Upgrades

*** Waiver Wire *** - QB Jon Kitna (Cin) - We are not saying this change should be made, but if the Bengals keep losing we think it could happen. This is the week to stash Kitna on your roster (before a change gets made)

QB David Carr (Hou) - The mullet-wearing David Carr is no longer now that the team has won back to back. He looked very poised yesterday finding Andre Johnson often. He is a rising star in this league.

QB Byron Leftwich (Jac) - This should hold off the David Garrard chants for a bit. He was expected to do good against a suspect Indianapolis pass defense, but did not disappoint. This could be just what he needed to get him going this season.

QB Ben Roethlisberger (Pit) - He is looking very poised in this offense despite being a rookie. Expect him to continue to improve with more playing time.

*** Waiver Wire *** - QB Tim Rattay (SF) - He might be available on your waiver wire with the juggling of he and Ken Dorsey earlier this season. Tim struggled in the first half, but settled down and looked solid in the second half. Expect the 49ers to be playing from behind a lot this year which could make Tim Rattay a nice play going forward.

RB Emmitt Smith (Ari) - He now holds the distinction of a perfect passer rating (to go with his HOF credentials) completing his one attempt for a TD this week. But more impressive was his ability to run with authority in this game. He tied with Tiki Barber this week for most fantasy points for a RB.

RB TJ Duckett (Atl) - Warrick Dunn is nicked which likely could mean more carries for TJ Duckett. He looked good rushing the ball carrying 13 times for 63 yards and a TD.

*** Waiver Wire *** - RB Chester Taylor (Bal) - Jamal Lewis will enter a plea agreement that will likely lead to a few game suspension this season (plus 4 months of jail time in the off-season). Chester Taylor would likely handle the bulk of the carries in his absence.

RB Lee Suggs (Cle) - Finally the doctors let him play. He is much better than William Green and showcased those skills yesterday (22 carries for 82 yards and a TD).

RB Tatum Bell (Den) - It is looking like he is going to get his chance here pretty soon. Griffin's fumbles (3 fumbles lost) and lack of explosiveness the last few weeks opens the door for the rookie to showcase his skills.

RB Edgerrin James (Ind) - This offense is on fire and James is a huge part of it. With Peyton throwing the ball extremely well, teams can't stack the line to stop the run. Advantage Edgerrin James.

*** Waiver Wire *** - RB Moe Williams (Min) - Michael Bennett just had another surgery and will miss another two weeks at minimum. Backup RB Onterrio Smith meets with the league office this week and will likely be suspended for 4 games. Moe Williams stock is off the charts right now running behind the massive Minnesota offensive line.

RB Tiki Barber (NYG) - He leads all RBs with 455 yards rushing. He also is holding onto the football (0 fumbles after 4 weeks). Despite playing behind a suspect offensive line, Tiki is displaying outstanding vision and has already broken a few long runs this year. Although it is hard to think Tiki will lead all NFL rushers at the end of the season, he could definitely be near the top with the way he is playing.

*** Waiver Wire *** - RB Amos Zereoue (Oak) - He finally got a chance to play when Tyrone Wheatley left the game with a shoulder injured. He took advantage of this opportunity and posted 117 yards

RB Brian Westbrook (Phi) - He currently is the 12th highest fantasy RB despite not scoring a TD yet. In leagues that reward 1 point per reception, his value is off the charts. He leads all RBs with 24 catches for 206 yards.

RB Curtis Martin (NYJ) - He gained 110 yards and scored a TD against the Dolphins. This guy is for real and seems to be on a mission this year. He leads all fantasy RBs in fantasy points per game reeling off three 100+ yard efforts in a row.

RB Michael Pittman (TB) - Before the game, Gruden stated that Pittman was not in game shape so he did not expect Pittman to contribute much this week. Expect Pittman to become a lot more involved in the passing game in weeks ahead.

*** Waiver Wire *** - WR Lee Evans (Buf) - He quietly moved into the WR#2 role in Buffalo. This talented rookie was targeted 5 times catching 4 for 93 yards. With a Buffalo team that could be playing from behind in many contests this year, Lee Evans could be a valuable person to add for WR depth.

*** Waiver Wire *** - WR David Terrell (Chi) - He is going to likely be inconsistent all year (big game/lousy game), but when featured he can put up the numbers. He got a lot of his yards in garbage time, but that could happen any time the Bears have a tough matchup. He finished with 9 receptions for 116 yards (on 11 targets).

WR Andre Johnson (Hou) - He is running great routes and at times is extremely wide open. Possessing both strength and speed, Johnson makes for a tough matchup on opposing defensive backs. He is quickly emerging as one of the best WRs in the game.

WR Brandon Stokely (Ind) - Simply put, everyone involved in the Indianapolis Colts offense is going to put up numbers. The Colts defense is allowing over 300 passing yards a game so expect the shootouts to continue. He is the WR#3 on paper in Indianapolis, but as seen yesterday, he can also get his share of passes thrown to him. He finished with 8 catches for 97 yards and a TD (on 9 targets).

*** Waiver Wire *** - WR Ernest Wilford (Jac) - He is quietly outplaying the more touted rookie Reggie Williams. He was involved in 7 pass plays yesterday (catching 6 for 56 yards). He is someone to keep an eye on in the weeks ahead.

*** Waiver Wire *** - WR Ronald Curry (Oak) - He had 5 receptions for 69 yards (on 5 targets). Look for Ronald to be more involved in a Kerry Collins led attack the rest of the way.

WR Terrell Owens (Phi) - The endzone celebration aside, Terrell Owens is making a huge difference in Philadelphia.

WR Reche Caldwell (SD) - He has played well this season and is emerging with Antonio Gates as the go-to guys in the passing game. The neck injury to Eric Parker further increases the team's reliance on Reche Caldwell too.

*** Waiver Wire *** - WR Curtis Conway (SF) - With Brandon Lloyd dinged, he is the #1 WR now in San Francisco.

WR Michael Clayton (TB) - Amongst injuries and holdouts, rookie WR Michael Clayton is quietly emerging as the go-to receiver in Tampa Bay. After 4 weeks, he has been targeted 32 times catching 19 for 240 yards and a TD. Not bad for a rookie thrust into the lineup.

WR Drew Bennett (Ten) - He had 16 targets yesterday and caught 9 of those passes for 109 yards. Tyrone Calico reinjured his knee in the game so Drew Bennett is likely to hold onto the WR#2 spot the rest of the way.

WR Laveranues Coles (Was) - Despite Rod Gardner's huge week last week, Coles is the #1 WR in this offense. He had a big game posting 122 yards on 7 catches.

TE Alge Crumpler (Atl) - He was targeted 9 times yesterday hauling in 5 for 95 yards. He is option number 1 in Atlanta's passing game. His size makes him very difficult to cover. We expect this to be the case all season.

*** Waiver Wire *** - TE Marcus Pollard (Ind) - Dallas Clark has been a no-show so far which has been Pollard's gain. You have to start all players involved in the Indianapolis passing game right now.

TE Daniel Graham (NE) - Ben Watson's now on IR so Graham is the guy. This is especially true in the redzone where he has 4 TD grabs already this season.

TE Eric Johnson (SF) - He was targeted a whopping 12 times. He hauled in 10 of those passes for 113 yards. He leads all tight ends this year with 28 catches for 298 yards.

*** Waiver Wire *** - PK Kris Brown (Hou) - When you go 9 for 10 in FG attempts, you get an upgrade. Grab him now while you still can.

PK David Akers (Phi) - This offense is rolling and he is definitely going to get his. He is the best bet to finish atop the kicker rankings at season's end.

Def Atlanta - They have allowed just 251 rushing yards in 4 games. Now that is getting it done.

*** Waiver Wire *** - Def New York Jets - Admittedly it was against the lowly Dolphins, but this defense is playing very good football right now.

QB Josh McCown (Ari) - He has 0 passing TDs in 4 games. Emmitt Smith has 1. That's all you need to know

QB Michael Vick (Atl) - The Falcons have a game plan and it does not require Vick throwing for many yards. By playing Vick, you are betting that he will have a huge running week because his passes have mostly been to the tight end and RBs out of the backfield.

QB Carson Palmer (Cin) - He leads all QBs with 7 interceptions and also is 0-4. He has skills, but he could get benched soon if the team keeps losing.

QB Jeff Garcia (Cle) - We can't predict injuries, but Jeff will get hurt this year. He seems to be running for his life on most passing downs behind a make-shift offensive line.

RB Quentin Griffin (Den) - It's becoming more evident each week that he isn't a full-time starter. We expect to start seeing Tatum Bell a lot more in the coming weeks.

RB Ron Dayne (NYG) - Tiki Barber is now getting the goal line looks too. Ron's value is at an all-time low this season.

RB Kevan Barlow (SF) - San Francisco gets behind and abandons the running attack early trying to catch up. Early in the game he is usually facing many in the box as the SF passing game does not scare many people. He is in for a very long year.

RB Clinton Portis (Was) - Take away his huge run to start the season and he has been below average on the rest of his carries. He also has 4 fumbles (losing 3). He is no danger of getting benched, but is not performing to preseason expectations.

WR Peerless Price (Atl) - He might be Atlanta's #1 WR, but the team simply does not pass to the wide receivers. This new offense is winning games, but has killed fantasy value of all non-RBs.

Cleveland WRs - No had more than 3 receptions. Jeff Garcia is running for his life on most plays (behind a horrible OL) so we don't expect any of these guys to get on track this year.

WR Ashley Lelie (Den) - Just when he was starting to perform, he catches 1 pass for 3 yards. He is still too inconsistent to trust on a weekly basis.

WR Reggie Williams (Jac) - Fellow rookie WR Ernest Wilford got more targets and receptions yesterday. Although he has long-term potential he won't have much value this season if he falls to WR3 on the Jacksonville depth charts.

WR Santana Moss (NYJ) - The running game is clicking on all cylinders. Unfortunately that is killing the value of the Jets' receivers. Moss had a dismal 17 yards on 1 catch.

WR Eric Parker (SD) - He injured his neck this week and did not return. Until he shows he can play in a full game, he is permanently on the downgrade list.

WR Tyrone Calico (Ten) - He has reinjured his knee. It's doubtful he gets on track this season.

Def Green Bay - They have allowed 1,463 yards in 4 games. They are not the feared defense of years past.

Def Indianapolis - They have allowed a whopping 1,658 yards in 4 games. More astonishing is they are allowing 1,252 passing yards in those 4 weeks (313 yards per contest). Play all QBs that face this unit going forward.

Def New Orleans - They have allowed 1,561 yards and 100 points in 4 weeks. That is awful on all levels.

Def San Francisco - They have allowed 109 points after 4 weeks. Play everyone that faces SF each week. There is a good chance they will find the end zone.