Three and out: Palmer to start for Raiders

NFL.com Staff | Tags: Three and out, Carson Palmer, Cleveland Browns, Indianapolis Colts, Joseph Addai, Oakland Raiders, Peyton Hillis

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Palmer taking first team reps: Barely 24 hours since joining the Silver and Black, Carson Palmer has already assumed the duties of Oakland’s starting quarterback and all indications are that he will be the man under center on Sunday against Kansas City. The Chiefs have been rather generous to fantasy quarterbacks this year, allowing more than 18 points per contest. But keep in mind that Palmer hasn’t thrown a pass in anger in more than nine months, so you can expect a reasonable amount of rust.

But it’s not all bad for the Raiders’ offense. After all, there’s still Darren McFadden, who is not only one of the league’s top runners, but has proven himself to be a capable receiver out of the backfield. And you shouldn’t be afraid to throw Darrius Heyward-Bey in your lineup. Palmer undoubtedly recognizes who his playmakers are and combined with K.C.’s horrid secondary, DHB should see a number of tosses in his direction.

Hillis still uncertain vs. Seattle: The weekly status of Peyton Hillis is quickly climbing the charts as 2011's Greatest Fantasy Headaches. Pardon us if you’ve heard this song before, but coach Pat Shurmur says Hillis isn’t a sure thing for this week’s game against Seattle. The hamstring that might (or might not) have been the reason for his extended stay on the bench last week kept him off the practice field on Wednesday. If he doesn’t go, it will be another week of Montario Hardesty. Even if Hillis is available, recent weeks have shown that he’s no lock to get most of the carries. Either way, the Seahawks have been pretty stout against the run, so you might want to skip a Browns running back altogether.

Addai misses practice: The status of Joseph Addai remains up in the air after sitting out practice with a tender hamstring. With Addai out last week, Delone Carter and Donald Brown split carries. And although neither did particularly well, keep in mind that it was against the very stout Bengals defense. Then again, Indy lines up against the Saints this week and New Orleans has been even tougher on fantasy running backs. If you’re desperately in need of a bye-week replacement at running back, Carter’s worth a flex look. But overall, you are better served by looking elsewhere.

– Marcas Grant

Posted in: Fantasy  

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