Quarterbacks

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Tim Rattay (SF) - The hottest QB that might be available in some leagues. Rattay is done with the bye week now. His schedule is mixed with good/bad matchups but if you play the cards properly and have another starter-quality QB with good matchups that coincide with Rattay's tough matchups then you'll be fine. He looks like a good spot starter this week at Chicago. The tough weeks look to be week 11 at TB, week 12 vs Miami, week 16 vs Buffalo and week 17 at NE. The good weeks appear to be this coming week at Chicago, week 10 vs Carolina, week 13 at St. Louis and week 14 at Arizona.

Ben Roethlisberger (Pit) - Done with the bye, Ben's next few games will be telling of how well he should fare the rest of the season. He's been nothing but a pleasant surprise thus far. However, against NE and Philadelphia he'll face two defenses that will cause him to be a quick thinker on his feet. The Eagles blitz frequently and from all angles, while the Patriots mix their schemes, fronts and looks to create confusion especially for young and inexperienced QBs like him. The rest of the schedule looks a bit better with a mix of good matchups and a few potentially tough ones to close the season against Baltimore and Buffalo. He's probably not available in most leagues, but with the WR corps Ben has to work with he should be a solid starter during the good matchup weeks 10 at Cleveland, 11 at Cincy, 13 at Jacksonville, 14 vs NYJ and 15 at NYG.

Brian Griese (TB) - Since taking over for the Bucs, Griese has thrown for 643 yards with 4 TDs and 1 INT over the last three weeks. That's almost within the range of starters in some leagues and certainly good enough to be a solid fantasy backup. Whether or not he keeps the job long depends a lot on how Chris Simms is coming along. Griese could force Gruden to re-think his strategy and keep him as the starter. They are on the bye this week then return to face a long series of very good matchups in the following order KC, @ATL, SF, @CAR, ATL, @SD, NO, CAR, @ARI. Simply put there isn't a bad statistical matchup among the Bucs remaining games on the schedule. Considering this you should move other Bucs up your waiver wire considerations beginning with Michael Clayton, Joe Jurevicius, Joey Galloway and maybe even Charles Lee.

Vinny Testaverde (Dal) - Sure he's on a short leash, but who can argue with the stats he's accumulating? Over the last three weeks Vinny produced 718 passing yds, 3 TDs and 1 INT. He's under added pressure as the losses begin to mount prompting Bill Parcells to entertain notions of Tony Romo or Drew Henson. Just don't sell Vinny short yet. There are some decent spots to use Vinny if he can hold the job the rest of the season. Of particular interest are weeks 8 vs Detroit, 9 at Cincy, 12 vs Chicago, 14 vs NO and 17 at NYG. He also has the Eagles twice, Seattle, Baltimore and Washington. Outside of keeping Tuna happy, perhaps Vinny's bigger obstacle will be staying healthy with Detroit, Philly (twice) and Baltimore among the league leaders in QB sacks.

Add for depth, starter potential

Joey Harrington (Det) - Oh, how funny it is to live in Detroit and listen to the sport radio shows. After the Packers loss the Lions fans were quick to turn on Joey, some still calling for Mike freaking McMahon to get a shot. Lunacy. Pure and simple. Joey's not a world beater and isn't yet close to even cracking the middle tier of fantasy QBs, but he's showing he can win games and produce decent, but not great stats with only one legitimately talented WR (Roy Williams). Don't lose patience yet. Joey has a string of very good matchups in the 2nd half of the season with arguably only one potentially tough matchup (Washington in week 9). Otherwise, he'll face Dallas, Jacksonville, Indy, Minnesota twice, Arizona, GB, Chicago and Tennessee. He's already thrown 10 TDs compared to 3 INTs and ranks around 18th to 20th in most scoring systems. Don't be surprised if he finishes the season amongst the top 15 fantasy QBs given the schedule and the potential for the Lions offense to improve as Williams, Jones and Hakim get healthier.

Josh McCown (Ari) - In his last two starts, McCown has rallied to produce 443 passing yds with 4 TDs and 2 INTs placing him around 13th to 16th in most scoring systems in that span. On the season he's still not amongst the top 20 fantasy QBs, but things are definitely looking up in the Valley of the Sun once you get past the next two weeks (matchups) at Buffalo and Miami. Anquan Boldin is due back this week which bolsters the Cardinals WR corps and gives McCown his #1 WR back. Beginning with week 10 McCown's matchups look a lot better: Week 10 vs NYG, 11 at Carolina, 12 vs NYJ, 13 at Detroit, 14 vs SF and 15 vs St. Louis. The last two weeks are tougher against Seattle and Tampa.

Kerry Collins (Oak) - Rich Gannon isn't coming back this year or ever. So Collins has the opportunity he was hoping for when he signed with the Raiders to be their backup (yeh, right) QB. Well, he finally lived up to his sleeper potential in week 7 by throwing for 350 yards and 2 TDs (1 INT) against the Saints in what was viewed as a good opportunity for Collins to be a spot starter. Collins has potential in this offense but he remains a big liability because of his lack of mobility and penchant for turning over the football. Oakland has mostly good passing matchups the rest of the way so he could still be useful as a spot starter or emergency backup for the playoffs. His matchups look like this.. Weeks 8 and 9 against SD and Carolina, their bye week, followed by SD again in week 11. Week 12 is at Denver which is a BAD matchup. However, the rest of the slate looks smooth sailing with week 13 vs KC, 14 at Atlanta, 15 vs Tennessee, 16 at KC and 17 vs Jacksonville. There's certainly some potential within that string of games.

Jay Fiedler (Mia) - Let's not get carried away here, but at least Fiedler hasn't been horrible lately. Over the last three games, Fiedler has produced 590 passing yds with 4 TDs and 2 INTs. While that's not going to put you over the top by any stretch, if you are hurting at this position, at least he's playing better and throwing for more TDs than INTs. In the half-empty world of the Dolphins, you might consider this a half-full point of view. Now, back to reality. Miami has a lot of tough matchups ahead and how much Fiedler will be able to produce down the stretch is difficult to guess, but it's probably not a lot. Tough matchups in the 2nd half include Seattle, Buffalo, Denver, New England and Baltimore. 

Add for insurance, potential down the road

Billy Volek (Ten) - Depending on the severity of Steve McNair's chest injury, Volek could be starting for the Titans next week if not for a couple weeks. He's no McNair and the Titans WR corps is pretty banged up with Drew Bennett not quite 100% (and dropping passes), Tyrone Calico out for the year (someone tell Fisher that and put him on IR, please?) plus TEs Erron Kinney and Shad Meier both sidelined with various ailments. Still, if you own McNair adding Volek is probably the safest route towards insuring yourself a starting QB. Then again, you might get bamboozled by the games that Jeff Fisher plays with his injury report or McNair starting but not finishing games like this week. Regardless, Volek is the guy if McNair can't go and right now it's looking like McNair - as usual - will be a game-time decision or questionable for next week heading into their week 9 bye.

Craig Krenzel (Chi) - I wouldn't recommend going this route in a million years. No, make that a billion years. If you thought Jonathan Quinn was scary bad, well don't go anywhere.. Krenzel might even be worse. He's a bit more mobile than Quinn, but that might be the only thing worth hanging your hat on here. Simply put the Bears passing offense is horrific. The ONLY reason Krenzel gets any space in this article is simply due to the schedule the rest of the way for the Bears. With the Bucs in the rear view mirror the rest of the schedule doesn't have a particular bad matchup anywhere. If you're optimistic, then maybe there is reason to think Krenzel, Quinn or God forbid Tim Couch could step in here and do something, heck, anything worthwhile.

Running Backs

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Michael Pitman (TB) - Pittman has his first 100 yard rushing game of the season and has some solid matchup opportunities following the bye week. He looks like a solid start against the Chiefs in week 9, vs SF in week 11, at Carolina for week 12, at San Diego in week 14, vs NO in week 15 and vs Carolina week 16. If Mike Alstott is down for the long haul with a knee injury suffered yesterday, then Pittman's value should increase even more for two reasons. #1 Pittman will get the ball just as much if not more with Alstott out. #2 With Alstott sidelined Jameel Cook or Greg Comella will be the full back. Cook gives Pittman vastly improved run blocking while Comella figures to be used more as a receiver than a blocker. Either way, Pittman has once again risen from his off-the-field problems to remain the featured back in Tampa's offense. Expect solid if not unspectacular numbers the rest of the season.

Mewelde Moore (Min) - If Moore is still available in your league, then someone sound the alarm because your fellow owners have been snoozing for the past three weeks. That said, Moore's incredible production might be waning if for no better reason than the return of Michael Bennett and in the next couple weeks Onterrio Smith. Moore has proven himself as an excellent fit for the Vikings offense with his inside running skills and pass-catching ability out of the backfield. If he's out there, add him simply because there's no guarantee that Mike Tice will turn the ball over to Bennett or Smith the rest of the way - even though we fully expect something to give here either way. The Vikings have the fortitude of having 4 solid backs in their stable, so there's a very good chance that all four will be rendered less effective if Tice elects to spread the wealth.

Lee Suggs or William Green (Cle) - Despite not starting, Suggs is forcing the issue when it comes to his fantasy value. Technically, William Green is the starting RB for Cleveland, but don't tell that to Suggs. For the 2nd straight week he's forced himself into the top 20 RBs by producing good numbers across the board. Last week it was his receiving skills that took center stage. This week? Just good old fashioned running. Suggs ran 15 times for 78 yards and scored a TD for the 2nd straight week as well. The difficult part of having either Suggs or Green will be the frustration that's sure to follow knowing both will be getting the rock and there's no telling how the division of carries or touches will be split. In some leagues, Suggs may be available. In others William Green may be hanging around the waiver wire. If you can add either one, you should do it. The Browns have a few tough matchups in the 2nd half of the schedule, but a fair share of good matchups with games against NYJ, CIN, SD, MIA and HOU. Of course, if either one of these backs gets hurt, the other benefits greatly and instantly becomes a usable #2 fantasy back most weeks.

Sammy Morris (Mia) - Two consecutive solid starts in a row give Morris more security as the Dolphins current starting RB and force us to perhaps finally take the Dolphins ground game a little more seriously. Against a fairly soft Rams run defense, Morris produced solid results - 28 carries, 83 yards, 1 TD with 3 catches for 8 more yards. Over the last two games, he ranks among the top 20 fantasy RBs with 174 rushing yds, 1 TD and 5 catches for 36 yds. Now the bad news.. the 2nd half of the schedule features several teams with strong run defenses (Sea, Buf, Den, Bal and NE). The best advice I could give here is to get whatever you can while you can from Sammy.

Kevin Jones (Det) - Jones got his best opportunity to produce since spraining his ankle a month ago. He responded with a solid game but left later as he encountered cramps. Jones finished with 13 carries for 65 yards and a TD. The rest of the schedule looks mixed in terms of rushing matchups, but the bigger factor should be the improvement the Lions entire offense showed on Sunday against the Giants. Jones is without a doubt their best RB and he should continue to improve as a player and a fantasy option in the 2nd half.

Michael Bennett (Min) - Bennett is now "healthy" again, but whether or not he gets the starting job back remains to be seen. Calling Bennett healthy is like saying Ricky Williams is stable. He might be right now, but stick around a few minutes and then we'll resume the discussion. Also complicating matters is the return of Onterrio Smith in another week. Honestly, the Bennett's value is murky at best. If he gets the starting job back, or even 50% of the carries (which would be quite optimistic IMO), then he has solid value. However, with Moore and Smith both playing so well in his stead, Bennett's place in the pecking order is like a moving target. Add him purely for depth and a roll of the dice. He could be huge if he somehow ends up getting 15 to 20 touches a game.

The reinforcements or potential short-term solutions

Chester Taylor (Bal) - Taylor's opportunity amounts to two weeks. Judging by the numbers he produced in his first NFL start against a tough Bills run defense, Taylor is a solid option for week 8 against Philadelphia (who the Browns had great success against this week). Taylor ran for 89 yards on 21 carries with 2 catches for 11 yards despite not having any sort of passing attack to keep the Bills honest. This week expect the Eagles to load up with 7, 8 and 9 men in the box frequently to put the pressure on Boller to beat the Eagles deep. Taylor is a decent spot starter if you need one, but his long-term value falls back to being an insurance policy for Jamal Lewis beyond that.

Brad Hoover (Car) - Hoover cleaned up starting for the Panthers in place of Stephen Davis this week. Against the Chargers defense he narrowly missed a 100 yd rushing effort finishing with 99 yds and 24 carries with 2 catches for 6 yards - and a narrow miss on what could've been a long TD catch/run over the middle on a missed defensive assignment. As the announcer said, "if only fullbacks had longer arms". Hoover is a pedestrian-like RB in that he won't break long runs nor is he flashy, but he's capable of producing in the right situation. Keep in mind he's a fullback, he's not Reuben Droughns and the Packers offensive line is merely a shadow of the unit the Panthers trotted out on the field in 2003. Stephen Davis will probably return to the lineup sooner rather than later, but if you can still grab Hoover, chance are he's probably the best waiver wire back available in more competitive leagues.

Derrick Blaylock (KC) - Ok, party's over.. go home now folks.. let's clear out. Turn the lights back on. Good night.. The Chiefs running game fired on all cylinders this week. After Priest Holmes ran all over the Falcons for 139 yds and 4 TDs, Blaylock got the call and ran for 90 yds and 4 TDs. According to the latest reports from KC, the Falcons defense has yet to be located. If we find them, you'll be the first to know. Seriously though.. Blaylock's worth a look on the waivers for two reasons. 1) As the no-brainer insurance policy to Priest Holmes with our condolences to the Larry Johnson opportunists. 2) Holmes sprained his ankle again this week prompting the workload for Blaylock in the 2nd half combined with the scoreboard being well out of hand. We can sum up Blaylock's value rather easily. If Priest misses a game or more, Blaylock goes to the top of the waiver list. If Priest is fine and he was merely removed out of caution and the fact they were up by 30 pts.. then Blaylock continues to be an insurance policy - but one that will invariably have a big game or three as he does every season. The moral of the story is you should NOT chase the stats posted by Blaylock this week unless Priest is going to miss some games. That's unknown right now, so stay tuned to FBG and check back with the injury summary and upgrades/downgrades for more information on Priest's sprained ankle. 

Dorsey Levens (Phi) - Brian Westbrook left the Eagles/Browns game with a chest injury and he's set to undergo tests today (Monday) which should reveal whether or not he'll miss any time in the coming weeks. If he's not able to play look for the Eagles to lean heavily on Dorsey Levens as their primary runner with Reno Mahe used sparingly and more so on passing downs. Levens finished the game strong for the Eagles rushing for 48 yards on 7 carries as he helped them win in OT. Westbrook's chest contusion isn't expected to be serious, but even if Westbrook is able to play next week you might expect an increase in carries for Levens either way. In a nutshell, Westbrook remains a strong #2 fantasy back, but his value just took a hit and it could lead to more of a scenario where he's spelled more frequently for the bigger, more rugged Levens to keep him healthy for the rest of the season and playoffs. The Eagles do not want to lose Westbrook this year as they are well positioned for a Super Bowl run AGAIN.

Jonathan Wells (Hou) - Coming off the bye week, more than likely Domanick Davis will regain the starting job as we expect him to be healthier than at any time in the past month. That said, Wells has done nothing but play well and perform as the coaching staff would hope for in place of Davis. So, he could very well have earned himself a bigger role for the rest of the season - likely at Tony Holling's expense. If Davis suffers a setback or continues to be held back by injuries, Wells will benefit and should remain productive and useful from a fantasy perspective.

Add for depth, starter potential

Troy Hambrick (Ari) - Hambrick is averaging 11 carries over the Cardinals last three games with just over 41 yds/gm and 2 TDs scored. Not great, but worth noting as the Cardinals offense is starting to take shape. Emmitt Smith is running strong and showing no signs of letting up. So, keep Hambrick on the short list of RBs to pick up since he might be right at the top of those available in most leagues. He's already getting a good amount of touches, but if Emmitt goes down for any reason, Hambrick's value would shoot up into the top 20 or so.

Kevin Faulk (NE) - Faulk is healthy again and produced a solid effort giving Corey Dillon some breaks this week. Faulk finished with 65 total yards on 4 carries and 6 receptions. For the short-term if Dillon gets hurts, Faulk would stand to gain the most. However, over the long haul Faulk's value might lessen as rookie Cedric Cobbs is worked into the mix. For now, Faulk is possibly worth a roster spot in deeper leagues or those that reward scoring for receptions.

Jamel White (TB) - With Alstott down with a knee injury, Jamel White could gain some extra touches as a receiver out of the backfield and also to spell Michael Pittman. Then again, it Pittman goes down for any reason than White jumps into the starting spot making him a valuable commodity especially in leagues that rewards points for receptions. Currently, White's value is pretty low, but if you're trolling for a back, you might consider him.

Add for insurance, potential down the road

Najeh Davenport (GB) - If you own Ahman Green and Davenport is available as a free agent, then I hope you either have a deep stable of talented backs, or you're in a small league. Davenport would vault to the top 15 fantasy backs in the event of an injury to Green. If you're opportunistic, fish for a few weeks and cut bait if you get tired of waiting.

Jesse Chatman (SD) - Chatman is getting extended carries more frequently in the past several weeks as Tomlinson has been dealing with a sore groin. He's productive in spurts and would seem to be a great pickup if LT were to miss a game or longer. Until that happens, however, he's best used if you already have LT and want the added insurance in case of injury.

Lamont Jordan (NYJ) - You think Curtis Martin's number have been great? Well, consider how many times he's touched the rock in the first two months of the season. Herman Edwards has big plans for a deep playoff push this season and the Jets won't be going anywhere without CM. Knowing the importance he has to the Jets offense, Edwards keeps saying he's going to give more touches to Jordan during the 2nd half of the season to ward off any potential tiring or chance of injury to Martin. That makes Jordan worth owning in deeper leagues or simply as a backup on your roster if you have Martin.

Cedric Cobbs (NE) - He's eligible to come of the PUP list now and the team has 2 more weeks to make a decision on whether to activate him or not. For those of you in dynasty leagues, grab Cobbs if you can right now. If an owner let him go impatiently, then don't let him hang around out there for long. Cobbs has top notch running ability and led the SEC in rushing last year. Ironically, he's compared to Corey Dillon frequently and could be a tremendously productive player if given the opportunity to play for New England either this year or in the future.

Chris Perry (Cin) - Rudi Johnson is going to be a free agent at season's end. While the Bengals are saying all the right things, Johnson's agent is doing what's right for his player, too. In other words, no contract has been presented, none signed. Johnson will be a free agent and will certainly be listening to all offers. The angle I'm looking at here is this.. What if the Bengals collapse even worse than they already have in the coming weeks? Perry could very well get the call for more carries and perhaps some starts down the stretch if Marvin Lewis thinks Johnson is gone and Perry is the back of the future. Why else would they draft him in the first round knowing Johnson is pending free agency? Read between the lines.. This is purely hypothetical but something worth throwing out there even if it doesn't hold water right now. Keep thinking ahead.

Travis Minor (Mia) - Guess what? He's healthy again and backing up Sammy Morris. In the revolving door and musical chairs game that is the Dolphins running game Minor could be getting another crack at it before the season is over. Not a huge deal of potential here but he might be worth an emergency start in the future the way the Dolphins are burning through backs.

Wide Receivers

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Jerry Porter (Oak) - Porter had his coming out party this week after Jerry Rice was dealt to the Seahawks. The fact they finally threw him the ball more frequently didn't hurt either (nor did facing the Saints defense!). The Raiders have good matchups in the 2nd half and Porter is playing for free agent dollars. Consider that a double whammy. Grab Porter if you can, his value has been low and he may be available in some leagues.

Michael Clayton (TB) - He's only getting better and has a solid schedule in terms of matchups. His numbers might take a hit if/when Joey Galloway returns to the lineup, but those pulled groins can often linger and affect a WR long after they are back in the lineup. Until further notice, Clayton is the man to have amongst the Bucs WR corp.

Keenan McCardell (SD) - McCardell has a solid showing as he started for the Chargers with less than a full week of practice and preparation with his new team. 5 catches for 65 yards is a nice start. Expect more out of McCardell in the 2nd half and he could very well become a solid #3 fantasy WR in that stretch, possibly even better.

Anquan Boldin (Ari) - Boldin is expected to return to the Cardinals lineup as soon as this week or by week 9 depending on who you listen to.. Obviously, he's talented and put up silly numbers as a rookie. He's supposedly healthy and Denny Green didn't rush him back, but I'd give him a week or two before inserting him back into the lineup. Better yet? If he's on the waiver wire, consider yourself lucky and get him if/while you can.

Brandon Lloyd (SF) - Lloyd has put up two strong games in a row before the 49ers bye week. He's healthy again and might have been cut after his slow start. If so, don't hesitate to grab him as a potential starter (#3) or for quality depth. There are some tough matchups ahead, but Lloyd should be reasonably valuable as long as he and Tim Rattay are healthy and in the lineup.

Justin McCareins (NYJ) - He finally produced something worthwhile. McCareins has been largely invisible since the opening week. Against the Patriots he caught 6 passes for 83 yards catapulting him back into the realm of consideration as a fantasy starter. Still, the Jets passing attack has been less than stellar and we'd really like to see more out of McCareins (and Santana Moss for that matter).

Nate Burleson (Min) - With Randy Moss down with a bad hammy, Burleson figures to see more targets. Whether or not those increased targets affect the bottom line remains to be seen though. Burleson caught 6 passes this week but for only 53 yards as the Vikings seemed to reign in their passing attack focusing on the short stuff and relying upon their ground game. With the Giants, Colts and Packers up next they probably won't stick with that plan of attack nor will they be able to against teams like these three that can hang points on the scoreboard quickly. If Moss returns to health and the lineup next week, which isn't looking particularly good, then Burleson still stands to gain as defenses would need to focus more on Moss. Either way, Burleson is a solid pickup as a WR3 or to add depth to your roster.

Keary Colbert (Car) - Like Michael Clayton, Colbert is a quick study and he's making the most of his opportunities. The Panthers are going to be throwing often considering that a) their defense stinks right now and b) so does their running game. That's a bad mix to win football games, but it won't hurt Colbert's fantasy value one bit. It only helps. Colbert caught another 7 passes this week for 71 yards and appears to have surpassed Muhsin Muhammad as the top WR option for the Panthers.

Add for depth, starter potential

Joe Jurevicius (TB) - He's back in the starting lineup after being activated from the PUP list. The Bucs have a string of good matchups down the road making Jurevicius a wise pickup if he's available.

Jerry Rice (Sea) - Good luck with this route if you choose to go with it.. Rice is still productive - allegedly - but obviously has seen his better days. With Koren Robinson suspended the next 4 weeks, it looks like Rice will be in the Seahawks starting lineup meaning there is ample opportunity for him to produce. He could surprise and you'd be a fool to bet against him, but I'm just not a big believer in 40 year old WRs regardless of their Hall of Fame credentials. Again, not to belittle Rice because if anyone can do it - he's the guy. It's just a gamble knowing his lack of production this season despite the obvious need the Raiders have for WR production.

Dennis Northcutt (Cle) - Northcutt benefited this week from Andre Davis sitting out with turf toe, Andre King leaving the game early due to injury and newcomer Antonio Bryant not being completely settled in with the Browns offense or playbook. That said, Northcutt could be a solid short-term play while the circumstance remains favorable for him. He's on the bye week in week 8, but could still have some value moving forward if Davis isn't 100% by week 9.

Eddie Kennison (KC) - The Chiefs finally got their WR corps back in the last couple weeks and Kennison is capable of being a decent tweener.. that is not quite good enough to start most weeks, but he'll produce solid numbers on and off.. so he's great for depth, but not consistent enough to be a weekly starter for most leagues.

David Terrell (Chi) - The Bears have some very good passing matchups in the 2nd half of the season and Terrell is likely available in many leagues considering the demise of the Bears offense since Red Grossman went down.

Travis Taylor (Bal) - He's back in the lineup pushing Randy Hymes back to the slot. Does anyone care? Should you? Maybe.. maybe not. It's difficult to reach into the Ravens passing attack and pluck anything of value for fantasy purposes to exploit. Todd Heap will be back in a couple weeks and he'll be the go-to guy. Otherwise, Taylor might be worth a look if not only to improve your depth as the last WR on your roster.

Todd Pinkston (Phi) - Call Ripley! As in believe it or not, Pinkston is putting numbers on the board. He's caught 9 passes for 122 yards in the last two games. Simply put, Pinky is a guy who will produce a few weeks with some big plays and then disappear. With Terrell Owens getting the bulk of the numbers and the Eagles TEs both getting solid target numbers week in and week out - Pinkston just won't have that many opportunities so starting him would be a gigantic reach.

Antonio Bryant (Cle) - The opportunity is there for the taking right now. Andre Davis is hurt. Andre King replaced him and got hurt. The Browns are going into their bye week giving Bryant an extra week to learn the playbook and get on the same page with Garcia. Stranger things have happened, but Bryant should realistically be considered the Browns 3rd WR if and when Davis is healthy.

Quincy Morgan (Dal) - Terry Glenn's injury could be Morgan's gain. Now, let's see what this guy can do with it. He's never impressed me with his lack of fire or willingness to go up and fight for the football. He's got excellent physical qualities - speed, size and strength.. but until he proves it on the football field with live defenders on him.. I won't be a believer. On the positive side, Parcells is a master motivator and if anyone could squeeze something out of this guy it would be him.

Bryant Johnson (Ari) - He was targeted frequently this week and produced solid though not spectacular numbers, but with Boldin returning from injury Johnson will likely be operating out of the slot. Believe it or not that might not be a bad thing either.

Add for insurance, potential down the road

Derick Armstrong (Hou) - Discussed at length in previous weeks in this space. Coming out of the bye week there's no BUZZ about him right now, but let him hang on the waiver wire another week or two and you might be too late. Corey Bradford is working through an injury so there may possibly be more opportunities for Armstrong to produce solid numbers in the near future. Long term? He's going to either be starting for Houston or at least pushing Gaffney for the slot WR job.

Joey Galloway (TB) - Due to come off the injured list after the Bucs bye week. If he's out there and back in the lineup then he's worth adding. The Bucs have a nice schedule after the bye week and Galloway could be a solid contributor and have very good fantasy production - but only if he's really healthy.

Shaun McDonald (Stl) - He's emerged as the Rams new version of Az-Zahir Hakim like most predicted when the Rams drafted him a year ago. He's short but incredibly fast and quick with his moves. He's not going to be very consistent, but he's worth a big play every few games so if you throw the dice on the right week you just might have something.

Justin Gage (Chi) - The Bears are going to keep working Gage more and more into the offense. The bigger question is who will be throwing the ball to him? The Bears have good matchups all over their schedule in the 2nd half so he's worth a look even if it's Craig Krenzel or Jonathan Quinn chucking the rock to him.

Jamaar Taylor (NYG) - Taking over for Tim Carter as the Giants slot WR, Taylor has great size/speed but he's been held back by injuries in college and coming into this season with the Giants. We all know Ike Hilliard isn't the model for continued health, so Taylor should be given a bit more attention than your usual 3rd WR simply because he could very well have a bigger opportunity waiting around the corner.

Tight Ends

Add immediately, impact potential

Jason Witten (Dal) - Witten is really coming around in his 2nd season with the Cowboys. Savvy owners already own him (drafted him) in most leagues, but if he's out there in your league, be sure to make it a short visit to the waiver wire for Witten. He's basically Vinny's go to WR and is 2nd in the NFL amongst TEs over the last three weeks with 18 catches for 186 yds and 1 TD.

Jermaine Wiggins (Min) - Ranks among the top 5 fantasy TEs over the last three weeks since returning to the Vikings lineup from injury. He's caught 11 passes for 92 yds including 2 TDs. The Vikings and C-Pep love going to the TE in the flats and as dump off receivers. Wiggins is the guy to fulfill that role as long as he stays healthy.

Aaron Shea (Cle) - Now that Shea can concentrate strictly on playing TE and not being a H-back or fullback, he's back in his comfort zone. Kellen Winslow's loss is Shea's gain. He had a strong week against the Eagles catching 6 passes for 45 yards. Over the last 3 weeks he has 10 catches, 105 yds and 1 TD ranking among the top 10 or 15 in most leagues at the TE position. You could do a lot worse than Shea at this point.

Add for depth, starter potential

Kyle Brady (Jac) - The problem with picking up Brady is that George Wrighster is getting healthy again, too. With both players healthy it's questionable if Brady will remain the starter, or if they both end up splitting time and hurt each other's value. Wrighster is the more talented receiver of the two, but Brady's blocking is an asset to the offense, too.

Matt Schobel (Cin) - The Titans are on the schedule next week. This is the same team that's allowed 7 TDs to opposing TEs heading into tonight's MNF game against the Broncos. After Jeb Putzier and Patrick Hape are done that number may be 8 or 9 TDs. Schobel isn't going to be a permanent solution most likely, but he could be a solid player of the pick up, start and then cut variety.

Doug Jolley (Oak) - Jolley had a breakout game this week against the Saints. Whether or not he can maintain any consistency remains to be seen. If you want to pick him up as your backup and potential starter week 15 against Tennessee you could do worse.

Ben Troupe (Ten) or Erron Kinney (Ten) - Troupe had a strong game considering the Titans were getting shelled and they had Billy Volek behind center. Troupe's best days are clearly down the road. He's got excellent talent and potential, but as a rookie TE his fantasy production is directly tied to the unavailability of Erron Kinney and Shad Meier. Both are hurt but should be returning in the next couple weeks. For now, Troupe is a decent short-term play, but for those of you in dynasty leagues good luck.. He's probably stashed away on someone's roster already.+

Chris Cooley (Was) - Cooley is done with the bye week and could be  solid pickup as a backup TE with potential in the 2nd half to emerge as a possible starter. The Redskins utilize their TEs and H-backs generously in most weeks and Cooley seems to have emerged as their #1 guy in that area. Look for some goal line opportunities and the possibility that he could average 2-3 catches per game down the stretch.

Kickers

Really quick.. There are several kickers who are likely available in most leagues that can help your fantasy team. Chief among them are Neil Rackers (Ari), Phil Dawson (Cle), Nate Kaeding (SD), Billy Cundiff (Dal) and Josh Scobee (Jac). Rackers nailed 3 - count them! - 3 50+ yards FGs this week. That's worthy of a FA pickup alone. Dawson and Kaeding have been consistently good while Cundiff and Scobee are more of the average variety. Scobee nailed the big kick this week to beat the Colts for Jacksonville. Of course, Dawson is on a bye this week, so you can probably let him hang on the waiver wire until he's playing again. Don't burn a roster spot on 2 kickers if you don't need to.

Defense / Special Teams

San Diego Chargers - They host the Oakland Raiders this week and have solid sack and turnover potential.. All I have to say is two words - Kerry and Collins. Enough said.

Tennessee Titans - What better way to regroup than hosting the Cincinnati Bengals at home fresh off what I expect to be a thorough butt-kicking on MNF by the Broncos. The Bengals will have one less day to prepare and then they'll travel to Tennessee to face a Titans team looking to rebound from their poor start. Looks like a good situation to gamble on the Titans D to me.

Arizona Cardinals - Facing the Bills and Dolphins in the coming weeks - both on the road though. There is solid potential here for sacks and turnovers. The Cards defense has been one of the bigger surprises this year considering nearly everyone and their brother had them ranked among the bottom 5 in the league.