By JEFF PAUR

Not sure how this is happening at the halfway point of the season, but there aren't a ton of injuries to report this week. Sure, we have some guys dinged and a few out for the season, but for the most part, the list of marquee players is surprisingly small for this time of the year. We know this can change in a hurry, though, so enjoy it while you can.

Calvin Johnson, WR, Lions. Johnson already is taking part in practice this week, which is a good sign. The Lions are cautiously optimistic Johnson will be ready to go this week. His knee injury is progressing pretty well. At this point, expect Johnson to play, barring a setback late in the week.

Donald Brown, RB, Colts. Brown remains slowed by a shoulder injury. He thought he could play last week, but was held out of action. Brown seems to have a decent shot at returning, but nothing is certain until we see how much he is able to practice this week. Consider Brown a game-time decision for Week 9. Joseph Addai would get almost all of the work at running back if Brown is out, again.

Brian Westbrook, RB, Eagles. Westbrook has been cleared for football activities and is already practicing in full this week. He should be just fine for the Week 9 game. Expect Westbrook to get near his normal workload in his first game back from the concussion. Rookie LeSean McCoy moves back to his backup role.

Anthony Gonzalez, WR, Colts. Gonzalez doesn't seem much closer to returning from his knee surgery. There are even reports Gonzalez is going to get a second opinion on the knee, which is never a good thing. We wouldn't count on Gonzalez returning any time soon.

Mario Manningham, WR, Giants. Manningham was a late scratch for the Week 8 game because of a shoulder injury. He was injured in practice late in the week. Manningham has been limited in practice this week, but is practicing some, which is a decent sign. He has a shot to play, but looks like a game-time decision at this point. Hakeem Nicks gets the larger role in the Giants offense if Manningham is out again this week.

Muhsin Muhammad, WR, Panthers. Muhammad missed last week's game because of a knee injury. He hasn't practiced yet this week and seems iffy to play. We wouldn't count on him playing, giving Dwayne Jarrett another start at receiver for the Panthers in Week 9.

Anquan Boldin, WR, Cardinals. Boldin re-aggravated his ankle sprain during last week's game. He isn't practicing and is in danger of missing the Week 9 game. The prevailing thinking is Boldin needs some rest to get his ankle closer to full strength, which means he could get held out of a game sooner than later. We think he has a good shot at missing this week, giving Steve Breaston the start. Nothing is certain as Boldin plays through a lot of injuries but consider him very iffy for now.

Kevin Smith, RB, Lions. Smith missed some time during last week's game because of shoulder and ankle injuries. He did play through the injuries at times, though, so they can't be too serious. He missed practice Wednesday but returned Thursday, which is a pretty good sign. Consider Smith a pretty good bet to play this week.

Owen Daniels, TE, Texans. Daniels is done for the season after tearing his ACL in the Week 8 game. This is a huge loss as Daniels was having a breakout season at tight end, serving as the second option in the Texans passing attack behind Andre Johnson. Consider Kevin Walter the biggest fantasy benefactor from the injury. He has a similar skill set to Daniels but as a receiver. Look for Walter's stats to improve in the coming weeks.

Please join me for my weekly fantasy chat, which was moved to Friday this week at 11 AM eastern time. A link to enter the chat will be provided on your league home page as well as your personal account page.

If you have any questions or comments, please email Jeff Paur at jeff@rtsports.com