Photo: Samantha Madar, USA Today Sports

We scour the news around the NFL to bring you what matters most for you and your dynasty team: the most current news on players, both superstars and the relative unknowns, and analysis to decipher the respective situations.

The Green Bay Packers miss their superstar passer, Aaron Rodgers.  Last Friday, coach Mike McCarthy was asked about when Rodgers might be able to return.  Per McCarthy, "I don't have a timetable for you."  It is growing increasingly likely that Rodgers will return in week fourteen, at the earliest.  In an ESPN article, the passer said, "I think the biggest issue is not the pain at this point … It is the risk of taking a shot like that and what it would do if (the collarbone) displaced. Obviously, I'd be out for the season and worried about any type of complications going forward."  With Green Bay playing on Thanksgiving, on the short week, a week thirteen return is improbable.  The poor play of Scott Tolzien precipitated the entrance of Matt Flynn in the game against the Minnesota Vikings last Sunday.  Flynn could get the start in the huge Thanksgiving game against the Detroit Lions.

The Nashville Tennessean believes Titans quarterback Jake Locker require five to six months to recover from his Lisfranc injury.  Head coach Mike Munchak said, "(Jake) heals a little different than other people, but we assume he’ll be able to do something this spring … I’m sure it’s something that will be adjusted as he goes through the rehab process."  It will be interesting to see if Tennessee addresses the quarterback position in the 2014 NFL Draft or goes into next season with Locker as the presumed starter.

Many dynasty owners were are holding out hope Green Bay Packers receiver Randall Cobb would be back on the field in time for the fantasy playoffs.  Well, it is not looking good.  Cobb was placed on the short-term injured reserve list with a broken leg and has not been able to practice since.  He was quoted in the Green Bay Press-Gazette as saying, "I can't make that call right now (about when he might be able to return), … Right now, today, I cannot play. ... This is something that it needs time. It's getting better. There's still no timeline on when I can come back."  The strong play of Jarrett Boykin has taken some of the sting away from the Cobb injury.

It was great to hear Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll saying receiver Percy Harvin's snap count will be lifted going forward, according to a Profootballtalk article.  Per Carroll, "We don't have to hold back and count plays and stuff like that … He'll play a regular amount as we go. He won't play every play; we're going to still rotate our guys. We're not changing the offense." Harvin should be a full go against the New Orleans Saints this coming weekend.  It will be a great game for the winner to have the inside track to home field advantage for the NFC playoffs.

One dynasty receiver who has failed to live up to his billing is New York Jets youngster Stephen Hill.  Dynasty owners are not along.  Coach Rex Ryan was quoted as saying, "We've been expecting bigger things for Stephen … Quite honestly, it hasn't happened."  Hill was demoted from his starting job in favor of David Nelson this past week.  A very athletic Hill needs to improve in the finer points of the receiver position.  The quarterback position has not helped much, either.  In an ESPN New York article, Hill admitted, "[Receivers coach Sanjay Lal was] just straight up with me … That some things are going to be cut down. But I’m still going to get enough reps."  With all of the physical tools to succeed, Hill is still trying to learn the wide receiver position after playing in the run-heavy Georgia Tech offense.  This only stunted Hill's growth as a receiver so it might take him longer to get up to speed.

Oakland Raiders starting receiver Denarius Moore missed Sunday's game against the Tennessee Titans with an injured shoulder.  Raiders head coach Dennis Allen said last week the this is a painful injury Moore will have to play through the rest of the year and possibly require surgery in the offseason.  He will become a free agent after the 2014 season so Moore will look to get healthy – and hope the team upgrades the quarterback position – in hopes of a banner year.

Nine days after getting claimed off waivers from the San Francisco 49ers, the Kansas City Chiefs placed receiver and returner Kyle Williams on injured reserve with a torn ACL.  He tore the ACL in the same knee (left) as the one hurt in the 2012 season.  This could be a sad ending to Williams' career.

Beat writer Mike Jones of the Washington Post reported via Twitter last week that wide receiver Leonard Hankerson “had surgery on ACL and LCL today. 7-9 month recovery.”  This is a serious injury for the underperforming pass catcher.  Much was expected from Hankerson when he came out of Miami, but he has yet to put it all together.  In addition, the timetable will make it difficult for Hankerson to be back in time for Washington's training camp.  In a related move, Adam Schefter tweeted that the team signed speedy wide receiver Lance Lewis from the practice squad.  Lewis has a chance to earn the right to be in the discussion for the starting job opposite Pierre Garcon next season.

Detroit Lions slot receiver Ryan Broyles insists he will play again next season after the Achilles injury shortened his 2013 campaign.  Broyles has endured his share of injuries over the past few seasons and has yet to be completely healthy for a full season since early in his Oklahoma Sooners career.  The injured receiver said, “I’ve got great football left in me … I’m 25 years old right now and I see receivers playing 'til they're 34. I just got to take it a day at a time. I’ve just got to heal up. I’ve got to get on the field when I’m 100 percent healthy. And I have not played one down in the NFL yet healthy."  While we are pulling for the injury-plagued pass catcher, the odds are stacked against Broyles ever being a viable dynasty receiver.

According to Aaron Wilson via Twitter, Baltimore Ravens tight end Dennis Pitta is eying a week fourteen return against the Minnesota Vikings as "a best case scenario if all goes well." Given the serious nature of his hip injury, it will be great for Pitta just to play this season.  At the time of the injury, it was feared that the veteran tight end may never play football again.  But, it is painfully obvious that the Ravens need Pitta back in the lineup, especially after trading receiver Anquan Boldin away last offseason.

The Green Bay Packers have an intriguing tight end prospect in Brandon Bostick.  He is a former undrafted free agent from small school Newberry college.  A recent article in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel touted the youngster as the future starter for the Packers.  Jermichael Finley is a free agent after the season and may never make it back on the field after undergoing surgery for a herniated disk in his neck.  Bostick is a good athlete with speed to make a play down the field.  He struggled in the game against Minnesota with a pair of bad dropped passes, one of which would have been good for a touchdown.

Injuries to monitor this week:

Michael Vick: Hamstring
Jay Cutler: Ankle
Aaron Rodgers: Collarbone
E.J. Manuel: Knee
Darren McFadden: Hamstring
Michael Crabtree: Achilles
Percy Harvin: Hip
Jimmy Graham: Foot
Dennis Pitta: Hip
Kyle Rudolph: Foot

Feel free to email me (Tefertiller@Footballguys.com) with feedback.  Also, I am on Twitter (www.Twitter.com/JeffTefertiller), LinkedIn, and Google+, so you can ask me questions on one of these as well.