One of the hottest trade rumors in the NFL has Rage Rosenfels, the backup quarterback for the Houston Texans, being traded to the Minnesota Vikings for a fourth round pick. In Houston, Rosenfels is currently behind Matt Schaub on the depth charts.

If Minnesota successful trades for the quarterback, he becomes a candidate to become the teams starter at QB. Currently, the Vikings have Tarvaris Jackson and Gus Frerotte at the position. Although Jackson has shown some promise, he’s still extremely raw. Frerotte, on the other hand, has seen his best days.

Even if Rosenfels wins the starting job, he likely won’t be on the fantasy radar. Minnesota runs the ball a ton and their receiving corps is lacking talent. At best, Rosenfels would be a late round sleeper in 2009 fantasy football drafts.

While in Houston, Rosenfels has looked elite at times. At other times, he’s bumbled away very winnable games. He still has the potential to be a decent quarterback but he has a lot of work to do to master the position.

QB Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints
Capping off a masterful season, Saints quarterback Drew Brees threw for 386 yards and four touchdowns. He finished the season with more than 5000 passing yards — a number that made him a fantasy football favorite all season long. Going into 2009, Brees has to be a top flight QB option in the fantasy world.

RB Michael Bush, Oakland Raiders
In their stunning victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Raiders running back Michael Bush proved he has NFL level talent. He ran for two touchdowns and 177 yards. Although the Raiders will likely build their future running game around Darren McFadden, Bush showed enough in the season finale to be a candidate to split time with McFadden next season.

WR Andre Johnson, Houston Texans
Andre Johnson finished a very productive 2008 fantasy football season with ten catches, 148 yards and two touchdowns in the final week of the season. The Texans have emerged as a quality offensive team and next season, the Matt Schaub and Johnson connection could be one of the best in the entire NFL.

TE Tony Scheffler, Denver Broncos
Although it was a quiet week for tight ends in Week 17, Tony Scheffler managed to have a good game. The Broncos starting tight end had five catches for 75 yards and a touchdown grab. All in all, Scheffler had his moments in 2008 fantasy football but injuries and inconsistency kept him from being a top fantasy tight end.

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QB Matt Cassel, New England Patriots
Matt Cassel has looked so good at times this year for the Patriots that some fans are even considering the possibility of trading Tom Brady. While that talk is obviously crazy, Cassel was good again in Week 15. He finished the game against the Oakland Raiders with 218 yards and four touchdown passes.

RB Dominic Rhodes, Indianapolis Colts
The Colts were without Joseph Addai in Week 15. No worrise, Dominic Rhodes was more than able to pick up the slack against the Detroit Lions. Rhodes finished Week 15 with two touchdowns to go along with 116 yards.

WR Andre Johnson, Houston Texans
Andre Johnson had a huge game against the Tennessee Titans in Week 15. In the first half alone he had 150 yards receiving and a touchdown. In the second half he added more than 50 yards to finish the game with 207 yards receiving and a TD.

TE Dallas Clark, Indianapolis Colts
If you had Dallas Clark on your Week 15 fantasy team, you are very happy. Clark had a monster game — finishing with 12 catches for 142 yards and a touchdown. Both the catches and the yardage are easily season-highs for Clark.

QB Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers
The Packers knew Aaron Rodgers was talented, however fantasy football owners wouldn’t have guessed that Rodgers would have such an impressive first year at quarterback. He’s been a top three performer as a fantasy quarterback and considering his relatively late average draft position, he has to be making his owners very happy.

RB DeAngelo Williams, Carolina Panthers
Coming into the 2008 fantasy football season, DeAngelo Williams wasn’t a wanted man in the fantasy world. He was a part of a dreaded running back by committee situation in Carolina. However, now he’s emerged as the hottest back in fantasy football and is suddenly a must start each and every week.

WR Kevin Walter, Houston Texans
Kevin Walter showed some promise in 2007 but nobody could have imagined him becoming a top ten wide receiver in 2008. While he’s still not quite as valuable as teammate Andre Johnson, Walter has had a huge year and seems to be playing better and better as the season has progressed. Going into 2009, Walter will be a household name in the fantasy football world.

TE Visanthe Shiancoe, Minnesota Vikings
Prior to 2008, Visanthe Shiancoe was known as a player who didn’t always give great effort. He was also known for his bad hands. In 2008, Shiancoe has become a very productive tight end who is currently ranked in the top five. While he’s not overly consistent, he’s capable of scoring a touchdown in any given week.

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QB Matt Schaub, Houston Texans
Returning from injury, Matt Schaub showed why he’s regarded as one of the up and coming quarterbacks in fantasy football. In Week 14, Schaub played very well against the Green Bay Packers. He finished the game with 414 passing yards and two touchdowns. Plus he orchestrated a game-winning drive near the end of the game, which should help his confidence going forward.

RB Brian Westbrook, Philadelphia Eagles
When healthy, Brian Westbrook continues to be a beast. In Week 14, Westbrook had over 200 combined rushing and receiving yards and two touchdowns. More impressively, he did that damage against the New York Giants. The best news for Westbrook owners is that he looks healthy and should have a good finish to the season.

WR Brandon Marshall, Denver Broncos
Brandon Marshall had been quiet lately but he stepped up in a big way in Week 14. The Broncos wide receiver had 91 receiving yards and two touchdown receptions. Once upon a time, Marshall was the best wide receiving going in 2008 fantasy football. After this performance, he once again has to be considered elite.

TE Tony Gonzalez, Kansas City Chiefs
As has been the case often this season, Tony Gonzalez was the best tight end in Week 14 of the 2008 fantasy football season. Gonzalez finished the week with 73 yards and a touchdown. He now has at least five receptions for eight consecutive weeks. During that time, he also has five touchdowns.

QB Matt Schaub, Houston Texans
Although he’s still out injured Matt Schaub should be returning in one of the upcoming weeks. There’s even a chance that he may be ready to go in Week 14. Once he gets back on the field, Schaub very well could be a top ten starter the rest of the way. If he’s available on your Week 14 waiver wire, go ahead and pick him up.

RB Brandon Jackson, Green Bay Packers
Ryan Grant has had a disappointing season and now he even has an injury. While the injury isn’t considered severe, Brandon Jackson has looked better than Grant for much of the season. Don’t be surprised to see Jackson get the starting job so that the Packers can see what they have in the second-year running back.

WR Davone Bess, Miami Dolphins
Go ahead and pick this guy up if he’s available. Davone Bess is going to get a lot of action the rest of the season and could even become Chad Pennington’s go-to wide receiver. He has good speed and has the potential to break one just about every week.

TE John Carlson, Seattle Seahawks
With Matt Hasselbeck back as the starter at quarterback, the receiving options are more trustworthy for the Seahawks and fantasy football owners alike. John Carlson has had a good rookie season at tight end and should have a good end to his season. With the wide receivers still struggling, Carlson may be Hasselbeck’s best option.

QB Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts
Although Peyton Manning hasn’t had the best of seasons, he has a very easy matchup in Week 12. Going against the San Diego Chargers, who have statistically the worst pass defense in the NFL, Manning should have a big day. Look for the Colts to pass early and often — as this game has the possiblity of being a shootout.

RB Marion Barber III, Dallas Cowboys
With Tony Romo back at quarterback, running room will open up for Marion Barber. While Romo was out, Barber struggled — which wasn’t too surprising. Against the San Francisco 49ers, look for the Cowboys to try to establish the run early. If Dallas can get a second half lead, expect them to have Barber run it to end the game.

WR Andre Johnson, Houston Texans
Andre Johnson has had a somewhat streaky season but Week 12 promises to be a good one for the Texans receiver. Johnson is up against the Cleveland Browns and he’ll be targeted plenty of times. While he’s had a little bit of trouble scoring touchdowns this year, Week 12 looks like a week in which AJ will get at least one TD.

TE Antonio Gates, San Diego Chargers
Going up against the Colts with a healthy offense, Antonio Gates should be free to roam and cause damage. With the wide receivers playing well, the running backs playing well and the quarterback having his best season, Gates sometimes is the forgotten man. In Week 12, the Chargers will make the Colts pay if they forget about Gates.

QB Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints
Arguably the best fantasy football quarterback in 2008 has a good matchup in Week 10 against the Atlanta Falcons. Although the Falcons are better than expected, opponents have had some success passing against their defense. Expect Brees to have approximately 300 yards and two touchdowns.

RB LaDainian Tomlinson, San Diego Chargers
A lot of fantasy owners have considered LaDainian Tomlinson somewhat of a bust this season. But Tomlinson should rise to the head of the pack in Week 10 against the amazingly weak run defense of the Kansas City Chiefs. LT has looked better recently and this could be the huge breakout game fantasy owners have been waiting for.

WR Andre Johnson, Houston Texans
Andre Johnson has been the best fantasy wide receiver over the last month and he should be productive yet again in Week 10. Although Sage Rosenfels is in and Matt Schaub is out due to injury, that shouldn’t have too much of an adverse effect on Johnson’s production. Rosenfels has proven to be one of the better backup QBs in the NFL.

TE Tony Gonzalez, Kansas City Chiefs
Things are looking good in Week 10 for Tony Gonzalez. He has a quarterback in Tyler Thigpen who is actually playing pretty well. He’s going up against the San Diego Chargers — a team that has been destroyed by tight ends this year. If you have Gonzalez on your fantasy football team, make sure you start him this week.

QB Sage Rosenfels, Houston Texans
With Matt Schaub out with a torn knee ligament, Sage Rosenfels will take over the reins for the Houston Texans at quarterback. If he’s on your fantasy football league’s waiver wire, pick him up because he’s definitely a fantasy sleeper from here on out. You can expect him to put up at least 200 yards and a touchdown each week.

RB Ryan Torain, Denver Broncos
Heading into Week 10, Ryan Torain may literally be the Denver Broncos only healthy running back. Michael Pittman and Andre Hall are out for the year and Selvin Young is still banged up. That leaves this rookie to carry the load for the Broncos. Expect him to have a good amount of success.

WR Mark Bradley, Kansas City Chiefs
Tyler Thigpen is quickly becoming a decent quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs. For that reason, his wide receivers are now more valuable. Mark Bradley may be his second receiver but he’s also the safety valve who will get a lot of looks going forward. He even mixed in a passing touchdown this week.

TE Vishante Shiancoe, Minnesota Vikings
Once again, Vishante Shiancoe is on the waiver wire list. He just keeps producing and producing at the tight end position. He remains a sleeper tight end because he’s not respected among most fantasy football owners, for a whatever reasons. But if he keeps producing, you might as well roster him.

QB Kurt Warner, Arizona Cardinals
As we expected, Kurt Warner was the best fantasy quarterback in the NFL in Week 9. Playing against his former team the St. Louis Rams, Warner had 342 passing yards to go along with two touchdown passes. The only thing keeping Warner from being mentioned as the best fantasy football quarterback is the injury concerns that surround him.

RB Chris Johnson, Tennessee Titans
Chris Johnson is quickly becoming one of the most feared running backs in all of the NFL. In Week 9, Johnson helped lead the Titans to victory with 89 rushing yards, 72 receiving yards and a touchdown. Although LenDale White steals some of his touchdowns, Johnson has become a must start each and every fantasy football week.

WR Derrick Mason, Baltimore Ravens
Coming off of a week where he only had three yards, many fantasy football owners were scared away from starting Derrick Mason in Week 9. Too bad for those owners because Mason was a fantasy football superstar in this game against the Cleveland Browns. He finished the contest with nine catches, 136 yards and a touchdown reception in the Ravens victory.

TE Owen Daniels, Houston Texans
A couple weeks ago, we said Owen Daniels was one of the most underrated fantasy football players in the NFL. We also said Daniels would be the best tight end this week. After his 11 catch, 133 yard performance in Week 9, Owens is no longer a secret in the world of fantasy football.