FANTASY FOOTBALL NFL PLAYERS

Posted: 11/6/2009 6:44pm et

Detroit Lions RB Kevin Smith (shoulder) was limited in practice Friday, Nov. 6, and is questionable for Week 9.

The Huddle Take: If Smith can't go, Maurice Morris will get most of the carries against his old team, Seattle. He would only be worth a Fantasy start as a last-ditch choice, however, because the Seahawks are normally a very tough defense at home.

Posted: 11/5/2009 3:07pm et

The Detroit Free Press reports Detroit Lions RB Kevin Smith (shoulder) participated in practice Thursday, Nov. 5.

The Huddle Take: Smith should be fine, but he has a tough road matchup against Seattle. You'd be well-advised to consider another option at running back this week.

Posted: 11/2/2009 11:47am et

Tom Kowalski, of Mlive.com, reports Detroit Lions RB Kevin Smith suffered a shoulder injury in Week 8 and did not return. However, head coach Jim Schwartz said Smith could have returned if necessary.

The Huddle Take: Yeah, Smith could have returned if, like, the Lions were in danger of losing the game or something. Maurice Morris played well in place of Smith and would be in line to handle any work should Smith's shoulder injury linger.

Posted: 10/13/2009 8:53pm et

The Detroit News reports Detroit Lions RB Kevin Smith said he is stronger than he was last year but needs to work on breaking more tackles. 'It's been frustrating to know that I'm stronger this year, but a lot of it has to do with technique. I'm doing a better job of getting low in holes, but now it's time for it to come together, and it will,' Smith said.

The Huddle Take: Kevin Smith, surprisingly, hasn't had a terrible year so far, though his actual rushing numbers are fairly low. He does most of his damage receiving, but seems to be working hard to fix the problem, and with the direction the team seems to be going, they plan to help him, obviously sticking with the running game in most games even if it doesn't seem to be going well.

Posted: 10/6/2009 1:18pm et

The Detroit Free Press reports Detroit Lions head coach Jim Schwartz said he was not happy with the team's running game in Week 4, particularly in the second half, when the Chicago Bears focused more on stopping deep passes by playing Cover 2. RB Kevin Smith gained just 16 yards on seven carries in the second half after only gaining 14 yards on 12 carries in the first half. 'What happened at halftime,' Schwartz said, 'is they went in and they started playing a significant amount of Cover Two to say, 'Hey, we've got to put the fire out on the outside part of the field.' In that circumstance we need our run game to be able to take over. We didn't get that accomplished. That's the thing that was disappointing.'

The Huddle Take: It's too early to tell if Schwartz will cut back his use of Smith in favor of Maurice Morris, but it's not out of the realm of possibility. Smith should probably stay on your bench this week anyway, since the Lions play the Steelers.

Posted: 10/5/2009 6:34pm et

The Detroit Free Press reports Detroit Lions head coach Jim Schwartz said RB Kevin Smith (shoulder) is considered day-to-day.

The Huddle Take: Like Johnson, Smith will likely give it a go against the Steelers. But whatever struggles the Pittsburgh defense may be having against the pass, it's still extremely tough against the run. Ask LaDainian Tomlinson about that.

Posted: 10/2/2009 2:22pm et

MLive.com reports Detroit Lions RB Kevin Smith (shoulder) participated in practice Friday, Oct. 2, and said he will play in the team's Week 4 game. Head coach Jim Schwartz has said Smith will be a game-time decision.

The Huddle Take: The player's saying one thing, the coach another. We'll side with the coach on that one and recommend you be very careful before committing to Smith in your lineup this week.

Posted: 10/1/2009 11:40pm et

The Detroit Free Press, reports Detroit Lions RB Kevin Smith (shoulder) was limited during practice Thursday, Oct. 1. He is expected to play in Week 4.

The Huddle Take: With Smith likely to play but still battling a shoulder injury, the Lions will likely utilize Maurice Morris to provide a change of pace this week. Both running backs are likely to be involved with neither one expected to post huge fantasy numbers in Week 4. Temper your expectations on any Lions running back this week.

Posted: 10/1/2009 1:04pm et

MLive.com reports Detroit Lions RB Kevin Smith (shoulder) participated in practice Thursday, Oct. 1. The Lions were not in full pads during practice. The Lions are expected to watch Smith through the end of the week of practice.

The Huddle Take: Smith has scored once and averaged about 70 yards in three games this season. He would probably be a No. 2 Fantasy RB at best this week if he plays against Chicago.

Posted: 9/28/2009 11:56am et

The Associated Press reports Detroit Lions RB Kevin Smith (shoulder) had 16 carries for 101 yards and three receptions for 18 receiving yards Week 3. He was forced to leave after injuring his right shoulder.

The Huddle Take: Had a great game going until the injury. He'll be re-evaluated on Monday to determine the severity of the shoulder injury. If he misses any time look for veteran backup Maurice Morris to carry the load in a likely committee backfield.