This year, every Tuesday, we will be looking at the big surprises and disappointments from the previous weekend. We’ll take a look at the players who outperformed their projected rank the most, and the ones who fell far below expectations. You will find out why they were ranked where they were, why they played like they did, and how I think they’ll do for next week and the rest of the year. Link to last week's article. Quarterbacks: For the second straight week, I get to write about Tim Couch. Last week Couch was the boom of the week, but this week he's the bust. As for boom, I won't be writing about the three new QBs in fantasy football: Chad Pennington, Joey Harrington and Jamie Martin. I will say that Harrington looks great, and should be a star for years to come. Instead, we'll focus on the man who has the highest scoring game of the year at QB. Tim Couch     Projected: 4th     Finished: 27th Stats: 16-29, 144 pass yards, 0 TD, 2 INT; 1 carry, 2 rush yards. Reason for projection: Three weeks worth of impressive data. In week one, Pittsburgh let Tom Brady finish fourth in fantasy points. Week two, the Steelers were helpless as Rich Gannon threw for four hundred yards. Last week, Couch was the fourth ranked quarterback. With a trio of talented wide receivers combined with Pittsburgh's susceptibility to the pass, this figured to be another huge game for Couch. Why he busted: The Steelers defense played like a top D with two weeks to prepare for a game. They weren't particularly effective blitzing Couch, but he never developed any sort of rhythm. This was the third straight game against Pittsburgh that Couch couldn't top 160 yards, and he has four interceptions in that span. Future outlook: The Cleveland passing attack wasn't in sync last week, and it cost them a couple of touchdowns. Last week I was very high on the Browns aerial assault, so I won't jump off right away. However, games against Baltimore and Tampa Bay could make him a backup if the Browns don't fix things soon. Jamel White's emergence should make the entire offense better, and I believe the Browns have the necessary parts to have an explosive offense. This may be a week to buy low on Tim Couch. Trent Green     Projected: 20th     Finished: 1st Stats: 24-34, 328 pass yards, 5 TDs, 0 INT; 3 carries, 48 rush yards Reason for projection: While Pittsburgh couldn't seem to stop the pass, no one was throwing the ball effectively against Miami. They had just crushed Vinny Testaverde and the Jets, and had handled Peyton Manning well the previous week. Trent Green had thrown for only 149 yards the previous week. Why he broke out: Because he's a great talent. These types of games for him are nothing new. In 1998, he had 400 combined yards and five touchdowns. In 2000, he followed up a 431/2 TD performance with another five TD performance the next week. Trent Green has the tools to be a star in the league, and when he brings his "A-Game" no defense can stop him. Future outlook: He doesn't bring his "A-Game" all the time, as he's one of the more inconsistent QBs in the league. This week the Chiefs play the Jets, but they're more likely to run with Holmes than pass for a ton of yards. TDs are always hard to predict for a quarterback, but he should get a couple this weekend. Green's been a fantasy tease before, so I wouldn't hop on the bandwagon right away. On the other hand, the Chiefs lead the league in points scored and may be on their way to becoming the AFC's version of the Rams (at least the old Rams). It's fun to root for a player like Green who can light it up any week, but I would wait a couple of weeks before being sold on him. Consider selling very high, but be aware of his potential so you don't sell him for too little. Running Backs: It wasn't a perfect day for RBs named Thomas. This week we shall look at Anthony Thomas and Marcel Shipp (who replaced an injured Thomas Jones). Anthony Thomas     Projected: 9th     Finished: 31st Stats: 23 carries, 48 yards; 2 receptions, 11 yards, 0 total touchdowns Reason for projection: Buffalo's defense has played poorly this year, and had just let Clinton Portis rush for one hundred and a touchdown. Thomas was coming off a pretty good week himself, gaining over 100 yards in a losing effort. Why he busted: The Bears playcalling left something to be desired, and that certainly isn't something new. The Bears ran a lot early on, before moving to the three wide receiver sets that utilize their talent best. When teams know Thomas is going to run up the middle, it's going to be hard for him to pile up numbers. Future outlook: On paper, Chicago has a very effective offense. They scored twenty seven points, but didn't win. That's not going to happen to the Bears on most weeks. A-Train has six games against Detroit, Green Bay, Minnesota and the Jets. I would consider him a good guy to consider trading for: once the Bears can have teams start respecting the pass, Anthony Thomas will see his yards per carry rise, and he'll score more than a handful of touchdowns. Marcel Shipp     Projected: 51st     Finished: 5th Stats: 18 carries, 103 yards, 1 TD; 1 catch, 4 yards Reason for projection: Thomas Jones was expected to get the majority of carries, and an unproven Shipp going against a tough Giants D wasn't a very attractive matchup on paper. When Jones was ineffective due to injury, Shipp took advantage of the opportunity. Why he broke out: Shipp played great, and the Cardinals did a nice job blocking for him. How many of you knew that Thomas Jones was leading the NFC in rushing after three weeks? Right now the Cardinals RB seems to be compiling rushing yards, but the big question is will the benefactor of that be Jones or Shipp. Future outlook: Right now BOTH Jones and Shipp are questionable for next week's game, as Shipp injured himself on his touchdown run. The Cardinals haven't produced fantasy RBs, but if one of these guys emerges as the main man he would make a very solid RB2. As of right now, things are very muddy. Who starts next week? Who starts the rest of the year? The guess here is one of the RBs realizes the starting job is very much for grabs, and plays next week. While the fantasy player hates it, there's little reason for Coach McGinnis to NOT use both Shipp and Jones. As of right now, I wouldn't expect big numbers out of either Shipp or Jones, but they are certainly worthy of a roster spot. Wide Receivers: Jimmy Smith and Donald Driver were the big surprises this weekend. Jimmy Smith's team played too well for him to produce, and Driver benefited from playing with Brett Favre. Just another example of how reliant wide receivers are on their teams for production. Donald Driver     Projected: 21st     Finished: 1st Stats: 5 catches, 97 yards; 1 carry, 15 rush yards, 2 touchdowns Reason for projection: Carolina had been one of the stingiest defenses in the league so far, in regards to giving up fantasy points to wide receivers. With six very talented weapons, it's anyone's guess as who will catch the touchdowns in any given week. Why they broke out: With Javon Walker and Terry Glenn injured, Driver helped carry the Packers offense. Driver has become a favorite target of Favre, and was involved in a lot of big plays on Sunday. Two touchdowns and a run for fifteen yards show that the coaching staff has the confidence in his ability to try and get him the ball as much as possible. Future Outlook: When (if?) Terry Glenn is healthy, Driver will certainly lose some of his targets. Packers' wide receivers have been just mediocre in the fantasy world over the past few seasons, and I wouldn't expect Driver to become a top ten player this year. With Franks, Green, Glenn, Ferguson and Walker there to steal yards and touchdowns, the upside is limited. Teams will soon begin to gameplan against him, and that is when Favre will look towards his other weapons. With games against Chicago, New England and Washington coming up, this would certainly be the time to sell high on Driver. I'm not saying he'll have a bad year, but there's probably someone in your league who thinks he will be a stud. I would expect around 700 yards and four TDs from DD the rest of the way. Jimmy Smith     Projected: 1st     Finished: 80th Stats: 1 catch, 10 yards, 0 touchdowns Reason for projection: Jimmy Smith is one of the top wide receivers in the league. With Moss having all sorts of troubles, and Harrison and Owens on a bye, there was no standout top wide receiver this week. Going against a Jets defense that has been awful, Smith had a good chance to break out. Why he busted: The Jets defense was worse than we had expected. The Jaguars ran up the gut on New York, and were never in a situation where Brunell needed to hook up with Jimmy Smith for a big play. The Jaguars took the lead early, and the lead kept growing due to the running of Fred Taylor and Stacey Mack. Smith also had a couple of drops. Future Outlook: Smith didn't have a single game last year with less than five catches, so it's certainly disappointing to see him record only a single reception. The Jaguars showed no intention of passing near the goal line, so as always Smith's TDs numbers won't represent how good a WR he truly is. With games against Philadelphia, Tennessee and Baltimore, Smith may see an extended drop in his stats. While the schedule isn't easy, Smith is a true stud in every sense of the word, and is a must start every week. If he has another couple of down weeks, I would do my best to trade for him as his owner will be panicking. As usual, Smith will put up his great numbers. Chase Stuart Exclusive to: Footballguys.com