All our week 6 content

Week 6 Upgrades, Downgrades, and Waiver Wire Wonders

Quarterback

1. QB Matt Hasselbeck, SEA
2. QB Kyle Orton, DEN
3. QB Josh Johnson, TB *** POTENTIAL WAIVER WIRE GEM ***
4. QB Matt Cassel, KC
5. QB Daunte Culpepper, DET *** POTENTIAL WAIVER WIRE GEM ***
6. QB Eli Manning, NYG
7. QB Donovan McNabb, PHI
8. QB Mark Sanchez, NYJ
9. QB Matt Ryan, ATL
10. QB Chad Henne, MIA *** POTENTIAL WAIVER WIRE GEM ***
11. QB Ben Roethlisberger, PIT
12. QB Tony Romo, DAL
13. QB Jake Delhomme, CAR
14. QB Marc Bulger, STL *** POTENTIAL WAIVER WIRE GEM ***
15. QB Tarvaris Jackson, MIN

Downgrade

1. QB Kyle Boller, STL
2. QB Trent Edwards, BUF
3. QB Derek Anderson, CLE
4. QB Shaun Hill, SF
5. QB Kerry Collins, TEN
6. QB Jason Campbell, WAS

Holding steady

1. QB Vince Young, TEN
2. QB JaMarcus Russell, OAK
3. QB Tom Brady, NE
4. QB Brett Favre, MIN
5. QB Matt Schaub, HOU
6. QB Peyton Manning, IND
7. QB Kurt Warner, ARI
8. QB David Garrard, JAX

Running Back

1. RB Ahmad Bradshaw, NYG
2. RB Cedric Benson, CIN
3. RB Michael Turner, ATL
4. RB Ray Rice, BAL
5. RB Rashard Mendenhall, PIT
6. RB Jamal Lewis, CLE
7. RB Ricky Williams, MIA
8. RB Marshawn Lynch, BUF
9. RB Ronnie Brown, MIA
10. RB Steven Jackson, STL
11. RB Thomas Jones, NYJ
12. RB Derrick Ward, TB
13. RB Jonathan Stewart, CAR
14. RB Jerious Norwood, ATL
15. RB Chester Taylor, MIN
16. RB Jamaal Charles, KC *** POTENTIAL WAIVER WIRE GEM ***
17. RB Chris Brown, HOU *** POTENTIAL WAIVER WIRE GEM ***

Downgrade

1. RB Willie Parker, PIT
2. RB Larry Johnson, KC
3. RB Cadillac Williams, TB
4. RB Steve Slaton, HOU
5. RB Glen Coffee, SF
6. RB Jerome Harrison, CLE
7. RB Ryan Moats, HOU
8. RB Leon Washington, NYJ
9. RB Brandon Jacobs, NYG
10. RB Willis McGahee, BAL
11. RB DeAngelo Williams, CAR

Holding steady

1. RB Adrian Peterson, MIN
2. RB Kevin Smith, DET
3. RB Brian Westbrook, PHI
4. RB Marion Barber, DAL
5. RB Clinton Portis, WAS
6. RB Tashard Choice, DAL
7. RB LeSean McCoy, PHI
8. RB Joseph Addai, IND
9. RB Chris Johnson, TEN
10. RB Maurice Jones-Drew, JAX
11. RB Michael Bush, OAK
12. RB LenDale White, TEN
13. RB Tim Hightower, ARI
14. RB Chris Wells, ARI

Wide Receiver

1. WR Miles Austin, DAL *** POTENTIAL WAIVER WIRE GEM ***
2. WR Nate Burleson, SEA
3. WR Roddy White, ATL
4. WR Jeremy Maclin, PHI *** POTENTIAL WAIVER WIRE GEM ***
5. WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh, SEA
6. WR Brandon Marshall, DEN
7. WR Wes Welker, NE
8. WR Eddie Royal, DEN
9. WR Percy Harvin, MIN
10. WR Sidney Rice, MIN
11. WR Austin Collie, IND *** POTENTIAL WAIVER WIRE GEM ***
12. WR Braylon Edwards, NYJ
13. WR Hakeem Nicks, NYG *** POTENTIAL WAIVER WIRE GEM ***
14. WR Chris Henry, CIN *** POTENTIAL WAIVER WIRE GEM ***
15. WR Donnie Avery, STL
16. WR Bryant Johnson, DET *** POTENTIAL WAIVER WIRE GEM ***
17. WR Dennis Northcutt, DET *** POTENTIAL WAIVER WIRE GEM ***
18. WR Mike Wallace, PIT *** POTENTIAL WAIVER WIRE GEM ***
19. WR David Clowney, NYJ

Downgrade

1. WR Lee Evans, BUF
2. WR Laveranues Coles, CIN
3. WR Pierre Garcon, IND
4. WR Justin Gage, TEN
5. WR Kevin Curtis, PHI
6. WR Mohamed Massaquoi, CLE
7. WR Jerheme Urban, ARI
8. WR Jacoby Jones, HOU
9. WR Randy Moss, NE
10. WR Jerricho Cotchery, NYJ
11. WR Calvin Johnson, DET
12. WR Derrick Mason, BAL

Holding steady

1. WR Reggie Wayne, IND
2. WR Mike Sims-Walker, JAX
3. WR DeSean Jackson, PHI
4. WR Steve Smith, CAR
5. WR Kevin Walter, HOU
6. WR Bernard Berrian, MIN
7. WR Torry Holt, JAX
8. WR Steve Breaston, ARI
9. WR Keenan Burton, STL
10. WR Chaz Schilens, OAK
11. WR Danny Amendola, STL
12. WR Brad Smith, NYJ
13. WR Ted Ginn, MIA

Tight End

1. TE Brandon Pettigrew, DET *** POTENTIAL WAIVER WIRE GEM ***
2. TE Heath Miller, PIT
3. TE Kellen Winslow, TB
4. TE Visanthe Shiancoe, MIN
5. TE Marcedes Lewis, JAX
6. TE Daniel Fells, STL *** POTENTIAL WAIVER WIRE GEM ***
7. TE Todd Heap, BAL
8. TE Fred Davis, WAS *** POTENTIAL WAIVER WIRE GEM ***
9. TE Anthony Fasano, MIA

Downgrade

1. TE Randy McMichael, STL
2. TE Chris Cooley, WAS
3. TE Dustin Keller, NYJ

Holding steady

1. TE John Carlson, SEA
2. TE Vernon Davis, SF
3. TE Owen Daniels, HOU

Kicker

1. PK Jason Hanson, DET *** POTENTIAL WAIVER WIRE GEM ***
2. PK Olindo Mare, SEA *** POTENTIAL WAIVER WIRE GEM ***
3. PK Lawrence Tynes, NYG

Downgrade

1. PK Rian Lindell, BUF
2. PK Neil Rackers, ARI
3. PK Steve Hauschka, BAL
4. PK Josh Scobee, JAX

Holding steady

Team Defense

1. TD Seattle Seahawks, SEA *** POTENTIAL WAIVER WIRE GEM ***
2. TD Washington Redskins, WAS *** POTENTIAL WAIVER WIRE GEM ***
3. TD New Orleans Saints, NO

Downgrade

1. TD New England Patriots, NE
2. TD Baltimore Ravens, BAL
3. TD Jacksonville Jaguars, JAX

Holding steady

Quarterback

QB Marc Bulger, STL - *** POTENTIAL WAIVER WIRE GEM *** - Bulger took over late in the fourth quarter when the Rams were all but out of the game and Minnesota was working the clock. Bulger was a perfect seven for seven, but these were more garbage time passes rather than a return to starting form. The TD pass to Avery was actually short, and Avery made a nice adjustment to catch the ball as the defender was out of position. Three of Bulger's final four passes came on the final drive with time running out. They were short, dump-off type passes over the middle and to the sideline that went for short and medium gains. The final pass to Avery was a bit high, but Avery went up for the ball and came down with it for 19 yards. He was tackled and the game ended. Bulger will the starter next week for the Rams so he's worth an upgrade, but it remains to be seen if he can get the Rams out of the rut that they are in.

QB Matt Cassel, KC - Cassel was particularly good on the final drive in regulation to tie the game. With just over two minutes remaining, Cassel engineered a touchdown drive by converting on third-and-fourteen toward the beginning of the drive and on fourth-and-seven to end it, remaining cool the whole time. Cassel showed his mobility in the pocket as well has some elusiveness out of the pocket as he scrambled for 28 yards. He also showed excellent toughness. He was sacked four times, and was hit on a majority of his 41 pass attempts, but kept getting up, brushing himself off, and going back to work. Cassel's 253 passing yards and 2 touchdowns are all the more impressive given the constant pressure he faced. And while is accuracy was inconsistent, his toughness and poise under pressure bode well for the future. With his performance on Sunday, we are upgrading Cassel from a rather poor fantasy backup to a perfectly adequate fantasy backup in twelve-team leagues.

QB Daunte Culpepper, DET - *** POTENTIAL WAIVER WIRE GEM *** - Daunte Culpepper started again for injured rookie Matthew Stafford, and despite constant pressure and the loss of Calvin Johnson in the first quarter he was still able to complete almost two-thirds of his attempts and keep the Lions in the game against Pittsburgh. Culpepper also showed good speed when running out of the pocket, something he had to do quite often with LB James Harrison speeding in his direction on several occasions. Culpepper still tends to hold the ball a little too long and also overthrew some open targets, but overall he did quite well against a tough opponent. Culpepper is likely to start again next week (at Green Bay) to buy Matthew Stafford two weeks off thanks to Detroit's Week 7 bye.

QB Jake Delhomme, CAR - Normally a quarterback who accounts for 188 total yards isn't much of an upgrade, but with Sunday's win Delhomme showed that he is likely to keep the job in Carolina for the foreseeable future. More importantly, he is throwing the ball with confidence and playing smart (as evidenced by his 4th quarter scramble for a first down out of the arms of DeAngelo Hall). Delhomme was efficient in completing 64 percent of his passes and picking up key first downs through the air when it became clear that the Panthers running game was stalling. Delhomme is leaning heavily on his top two receivers (Steve Smith and Muhsin Muhammad), which would seem to indicate that he is simplifying his game in an effort to get back on track after a rough start.

QB Matt Hasselbeck, SEA - Welcome back Matt. The Seahawks have plenty of weapons on offense, but it all comes together with a healthy Matt Hasselbeck at QB, especially at home. Hasselbeck showed no signs of any lingering effects from his rib/back injury that shelved him for the last two weeks. After struggling to convert in the red zone on two early possessions, Hasselbeck, reached pay dirt with a TD pass to TJ Houshmandzadeh and then the floodgates opened up on Jacksonville. Hasselbeck was very accurate in his throws, especially scoring plays. He engineered several drives with Nate Burleson and TJ Houshmandzadeh as his main targets that made his job easier. Seattle hosts Arizona next week and their pass rush will likely give Hasselbeck fits, but his leadership and multiple weapons at his disposal should provide another good opportunity for success. He used the shotgun quite a bit against Jacksonville; expect some of the same against Arizona to help alleviate their strong pass rush.

QB Chad Henne, MIA - *** POTENTIAL WAIVER WIRE GEM *** - Chad Henne has a difficult situation. He is not always on the field when the Dolphins have the ball. The Wildcat formation limits his involvement and thus decreases his chances for more red zone scores. Having said that, Chad Henne made some very impressive plays in the win over the Jets. In the midst of being blitzed, he found Ricky Williams open on for a screen pass on the team's first possession that went 59 yards that set up the first score of the game. It set the tone against the Jets defense. Henne also made a perfect throw to Ted Ginn Jr for 53-yard TD in the fourth quarter that gave Miami the lead. On that play, Ginn ran a great route, froze the safety who thought he might be cutting and proceeded to run by the Jets defense while the ball sailed towards his outstretched hands for the go-ahead TD. He actually had Greg Camarillo wide open on a shorter, but still deep route, but he elected to go for the home run ball and was successful. He missed (overthrew) a wide open Anthony Fasano a few plays before the bomb to Ginn, which would've been a long gain, if not a TD. Henne was very accurate in his throws, especially late in the game when Miami needed him to make big plays. He showed he is capable of making several different types of throws and for him to do so against a strong Jets defense, says a lot. Miami's OL and running game really opened the door for Henne to use play action and it kept the Jets defense on their toes. Later in the game when Henne was so effective, the Jets defense was gassed and it was clear they had no idea what was coming or where the play was headed. Consider adding Henne to your roster. He is someone who can make plays and has shown he can be a threat regardless if he is not on the field all the time when Miami has the ball. Tyler Thigpen who?

QB Tarvaris Jackson, MIN - More from a long term Dynasty/Keeper league prospective than this season, Tarvaris Jackson had a good showing in Week 5. He took over mid-way through the fourth quarter when the Vikings had the game well in hand. He worked the field well, hitting the open receiver and kept the clock moving on the final two drives. He won't challenge Favre for the starting job, but he his game has clearly improved watching Favre run the offense week after week.

QB Josh Johnson, TB - *** POTENTIAL WAIVER WIRE GEM *** - Josh Johnson weathered a blitzing storm in Week 5 from the Philadelphia Eagles as they sent everything but the kitchen sink in his direction about 50 percent of the time on passing downs. Johnson used his agility, speed and quickness to elude the Eagles as much as possible. He frequently bought time inside and outside of the pocket and continued to look for receivers downfield rather than just tucking it to run. He does have good speed and can run the ball well, increasing his potential fantasy value. Johnson relied on TE Kellen Winslow, as he was the only sure-handed target for Tampa Bay. Johnson easily could have topped 300 yards passing if not for several drops by his other receivers. Both of his touchdowns went to Winslow, who dominated the middle of the defense. Johnson earned another start next week against Carolina at home as the Bucs try to get their first victory of the year. Johnson makes for a decent fantasy QB2 as a bye week fill-in against the Panthers in Week 6.

QB Eli Manning, NYG - Manning missed most of last week's practice with a plantar fasciitis injury to his right foot, so it was fortunate that the Giants were able to allow Manning to rest after getting out to a 28-0 lead in the second quarter. While he was on the field, however, Manning was fantastic: he completed 8 of 10 passes for 173 yards and two touchdowns. His sore heal obviously didn't affect his ability to plant off his back foot and throw the ball accurately. The plantar fasciitis injury may linger all season, but the fact that Manning was able to tape it up and play so effectively on it makes it much less of a concern that it was coming into the game. Moreover, the trio of Steve Smith, Mario Manningham, and Hakeem Nicks at wide receiver, a group that looked mediocre coming into the season, continue to make plays, giving Manning an abundance of legitimate weapons in the passing game. Manning didn't have a stellar fantasy outing against the Raiders since he played less than two quarters; but given the quality of his performance, he can be considered a solid fantasy starter going forward.

QB Donovan McNabb, PHI - Donovan McNabb came back from both an injury and the bye week to lead the Eagles to a big victory over Tampa Bay in Week 5. McNabb did what he always seems to do when he is on top of his game -- which is to throw often and in the direction of whomever is open that day. Against the Buccaneers that was rookie Jeremy Maclin, who twice got open deep and scored on big pass plays. McNabb also showed good mobility in and out of the pocket, scrambling twice away from pressure and smartly getting out of bounds for about 15 yards on each play and a first down. McNabb was nearly perfect (157.2 QB rating) on the day, averaging a gaudy 12.5 yards per attempt, evidenced by his strong fantasy numbers on just 21 attempts. The Eagles travel to Oakland next week, a tougher matchup on paper, but one that Eli Manning dominated in Week 5.

QB Kyle Orton, DEN - The Broncos opened up their offense against the Patriots on Sunday, and Orton had his best game as a Bronco, completing 35 of 48 passes for 330 yards and two touchdowns. (His single interception -- his first of the season -- came on a Hail Mary pass at the end of the first half, picked off by Randy Moss.) Orton was accurate on his short throws, and seemed to make the right reads all day, finding the open man. Playing without a glove on his throwing hand for the first time this season (that he'd worn earlier to protect a lacerated finger), Orton made extensive use of his two star wide receivers, also for the first time this season. Brandon Marshall and Eddie Royal had been targeted just 6.5 and 5.5 times per game, respectively, coming into Sunday's contest. Against the Patriots, Marshall was targeted 11 times and Royal 15 times. The Broncos will continue to emphasize defense and ball control this season, but Orton showed Sunday that when the passing game needs to take over, he is capable of delivering. Orton has been a top ten fantasy QB thus far, and we like his chances to finish around the top 15 this season if he stays healthy.

QB Ben Roethlisberger, PIT - Roethlisberger completed over 75 percent of his attempts against the Detroit Lions, and he basically took the second half of the game off. Roethlisberger had 195 of his yards by halftime and everywhere he turned he had someone open. Wideout Santonio Holmes was open all day 10-20 yards down the field, and Hines Ward and TE Heath Miller worked the middle 7-15 yards at a time, just systematically picking the Lions apart. Only one pick-six thrown late on an out pass to Mike Wallace kept him from having an outstanding QB rating, but it was still over 120. He was fortunate to have another INT called back due to a roughing the passer penalty, but he also should have had another touchdown to Wallace who dropped what would have been a 71-yard catch and run. Roethlisberger is in total command in the pocket and now gets Cleveland and Minnesota coming to Pittsburgh for the next two weeks before the Steelers go on a bye.

QB Tony Romo, DAL - The demise of Tony Romo was a bit premature. After last week's poor outing against the Broncos, Romo was heavily criticized and, in many fantasy leagues, benched. He bounced back against the Chiefs with a strong performance (20 for 34 for 351 yards and 3 touchdowns) and, just as importantly, showed the leadership ability that appeared to have been waning throughout the first month of the season. Making due without WR Roy Williams (ribs) and RB Felix Jones (knee), Romo remained sharp even when things went wrong. Miles Austin had an otherwise fantastic game, but he dropped two potential touchdowns and Patrick Crayton also dropped an easy ball. But Romo, unfazed, calmed his teammates and kept firing bullets. Not only did Romo return to form, but also the emergence of Austin Miles gives Romo another weapon, enhancing Romo's fantasy prospects going forward. If Miles can ride his momentum, teams will not be able to double-cover Roy Williams, and the whole Cowboys' passing game should benefit. Considering Romo's two best games were against Kansas City and Tampa Bay, two below average defenses, he's not a player to count on every week until his weapons can show up against the better teams. Still, Atlanta and Seattle aren't the same quality defenses as the Giants and Broncos, so he's worth serious consideration.

QB Matt Ryan, ATL - Although it's a valid argument that the 49ers made several uncharacteristic mistakes this weekend, it takes little away from Matt Ryan's performance. The Falcons QB didn't show pinpoint accuracy on several plays where, and even tossed an interception in the red zone early in the second half. However, Ryan also threaded the needled on a skinny post to Roddy White to get the Falcons inside the 49ers five-yard line and hit White for a score on a deep corner route in the end zone off play action in the first half. The icing on the cake was a 90-yard touchdown to White that came off a sideline curl that White turned up field for 75-yard jaunt down the sideline after turning past the CB in man coverage. Ryan had a career-high in passing yardage by the early fourth quarter and even scored on a designed rollout with the game well in hand. With the Bears, Cowboys, and Saints up next, Ryan is a slight upgrade.

QB Mark Sanchez, NYJ - Make no mistake about it. The Jets are a defensive team first in the eyes of Head Coach Rex Ryan. Mark Sanchez's role is supposed to be that of a game manager who mostly uses the running game to set up timely throws - often the short or mid-ranged variety. Insert WR Braylon Edwards. The addition of Edwards gives Sanchez and the Jets a down field option who can stretch the field. Sanchez didn't start off incredibly well throwing mid-range or deep passes, in fact his first pass attempt of more than 15 yards came two minutes into the second quarter and it wasn't accurate. His second down field pass was nowhere near a receiver. He eventually settled down in the two-minute offense at the end of the first half with some completions on mid-ranged passes, but the real fireworks didn't come until the second half. Sanchez showed he can make a play down field with a 53-yard pass to David Clowney in the fourth quarter. A few plays later, he hit Edwards in stride down the sideline 34 yards to the one-yard line, which was originally scored as a TD, before it was overturned. Why should you be excited about Sanchez? Expect him to utilize more of Braylon Edwards in the future, which could mean bigger passing numbers if the game dictates it. What's not to be excited about? Don't expect Sanchez to automatically be a consistent 250+ yard passer now that he has a down field threat with Braylon Edwards. He had only 172 yards in the loss to Miami. The Jets defense has taken a step back after three steps forward to begin the year and if everything goes to plan, the defense will get back on track and the Jets won't need Sanchez to make many big plays. It's good to know though, that if needed, Sanchez has shown the ability that he can make necessary throws that you want out of your fantasy QB. For now, Sanchez remains a borderline starter in your lineup, who is probably best used as a back up or bye week filler.

Downgrade

QB Derek Anderson, CLE - Coming off a solid performance against the Bengals last week, Anderson was completely ineffective in this game, as he only managed to complete 2 of 17 passes for just 23 yards. There were strong wind gusts in the game that made it difficult to throw at times, but Anderson is a strong-armed QB who should have been able to cut through the wind better. The Bills were missing three of their starters in the secondary and got very little pressure (1 sack, 2 QB hits) on Anderson in the game, but he was not able to capitalize. The Braylon Edwards trade has left the Browns without a true No.1 WR and that is likely going to hurt the passing game no matter who is under center. This is probably an offense that most fantasy owners will want to steer clear of unless they are absolutely desperate.

QB Kyle Boller, STL - Boller actually played a pretty good game against a tough Minnesota defense. He kept the ball moving well and the Rams actually out-gained the Vikings in the first half. It was the turnovers that finally sent Boller to the bench. Early in the first quarter, Boller dropped back for a pass, but when he reached his arm back to throw it, the ball fell out and it was a clear fumble. Jared Allen picked it up and outran the offensive line for a TD to give the Vikings a 14-point lead. Boller stayed focused though and two drives later, brought the Rams down to the one yard line, mixing in runs to Steven Jackson with outside corner and crossing routes to Donnie Avery and Keenan Burton. But as Jackson tried to punch it in from the one, the handoff was fumbled from Boller and the Vikings recovered. Later in the 4th quarter, while the Rams still had a chance, Boller threw an interception in the end zone that could have been receiver miscommunication, but ultimately was a forced pass into coverage that killed any chance of the Rams coming back. Boller was replaced on the following series and will probably be the backup QB next week for the Rams.

QB Jason Campbell, WAS - Jason Campbell was efficient although completing 17 of 23 passes on Sunday. With one exception (a 23-yard toss to Santana Moss), his passes were surprisingly inaccurate considering how short most of them were. His receivers were not led with much consistency and in the event Campbell waited in the pocket for something to develop downfield, he was sacked. Speculation is rampant that both Jim Zorn and Jason Campbell are in their last season with the Redskins, and the erosion of confidence in both men seems apparent when watching the offense. Campbell may still have some big games this season, but starting him with any regularity is risky.

QB Kerry Collins, TEN - Although the Titans opted for Vince Young for the last half of the fourth quarter, it had nothing to do with the play of Collins. The Titans starter executed the game plan well, but his receivers didn't help him out. This is a common issue with Tennessee right now: the Titans receivers have the second highest number of dropped passes in the NFL and they had some dubious examples this week with Justin Gage, Kenny Britt, and Chris Johnson each dropping passes in the first half. Collins navigated the Colts pressure from its defensive ends effectively with passes to the flat and the occasional long ball. However, Collins was not accurate deep, especially as the game progressed and he began to take hits, which prompted him to begin throwing off his back foot. The biggest problem was stalled drives due to dropped passes, or in one case an Alge Crumpler fumble, that resulted in three field goals to the Colts three touchdowns. With New England before the bye, and Jacksonville and San Francisco in weeks eight and nine, isn't likely to crack any fantasy starting lineups and with the Titans 0-5, and giving Vince Young some garbage time, Collins may not even be worth a roster spot if they can't manage to win the next two out of three contests.

QB Trent Edwards, BUF - On a gusty day in Buffalo, Edwards continued to play with little confidence and take very few shots downfield. The offensive line did not make things easy for him as they allowed 2 sacks, 8 QB hits, and were flagged for a mind boggling 9 false starts in the game. Many of those QB hits were brought on by Edwards as he held onto the ball too long, but in many other situations he seemed uncomfortable and checked down far too quickly rather than let a play try to develop. Edwards is playing like a quarterback who has very little confidence in himself or his offensive line. He finished the game with a completion percentage barely over 50%, threw an awful interception, and led the team to just three points against one of the worst defenses in the league. He was able to add 40 yards rushing on 4 carries and one of the only highlights he had in the game was a 20-yard scramble on 3rd down. Over the past three games, Edwards has thrown for just 500 combined yards and a terrible 1 TD/5 INT ratio. With the offensive line failing to provide consistent protection, Edwards has been unable to get his star receivers involved and this is starting to look like a team in crisis. While it would be a surprise if Edwards were benched in favor of Ryan Fitzpatrick, the pressure for some type of change is building and Edwards should probably not be considered much more than a depth QB in most fantasy leagues.

QB Shaun Hill, SF - When the pocket-passing Hill leads the 49ers in rushing with 4 carries for 53 yards and breaking the pocket up the middle of the defense is the most effective offensive play of the game, it should tell you all you need to know about San Francisco's performance. This was a brutal game for the 49ers because of several mental mistakes Hill's receivers made throughout the game. Vernon Davis did not run his quick slants correctly from the slot on two occasions, and one of the passes was intercepted. In the second half, Josh Morgan didn't run a deep route at full speed and seemed surprised when Hill threw the ball his way. The overthrow resulted in the 49ers attempting a 48-yard field goal that was wide right. Hill was pressured regularly throughout the game, and this resulted in tipped passes or throws altered by hits during his release. The pressure was more often the result of Hill's receivers not getting open. This San Francisco offense looked a lot like the mistake-prone, low-effort version from a year ago when coach Mike Singletary had to resort drawer-dropping, locker room tirades. Neither Houston nor Indianapolis present much of a defensive challenge for a good offense, but San Francisco will need a healthy Frank Gore back for Hill to even have a chance at fantasy back-up quality production. He's a definite downgrade despite the fact his receivers were the real problem.

Holding steady

QB Tom Brady, NE - The Patriots were shut out after halftime of Sunday's game against the Broncos. Brady finished day with 215 passing yards and two touchdowns, but couldn't get anything going when it counted most. After the Broncos tied the game with just over five minutes left in the fourth quarter, the Patriots had two drives with the potential to take the lead. The first ended when Brady had Wes Welker running wide open down the middle of the field on third-and-three, but the ball landed at Welker's feet and the Patriots had to punt. The second ended when Brady fumbled the ball on a sack. The Patriots, losing the coin flip in overtime, would not get the ball back again. Brady owners can take solace, however, in the fact that the Broncos defense is for real, and the Patriots schedule gets easier going forward. They face the Bucs and Dolphins in their next two games (with a bye in between) before traveling to Indy, and still have games against the Saints, Panthers, Jaguars, and Texans. Tom Brady, of course, is still a must-start every week.

QB Brett Favre, MIN - Once again, Brett Favre played an excellent game for the Vikings. From going four of five on the opening drive, setting up a TD run for Adrian Peterson, and executing a perfect four-minute clock-killing drive for a TD early in the fourth quarter, Favre proved that 40 is the new 30 for NFL QBS. Favre was excellent at picking up the blitz, dumping the ball off to Chester Taylor or hitting the quick slants to Sidney Rice or Percy Harvin. His one interception was a bad throw where he rolled out and tried to force the ball into coverage. It was only his second interception of the year. Favre worked the short and medium passes to perfection as he has done in recent weeks, but took more shots down the field this time, looking for Rice and Bernard Berrian. He left the game with 10 minutes to go and the Vikings let Tarvaris Jackson take over the last two drives to run out the clock.

QB David Garrard, JAX - Don't throw in the towel on David Garrard. Before the tough loss at Seattle, where the offense couldn't get anything going, Garrard was averaging close to 25 fpts/gm in his last three games. Garrard struggled to do much of anything against a strong pass rush that appeared to have an extra step on the snap due to the relentless crowd noise. As a result, he was sacked four times, hurried multiple times and his third down conversion percentage was a pitiful 2 for 15. It's hard to sustain drives and be effective when you're facing an uphill battle. That's how it was all day long. When Garrard was able to string together a good drive, it was ruined by a fumble return for a TD and any momentum found was lost. Garrard also did not have his favorite target, Mike Sims Walker, who was inactive for violating the team's travel itinerary. Perhaps the best medicine for a tough loss is to play the Rams at home. That's exactly what's on tap for Garrard and the Jaguars next week. Expect Garrard to bounce back in a big way.

QB Peyton Manning, IND - Manning said he would have to see a doctor because of a hit he took to his left knee during a Kyle Vanden Bosch sack-attempt in the game. Although this was the same knee that he had surgery on last year, Manning was able to stay in the game and have yet another 300-yard day despite a defense limiting his aggressive tendencies. Monitor Manning's visit to the doctor, but the fact he finished the game should tell you that he'll be fine.

QB JaMarcus Russell, OAK - In last week's Top 250 list, we ranked Russell as the 32nd-best fantasy QB -- i.e., as the worst starting NFL QB in the league. From that spot, there was nowhere to go but up, but Russell didn't make it. He's holding steady after a 100-yard passing day that was roughly in line with our weekly projection for him (136 yards). The Raiders were down 21-0 just seven seconds into the second quarter, but the Raiders' coaching staff showed no faith in Russell to bring the team back: despite playing catch-up the entire game, Russell attempted just 13 passes. He took six sacks and fumbled three times. And while the offensive line played poorly, Russell's complete lack of pocket awareness didn't help. Several of the sacks came right straight at Russell, not from his blindside, and yet Russell seemed oblivious to the pressure until he was on his back. Head coach Tom Cable said that he is still committed to Russell as his starters; we hope his fantasy owners have better sense.

QB Matt Schaub, HOU - Texans quarterback Matt Schaub had another productive game against the Cardinals. Despite an uneven first half wherein Schaub was constantly forced to move out of the pocket and throw on the run, he found a great deal of success in the second half. The Texans like having Schaub throw the ball downfield to receiver Andre Johnson and tight end Owen Daniels but mixed in a high number of short throws on slants and quick outs as well on Sunday. The Cardinals regularly rotated double-coverage to Andre Johnson and Kevin Walter before the snap, forcing Schaub to use his outlet receivers (Steve Slaton, David Anderson, and Owen Daniels) to keep drives going. Nonetheless, Schaub's high yardage total shows that he is very capable of finding the open man in the open field. He remains a must-start in all formats.

QB Kurt Warner, ARI - Kurt Warner had another excellent game for the Cardinals and would have likely added to his totals had the Arizona offense not build such a large lead so quickly. Warner fired deep balls with excellent accuracy in the first half against and overmatched Texans' secondary, completing long strikes to Anquan Boldin, Larry Fitzgerald, and Steve Breaston seemingly at will. Warner's touch -- particularly on Fitzgerald's second touchdown over two defenders to the left front pylon of the endzone -- shows that he is still an elite quarterback. Warner remains a must start in all formats.

QB Vince Young, TEN - Yes, there was a Vince Young sighting midway through the fourth quarter when the game was out of hand. Much to the fans' delight, they got what they chanted for throughout the second half when Young entered the game with a 31-9 deficit and did what he's frequently done since 2008, under-threw a pass on one play and scrambled for a first down the next. With the Titans 0-5, it's becoming more likely that Young will see additional time in ballgames. Until he's made the starter, he's not worth a roster spot.

Running Back

RB Cedric Benson, CIN - Benson continues to run with the combination of power and speed that made him a high first-round pick. He pushes the pile and falls forward between the tackles, is able to gain the corner outside consistently and showed breakaway speed on a long touchdown run against Baltimore. After successful outings against the Steelers and Ravens in the past three weeks, Benson should be considered a RB1 and will likely continue his strong production against the Texans and Bears in coming weeks.

RB Ahmad Bradshaw, NYG - Bradshaw continues to outshine starter Brandon Jacobs every chance he gets. While Jacobs has gotten more carries than Bradshaw in ever game so far, Bradshaw has more rushing yards, more touchdowns, and has been more effective in the passing game. Bradshaw rushed for 110 yards and two scores on 11 carries on Sunday, compared to Jacobs' 67 yards on 21 carries. He also took a screen pass 55 yards. Bradshaw's 19-yard touchdown run showed off his open-field run skills. He made several quick cuts, dodging S Tyvon Branch, DE Richard Seymour, and LB Kirk Morrison, and made it into the end zone untouched. While the Giants appear committed to pounding the ball inside with Brandon Jacobs, as long as Bradshaw continues to make big plays on such a large fraction of his touches, is involvement in the offense should continue to increase. It's not out of the question that Bradshaw will be the Giants' primary RB by the end of the season (read: the fantasy playoffs).

RB Chris Brown, HOU - *** POTENTIAL WAIVER WIRE GEM *** - Chris Brown received 3 goal line touches for the Texans and appears to still be the choice for short-yardage duties. Despite his fumble in the end zone two weeks ago and his inability to convert on two carries from the one at the end of the game against Arizona, it looks like the team is committed to Brown near the goal line. He is worth a roster spot in deep leagues and leagues that heavily reward touchdowns.

RB Ronnie Brown, MIA - Ronnie Brown is a huge part of the Dolphins offensive attack. Whether he is running the ball, catching the ball or making plays out of the Wildcat formation, he is a mainstay among the elite RBs this year and is on pace to finish in the top five among fantasy RBs. The Miami OL is quietly one of the better units in the league as evidenced by Miami's strong running game that includes both Brown and Ricky Williams. Brown may split some carries with Williams, but he is far too good of a player to let that keep him from producing at the level of other elite backs who don't have a secondary RB also carrying some of the load. The Jets were supposed to be the team that kept the Dolphins running game in check, however the opposite was true. If Miami can be successful against defenses like the Jets, they can be successful against anyone. The timely passing and accuracy of Chad Henne, combined with the Wildcat formation keeps defenses guessing and it all results in more production for Brown and Williams. Continue to start Brown and reap the benefits, especially if the Wildcat formation continues to be a thorn in the side of defensive coordinators around the league.

RB Jamaal Charles, KC - *** POTENTIAL WAIVER WIRE GEM *** - This is a rather tentative upgrade, since anyone running behind the Chiefs' offensive line is bound to struggle. But if Larry Johnson continues to underwhelm the way he has at times, the Chiefs will have to stop running him into the line of scrimmage 20 times a game and try something else. That something else may involve giving Jamaal Charles more touches. Charles has, so far, been more effective than Johnson. He may be better suited to the Chiefs' current offense, in which there are no holes to be found and the running back is on his own to create something out of nothing. Charles has had essentially no fantasy value so far, but by the end of the season he could be an RB3/flex candidate as long as he can stay out of head coach Todd Haley's doghouse by holding into the football more consistently.

RB Steven Jackson, STL - Steven Jackson may be the only player worth having from the Rams, and he's definitely the star of the team. Despite a tough Minnesota defense, Jackson had several nice runs up the middle of the field, breaking arm tackles and dragging defenders with him for medium and longer gains. The Rams split him out several times as a WR and went with an empty backfield, but were not able to get him the ball in the open field. He ran hard when he was played well given the fact that St. Louis was down by 14 or more for most of the game. The fumble that he had early in the second quarter was a bad handoff from Kyle Boller that Jackson never secured. As long as he's healthy, he'll be in the game because he gives the Rams their only real chance of winning and without him they are a different team.

RB Thomas Jones, NYJ - Thomas Jones benefited from two short goal line scores. Other than that, he would've had a very average game. He gets the upgrade, due to his two scores. It's obvious the Jets prefer him over Leon Washington or Shonn Greene, for that matter, in goal line situations. His stats - 10 carries for 44 yards were very similar to Leon Washington's on the day, but Washington was the better runner, once again. Washington often made the first tackler miss and had better quickness getting through the initial hole. Jones looked to be a step slower and sometimes went down on first contact, because he couldn't outrun the speedy defense trying to get to the outside. His longest run was only eight yards all game. The decision of whether or not to start Jones on a weekly basis must be troublesome to his owners. If he doesn't score, his stat line is less than desirable. On the bright side, he does have five TDs in five games and therefore remains a good, but not great option as a flex starter.

RB Jamal Lewis, CLE - Although Jerome Harrison came into this game with all the momentum, it was Jamal Lewis who got the start and looked like a workhorse back against a banged up Bills defense. Lewis carried the ball 31 times, which is the most attempts he's had in a game since week 15 of the 2007 season, a game that also happened to come against the Bills. There were severe wind gusts during the game which helped limit the Browns passing attack to just 23 yards on 2 of 17 passing, but Lewis helped the Browns offense stay on the field with strong running between the tackles. The Bills defense had been giving up some huge rushing numbers the past few weeks and they were weakened even more when they lost their 1st and 2nd string middle linebackers to injuries during the game. Despite the great matchup, Lewis wasn't able to reach the end zone or break any big runs but the fact that he touched the ball 31 times compared to just 8 for Jerome Harrison is a strong indicator that he should still be the primary back in Cleveland as long as he's healthy.

RB Marshawn Lynch, BUF - After a less than inspiring debut against the Dolphins last week, Marshawn Lynch rebounded with a solid effort against one of the weaker defenses in the league. The Browns came into the game allowing the most yards per carry and the most rushing touchdowns, so many were expecting big numbers from the Bills running game. Although Fred Jackson had carried the offense for most of the first month, it was Lynch who did most of the work this week, as he finished with 69 yards on 17 carries (4.1 YPC). Jackson could only manage 30 yards on 13 carries (2.3 ypc). Lynch didn't break any big runs as his biggest run of the day was just 12 yards, but he was very consistent and ran well both inside and outside the tackles. Lynch also made a significant impact as a receiver in the game, adding 56 yards on 6 catches including a big 35-yard gain on 3rd down that helped put the Bills into field goal position for their only points of the game. As long as Jackson is around to compete for touches Lynch probably won't be the true feature back that many were expecting him to be this year, but he should still get the majority of work each week as long as he continues to play well. The offensive line also remains a major concern as they did not open up any big holes in the game despite facing one of the weakest run defenses in the league, and they were flagged for 9 false starts in the game, which kept putting the offense in difficult situations.

RB Rashard Mendenhall, PIT - Rashard Mendenhall is staking his claim to be the starting tailback for the Pittsburgh Steelers, taking full advantage of both getting the start and also facing Detroit in Week 5. Mendenhall broke the few tackles he faced and it took several Lions to reel him in after the initial hits, but the Pittsburgh offense was in such command that his touchdown was a simple stroll into the end zone, as he easily turned the corner and went untouched. Mendenhall will at least see half of the touches once Willie Parker (turf toe) returns to action and could easily see the majority of the workload. Mendenhall is a strong candidate to be the lead back again next week as Pittsburgh hosts Cleveland before Minnesota comes in before the Steelers' Week 8 bye.

RB Jerious Norwood, ATL - Norwood looked fully recovered from his concussion and showed great quickness this weekend. He took a pitch to the left left that he cut back across the formation for an 8-yard gain on the fourth series. He also had nice runs of 9 yards and 14 yards off right tackle to get inside the 10-yard line in the fourth quarter. However, he did have some miscues: he slipped on a 3rd and 25 draw play as he hit the hole; tried to make an extra cut on a pitch to the outside and only gained a yard; and he caught a bubble screen split wide right, but was stripped by Michael Lewis as he turned up field, and the 49ers recovered. Despite these issues, Norwood should see his involvement in the offense increase, especially as a receiver out of the backfield and is a slight upgrade.

RB Ray Rice, BAL - Rice had 21 touches to the combined seven of Willis McGahee and LeRon McClain against Cincinnati. While he wasn't often able to gain big yards between the tackles, he did show good leverage and power while breaking tackles after bouncing runs outside or catching passes in the open field. Though Rice continues to look good, it warrants mentioning that the Ravens had only three red zone snaps against the Bengals. Those snaps are still likely to go to McGahee in future weeks.

RB Jonathan Stewart, CAR - Stewart returned to the Panthers and carried 10 times for 39 yards and a touchdown. Stewart hit the holes hard and showed good lateral movement for a man coming off an injury. DeAngelo Williams will no doubt continue to get the lion's share of the carries in Carolina, but if Stewart remains healthy he will certainly be productive in his own right.

RB Chester Taylor, MIN - Chester Taylor had a solid game as the sidekick to the Adrian Peterson show. Taylor was used on all of the 2nd and long and 3rd and long downs, catching a few short passes out of the backfield and breaking them for longer gains, including a 33-yard gain late in the fourth quarter as the Vikings were trying to run out the clock. He took over as the primary running back for Peterson in garbage time and scored the final Minnesota TD on his 3rd attempt from the one-yard line. Taylor is the change of pace back/insurance from keeping Adrian Peterson from being overworked.

RB Michael Turner, ATL - The Falcons used the bye week to address fundamental deficiencies in their run blocking techniques and the results were evident this weekend. Turner, scored three touchdowns from the red zone with excellent blocking at the line of scrimmage in plays the 49ers knew where coming, but could not stop. Atlanta had trouble gaining positive yards through the A-gaps throughout September, but there were several plays in this game where Turner found creases for positive yards, often spotting a cut back lane in the crease to gain 6 or 7 yards on the play. LB Patrick Willis did manage to strip the ball away from Turner once in the game, but the Falcons recovered the fumble. Otherwise, Turner looked more like the fantasy force we saw last year. He didn't break any long runs, but his consistent ability to get past the line of scrimmage against a quality defense was a good sign. With the passing game clicking, Turner should have plenty of red zone opportunities against the Bears, Cowboys, and Saints.

RB Derrick Ward, TB - Derrick Ward was the second running back for Tampa Bay, but with how poorly Cadillac Williams played he may get more touches next week against Carolina, a weak run defense. Ward had the biggest run of the game as he managed to squeeze through the first line of blitzing Eagle defenders to pick up 28 yards up the middle, breaking tackles and only getting stopped by a facemask penalty that was the only chance the Eagles had to keep Ward from scoring. Look for Ward to likely see more work and get more per touch next week at home against Carolina.

RB Ricky Williams, MIA - When the Wildcat is working well, Ricky benefits. As the second fiddle in the Dolphins running game, Williams totaled 138 yards, including a 59-yard reception on a screen pass on 2nd and 7 on the first possession. He has four double-digit fantasy point games (non-PPR) and is creeping up the ranks into the top 10. If the Wildcat formation continues to give defensive coordinators fits, there's no reason to think Williams won't be able to keep the pace. Even with Ronnie Brown ahead of him in pecking order for carries, Ricky is still getting plenty of opportunities and he is making the most of it. He left limping with two minutes to go in the fourth quarter, but later returned. The Dolphins have a bye next week, which will give time for his injured ankle to heal, if it's something that could hamper him. Ricky has earned the right to start for your fantasy team. Ride him while he is hot.

Downgrade

RB Glen Coffee, SF - Coffee simply did not run with patience consistently enough to be effective. His longest run of the day was a draw play with :03 in the first half. Otherwise, he was stuffed a few times with good penetration up the middle and even got nailed for a one-yard gain against a six-DB look during the second series of the game. He did manage to score on a 3rd down pitch to the outside and gain 12 yards on a second quarter run by following a great block by his pulling RG where he went untouched most of the way. In the fourth quarter, Coffee limped off the field with a leg contusion. With Frank Gore coming back after the week six bye, Coffee will likely resume his duties as the back up after a mostly underwhelming stint as Gore's injury replacement.

RB Jerome Harrison, CLE - After proving that he could handle a heavy workload last week, Harrison saw a big reduction in carries this week with Jamal Lewis returning to the lineup. Lewis finished with more than 30 carries for the first time since the 2007 season while Harrison was given just eight carries and failed to record a reception after collecting 14 in the three weeks prior. Harrison had some limited success running the ball, but Lewis was running with more power and seemed like a better fit given how tight and low scoring this game was. Going forward, there is still a good chance that Harrison will emerge as the Browns RB to have as this team figures to be playing from behind rather often and he is the more explosive player and better receiver. This week showed, however, that Lewis isn't ready to give up his lead back status without a fight.

RB Brandon Jacobs, NYG - Jacobs is a bruising running back with a freakish combination of power and speed; but he lacks the burst through the hole that teammate Ahmad Bradshaw consistently demonstrates. Jacobs is averaging just 3.5 yards per carry on the season compared to Bradshaw's 6.5 yards per carry. Watching Jacobs, there is little to criticize -- the offensive line doesn't appear to be opening holes for him. And yet it's the same offensive line that has given Bradshaw plenty of running room. The difference is that Bradshaw gets through the crease so much faster than Jacobs does; Bradshaw is easier to block for because the blocks don't have to be sustained as long. Bradshaw even punched in a fourth-and-goal carry from the one after Jacobs was unable to convert on three straight carries from inside the five. As the starting running back in a strong offense, Jacobs still has plenty of upside fantasy potential; but with Bradshaw consistently outperforming him, he also faces the risk of being somewhat marginalized in the offense if Bradshaw starts to see the majority of the touches. That risk is cause for a downgrade.

RB Larry Johnson, KC - While it's not all his fault, Johnson is off to a miserable start to the season, and his prospects to turn things around don't look promising. Averaging just 2.4 yards per carry, Johnson is on pace for only about 730 rushing yards this season. Johnson has run hard, dragging tacklers with him at times like the Larry Johnson of a few years ago. But the offensive line is not opening any holes for him, and Johnson doesn't have the same burst to take advantage of quickly closing creases the way he used to. The Chiefs have tried desperately to establish a running game to set up the pass, but it hasn't worked, and the plan will eventually have to change. Jamaal Charles has been more effective than Johnson so far, and since he is the better receiver out of the backfield as well, he could get more playing time at Johnson's expense as the season progresses.

RB Willis McGahee, BAL - The Ravens only had three red zone snaps against Cincinnati, which greatly reduced McGahee's workload. Expect him to bounce back, but McGahee's value goes as the Baltimore offense goes. With a tough matchup against Minnesota next week, then games against Denver and Cincinnati again, McGahee may have more games like this over the next month.

RB Ryan Moats, HOU - Ryan Moats did not receive a touch in Sunday's game against the Cardinals despite looking very effective last week. The Texans certainly could use him to spell Steve Slaton as he has a similar skill-set, but at present they appear committed to using Chris Brown to backup Slaton.

RB Willie Parker, PIT - Willie Parker was sidelined again due to his turf toe injury, but watching Rashard Mendenhall run the ball for two touchdowns against the Lions may have hurt Parker more on Sunday despite what offensive coordinator Bruce Arians has stated in the media. It will be interesting to see who gets the most work once both are healthy, but Mendenhall is making a big push to be the featured rusher for Pittsburgh. The Steelers are still a few weeks away from their bye (Week 8) and Cleveland comes to Pittsburgh next week, which is another favorable rushing matchup. Parker needs to get healthy to get back in the mix.

RB Steve Slaton, HOU - Steve Slaton is still having trouble finding holes to run through and, curiously, the Texans still refuse to run more then a handful of sweeps and pitches each game. As a result, Slaton is beginning to dance behind the line of scrimmage waiting for a hole that never appears. Even worse, Slaton is clearly beginning to get worn down by halftime as he uses all of his energy trying to pick up a handful of yards up the middle instead of racing for big gains in the open field. Slaton is having more success as a receiver but time is running out for Slaton and the Texans to find the mix that made him so effective last season. With the season almost one-third over, Slaton looks nothing like the back that was so exciting in 2008 -- mostly because the Texans insist on using him to plow up the middle when both Ryan Moats and Chris Brown appear better suited for the role.

RB Leon Washington, NYJ - The decision to start Leon Washington or keep him on your bench has become an easier decision as the weeks go by. It's best to keep him on your bench - even in PPR leagues. He was once again the better runner for the Jets, often making the first tackler miss. He used his his speed and quickness to get past the defensive line or at least churn forward for positive yards. The only problem - Thomas Jones continues to be the goal line back for the Jets. Jones has five TDs this year compared to zero by Washington. Unless something changes in the matrix of the Jets running game, don't expect Washington to consistently provide solid numbers that warrant a weekly start. He is more than capable of putting up 100 total yards, including a long TD run, but it's just not something you can rely on. Consider benching him in non PPR leagues and hope luck is on your side if you choose to start him in PPR leagues.

RB Cadillac Williams, TB - Cadillac Williams struggled all day behind a suspect offensive line and against a stout blitz-happy defense from Philadelphia in Week 5. Williams was often hit behind the line and could not get anything going all game, even getting tackled in the fourth quarter in the end zone for a safety. Williams did add three catches, but two were for losses and his third was a meaningless 12-yard catch that afforded him some semblance of a positive stat line. Williams will need better blocking for any hope of putting up decent numbers against a weaker run defense at home against the Panthers next week and may lose some touches to Derrick Ward.

RB DeAngelo Williams, CAR - Williams remains the Panthers' starting running back, but the team's offensive woes combined with Jonathan Stewart's return to health will likely keep his value down. Williams has yet to break a long run this season and hasn't scored in two games. He is still a must-start in most leagues but will need some help from the rest of the Panthers' offense if he's to return to the league's elite at running back.

Holding steady

RB Joseph Addai, IND - Don't let his 10-catch, 53-yard performance fool you. Despite the fact the Titans pass defense has struggle mightily, they understand how to play Peyton Manning as well as anyone in the league. Employing dime formations and forcing Manning to keep his aggressive tendencies in check, Addai was the beneficiary of numerous dump-off passes. If the Titans could generate any offense, this would have been a much closer game. The Colts starting RB averaged less than two yards per carry against the Titans stingy run defense. However, what reflects worse on Addai and the Colts was the fact that the Titans employed mostly six- and seven-DB sets and still stopped the run. The best plays Addai had as a runner came in the red zone at the end of the second quarter when LB Keith Bulluck left the field due to cramps. Addai was able to gain three yards on one play, and then score on the next. He took a knee to the head in the third quarter, but managed to return to the game in the fourth quarter after he had to be assisted to the sideline. Don't expect Addai to continue to catch this many passes in future weeks.

RB Marion Barber, DAL - Barber's stat line from Sunday looks ugly: 15 carries for 53 yards and no touchdowns. He was easily outperformed by backup Tashard Choice, who ran for 92 yards and a touchdown on just 8 carries. Barber found little running room and looked a stop slow. Nonetheless, Barber's fantasy owners should not panic. Barber is still recovering from an injured quadriceps muscle and was not close to 100 percent against the Chiefs. The Cowboys now enter their bye week, so Barber will have two weeks to rest. He should be at full speed in week seven, and is still a very solid fantasy RB2.

RB Michael Bush, OAK - With Darren McFadden nursing a knee injury, Michael Bush got the start and turned in what was probably the Raiders' most impressive performance on offense -- which is saying almost nothing. Bush ran 12 times for 37 yards and a touchdown (in line with our projection of 11/42/0.4) while splitting time with Justin Fargas. Bush's carries were somewhat limited by the fact that the Raiders could not sustain drives: they ran just 44 offensive plays on Sunday. The Giants were loading up the line of scrimmage and daring JaMarcus Russell to beat them -- a dare that went unchallenged. Viewed in that context, Bush's average of 3.7 yards per carry marked an impressive individual performance. On another team, it might be more evident that Bush's running skills are similar to those of Michael Turner; but stuck on the Raiders, he is at best an adequate RB3/flex option.

RB Tashard Choice, DAL - Choice was extremely effective on limited touches against the Chiefs, rushing for 92 yards and a touchdown on just eight carries. That kind of performance, however, cannot be counted on to happen again. Choice is still third on the Cowboys' depth chart. Marion Barber is the power runner and Felix Jones is the breakaway threat. Choice made the most of his opportunity on Sunday while Barber struggled to play through a quadriceps injury and Jones was out with a knee injury. The bye in week six should give both players a chance to heal up, however, so Choice will return to his customary role as the Cowboys' third RB in their next game.

RB Tim Hightower, ARI - Tim Hightower gained 33 yards on 5 carries in the Cardinals first series, culminating in a one-yard touchdown run off-tackle. Hightower was able to split time with Chris Wells yet still be effective out of the backfield. Most telling is that Hightower is still starting, still getting the goal line work, and still remains in the game late in to the 4th quarter. Hightower showed good burst out of the backfield but, more importantly, got to top-speed almost immediately and used a single cutback in the open field to extend his gains. Unlike Chris Wells, Hightower had no trouble getting yards after first contact.

RB Chris Johnson, TEN - Johnson tried too hard to bounce plays outside early in this game, but he still demonstrated great balance and speed on these plays. He also showed nice patience when he did run the ball inside. However, he finally made the adjustment not to bounce runs outside when the game was out of hand in the third quarter. By the fourth quarter, the Titans benched Johnson. He should be more of a factor against New England, Jacksonville, and San Francisco.

RB Maurice Jones-Drew, JAX - The Jaguars ran the ball only 15 times against Seattle after falling behind fairly early. Jones-Drew ran mostly sweep or toss plays trying to turn the corner up the sideline, but the speedy Seattle LBs tracked him down nearly every time. He was involved in several pass plays, but more times than not, he was either bottled up behind the line or didn't get enough for a first down. Next week against the Rams, MJD should fare better. Much better.

RB LeSean McCoy, PHI - LeSean McCoy was expected to split time with Brian Westbrook plus extra touches with the Philadelphia Eagles heavily favored against Tampa Bay, and most of that came to be in Week 5. The Eagles, however, did not need to run the ball and McCoy had the same number of touches (eight) as Westbrook. Both backs are likely to see a much heavier workload next week as the Eagles travel to Oakland in Week 6 before starting their first trip through the NFC East.

RB Adrian Peterson, MIN - Peterson performed well given his limited use once again. He worked the Rams defense well; running for short and medium gains, but never really broke a long run as he has in the past. His first TD run was perfect as he took an outside pitch to the wide side of the field and simply beat everyone to the corner for the TD. In the fourth quarter as the Vikings were trying to run down the clock, Peterson broke through the middle on a strong run up the gut to give him his second TD and put Rams down for good. He not involved in 2nd and long and 3rd and long downs before and had only two receptions for minimal gains. Late in the fourth quarter, he was pulled and Chester Taylor took over until the game ended.

RB Clinton Portis, WAS - Despite the Redskins' offensive woes, veteran Clinton Portis is still a focal point of the offense and continues to find a way to churn out yards and touchdowns. Even though Portis was stopped for a safety on a run around the right side in the first half, he rebounded to carry the ball 19 times for 57 yards and a touchdown (his first of the season). He also added 2 receptions for 17 yards against the Panthers. Portis' workload has expanded in the past two weeks, which should hopefully bring with it an increase in his production. He remains one of the league's more talented backs and if the Redskins passing game can find any production at all, then Portis could still end up in the top-15 of running backs before the season ends.

RB Kevin Smith, DET - Kevin Smith looked healthy and ran hard but against a formidable Pittsburgh Steelers team in Week 5, Smith struggled to find any running room. Smith dominated the touches out of the backfield for Detroit and eventually accumulated decent numbers for the day, fighting hard for 95 combined yards that included 42 yards as a receiver. Smith has no challenger for his touches, and with Daunte Culpepper moving the ball well in a passing attack that lacked Calvin Johnson for most of the game, he looks to be a solid fantasy RB2 / borderline RB1 next week when the Lions visit Green Bay.

RB Chris Wells, ARI - Wells continues to backup Tim Hightower but is beginning to receive touches in more crucial times of the game. Wells had a handful of productive runs against the Texans, particularly one 4-yard gain up the middle where he continued to drive with his legs after being initially met at the line of scrimmage by Texans linebacker Brian Cushing. However, Wells still has moments where he hesitates behind the line of scrimmage waiting for holes to develop.

RB Brian Westbrook, PHI - Brian Westbrook returned to the lineup for the Eagles in Week 5, and he looked to be back to his normal self. Although against Tampa Bay, the Eagles did not really need much from their running backs. Westbrook had only six carries on the afternoon but was able to find the end zone from inside the 10 to help seal the victory for Philadelphia. Westbrook was also active as a receiver, adding a 20-yard catch with an over the shoulder catch inside the red zone on single coverage against LB Barrett Ruud. Westbrook will likely see more touches next week against the Raiders who have a weak run defense.

RB LenDale White, TEN - White led all players in rushing in this contest with 51 yards, but a lot of his carries came in garbage time when the Titans benched Chris Johnson. Don't expect White's attempts to increase dramatically in future weeks unless Chris Johnson gets hurt.

Wide Receiver

WR Miles Austin, DAL - *** POTENTIAL WAIVER WIRE GEM *** - Austin got the start Sunday filling in for the injured Roy Williams, and to say that he made the most of his opportunity would be a wild understatement. Austin set a new team record (surpassing Bob Hayes) with 250 receiving yards on the day, including two clutch catch-and-run TDs, the second a 60-yarder in overtime. Austin has good size (6-3, 214) and excellent speed, and proven big-play ability: his seven career TDs have been for an average of 40.8 yards. His big plays on Sunday notwithstanding, perhaps his most impressive play was a simple nine-yard pass over the middle -- Austin jumped to catch the ball and held on despite taking an immediate hit from safety Mike Brown. Despite dropping two other potential touchdowns, Austin has likely earned a starting role going forward. During the preseason, Patrick Crayton barely edged out Austin in the battle to start opposite Williams. But given Austin's big-play ability, it's unlikely that he'll return to the bench. (Crayton is likely better suited to the slot anyway.) If Austin is available on your league's waiver wire, grab him.

WR Donnie Avery, STL - Donnie Avery has been quiet for most of this season so far, but he had a nice game for the Rams despite their losing effort. The biggest concern for Avery is that most of his stats came late in the 4th quarter when the Rams were down a basically out of it. On his TD pass, the ball was actually short and Avery made a nice adjustment to come back for the ball and spin for the TD. He caught the final pass of the game from Bulger, a 19-yard sideline pass that was a bit high, but Avery went up to get it. Those two passes accounted for more than half of Avery's fantasy points. Marc Bulger was back in the game, and Avery was his primary target during that time. With Bulger as the full time starter, Avery should see more action.

WR Nate Burleson, SEA - Burleson has been a very consistent offensive threat this year, but his value increases tremendously with Matt Hasselbeck under center. Burleson is the type of WR who can virtually do it all. In the game vs. Jacksonville he showed his full arsenal of his abilities, including the ability to run after the catch and gain yardage after contact. He also demonstrated his good hand-eye coordination with an over the shoulder fade pattern in the end zone against single coverage. The ball was perfectly thrown, but Burleson used his body to shield the defender, make the catch and keep his feet in bounds. He was targeted five times in Seattle's first three possessions and accumulated most of his numbers before the half. In fact, all but one of his eight targets came in the first half. Once the game was decided Seattle turned off the passing game and primarily ran the ball, thus ending any more heroics for Nate Burleson. If you're not doing so already, continue to start him on a weekly basis. He and TJ Houshmandzadeh compliment each other very well - and don't forget defenses need to be concerned with John Carlson too. As a result, when there is single coverage on any particular receiver, Hasselbeck notices it and uses it to his advantage.

WR David Clowney, NYJ - Slight upgrade to Clowney, but keep in mind, the Jets have Braylon Edwards and Jerricho Cotchery ahead of him on the depth chart. Clowney caught all four passes that came his way last night, including a beautifully thrown pass that nestled right into his outstretched arms for a 53-yard gain in the fourth quarter with the Jets trailing 17-13. The play set up a TD that gave the Jets the lead 20-13. Clowney will likely see more action, especially as a WR who can stretch the field, but once Cotchery fully returns to health from a hamstring injury, Clowney's role will probably be reduced.

WR Austin Collie, IND - *** POTENTIAL WAIVER WIRE GEM *** - Collie led all receivers in this game and demonstrated great rapport with his QB. He was initially featured on screen passes from the slot where he weaved his way for seven-yard gains. However, he also demonstrated good run after the catch vision and determination on a 39-yard score up the seam late in the first half. His second TE was a short post play in the back of the end zone. The Colts have the bye week for Anthony Gonzalez to get healthy for match ups with the Rams, 49ers, and Texans, but the player most likely to lose opportunities will be Pierre Garcon who replaced Gonzalez on the outside. Collie should continue to be the slot receiver and it is clear Manning has excellent rapport with the rookie in the red zone. He won't consistently have games like this, but he is worth a roster spot as a potential bye-week option/flex-play.

WR Braylon Edwards, NYJ - Welcome to a good offensive team, Braylon Edwards. The addition of Edwards gives the Jets the ability to not only stretch the field, but also be a reliable big target on clutch third down scenarios. The question was - how long will it take for him to learn the plays and be a key contributor. The answer - about two and half days. His first catch as a Jet goes for a three-yard TD catch in the back of the end zone against good coverage by Dolphins DB Will Allen. The highlight of his game came on a 3rd and 21 play where he made an acrobatic catch inside the five yard line and then had the presence of mind to twist his body in mid-air so he could come down in bounds for what was thought to be another TD. It was later overruled and ruled down at the one yard line. What can we expect from Edwards going forward? He likely will be Sanchez's favorite target getting 6-9 targets per game, depending on the need for big pass plays as the game dictates it. He is capable of putting up 7-9 more TDs this year, especially in the red zone. However, It will be interesting to see if Rex Ryan and OC Brian Schottenheimer will open up the playbook for Mark Sanchez to utilize Edward's talents. The Jets are a defensive team first, with a power running game plan. Now that they have Edwards, who can make plays down field, will they change their offensive philosophy? Probably not, but don't expect them to ignore Edwards either. All in all, Edwards gets a big upgrade from where he was with Cleveland, but keep your expectations in check as it's not exactly known how he will be used when the Jets are shutting down their opponents, much like they did in the first three or four games.

WR Percy Harvin, MIN - Harvin was a big part of the Minnesota offense this week, and he was a big part of the Viking TD to start the game. Harvin caught his first pass over the middle and ran hard for a gain of 22, taking four guys to bring him down. Two plays later he caught a long pass as Favre rolled out, and after the catch, Harvin spun and juked and fought hard to get into the end zone. He stepped out of bounds though, and Peterson ultimately took it in for a TD. Later in the quarter on 3rd and 7, he was the target of a rainbow from Favre down the middle but he was well defended and the pass fell incomplete. He was not used much in the second half as the Vikings were up and they were grinding out the clock. He still saw action as the kick returner, but had limited opportunities as the Rams didn't' score much. It appears his down week against the Packers was more the result of getting special attention from Charles Woodson than anything else.

WR Chris Henry, CIN - *** POTENTIAL WAIVER WIRE GEM *** - Henry was significantly involved in the Bengals' offensive game plan for the first time this season against Baltimore. The offensive line gave Carson Palmer enough time to look downfield and Henry was targeted on multiple downfield routes. Henry will remain inconsistent, but is getting closer to the big-play option he has been in previous years.

WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh, SEA - The wait is over - Seattle's premier off-season acquisition finally made it to the end zone, not once, but twice. The first scoring play was a stutter and go with a pump fake that made the corner (Rashean Mathis) bite. As a result Houshmandzadeh, who was in single coverage, had a step on Mathis and Hasselbeck made a nice 20-yard throw for the TD. The return of Matt Hasselbeck, who was lost for two games prior with a rib/back injury, definitely elevates the passing game. Those who soured on Houshmandzadeh because he wasn't finding the end zone can breathe a little easier now. When Seattle gets into a rhythm on offense and everything is clicking, they are hard to beat, especially at home, where they have such a distinct crowd advantage. He and teammate Nate Burleson compliment each other very well - and don't forget defenses need to be concerned with John Carlson too. As a result, when there is single coverage on any particular receiver, Hasselbeck notices it and uses it to his advantage. Look for more of the same for Houshmandzadeh in the coming weeks.

WR Bryant Johnson, DET - *** POTENTIAL WAIVER WIRE GEM *** - The Detroit Lions are going to throw the ball 30 or more times most weeks in an effort to keep up on the scoreboard, and now with the injury to Calvin Johnson it is up to Bryant Johnson and the rest of the receiving options for Detroit to pick up some of the load. Johnson helped to stretch the field against Pittsburgh even though he could not reel in any passes over 17 yards in Week 5. Bryant Johnson already starts but will likely see more targets until Calvin Johnson returns. Detroit travels to Green Bay before their Week 7 bye so Calvin Johnson may rest next week to get an extra week to get healthy for the second half of the season.

WR Jeremy Maclin, PHI - *** POTENTIAL WAIVER WIRE GEM *** - Maclin started his second game in a row thanks in part to Kevin Curtis' injury woes, exploding on the first offensive play of the game for a deep 51-yard touchdown pass from Donovan McNabb when Maclin out jumped single coverage for his first career touchdown. Maclin added his second TD of the day with another 40-yard catch on a seam route right down the middle of the field once again against single coverage. Maclin still is not running polished routes, grabbing most of yards on deep "go" patterns or simple curl plays, but as long as the rookie continues to work well with McNabb to get open when he gets his chances, he will see plenty of action. Maclin demonstrated his upside potential against the Bucs and he will be working hard the rest of the way to keep up both his playing time and his production. The Eagles travel to Oakland, a more challenging passing defense, but for now Maclin will be near the top of the waiver wire wish list for Week 6 and with good reason.

WR Brandon Marshall, DEN - Marshall got caught up in some offseason silliness before the season started, but that appears to be over with. He's shown a great attitude during the past few weeks, no doubt aided by the Broncos 5-0 record. Marshall scored two touchdowns against the Patriots on Sunday - his third consecutive week with a score. Moreover, QB Orton made a sustained effort to keep his starting WRs involved in the offense on Sunday. Marshall was targeted a season-high, 11 times; and Eddie Royal's re-emergence after a quiet first month of the season should keep constant double-teams off of Marshall going forward. Marshall has terrific hands and athleticism, and is a constant big-play threat. The questions that depressed his fantasy value somewhat during the preseason revolved around losing Jay Cutler, installing a new offense, and a petty feud with the new head coach. None of those things seem to be getting in the way of Marshall's fantasy success at this point, however, and Marshall is climbing the charts up to strong fantasy WR1 territory once again.

WR Hakeem Nicks, NYG - *** POTENTIAL WAIVER WIRE GEM *** - Rookie Hakeem Nicks had his best game of the season on Sunday with 4 catches for 49 yards and a touchdown. All four of his receptions were for first downs or a touchdown. A week after his 54-yard touchdown pass against the Chiefs, where Nicks showed his elusiveness in the open field, he again demonstrated excellent route-running skills working against CB Nnamdi Asomugha for much of the day. Nicks is a physical receiver and is a dangerous runner after the catch. He has outperformed Mario Manningham for two consecutive weeks now (note: Manningham left Sunday's game early with a mild chest injury), and will very likely be a bigger part of the Giants' offense going forward. He is still the third wide receiver behind Steve Smith and Manningham, but could surpass Manningham (who has had his share of dropped balls this season) in the pecking order in short order. At this point, Nicks is merely a bye-week fill-in; but he has the potential to be a solid fantasy WR3 by the end of the season.

WR Dennis Northcutt, DET - *** POTENTIAL WAIVER WIRE GEM *** - Dennis Northcutt was part of the receiving game in a much bigger way than expected in Week 5 against Pittsburgh. Calvin Johnson was forced from the game in the first quarter, creating an opportunity for Northcutt to get on the field as one of the two wideouts on most snaps. Northcutt racked up the most yardage of any pass catcher against the Steelers, converting five of his eight targets for 70 yards including a 25-yard touchdown over the middle. Northcutt will likely benefit the most if Calvin Johnson misses any time. Detroit travels to Green Bay next week before their bye in Week 7.

WR Sidney Rice, MIN - Sidney Rice had another solid game, cementing himself as the No.2 receiving option for the Vikings, and finishing with better stats than Bernard Berrian, the team's No.1 wideout. He set up the TD pass to Shiancoe on a long bomb down the sidelines that was short, but he made a nice adjustment to come back and get the ball. In the fourth quarter while the Vikings were trying to put the game away, Favre rolled out and targeted Rice on a deep sideline pass. He did not make the catch but drew a pass interference call, giving the Vikings a 24-yard gain. He missed a 23-yard TD pass a few plays later because he couldn't get both feet down in the end zone. The pass was on the money though and should have been a TD. Rice is a solid starter now in most fantasy leagues, as the Vikings spread the ball around a lot and Favre looks to him as much as Berrian in the open field. Among Rice, Harvin, and Berrian one is likely to produce solid stats each week.

WR Eddie Royal, DEN - Royal had his first big game of the season, catching 10 passes for 90 yards. Seven of those catches went for first downs. Royal was isolated in single coverage for much of the day, and worked the sideline well, getting open consistently on medium-range out patterns. Although Royal has the speed to get deep, his strength is to use his quickness on underneath routes -- and as it happens, Kyle Orton's strength is to find openings in the underneath routes as well. It has been a mystery, therefore, why Royal hadn't been more involved in the offense until now. With Sunday's showing against the Patriots, however, it appears that Orton and Royal have made a connection, and Royal should figure prominently in the Broncos' passing offense going forward. Royal had dropped way down the fantasy WR charts in recent weeks, and had even been dropped many leagues. If he's available in yours, grab him. He looks like a legitimate fantasy WR3 from this point forward.

WR Mike Wallace, PIT - *** POTENTIAL WAIVER WIRE GEM *** - Rookie wideout Mike Wallace looks to be the 2009 version of Nate Washington for the Steelers, stepping up and locking down the WR3 spot for Pittsburgh. Wallace caught two passes for 52 total yards in Week 5 against Detroit, highlighted by a 47-yard deep catch for his first career touchdown. Wallace was getting behind the defense when he ran deep routes, and he should have snagged another touchdown, but dropped a potential 71-yard score. It remains to be seen if Pittsburgh can support three wide outs for fantasy production, but as of now Wallace is way ahead of Limas Sweed for the job. Pittsburgh hosts Cleveland next week so they may not need to throw deep often, but after that comes Minnesota's visit to the Steelers in Week 7.

WR Wes Welker, NE - Welker, who had been listed as questionable on Friday's injury report, had a big game against the Broncos, catching 8 passes for 64 yards and a touchdown. He was Brady's favorite target by a long way (Welker had 15 targets; Randy Moss was second on the team with 4 targets), and he could have had a bigger day if Brady hadn't missed him on a seam route in the fourth quarter. Welker had a clear path to the end zone for what would have been a 47-yard TD, but the ball landed at his feet. (It was a miscommunication of sorts; Brady expected Welker to curl and look for the ball for a first down; Welker saw the open seam darted toward the end zone.) Sunday's game established two things: first, that Welker is recovered from his knee injury and has regained all of his quickness; and second, that Brady will look in Welker's direction early and often again this season. Welker caught over 100 passes in each of the last two seasons, and should be a solid fantasy WR2 at worst going forward this season.

WR Roddy White, ATL - White had a career day, breaking the Falcons' single-game receiving yardage record with 210 yards against the 49ers. White caught passes all over the field and made the most of his opportunities. He was wide-open on a deep corner route for an over the shoulder catch to put Atlanta up 14 in the first quarter. He followed that up with a catch down the middle of the field on a nice, low throw in the zone for a first down on a third-down play. His biggest play of the day was a 90-yard score where he turned away from the crossed up CB and ran 75 yards down the sideline for the score. After White catching a skinny post to get inside the five-yard line, he already had 185 yards and two scores in the first half. However, his best play might have been running down and stripping CB Dre Bly as he showboated after intercepting a red zone pass, despite the fact the 49ers were down 35-10. The Falcons recovered the ball and Bly is likely to be the featured attraction in coach Singletary's post-game tirade. White is definitely in mid-season form and is a slight upgrade.

Downgrade

WR Laveranues Coles, CIN - Coles is the fourth or fifth option for Carson Palmer right now behind Chad Ochocinco, Andre Caldwell and a glut of backs and tight ends underneath. Coles played fewer snaps against Baltimore as the Bengals looked to stretch the field against the Ravens. Don't expect him to get enough targets to be an option in fantasy leagues this year.

WR Jerricho Cotchery, NYJ - The addition of Braylon Edwards moves Cotchery down the depth chart on a team that isn't supposed to be a big passing team. If you look at Chansi Stuckey's stats prior to the trade, you can see that the WR2 on the Jets is not exactly a budding fantasy star. Keep in mind, Cotchery is suffering from a hamstring injury that kept him from being any kind of threat in last night's game. He almost didn't play as a result. Once he's healthy again, he should be able to contribute, but don't expect the same numbers he had prior to Edward's arrival. He still may have some good games here and there, but expect fewer targets, especially third down targets and end zone targets. He is now considered a questionable flex option until he shows he's healthy, not to mention shows he can be a key contributor on offense as the team's WR2.

WR Kevin Curtis, PHI - Kevin Curtis missed the Week 5 home game against Tampa Bay, affording rookie Jeremy Maclin a chance to get his second career start. You probably know the rest by now, as Maclin lit up the stat sheet with two long touchdowns and looked very good as a starting option. Curtis may struggle to get field time once he does get healthy, as Maclin may be hard to take back off of the field if he keeps up that type of performance. The WR3 is still a viable fantasy option for Philadelphia, but Curtis clearly lost fantasy value by missing the Week 5 contest.

WR Lee Evans, BUF - Evans has been a top-10 fantasy WR in the past, but it's starting to look like the only way he'll get back to that status is if there are some major changes with the Bills offense. QB Trent Edwards rarely looks in his direction, but even when he does there is not enough time for Evans to get open. Edwards often chooses to check down to a running back or slot receiver. Evans was targeted 5 times in this game, but none came in the first half, and he was only able to bring in two of them for a meager 11 yards total. Through five games, Evans has just 12 receptions for 159 yards and 1 TD and his average of 13.25 yards per catch is the lowest of his career by far.

WR Justin Gage, TEN - Gage dropped two passes in this game. His first came on an out route that should have resulted in a first down and potentially a bigger gain. The next was a deep post in the end zone where the CB made a good play over the top. However, Gage had the height advantage and still couldn't out-duel the free agent rookie CB Lacy for the ball. The only good catch he had was a pass Kerry Collins meant to throw out of bounds. Gage was also called for a false start penalty that stalled a drive. Nate Washington, Bo Scaife, and Kenny Britt are out-playing Gage, and the former WR1 for the Titans is watching his opportunities diminish.

WR Pierre Garcon, IND - Garcon's only catch came with 10:30 in the 3rd QTR on a slat screen on a well-blocked play for a reasonable gain. Much of this had to do with the Titans employing six- and seven-DBs in cover two looks to force Manning to throw to his RBs, TEs, and slot receiver. However, with the bye week on the horizon and Anthony Gonzalez closer to returning, Garcon is likely the odd-man out, especially with Collie holding down the slot and producing so well in the red zone.

WR Calvin Johnson, DET - Calvin Johnson had to leave the game in the first quarter with an injury to his knee. No word yet on the extent of the injury, but whenever a top wide receiver leaves a game a downgrade is natural to follow. Johnson and the Lions have an interesting decision to make as Detroit visits Green Bay in Week 6, but the next week is Detroit's bye. Should Detroit decide to rest Johnson, they would in effect give him an extra two weeks off due to bye week.

WR Jacoby Jones, HOU - Jacoby Jones is the fourth receiver for the Texans and only finds the field in four-wide sets (outside of kick returns). Despite his early success as a pass-catcher this season, the Texans appear committed to David Anderson in the slot leaving chances for Jacoby Jones few and far between.

WR Derrick Mason, BAL - After a week in which he missed practice time with a neck injury, Mason was held to a single target and no receptions against Cincinnati. Although the Bengals did provide safety help over the top at times, underrated Bengal corner Leon Hall shut down Mason and Joe Flacco rarely looked in the receiver's direction. It's possible that the neck injury was more of a factor than the team let on, but the lack of targets for a presumed WR1 is still a cause for concern. If the injury reports are favorable this week, Mason should rebound against the Vikings this week.

WR Mohamed Massaquoi, CLE - Coming off a breakout performance last week and the trade of Braylon Edwards to the Jets, Massaquoi entered the game as the clear No.1 WR for the Browns. While that means that he should get more balls thrown his way, it also means that he'll likely face a lot of additional attention from opposing defenses as well. That seemed to be the case this week as Massaquoi led the Browns in targets with six, but he was often blanketed by Terrence McGee and finished the game with just 1 catch for 16 yards. He was charged with a drop on one of the incomplete throws, and another was a very poorly thrown ball that resulted in an interception. Overall, this was a terrible day for the Browns passing attack, as they only managed 2 completions and 23 yards combined. With numbers like that, it's hard to get excited about any piece even if the player is the go-to option, but especially if that player is a rookie. Massaquoi should improve over time but wait until there are signs of life before taking your chances.

WR Randy Moss, NE - Giving Randy Moss a downgrade can easily make us look the fool in a week's time, since Moss' big-play ability can explode in any game. However, Moss hasn't looked the same this season. His longest catch of the year is just 36 yards (which came in the third quarter of Sunday's game against the Broncos), and the Patriots have yet to target him deep on a bomb like they regularly did in 2007. He was limited to a single catch on Sunday even though the Broncos didn't appear to make any significant adjustments to shut him down. Champ Bailey covered Wes Welker for much of the day. The Broncos sometimes used a safety to double Moss over the top, but sometimes they didn't. They had Elvis Dumervil bump him off the line before releasing him to a safety, but only a few times. For much of the day, the Broncos played a zone without seeming to pay any special attention to Moss -- and yet he was held to a single catch. Moss was open in the end zone on a play where Brady simply overthrew him -- so he could have easily had two catches. But still, that's not the production we've come to expect from Randy Moss. Since Welker returned from injury two games ago, Welker has been targeted 25 times to Moss' nine. Moss could bounce back at any time with a three-touchdown performance; but right now he doesn't look as explosive as he used to, and he and Brady do not seem to be on the same page.

WR Jerheme Urban, ARI - Urban was used in four-receiver sets against the Texans and was targeted primarily on 1st and 2nd downs when the Texans didn't have an extra defensive back on the field. As the 4th or 5th option in the passing game, Urban is worth rostering only in deep leagues.

Holding steady

WR Danny Amendola, STL - Amendola is the primary kick and punt returner for the Rams, but they had him involved on offense as well. He was the WR3 when the Rams didn't run a two TE set, and he caught a few short balls over the middle and was able to push for the 1st down. It remains to be seen how often he will make a contribution and he's clearly the #3 WR so don't get your hopes up just yet. In leagues that award points for kick returns, he might be worth having on your roster, as the Rams will be playing from behind a lot this season.

WR Bernard Berrian, MIN - Berrian had a quiet game, but was involved for the Vikings the entire time. He was target of a long bomb from Favre late in the 2nd quarter, but the pass was out of bounds and he couldn't bring it in. He was used on slants and crossing routes and nice catch and run late in the second quarter with time running out. His lack of performance was more a result of Harvin and Rice having good games, and the Vikings winning by 14 points or more for most of the game.

WR Steve Breaston, ARI - Steve Breaston continues to be the unsung member of the Cardinals receiving corps although his production continues to impress. Kurt Warner targeted Breaston three times on deep balls, favoring Breaston on "go" patterns when the defense shifts a safety each towards Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald (which happens fairly often). While he may never be a consistent fantasy player as long as Boldin and Fitzgerald are ahead of him, Breaston is worth rostering in larger leagues and certainly has the potential to blow up if one of the receivers ahead of him misses any time.

WR Keenan Burton, STL - Burton was involved for much of the game, and kept the Rams offense moving. He caught several short slant routes for nice gains, and has a very 'workmanlike' performance with his five receptions. Late in the 3rd quarter he was targeted on two deep passes from Boller. He was open both times, but Boller overthrew him on the first one and Tyrell Johnson made an excellent play to get a hand on the other one. Both would have been big gains or TDs for the Rams. It remains to be seen if Burton will see as many targets with Bulger at QB, but he is a part of their passing offense and the Rams look to get him involved a lot. Hold steady on him for now and wait to see what happens over the next few weeks.

WR Ted Ginn, MIA - We all saw Ginn's big 53-yard TD catch in the fourth quarter against the Jets, but what else did he do in that game? He had one other catch for four yards and wasn't much of a threat with just those two targets. Chad Henne is showing that he can play QB in the league, but the Dolphins offense right now revolves around their running game and the Wildcat formation. Ginn is virtually an afterthought in both situations. Ginn is nothing more than a questionable flex option right now. Nine different receivers caught balls for Miami against the Jets and there is no clear go-to option for Henne.

WR Torry Holt, JAX - In Mike Sims-Walker's absence, Torry Holt was David Garrard's main target against Seattle. Holt was able to make some good plays in the first quarter, but the Jaguars were unable to capitalize on any scoring opportunities. As the margin of defeat increased, the chances of sustaining drives decreased. Before the game was completely out of hand, Holt was targeted on several passes, but they were either off target, overthrown or nowhere in the vicinity of him. Holt added some garbage yards in the second half which helped keep his numbers respectable. Holt may not have the speed he once had, but he still has very good hands and he knows how to avoid heavy contact after the catch. Consider Holt a strong flex option next week as he faces his former team, the Rams. Expect him to want to make a statement to the Rams for deciding to let him go.

WR DeSean Jackson, PHI - DeSean Jackson fell victim to The Jeremy Maclin Show in Week 5 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Buccaneer defense decided to roll coverage over to Jackson and force Donovan McNabb to look elsewhere to beat them -- which he did. Jackson only had three official targets on the day, with one of them connecting for a one-yard catch late in the fourth quarter from Michael Vick. He also lost a 16-yard catch on an offensive pass interference call in the first quarter (his unofficial target). Jackson was minimized by Tampa Bay because they viewed him as the key playmaker in the passing game, but now with other options like Jeremy Maclin and Brent Celek stepping up and producing it will be tougher for defenses to isolate coverage on Jackson. Next week is a tough matchup against Oakland, but Jackson should be able to get his fair share going forward.

WR Chaz Schilens, OAK - Schilens is a week closer to returning -- he is likely to make his debut either this week or next -- but it is hard to get excited about the prospects of any Oakland WR. The Raiders' wide receivers as a group were given just six targets on Sunday, most of them uncatchable. This is not an offense destined to produce any fantasy starters this season. If Schilens is available as a free agent in your league, he is worth picking up only out of desperation. Dynasty leagues, of course, are a different story.

WR Mike Sims-Walker, JAX - The story of the afternoon in fantasy circles everywhere was the sudden placement of Mike Sims-Walker on the inactive list for the game at Seattle. According to team sources, Sims-Walker violated a travel itinerary rule or guideline and the no-nonsense approach by head coach Jack Del Rio was to make him inactive for the game. His presence was surely missed, but even if he did play, the result probably would've been the same. The tough Seattle defense at home was in a groove, and did not let Jacksonville find much rhythm at all on offense. Said David Garrard after the game: "He (Sims-Walker) didn't cost us a loss or anything, but whenever you have a dynamic player like that, you want him to be on the field." Expect Sims-Walker to be more aware of the team rules on future road trips. Hopefully this is a small stumble that will soon be forgotten. Next week, the Jaguars play St. Louis at home. Expect the whole team to turn it around, in a big way.

WR Brad Smith, NYJ - Brad Smith was used more this week, mainly due to the departure of Chansi Stuckey, but also due to Jerricho Cotchery still battling a hamstring injury. Smith had two quick targets on first drive. A 19 yard quick catch and run that included a broken tackle. He also had an end zone fade pattern that was overthrown. He was involved in a fake punt that kept a drive alive, but on that play he injured his foot and was not part of the game the rest of the way. Before this game, Smith had just three catches, but he may start to see an increased role, especially in Wildcat formations.

WR Steve Smith, CAR - Smith has weathered poor quarterback play so far this season but Sunday shows that things may get better soon. He finished with 65 yards on 5 catches despite seeing double-coverage as the Redskins rolled a safety to his side on almost every passing down. Smith has yet to have a breakout game this season, but he clearly is the most capable (and preferred) target in Jake Delhomme's arsenal.

WR Kevin Walter, HOU - Kevin Walter is benefiting from having two other receiving threats (Andre Johnson and Owen Daniels) lining up with him. Matt Schaub quickly passed to him against the Cardinals each time the defense rolled their safeties to Daniels and Johnson. Walter continues to have value in PPR leagues and larger leagues although he is not seeing many downfield chances in the Texans' lethal passing game.

WR Reggie Wayne, IND - Wayne wasn't targeted as often as usual because the Titans played a lot of dime packages to force Peyton Manning to throw away from his best receiver. He did manage to gain 60 yards on six receptions and catch a touchdown pass on a short pick play in the red zone. However, he also dropped an easy touchdown pass on a slant in the fourth quarter. If this kind of production is a bad day for Wayne, fantasy owners of the Colt-WR have little to worry about.

Tight End

TE Fred Davis, WAS - *** POTENTIAL WAIVER WIRE GEM *** - After a disappointing rookie season, tight end Fred Davis is finally starting to show some signs that he could be a productive player for the Redskins. He finished Sunday with only 3 catches but was on the field for most of the offensive snaps. Once it became clear that the Panthers would be blitzing early and often, quarterback Jason Campbell began targeting Davis with regularity. If that keeps up, Davis could emerge as a decent backup tight end for your fantasy squad.

TE Anthony Fasano, MIA - Anthony Fasano had his best game of the year so far against the Jets. He was the most often targeted receiver for Miami with seven targets. He caught a 21-yard pass from Ronnie Brown in the Wildcat, he scored on a two yard pass from Henne and had a clutch 14-yard reception on 3rd and 3 that kept the drive alive that eventually led to the long go-ahead pass to Ted Ginn. On that same drive, before the clutch third down play, Henne missed (overthrew) Fasano who was wide open down the center of the field that would've been a long gain of 50+ yards, if not a TD. If the Dolphins open up their passing game, expect Fasano to be involved more. Consider adding him if he is on your waiver wire. He could have had a huge game stat wise, if not for that overthrown pass.

TE Daniel Fells, STL - *** POTENTIAL WAIVER WIRE GEM *** - Fells was a big part of the Rams offense, primarily working the middle of the field and running delayed routes after blocking his initial assignment. He was a favorite target of Boller, finding the soft spots in the defense and catching those sweet 8-10 yard routes and turning them into first downs. He was targeted at the goal line late in the second quarter with time running out but was hit hard from behind after he caught the pass and the ball popped up into the hands of E.J. Henderson for a fumble. Fells was not involved much when Bulger was at QB so if you pick him up, you might want to wait another week to see if Bulger targets him as much as Boller did.

TE Todd Heap, BAL - Heap didn't gain much yardage last week, but had seven catches on nine targets. Though many of those receptions came after Joe Flacco couldn't find another target downfield and Heap abandoned his pass protection responsibilities to get open as an outlet receiver, Heap is clearly a bigger part of the offense than he's been in recent seasons. A healthy Heap used frequently in pass patterns has top ten fantasy upside.

TE Marcedes Lewis, JAX - Joining the ranks of the Jaguars passing game is TE Marcedes Lewis. He already has two TDs this season and he is becoming more involved in the offensive attack. He may have only had three receptions for 13 yards against Seattle, but he had several opportunities for more (eight total targets), including two passes that he simply dropped. If you're looking for TE help on bye weeks, consider Lewis. He is an emerging threat that is more than capable of having a good receiving day in any given week.

TE Heath Miller, PIT - The Pittsburgh Steelers passing game is on a roll with Ben Roethlisberger completing over 75% of his attempts against Detroit in Week 5. TE Heath Miller helped the Steelers by catching five of his short passes before halftime, reeling in all but one of his targets as he went 5 for 5 after one pass sailed wide early. Miller feasted on short passes, racking up 9-15 yards on each of his grabs on the side and over the middle, highlighted by a TE screen for a touchdown in the second quarter. Miller remains a borderline fantasy TE1 and a solid start during bye weeks and up against good matchups. The Cleveland Browns head to Pittsburgh next week followed by a visit by Minnesota, two good opportunities for Miller.

TE Brandon Pettigrew, DET - *** POTENTIAL WAIVER WIRE GEM *** - With the injury to Calvin Johnson, the rest of the receiving targets are going to see more chances, including rookie tight end Brandon Pettigrew. Pettigrew is a big target over the middle and he converted the three catchable balls thrown in his direction for 27 total yards, highlighted by a leaping 19-yard grab down the middle of the field right after halftime where he took a vicious shot in the back, but managed to hold onto the ball. QB Daunte Culpepper is struggling with accuracy towards Pettigrew but the tight end's value has to increase of Calvin Johnson misses next week's game at Green Bay. Detroit has a bye in Week 7 so the rest of the team may have to cover for Johnson in Week 6.

TE Visanthe Shiancoe, MIN - Shiancoe has scored a TD in three of the last four games for the Vikings and is a clear red zone favorite for Favre. Shiancoe chipped in a few short and medium range passes as well for the Vikings, and finished the game with almost 50 receiving yards and a TD. Shiancoe is a big target, and he works the middle of the field, running up the gut or starting on the inside and turning out for a sideline or corner route. On the TD pass he ran straight up the middle, split the LBs and caught an easy TD pass from Favre. They also used him on several short screens that he was able to break for medium and long gains. He's a solid option for TE required leagues and is a threat to score every week.

TE Kellen Winslow, TB - Kellen Winslow really stepped up to the call to action in Week 5, catching nearly everything thrown in his direction against the Eagles. Winslow dominated the middle of the field; converting 9 of 12 targets including two highlight reel touchdown grabs for the only touchdowns of the game for Tampa Bay. Young quarterback Josh Johnson needed a go to receiver to assert himself and be a consistent target, and Winslow afforded him a big target down the middle of the field all game long. The Bucs face Carolina at home next week and Winslow should be a strong TE1 for fantasy purposes for the balance of the season.

Downgrade

TE Chris Cooley, WAS - Cooley was held without a catch for the first time since his rookie year. The inconsistency in the Redskins passing game combined with the mini-emergence of Fred Davis makes relying on Cooley as your fantasy tight end a bit of a risk.

TE Dustin Keller, NYJ - Keller's fantasy value was decreasing even before the Miami game. He started off with a great week one (94 yards), scored a TD in week two and since then he has failed to reach more than 31 yards in a game. The bottom fell out last night when he had zero catches on only one target. In a game where the Jets used the passing game to stay in the game or come from behind, Keller was nowhere to be found - he was too busy blocking in the flat or taking out an opposing defensive backs. As of right now, he is a very questionable starter in your lineup and you should look in other directions if you were using him as your starting TE.

TE Randy McMichael, STL - McMichael had one great play to start the game for the Rams. Boller rolled out and hit him for a medium pass. McMichael jumped over a defender and broke it for a 35-yard gain. Aside from that, he was a non-factor and Daniel Fells was the big passing threat when the Rams used two TE sets.

Holding steady

TE John Carlson, SEA - Surprisingly, amidst the strong passing game from Matt Hasselbeck, John Carlson had a quiet game. He didn't see much action until the third quarter when the game was decided or close to being decided. Jacksonville did not have a very strong pass rush against Hasselbeck, plus he worked out of the shotgun fairly often. This enabled him to see the field better and find the right receiver that had single coverage and a step on his defender. More cases than not, those receivers were usually Nate Burleson or T.J. Houshmandzadeh. Carlson will still be a big part of the Seahawks offense going further, but on this day, the best reads were on the outside of the hashmarks where the WRs roamed. Carlson is a better play in PPR leagues right now, but he is more than capable of putting up big numbers on any given day.

TE Owen Daniels, HOU - Daniels remains Matt Schaub's second favorite target in the passing game. Schaub is starting to look for Daniels more and more as his safety valve but still finds time to target him deep a time or two each game. Daniels' value has not been impacted by the return of Kevin Walter or the emergence of David Anderson; he remains a favorite target of Matt Schaub regardless of down and distance and should be started in most leagues requiring a tight end.

TE Vernon Davis, SF - Davis and QB Shaun Hill were not on the same page in the first half. He ran two very bad routes that cost the Niners on two drives, both short slants where he failed to break quickly enough or cross the face of the LB. One of the plays resulted in an interception. However he did catch a nice drag route against a CB on 4th and inches off play action for 18 yards and if not for good defense, Davis had a certain touchdown on a corner fade in the end zone. The 49ers occasionally used a two-TE set with both Davis and Delanie Walker split from the line as slot receivers. If San Francisco can manage to run the ball when Frank Gore returns, this formation could prove effective in the passing game and Davis will be a beneficiary.

Kicker

PK Jason Hanson, DET - *** POTENTIAL WAIVER WIRE GEM *** - Sure, he kicks for Detroit, but Jason Hanson is providing his fantasy owners with solid and consistent scoring this season. The Lions offense has been fine this year, and Hanson is kicking well (only one miss on 10 FGs and a perfect 10 for 10 on PATs). In his five games this season, Hanson has scored 10, 8, 7, 6, and 10 fantasy points. This consistency is rare in fantasy football as even guys like Nate Kaeding, Ryan Longwell, and Mason Crosby have already dipped below the 6-point mark.

PK Olindo Mare, SEA - *** POTENTIAL WAIVER WIRE GEM *** - Olindo Mare is coming alive. After starting the season with only eight total fantasy points in his first two games, Mare has totaled 32 in his last three outings. After their pasting of the Jaguars, the Seattle offense should have a ton of confidence and continue to provide Mare with plenty of scoring opportunities.

PK Lawrence Tynes, NYG - Yes, Lawrence Tynes already high on our list, but this is the top kicker in the league, and it really isn't close. He is averaging 11.4 fantasy points per game. To get a feel for how great that number is, there are 15 kickers that haven't scored that much in a single game. To further amplify how far ahead Tynes is from the competition, let's look at opportunity. So far this season, Tynes has attempted 16 FGs and 16 PATs. His 32 total attempts easily leads the league as only three other kickers have kicked at least 25 times (Ryan Longwell has 27 attempts, which John Carney and Adam Vinatieri have 25 each).

Downgrade

PK Steve Hauschka, BAL - The Ravens offense has struggled a bit lately, and Steve Hauschka isn't getting very many opportunities to score. He is second in the league in PATs with 18 (Ryan Longwell leads with 19), but Hauschka has tried only five FGs this year. That's a terrible ratio for fantasy owners.

PK Rian Lindell, BUF - For a couple of weeks, we liked what was happening the Buffalo. They were playing tough ball and giving Rian Lindell lots of scoring chances. Yeah, that's not happening anymore. The offense is struggling to do anything and had one scoring drive against Cleveland. In the last three weeks, Lindell has had two games where he attempted just a single kick. You absolutely can not have someone like that on your roster.

PK Neil Rackers, ARI - Neil Rackers started the season absolutely on fire with 20 fantasy points scored in his first two games. In the two games since, he has scored only a total of eight points. Scoring touchdowns is great for the Cardinals, but fantasy owners need the offense to bog down and kick more field goals.

PK Josh Scobee, JAX - We still like Josh Scobee, but if you're a kicker and can't outscore Joe Bryant, you'll show up on this list.

Holding steady

Team Defense

TD Washington Redskins, WAS - *** POTENTIAL WAIVER WIRE GEM *** - The Redskins defense has now turned in back-to-back quality outings. Against Tampa Bay, they allowed only 229 yards, accumulated three sacks, and forced a pair of turnovers Against Carolina, they allowed only 248 yards, accumulated three sacks, and forced a pair of turnovers. Sure, they've faced the Buccaneers and Panthers, but results are results. Plus, Kansas City is next on the schedule. If you need a bye-week replacement, the Washington defense is a nice option.

TD New Orleans Saints, NO - Yes, the Saints merit an upgrade even though they had a bye in Week 5. They move up in our rankings thanks to the slippage from teams like New England and Pittsburgh. However, we want to reemphasize thier stats thus far. Of the teams that have already had a bye, the Saints are second in sacks with 11 (behind Chicago's 14). Even more impressive is New Orleans' league leading 13 forced turnovers (even among teams that have played five games).

TD Seattle Seahawks, SEA - *** POTENTIAL WAIVER WIRE GEM *** - Any time you blank an opponent, you deserve an upgrade. Seattle's week-5 performance against the Jaguars was particularly impressive considering Jacksonville had scored 68 points in the previous two weeks. After forcing two turnovers and accumulating five sacks against the Jaguars, the Seahawks defense now has six forced turnovers and 14 sacks on the season. They are a great option as part of a Defense By Committee.

Downgrade

TD Jacksonville Jaguars, JAX - This group has disappointed this season, but they were absolutely destroyed by a guy that spent the last two games on the sidelines. Matt Hasselbeck returned (reportedly still experiencing pain from broken ribs) and torched the Jaguars for four TDs. Jacksonville did not force a turnover and did not accumulate a sack. If you still have this team on your roster, it's safe to let them go.

TD New England Patriots, NE - The Patriots simply aren't getting it done this year. They have lost several prominent defensive players over the last few years, and the results are showing this season. Against the Broncos, they allowed Kyle Orton to throw for 330 yards and attain a 96.7 rating. Denver sacked Orton only twice and forced only two turnovers. That's not terrible, but again, this is not the Patriots defense we are not used to seeing.

TD Baltimore Ravens, BAL - This isn't the same Ravens defense. They are still very good against the run, but they have allowed more passing yards than (brace yourself) the St. Louis Rams (1190 to 1186) Don't misunderstand - Baltimore is a solid fantasy unit, but they are no longer an elite group. A classic example of more name value than true value.

Holding steady