8/18 Sleeper of the Day: Michael Bush

RB MICHAEL BUSH, Raiders




Darren McFadden and Justin Fargas might have been the more familiar names occupying Oakland's backfield, but it was Bush who ended up leading the Silver & Black in rushing last year.

Granted, it was a paltry 589 rushing yards, but still - Bush averaged a more-than-respectable 4.8 yards a carry while getting nothing close to regular playing time in 2009. The Raiders would be wise to let Bush, a tough, inside-the-tackles runner with speed, play a bigger role this year. And all indications are they will do just that, with Fargas getting released in the offseason and the disappointing McFadden nursing injuries again this preseason.

We're probably looking at a timeshare here, unfortunately, with the quicker McFadden serving as a complement to the 247-pound Bush. But with Fargas out of the way I could see Bush getting a few more goal-line looks, and with Jason Campbell under center instead of a JaMarcus Russell/Charlie Frye combo the Raiders should at least have a more respectable passing game to keep opponents from stacking the box. I like Bush as an underrated RB4 who might be able to come close to 800 or 900 yards and 5 or 6 TDs.

8/5 Bust of the Day: Donovan McNabb

QB DONOVAN McNABB, REDSKINS

The way the Eagles unceremoniously dumped their franchise QB wasn’t right, but unfortunately for McNabb, he’s not in a better place. Washington was inept at protecting Jason Campbell last year (46 sacks allowed, 5th most in NFL), and it’ll be breaking in a rookie left tackle (Trent Williams) in place of retired vet Chris Samuels this year. Factor in the downgrades at WR and the M.A.S.H. unit at RB (Clinton Portis, Larry Johnson, Willie Parker), and McNabb doesn’t figure to have a lot of help around him.

Sure, he still has fantasy value as a backup QB. New Redskins coach Mike Shanahan will put McNabb in situations where he can succeed, and he’ll have his share of big games as always, but it looks like his days of being a consistent No. 1 are over. The Eagles' willingness to trade him to a division rival this offseason is perhaps the most telling signal he's in decline.

Hot Pickups: Week 14

FOUR STARS (Out of five)

RB JEROME HARRISON, Browns: There was some thought in the preseason that Harrison might supplant Jamal Lewis as Cleveland's feature back, but he started the year hurt and wasn't much of a factor, outside of a 121-yard game in Week 4. That changed when Lewis suffered a serious season-ending concussion and Harrison totaled 97 yards from scrimmage last week and caught two TD passes. Pittsburgh's D doesn't look quite as dangerous anymore, and Harrison's involvement in the passing game is a good sign entering Thursday night's matchup.

THREE STARS

FB LEONARD WEAVER, Eagles: It's not often you see a fantasy-relevant fullback, but Weaver is just that, especially since Brian Westbrook's concussion problem started. He's been popping off big plays, whether it was the 41-yard TD run the first time he faced the Giants this year, or a 63-yard catch-and-run in last week's drubbing of Atlanta, and could be worth a shot in the dark as your flex in this week's showdown with the G-Men.

WR DEVIN THOMAS, Redskins: Washington's been waiting for their second-year receiver to break out, and he finally did last week against the Saints (7 catches, 100 yards, 2 TDs). Surely Jason Campbell and Co. would like to see a sequel this week against the Raiders.

RB SAMMY MORRIS, Patriots: Just when you thought Laurence Maroney had become the Pats' unquestioned feature back, Morris snuck in with 9 carries (his second-most of the year) for 40 yards and 2 catches for 25 yards. I wouldn't be shocked to see him take a starring role against Carolina this Sunday.

TWO STARS

QB BRUCE GRADKOWSKI, Raiders: Am I really advocating starting a Raiders quarterback at such a crucial juncture, against a Redskins D that's actually one of the league's best agaginst the pass? Not quite. But Bruuuuce has actually been productive the past three weeks (6 TDs), and while I don't particularly like him this week or next week on the road against Denver, I love his Week 16 matchup at Cleveland in what is the fantasy Super Bowl for most leagues. Just sayin' ...

Can you trust your fantasy QB?

In these uncertain times, it’s nice to know there’s someone you can trust.

By no means is this a political statement. I’m actually referring to your fantasy team’s quarterback, someone who can be plugged into your lineup week after week and unfailingly deliver the bulk of your points.

The problem is, there aren’t too many QBs who definitely fit this mold. Tom Brady used to be one, but we all know what happened to him this year. Peyton Manning is probably still one, even though he’s looked a little more mortal so far this year. And Tony Romo’s probably the most trustworthy QB out there right now, at least from a fantasy owner’s standpoint.

As for those who don’t own Manning or Romo, you’re probably relying on a quarterback with a lot of question marks attached to his name. I’ve taken a look at all the league’s starting signal-callers and identified those who deserve your trust the rest of the way. That’s not to say you’re hopeless if you don’t own one of the QBs who made the cut; just let this help you decide if you can count on your guy or if you need to consider an upgrade or backup plan.

Here’s how I break it down:

QBs YOU CAN TRUST

Jay Cutler: This coming-of-age QB is averaging 300 yards a game, second-best in the NFL, and has a number of options at his disposal.

Drew Brees: He leads the league in pass attempts and will continue to air it out, especially if his team’s defense doesn’t improve.

Brett Favre: His six-TD performance slants his overall numbers, but Favre will continue to improve as he learns the offense. He also has a very favorable schedule the next five weeks.

Philip Rivers: He’s starting to come down to Earth after starting with three superb games, but Rivers has already got more than half of last year’s TD total.

Eli Manning: What a difference a year makes. Eli’s been more efficient than flashy, and the schedule gets considerably tougher in a few weeks, but so far, so good.

Aaron Rodgers: Assuming his shoulder’s not hurt too badly, the Green Bay Packers will continue to let Rodgers throw, especially since they can’t run the ball very well.

Kurt Warner: Sure, he contemplated retiring, but he’s also enjoying one of his best seasons in years. Sounds like Anquan Boldin will be back in a couple weeks, which is great news for this pass-heavy offense.

Ben Roethlisberger: He’s spent a lot of time on the trainer’s table this year, but a banged-up Big Ben is still capable of a big day, as he showed last week (309 yards, three TDs) when everyone was ready to count him out.

Jason Campbell: Maybe he and his team are overachieving … or maybe Campbell’s just fulfilling his potential. He hasn’t thrown an interception yet and has some nice matchups in the coming weeks.

QBs YOU CAN'T TRUST

Derek Anderson, Marc Bulger/Trent Green, Matt Cassel, Kerry Collins, Brody Croyle/Damon Huard/Tyler Thigpen, Jake Delhomme, Trent Edwards, Joe Flacco, Matt Flynn, Gus Frerotte, David Garrard, Brian Griese/Jeff Garcia, Matt Hasselbeck, Jon Kitna, Donovan McNabb, Kyle Orton, J.T. O’Sullivan, Carson Palmer, Chad Pennington, JaMarcus Russell, Matt Schaub.

Overlooked talent

Ever get finished drafting your team, look back over your roster and realize it sucks?

That probably happened to a lot of people this past weekend. Maybe you noticed you have four receivers with the same bye week, or a quarterback who didn't win his team's start ing job, or a running back who isn't on an NFL roster.

Or maybe your team just plain sucks.

Before you declare your season a lost cause, take a gander at your league's free-agent pool. There's probably a good amount of overlooked talent available to help reshape your team.

Here are some sleepers who didn't get much love on draft day:


• The Washington Redskins change coaches like the rest of us change our car's oil, but their commitment to QB Jason Campbell hasn't wavered. Campbell was making strides as a starter last year before hurting his knee, and now he gets another fresh start in Jim Zorn's West Coast scheme, which worked wonders for Matt Hasselbeck's career in Seattle. Campbell has plenty to work with, including Clinton Portis, Santana Moss, two talented rookie receivers (Malcolm Kelly and Devin Thomas) and a healthy offensive line. He could make the leap this year and is worth a serious look as your No. 2 QB.

• When was the last time you owned a Cincinnati Bengals tight end on your fantasy team? That should change this year with Cincy's signing of Ben Utecht, who caught 68 passes in the past two seasons as Dallas Clark's sidekick for the Indianapolis Colts. Utecht provides Carson Palmer with another target and adds a new dimension to what was a top-10 passing offense a year ago.

• Everyone seems to assume the Atlanta Falcons' Michael Turner will shine in his first season as a feature back, and they may be right. But LaDainain Tomlinson's former understudy has never carried the ball more than 80 times in a season. That's why I expect Atlanta's new coaching staff to also utilize third-year back Jerious Norwood, who's averaged more than six yards a carry in his pro career and is also a fine receiver out of the backfield and can also line up out wide.

• Jerry Porter spent more time butting heads with coaches than catching passes in his eight seasons with the Oakland Raiders but signed a big-money deal in the offseason to be the Jacksonville Jaguars' top receiver. A torn hamstring kept him out of training camp and all preseason, but Porter is finally practicing again and aims to be ready for Week 1. An injury like that can sometimes linger, but if he can recover, Porter has the potential to supplant Reggie Williams as QB David Garrard's first option.

• In case you didn't pay attention last year, it's good to have New England Patriots on your fantasy team - even if they're the team's No. 3 wide receiver. That will be Jabar Gaffney's role this year, one he took a liking to last season, especially late, catching four touchdowns in the Pats' final six regular season games. Gaffney's gotten extra reps with Tom Brady this preseason with Wes Welker sidelined, and though he won't be an every-week contributor in New England's spread-the-wealth offense, he'll be worth a spot start here or there as the matchups dictate.

Photo by The Associated Press