49ers coach Jim Harbaugh expects Kendall Hunter to get more work in 2012. That’s not what Frank Gore owners will want to hear, but it may not be as bad as it sounds.

Now that Kyle Orton has a new home, he should experience an increase in fantasy value for the final few weeks of the regular season.

Todd Haley decided enough was enough in Detroit Sunday. And we now have a Tyler Palko sighting.

Every Wednesday this season, the research staff at “Playbook” will be taking your questions through email (playbook@nfl.com) and on Twitter (@NFLN_Playbook, with #askplaybook hashtag), and answering them in this blog. Here is the first batch of questions we’ve selected.

Todd Haley and the Chiefs flirted with one of the potential pitfalls of playing starters deep into a preseason finale Thursday night, keeping QB Matt Cassel and other first-teamers in the game late into the second quarter against the Packers.

The Chiefs are apparently eager to rush QB Matt Cassel back into the lineup after an appendectomy. But if you saw QBs Brodie Croyle and Tyler Palko play against the Chargers, you can certainly understand why.

The Kansas City Chiefs announced on Wednesday that the club has released WR Devard Darling and RB Dantrell Savage.

Ben Roethlisberger, who suffered a concussion Sunday in Kansas City but was symptom free and able to practice all week, may opt to sit out Sunday night’s game against the Ravens, according to a league source. Roethlisberger was officially listed as questionable and widely expected to play, but informed coach Mike Tomlin today that he might sit out the game as a precaution, according to the source.