The Romo Injury: Who can help you?

Another week goes by in the NFL and another starting QB bites the dust. This time it's Tony Romo, most likely a 2nd or 3rd round pick in your fantasy draft. If you drafted Romo, you watched eagerly with Jessica Simpson as he threw for over 300 yards in four of his first six games. Now you sit stunned in front of your computer, dissecting the waiver wire because Tough Tony is out the next four weeks and you don't have a backup QB. Mr. T helped you deal with the Brady injury after week 1 and he's here to save your ass again. Having Romo in three of my six leagues, I've already done damage control. Since it's a four week injury, there's probably no need to make a trade. Here's a breakdown of some options that are probably sitting on your league's free agent list as we speak.

Kerry Collins (QB-TEN) After sharing a few shots of Jack at the bar with Kerry over his bye week, I was convinced he's the man I'm hitching my wagon to with a couple of my Romo infused squads. His game this upcoming Sunday with Kansas City is enough to wet my appetite. After that he's got Indy, Green Bay, and Chicago, teams that have given up reasonable #s to fantasy QBs so far. With Justin Gage likely back and an offense that should spend a lot of time near the red zone this weekend, Collins seems the best choice to me.

Jeff Garcia (QB-TB) Cha-Cha-Chia Garcia wouldn't be a bad option for you right now. Inserted back in the starting lineup after Brian Griese hurt his elbow giving himself "the stranger," Garcia led the Bucs to victory this past weekend. His schedule is reasonably friendly with games against Seattle, Dallas, and Kansas City in the coming weeks. He won't wow you, but sometimes all you need is that consistent 10 points a week.

Matt Ryan (QB-ATL) It's usually tough to put your fantasy football faith in the hands of a rookie QB, but this isn’t a bad option. Ryan’s on the rag this week, so he probably shouldn't be your first choice, but he should be considered for the back end of the Romo injury. Matty Ice faces Oakland, New Orleans, and Denver in weeks 9-11. If you're feeling frisky, find another two week starter and then fly with the former BC Eagle after that.

Chad Pennington (QB-MIA) I'm not sure how many leagues Chad is available in at this point. While he has a weaker throwing arm than Torry Hallelujah, he has still managed to find the end zone in the last two games. He's got home games in three of his next four games with a couple of decent matchups. You could do a lot worse.

Brad Johnson (QB-DAL) He'd be the obvious choice as he's taking over for Romo in Big D. He'll face the juicy situation against St. Louis this week, but then the Bucs and Giants should suppress his #s. There are probably better options out there for you than the weak armed geriatric game manager. Fantasy football is not like a Flomax commercial...

J.T. O'Sullivan (QB-SF) The truth is some people are giving up on one of Mr. T's guys, as I've seen him dropped in a few of my leagues. The QB named after your favorite Irish pub won't receive a ringing endorsement from me as a Romo replacement because his next four weeks include a bye and matchups @ the Giants and @ Arizona. The real beauty with JT is his playoff schedule, but that shouldn't be your concern if you have Romo. He won't kill you, but it's not last call. You'll most likely find better.

Joe Flacco (QB-BAL), Ryan Fitzpatrick (QB-CIN), and Charlie Frye & Seneca Wallace (QB-SEA) Avoid at all costs...