Carolina Panthers

NFL Quick Hits: Will Browns be facing Roethlisberger?

Published Nov. 13, 2015 6:04 a.m. ET

John Halpin

Since Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger sprained his left foot in Sunday's game against the Raiders, the conventional wisdom has been that he'd miss Week 10, rest through the bye and return healthy for Week 12. Simple, right?

Roethlisberger doesn't seem to like that plan. He practiced on Thursday and Friday - albeit in a limited fashion - is listed as questionable, and hopes to play Sunday against the Browns. Big Ben will wear protective insoles in his left shoe, and admitted that if he can't step into his throws, "there's no reason to be out there."

According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, head coach Mike Tomlin is leaving the door only "slightly ajar" for Roethlisberger to play. If Roethlisberger is able to return against the Joe Haden-less Browns, he'll be a top-10 fantasy QB option, as usual.

One more note: Gerry Dulac of the Post-Gazette tweeted this on Friday afternoon. Ugh.

In other news ...

Bears WR Alshon Jeffery missed Thursday's practice after injuring his groin on Wednesday. Head coach John Fox called Jeffery "day to day," but he's never helpful with this kind of stuff. Stay tuned.

Broncos WR Emmanuel Sanders didn't practice Wednesday or Thursday due to an ankle injury. According to head coach Gary Kubiak, "There's concern. But, I think he'll get there. My gut is he'll get there." There's a coach that tells us what he's thinking. See how easy that was, John Fox?

All the usual fantasy suspects (except for maybe Sammy Watkins) produced in Thursday night's game. Also, OMG the world is ending because teams wore monochromatic uniforms! Stop whining, everyone. Please.

Raiders RB Latavius Murray (concussion) practiced in a limited role on Thursday, and is tracking toward activation against the Vikings.

The Jaguars think WR Allen Hurns will play despite a foot injury that has kept him from practicing this week. The team's website notes that Bryan Walters will get busier if Hurns is out.

The Rams signed WR Wes Welker earlier this week, but he's not a lock to play on Sunday. According to the St. Louis Post Dispatch, the team sees Welker as a chain-mover. I see him as someone who wasn't in the league for nine weeks until one of 32 teams decided it was desperate enough to sign him. Let's all hope Welker doesn't get hurt again.

Titans backfield news: Dexter McCluster (ankle) might not play against the Panthers, but rookie David Cobb is expected to make his debut. You'll probably want to see something from Cobb before starting him in a fantasy situation, especially since Antonio Andrews (45 carries, 209 yards in his last three games) has been playing well. I think I've received more Cobb questions than Christine Michael questions this week, and that's saying something.

It sounds like Johnny Manziel will start again in place of Josh McCown (ribs) for the Browns this week, and that makes the Steelers DST a prime streaming option. One beat writer thinks the Browns should move on from Manziel after this season.

Lions OC Jim Bob Cooter says that RB Ameer Abdullah's "role will be growing." Cooter might just mean a bigger role than Abdullah's one-carry game in Week 8, so don't get too excited yet. If you must own a Lions' back this week, it's probably Joique Bell.

The Cardinals don't seem to think Seahawks CB Richard Sherman will shadow anyone on Sunday night. Honestly, I can't figure out which Cardinal wideout will produce, and my gut says to fade all of them.

Bucs WR Vincent Jackson (knee) didn't practice on Thursday, and headed toward another missed game. TE Austin Seferian-Jenkins (shoulder) was again limited, and after incorrectly predicting his return for the last two weeks, I'll believe it when I see it. I'd be happy to play ASJ if he's active.

DFS notes (salaries from DraftKings): Blake Bortles ($5,600) and Kirk Cousins ($5,200) are my favorite QB buys of the week ... LeGarrette Blount, Darren McFadden and James Starks all check in at $4,900, and I'd be OK using any of them (in that order) ... If I pay up for one player, it'll be DeAndre Hopkins ($8,700), but that will switch to Antonio Brown ($8,800) if Roethlisberger plays ... Stefon Diggs is underpriced at $5,100 vs. the Raiders. He didn't do much in Week 9, but averaged 21.5 DK points in his previous four games ... Jags WR Allen Robinson ($6,700) should feast on the Ravens' defense. I'll have a hard time keeping him out of lineups ... Same with Jordan Reed ($4,600), who should rack up points the Saints. If you're looking to stack, Bortles/A-Rob sounds great in cash games, with Cousins/Reed being an interesting tournament option ... The Steelers DST ($3,000) is a nice option against Johnny Football.

Need help over the weekend? Find us on Twitter (@jhalpin37, @FOXSportsFowler, @FOXSportsMeyer, @FOXSportsFoster), check out our Week 10 rankings and come to our chat on Sunday from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. ET (I'll have the 11 o'clock hour). We'll have your questions covered, but can't stress enough that waiting until 15 minutes before kickoff is a bad plan.

Good luck this week!