QB Shaun Hill, San Francisco 49ers
With Frank Gore out this week, quarterback Shaun Hill will probably need to toss the pigskin more than usual. Add in a favorable opponent in the St. Louis Rams and Hill is definitely a sleeper in Week 4.

RB Rashard Mendenhall, Pittsburgh Steelers
Rashard Mendenhall would definitely be a risky play but he has upside. Starter Willie Parker is battling with turf toe. Additionally, Mendenhall was benched last week due to a poor showing in practice, which could have him extra motivated.

WR Andre Caldwell, Cincinnati Bengals
With TJ Houshmandzadeh no longer with the Cincinnati Bengals, Carson Palmer has been looking for a new possession receiver. He might have found one in Andre Caldwell. The speedy Caldwell is a solid play this week.

TE Daniel Fells, St. Louis Rams
After Kyle Boller entered the game at quarterback in Week 3, tight end Daniel Fells caught two touchdown passes. If Boller starts in Week 4, will he keep looking at Fells? He just might.

Shaun Hill - San Francisco 49ers (Image: Zuma Press)

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In fantasy football, Willie Parker’s value seems to be on the decline. Last year, Parker only had a decent season. He rushed for 791 yards and five touchdowns in 11 games. It was the first time in three seasons that he had less than 1,200 rushing yards. Perhaps most damning is the fact that he had a yards per rush average of 3.8 yards — and that number has declined each season in his career.

If Parker struggles at all, the Steelers will take a look at Rashard Mendenhall. Last year, Mendenhall was drafted in the first round and it’s thought that he’ll eventually become the team’s starting running back. However, his rookie season wasn’t too impressive — 58 rushing yards on 19 carries and a season-ending shoulder injury.

If you pick Parker in fantasy football, be sure to handcuff Mendenhall.

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RB Mewelde Moore, Pittsburgh Steelers
Willie Parker is hurt and Rashard Mendenhall is now also hurt and out for the season. That leaves the running back job in Pittsburgh to Mewelde Moore. He may be startable until Parker returns.

WR Steve Breaston, Arizona Cardinals
With Anquan Boldin getting injured in Week 4, Steve Breaston will likely move into a starting gig for as long as Boldin is out. In the high-powered Cardinals offense, that is a very good thing.

WR Lance Moore, New Orleans Saints
Marques Colston and Jeremy Shockey are injured and David Patten isn’t 100%. Lance Moore has now emerged as one of the players who Drew Brees will feature in New Orleans.

TE Dustin Keller, New York Jets
For the second consecutive week, Dustin Keller scored a touchdown. Even though he’s headed into a bye week, Keller is a tight end to keep an eye on.

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Kevin Smith, Detroit Lions
All indications point to Kevin Smith starting for the Lions at running back. Smith doesn’t have much competition — considering that Tatum Bell is his backup. He could be a big factor if he can stay healthy.

Matt Forte, Chicago Bears
Like Smith, Forte is also expected to be the starter. While Forte is arguably the more talented player, his situation doesn’t look as promising. He’s on a team with a bad offense and has more talent behind him at running back, including Kevin Jones and the other Adrian Peterson.

Ray Rice, Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens are starting Willis McGahee at running back. However, many team insiders claim Ray Rice has looked better so far this season. If McGahee struggled, expect Rice to get plenty of time.

Jonathan Stewart, Carolina Panthers
Although he has to share time with DeAngelo Williams, expect Jonathan Stewart to have a solid year. Williams is a finesse back, which should allow Stewart to get goal line carries.

Rashard Mendenhall, Pittsburgh Steelers
Although he was picked in the first round, Mendenhall has his work cut out for him in terms of getting carries this season. Willie Parker is the starter and has a successful history with the Steelers. Mendenhall also had trouble with fumbles in the preseason.

Tim Hightower, Arizona Cardinals
With Edgerrin James likely slowing down in Arizona, Tim Hightower is a player who could be asked to add juice to an otherwise tepid ground game. Expect the Cardinals to give James more rest this season and give Hightower a chance to prove himself.

Here is a highlight reel video of Tim Hightower in action:

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Willie Parker has been the Steelers’ main running back for a few years now and he’s carried a large load during that time frame. The Steelers are hoping that Mendenhall will be able to come in and provide a one-two punch at running back. Mendenhall, who is 20-years-old, is a strongly built runner who can gain the tough yards.

Parker is recovering from a broken fibula but despite his injury, most people around the team expect that Parker will hold onto his starting gig. Mendenhall will be the backup, but should get plenty of action.

Mendenhall’s fantasy value likely won’t be very high in his rookie season. Parker should get a majority of the carries. However, Mendenhall could become the team’s goal line back and would be next in line if Parker is to get injured. If you draft Parker, Mendenhall is player that you must handcuff to Parker.

Photo: Newscom

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In the 2008 NFL Draft, the Texans have the 18th pick in the first round. While their roster on the whole is strong, there is one major weakness – running back. Ahman Green was brought in last year but he didn’t solve the problem. Ron Dayne isn’t the long-term answer.

At running back, the best player in the 2008 draft is no doubt Darren McFadden, however he’ll long be off the board for the Texans. Rashard Mendenhall is the next best running back and there’s not a very good chance he’ll be there at 18. If he is, he’d be a no-brainer pick for the Texans.

Two players that will likely be on the board and should tempt the Texans are running backs Jonathan Stewart and Felix Jones. Stewart is a bit bigger and a tougher runner, while Jones has better speed and is more explosive. Either player would see plenty of action in 2008 for Houston.

If the Texans don’t like the available running backs, look for them to go with a cornerback (Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Leodis McKelvin?) or an offensive tackle (Gosder Cherilus, Jeff Otah?).

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Heading into the 2008 NFL Draft, the Bears have a lot of holes in their roster. Offensively, they still have Rex Grossman at quarterback. Cedric Benson was a disappointment at running back and he’s returning as the likely starter. Muhsin Muhammad and Bernard Berrian were lost to free agency – thinning an already thin corps of wide receivers.

With the 14th pick in the 2008 NFL Draft, the Bears will likely be in the market for the best offensive player available. Although they’ve invested a lot of time and effort in Benson, the team could very well take another running back this year. Rashard Mendenhall could be on the board and he’d give another option if Benson struggles again in 2008.

At wide receiver, the Bears will likely consider Malcolm Kelly and Devin Thomas. If Kelly is still on the board, he’d make a very solid pick. Thomas would be a bit of a reach but the team is so desperate for wide receiver help that it’d be understandable.

Grossman appears safe for another year because this draft isn’t very top heavy when it comes to quarterback. It’s extremely unlikely that the Bears will pick a quarterback in the first round.

Overall, expect the Bears to target either Kelly or Mendenhall. If both are off the board, Thomas would make sense. If all three are off the board, the Bears could look at another receiver such as Limas Sweed or Mario Manningham.

Check out this Rashard Mendenhall video:

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2) St. Louis Rams – Jake Long
The biggest problem for the Rams in 2007 was their offensive line. Jake Long can step right in and start right away for St. Louis in 2008.

3) Atlanta Falcons – Matt Ryan
The Atlanta Falcons need a quarterback and Matt Ryan is the best quarterback in the draft. While he won’t start right away, he has great potential down the line.

4) Oakland Raiders – Darren McFadden
Darren McFadden is arguably the most talented player in the draft and the Oakland Raiders usually value talent as much as any team. He’d split carries with Justin Fargas.

5) Kansas City Chiefs – Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie
Perhaps the player whose stock is rising quickest, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie could be the Chiefs’ pick if both Long and Ryan are off the board.

6) New York Jets – Chris Long
The Jets desperately need to pressure the quarterback more in 2008 and Chris Long should help the team do just that.

7) New England Patriots – Vernon Gholston
Vernon Gholston looks like a perfect fit for the Patriots at the seventh pick. He can play linebacker in their defense and start as a rookie.

8) Baltimore Ravens – Leodis McKelvin
While the Ravens do need help at quarterback and wide receiver, there are no quality prospects at this point in the draft. Instead they’ll go with Leodis McKelvin.

9) Cincinnati Bengals – Sedrick Ellis
The Bengals desperately need some defensive line help and Sedrick Ellis should be able to provide just that. (And he has a cool last name.)

10) New Orleans Saints – Rashard Mendenhall
Reggie Bush needs a new partner in the backfield and Rashard Mendenhall is the best running back on the board at this point.

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Rashard Mendenhall – 2008 NFL Draft
After a successful college career, Rashard Mendenhall will likely be drafted in the middle of the first round.

Jonathan Stewart – 2008 NFL Draft
Jonathan Stewart is currently the third running back on most NFL teams’ boards and should go in the first round.

Felix Jones – 2008 NFL Draft
Darren McFadden’s backup at Arkansas, Felix Jones will be a late first rounder or an early second rounder.

Chris Johnson – 2008 NFL Draft
After a nice career at East Carolina, Chris Johnson is the highest rated senior running back in this class.

Ray Rice – 2008 NFL Draft
Although he’s small, Ray Rice has shown enough heart for an NFL team to take a chance on him.

Jamaal Charles – 2008 NFL Draft
Jamaal Charles is still a raw prospect but this Texas product has all the tools to be successful in the NFL.

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5. Matt Ryan, Quarterback
Rookie quarterbacks aren’t usually highly valued in fantasy football but there is a chance that Ryan plays right away at the NFL level. It depends on which team takes him. If he plays right away, Ryan is smart enough to be a decent fantasy option right away.

4. Jonathan Stewart, Running Back
Currently ranked as the third best running back on the board, Stewart has pretty good size and pretty good speed. He has a chance to be a solid back right away in the NFL. He’ll probably begin as a backup but he could find himself in the starting lineup sooner than later.

3. Malcolm Kelly, Wide Receiver
While 2008 isn’t a great year for wide receivers, Malcolm Kelly has a chance to be fantasy football gold. He has good size and very good hands, which is the combination you look for in a receiver who can grab a lot of touchdown passes. He lacks top end speed but Kelly should be a red zone target right away.

2. Rashard Mendenhall, Running Back
Depending on where he ends up, Mendenhall could be a starting running back in 2008. He has the total package it’d take to be a solid rookie running back in the NFL. He’ll likely be drafted at some point between the 10th and 20th pick.

1. Darren McFadden, Running Back
McFadden isn’t going to drop out of the top seven picks. He’s just too explosive of an athlete for teams to pass on him. McFadden has a chance to be a superstar on the NFL level and it’s highly likely that he’ll start as a rookie.

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