1. Jamal Lewis, Cleveland Browns
2. TJ Houshmandzadeh, Cincinnati Bengals
3. Laurence Maroney, New England Patriots
4. Steve Smith, Carolina Panthers
5. Chad Johnson, Cincinnati Bengals
6. Michael Turner, Atlanta Falcons
7. Torry Holt, St. Louis Rams
8. Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints
9. Plaxico Burress, New York Giants
10. Ronnie Brown, Miami Dolphins
11. Anquan Boldin, Arizona Cardinals
12. Brandon Jacobs, New York Giants

Will Steve Smith drop further due to his suspension?

Photo: Newscom

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Frank Gore – With Mike Martz at the helm, Frank Gore’s numbers will likely take another hit in 2008. His numbers in 2006 may end up being an anomaly.

Larry Johnson – The Kansas City Chiefs are just a bad team and Larry Johnson won’t have much running room to do anything.

Ryan Grant – Inspiring breakout performance last season but expecting lightning to strike twice is wishful thinking.

Jamal Lewis – Last season, Jamal Lewis wanted revenge. This season Lewis’ age will likely catch up to him.

Ronnie Brown – Bill Parcells and the Miami Dolphins don’t have any reason to be indebted to Ronnie Brown. Tread carefully.

Willie Parker – Willie Parker didn’t get many touchdowns last season and this season the Steelers used a first rounder on a running back.

Selvin Young – The Broncos should gain a lot of yards on the ground this season. The problem is guessing which of their dozen running backs to pick.

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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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QB Derek Anderson, Cleveland Browns – Anderson cemented himself as a certified quarterbacking stud after throwing three touchdowns versus the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 10. His schedule down the stretch of the season is great. With the amount of weapons he has on offense, Anderson is definitely a player to target right now.

RB Jamal Lewis, Cleveland Browns – Lewis also gets to play against the same soft schedule. A week after getting shut down by the Steelers, Lewis’ value is pretty low. He faces another tough matchup this week against the Ravens, but after that it should be clear sailing for Lewis. Trade for him now and after this week, he’s startable for the rest of the season. The great thing about Lewis is he’s in a high-power offense that features him completely at the running back position.

WR Chad Johnson, Cincinnati Bengals – The Bengals offense has been poor lately and Johnson has been extremely quiet. That said, Johnson is a player to trade for right now. His schedule is very nice to the end of the season. He’s going to bounce back and he’s due for some huge games before the season is over. Johnson is too talented to hold down much longer.

TE Dallas Clark, Indianapolis Colts – Clark showed how valuable he was when he missed the game against the Chargers in Week 10. Without Clark on the field, Peyton Manning didn’t have his safety blanket. Clark is reported to be completely healed from his concussion and should be a big asset for the Colts between now and the rest of the season.

K Shayne Graham, Cincinnati Bengals – Graham is coming off of a game in which he hit seven field goals. Add to that the fact that he has an easy schedule and he’s a no-brainer to try to trade for. If you can get him on your side, do so.

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QB Jason Campbell, Washington Redskins
Campbell had a tough outing against the Arizona Cardinals. Actually, he was horrible. He had less than 100 yards passing and didn’t have a touchdown. That said, he’s a guy who should have a strong second half of the season. Campbell’s schedule gets easier and the banged up receivers on the Redskins will get healthier. Right now, you should be able to acquire him fairly cheaply.

RB Jamal Lewis, Cleveland Browns
Lewis missed the Browns’ last game with an injured foot. The game before that, Lewis left after one carry due to that same injury. Coming off a bye week, Lewis is a forgotten man in fantasy football. But instead of forgetting about him, you should try to trade for him. He has a very easy schedule and with Cleveland’s offense better than most realize, he should have plenty of opportunities for touchdowns.

WR Marvin Harrison, Indianapolis Colts
So far this season, Harrison’s stats have been far from impressive. He has only 20 catches for 247 yards and one touchdown. He has been slowed by injuries and Peyton Manning has opted for other receivers. However, when the chips are down late in the season, Harrison will be the player Manning looks to for production. Buy him now and reap the rewards later in the season.

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Kurt Warner, QB, Arizona Cardinals
With Matt Leinart out for an extended amount of time with a broken collarbone, the door is wide open for Warner to step through and post big numbers. He has two great receivers and an improved offensive line. Pickup Warner if he’s available. While he isn’t starting material right away, he could be very soon once he gets comfortable.

David Carr, QB, Carolina Panthers
Jake Delhomme is out for the season after opting for elbow surgery. That means Carr gets first crack at securing the job in Carolina. Carr hasn’t had a very impressive career, or season for that matter, but he has weapons on offense. Steve Smith alone makes giving Carr a shot in the fantasy world worth a shot.

Jason Wright, RB, Cleveland Browns
Wright is a decent pickup if you have the roster room. At this point, the severity of the injury to Jamal Lewis’ foot is unknown. If Lewis were to be down long-term, Wright is a very good acquisition. Even if Lewis is going to only miss one week, Wright could be worth a start in Week 6 against the Miami Dolphins. However, if Lewis isn’t going to miss any time, Wright should only be picked up by a Lewis owner looking to handcuff the backup.

Mewelde Moore, RB, Minnesota Vikings
Moore is currently the third string running back for the Vikings. The story here is that Moore could be traded to one of the many teams looking for depth at running back. Specifically, Tampa Bay has reportedly shown interest in Moore. If Moore gets traded to a situation where he’ll see a lot of playing time, he has a history of being a good fantasy player.

Bobby Engram and Nate Burleson, WR, Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks have two big injuries to their wide receiving corps with Deion Branch and DJ Hackett both sidelined. Engram and Burleson both move up on the depth charts into starting positions. The one to really go after is Engram. If he isn’t there, Burleson is a good fall back option.

Dennis Northcutt, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars have a mediocre passing game, at best. However, Northcutt has emerged as the team’s best wide receiver. He’s not a huge fantasy option at this point but he’s a pretty good third WR in an emergency situation. If he’s available, pick up Northcutt for depth, if nothing else.

Greg Olson, TE, Chicago Bears
Olson looked like a huge part of the Bears offense in their game this week. His stats don’t show it, but he Olson was obviously a player the Bears wanted to get involved early and often. If he’s available in your league, he’s a good backup TE who could eventually start for your team.

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Jamal Lewis, RB, Baltimore Ravens
After his first carry, Lewis left the game against the Patriots and was unable to return. After the game, Lewis said the injury wasn’t serious. However, he’ll likely have an MRI which may tell a different story. Jason Wright is Lewis’ backup.

Michael Pittman, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Pittman started in place of regular starter Cadillac Williams, who is out for the season with a knee injury. Pittman was injured early on and it appears he will be out for a while with an ankle sprain. The job of starting running back for the Bucs now falls on the shoulders of Earnest Graham.

Trent Green, QB, Miami Dolphins
Green was injured by a knee to the side of his helmet. He suffered a concussion and was taken off the field in a stretcher. Last season, Green had a concussion that kept him out for a number of weeks. At 37-years-old and with a history of concussions, it shouldn’t surprise if Green’s season and possibly career are over.

Matt Leinart, QB, Arizona Cardinals
Leinart fractured his left collarbone and will be sidelined for a number of weeks. It’s possible that he’s out for the rest of the season. Fantasy-wise, there shouldn’t have been many teams relying on Leinart on a week to week basis. Kurt Warner will take over the reins as Arizona’s quarterback.

Damon Huard, QB, Kansas City Chiefs
Huard exited the game with a bruised shoulder in the fourth quarter. While the injury doesn’t appear to be serious, Huard could possibly lose his job anyways to backup Brodie Croyle. Croyle entered the game in the fourth quarter and led the Chiefs to their only points of the ballgame.

Deion Branch, WR, Seattle Seahawks
Branch left the game against the Steelers with a sprained right foot. His status going forward is unclear. If Branch were to miss any amount of time, Bobby Engram and Nate Burleson are likely replacements to see Branch’s targets.

Brandon Stokley, WR, Denver Broncos
Stokley left the game with a head injury. His status is unknown going forward. If he misses time, expect even more passes to go in the direction of Brandon Marshall. When Javon Walker returns to action, he’ll also pick up some of the extra targets if Stokley were to be sidelined.

Antwaan Randel El, WR, Washington Redskins
On his way to a big performance, Randel El got injured right before halftime and wasn’t able to return. His injury is being described as a hamstring issue. With Santana Moss also battling injuries, the Redskins wide receiving corps is really thin at the moment.

Bernard Berrian, WR, Chicago Bears
Berrian left the game against the Packers with a toe injury. If Berrian were to miss time, quarterback Brian Griese will probably target his pair of tight ends (Desmond Clark and Greg Olson) more often.

Photo credit: REUTERS/Brent Smith

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Larry Johnson
LJ had a difficult start to the season. Many league pundits were calling him out as being overrated. Fantasy football owners labeled him as a bust. With that in mind, LJ is a player you should go after. He has an easy schedule down the stretch and Kansas City can’t help but improve.

Jamal Lewis
Speaking of easy schedules, Lewis and the Browns have an extremely easy schedule during the fantasy football playoffs. If you need an RB2 for playoff purposes, Lewis is a good player to target. Another plus is that you can usually buy Lewis for rather cheap.

Kevin Jones
After a serious injury ended his season last year, many thought Jones would miss the entire 2007 season. Not only did he not miss the season, he’s already back and seemingly healthy. He’s played in two games and has two touchdowns. While he’s still building up his stamina, he’s a good player to buy now and stash for when he’s ready to carry the load for the Lions.

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