Might as well get used to it. The annoying “Gametime Decision” tag isn’t being removed from Eagles running back Brian Westbrook anytime soon. One of the game’s most dynamic, dual-threat running backs just happens to be one of the most slightly built and most heavily used. Sore ribs are the most recent nuissance, an ailment that doesn’t promise to get better in the coming weeks.

So, the big red “Q” next to Westbrook’s name is going to be a fixture. More than that, fantasy owners have already been burnt by one early exit and one DNP, making it hard to trust Westbrook on a weekly basis. That’s a hard cycle to break, the “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” scenario, where you risk big points on your bench or another early exit in your lineup that can lose a weekly matchup.

At this point, a fantasy owner isn’t left with many options. Be extra diligent leading up to kickoff on Sunday and hope for the best. Trading Westbrook away at rock bottom value is not wise. Recklessly playing him without considering how he fared in practice is even worse. Benching him for lack of trust is also a bad move because there’s an excellent chance he burns you. Read more »