QUARTERBACKS

There has been a ton of quarterback movement only three weeks into the season, so owners need to know plenty of new (and some old) faces.  Brady Quinn was benched in the second half in favor of Derek Anderson.  Anderson was less than spectacular, throwing 3 interceptions, but Mangini feels DA was more productive.  Byron Leftwich went 7-16 for a measly 22 yards and he was yanked for rookie Josh Johnson.  Johnson didn't fair much better, completing 4-10 for 36 yards, but he will likely take over next week.  Fantasy owners should continue to steer clear of the Bucs' offense.  Marc Bulger bruised his shoulder, so Kyle Boller was called on to lead the anemic Ram offense.  Comparatively, he did better than the other replacement QBs, but his completion % landed at 51.6.  Chad Pennington was placed on IR since he will require another surgery on his shoulder.  Miami will employ Chad Henne as the starter and acquired Tyler Thigpen to serve as backup.  Try your best to avoid all of these second stringers until you can get a handle on their expected production.  If you're itching to make a move, Derek Anderson at least has had some past success and the Henne/Thigpen duo has a shot since you know Pennington is done for the year.

RUNNING BACKS

The Lions call Kevin Smith "week-to-week," which sounds a little ominous.  If Smith doesn’t go this week, so look for Maurice Morris to get the starting nod.  Marshawn Lynch will return from a 3 game suspension to a timeshare situation with Fred Jackson.  Jackson will still see the lion's share of work in Week 4, but that appears to be dwindling.  Matt Forte caught all 6 passes thrown to him and rushed for 66 yards.  I know he's frustrating owners everywhere, but he should make up for it a bit against Detroit this week.  Felix Jones had a strong night in relief of Marion Barber, but was forced to leave with a strained quad.  Tashard Choice filled in, carrying the ball 18 times for 82 yards and a score.  Jones will be scratched for Week 4, so Choice is a nice speculative add in case Barber is limited for the second straight game.  Frank Gore exited Sunday's contest against Minnesota after 1 carry.  Glen Coffee will start this week against St. Louis and needs to be acquired by owners looking for some Bye Week help.  The Saints used Lynell Hamilton for the majority of the first half as Pierre Thomas struggled with a bit of fatigue.  Thomas received an IV at half time and ended up with 126 rushing yards and 2 TDs.  I'm not too sure I’d mess around with the Jets next week unless I have better options. Larry Johnson ran for 38 yards on 19 carries compared to 36 yards on 6 carries from Jamaal Charles.  Charles even chipped in with 3 catches for 34 yards; this has time split written all over it. Our cautious approach with Cedric Benson appears to have been too conservative.  Over the first 3 weeks, he's averaged 22 carries, 97.6 rushing yards, and he's scored two TD's.  Week 4 presents another tasty matchup against the Browns, so he should be started in all formats.  Keep the Cincinnati schedule in the back of your head.   He'll face the Ravens twice, the Steelers once, and have a bye over the next 6 weeks. The schedule doesn't lighten up until Week 11 with Oakland, followed by Cleveland and Detroit.

WIDE RECEIVERS

Believe it or not, Nate Burleson is 3rd in the league with 33 targets.  T.J. Houshmandzadeh certainly has the pedigree of past success, but you can't overlook the familiarity factor that Burleson has with his quarterbacks.  Matt Hasselbeck returning from a back injury (in addition to the newly broken ribs) and backup Seneca Wallace are hardly awe-inspiring hurlers, but they know each other and have enough chemistry to make Burleson a legitimate fantasy receiver.  After missing the first two games with a strained hamstring, Kevin Walter returned and posted 7 receptions for 96 yards and a TD.  He looked healthy but don't ignore the hammy, those issues tend to linger.  Houston's offense is so hot right now Walter needs to be in fantasy lineups in all formats.  If it wasn't for Laveranues Coles’ atrocious contract (yes, atrocious), Andre Caldwell would likely be the Bengals' second option.  He caught 6 passes for 52 yards and a touchdown during Cincinnati's surprise win over Pittsburgh.  Carson Palmer seems to be splitting the opportunities targeting Caldwell 9 times compared to 7 for Coles.  Mike Sims-Walker now has 80+ yards in two straight games since emerging as the Jags' number 2 receiver.  He's been the best wideout with a hyphenated name this year, but your league probably doesn't have that stat. 

TIGHT ENDS

Todd Heap was listed as questionable with a sore back earlier in the week, but he played a full practice on Wednesday.  He’s scored 2 TDs on the season and has been relatively healthy so far.  Vernon Davis exploded with 7 receptions for 96 yards and 2 TDs in a loss against Minnesota.  Mike Singletary says he still “expects more” from Davis, although owners were just fine with Sunday’s performance.  A week after getting skunked on receptions, Zach Miller was held to 2 catches for 17 yards in  loss versus Denver.  He certainly has the talent, it’s just a shame he has no one to throw him the ball.  At least he has a shot against the Texans this week.