Anyways, here are some waiver wire gems heading into Week 5. These players should help your fantasy football team now and down the line as the NFL season progresses.

QB Derek Anderson, Cleveland Browns
While Derek Anderson wasn’t great in his first start of the season, he was better than Brady Quinn. Remembering how good Anderson was a couple years ago, picking him up as a backup makes a lot of sense.

WR Mohamed Massaquoi, Cleveland Browns
With Anderson as the starter, he looked a lot to rookie receiver Mohamed Massaquoi. Mohamed Massaquoi finished with eight catches for 148 yards. The second round pick is definitely a sleeper right now but he could blossom with Anderson at QB.

Mohamed Massaquoi - Cleveland Browns (Image: Zuma Press)

RB Michael Bush, Oakland Raiders
With the news that Darren McFadden is out for up to a month, Michael Bush is a player that should see his value really rise. If he gets carries, Bush has proven he can deliver. And while Oakland’s offense is putrid, they can’t get much worse. Pick up Bush and hope for the best.

TE Marcedes Lewis, Jacksonville Jaguars
It looks like Marcedes Lewis may finally be living up to his potential. With four catches for 76 yards and a touchdown this week, Lewis has now had at least three catches in three out of the four games. He’s quickly becoming a starter quality tight end in fantasy football.

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QB Derek Anderson, Cleveland Browns
Starter Brady Quinn doesn’t have too tight of a grip on the starting quarterback job in Cleveland. If he doesn’t start playing better, Derek Anderson will get the job. And as we saw a couple of seasons ago, Anderson is definitely capable of being a fantasy beast.

WR Johnny Knox, Chicago Bears
This rookie is really looking good for the Bears. While it is difficult to imagine him keeping up this pace, he has a chance of ending up as the best receiver on the Bears.

RB Justin Forsett, Seattle Seahawks
Although he’s small and although there is a lot of competition in Seattle, Justin Forsett is making enough noise to take notice. He’s a do-it-all RB who could find himself playing a larger role if the running backs above him don’t start producing on a consistent basis.

TE Jerramy Stevens, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Jerramy Stevens has looked good and he has the talent to be a producer in fantasy football. If the Bucs keep passing it a lot, consider Stevens as a quality filler.

Derek Anderson - Cleveland Browns (Image: Zuma Press)

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What are Brady Quinn’s 2009 fantasy football projections? Compared to Anderson, he has to have the lower ceiling. The 24-year-old only has four games and 97 passing attempts to his credit in his NFL career. It’s rare for such an unpolished quarterback to have fantasy success without a few rocky starts along the way.

Anderson has the higher ceiling largely due to what he did in 2007. At times that year, he was a top five fantasy football quarterback. He finished the campaign with 3,787 passing yards and 29 passing touchdowns. Although he struggled last year, history tells us Anderson is definitely capable.

Both quarterbacks are hurt by the Browns weak receiving corps. Braylon Edwards is coming off of a very disappointing season, while Donte Stallworth is unlikely to be much of a help this season due to legal troubles. Consider that running back Jamal Lewis will be a year older, and the Browns starting quarterback gig doesn’t look too bright in the fantasy football world — not matter if Brady Quinn or Derek Anderson is named the starter.

Brady Quinn 2009 Fantasy Football Preview (Image: Newscom)

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For the Browns, their biggest change is at quarterback. Derek Anderson, who was fantastic last season but struggled in the 2008 fantasy football season, has been benched and Brady Quinn has been elevated to starter. Quinn is a second year player out of Notre Dame who had a very successful college career.

Quinn will likely have a learning curve in his transition to the NFL, but he’s going against a very friendly defense. He also has a number of talented players surrounding him in the Browns offense including wide receiver Braylon Edwards. If you need an emergency starter at quarterback, Quinn is a good option to have at least 200 yards and a touchdown in his first NFL start.

For the Broncos, the questions are at running back. With Michael Pittman and Andre Hall both out for the season due to recent injuries and Selvin Young still not 100% healthy, rookie running back Ryan Torain will get the start. Torain is expected to carry the load, with Young filling in for a few carries. However, the Broncos running back situation is almost always difficult to analyze so start Torain only if you must.

Overall, expect a high scoring affair with many fantasy points also being scored for almost everyone involved.

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QB Derek Anderson, Cleveland Browns
After a great fantasy season in 2007, big things were expected of Derek Anderson this year. So far, he has been a huge disappointment. He has only two touchdown passes compared to five interceptions. He also hasn’t passed for more than 166 yards in a game this season so far. If he doesn’t improve quickly, expect Brady Quinn to make an appearance before too long.

RB Steven Jackson, St. Louis Rams
Two years ago, Steven Jackson was a fantasy football monster. This year, he was again drafted near the top of most fantasy drafts. However, the early results are disappointing. After three games he has no touchdowns and hasn’t rushed for more than 66 yards in a game yet. The only thing that is saving him is he is doing a great job catching passes.

WR Santonio Holmes, Pittsburgh Steelers
After a season in which he caught a lot of touchdowns and looked like a developing star, Santonio Holmes is back to playing second fiddle in Pittsburgh. The lead wide receiver once again appears to be Hines Ward. With no touchdowns and no 100 yard games to speak of, Holmes has the appearance of a fantasy football bust.

TE Vernon Davis, San Francisco 49ers
While it’s not quite time to bury him for good, Vernon Davis doesn’t look like a tight end that is worth rostering on a fantasy football team. He has only four catches for 68 yards after three games and it seems the 49ers are happy using him as a blocker instead of a receiver. While that may help San Francisco, it makes him near worthless in the fantasy sense.

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1. Tom Brady – Despite Brady’s injury, he remains on the top.
2. Tony Romo – With T.O. on his side, expect greatness.
3. Drew Brees – His value continues to rise in recent weeks.
4. Peyton Manning – With several question marks, Manning falls.
5. Carson Palmer – Palmer has a high ceiling but there is risk.
6. Ben Roethlisberger – Big Ben could surprise in 2008.
7. Derek Anderson – Another high risk, high reward selection.
8. Matt Hasselbeck – Expect another above average season.
9. David Garrard – Will try to build on his 2007 season.
10. Donovan McNabb – If healthy, McNabb is still capable.

Will Peyton Manning prove doubters wrong in 2008?

Photo: Newscom

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Tom Brady, New England Patriots – Middle of the first round.
Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts – Middle of the second round.
Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys – Late second round.
Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints – Late thirdround.
Carson Palmer, Cincinnati Bengals – Middle of the fourth round.

Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers – Middle of the fifth round.
Donovan McNabb, Philadelphia Eagles – Late fifth round.
Derek Anderson, Cleveland Browns – Late fifth round.
Matt Hasselbeck, Seattle Seahawks – Middle of the sixth round.
Marc Bulger, St. Louis Rams – Middle of the seventh round.

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Derek Anderson – While he did very well last season, Derek Anderson has an relatively inexperience receiving corps and a high profile backup.

Carson Palmer – Even though he is very talented, Carson Palmer is on a team that is heading downward and has a sometimes loony lead WR.

Marc Bulger – With Issac Bruce gone and Torry Holt aging, Marc Bulger is no longer the fantasy stud he used to be a few years ago.

Eli Manning – Don’t let a Super Bowl victory blind you to the fact that Eli Manning has been a very average fantasy quarterback.

Aaron Rodgers – While Aaron Rodgers does have good weapons offensively, inexperienced quarterbacks spell fantasy football disappointment.

Jon Kitna – With Mike Martz out of town, Jon Kitna’s numbers will take a big tumble during the 2008 fantasy football season.

Matt Leinart – Not only will Kurt Warner likely see playing time once again, Matt Leinart appears to be more of a partier than a football player.

Here is a video of Matt Leinart partying during the offseason:

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1. Tom Brady – Easy choice. He has Randy Moss on his side and should be great again.
2. Peyton Manning – Manning is one of the most reliable fantasy players of the last decade.
3. Tony Romo – Outside of Brady, no quarterback has a higher ceiling than Romo.
4. Drew Brees – After a slow start, Brees was again very good at the end of 2007.
5. Carson Palmer – Palmer is healthy and Ocho Cinco is mad. Good combination.
6. Derek Anderson – Anderson has great weapons in and up-and-coming offense.
7. Ben Roethlisberger – Big Ben is steady and has deceptively high potential.
8. Matt Hasselbeck – With a questionable running game, Hasselbeck will get the call.
9. Donovan McNabb – If healthy, McNabb could have another big year.
10. David Garrard – Garrard has more weapons and is coming off a great season.

Can Donovan McNabb stay healthy?

Coming Soon … Quarterback Rankings – 1 thru 25

Photo: Newscom

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9. Braylon Edwards, Cleveland Browns
Edwards was a high draft pick so his success wasn’t entirely a surprise. That said, now one thought Edwards would have 1200+ yards and 15 touchdowns with a week to go.

8. Jason Witten, Dallas Cowboys
Witten had a relatively quiet 2006 campaign but has been great in 2007. With 94 catches, 1121 yards and seven touchdowns, Witten has surpassed all expectations.

7. Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings
Everyone knew Peterson was immensely talented. But Peterson was arguably the best running back in the NFL this season. Peterson being this great this soon is a huge surprise.

6. Earnest Graham, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Graham was given the Buccaneers’ running back job after a number of running backs ahead of him in the depth chart got hurt. Graham filled in more than admirably. He has seven touchdowns in his last seven games.

5. Brett Favre, Green Bay Packers
Favre was looked at this year as a decent backup quarterback in fantasy football. However, Favre turned back the clock and already has more than 4000 yards and 25 touchdowns.

4. Jamal Lewis, Cleveland Browns
Lewis was an afterthought on draft night this year. If you drafted him, it was probably with an impending feeling of doom. Surprisingly, Lewis has had a season that places him in the top five of running backs.

3. Derek Anderson, Cleveland Browns
Anderson wasn’t even the opening day starter for the Browns. But after he took over the reins, Anderson never looked back. He’s been a top five fantasy quarterback all season.

2. Randy Moss, New England Patriots
Moss was viewed as a risky pick in the third or fourth round. As it turns out, Moss was a heck of a steal. With a week to go, Moss has over 90 catches, nearly 1400 yards and 21 touchdowns.

1. Tom Brady, New England Patriots
Even though Brady was rated relatively highly this season, he has shattered all expectations. Brady has had perhaps the best season ever for a quarterback.

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