Upgrades

QB Donovan McNabb (Phi) - Stating the obvious here. McNabb continued his brilliant start with another huge performance, this time against the injury-riddled secondary of the Lions. McNabb entered the game as the #1 fantasy QB and did nothing to fall in the rankings throwing for 356 yards and 2 TDs while rushing for another score. Obviously, the addition of Terrell Owens is benefiting the Eagles top playmaker as he's quickly re-emerging as perhaps the league's best dual threat at the QB position.

QB Daunte Culpepper (Min) - Similar to McNabb, Daunte continues to put up numbers at a blistering pace through the season's first three games. C-Pep finished with 360 yards and 2 TD strikes to Randy Moss while running one in himself.

QB Peyton Manning (Ind) - Not that Peyton needs upgrading, but he came thru in a big way for the Colts this week throwing 5 TDs against the visiting Packers. Manning took the offense onto his shoulders to help ease the load of Edgerrin James, who started but saw limited time as the team focused on the passing attack scoring 28 points in the early going behind 4 Manning TDs - 2 to Brandon Stokley, 1 to Marvin Harrison and another to Reggie Wayne. Manning finished completing 70% of his passes for 393 yds on the day and was this week's #1 fantasy QB. The Packers were without two of their top three corners as Mike McKenzie and Ahmad Carroll were held out due to injuries. With the Colts currently holding claim to the 32nd best defense (in yards allowed), expect Manning to be involved in more of these type of games in the future.

QB Brett Favre (GB) - Tempering our enthusiasm on the heels of Favre's 358 yard performance in Sunday's loss to the Colts was a possible injury at the end of the game. Favre completed 30 out of 44 pass attempts while reaching the end zone 4 times without an interception. But the biggest news here is that the Green Bay pass defense was exposed as a fraud this week. In the copycat league that is the NFL, look for more of these shootouts the rest of the way as teams exploit what the Indianapolis game plan revealed.

QB Kurt Warner (NYG) - For the 2nd consecutive week Warner turned in a commanding performance as the Giants offensive leader in the huddle. He scored just the 3rd rushing TD of his career while completing 19 of 27 passes for 286 yards though he failed to reach the end zone. The Browns were playing without their two top corners and also were missing two of their four defensive linemen. While it was an "easier matchup" for Warner, the results are encouraging for the former 2-time league MVP. At this stage, Warner is a border-line fantasy starter capable of producing top 10 numbers, but we'd hesitate to run with him every week. 2 strong weeks in a row is a step in the right direction, but against tougher foes like Philly and Dallas within their division, Warner remains best used as a back-up or bye week fill-in. If he's available still in your league, snatch him up.

QB Marc Bulger (Stl) - We came away with two key points to make following the Rams loss at home to their former divisional rival Saints regarding Bulger and his fantasy production and potential moving forward. 1 - Bulger remains extremely accurate completing over 64% of his passes for 358 yards as the Rams continue to rely perhaps too much on their passing attack. This is a good for Bulger's stock, but comes with a risk and potential downside. 2 - The risk comes in the sheer number of times Bulger drops back to pass each week playing behind an offensive line that was continuously challenged to keep him out of harm's way against a strong Saints pass rush that sacked him 5 times - with a 6th sack that was called back on a penalty and numerous other near misses and big hits. Bulger surprisingly showed some nimble feet rushing for a TD to put the Rams ahead in what appeared to be a game-winning TD run. Bulger's owners have to be happy at this point, but concerned as Martz is running a great risk and really needs to work on their rushing attack to provide the team with more balance and keep his young QB in one piece for the full 16 game slate.

QB Jake Plummer (Den) - The Broncos emerged victorious after a close call fueled by a lost fumble for the 3rd straight week from Quentin Griffin. Plummer got the Broncos into the end zone on a TD strike to Ashley Lelie as he finished firmly among this week's top 10 QBs throwing for 294 yds on 25 of 36 passing with 2 TDs. The encouraging thing to note here was the increased production the team got out of Lelie as well as TE Jeb Putzier. Plummer needs these two to be productive as team's are increasingly going to double Rod Smith and force them to look towards Lelie, Putzier and rookie Darius Watts.

QB Trent Green (KC) - The first two games of the season marked a rough start for the Chiefs QB, but he bounced back with a solid game in week 3 despite the team losing in stunning fashion to the Houston Texans. Green did his part completing 21 of 30 passes for 224 yards, 3 TDs and 1 INT despite playing without Eddie Kennison in the starting lineup. Let's hope this week was more indicative of future performances for Green than the first two stinkers he laid this season. Chalk it up as a step in the right direction, but ultimately this was more on par with our expectations of him entering the season.

QB Joey Harrington (Det) - The Lions were clobbered in front of the home crowd at Ford Field by the visiting Eagles, but Joey hung in there fairly well despite a constant barrage of blitzes from the swarming Eagles defense. The Lions were forced to throw after falling behind early and losing RB Kevin Jones to an ankle injury early in the game. Harrington's value is obviously boosted by the explosive performance of rookie Roy Williams who caught 2 TDs from Harrington for the 2nd straight week. Joey made some costly mistakes, including a lost fumble as he tried rushing for a first down, but overall the fantasy numbers were solid considering the matchup and playing without Jones in the backfield. 21 for 38 for 199 yards isn't great, but with 2 TDs and no picks - it's useful as he was likely thrown into many team's lineups this week due to bye weeks or injury. Harrington has much more work to do before he's considered a valuable fantasy QB, but he continues to take steps forward and the fact he's completing big plays downfield to Williams is an encouraging sign.

*** Waiver Wire *** - QB Ben Roethlisberger (Pit) - Big Ben made his first career NFL start for the visiting Steelers amidst terrible weather conditions following Hurricane Jeanne - and against one of the league's tougher passing matchups in Miami. He was intercepted on his first pass, but held up fairly well completing 12 of 22 passes on a sloppy field where the football was difficult to hold onto. He completed a key TD pass to Hines Ward and led the Steelers to a road win. Upgrading Roethlisberger is more of an indication of his relative poise. Expect better numbers against lesser opponents as future games undoubtedly will feature better weather conditions as well. He's by no means a fantasy starter yet, but for those of you in dynasty leagues - take note - his upside and long-term potential are outstanding. He's big, mobile, tough and has a huge arm. His value will go nowhere but up in the future, but expect some ups and downs as he fills in for starter Tommy Maddox in his rookie season.

*** Waiver wire - QB Kerry Collins (Oak) - As most of us predicted or expected, it didn't take long for Kerry Collins to take the field for the Raiders this year. Bucs LB Derrick Brooks rocked Rich Gannon early in Sunday's game forcing him to the sidelines. Collins took over leading the Raiders to a 30-20 victory while completing 16 of 27 passes for 228 yards with 1 TD and 1 INT. Collins has the big arm that seems perfectly suited to Norv Turner's offensive scheme. With Gannon out a minimum of 6 weeks, Collins will be the hot waiver wire pickup this week.

*** Waiver wire - QB Billy Volek (Ten) - McNair bruised his sternum and didn't finish the game against the Jaguars. McNair has a history of playing through pain though so it's not a given Volek would see the field even with a hurt McNair. But if you are desperate at QB this week, Volek could be your man. Just make sure to follow the news closely this week regarding McNair.

QB Brad Johnson (TB) - We think his 309 passing yards and 2 TDs will keep Chris Simms on the bench a bit longer.

QB Aaron Brooks (NO) - With Deuce McAllister out for a few more weeks, we expect this team to have 5-10 more pass plays per game as the Saints gameplan to the strengths of Brooks, Horn and Stallworth.

*** Waiver wire - QB Jay Fiedler (Mia) - He obviously will be behind center soon. AJ Feeley is horrible. RB Thomas Jones (Chi) - Jones continues to rack up yardage at a ridiculous pace that more than justifies those lofty pre-season comparisons made by some of us to Priest Holmes and Marshall Faulk. In Terry Shea's offense - essentially the same of that used by the Rams and Chiefs - Jones is building confidence after rushing for his 2nd straight 100 yd game while scoring for the the 3rd straight week. He's easily among the top 5 fantasy backs in most scoring systems after just three weeks. Jonathan Quinn is hardly a proven backup, so Jones could be staring as 8 and 9 man defensive fronts until the Bears prove they can beat them by throwing downfield. Regardless, Jones earns the big upgrade with three straight extremely productive games. Where are those nay-sayers now? Sometimes players just need the right opportunity to match their skills and apparently Jones has gotten his - and so far he's making the most of it.

RB Jamal Lewis (Bal) - How can we upgrade a guy who rushed for over 2000 yards a year ago? Easy. He was coming two subpar performances in terms of yardage, but quickly erased any lack of confidence in his owners after recording his 7th 100+ yard rushing performance in as many games against the Bengals. He broke off a 71 yard TD run at one point on his way to a league-high 186 yds on just 18 attempts while also catching a pass and taking it for another 46 yards. As the Ravens line gets healthier, Lewis should see his production go up as well. The upcoming problems with his legal case notwithstanding, Lewis is obviously a top notch fantasy back.

RB Chris Brown (Ten) - The Titans 2nd round pick from a year ago did something that even Eddie George wasn't able to do. As a matter of fact Stump Mitchell is the only other back in NFL history to accomplish what Brown did this week - three 100 yard rushing efforts in his first three NFL starts. And Brown did it in style going up against perhaps the league's toughest rushing defense that hadn't allowed a 100 yd rusher in 17 straight games. Brown finished with 101 yards on 23 carries, scoring a TD and catching 3 passes for another 30 yards. Those drinking the Brown Kool-Aid bragged about his top 10 potential heading into the season. As long as he remains healthy he's definitely in that mix already. The Titans offensive line is playing extremely well so we see no reason to think these huge days won't continue for Chris Brown.

RB Onterrio Smith (Min) - Too bad he's going to be suspended any day/week for four games following a positive test for good ole Mary Jane. This is about the only thing that's slowing him down right about now as he rolled up on the Bears almost going for the daily double - 94 yds rushing and 104 yds receiving. He lost a fumble but we won't get bogged down by that modest setback as he is not doing anything but erode Michael Bennett's value as he inches closer towards returning - which conveniently should correspond with Onterrio's suspension. Conspiracy theorists love the timing of this.

RB Michael Bennett (Min) - He will be the starting RB when the team returns from their bye week. He will need to perform well as the starter because of the play of Smith above.

RB Aaron Stecker (NO) - Filling in for Pro Bowl RB Deuce McAllister, Stecker made his first NFL start and responded with a 42 yard TD run and a 106 yards rushing on just 18 carries. He also caught 4 passes for 20 yards as the Saints surprised the Rams defeating them on their own turf in OT. Stecker solidified himself as a viable fantasy starter in the process finishing among the top 10 fantasy RBs on the week and building confidence for those who plucked him off the waiver wire last week as a possible starter. Obviously, his value will be affected by the matchups each week, but if Deuce misses another 3-4 games, then don't hesitate to use Stecker judiciously in his stead.

RB Tiki Barber (NYG) - Barber produced 154 total yards this week but was still snipered at the goal-line by Mike Cloud, who was activated to replace the injured Ron Dayne. We'd certainly like to see Barber get more opportunities in that respect, but he clearly remains the Giants most useful, versatile and dangerous offensive weapon. Barber averaged nearly 5 yds a carry rushing 23 times for 106 yards, scoring a TD and snaring 3 passes for 48 yards. If Kurt Warner keeps up his strong play, Barber's value should remain high for the rest of the season.

RB Duce Staley (Pit) - Staley sloshed his way to his first 100 yd rushing effort as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Dolphins defensive line has taken some hits due to injury and appears to be a potentially easier matchup moving forward - compared to our expectations going into the season. Staley didn't catch any passes, but that shouldn't be much of a surprise considering the weather conditions. He's a solid #2 back in most leagues and could be a serviceable starter for the rest of the year as the Steelers will probably try to run the ball even more to protect their rookie QB who is expected to start the next 5-6 games.

*** Waiver Wire - RB Tyrone Wheatley (Oak) - Right after most folks wrote off the venerable Wheatley, he jumped to life rushing for 102 yards on 18 carries with a TD as he finished around the top 10 RBs in most scoring systems. The Raiders RBBC approach has forced many a fantasy owner to look the other way considering the frequency which Amos Zereoue, J.R. Redmond and Justin Fargas get on the field at Wheatley's expense. That said, many were questioning whether or not to roster Wheatley moving forward and after this week's performance the answer is definitely - yes. The thing we'd like to see out of the Raiders and Wheatley is more consistency. One week does not make a trend.

*** Waiver Wire - RB Michael Pittman & RB Mike Alstott (TB) - Charlie Garner is lost for the season after tearing the patella tendon in his right knee against his former team - the Raiders - on Sunday night. Pittman returns to the team this week after serving his three week suspension and figures to leap immediately back into the saddle as Gruden's lead back. Pittman is worth quite a bit more in leagues that reward 1 pt per reception considering he's capable of catching 60+ passes in the final 13 games. Mike Alstott is also likely to see extended action. He had a nifty 32 yard run this week while finishing with 65 yds on 12 carries and catching 4 balls for another 30 yards. He's more of the reach variety in standard 12 team leagues, but in TD only leagues, Alstott is a possible starter who could cross the goal line 5 to 10 times the rest of the way.

*** Waiver Wire - RB Leonard Henry (Mia) - Honestly, if you're excited about the possibility of adding Leonard Henry I can only assume you are either in a very deep league or you have a horrible rash of injuries and bye weeks culminating in a lack of starter-quality backs. The Miami Dolphins ground attack is anything but productive after three straight games that qualify as nothing short of horrific. That said, Lamar Gordon left Sunday night's game early with a shoulder injury as Leonard Henry took over rushing 21 times for just 41 yards. Despite the potential for being a serious reach, Henry does have some skill and is relatively unheard of in most football circles. He was tremendously productive as a collegian at East Carolina and now figures prominently in the Dolphins rushing "attack" with injuries short circuiting Travis Minor, Sammy Morris and the previously mentioned Gordon. We're skeptical of his ability to improve your team, but you should never be afraid to add an NFL starting RB to your stable if you can afford the roster spot. As Warren Sapp said in his post game interview when asked about Charlie Garner's injury, "We're all six minutes away from flipping burgers." As fantasy owners we can never get too complacent despite the depth and talent you may have already stowed away.

*** Waiver Wire - RB Artose Pinner & Shawn Bryson (Det) - Kevin Jones will be out for 2-4 weeks which opens the door for Artose Pinner and Shawn Bryson. We believe Bryson might have better skills, but both will likely get an opportunity after their bye week to try and grab the top spot while Jones heals.

*** Waiver Wire - RB Jonathan Wells (Hou) - Domanick Davis injured his ankle and did not return to the Texans game against the Chiefs forcing Wells into action. Tony Hollings (knee) was a game-day inactive as he, too, recovers from an injury. If Davis is forced to miss any time, Hollings would figure to be the plug-in starter assuming he's well enough to play and his knee responds well in practice, but it's worth noting that Wells stands a reasonable chance to get a start as well. It all depends on the prognosis of Double D. Davis indicated after the game that he would be fine so adding Wells might be more of a fire drill as it won't amount to any value to your team. However, if DD and Hollings continue to be held out, then Wells could have a short window of opportunity that's worth exploring in deeper leagues or as your situation warrants.

Warrick Dunn (Atl) - After three weeks he has 223 rushing yards and 4 rushing TDs. That is good enough for 12th place in fantasy points per game. As we stated in the preseason, Dunn is a much better fit into this offense. Expect TJ Duckett's value to continue to drop as long as Dunn can stay healthy.

WR Roy Williams (Det) - The legend is living up to his collegiate nickname having caught 4 TDs in the past two weeks. He is quickly emerging as a stand-out fantasy WR despite his lack of NFL experience. Charles Rogers will be back next year - hopefully - but for now Williams is the biggest playmaker on the Lions offense. He is proving to be more than a handful for opposing corners. He's bigger, quicker and more athletic than most people defending him, but it's hard to predict him being a top 10 fantasy WR consistently as a rookie week in and week out. Then again, we wondered the same thing about Anquan Boldin last year, and Williams comes in with a much better pedigree than Boldin. FOX studio analyst and former coach Jimmy Johnson said he already considers Williams to be among the league's top 5 or 6 WRs. It's hard to argue with the kind of performances he's putting up so far.

WR Javon Walker (GB) - Who cares how or why it happened, all you need to do is look at the box score to see Walker's 11 catches, 198 yards and 3 TDs to get your attention. Walker showed amazing ability in the 2nd half of last season making some memorable catches in the historic MNF performance following the death of Brett Favre's father. He got right back on track this past week with what many felt would be his breakout season as the emerging go-to guy in the Packers passing attack. While most were growing nervous about the Packers inconsistent production from their WR corps and their increasing tendency to rely upon the ground attack featuring Ahman Green - Walker's huge game this week solidifies his spot amongst the league's top young WRs and once against puts him back amongst the short list of players to emerge as top 10 WRs this year.

WR Reggie Wayne and Brandon Stokley (Ind) - Much to the dismay of Marvin Harrison's owners, it was Wayne and Stokley who grabbed the lion's share of big plays and stats from Peyton's arm this week. Stokley caught 2 TDs on 8 catches while finishing with 110 yards. Meanwhile, Wayne exploded for 11 catches, 184 yards and a TD of his own. Stokley is a great catch if he's available on the waiver wire at this point, because team's will focus on Harrison and can't afford to pay too much attention to a slot WR when they have to worry about Edgerrin James, Wayne and even their dual TEs of Pollard and Clark. He'll continue to draw favorable matchups moving forward and could be a great bye week fill-in or even warrant strong consideration as a #3 WR in most leagues.

WR Isaac Bruce (Stl) - Those owners who waited an extra couple rounds to nab their top WRs, bypassing the more popular Torry Holt for the venerable Isaac Bruce are looking like sheer geniuses now. For the 3rd straight week Bruce topped 100 yards and is well on his way towards another Pro Bowl appearance if he can sustain this pace. He's frequently been targeted more than Holt going back over the last few seasons in the red zone, and is an awesome #2 fantasy WR if you drafted him as such. Overachievers like Bruce - even though it's only three weeks - are what championship teams are built of.

WR Amani Toomer (NYG) - With the re-emergence of Kurt Warner comes Amani Toomer. The former Wolverine had his best game of the young season catching 5 passes for 126 yards. He'll probably be more up and down that most WRs in his range, but we'd definitely keep him in the starting lineup moving forward unless you are looking at another WR of similar talent with a better matchup any given week.

WR Ashley Lelie (Den) - The former 1st round pick showed further signs of developing into a capable NFL starter this week catching a key TD pass from Jake Plummer to cement a Broncos victory at home against the Chargers. He lept over fellow 1st rounder Quentin Jammer to make a sensational grab in the corner of the end zone. Lelie had 4 catches for 67 yds on the day while also contributing a couple of rushing attempts on end arounds that went for another 6 yards. The Broncos will continue to look for ways to exploit Lelie's quickness and deep strike ability moving forward. At the very least, he now merits consideration as your team's #3 fantasy WR.

WR Nate Burleson (Min) - Burleson continues to grow into his starting role opposite Randy Moss and will likely never see a double team the whole season. Marcus Robinson is currently slowed by his recurring injuries to his knees further allowing Burleson the time and opportunity to develop quickly into a solid NFL WR. Judging by the sideline mentoring and pushing from Moss, he won't be resting on his laurels either. Burleson may seem like an odd choice for an upgrade with just 2 catches for 71 yards, but we have no doubt that this kid has bigger games in his near future.

WR Donte Stallworth (NO) - Stallworth was a huge tease last year after proving to be an explosive and valuable fantasy WR as a rookie. So far this year he's living up to the hype of the 3rd year WR rule. He's been healthy and fairly productive as he caught 5 passes this week for 65 yards. He's among the league's fastest players and is always one play away from the end zone. While he may have been had on draft day as a possible 3rd/4th WR, he could be quickly emerging as a viable 2nd/3rd WR whose big play potential will make it hard to his owners to keep out of the lineup.

*** Waiver Wire - WR Bobby Wade (Chi) - We pegged him as a solid sleeper this week given the matchup against the Vikings, and he delivered catching 4 passes for 71 yards including a 14 yard run on an end-around. These end-arounds are quickly becoming part of the Bears offensive staple. Wade is on the smaller side and draws favorable comparisons for former Bears receiver Bobby Engram. Wade figures to be more consistent than David Terrell because he's more of a possession receiver and less of the downfield threat. Pick him up and use him accordingly.

*** Waiver Wire - WR Tim Carter (NYG) - Carter continues to emerge as a solid WR for the Giants and figures to be in the starting lineup at some point this year, if not next... Ike Hilliard is a solid veteran, but he's got a long history of not staying healthy for the full slate of games. Carter has mad speed and decent size, but like Hilliard has also struggled to stay healthy for the long haul. If he's over the proverbial hump, he's got great upside and potential in both re-draft and dynasty leagues, so put him on the short list.

*** Waiver Wire - WR Johnnie Morton (KC) - We'll never be accused of being Morton guys, but the simple fact of the matter is there are a lot of balls to be caught in KC and Tony Gonzalez can't grab them all. An injury to Eddie Kennison prompts an increase in potential targets and opportunity for Morton, who is clearly on the downside of his career. That said, he's worth a roster spot and could be decent fodder for bye weeks like many of the other waiver wire players mentioned in this space.

*** Waiver Wire - WR Dennis Northcutt (Cle) - The injury to Kellen Winslow prompted the Browns to use more 3 WR sets which means an increase in playing time for Northcutt and a corresponding increase in fantasy value. Northcutt didn't explode this week, but he did catch 9 passes for 50 yards as Garcia looked his way frequently against the G-men. Northcutt is worth a roster spot if nothing else, and could come in handy as a situational starter on bye weeks. He's explosive and does his best work out of the slot.

*** Waiver Wire - WR Randy Hymes (Bal) - Ok, so it is incredibly difficult to get excited about any Ravens WR. We won't argue with anyone over that point. But it's worth noting that Hymes is producing - even if its only marginally - as a fill-in starter for the injured Travis Taylor. Even when Taylor returns Hymes figures to stay on the field as a slot WR and should have favorable matchups. Hymes is a former collegiate QB who missed all of last year due to knee injury. He recorded 4 catches for 61 yds and a TD this week and could make himself useful as a reach from the bench during the bye weeks that lie ahead.

*** Waiver Wire - WR Derick Armstrong (Hou) - Admittedly, Armstrong is more of a dynasty league player to roster, but even if you're in a re-draft league keep him on your short list. He could become a hot commodity if Gaffney or Johnson get hurt.

WR Donald Driver - He had 13 targets this week. Robert Ferguson had 2. For the season that ratio is 30-13 in favor of Driver. Make no mistake about it. Driver and Javon Walker are the two WRs worth having on this team. TE Randy McMichael (Mia) - He leads all TEs with receptions (19) and receiving yardage (223).

TE Tony Gonzalez - How do we upgrade the #1 TE? Simple. The Chiefs are throwing to him even more as they scamper each week to put healthy receivers on the field. Expect more of what we saw this week as Gonzalez shows he has no equals at this position.

TE L.J. Smith (Phi) - Smith is emerging as a force in his 2nd season. We all expected as much considering he was on just about everyone one's short list of sleepers this year along with Gates and Witten. McNabb looks for him frequently and especially on 3rd downs. He's quickly becoming a top 5 to top 10 talent as he added another 4 catches for 74 yards this week against the Lions, who are notoriously bad covering the TE going back over the past few seasons.

TE Jeb Putzier (Den) - Putzier came through this week with 5 receptions for 66 yards finishing as one of the highest scoring TEs of the week. The Broncos feature their TEs regularly in the red zone on bootlegs and rollouts, so Jeb should be productive the rest of the way. Fantasy owners asked what was going on when the Broncos cut Weaver and Chamberlain earlier. Shannon Sharpe, who knows the situation well, said no-one should be surprised because Jeb Putzier will be great in this offense. We believe him.

*** Waiver Wire - TE George Wrighster (Jac) - He's emerging as a fantasy TE after replacing the injured Kyle Brady in the lineup in the first few games this season. This week Wrighster finished 2nd among TEs catching 5 balls for 30 yards including a TD. Leftwich looked his way several times in the red zone last year and he could figure prominently as a free agent catch moving forward.

*** Waiver Wire - TE Billy Miller (Hou) - Just about the time we were going to put an A.P.B. for Miller he responds with a decent game catching 3 passes for 39 yards. In the world of tight ends that's not such a bad day. Whether or not he turns the corner and gets back to his former productive self remains to be seen, but this was a nice sign and we'll keep our eyes peeled for his role in coming weeks to see if he's worth adding for real. PK John Carney (NO) - He had 6 field goal attempts on Sunday, making 5. He could be in store for a huge year in this offense.

Def Jacksonville - Make no mistake about it, this unit is for real. They have made it possible for the Jaguars to be 3-0.

Def Seattle - Sacks and turnovers and a shutout. This unit is playing like a top 5 unit right now.

RB Mike Cloud (NYG) - He scored this week on a short TD run filling in for the injured Ron Dayne. Cloud's status remains in limbo and is hinged to the availability of Dayne, who showed up at the Giants facility this weekend nursing a calf injury. We don't see a need to go out and add Cloud to your team at this point, even if Dayne is hurt and ends up missing more than a week or two. Cloud's value is limited to that of a short-yardage role with slight value in TD-only leagues, and no where else.

WR Bill Schroeder (TB) - We don't expect Schroeder to be hanging up numbers on a semi-consistent basis no matter how bad the Bucs need to throw the ball to win games. Simply put, he's a decent WR with solid speed and size, but he's not a good route runner nor does he have consistent hands. He also doesn't like going over the middle and has been a repeat offender of coming up short for the ball on passes that should be completions over his career.

QB Josh McCown (Ari) - McCown was replaced late in the Cardinals road loss to the Falcons after completing 20 out of 26 passes for 198 yards. Despite a high completion percentage the Cardinals offense never really amounted an attack throughout the entire game and failed to reach the end zone. It's hard to blame McCown entirely, but nevertheless he earns a downgrade as the Cardinals offensive line was beaten repeatedly for 6 sacks leaving McCown little time to look downfield much less get comfortable in the pocket. Until the Cardinals offensive line play improves - assuming it does - and his receivers get healthier and more productive, McCown belongs firmly on the bench. After three weeks, McCown still has no passing TDs.

QB Jeff Garcia (Cle) - Despite having a good matchup on paper against a Giants pass defense that was beaten soundly in their first two games - and lost SS Shaun Williams to a knee injury on Friday - Garcia registered a stinker this week. He had a pedestrian like 180 yards with 1 TD and 1 INT on 21 of 31 passing. Bottom line is Garcia's owners hoped for much better numbers but came away feeling rather empty as the alarms are going off for potential bust candidate. It's only one week, but after coming up on the short end of the stick 2 out of the first weeks - Garcia's now on the short-list of guys who could go either way. Be careful with him moving forward.

QB Michael Vick (Ari) - Apparently the "Mike Vick rules" laid down by coach Denny Green worked for the Cardinals. In what appeared to be a very good matchup at home for the Falcons passing attack, it's safe to say Vick's owners swung for the fence and came away with a subpar performance. 68 yds rushing (almost all on one play) helped pad the stats, but no TDs, 1 INT and a 10 for 20 passing day leaves a lot to be desired. Vick remains perhaps the most explosive, athletic QB in the league but consistency is the name in the game in fantasy football.

QB Rich Gannon (Oak) - He is gone for at least 6 weeks. Kerry Collins is likely a better fit in this offense too so Gannon could have a hard time getting the position back this season. There are also reports that the team could put him on IR to preserve a roster spot.

QB Byron Leftwich (Jac) - In 3 weeks he has 391 passing yards total. Peyton Manning threw for 393 yards this week. Ouch.

QB AJ Feeley (Mia) - 5 interceptions already. No wins. Jay Fiedler will be the starter again very soon.

QB Rex Grossman (Chi) - He is lost for the season.

RB Quentin Griffin (Den) - Griffin came up short for the 2nd straight week despite a great matchup on paper. He lost a fumble at a crucial point in the game for the 2nd straight week as well - and now has lost a fumble in all three of his starts this year. Skeletor isn't likely to tip his hat if he's planning on making a change, and I fully expect him to show some sign of support for Griffin as he addresses the media's questions throughout the coming week. That said, don't be surprised if the veteran Garrison Hearst earns more playing time or rookie Tatum Bell begins his ascent to the starting job which many have expected from the moment he was drafted this past April. Griffin is no doubt a talented, one-cut runner who can make big plays with his speed, quickness, balance and shiftiness, but consistent fumbling could become his downfall. This is something to definitely watch going forward.

RB Charlie Garner (TB) - He is lost for the season.

RB Kevin Jones (Det) - He is out 2-4 weeks with a high ankle sprain.

Miami RBs - The team is last in rushing and looks like it is a strong candidate to end up there at season's end.

RB Kevan Barlow (SF) had just 22 yards on 10 carries. Without a viable pass attack, Barlow may have trouble getting on track this year despite his skills.

RB Derrick Blaylock (KC) - His opportunity never happened this past week as Priest Holmes played hurt. He will settle back into his 2-4 carries a week routine again.

RB Larry Johnson (KC) - We all saw what Vermeil thinks of this player this week. He is being discussed in trade rumors. But unless that happens we don't expect him to see the field anytime soon.

RBs Marshall Faulk and Steven Jackson (StL) - HC Mike Martz likes to throw the ball. End of story. Even when the matchups tell him he should run, he is likely to pass.

RB Anthony Thomas (Chi) - In three weeks, he has 10 rushing attempts for 30 yards and no TDs. He has no role as long as Thomas Jones continues to play so well.

WR Plaxico Burress (Pit) - Despite being a free agent at the end of the year, Plaxico is having a horrible season. He has just 103 yards on 5 receptions for the year.

WR Eric Parker (SD) - We could simply chalk this up to the Champ Bailey effect, but Parker was flat out unproductive this week catching just 1 pass for 17 yards despite playing from behind the entire game. We remain high on his long-term prospects, but right now should not be in your starting lineup.

WR Todd Pinkston (Phi) - Despite McNabb and the Philadelphia passing attack being on fire, Pinkston hasn't done squat. He has just 98 yards on 6 receptions with no TDs after three weeks.

WR Kevin Johnson (Bal) - He may be the #1 WR on the Ravens, but he sits at number 86 on our fantasy points per game list.

WR Kelley Washing (Cin) - He simply runs bad routes right now. He has physical talent, but until he can get to the right spot on the field, he isn't worth much to your fantasy team. He has just 67 receiving yards after three weeks.

WR Marty Booker (Mia) - Bad QB play + Bad weather + emergence of McMichael + better receiver in Chambers = no value for Booker. He has just 49 yards receiving after 3 weeks.

WR Reggie Williams (Jac) - The rookie seems overwhelmed at the moment.

TE Stephen Alexander (Det) - He has just 43 yards so far despite a huge opportunity to shine when Charles Rogers went down.

TEs Brandon Manumaleuna (StL) has just 8 yards on 2 catches. For a team that loves to pass, we would expect a lot more action to the tight end.

TE Dallas Clark (Ind) - When your team throws for 393 yards and you don't catch a pass then your fantasy value has hit rock bottom.

PK Paul Edinger (Chi) - He has missed 3 FGs already.