Nice to see Matt Schaub living up to my big expectations, as he's currently on pace to throw 37 touchdown passes this season despite tossing none in Week 1. Of course, durability remains a concern, and this kind of production will be tough to sustain even if he somehow stays healthy over a 16-game slate, but Schaub belongs in the discussion as the No. 1 fantasy quarterback right now. He's gotten an insane 8.8 YPA over his past five games. Schaub's career YPA (7.7) is tied for the 12th best all-time…After shredding a Baltimore run defense that hadn't allowed a 100-yard rusher in 39 games last week, Cedric Benson was held to just 44 rushing yards at home against a Texans' front seven that entered the day ceding the most YPC in the NFL. Go figure. Actually, Houston has been defending the run a lot better recently…Remember when people were actually considering benching Andre Johnson last week because Cincy had done such an excellent job shutting down No. 1 receivers so far this year? No matter the opponent, don't ever consider sitting AJ again…Something just isn't quite right with Carson Palmer…The Bengals have scored 54 of their 118 points this season in the last two minutes of halves or in overtime…Steve Slaton fumbled two more times Sunday (one was overturned on review), and Chris Brown received all the carries after Slaton lost one early in the fourth quarter. It's a major concern. He's still obviously the No. 1 back in Houston, but this issue must get resolved soon. Slaton is averaging just 3.0 YPC and has been considered a fantasy disappointment, but the Texans' run-blocking has been extremely poor, and he's salvaged value by actually having more receiving yards (282) than rushing yards (274). Even while disappointing, Slaton is on pace to finish with 1,483 yards and eight touchdowns. He should still be viewed as a top-10 fantasy RB.

If Ryan Grant can't take advantage of a home game against the Lions, when will he ever be able to? Luckily, he's become a much bigger part of the passing game, making him serviceable, but Grant looks nothing like the back who got 5.1 YPC just two years ago…I still say Greg Jennings is someone to target, but Donald Driver deserves a ton of credit for his play this season. At age 34, he's on pace to finish with 1,264 receiving yards, which would be the second-highest of his career…Kevin Smith owners need to remain patient. Life will get easier when (if?) Calvin Johnson and Matthew Stafford return. After the bye, Detroit gets the Rams, Seahawks and Browns in three of their next four games…With five more sacks against the Lions, Aaron Rodgers has now taken a whopping 25 over five games this season. The offensive line remains a major problem in Green Bay.

I haven't done the research, but I doubt any player in NFL history has totaled 1,789 yards without scoring a single touchdown, something Steven Jackson is on pace to do in 2009…Hopefully Donnie Avery's hip injury is minor, because he was really developing into a fine WR3 option…Maurice Jones-Drew has been something of a boom-or-bust type player this season, but it's hard to argue with the end result. His eight touchdowns lead the NFL…It wouldn't be a stretch to call coach Steve Spagnuolo's decision to kick a field goal with seven seconds left in the fourth quarter at the 9-yard line (and with a timeout left) a mistake.

Brett Favre has gotten 9.3 YPA over his past three games and sports a 12:2 TD:INT ratio on the year. Wow. His current 109.5 QB rating is easily the highest of his career. In fact, do you realize he's never finished with a rating of 100 throughout his career? What he's doing at age 40 is truly remarkable…I'd have a hard time not ranking Ray Rice as a top-five fantasy commodity right now.  Despite averaging just 10.8 rush attempts over the past five games, Rice is on pace to finish the season with 2,043 yards and 11 scores. At 5-8 and with the quickest moving feet you'll ever see (although Darren Sproles is close), there aren't many backs as exciting to watch as Rice either. Since he's become the premier receiving back in football, he's also matchup proof on a weekly basis…Sidney Rice will have a hard time being a true WR1 in fantasy leagues this year on a team with Adrian Peterson, Bernard Berrian and Percy Harvin, but he's the real deal. At 6-4, 202 lbs, he's both an excellent deep threat and red-zone target. There isn't a Minnesota WR I'd rather own.

Now that was an impressive performance by the Saints. This is a team with possibly the best passing attack in the NFL, a strong running game and a secondary that has held opposing passers to a league-low 56.7 QB rating and has a legitimate homefield advantage. They haven't trailed for a single second all year long. New Orleans has to be considered the favorites to come out of the NFC right now…As someone who started both Pierre Thomas and Devery Henderson in fantasy leagues, it wasn't fun to see them account for none of the team's combined seven touchdowns Sunday…As long as Eli Manning's struggles weren't directly related to his heel injury, Giants fans shouldn't worry too much about the loss. A few calls go a different way and the game would have been closer, plus New Orleans was at home and coming off a bye. Hakeem Nicks looks like a hugely valuable commodity in keeper leagues…Pierre Thomas owners shouldn't go jumping off a cliff, as he's clearly the team's No. 1 running back (plenty of Mike Bell's carries came in garbage time). However, it's also clear Bell is the team's preferred short-yardage back. In fact, Bell could have easily scored four touchdowns Sunday. Reggie Bush owners, meanwhile, can go ahead and leap off that cliff.

Josh Cribbs is probably the Browns' best player, but it's hard for a rebuilding team like Cleveland to pay a bunch of money to someone who only touches the ball 5-10 times per game. They better not have turned down any legitimate trade offers…After Mohamed Massaquoi followed up his Week 4 outburst with a dud, I saw him dropped in a few of my leagues. He once again acted as the team's clear No. 1 WR last week, resulting in five catches for 83 yards. He's a suitable WR3 moving forward and needs to be owned in all leagues…Hines Ward is on pace to finish with 109 catches and 1,597 receiving yards this season. Still, it's worth noting last year was the first time he played in all 16 games (and eclipsed 1,000 yards) in four seasons, and he's 33 years old, so it might be worth at least seeing what he'd bring back in a trade.

Now that's what DeAngelo Williams (and Jonathan Stewart) owners have been waiting for. Still, it's crazy Jake Delhomme only managed 3.8 YPA (and a pick six) against a Tampa Bay secondary that has easily been one of the worst in the league this year. Steve Smith is more likely to punch someone than be a top-10 fantasy wide receiver this season…Hope London doesn't think the Buccaneers are a good reflection of NFL football. I guess it's a good thing that a team with no chance of making the postseason is the one effectively losing a home game this season.

I'm beginning to think Jim Zorn may not be head coach of the Redskins in 2010. Clinton Portis has totaled 296 yards with two touchdowns over the last three games, and while I understand he won't be easy to trade in most leagues, now is the time to at least attempt it…After taking 47 sacks behind a very good New England offensive line last year, Matt Cassel is on pace to be brought down 61 times in 2009. This is an area of his game that needs major improvement.

Where did that come from Oakland? And without their best player (Nnamdi Asomugha) for most of the game, to boot. The Raiders' front seven abused the Eagles' offensive line…Justin Fargas is back to being relevant in fantasy leagues, but realize there just isn't much upside there…Despite sitting out the first six weeks of the year, odds are Michael Crabtree will have more catches on the season than Darrius Heyward-Bey by the end of Week 7…Jeremy Maclin will likely remain inconsistent throughout his rookie year, and he's no better than the team's fourth option on offense, but in such a pass-heavy system and locked in the WR2 role, don't let Sunday's dud lower your perception of him too much. He was close to scoring a long touchdown, and upcoming games against the Giants, Cowboys, Chargers and Bears could all be shootouts.

I wasn't shocked the Cardinals won in Seattle last week, but I was rather surprised they did so in a 27-3 blowout. Kurt Warner hasn't been as sharp this season compared to last, but Arizona's defense is much improved, so this version may be even better than the one that made the Super Bowl last year…Neither showed up in the stat book (a consistent flaw in the NFL), but Chris Wells fumbled two more times Sunday, which is simply unacceptable. It was nice to see him get 12 carries and even his first catch of the season, but he's still a major work in progress. I invested quite heavily in him this year, and it's been a rough ride so far…Julius Jones has had two good games in 2009. In the other four, he's gained 75 yards on 36 carries, good for 2.1 YPC…Matt Hasselbeck had an awful game last week against an Arizona secondary that had been yielding big yardage totals on the year, but it was a jailbreak every time he dropped back to pass. That patchwork offensive line is a real problem.

While a big game from Tom Brady against a Titans' secondary that has been one of the worst in the NFL this season wasn't unexpected, five touchdown passes in one quarter was. Expect continued improvement moving forward, but it's a bit odd just how much the deep ball has left the Patriots' offense…I mistakenly passed on him in all my leagues, but I have to admit, it's hard not to consider Wes Welker a top-five fantasy wide receiver. He's getting targeted a ton (and more so than Randy Moss) in a pass-heavy scheme that just lost (an already weak No. 3 option) Julian Edelman to a broken arm. Welker's touchdown potential is somewhat limited, but he's in a terrific situation and perfectly capable of taking full advantage of it, as long as his knee cooperates…Did Tennessee really pass for minus-seven yards Sunday? Nate Washington, the team's second "leading" receiver on the day, had one catch for minus-22 yards…Anyone who's been burned in the past by Laurence Maroney will beg to differ, but I think it's worth going all in with your FAAB trying to get him this week. Sure, odds are he disappoints yet again, but with Fred Taylor out and now Sammy Morris sidelined with what could be a serious knee injury (it could also be minor, admittedly, and we won't know because it's the Patriots), it's possible this backfield now belongs to Maroney. The conditions were favorable, but he just got 7.7 YPC against a Titans' defense that entered the game allowing just 2.9 YPC. The Patriots have one of the league's best run blocking units, and defenses will be forced to focus most of their attention on stopping the passing attack. It was only one game, but Maroney showed excellent patience Sunday, and he's always possessed good speed and tackle-breaking ability in the open field when he's not dancing behind the line. Finally healthy, there's quite a bit of upside here. Remember, just two years ago, he totaled 647 yards with seven touchdowns over the final six games.

No team's stock has fallen further than the Jets' over the past three games, and it's pretty funny how much they could use a healthy Brett Favre at quarterback right now. The loss of Kris Jenkins should be devastating as well, as the run defense was already far from elite. New York's five sacks are tied for the lowest amount in the NFL…Another concussion for Trent Edwards is serious business, and Buffalo fans have to hope it doesn't keep him out long. Sure, Edwards has been disappointing, but backup Ryan Fitzpatrick got just 5.1 YPA last season while replacing an injured Carson Palmer. He's about as brutal as it gets…Over his last three games, Mark Sanchez has gotten 5.4 YPA with a 1:9 TD:turnover ratio. If Sunday's game was a true indication of how he'll react to the windy conditions in New York, it's going to be a rough second half to the Jets' season. Still, no need to panic long-term…Thomas Jones' 64-yard rush last week was the longest of his 10-year career. That is, until a 71-yard TD run later in the same quarter. New York became the first team since 1944 to rush for 300-plus yards and lose Sunday…The Bills' defense has allowed 5.3 YPC this year, easily the most in the NFL. However, their secondary has quietly been a nightmare for opposing passers, holding quarterbacks to a rating of 58.5 with a 6:10 TD:INT ratio. In fact, their 5.5 YPA allowed is tied for the lowest in the league.

Matt Forte is a rare workhorse, and he remains involved as a receiver, but his early season performance certainly doesn't give his owners much optimism moving forward. Maybe we all should have focused more on last season's 3.9 YPC mark than the addition of Jay Cutler. He got just 23 rushing yards on 15 carries Sunday against an Atlanta defense that had been getting gashed by the run all season, even fumbling on two consecutive plays at the goal line. There's nothing Forte owners can really do other than remain patient, but he's certainly a big candidate to go down as one of the biggest busts of 2009…I love Jay Cutler, but the turnovers really need to slow down. Funny how the Bears have so quickly transformed into an extreme pass-heavy team…It really is remarkable Matt Ryan hasn't been sacked once over the past four games. Atlanta travelling to Dallas in Week 7 should be a good one.

I still think it was a mistake to ship Jay Cutler out of town, but it's hard to argue with the results, and Kyle Orton seems to be a perfect fit in Denver. With a strong defense, there's something to be said about a quarterback who simply never turns the ball over (his only one was on a hail mary that basically shouldn't count). And while it seems like he's being a "game manager," Orton has gotten 7.6 YPA and has thrown nine touchdowns over six games. His 2009 season deserves a ton of credit…The Philip Rivers, Vincent Jackson, Antonio Gates trio is very impressive, but after that, San Diego is left with little, and when you throw in poor coaching, this team is destined to disappoint yet again in 2009. The AFC West race might already be decided…There are always some crazy stats each year, but this one is my favorite so far in 2009: the Broncos have allowed just 10 total points during the second half of games this year. That's 10 points over 12 quarters. It probably won't matter ultimately, but how can Mike Shanahan's stock not take a major hit with what's happened? Make no mistake; Denver is a legitimate Super Bowl contender.