The purpose of this column is to spotlight deeper roster moves that could pay off big over the course of the season. Unless stated in a player's write up, we're not looking for one-week wonders here, but shark moves that could really strengthen your team down the road.

Dynasty Watch focuses on low risk; huge payoff roster moves that you might be able make before the guys in your league think about it. This aim of this column is to make you look like a genius to the other owners in your league. When news breaks and the other owners are scrambling to make a waiver wire move, we want them to be upset time and time again that the player is already on your squad.

Drew Carter, WR, Carolina Panthers

What has he done so far:

Carter burst on the scene in weeks 15 and 16 of the 2005 season. The Ohio State product showed he was over a torn ACL on a 32 yard TD catch and seemed poised to take a larger role in 2006. He did catch nine passes in the first two games of the season - while the team was without Steve Smith - but failed to truly make a splash until last week. He lit up the Giants for 144 yards and a TD on eight catches in Chris Weinke's first start this year.

Current Situation:

Drew is the clear #3 wide receiver. Keary Colbert has been inactive. Taye Biddle and Karl Hankton are no threat to his playing time. Steve Smith is a coverage magnet, leaving Carter up against an overmatched nickel corner one on one in many situations. Carter's line from last week was an aberration, as Weinke filled the air with 61 pass attempts, but Drew can still be one of the most productive #3 WRs in the league due to his ability to do damage deep.

Spotlight ETA:

2008. Carter is a restricted free agent this offseason. The Panthers would be wise to keep him for one more season at first round tender rate with Colbert falling out of favor. He may still have some good games as a #3, but his fantasy value will be sporadic. Carter should draw strong interest in the free agent market come 2008, and possibly start, even if he returns to Carolina.

Dynasty Upside:

WRs with Carter's size/speed combination are few and far between. He's 6' 3" with long arms, but with sub 4.4 jets that are evident when he gets behind a defense. He's well suited to go after the deep ball, but can also present a threat running after the catch on short throws. Carter would definitely be a top 36 fantasy WR as a starter, with top 25 upside because of his knack for catching deep TDs.

Final Thoughts:

The days of Carter being overlooked as an exciting dynasty prospect are coming to an end. His skills are coveted and his days lie ahead. If you don't already have him stashed, hope for a quiet end to 2006 and make a play for him this offseason.

Ron Dayne, RB, Houston Texans

What has he done so far:

Ron Dayne has had a much maligned career since winning the Heisman Trophy in 1999, starting in the New York Giants' organization. After four years (five seasons, one lost to injury), the Giants gave up on Dayne and cast him off to whomever wanted to pick him up. Denver took a chance on him, and Dayne delivered a great game on Thanksgiving against the Dallas Cowboys where he ran for 98 yards including a memorable 55 yard run in overtime. That play brought him more attention, and once again after he fell out of favor with his second team, he landed on the Houston Texans.

Current Situation:

As of this moment, Ron Dayne is the starting running back for the Houston Texans. Yes, you read that right. Not Wali Lundy nor Samkon Gado, but Ron Dayne. You would not be alone in believing that this was a highly unlikely scenario less than a year ago, yet here we are. In Week 13, Dayne ran 18 times for 93 yards against the Oakland Raiders, then followed that performance up with 87 yards and two touchdowns on the ground against Tennessee.

Spotlight ETA:

For the moment, Dayne appears to be the back of choice for HC Gary Kubiak. He has given numerous opportunities to both rookie Wali Lundy and also veteran Samkon Gado, yet it is Dayne that has stepped up to the plate and delivered two solid performances for the Texans. With little competition from the other two main threats and only deep darkhorses like Chris Taylor on the bench, Dayne has a chance to put a stranglehold on the job for next year.

Dynasty Upside:

RB Domanick Davis, the starter in 2005, has a distinct possibility of never playing football again due to his chronic knee injuries. Should Ron Dayne perform well the rest of this year, he could become the feature back for the Texans as they attempt to rebuild their struggling offense. Kubiak has familiarity with Dayne from their time in Denver, so that may also help Dayne's cause as they try to adopt the Bronco offense to the Texans.

Final Thoughts:

Ron Dayne is still Ron Dayne. Like him or not, he is a starting running back as of today in the NFL, and only 31 other people can make that claim. It could last for one week, one month, or longer, but it certainly is worth noting and possibly a gamble on Dayne. In nearly every Dynasty League, starting RBs are worth their weight in gold. Laugh if you want at exactly how much gold that would take to weigh as much as Dayne, but it is possible that a gutsy owner in your league could be cashing in on Dayne this offseason.

Daven Holly, CB, Cleveland Browns

What has he done so far:

Holly was a 7th round draft choice for the San Francisco 49ers back in 2005 (#215 overall) out of Cincinnati. However, he never caught on in SF and was waived before the start of the 2005 season. He was claimed by Chicago where he spent most of the season on the sidelines. In March of this year, he was arrested for allegedly being involved in a bar shooting and was eventually released by Chicago. The Browns signed him to a two year contract in July.

Current Situation:

Holly took over the starting CB role for the Browns in week three against the Ravens and has not looked back. Since then he has had six games with five or more solo tackles and has 51 solo tackles, 1 assist, 3 INTs, 8 Pass Defenses and 1 TD. He is under contract through the end of next season, and should return as the starting CB next year.

Spotlight ETA:

It appears that Holly's off the field problems are behind him and he's finally ready to focus on football. Seventh round CBs with discipline issues rarely last long in the NFL, yet Holly has been given several chances to be a star. The Browns must see something in this kid, and he's proven their confidence in them as of late. He's tied for third in solo tackles for the Browns and is 2nd in Interceptions. Between now and the end of the season, Holly can really turn it on.

Dynasty Upside:

The Browns are not going to Super Bowl contenders any time soon. On defense, they're going to need playmakers. Over the last four games, Holly has 23 solo tackles, 3 picks and 5 PDs While he probably can't maintain that kind of pace for 16 games, he should be a solid IDP player in most dynasty leagues by this time next season.

Final Thoughts:

Holly is a gamble. He's definitely had some off the field problems, and the fact that he couldn't make it in Chicago and San Francisco would normally not be a good indicator for a CB. Yet somehow he managed to land the starting job in Cleveland. He has proven that he deserves to be there, especially over the last four games. He won't be on most rosters come this off season, unless he explodes between now and the end of the season. Grab him cheap in the early free agency and hold him until next year. If he stays clean over the summer, he should come into the 2007 season ready to reap huge dividends given what it will take to get him.

Players You Should Already Be Watching

Aveion Cason, RB, Detroit Lions - RB Kevin Jones is out with a Lisfranc fracture in his foot, and rookie RB Brian Calhoun tore his ACL a few months ago. That sound you hear is the door opening for the month of December in Motor City for someone to seize the reins and make an impression to the Lions' coaches. The starting tailback in Detroit under Mike Martz's offense flat out produces good fantasy numbers almost regardless of who it is, so look and see who gets the most carries in Detroit. Cason is worth a look if you have the room on your bench to take a flier on him.

Brian Calhoun, RB, Detroit Lions - 'Hey! You guys know that he's on IR now right?' Yep. Here's the thing: In some leagues, Calhoun was dropped because Kevin Jones has proven that he can carry the load in the NFL. Except Jones is on IR now as well. Even worse, the injury that he sustained could keep him out of the entire 2007 season as well. That leaves the door open for Calhoun come 2007 training camp. Calhoun is available in your league, grab him and stick him on IR for the rest of the season. Come 2007, he just might land he starting job in Detroit.

Tony Scheffler, TE, Denver Broncos - The wait for Scheffler's impact is over. Jay Cutler hooked up with Tony for touchdowns twice in 48 seconds last week. One saw a scrambling Cutler lock eyes with Scheffler and hit him in the back of the end for a 28 yard TD. The other was a ball that should have been intercepted, but Scheffler tipped it away from the defender and back to himself for an 11 yard TD. It's clear that the Broncos new QB has a connection with Scheffler. This combination should hit full speed next season.

Daniel Graham, TE, New England Patriots - It's easy to forget that Graham was just as well known for his receiving ability coming out of Colorado. The Pats turned him into more of a third tackle and developed Ben Watson as a receiving threat. He's got some value down the stretch this year (he caught a TD on a long trick play that was nullified by a penalty) while Ben Watson is banged up, and next year will see him on a new team, that is likely to use him more as a receiver than New England has.

Delanie Walker, TE, San Francisco 49ers - The 49ers use the TE as a central part of their version of the West Coast Offense. With rookie Vernon Davis back in the mix, one would think that he would be the only TE that would be getting targets, but that would be incorrect. Fellow rookie Delanie Walker, a sixth round pick from Central Missouri, is also getting a few balls thrown in his direction, as he pulled down two of his three Week 14 targets for a combined 30 yards. With both veteran TE Eric Johnson unavailable and also with WR Antonio Bryant in the doghouse with the organization, Walker should get more action the rest of the way.

Brett Basanez, QB, Carolina Panthers - Anyone who watched the Panthers this weekend think that Chris Weinke had a good game? Anyone? OK, so he had more attempts last Sunday (61) than he had the previous FOUR years combined? (51)? But make no mistake, Weinke is not a good prospect for the Panthers or dynasty owners either. So Why Basanez? Well he doesn't have a rocket arm, and he isn't going to wow anyone with his blazing speed. But he's smart, coach-able, has good mechanics, and may get a shot to start before the end of the season. Without question he's a big reach. But if Delhomme is not fully recovered, and Weinke continues to struggle, Basanez just might get his chance.