by Mike Harmon

Raise your coffee cups or beverage of choice to your fantasy brethren as we embark on another fabulous campaign.

Fantasy owners are breathing a sigh of relief after receiving encouraging news about a host of fantasy starters. Tom Brady and Peyton Manning are set and ready to take on the Chiefs and Bears, respectively. Ryan Grant missed Friday's practice as a precaution because of a lingering hamstring injury, although the team still expects him to shoulder a heavy load against the Vikings. I'm still not convinced that he accomplishes much in the game, but at least he's set to play.

I return to Indianapolis for a quick second, as news has come across the wire from The Indianapolis Star that longtime fantasy hero Marvin Harrison was absent from the injury report. Harrison will look to rediscover his pre-2007 magic with Manning. How far did Harrison fall in your draft?

Anyway, I'm scanning the remainder of the league injury notes to provide you with the fantasy impact to help clarify cloudy situations and allay any fears caused by cryptic text alerts. The list will undoubtedly shift between now and the kickoffs of Sunday morning, so Roger Rotter, John Juhasz and I will be working tirelessly through the weekend to get you the final news and notes as you begin your mission of fantasy dominance. Catch me on the airwaves from 10am ET-12pm ET (7 a.m. PT - 9 a.m. PT) on FOX Sports Radio while Roger answers your questions in the fantasy section.

I truly appreciate you joining me for the ride.

Let's start in Jacksonville, where the Jaguars seek to unseat the Colts in the AFC South.

The Jacksonville Times reports receiver and red zone monster Reggie Williams spent Wednesday's practice on a stationary bike, but later returned to the squad to close the practice week. Meanwhile, teammate Jerry Porter, who had missed extensive time because of a hamstring injury of his own, returned to practice Wednesday, but was then unavailable to the squad for most of Thursday and Friday.

Impact: Porter has now been ruled out, while Williams is set to try and play. This is sure to be a hard-fought smash-mouth type of game. I sit him down until he's proven healthy. It remains to be seen whether he can go through a full game of cuts and contact. I temper my expectations for tight end Marcedes Lewis because of Williams' return, but he's still a solid fantasy sleeper this week.

The Houston Chronicle says Texans tailback Ahman Green has fully participated in practice this week in advance of the Week 1 battle against Pittsburgh. Green reportedly ran well during drills, seemingly indicating that he's adequately recovered from his groin injury.

Impact: The lingering injury concern, and the fact that Green touched the ball just once this preseason, forces me to leave him on the bench, even if he's declared the starter. Gary Kubiak advised reporters that he expects Green to field 12-15 touches. We'll certainly see a committee approach, with both Chris Taylor and Steve Slaton factoring into the mix. If forced to pick a player from this rotation, I'm rolling with dark horse sleeper candidate Slaton in the Flex slot. Slaton has been battling a toe injury this week, but he's slated to be part of the committee.

Updating a previous report, Javon Walker ran well and demonstrated a good first step off of the line of scrimmage during Saturday's workout and will start Monday's opener against the division rival Broncos. Walker has been slowed by a hamstring injury during the practice week and his availability had fallen into serious doubt.

Impact: I'm sitting down the Oakland wide receivers against the strong cornerback play of the Broncos. I don't see JaMarcus Russell finding much success on the edges. With that said, are we sure that Walker will be able to complete the contest? Look for the running game to be front and center (start Darren McFadden and Justin Fargas) with Zach Miller seeing a ton of work over the middle.

Deuce McAllister is listed as "questionable" on the Saints' injury report, but he's been practicing at full speed all week. McAllister told "The Times Picayune" that he's ready to take on as much of a workload as necessary, but Sean Payton told reporters that McAllister and several other injured Saints could still be deactivated for the opener against the Buccaneers. Impact: McAllister will be a game-time decision, and I could see using him in a Flex slot if he gets the go-ahead from Payton following warm-ups. However, McAllister's deactivation would open the door for super sleeper pick Pierre Thomas to make some noise. Keep it locked onto FOXSports.com for all of the latest information regarding McAllister's status.

The Charlotte Observer reports Matt Moore's original bone bruise diagnosis has been updated to reflect a fractured fibula. Moore was throwing on Wednesday when he felt a pop in the original area. He's expected to miss 4-6 weeks at a minimum.

Impact: The acquisition of Josh McCown gives the Panthers a veteran option should an injury befall Jake Delhomme while Moore, who played well in spurts last season, recovers from the injury. There's no immediate change here save for the name on your watch list and a potential waiver option should Delhomme go down.

Jamal Lewis will be ready for Week 1. (Andy Lyons / Getty Images)

Also in Carolina, longtime fantasy sleeper D.J. Hackett returned to practice after missing several weeks with a toe injury. He's expected to see significant time alongside Muhsin Muhammad while the team plays out Steve Smith's suspension.

Impact: John Fox noted after Wednesday's practice that he doesn't anticipate Hackett's absence from the four preseason games would limit his contribution in Week 1 against San Diego. Hackett warrants consideration in deeper leagues as a solid second option for Delhomme.

The final story from Carolina concerns suspended receiver Steve Smith. Smith admitted that he'd sustained a shoulder injury during that 47-3 thrashing of the Redskins in the preseason. He told reporters that he'll be evaluated by several doctors to determine a course of action for after the 2008 season. Impact: There's no reason to panic just yet. Smith is on the shelf for the first two weeks following his Rashad Evans-like blow to Ken Lucas during training camp. As such, he'll get two weeks of rest without being tormented by Shawne Merriman and Brian Urlacher. I still expect Smith to finish the year as a top-10 receiver (provided Jake Delhomme stays on the field, of course).

I don't know that I'll ever get used to typing it, but Chad Ocho Cinco is set to start Week 1 against the hard-hitting Ravens. Ocho Cinco's appeared at practice this week and is confident he'll post numbers immediately.

Impact: The Ravens will likely play without Ed Reed, (neck/shoulder), whose absence would leave them susceptible to plays downfield. Additionally, Kelly Gregg is listed as "doubtful" with a knee injury. That shuffles the defensive line and could result in more time for Carson Palmer to operate. Of course, the Cincinnati offensive line has been less than inspiring. Regardless, play Ocho Cinco while you can in your No. 3 slot.

The Seattle Times reports Deion Branch appeared at practice in full uniform on Wednesday and completed the week by running several routes without pads in team drills. Mike Holmgren told reporters that Branch will not appear in Week 1. He's now just seven months removed from surgery to repair a torn ACL, so the fact that he's back on the field at all is amazing.

Impact: With Branch and Bobby Engram (shoulder) shelved with injuries, you're looking at Nate Burleson, John Carlson and Courtney Taylor as the top options for Matt Hasselbeck. Burleson will see a high target number against the Bills, although his ability to produce as a No. 1 receiver remains a huge question mark. Carlson's a nice sleeper candidate this weekend, while Taylor and my deep, deep sleeper, Jordan Kent, will make modest dents in the boxscore.

I would be remiss if I failed to mention that offensive tackle Sean Locklear is listed as "doubtful" because of a knee injury. Impact: The workload split in the backfield was already somewhat maddening (Maurice Morris, Julius Jones and T.J. Duckett at a minimum), so the loss of a starter on the line fails to reassure me of forthcoming success. Sit and watch. If your hand is forced, I believe Morris is the best play of the group. Mike Holmgren has put the "starter" tag on Morris, but we're not quite sure what that means other than he'll receive the first carry.

The Boston Globe reports that New England tight end Ben Watson was listed as doubtful because of a knee injury. Impact: The Patriots usually play games with the questionable tag on a weekly basis. By slapping a "doubtful" tag on Watson, I'm guessing that this red zone player won't be available on Sunday. That leaves third-year player David Thomas (12 catches in two seasons) to compete with Moss, Gaffney, Welker and assorted defensive linemen and linebackers for red zone looks. Wait for Watson to return.

The Cleveland Plain Dealer advises that tailback Jamal Lewis continues to be bothered by a hamstring injury and now stands as a game-time decision for Romeo Crennel. Lewis moved well in limited work earlier in the practice week, but was a non-factor during Friday's workout. Impact: I change my stance on this play. Earlier in the week it appeared that the Browns were merely being cautious, but the beat writers in Cleveland point out that Romeo Crennel appeared resigned that Lewis would be unavailable for Sunday against Dallas. "That's what they've been preparing to do," Crennel said. "We've said all along that Jamal is a different kind of player that we're dealing with, and those guys, they're not to Jamal's level. We understand that, but they do bring something to the table and they'll help this team. He was speaking, of course, about the tandem of Jason Wright (Go Cats!) and Jerome Harrison, who offer the thunder/lightning approach in Lewis's absence. You can hold out hope that Lewis plays, but since this injury has been lingering for several weeks, shut him down and move on to another option. Neither Wright nor Harrison warrants a play in this committee situation.

Also in Cleveland, linebacker Antwan Peek was lost for the year on Wednesday with a ruptured patellar tendon. Shantee Orr was re-signed by the squad and will split time with rookie Alex Hall.

Impact: There's absolutely no rational being who would be tempted to start the Browns this weekend. Even the most ardent Browns supporters couldn't be swayed (unless you have a scoring system that makes Josh Cribbs, who is also a game-time decision, a fantasy legend in terms of return yardage).

The Dallas Morning News advises that Terence Newman will not start Sunday's opener against Cleveland with a groin injury. Newman is listed as "questionable" on the injury report and may be available on obvious passing downs. Impact: Fantasy owners holding onto Braylon Edwards are salivating at this news, as rusty cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones will be forced into the starting lineup. Jones has been torched constantly by Terrell Owens and Patrick Crayton in camp, so he's still got some catching up to do. He'll need a big effort by the defensive line to help contain the talented Cleveland wideout. The loss of Newman opens holes in the secondary and makes you feel slightly better in hitting the toggle switch for Derek Anderson.

Alex Smith of the 49ers showed up as "doubtful" for the Week 1 game against Arizona with pain in his repaired shoulder, per The San Francisco Chronicle . Mike Nolan told reporters that it was a "non-contact" injury and that Smith will be consulting his surgeon this week. You guessed it. We've kicked off exactly one game and Dr. James Andrews already has one less appointment slot available this week. Impact: Smith was listed as the No. 2 QB on the San Francisco depth chart, and it's entirely possible that Shaun Hill would have leaped over him if J.T. O'Sullivan were to be injured. There's nothing to see here.

The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that receiver Reggie Brown missed his second straight practice because of a hamstring injury and has been downgraded to "doubtful" for Sunday against St. Louis. Impact: The Eagles will now run without the top two players on the depth chart (Kevin Curtis is shelved following surgery to repair a sports hernia), meaning that rookie DeSean Jackson and L.J. Smith will stand front and center. Jackson was one of the best stories of the preseason, taking full advantage of his opportunity to work with the No. 1 unit and Donovan McNabb. Slide Jackson into your No. 3 WR slot this weekend and load up Smith as a sleeper tight end option.

Keep it locked onto the pages of FOXSports.com for all of the breaking news and injury updates as we countdown to the glory of fantasy football 2008. You can seek lineup advice from Roger Rotter in his running Q&A on FOXSports.com or dial us at the "FOX Fantasy Freaks" with your roster quandaries.

Game on!