FANTASY FOOTBALL NFL PLAYERS

Posted: 12/18/2008 11:43pm et

Pittsburgh Steelers RB Willie Parker returned to the team?s practice Thursday, Dec. 18, and he will play in Week 16.

The Huddle Take: Parker continues to play but has not been running as strong of late due to his injury problems this season. If your fantasy team is in the championship of your league this week then you should more than likely look for better options than Parker can give you as the Steelers battle the Titans in Week 16.

Posted: 12/11/2008 4:34pm et

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports Pittsburgh Steelers RB Willie Parker said the team has gone away from their traditional running game in favor of more passing. 'I just don't think we should give up that quick. We're the Pittsburgh Steelers, everyone knows we're going to run the ball -- or they used to think we'd run the ball. We pass the ball a lot now. We go away from Steelers football, Steelers mentality,' Parker said.

The Huddle Take: Funny how guys start complaining about the system when they're numbers are down, and Parker's have cratered this season. Somebody needs to remind him the Steelers have somehow managed to go 10-3 without having their usual monster running game. If the opportunities are there, they'll run when necessary. Parker sounds like he's more concerned with his own numbers than the team's success.

Posted: 12/5/2008 4:12pm et

Pittsburgh Steelers RB Willie Parker (knee, shoulder) fully participated in practice Friday, Dec. 5. He is expected to play in the team's Week 14 game.

The Huddle Take: Parker will play, but he'll also likely continue sharing carries with Mewelde Moore for the foreseeable future.

Posted: 12/4/2008 10:46pm et

Pittsburgh Steelers RB Willie Parker (knee, shoulder) practiced Thursday, Dec. 4, and he is expected to play in Week 14.

The Huddle Take: Parker continues to battle through injuries this season and will likely give way to Mewelde Moore once again in Week 14 for the majority of the carries. Fantasy owners playing in the playoffs during Week 14 should temper their expectations of Parker especially if you own another quality running back that is healthy and has a decent matchup.

Posted: 12/2/2008 1:31pm et

Pittsburgh Steelers RB Willie Parker (knee, shoulder) is expected to play in Week 14. Head coach Mike Tomlin said the knee is not 100 percent, 'but the knee is not an issue. This is December football.'

The Huddle Take: Parker should be good to go to play against Dallas, but he'll probably still split a significant amount of carries with Mewelde Moore.

Posted: 11/29/2008 8:15am et

Pittsburgh Steelers RB Willie Parker (knee) practiced Thursday, Nov. 28, and he is questionable for Week 13. He will be a game-time decision for the game.

The Huddle Take: Parker continues to struggle to regain his health and will likely have problems producing solid numbers after re-injuring his knee in Week 12. He may see some action on the field against the Patriots but he will also give way to Mewelde Moore who has looked good in his absence this year.

Posted: 11/27/2008 12:02am et

Pittsburgh Steelers RB Willie Parker (knee) did not participate in practice Wednesday, Nov. 26. He is considered questionable for the team's Week 13 game.

The Huddle Take: Parker just has not been the same consistent runner since going down with a season-ending injury last year but has looked good at times this year for Pittsburgh. With Mewelde Moore running strong and Parker hurting, fantasy owners should consider looking at someone other than "fast Willie" until he gets a full week of practice in with the team.

Posted: 11/25/2008 1:15pm et

Pittsburgh Steelers RB Willie Parker (knee) is questionable for the team's Week 13 game.

The Huddle Take: Mewelde Moore will, at the very least, likely get significant playing time once again against New England as the team continues its cautious approach with Parker, who tweaked his knee against the Bengals.

Posted: 11/21/2008 12:24pm et

The Associated Press reports Pittsburgh Steelers RB Willie Parker (knee) aggravated a knee injury in the team's Week 12 game after being held to 37 yards on 14 carries.

The Huddle Take: Mewelde Moore and Gary Russell finished off the Bengals with Parker out. No word yet on Willie's status going forward, but seeing as he's missed roughly half the season to date with lingering injuries stashing Moore on your roster would certainly be a prudent move.

Posted: 11/18/2008 3:10pm et

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports Pittsburgh Steelers RB Willie Parker said he wants to see the team run the ball more like they did a few seasons ago and not throw the ball as much.

The Huddle Take: Ben Roethlisberger owners with Parker hadn't have said that, because the quarterback is in line for a big game against the Bengals if the Steelers air it out. But coaches tend to listen when players like Parker speak, so don't be surprised if Pittsburgh keeps it on the ground more this week.