Expect a lot of scoring tonight -- the 49ers' defense ranks 24th against the pass, and the Bears have been very susceptible vs. the run (No. 21 in the league, seven rushing TDs allowed).

START

Bears: QB Jay Cutler, RB Matt Forte, WR Devin Hester, TE Greg Olsen, K Robbie Gould

49ers: RB Frank Gore, WR Michael Crabtree, TE Vernon Davis, K Joe Nedney

Quick slants: Forte has been disappointing, but there is hope. The consensus top-five fantasy pick has rushed for 123 yards and two touchdowns and caught eight passes for 105 yards in his last two games. He has posted more than 100 total yards in back-to-back games for only the second time all season. ... Hester has 27 catches for 359 yards and a TD in his last four games. In that span, he's had at least six receptions and 81 yards in each contest. ... Cutler is coming off his best fantasy day as a Bear, a 369-yard, three-TD effort against the Cardinals. ... Olsen had only 10 catches for 94 yards and two scores in his first four games, but has 17 catches, 192 yards and four TDs in his last four. He matched his TD total for the season by scoring three times last week. ... Gore has erased any worries about his ankle injury in the last two games, during which he's rushed 28 times for 174 yards (6.2) and two TDs, and caught 12 passes for 118 yards. ... Look for Crabtree to score his first NFL touchdown against a beat-up Bears secondary. ... Davis, who has been one of this year's best draft-day bargains, has 35 receptions and seven TDs in his last six games.

SIT

Bears: WR Earl Bennett, WR Johnny Knox, defense and special teams

49ers: QB Alex Smith, WR Josh Morgan, WR Isaac Bruce, defense and special teams

Quick slants: Bennett is worth a look only in deep PPR leagues. He had seven catches for 93 yards last week, but has yet to reach the end zone. ... Knox, who had three TDs in Chicago's first five games, has only 116 yards and zero TDs in the last three games. ... Smith could be useful in deeper leagues. He's thrown for 690 yards and six scores, with five interceptions, in three games.

Let's get to the usual round of injury updates, led again this week by the wideouts:

-- Anquan Boldin and Devin Hester both have sprained ankles, and both are expected to play. I'd consider Boldin a No. 2 receiver this week against the Bears, and Hester a No. 3 against the Cards' No. 20 pass defense.

-- Calvin Johnson is expected to return from a knee injury, and Mario Manningham should play through a shoulder ailment. Johnson is a low-end No. 2, high-end No. 3 wide receiver this week, and I wouldn't play Manningham unless I was desperate because of injury or bye-week issues.

-- Bucs receiver Antonio Bryant (knee) will be a game-time decision, but the combination of his 2009 struggles and the first start for rookie QB Josh Freeman should prevent you from playing the '08 fantasy surprise.

-- Lions running back Kevin Smith (shoulder) likely will play in pain again, but isn't a quality option against the Seahawks (see below).

On to the start-and-sit lists, and a reminder that if you have a lineup question, e-mail me at the address above instead of posting a comment at the end of the blog.

Five to start

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

-- Joe Flacco, QB, Ravens, at Bengals: His touchdown totals in his last five games: 1-2-1-2-1. Even more reason to like Flacco’s chances of throwing for at least a pair of scores against the Bengals’ No. 30 pass defense.

-- Donovan McNabb, QB, Eagles, vs. Cowboys: He’s barely throwing for more than 200 yards per game, but he does have nine TDs and only one interception in five contests. Expect McNabb to have a big game vs. Dallas, which ranks 22st defending the pass.

-- Jamaal Charles, RB, Chiefs, at Jaguars: The suspended Larry Johnson won’t play this week (and maybe not again for the Chiefs), leaving the bulk of the carries to Charles. The second-year back has been impressive in limited duty, and he should produce vs. the Jags, who rank 25th vs. the run.

-- Julius Jones, RB, Seahawks, vs. Lions: After a productive start to the season, Jones has been held to 120 yards rushing in his last four games. The guess here is he’ll break out against the Lions (No. 21 vs. the run).

-- Michael Crabtree, WR, 49ers, vs. Titans: He has 13 receptions in two games since ending his holdout, and the rookie should score his first touchdown against the league’s worst pass defense, one that has allowed a league-high 19 TD tosses.

More matchups I like:

Matt Ryan, QB, Falcons, vs. Redskins; Mike Bell, RB, Saints, vs. Panthers; Hakeem Nicks, WR, Giants, vs. Chargers; Steve Breaston, WR, Cardinals, at Bears

Three to sit

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

-- Jay Cutler, QB, Bears, vs. Cardinals: He has thrown six interceptions in his last three games, four (with only one touchdown pass) in his last two and has as many picks (11) as TD tosses (11) on the season.

-- Knowshon Moreno, RB, Broncos, vs. Steelers: There aren’t many backs who are quality plays against the Steelers’ top-ranked run defense, one that has allowed only two rushing TDs and has given up 76.6 yards per game on the ground. Moreno has rushed for only 83 yards in Denver’s last two games.

-- Kevin Smith, RB, Lions, at Seahawks: He’s battling a shoulder injury, and Seattle has been surprisingly decent (No. 10) against the run. Smith hasn’t scored in his last three games.

More matchups I don’t like:

Eli Manning, QB, Giants, vs. Chargers; Ricky Williams, RB, Dolphins, at Patriots; Laurence Maroney, RB, Patriots, vs. Dolphins; Steve Slaton, RB, Texans, at Colts

Last week

The start list had two standouts in Matt Forte (90 yards rushing, two touchdowns and two catches for 31 yards) and LaDainian Tomlinson (56 yards rushing and two TDs). Devin Hester (seven catches for 81 yards) was decent, and the two Jaguars on the list — David Garrard (139 yards passing, 22 yards rushing, two interceptions) and Torry Holt (two catches for 17 yards) — were busts.

The sit list had two good calls in Joe Flacco (175 yards passing and one TD) and Ahmad Bradshaw (21 yards rushing, one TD) and one bad one in Donovan McNabb (240 yards passing, three touchdowns and 14 yards rushing).

Playlist

QUARTERBACKS
1. Peyton Manning, Colts, vs. Texans (No. 14 vs. the pass)
2. Aaron Rodgers, Packers, at Buccaneers (No. 15)
3. Tom Brady, Patriots, vs. Dolphins (No. 21)
4. Drew Brees, Saints, vs. Panthers (No. 1)
5. Joe Flacco, Ravens, at Bengals (No. 30)
6. Donovan McNabb, Eagles, vs. Cowboys (No. 22)
7. Philip Rivers, Chargers, at Giants (No. 3)
8. Matt Schaub, Texans, at Colts (No. 7)
9. Matt Ryan, Falcons, vs. Redskins (No. 2)
10. Kurt Warner, Cardinals, at Bears (No. 12)
11. Tony Romo, Cowboys, at Eagles (No. 10)
12. Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers, at Broncos (No. 8)
13. Carson Palmer, Bengals, vs. Ravens (No. 19)
14. Matt Hasselbeck, Seahawks, vs. Lions (No. 27)
15. Jay Cutler, Bears, vs. Cardinals (No. 20)
16. Eli Manning, Giants, vs. Chargers (No. 6)
17. Kyle Orton, Broncos, vs. Steelers (No. 16)
18. Matt Cassel, Patriots, at Jaguars (No. 26)
19. David Garrard, Jaguars, vs. Chiefs (tied for No. 28)
20. Alex Smith, 49ers, vs. Titans (No. 32)

RUNNING BACKS
1. Maurice Jones-Drew, Jaguars, vs. Chiefs (No. 26 vs. the run)
2. Michael Turner, Falcons, vs. Redskins (No. 22)
3. Ray Rice, Ravens, at Bengals (No. 5)
4. Frank Gore, 49ers, vs. Titans (No. 18)
5. DeAngelo Williams, Panthers, at Saints (No. 11)
6. Chris Johnson, Titans, at 49ers (No. 2)
7. Ryan Grant, Packers, at Buccaneers (No. 30
8. Cedric Benson, Bengals, vs. Ravens (No. 4)
9. Pierre Thomas, Saints, vs. Panthers (No. 24)
10. Joseph Addai, Colts, vs. Texans (No. 20
11. Ronnie Brown, Dolphins, at Patriots (No. 15)
12. Brandon Jacobs, Giants, vs. Chargers (No. 27)
13. Marion Barber, Cowboys, at Eagles (No. 12)
14. Rashard Mendenhall, Steelers, at Broncos (No. 3)
15. LaDainian Tomlinson, Chargers, at Giants (No. 19)
16. Clinton Portis, Redskins, at Falcons (No. 23)
17. Brian Westbrook, Eagles, vs. Cowboys (No. 13)
18. Matt Forte, Bears, vs. Cardinals (No. 8)
19. Jamaal Charles, Chiefs, at Jaguars (No. 25)
20. Julius Jones, Seahawks, vs. Lions (No. 21)
21. Mike Bell, Saints, vs. Panthers (No. 24)
22. Jonathan Stewart, Panthers, at Saints (No. 11)
23. Ryan Moats, Texans, at Colts (No. 17)
24. Tim Hightower, Cardinals, at Bears (No. 16)

WIDE RECEIVERS
1. Randy Moss, Patriots, vs. Dolphins (No. 21 vs. the pass)
2. Reggie Wayne, Colts, vs. Texans (No. 14)
3. Greg Jennings, Packers, at Buccaneers (No. 15)
4. Marques Colston, Saints, vs. Panthers (No. 1)
5. Wes Welker, Patriots, vs. Dolphins (No. 21)
6. Andre Johnson, Texans, at Colts (No. 7)
7. Roddy White, Falcons, vs. Redskins (No. 2)
8. Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals, at Bears (No. 12)
9. Chad Ochocinco, Bengals, vs. Ravens (No. 19)
10. Vincent Jackson, Chargers, at Giants (No. 3)
11. DeSean Jackson, Eagles, vs. Cowboys (No. 22)
12. Donald Driver, Packers, at Buccaneers (No. 15)
13. Derrick Mason, Ravens, at Bengals (No. 30)
14. Miles Austin, Cowboys, at Eagles (No. 10)
15. Steve Smith, Panthers, at Saints (No. 17)
16. Hines Ward, Steelers, at Broncos (No. 8)
17. Brandon Marshall, Broncos, vs. Steelers (No. 16)
18. Steve Smith, Giants, vs. Chargers (No. 6)
19. Michael Crabtree, 49ers, at Titans (No. 32)
20. Nate Burleson, Seahawks, vs. Lions (No. 27)
21. T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Seahawks, vs. Lions (No. 27)
22. Mike Sims-Walker, Jaguars, vs. Chiefs (tied for No. 28)
23. Anquan Boldin, Cardinals, at Bears (No. 12)
24. Santonio Holmes, Steelers, at Broncos (No. 8)
25. Calvin Johnson, Lions, at Seahawks (No. 18)
26. Dwayne Bowe, Chiefs, at Jaguars (No. 26)
27. Santana Moss, Redskins, at Falcons (No. 31)
28. Devin Hester, Bears, vs. Cardinals (No. 20)
29. Austin Collie, Colts, vs. Texans (No. 14)
30. Steve Breaston, Cardinals, at Bears (No. 12)
31. Hakeem Nicks, Giants, vs. Chargers (No. 6)
32. Torry Holt, Jaguars, vs. Chiefs (tied for No. 28)
33. Roy Williams, Cowboys, at Eagles (No. 10)
34. Kevin Walter, Texans, at Colts (No. 7)
35. Johnny Knox, Bears, vs. Cardinals (No. 20)
36. Nate Washington, Titans, at 49ers (tied for No. 28)

MORE FANTASY FOOTBALL: For a breakdown of five players to trade and five players to acquire as we begin the second half of the fantasy season, click here. The link also includes this week’s audiocast.

When us fantasy freaks think of things we need more of in the NFL, running-back committees rank far below DIRECTV's Sunday Ticket and slightly above more high-definition closeups of an annoyed Eric Mangini.

Well, buckle up, boys and girls, we've got another committee, thanks to one of this year's biggest busts, Steve Slaton.

Slaton was fantastic as a rookie last season, when he ran for 1,282 yards, averaged 4.8 yards per carry, scored 10 touchdowns and caught 50 passes for 377 yards. This year, not so much.

The Texans running back was benched early last week after losing his fifth fumble of the season. In his place, Ryan Moats -- who had 56 yards in Houston's first seven games -- ran for 126 yards and three TDs on 23 carries and had two receptions for 25 yards.

That has led to speculation this week that Moats, who has 623 career rushing yards in limited duty since 2005, will take over as the Texans' featured back. Coach Gary Kubiak, however, has refused to name a starter, but did say Slaton, Moats and Chris Brown all will play.

Thanks, Coach. I'm sure this week's opponent, the Colts, are every bit as nervous as Slaton owners.

In Houston's first seven games, Slaton had 109 rushing attempts, Brown 36 and Moats 15. So what was a one-man attack is now a two-headed monster -- but not of the Saints variety (the productive Pierre Thomas and Mike Bell combo). Instead, it's more of a don't-play-either-unless-you-have-to-because-of-bye-weeks-situation.

Of the two, Moats has more value this week, since he should at least start. If he gets the majority of the carries, he could be a decent No. 2 running back going forward, when the Texans face the Titans (Week 11, No. 18 vs. the run), Jaguars (Week 13, No. 25 vs. the run) and Rams (Week 15, No. 28).

But at this point, you can't trust Slaton or Moats. Because six teams are off this week, Moats is a low-level No. 2 running back. Slaton is a reserve.

And committees continue to remind us of the evil doings of Mike Shanahan.

Replacement players

If you were among the unfortunate owners who lost standout tight ends Chris Cooley (who will miss at least another few weeks because of a broken ankle) and/or Owen Daniels (who will miss the rest of the season with a knee injury), let's look at five players who are available in the majority of the leagues on ESPN.com. We'll do so in descending order to build the drama:

5. Kevin Boss, Giants (owned in 39.5 percent of the ESPN leagues): He was impressive last season (33 catches for 384 yards and six touchdowns) and anything but in the Giants' first five games this year (11 receptions for 161 yards and zero scores). Boss had three catches for 70 yards and a TD last week, and he has six receptions in his last two games. The bad news: He's been limited this week by a sprained ankle (but he is expected to play). Week 9 opponent: Chargers (No. 6 vs. the pass).

4. Benjamin Watson, Patriots (30.2 percent): He has four touchdowns on the season, but six of his 15 catches and 77 of his 222 yards were in the Patriots' season opener (as were two of his TDs). Week 9 opponent: Dolphins(No. 21 vs. the pass).

3. Spencer Havner, Packers (1.6 percent): This seems like a reach, until you consider Havner has three touchdowns in the Pack's last two games. He's not going to be much of an asset in point-per-reception leagues, but with Jermichael Finley likely out again this week because of a knee injury, Havner could at least get you six points the old-fashioned, non-PPR way. Week 9 opponent: at Buccaneers (No. 15 vs. the pass).

2. Todd Heap, Ravens (41.8 percent): He's had three or more catches in five consecutive games, but he hasn't had a TD in that span after scoring twice in the first two weeks. Week 9 opponent: at Bengals (No. 30 vs. the pass).

1. Fred Davis, Redskins (3.1 percent): When Cooley was injured in Week 7 against the Eagles, Davis, a second-round pick in 2008, was targeted 10 times and caught eight passes for 78 yards and a TD. Considering Cooley has averaged 4.6 receptions per game since 2007, Davis figures to get plenty of opportunities to produce for a struggling offense. Week 9 opponent: at Falcons (No. 31 vs. the pass).

Start 'em

-- Matt Forte, RB, Bears: How much were his 90 yards rushing and two TDs a product of how awful the Browns have been? Likely quite a bit, but I would at least see how the 2008 rookie stud and '09 disappointment performs in tough matchups this week against the Cardinals (No. 8 vs. the run) and in Week 10 at the 49ers (No. 2).

-- Michael Crabtree, WR, 49ers: With 11 catches and 15 targets in two games since ending his holdout, I'd consider the rookie an every-week starter in PPR leagues.

Sit 'em

-- Jay Cutler, QB, Bears: He's thrown as many interceptions (11) as touchdown passes, and there are too many productive quarterbacks this season to continue starting him every week.

-- Eli Manning, QB, Giants: He hasn't thrown for more than 243 yards since Week 4, and he has twice as many picks (six) as TD tosses (three) in his last three games.

Drop 'em

-- Roy Williams, WR, Cowboys: Remember him? Whether Williams wants to admit it or not, and apparently he doesn't, Austin Miles is Dallas' top receiver. Williams has one TD since Week 1 and has had 35 receiving yards or fewer in four of his last five games. If you need the roster space and have a few productive receivers, he is a candidate to hit the waiver wire.

-- Eddie Royal, WR, Broncos: Another game, another shutout. It's amazing that a player who caught 91 passes as a rookie in 2008 has a total of 10 catches for 68 yards in six of Denver's seven games (Royal had 10 catches for 90 yards in the other, a Week 5 win over the Patriots). Royal has yet to reach the end zone, and it's hard to argue with letting him go at this point.

Closing numbers

Cardinals running back Tim Hightower -- who has struggled mightily on the ground (3.3 yards per carry this season and 2.9 in his two-year career) -- has four more catches (39) than teammate Anquan Boldin.

Hightower had 34 receptions in 16 games as a rookie last season. Boldin, who has battled injuries but played in all seven games this year, had 89 catches in 12 games in 2008. Hightower also has five TDs to Boldin's one in 2009.

Michael Crabtree built quite a following of detractors during his seemingly senseless contract holdout. In the next few weeks, the 49ers receiver has a chance to get some of the critics back on his side.

"Some" being us fantasy football owners who can be swayed by the simple things -- catches, yards and touchdowns.

Crabtree, who didn't sign until Oct. 6, is expected to start Sunday at Houston. Big things were expected of the rookie after the draft; now, we'll be happy if he's better than Josh Morgan (and he can't get worse than Isaac Bruce).

Crabtree is owned in only 30 percent of the leagues on ESPN.com, but he's worth a look in deeper leagues and should be scooped up in all keeper formats.

I wouldn't play him Sunday, although the matchup against the Texans' 19th-ranked pass defense is favorable. But I wouldn't be surprised if he was a decent starter in the coming weeks, when the 49ers face the bottom four teams in the league in pass defense -- Week 9 at Tennessee (No. 32 vs. the pass), Week 12 vs. Jacksonville (No. 30), Week 14 at Arizona (No. 31) and Week 16 vs. Detroit (No. 29). The Titans (19), Lions (17) and Jaguars (12) have allowed a combined 48 touchdown passes in 18 games, which bodes well for Crabtree.

And if you think the 49ers are rushing him by starting him 19 days after he signed, here are three numbers for you: 26, 369, 1. Those are the combined catches, yards and touchdowns for San Francisco starting receivers Morgan and Bruce in five games, which together are one fewer catch, 58 more yards and one fewer TD than Redskins tight end Chris Cooley, who has Jason Campbell as his QB.

Start 'em

-- We should know better than to get our hopes up, but LaDainian Tomlinson showed glimpses of the old L.T. on Monday night. Granted, he rushed for only 70 yards on 18 carries, had three catches for 30 yards and didn't score a touchdown, but he actually looked healthy for the first time since the opener. If you hesitated to play L.T. last week, I don't blame you, but he should return to your lineup the next two weeks. In that span, the Chargers play at the Chiefs (No. 27 vs. the run) and at home against the Raiders (No. 29). Combined, the teams are allowing 275.6 yards per game and have surrendered 13 rushing TDs.

-- Last Sunday night was a microcosm of Matt Forte's season. Jay Cutler and the Bears were moving the ball through the air, and Forte did nothing on the ground. And just when you got your hopes up, he fumbled twice near the goal line, failing to salvage an awful night by at least scoring a touchdown (wait, can you tell I drafted Forte third overall in the News-Herald PPR league?). As bad as he's been (294 yards rushing, 3.4 yards per carry, one TD), I would still play Forte the next two weeks, when Chicago plays at an Antwan Odom-less Cincinnati and at home against the Browns and their extremely generous run defense (No. 30, 165.3 yards per game, nine rushing TDs by the opposition).

Sit him

-- If you played Broncos receiver Eddie Royal on Monday night, we can only hope you also had Denver's defense and special teams, since that's probably the only way you received credit for Royal's kickoff and punt returns for touchdowns. Denver is off this week, then plays at Baltimore and at home vs. Pittsburgh. At this point, Royal, who had 91 catches as a rookie last season, can't be trusted. He's had one productive game (10 catches for 90 yards in Week 5) and five contests in which he's caught a combined eight passes for 58 yards, and he hasn't scored a TD other than on special teams all season.

Drop 'em

-- If you need the roster space with six teams on a bye in Week 7, running back Willis McGahee, whose Ravens have the week off, should be a prime candidate to go the way of any employee who fails to pay a fine imposed by Eric Mangini. In his last three games, McGahee has 13 carries for 12 yards and 15 touches total. Ray Rice has developed into one of the top two or three backs in PPR leagues, and McGahee will be lucky to get double-digit carries in any game the rest of the way.

-- Vikings rookie receiver Percy Harvin, who scored a touchdown in each of his first two NFL games, hasn't scored since and has had more than 51 receiving only once in Minnesota's last four contests. The electric rookie has also been bothered by a sore shoulder and has been the Vikings' fourth receiving option as Sidney Rice (18 catches for 363 yards and two TDs in his last four games) and tight end Visanthe Shiancoe (11 receptions and four TDs in his last three contests) have flourished. If you have limited room on your roster, call Harvin into your office and send him on his way (you have to be better at it than the Bengals' turk on "Hard Knocks").

Stat of the week

One: As in 100-yard games for Laurence Maroney since the start of the 2008 season. The Patriots running back finally got the lion's share of the workload last week with Fred Taylor out and Sammy Morris banged up, rushing for 123 yards and a TD on 16 carries and catching three passes for 10 yards.

If there was ever a week to play Maroney (well, other than last Sunday), this would seem to be it. The Patriots face the winless Buccaneers in London, and Morris is likely to sit because of a knee injury (Taylor has already been ruled out). Tampa Bay ranks 31st against the run, giving up 171.7 rushing yards per game and 4.9 yards per attempt.

Can Maroney -- gasp -- record two 100-yard games in a row? Since he's a running back for the Patriots and Bill Belichick seems to take joy in giving four backs five to eight carries each, we can never be certain.

Still, I like Maroney's odds.

The way this season has gone, expect Tom Brady to throw for 500 yards and BenJarvus Green-Ellis to be New England's leading rusher with 24 yards on five carries.