Injuries are a part of fantasy football. Every year big names go down and fantasy owners that aren’t prepared are left without options.  Don’t wait until your star goes down and risk losing out on his replacement in a waiver wire scramble. Whether than waste a roster spot on a backup defense or kicker, you should add some depth and grab the insurance policy at its cheapest cost. Here are some of the running back handcuff options to consider:

Michael Bush (OAK) – Even with Darren McFadden breaking out last season and staying healthy, Bush still proved to be a nice fantasy commodity by scoring eight times.

Rashad Jennings (JAC) – Maurice Jones-Drew has already had to deal with knee issues this year. When given the chance Jennings has shown flashes of producing.

Thomas Jones (KC) – A handcuff that actually got more carries last year than the team’s top option, Jamal Charles. Jones rushed for 896 yards a year ago.

Ben Tate (HOU) – There’s no telling what Arian Foster’s stats would’ve been last year had Tate’s rookie season not ended due to injury in training camp.

Javon Ringer/Jamie Harper (TEN) – With Chris Johnson still holding out and no end currently in sight both of these backs are in line for touches.

Isaac Redman (PIT) – Mendenhall’s tendency to fumble and durability questions makes Redman an appealing option to any fantasy team’s bench.

Toby Gerhart (MIN) – With Adrian Peterson expecting to play on even more downs in the year ahead, Gerhart is only useful as a handcuff option.

Chester Taylor (CHI) – He’s a nice handcuff to Matt Forte and has a nice role in the Bear’s passing game giving his PPR value a hike.

Anthony Dixon (SF) – He failed to impress me when given the chance down the stretch last year with Frank Gore out.

Carnell Williams (STL) – It’s hard to say what Williams has left in the tank, but if Steven Jackson falls his stock will definitely climb.

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A week after he was released by the Jets, running back Thomas Jones signed a two-year deal worth $5 million and incentives with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Jones, who is coming off a career season in which he had 1,402 yards and 14 touchdowns, is expected to take over short-yardage duties and provide a nice change of pace to the team’s emerging young runner, Jamal Charles.

Expect to still see Charles be the team’s primary threat out of the backfield, but the arrival of Jones could prevent him from having the breakout season in 2010 that many experts were expecting.

From a fantasy perspective, Charles now slides into more of RB2 option worthy of a second or third-round pick with his value rising a bit in PPR formats. Jones is still a solid option in TD-heavy formats and should provide nice depth for owners when taken into mid-to-late rounds.

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JONES SET TO BE RELEASED
In a move that comes as no surprise, the New York Jets will release veteran running back Thomas Jones on Friday. Jones was due a $2 million roster bonus and with Shonn Greene waiting in the wings the soon-to-be 32-year old became expendable...MORE

MCNABB ON THE MOVE?
Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb has the topic of plenty of off-season trade rumors. The latest has the veteran signal caller landing in St. Louis. According St. Louis Post-Dispatch columnist Bryan Burwell, the Rams have had "intense internal conversations" about a possible trade for McNabb…MORE

BOLDIN OFFICIALLY ON MARKET
Arizona Cardinals’ general manager Rod Graves has confirmed that the team is listening to all offers for disgruntled wide receiver Anquan Boldin. Though nothing appears imminent, the former Pro Bowl wideout could be shopped around heavily between now and April’s draft…MORE

MANNING EYEING RECORD DEAL
Colts’ quarterback Peyton Manning is nearing the final year of his deal and Yahoo.com speculates that as the team works towards a new deal this off-season that the future Hall of Famer could command $25 to $30 million per season…MORE

RYAN-THOMAS REUNION?
If the New England Patriots decide to cut outside linebacker Adalius Thomas, then he probably won't have to wait long to find employment. A call to his previous defensive coordinator should be all it takes. He spent seven years with the Baltimore Ravens and played under Rex Ryan, now the New York Jets' head coach…MORE

PLENTY OF INTEREST IN DANSBY
There are reportedly over a dozen teams that could be interested in pursuing Cardinals’ pending free-agent linebacker Karlos Dansby. The Giants, Redskins, Bears and Dolphins are among the teams showing interest, according to the Palm Beach Post…MORE

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The following running backs will be 29 or older to start the season. Youth is a factor in long-term fantasy football performance. Older players are less valuable than normal in keeper and dynasty leagues. Older players with more than 200 rushing attempts last year could be at a higher risk for injury.   

Ladell Betts - WAS
Correll Buckhalter - DEN
Justin Fargas - OAK
Kevin Faulk - NE
Earnest Graham - TB    
Larry Johnson - KC
Thomas Jones - NYJ
Lamont Jordan - DEN
Jamal Lewis - CLE
Maurice Morris - DET
Sammy Morris    NE
Dominic Rhodes    BUF
Chester Taylor - MIN
Fred Taylor - NE
Ladainian Tomlinson - SD
Derrick Ward - TB
Brian Westbrook - PHI
Ricky Williams - MIA

COMPLETE LIST

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With the rosters filling up quickly, when you get to Round Five anything can happen. Here's a GSI Mock Draft update:

RECAPS: Round One | Round Two | Round Three | Round Four

ROUND FIVE
49. HUMBERT - TE D. Clark (IND)
50. FISCHER - WR V. Jackson (SD)
51. CLASGENS - WR B. Berrian (MIN)
52. ANSELMO - RB L. White (TEN)
53. MURDICO - RB T. Jones (NYJ)
54. SIMS - WR D. Jackson (PHI)
55. SCHMITT - TE T. Gonzalez (ATL)
56. WETZEL - TE A. Gates (SD)
57. BRYANT - QB T. Romo (DAL)
58. DINSMORE - QB C. Palmer (CIN)
59. SIMON - RB L. Johnson (KC)
60. BROERING - RB D. McFadden (OAK)

POSITION BREAKDOWN: RB (4), TE (2), WR (3), QB (2),

MY PICK: For the first time in the draft I was burned messing around. I opted to snag Reggie Bush in the end of Round Four with the thought that either Vincent Jackson or Dallas Clark would be there this time around.  You must be able to adjust on the fly. I changed directions and went with Bernard Berrian. The Vikings top wideout isn't consistent enough to be considered as a WR1 in fantasy, but he is capable of delivering big time numbers in any given week. His value would have gone up had Brett Favre opted to come back and was healthy enough to the win the job in Minnesota. Still he cracks my top 20 wideouts in my rankings.

BEST VALUE PICK: Carson Palmer is a low-risk high-reward player entering this season. He is coming off a major elbow injury, but looks to be at 100 percent. The Bengals have the weapons at wideout, even with T.J. Houshmandzadeh leaving for Seattle in free agecy, for Palmer to return to being a solid fantasy starter. The key will be whether or not the Bengals' makeshift offense line keep him upright.

MOST LIKELY TO DISAPPOINT: I have ripped Thomas Jones enough earlier on this blog, but at this point I can live with his selection.  Honesttly, there really isn't a player on the board right now that I am not good with in Round Five. Tony Gonzalez is a likely candidate for a slow start though as he moves from Kansas City to Atlanta.

FINAL TAKE: Overall a good round. When you get to this point of the draft you need to fill needs, but you also need to try to forecast the runs. Know what positions that the owners that draft after you and then before you again (with snake draft) need and already have. The round was the most balanced yet, but will set up some different strategies for owners down the stretch.

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Thomas Jones proved to be a steal last year, coming up with big numbers after a disappointing 2007 campaign. He finished with 1,312 rushing yards and a career-high 13 touchdowns.

That will likely cause some owners to make a stab for Jones as early as Round Two come draft day, but don't be that person!

Here are a variety of factors that tell me you are better off let someone else taking the veteran at that point:

AGE - He will be 31 years old this season and that is age where running backs typically begin to see a significant dip in their production.

QB SITUATION – Say what you want to about Brett Favre, but his presence in the pocket forced opponents to respect the pass. That helped open up running lanes for Jones to go through. With Kellen Clemens and rookie Mark Sanchez likely to battle for snaps, look for defenses to stack the box.

COMPETITION FOR CARRIES – Leon Washington was already a factor last year as a change-of-pace back and will get an increased look this season. Also, the team invested a draft pick in Shonn Greene, who appears to be the running back of the future. Many expect Greene to get a crack at some goalline carries, which would obviously hurt Jones’ chances of approaching last year’s touchdown total.

CONTRACT ISSUES – Jones is in the final year of his contract and had threatened to hold out. The Jets could still trade him and even if the don’t, if the season were to slip away the team would definitely less likely to keep atop the depth chart as it is unlikely they will re-sign him.

NEW REGIME – Rex Ryan takes over for Eric Mangini as the team’s head coach. Though they both are defensive-minded, run-first coaches, expect some changes to take place.

***
TELLING STAT – When Brett Favre’s arm injury popped up down the stretch of the season and the team’s passing game went south, so too did Jones’ numbers. Over the team’s last four contests in ‘08, Jones mustered just 224 yards on 57 carries (3.9 ypc) and two scores. With the quarterback situation a big question for the Jets, it’s not too tough to imagine similar struggles to start this season for Jones.

***
FINAL TAKE – After totaling ripping Jones in this post, it’s hard for me to recommend him. However, I’m not applying he doesn’t have value. If he slides into Round Four and you already have a solid RB1, QB, and WR1 locked up, Jones may not be a bad option for a RB2 in deeper formats.

Even in Round Four as a RB2, I can still find a handful of other players with more upside that I would prefer. It doesn’t matter too much though as I don’t see him lasting that long in most drafts.

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Here's some notes on the Pro Bowl selections (from Rotoworld.com):

--The Jets led all teams with seven players (Brett Favre, Thomas Jones, Alan Faneca, Nick Mangold, Leon Washington, Kris Jenkins, Darrelle Revis). Favre makes it despite -- brace yourselves now -- leading the league with 17 picks.

--Giants' Kicker John Carney (44) is the oldest Pro Bowler ever.

--After sending eight players last year, only two New England Patriots made it (first-timers Wes Welker and Stephen Gostkowski).

--Tennessee's Chris Johnson was the only rookie selection.

--You may think Joey Porter is a mouthy knucklehead, but he and his AFC-leading 17.5 sacks deserved a spot, while Dolphins teammate…

--...Ronnie Brown simply didn't. 10 TDs (4 in that fluky 'Wildcat-gone-wild!' game) were nice, but he has only three 100-plus-yard games and only one other game topping even 70 yards. Steve Slaton, Marshawn Lynch and even LaDainian Tomlinson deserved it more.

--The Bengals, Jags, Rams and Lions had zero reps. Shocker.

--Notable snubs: Atlanta's John Abraham (3rd in sacks with 15), Philip Rivers (#1 in passer rating/tied for #1 with 28 TDs, and Cutler goes?), Matt Ryan (Eli?), DeAngelo Williams (1,229 yards/14 TDs and they choose Portis?), Calvin Johnson, Brandon Jacobs, Chad Pennington (The Matt Ryan of the AFC…c'mon, Favre?). And Dallas Clark should have edged Antonio Gates.

COMPLETE PRO BOWL ROSTERS

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Terrell Owens, WR, Dallas - 7 catches, 213 yards, 1 TD
After five consecutive games of posting under 40 yards receiving, T.O.  broke it open against his former team on Sunday. His yardage accounted for half of the Cowboy's total against the 49ers. Tony Romo threw for 341 yards and three touchdowns. The Cowboys are still in the playoff picture and their offense may finally be back to form.

Matt Cassel, QB, New England - 30/43, 415 yards, 3 TD, 1 Int, 1 Rush TD
No Patriot fan will ever forget Tom Brady but Cassel is doing his best to help them. For the second week in a row Brady's back-up topped the 400 mark in passing yards and the Pats totaled more than 500 yards of offense. Randy Moss took center stage with 125 yards and three scores. But Wes Welker was right there with him with 120 yards on eight catches. The team may still be struggling to run the ball but at this rate it may not matter.

Clinton Portis, RB, Washington - 29 carries, 143 yards
Portis reclaimed the lead for the leagues leading rusher with his performance against the Seahawks on Sunday. Unfortunately he was once again held out of the end zone. The Redskins stud has not scored in the last five games and has just seven touchdowns on the year. Ladell Betts did score from the one yard line for the team's only rushing touchdown of the day. Jason Cambell hooked up with Antwan Randle El for the teams other score.

Michael Turner, RB, Atlanta - 24 carries, 117 yards, 4 TD
The Falcons won a big divisional game thanks in large part to the big, strong, tree-trunk legs of Turner. With his performance on Sunday, Turner now has 13 touchdowns on the season including seven in the last three games. The Falcons put up 45 points versus the Panthers and are now very much in the thick of things in the NFC playoff race.

NY Jets Running Backs - 35 carries, 178 yards, 2 TD
The Jets pounded one of the toughest Defenses in the NFL on Sunday and pegged the Titans with their first loss of the season. Thomas Jones had the bulk of the carries, 27, but it was Leon Washington that scored twice including a 61 yard dash. Brett Favre also had a good performace, completing 25 of 32 passes for 224 yards and two scores. And, he only threw one interception. Not only did the Jets victory put Tennessee in the loss column for the first time it kept them in the lead in a tough AFC East.

Ed Reed, S, Baltimore - 2 Int, 1 TD
The Ravens did more than just take care of business on Sunday, they pounded a faltering Eagles team. Philly's only score came on a kick return as their offense was shut down by the Ravens. After throwing two interceptions and fumbling, Donovan McNabb was benched for Kevin Kolb. But it didn't matter to Baltimore as the defense continued to previal. The topper was a Reed interception that he returned 108 yards for a touchdown.

The Game Used Sock Award
Brady Quinn, QB, Cleveland - 8/18, 94 yards, 2 Int
It was only the third start in the career of the young Quinn, but that was all it took for his butt to find the bench. The Browns were not able to get things moving against a stout, no, actually, quite weak Houston defense. The good news for Quinn was that although he watched the end of the game from the sideline, Derek Anderson did not fare any better. But Anderson already has a couple of dirty socks in his drawer. Tonight Quinn gets one all to himself.

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Here is our Line-Up Locks for Week 12. Thursday's night match up will not be included. 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:
--Matt Cassel @ Mia
My take: 400+ yards last week. You probably had him on your bench. Don't make that mistake this week in a great match up.

--Aaron Rodgers @ NO
My take: This is a very sexy match up for the Packers QB who has been very consistent of late.

--Tony Romo vs. SF
My take: He looked a little rusty last week, but the Cowboys were playing a much better opponent last week. This week Romo and the Boys get healthy quickly versus a vulnerable 49ers defense.

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Adrian Peterson, RB, Minnesota - 30 carries, 192 yards, 1 TD, 3 catches, 33 yards
The Vikings running back entered the game against the Packers trailing Clinton Portis by 172 rushing yards for the league lead. He finished the day on top as the first back to reach 1,000 yards this season. Peterson's biggest carry was his last as he ran for 29 yards to score the game winning touchdown. The win puts the Vikings in a tie with Chicago for the NFC North title and puts Peterson in the race for league MVP.

Thomas Jones, RB, NY Jets - 26 carries, 149 yards, 3 TD
Jones and the Jets took advantage of a very bad St. Louis defense on Sunday by scoring 40 points in the first half. Brett Favre did not need to do much with Jones' performance and threw for just 167 yards with a touchdown and no (that's right, zero) interceptions. Dustin Keller caught 107 yards on six passes and scored the touchdown. But the day truly belonged to Jones who now has nine touchdowns this season after scoring just once all of last year.

Marques Colston, WR, New Orleans - 7 catches, 140 yards
If you look just at the numbers then it would appear that if any member of the Saints got a game ball it would be Drew Brees. He threw for 422 yards and two scores. But he also had three interceptions and one of his touchdowns was a 32 yard 'Hail Mary' at the end of the game. Sure, it counts for a good fantasy score but New Orleans still got spanked by the Falcons and Brees should get his share of the blame. Regardless, it was nice to see Colston have a big game.

Maurice Jones-Drew, RB, Jacksonville - 11 carries, 70 yards, 3 TD
After a couple of bad weeks the Jaguars finally put together their 'A' game to beat the Lions. Of course most teams don't need their 'A' to beat the Detroit but after losses to the Bengals and Browns, Jacksonville fans were really starting to worry. Nonetheless MJD made the most of his opportunities against a weak defense. Fred Taylor out-ran Jones-Drew by ten yards but never found the end-zone. David Garrard also had a good game with 238 passing yards and two scores.

Benjarvus Green-Ellis, RB, New England - 26 carries, 105 yards, 1 TD
The biggest surprise here isn't so much that Green-Ellis had a good game - he's a talented back. The real shock is that a single running back for the Patriots was actually given the ball 26 times. I haven't had time to do the full research, but it looks like the most carries for any one back this year was 16 by Sammy Morris. I don't think anyone carried the ball more than 26 times for the Pats since Corey Dillon. Times may be changing in New England without Tom Brady and BGE looks like the real thing. But don't be surprised if next week he's one of three guys who gets the ball eight times.

Reggie Wayne, WR, Indianapolis - 6 catches, 114 yards, 1 TD
In one play against the Steelers, Wayne matched his receiving total from last week. In this one game he nearly matches his total from the previous three. To say that Wayne and the Colts offense has been struggling is an understatement. But they may just be getting started with a big win in the Steel City. Peyton Manning threw for 240 yards and three touchdowns without an interception. Seven different receivers caught a pass and three different guys scored. The running game did not do much but few have been able to get very far against the Steelers. The Colts aren't going to win their division but they are getting on track for the Wild Card. Look out.

Tyler Thigpen, QB, Kansas City - 27/41, 266 yards, 3 TD
So the Chiefs have only one win on the season - don't blame Tyler Thigpen. In his last three starts the young QB has thrown for 710 yards with six touchdowns and no interceptions. On Sunday against the Chargers he drove his team in the fourth quarter only to lose the game on a missed 2-point conversion. He hooked up with Tony Gonzalez 10 times for 110 yards and two of those scores. Third year wide receiver Mark Bradley had the other score and finished with 81 yards on nine catches. If the Chiefs actually had a running back this team may be talking about a win streak instead of another close loss.

The Game Used Sock Award
Jake Delhomme, QB, Carolina - 7/27, 72 yards, 1 TD, 4 Int
If not for DeAngelo Williams the Panthers might have lost to the hapless Raiders on Sunday. Williams ran for 140 yards and a touchdown including a 69 yards run. He was the only offense. Delhomme did all he could to give away the game. Seriously, seven complete passes? Or, well, 11 if you count the picks. And his one touchdown was just a three yard pass to Muhsin Muhammad. Heck, that should have been a run by Williams! Sure, the Panthers still won the game and head back home leading the NFC South. But Delhomme should have to wear his rotten socks on the plane - and sit alone.

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