By Bob Harris, Special to SI.com, FootballDiehards

Daunte Culpepper, QB Miami Dolphins

Talk about this year's disappointments. ... As the Miami Herald suggested this week, Culpepper is done for the season after being placed him on injured reserve while Drew Brees -- the man the Dolphins passed over for Culpepper -- is leading the NFL in passing yards, touchdown passes and quarterback rating.

Disheartening? Sure. Disastrous? We'll see, but Joey Harrington's recent efforts certainly cloud the issue.

In fact, Harrington's performance to date prompted SI.com senior writer Don Banks to state the following case: "Joey Harrington deserves to be considered Miami's No. 1 quarterback entering next season, no matter if Daunte Culpepper healthy or not."

Forecast: Culpepper is signed through the 2013 season and Dolphins coach Nick Saban has described the team's commitment to the player as a long-term relationship. But I'm not sure real trust has been established by either side here.

Had Culpepper actually been playing well before he went down as a Viking in October of 2005, I'd be more optimistic. Dynasty/Keeper owners and redrafters alike should watch closely next summer and take a "believe-it-when-they-see-it" approach to Culpepper returning as a legitimate Fantasy prospect.

Kevin Jones, RB Detroit Lions

The news couldn't be much worse for the Lions and more specifically for Jones, who underwent surgery on Wednesday and now faces a long rehabilitation and a lot of uncertainty after suffering a Lisfranc-fracture dislocation -- the same type of mid-foot injury that recently kept Lions linebacker Teddy Lehman out for a year.

The Detroit Free Press summed up the consensus among those who follow the team closely like this: "No one knows if he'll be ready for training camp or if he'll be sidelined into next season."

So how bad is it? On a scale of one to three, the Lions chief athletic trainer Al Bellamy told reporters, Jones' injury is a "three-plus," because of the severity and the fact that surgery is required. ...

Forecast: The Lions will almost certainly have a top-three pick in April's NFL Draft and Jones' injury will force them to consider using it on a halfback. That will be a key date for Dynasty/Keeper owners looking to divine Jones' future -- although there are other possible solutions to the problem (see below).

In the end, however, the odds Jones will be ready to open the 2007 season at even close to full speed are slim indeed.

Domanick Davis, RB Houston Texans

Davis, the Texans' all-time leading rusher, was placed on the injured reserve early in September. But the problem wasn't related to the surgery needed to repair the knee late in 2005. Davis had worked through that.

The real issue was a bruise to the same knee suffered early in training camp. Team doctors told Davis at the time the he could play -- but would have to do so with some pain. Davis then visited his own physician to get a second opinion and was essentially told the same -- that there was no structural damage -- just discomfort.

Still, Davis was reluctant to take the field, all but forcing the team to shut him down.

Forecast: Head coach Gary Kubiak was asked about Davis and any progress the injured running back might be making in terms of his return from an injured knee earlier this week.

"It's easy to sit here and say that he feels fine," Kubiak replied. "Until he comes out and starts running around and doing the things that you've got to do to play, I don't think we're really going to know. So it could all be speculation at this point."

It should be noted that those who follow the team closely, including long-time Houston Chronicle beat writer John McClain, have also openly questioned whether Davis will ever play again -- whether for Houston or another team.

I suspect Kubiak feels the same. At the very least, the coach must have serious questions about Davis' toughness and desire. Fantasy owners -- regardless of the format -- should consider those same questions carefully before allocating resources to retain/acquire Davis in the future.

Marshall Faulk, RB St. Louis Rams

Faulk underwent major reconstructive knee surgery in July; a procedure that many observers believed would spell the end of his career after 12 years in the NFL. But Rams head coach Scott Linehan told reporters at the time that Faulk wasn't ready to call it quits.

And guess what? Faulk, currently working as an analyst for the NFL Network, recently said he would like to play again. He has two years left on his contract in St. Louis, but the Rams are unlikely to bring him back in 2007.

But that doesn't mean he isn't of interest.

In fact, if the Lions need help at running back next year because of Jones' injured foot, offensive coordinator Mike Martz wouldn't mind being reunited with Faulk, who played under Martz in St. Louis.

Forecast: Wouldn't mind? Martz would like nothing better than filling the likely void at halfback with a cagey, reliable, experienced veteran boasting Faulk's knowledge of the coach's complex schemes.

"Shoot -- I'd ride a bicycle up to pick him up," Martz told reporters asking about Faulk Thursday. "Are you kidding? I'd welcome that. Absolutely. Wouldn't that be fun, seeing 28 running down the field?"

Yes it would. In fact, Dynasty/Keeper owners with a spot at the end of their bench could do worse than busting a move to secure Faulk now if at all possible. If it pays off, you look like a genius. If not, quietly dump him and move on.

That's it for now. ... Check back next week, when we'll begin projecting some of next fall's best value picks.

Bob Harris is co-founder of the FootballDiehards Web site and senior editor at FSP Inc., publisher of Fantasy Football Pro Forecast, DraftBook, CheatSheets and Football Diehards magazines. He is a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association.