Manning dominates, but Romo breaks pinky

So maybe the end of Peyton Manning 's ride as a top fantasy quarterback was just a bit premature. As the future Hall of Famer showed in Week 6, when he's on his game, even top defenses can't handle the Manning-led Indianapolis Colts . It's been this way for the past decade, really, but after a sluggish first month or so of the 2008 season, Manning owners were plenty concerned.

Well, it's time to trust him again. Against the vaunted NFL-leading Baltimore Ravens defense, and with top running back Joseph Addai leaving early with a groin injury, Manning looked the part of top fantasy quarterback -- finally -- by tossing three touchdown passes and throwing for 271 yards Sunday. His timing was back; he showed chemistry with old friends; and his repaired knee, which had clearly hampered him since offseason surgery, didn't appear to be an issue.

Make no mistake, fantasy owners were leaping off the Manning bandwagon. A first-round pick in many leagues who entered the weekend ranked No. 16 among quarterbacks in fantasy points, Manning hooked up with ol' pal Marvin Harrison early on a 67-yarder to get the fun started. By the end of the first quarter, he had hit Reggie Wayne in just the right spot for a pretty touchdown. Manning hit Harrison again on a 5-yard scoring pass before the half, giving him most of the 22 fantasy points he would earn on the day. For comparison, Manning had averaged fewer than 13 points per game before Sunday, and had been outscored for the season by Kyle Orton, J.T. O'Sullivan and David Garrard. How many fantasy owners started one of those fellas over Manning on Sunday?

"We've just been a little off, and not as sharp as we need to," Colts coach Tony Dungy noted. Added Manning, "This is more of what we expect around here."

Of course, fantasy owners were expecting this from the first week of the season, but due to myriad issues -- led by Manning missing the preseason with the knee and a hurting offensive line -- the Colts struggled. Manning wasn't as highly drafted as Tom Brady, but he wasn't far off. With Manning throwing as many interceptions as touchdowns coming into Sunday, the Colts sputtering at 2-2, and the Ravens coming to Indy, it's no wonder many fantasy owners were opting for names like Orton, O'Sullivan and Garrard. When's the last time the great Peyton Manning wasn't a sure thing as a fantasy play? If you drafted the guy, surely you didn't figure on ever sitting him, but he was started in a mere 62.7 percent of ESPN leagues. By the end of Sunday, only Drew Brees and Philip Rivers had better fantasy games among quarterbacks.

After the Colts' 31-3 surprise demolition of the Ravens, Manning spoke of this game being like the first week of the season. Presumably, his knee feels good, and assuming Addai's injury is relatively minor and he was kept off the field as a precaution, this is the Colts team we figured we'd see. It's about time. This is clearly good news for fantasy owners.

Late-breaking news: Romo out four weeks

While Peyton Manning seems to have gotten back on track, another top quarterback won't be getting fantasy teams any points for awhile. Tony Romo 's broken pinkie will cost the consensus top-3 fantasy quarterback about a month. This isn't like Tom Brady 's injury; Romo will be back, there shouldn't be long-term repercussions and most fantasy teams can probably get by for a few games. A few of those games weren't going to be terrific matchups to start with (Buccaneers, Redskins, Giants). Brad Johnson , 40, will step in and lead the Cowboys, but he isn't close to the same fantasy option. Romo entered Week 6 tied for sixth in fantasy points, and even with the busted digit, he played well against the Cardinals. Johnson has thrown 11 passes since joining the Cowboys in 2007. It's likely the Cowboys will lean heavily on the run game and shorter passes. Marion Barber is a stud to start with, but Felix Jones -- if healthy -- would stand to see more touches. Terrell Owens was struggling with Romo, and this quarterback change isn't likely to help, unless the Cowboys make a concerted effort to get him more involved. Regardless, if you own Owens or Jason Witten , you'll never sit them. Johnson would have been a fantasy spot starter because of his weapons, but considering the schedule, after the Rams this week, it's tough to call him a top-20 fantasy signal caller.