BY JEFF THITOFF

I actually uttered the following words on Monday night: “I’m glad it’s just a concussion and something more serious.” I was referring to Brian Westbrook – a key player on my most important fantasy team.

As I was in my car listening to the Eagles-Redskins game on the radio, the announcers uttered phrases like:

“Westbrook isn’t getting up and it appears to be serious.”

“Both teams are taking a knee and Westbrook doesn’t appear to be moving.”

Whenever Westbrook goes down, initial fears are about his knees and ankles. The league in which I own him has been in existence for 20 years, and winning a title in it is a big deal. It has all the elements you need for a successful league. It’s got a detailed history, passionate and knowledgable owners and friendly trash talk.

Winning that league is so paramount that, in that moment, I actually expressed relief that it was “just a concussion” for Westbrook.

In the more intense leagues, players are de-humanized when injuries happen. Every injury that cripples one team can be a huge advantage for another.

Westbrook out? LeSean McCoy owners rejoice. Leon Washington done for the year? Good news for Thomas Jones and Shonn Greene. Chris Cooley breaks his ankle? Good news for those that get Fred Davis on waivers.

If it were one of my friends? I’d rather have them tear an ACL instead of getting a bruised brain. For my fantasy team? A different desire…

On to a few guys we like more and a few guys we like less, courtesy of Adam Helbling:

GUYS WE LIKE MORE

Mike Bell was just depth during the pre-season. He was just a fill-in when Pierre Thomas was out early in the season with an injury. When Thomas came back, Bell was second fiddle in a RBBC. This week, with the game on the line, Mike Bell was getting the bulk of the work. If this trend continues, you should feel pretty smart if you held on to Bell.

He won’t play the Raiders every week, but with 144 yards rushing and two touchdowns last week Shonn Greene showed why he was a deep sleeper entering the season. Entering last week Leon Washington was being utilized in 16 plays per game. The majority of those plays will now go to Greene with Washington out for the season with a fractured tibia and fibula.

Playing the Cleveland Browns will do a lot to help your stats and it did wonders for Ryan Grant. His numbers last week were certainly encouraging, but what was more encouraging was to see how committed Mike McCarthy was to establishing the running game especially when it wasn’t clicking early.

GUYS WE LIKE LESS

Jerry Jones said that Tashard Choice would get an increased workload this week. It made perfect sense with both Marion Barber and Felix Jones not at 100 percent. Choice finished last week with one reception and zero carries. We like Jerry Jones less as a guy for inside info and Choice isn’t even worthy of a roster spot.

Jay Cutler’s gunslinger attitude is capable of putting up big points for fantasy owners. However, when your best wide receiver is a converted kick returner it tends to lead to more mistakes than points. Cutler’s three interceptions last week was his fourth game with at least two turnovers and he only has one three hundred yard passing game this year.

Over the first five weeks of the season Eli Manning was making a strong case to be considered as a must start at the quarterback position. With the Giants finally playing teams with winning records, the Giants are finding out just how much they are going to miss Plaxico Burress and Manning is back to being a nice bye-week and situational start.