Quarterback starter unknown

Raiders head coach Lane Kiffin will once again pull the curtain on his quarterbacks and not reveal his starter for Week 9. Josh McCown started the first three weeks, and Daunte Culpepper has been under center since that time. "We'll see Wednesday what Josh looks like and what he can do out there and then start figuring that out," Kiffin tells the Oakland Tribune. McCown fractured his left big toe in Week 3. This situation is actually mildly interesting this week because the Raiders host a Texans team that has been very kind to quarterbacks outside of Houston. We'll let you know when there seems to be a leader between McCown and Culpepper.

Burgess now doubtful

Raiders defensive end Derrick Burgess appeared to be on the path to playing this Sunday, until the team practiced on Wednesday. Burgess left the session early due to further issues with his calf. "At one point we thought he was feeling better, and then he'd have a setback because he's pushing himself further," head coach Lane Kiffin tells the Sacramento Bee. Burgess is considered doubtful for Week 6. Fantasy owners in IDP leagues should once again make other plans for their lineup.

Jordan leaves practice early

Raiders running back LaMont Jordan left practice on Wednesday due to lingering issues with his back. Head coach Lane Kiffin tells the San Francisco Chronicle that Jordan's status is "up and down." He injured his back in Week 4. The Raiders are doing the best they can to not comment about Jordan's back, which is why we only have those three words from Kiffin. Jordan still has a few days to recover prior to Sunday, but fantasy owners may want to make sure they have another option available.

Jordan gets good news

Raiders running back LaMont Jordan received good news on Monday when X-rays of his injured back were negative. The team is on the bye in Week 5, and Jordan could be ready for Week 6. However, he may need to give up some of the carries. "Our plan all along was to have (several) guys carrying the ball, not just one guy carrying the ball all the time," head coach Lane Kiffin tells the Oakland Tribune. If Jordan were healthy and continuing to dominate opponents, we probably wouldn't need to worry much about the return of Dominic Rhodes and the success of Justin Fargas. However, LaMont hasn't been the paragon of health over the last two years. We'll have wait and see how both Jordan and Rhodes look next week when the Raiders prepare for Week 6.

Bush making progress

Remember Michael Bush? The Raiders rookie is reportedly making progress and impressing his coaches. "He's the lowest he's been at his weight for over a year," head coach Lane Kiffin tells the Oakland Tribune. "He looks great, and he's been buying into our program. He's been great in the weightroom with our staff. He looks really good." Bush opened the season on the PUP list. He broke his right leg on September 3, 2006 and needed multiple surgeries. The latest operation came in March, when he had a steel rod inserted into the leg. Bush is potentially two weeks away from returning, which would further crowd the Raiders backfield. We don't expect him to come back and make an impact so quickly, but his presence could turn out to be a lingering nuisance for LaMont Jordan owners. And we still believe Bush is the long-term solution.

Jordan felled by his ailing back

LaMont Jordan was knocked out of yesterday's game after severely aggravating his nagging back injury. He was on crutches afterward, moving around gingerly, according to the Contra Costa Times. "We do not know the severity of it," Raiders coach Lane Kiffin said. The Raiders have their bye this week, so he'll get some extra time to recover. If Jordan isn't ready for Week 6, Dominic Rhodes will be off his suspension and likely would start.

Jordan injured

LaMont Jordan was carted off to the Raiders locker room late in the second quarter in today's game against the Dolphins. He was twisted awkwardly during a tackle, and was very slow being helped off of the field by the training staff. CBS is reporting that they are looking at his back; his return is questionable. A serious injury would be a huge blow to Jordan owners, as he has had a dynamite start to the season. Justin Fargas will most likely take over most of the running duties for the remainder of this game.

Culpepper gets the nod

Daunte Culpepper will start Sunday's game against his former team, when he leads the Raiders against the Dolphins. According to NFL.com, Raiders coach Lane Kiffin has named Culpepper the starter over Josh McCown, who is suffering from a hairline fracture in his toe, among other injuries. Culpepper looked good in his preseason starts, and you would think he has something to prove against his old squad. The Raiders offense has looked much better this season, with Lamont Jordan and Ronald Curry outperforming expectations so far, so Culpepper could have a good day, and you could start him in a pinch.

Things looking down for McCown

Raiders quarterback Josh McCown will very likely miss Sunday's game with the Dolphins because of the hairline fracture of his right toe, according to NFL.com. The injury has improved since it forced McCown out of last week's game, but not enough for people to be optimistic about his prospects for Week 4. Daunte Culpepper will get the start Sunday if McCown isn't available. Culpepper has had enough time to get up to speed on the Raiders offense, so he should be able to post respectable numbers against the Dolphins.

Quarterback situation cloudy again

The Raiders will once again enter the week without a clear starter at quarterback. Josh McCown added a left foot injury to his right ankle and right hand ailments, and Daunte Culpepper replaced him during the Week 3 win over the Browns. "Josh's injury right now isn't clear enough," head coach Lane Kiffin tells the Sacramento Bee. "We need more information on it." At the moment, we're expecting Culpepper to get the nod for Sunday's game in Week 4. The carousel can then make a brief stop during the Week 5 bye, and (who know?) maybe JaMarcus Russell will take over during the rest period.

Raiders: Russell activated

The Raiders added quarterback JaMarcus Russell to their 53-man roster on Monday. They previously had an exemption because of the No. 1 overall pick's holdout. "I'm just trying to make myself ready whenever Coach calls on me," Russell tells the Oakland Tribune. Russell has been putting in a lot of extra hours in an effort to get up to speed. He's obviously the future of this franchise, but we don't expect JaMarcus to have a fantasy impact this year.

Taylor the odd receiver out

Travis Taylor was released by the Raiders Saturday. The former No. 1 pick was deemed expendable by the club in part because Mike Williams had a good camp. Taylor's certainly not the only receiver bust from his 2000 draft class; while Plaxico Burress turned into a good player in time, that first round also featured Peter Warrick, Sylvester Morris, and R. Jay Soward.

Jordan to play through sore back

Raiders coach Lane Kiffin said that LaMont Jordan is a go for Sunday's game, according to the Contra Costa Times. Jordan is nursing a sore back, so there remains a chance that he may not make it through the game.

Burgess to be limited if he plays

It appears that Derrick Burgess might play on Sunday. However, he won't be at full speed due to his sore right calf, according to the Contra Costa Times. At best, the Raiders hope to see him on third downs, so look for rookie Ray Richardson to start at left end.

Burgess dodges questions

Raiders defensive end Derrick Burgess did not practice on Wednesday due to a sore right calf. He also did not answer any questions about his ailment. "He didn't practice today," head coach Lane Kiffin tells the Sacramento Bee. "Hopefully he'll play." One thing Kiffin has quickly learned is to offer as little information as possible to the public. Burgess is an elite pass-rusher, and we have almost no information about his status at this point. Fantasy owners in IDP leagues might want to make other plans for Week 3.

McCown limited

Raiders quarterback Josh McCown was limited in practice Wednesday because of his sprained right foot. He was able to play through the injury last week. McCown is also battling a cracked bone on the index finger of his right hand. All signs point towards Josh starting again in Week 3, but he's a poor fantasy option, even against the Browns.

Jordan rests

Raiders running back LaMont Jordan missed Wednesday's practice with a sore back, according to the Oakland Tribune. The paper said that missing a Wednesday practice isn't atypical for Jordan after a game with a heavy workload. Unless he misses the next two days, there is no reason to adjust your plans for LaMont this week.

Janikowski sticking around

Raiders head coach Lane Kiffin isn't about to give up on his kicker. Sebastian Janikowski has made only one of five field goal chances this year. "We're still behind him, and he's going to win some games from us," Kiffin tells the Sacramento Bee. Three of Seabass' misses have come from beyond 50 yards, so it's not like he's shanking chip shots. He's always had a lot of talent, but he clearly needs to step it up in order to gain consideration for fantasy teams.

Burgess status unknown

Raiders head coach Lane Kiffin did not provide an update on defensive end Derrick Burgess on Monday and tells the Sacramento Bee that he won't have more news until Wednesday. Burgess injured his right calf on Sunday.Burgess is an elite pass-rusher, and both the Raiders defense and IDP owners would clearly miss him. We'll update his status whenever Kiffin decides to divulge more info.

McCown active; Starter not named

Quarterback Josh McCown is active on Sunday, but the Raiders have not named a starter between McCown and Daunte Culpepper. McCown was listed as doubtful due to a sprained right ankle and sore right index finger. Fantasy owners should not be looking to use either McCown or Culpepper, and we'd be a little surprised if Daunte isn't under center.