donovan McNabb vs. Ari
My take: The late night Thanksgiving Day game could be a real turkey for the Eagles quarterback. He was benched last week after yet another terrible performance. He's desperate and angry and has an inept offense, that spells trouble.

--Tyler Thigpen @ Oak
My take: Thigpen has been pleasantly surprising, throwing for multiple TDs in multiple games. However, this week he goes against a very underrated Raider defense.


RUNNING BACKS
Lock In:
--Chris Johnson/Lendale White @ Det
My take: Football on Thanksgiving is a great tradition, but Titans versus the Lions is not good football, unless you own the Titan running backs. Lendale White only touched the ball three times in Sunday's loss, and he complained, look for the Titan TD machine to remedy the situation while Johnson will rack up the yardage.

--Ronnie Brown @ StL
My take: The Dolphins are still stinging from the beatdown the Patriots gave them. They will get well and Ronnie Brown will rack up the stats versus the Rams.

--Michael Turner @ SD
My take: Turner is a fantasy stud and has made the surprising Falcons a dangerous team. In this match up, you cannot sit Turner.

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Here are the some of the key injruies suffered during Week 12's action:

QUARTERBACKS
Jake Delhomme, Carolina Panther - elbow - Played through it
Brady Quinn, Cleveland Browns - finger - Not a factor
Marc Bulger, St. Louis Rams - head - Concussion

RUNNING BACKS
Ahman Green, Houston Texans - knee - Out at least 2 weeks
Correll Buckhalter, Philadelphia Eagles - knee - Status unknown
Willie Parker, Pittsburgh Steelers - knee - Tweaked

WIDE RECEIVERS
Plaxico Burress, New York Giants - hamstring - Did not return
Santonio Holmes, Pittsburgh Steelers - head - Concussion
Greg Camarillo, Miami Dolphins - knee - Out for the season

TIGHT ENDS
Jason Witten, Dallas Cowboys - rib - Returned to game

OFFENSIVE LINEMEN
Chris Long, Miami Dolphins - ankle - Returned to game

DEFENSIVE LINEMEN
Albert Haynesworth, Tennessee Titans - head - Status unknown

DEFENSIVE BACKS
Allen Rossum, San Francisco 49ers - ankle - Status unknown
Asante Samuel, Philadelphia Eagles - undisclosed - Status unknown
Nathan Vasher, Chicago Bears - leg - Status unknown
Mike Brown, Chicago Bears - leg - Status unknown

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Some of the key injuries from Sunday's NFL action:

RUNNING BACKS
Clinton Portis, Washington Redskins - undisclosed
Ahman Green, Houston Texans - leg

WIDE RECEIVERS
Josh Reed, Buffalo Bills - strained Achilles'

TIGHT ENDS
Jason Witten, Dallas Cowboys - ribs
L.J. Smith, Philadelphia Eagles - concussion

DEFENSIVE LINEMEN
Leonard Little, St. Louis Rams - hamstring
Jamaal Anderson, Atlanta Falcons - undisclosed

LINEBACKERS
Lofa Tatupu, Seattle Seahawks - groin

DEFENSIVE BACKS
Anthony Henry, Dallas Cowboys - quadriceps
Quentin Jammer, San Diego Chargers
Ellis Hobbs, New England Patriots - shoulder
Deltha O'Neal, New England Patriots - undisclosed

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Just as the trade deadline was nearing, the Dallas Cowboys acquired free-agent-to-be wide receiver Roy Williams from the Detroit Lions. In exchange for the talented Williams the Cowboys gave up their 1st, 3rd, and 5th round picks in next year's draft.

The Cowboys are also trying to negotitate a long-term deal with Williams before completing the deal, according to ESPN.com.

Dallas is playing without starting quarterback Tony Romo (finger) for upto 4 weeks, but the addition of Williams should provide a boost to the passing game.

Expect to see his presence to take a few targets away from Terrell Owens and Jason Witten, but their overall production should not be effected too much. The real loser in this trade is likely to be Patrick Crayton, who will fall into more a reserve role with Williams in the picture.

For the Lions, with Williams gone and Jon Kitna placed on the I.R. on Tuesday, the offense is facing an up-hill battle. Outside of Calvin Johnson it is hard to find any fantasy value to get excited about in the Motor City. 

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