Quarterbacks

He was only 14 for 31 for 205 yards in his first NFL start, but Josh Freeman had 3 TD's and led the Buccaneers to their first win of the season. He is built like a video game QB and his ultimate ceiling is through the roof. We are not going to get too excited about one game, but it was good to see Freeman show poise and maturity in a game versus a tough defense. Dynasty leaguers will want to keep a very close eye on his progress the rest of the season. Sure, he will take his lumps, but progress is important. He could be what Jamarcus Russell was supposed to be.

The Titans also made a QB change, back to their former 1st rounder Vince Young, and that has paid dividends as well. He has led the Titans to two straight victories and while his fantasy numbers have not been great, he should be gaining confidence. He has an open audition for the rest of the season to prove he can compete as a QB1 and so far he has been up to the task. Dynasty owners in need of a young QB may want to take a flier on him, because the talent is certainly still there. No, he is not your prototypical QB, but his legs could make him a QB3 with upside for 2010.

Yes, Kurt Warner can still sling it. After a dismal performance last week that included 6 turnovers, Old Man Warner rebounded to hang 5 TD's on the Bears defense, including 4 in the first half. He is on pace for over 400 completions and over 4,000 yards, assuming he can keep himself upright. If you are looking for a QB upgrade, you could do worse than picking up Warner. He only has 1 year left at most after 2009, but if he can help you secure a playoff berth and potential championship, it may be a worthwhile acquisition.

Running Backs

Hopefully you have already rostered LeSean McCoy on your Dynasty Roster.  We have now gotten a nice sample size (83 rushes and 20 receptions) to make a nice determination of his Dynasty value.  At this point, It is tough to identify a difference between he and Westbrook, and in fact their skill set and utilization within the Eagles offense, is so similar we are starting to wonder if the changing of the guard within Philly will occur sooner than expected.  Westbrook is not getting any healthier and McCoy is showing improvement each week.  He also shows an ability to get better as a game progresses.  It looks as though the Eagles have replaced the skill set they have have found so much success with in Westbrook for the last eight seasons.  

Ryan Moats was the feature back (16 carries) for Houston yesterday in a tight game versus the Colts.  This is very bad news for Steve Slaton (6 carries) who didn't have a touch in the second half.  Slaton converted his goal line carry which is the only bright spot in a game he should have stepped up.  This is a situation that Slaton owners should be getting very concerned with.    

Beanie Wells is emerging.  I know every week he is supposedly emerging, but he has yet to do anything really spectacular and is still basically at a even split for carries with Tim  Hightower.  Plain and simple, it is easy to see he is a gifted back that runs with speed and power.  The Cards have been giving him an average of 13 carries per week over their last few games and he has been grinding it out at 5.3 ypc.  He will learn to pick up the blitz, and then he will take over as a productive lead back in Arizona.  Be patient here.

The cream usually rises to the top.  In the case of Pierre Thomas, who is clearly the most talented RB on the Saints roster, he got a little bit of love from Sean Payton this weekend.  Pay attention to his red zone touches moving forward.  Mike Bell is considered to be the power runner in NO.  If Thomas keeps up with his current pace, it will be nearly impossible for Coach Peyton to take him off the field as he continues to produce solid numbers.

Rashard Mendenhall is becoming a reliable #1 RB.  He is not quite there yet, but it is clear he is the feature back in Pittsburgh, and his patience waiting for blocks and ability to protect the football seems to be improving each week. 

Wide Receivers

Devin Hester continues to improve. He can now be considered a reliable WR3 in fantasy leagues. With 6 more catches and 94 yards, he now has 41 catches and 548 yards along with 3 TD's in 8 games this year. He has had very consistent production this season, with 6 games of 75+ yards receiving. He just turned 27 years old, but really has only been at the WR position full time for two seasons. QB Jay Cutler is definitely helping his development, as they have shown a strong rapport on the field. Dynasty leaguers have already taken notice of the speedy playmaker, and he is paying off for the owners that maintained faith in the Devin Hester Project.

While the team made a big splash by signing free agent T.J. Houshmandzadeh, it has been WR Nate Burleson that has taken over WR1 duties for the Seahawks. He is currently on pace for 90 catches and over 1,100 yards, both of which would easily be career highs. Burleson has long been a fantasy tease and was a very popular sleeper in 2008 until he tore his ACL in Week 1. He is 28 years old and this could be a career season, but Burleson is talented and could remain fantasy relevant for the next few seasons. He is not going to win you any championships, but he is a nice piece to the puzzle.

Jeremy Maclin is going to continue to improve as the season goes on. His natural talent and an injury to incumbent Kevin Curtis have thrust the rookie playmaker in a starting role. He has only had one huge fantasy game - Week 5 against Tampa Bay where he went for 142 yards, 6 catches and 2 TD's - but Donovan McNabb is looking his way more often in the past few weeks. His talent is off the charts and he is going to be a breakout candidate in 2010. While Andy Reid and the Eagles likes to spread the ball around, they will find a way to get Maclin involved. Dynasty leaguers should buy now if the price is right.

Tight Ends

Dallas Clark is ridiculous.  He recoreded 14 catches for 119 yards and is currently on pace to record 120 catches for over 1,400 yards.  There is no sign he will slow down his WR1 type numbers for the remainder of 2009.

It is nice to see Greg Olsen finally get utilized as most of us thought he would entering 2009.  His 3 TD performance is a good sign that Culter is genuinely starting trust Olsen as an every down-primary recieving option.  Keep in mind however that the Bears were playing from way behind and 2 of the 3 TD's came in the final quarter when garbage time was a-plenty.  Watch for Olsens numbers to consistently rise through the remainder of the season.