The bye weeks are wreaking havoc on our lineups, but at least injuries shouldn't this week.

The most significant ailment is a knee injury that might sideline Lions receiver Calvin Johnson. In the playlist that follows, we're going with the assumption that Johnson will sit after missing practice all week. If he is active, start him, since the Lions should be doing plenty of passing at Lambeau Field.

-- Two more quick updates: Jets receiver Jerricho Cotchery likely will miss Sunday's game against the Bills because of a hamstring injury, and Cardinals receiver Steve Breaston has been limited by a knee injury but is expected to play.


Five to start

This week’s look at part-time starters and fantasy backups who should benefit from a favorable matchup:

-- Matt Hasselbeck, QB, Seahawks, vs. Cardinals: He threw for 241 yards and four touchdowns last week in his return from a rib injury, and he has seven touchdowns in two starts at home this season. The Cardinals' pass defense is the league's worst.

-- Carson Palmer, QB, Bengals, vs. Texans: He's been clutch in Cincinnati's 4-1 start, but with a 76.9 rating and only one more touchdown pass than interceptions thrown (7-6), he hasn't been much of a fantasy starter. That should change against the Texans.

-- Brian Westbrook, RB, Eagles, at Raiders: We've grown accustomed to him constantly being banged up, but we're not used to his lack of production. That should change this week against the Raiders, who rank 31st against the run and have given up seven TDs on the ground.

-- Braylon Edwards, WR, Jets, vs. Bills: As Browns fans know all too well, Edwards scored his first TD of the season on Monday night -- in his first game wearing the green and white. Expect another solid performance with Cotchery likely on the inactive list.

-- Santana Moss, WR, Redskins, vs. Chiefs: He's usually boom (10 catches for 178 yards and a TD in Week 3) or bust (11 catches for 159 yards and one TD in Washington's other four games). The Chiefs (No. 29 vs. the pass, 10 TD tosses allowed) should bring out the good Moss.

More matchups I like: David Garrard, QB, Jaguars, vs. Rams; Marshawn Lynch, RB, Bills, at Jets; Mike Sims-Walker, WR, Jaguars, vs. Rams; Nate Burleson, WR, Seahawks, vs. Cardinals; Kevin Walter, WR, Texans, at Bengals; Donnie Avery, WR, Rams, at Jaguars; Jeremy Maclin, WR, Eagles, at Raiders

Three (and a bonus Browns player) to sit

If you have a decent backup, these starters should take a seat for a week:

-- Eli Manning, QB, Giants, at Saints: It seems crazy to bench a quarterback who has thrown nine TD passes and only one interception in his last four games, but Manning is slightly hobbled by a foot injury and the Saints have 10 picks while allowing only three scoring passes. If you have two good quarterbacks, play the other.

-- Julius Jones, RB, Seahawks, vs. Cardinals: After scoring three touchdowns in the first three weeks, he has rushed for 59 yards and hasn't scored in Seattle's last two games. The latter trend shouldn't change vs. the league's top-ranked run defense.

-- Jamal Lewis, Mohamed Massaquoi and every other Browns player, at Steelers: Lewis was very good last week, and Massaquoi was a disappointment in his first game as the Browns' No. 1 receiver. Neither should be an option against Pittsburgh, which gets Troy Polamalu back for the first time in five games.

More matchups I don’t like: Drew Brees, QB, Saints, vs. Giants (but I still wouldn't bench him); Willis McGahee, RB, Ravens, at Vikings; LaDainian Tomlinson, RB, Chargers, vs. Broncos

Last week

On the start list, Rashard Mendenhall (77 yards rushing, one TD, two catches for 16 yards) was productive, Tim Hightower (17 yards rushing, one TD, five catches for 30 yards) was decent in PPR leagues, and MIke SIms-Walker was benched, reportedly for missing curfew on Friday night. The other two members of the quintet -- David Garrard (188 yards passing, zero TDs, zero picks) and Pierre Garcon (one catch for 9 yards) -- were duds.

The latter description could also be used for a sit list of Matt Ryan (329 yards, two TDs, one interception, one rushing TD), Cedric Benson (120 yards, one TD, two catches for 16 yards) and Eddie Royal (10 receptions for 90 yards).

Playlist

QUARTERBACKS
1. Aaron Rodgers, Packers, vs. Lions (No. 27 vs. the pass)
2. Tom Brady, Patriots, vs. Titans (No. 31)
3. Donovan McNabb, Eagles, at Raiders (No. 15)
4. Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers, vs. Browns (No. 14)
5. Drew Brees, Saints, vs. Giants (No. 1)
6. Kurt Warner, Cardinals, at Seahawks (No. 9)
7. Matt Schaub, Texans, at Bengals (No. 23)
8. Jay Cutler, Bears, at Falcons (No. 22)
9. Matt Ryan, Falcons, vs. Bears (No. 20)
10. Matt Hasselbeck, Seahawks, vs. Cardinals (No. 32)
11. Carson Palmer, Bengals, vs. Texans (No. 16)
12. Philip Rivers, Chargers, vs. Broncos (No. 5)
13. Eli Manning, Giants, at Saints (No. 11)
14. Kyle Orton, Broncos, at Chargers (No. 12)
15. Matt Cassel, Chiefs, at Redskins (No. 3)
16. David Garrard, Jaguars, vs. Rams (No. 25)
17. Joe Flacco, Ravens, at Vikings (No. 18)
18. Brett Favre, Vikings, vs. Ravens (No. 26)
19. Mark Sanchez, Jets, vs. Bills (No. 6)
20. Jason Campbell, Redskins, vs. Chiefs (No. 29)

RUNNING BACKS
1. Cedric Benson, Bengals, vs. Texans (No. 26 vs. the run)
2. Maurice Jones-Drew, Jaguars, vs. Rams (No. 23)
3. DeAngelo Williams, Panthers, at Buccaneers (No. 28)
4. Matt Forte, Bears, at Falcons (No. 24)
5. Knowshon Moreno, Broncos, at Chargers (No. 27)
6. Michael Turner, Falcons, vs. Bears (No. 9)
7. Adrian Peterson, Vikings, vs. Ravens (No. 4)
8. Chris Johnson, Titans, at Patriots (No. 11)
9. Pierre Thomas, Saints, vs. Giants (No. 15)
10. Rashard Mendenhall, Steelers, vs. Browns (No. 32)
11. Ryan Grant, Packers, vs. Lions (No. 21)
12. Brian Westbrook, Eagles, at Raiders (No. 31)
13. Clinton Portis, Redskins, vs. Chiefs (No. 25)
14. Steven Jackson, Rams, at Jaguars (No. 18)
15. Ray Rice, Ravens, at Vikings (No. 10)
16. Steve Slaton, Texans, at Bengals (No. 12)
17. Kevin Smith, Lions, at Packers (No. 20)
18. Brandon Jacobs, Giants, at Saints (No. 7)
19. LaDainian Tomlinson, Chargers, vs. Broncos (No. 6)
20. Marshawn Lynch, Bills, at Jets (No. 19)
21. Ahmad Bradshaw, Giants, at Saints (No. 7)
22. Sammy Morris, Patriots, vs. Titans (No. 3)
23. Tim Hightower, Cardinals, at Seahawks (No. 17)
24. Larry Johnson, Chiefs, at Redskins (No. 25)

WIDE RECEIVERS
1. Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals, at Seahawks (No. 9 vs. the pass)
2. Randy Moss, Patriots, vs. Titans (No. 31)
3. Greg Jennings, Packers, vs. Lions (No. 27)
4. Andre Johnson, Texans, at Bengals (No. 23)
5. Roddy White, Falcons, vs. Bears (No. 20)
6. Anquan Boldin, Cardinals, at Seahawks (No. 9)
7. Wes Welker, Patriots, vs. Titans (No. 31)
8. Brandon Marshall, Broncos, at Chargers (No. 12)
9. Steve Smith, Panthers, at Buccaneers (No. 21)
10. Hines Ward, Steelers, vs. Browns (No. 10)
11. Steve Smith, Giants, at Saints (No. 11)
12. Chad Ochocinco, Bengals, vs. Texans (No. 16)
13. Vincent Jackson, Chargers, vs. Broncos (No. 5)
14. T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Seahawks, vs. Cardinals (No. 32)
15. Donald Driver, Packers, vs. Lions (No. 27)
16. Marques Colston, Saints, vs. Giants (No. 1)
17. DeSean Jackson, Eagles, at Raiders (No. 15)
18. Nate Burleson, Seahawks, vs. Cardinals (No. 32)
19. Santonio Holmes, Steelers, vs. Browns (No. 10)
20. Dwayne Bowe, Chiefs, at Redskins (No. 3)
21. Mike Sims-Walker, Jaguars, vs. Rams (No. 25)
22. Santana Moss, Redskins, vs. Chiefs (No. 29)
23. Derrick Mason, Ravens, at Vikings (No. 18)
24. Braylon Edwards, Jets, vs. Bills (No. 6)
25. Mario Manningham, Giants, at Saints (No. 11)
26. Terrell Owens, Bills, at Jets (No. 8)
27. Eddie Royal, Broncos, at Chargers (No. 12)
28. Kevin Walter, Texans, at Bengals (No. 23)
29. Bernard Berrian, Vikings, vs. Ravens (No. 26)
30. Antonio Bryant, Buccaneers, vs. Panthers (No. 2)
31. Donnie Avery, Rams, at Jaguars (No. 25)
32. Jeremy Maclin, Eagles, at Raiders (No. 15)
33. Torry Holt, Jaguars, vs. Rams (No. 25)
34. Devin Hester, Bears, at Falcons (No. 22)
35. Steve Breaston, Cardinals, at Seahawks (No. 9)
36. Bryant Johnson, Lions, at Packers (No. 17)

MORE FANTASY FOOTBALL: To read this week's column, which includes some of the wacky early season trends I'm buying and selling, click here. The link also includes this week's audiocast, in which Sports Editor Mark Podolski and I redraft the top 15 picks. You'll never guess who's No. 2.