Let’s take a look at a few of the players that fantasy owners are following like crazy for Week 7.

Shaun Hill (SF, QB): Hill still has his starting job, though I really can’t remember the last time any fantasy owner cared about a 49er quarterback. Nonetheless, Michael Crabtree debuts, so he should definitely help in the passing game—and ultimately for Hill’s job security. Hill is a great choice as a QB2 this week.

Eli Manning (NYG, QB): He’s been struggling with a foot injury as of late but looks good to go. Eli should post top 10 stats for his owners this week against the Cardinals’ secondary.

Aaron Rodgers (GB, QB): His foot looks good to go for this weekend’s juicy matchup against the Cleveland Browns. A sure-fire top five QB starter.

Mike Bell (NO, RB): He averaged 2.3 yards per carry but scored last week as well. The New Orleans running backs are going to run into a brick wall this weekend—also known as the Miami Dolphins defense. Sit Bell, knowing that he may just punch one in this weekend.

Justin Fargas (OAK, RB): Ya know, that Oakland rushing offense may not be as bad as we think. Seriously.

Fargas averaged 3.8 yards per carry and got the bulk of the carries against Philadelphia. I like the Jets matchup more than most. Expect modest RB2 numbers out of Fargas, even with Michael Bush sharing carries. Fargas can also be used as a flex.

Laurence Maroney (NE, RB): Maybe, just maybe this guy can be fantasy relevant again. The Tampa rush defense is terrible, so Maroney should have a field day as the lead back. Of course, who knows with Belichick’s gameplanning. Yes, Maroney is a RB1 this week.

Jonathan Stewart (CAR, RB): He practiced on Friday, but is still listed as questionable for the Bills game. The Bills’ rushing defense is a pretty big joke, so look for solid RB2 numbers IF he plays.

Austin Collie (IND, WR): If there is anyone that can pull what Tom Brady did last week to the Titans, it’s Peyton Manning. He is going to light up the St. Louis Rams, and Collie will be a big beneficiary.

If he is still available in your league (and I don’t know why he would be), he is absolutely worth picking up. Collie is a great WR2 this week.

Michael Crabtree (SF, WR): The talented former holdout is going to make his debut this weekend. Did you roster him in your league? Well, your league better be damn deep. Crabtree has a decent matchup at Houston, but with Shaun Hill throwing to him, temper your expectations for this week.

Mike Wallace (PIT, WR): Wallace has had two catches per game in the last three games he’s played. He isn’t getting enough targets at the moment, but Pittsburgh has carved out a nice role for him in the passing game. He isn’t worth starting against Minnesota this weekend, but stash him away for potential late-season value.

Now that we are five weeks into the fantasy football season, it’s time to take a look, position-by-position, at how players have performed to date.

Today, we’ll start with the Top 10 quarterbacks to date, sorted by ESPN Fantasy Football points. Are the players in the top 10 as of today going to be there at the end?

1. Peyton Manning (1,645 passing yards, 12 TD-4 INT, 105 points)

The model of fantasy consistency, Peyton Manning has posted 300+ passing yards in all five games this season. After a bye week in Week 6, Manning will feast on the St. Louis Rams defense.

He is the best quarterback in fantasy football to date and should end the season as a top-three option.

2. Ben Roethlisberger (1,470 passing yards, 8 TD-5 INT, 91 points)

Big Ben wasn’t going as a starter in most fantasy drafts, but owners who took the plunge on him certainly have gotten a great value to date. He has tacked on two rushing scores to date.

Roethlisberger is a solid quarterback in a strong offense, and with Rashard Mendenhall coming into his own, I forsee Roethlisberger ending the season as a solid top-10 fantasy quarterback.

3. Matt Schaub (1,418 passing yards, 10 TD-4 INT, 86 points)

While fantasy owners owning Schaub have to be awfully happy with him to date, I have my doubts about his staying power. His worst game came against the New York Jets in Week 1, and he didn’t play too well against Oakland in Week 4.

The Texans seem to be open to chucking the football at will. However, I believe that Houston will balance out their offense with the run once Steve Slaton becomes consistently good (which he is). Schaub is not a top-3 quarterback, but could finish the season just within the top 10.

4. Eli Manning (1,212 passing yards, 10 TD-2 INT, 78 points)

Manning has undoubtedly benefited from fast development from his wide receivers. Having Steve Smith, Mario Manningham and Hakeem Nicks all contributing has been huge for his fantasy value.

He is a legitimate fantasy option and should end the season in the top-6 quarterbacks. Look for Steve Smith for consistent week-to-week production.

4. Aaron Rodgers (1,098 passing yards, 6 TD-1 INT, 78 points)

It’s amazing to me that Rodgers has been able to post the numbers he has considering how much he has had to evade pressure.

The Packers have a great quarterback here (260 passing yards or more for three consecutive weeks), but he is taking a ton of sacks. Unless the Packers’ pass-blocking improves, Rodgers remains fairly at-risk for a late season injury. Try shopping him around, but realize he is a top-5 option at the position. And if you keep him, have a solid backup in place.

6. Joe Flacco (1,289 passing yards, 9 TD-5 INT, 76 points)

Like Roethlisberger, Flacco was widely drafted as a backup quarterback but has stepped it up big time early on this season. However, Flacco is a guy that you must adjust your expectations for.

After three solid weeks to start the season, Flacco has shown two warning signs in the last two games he has played. His game was well off against New England, where he completed 57% of his passes. He only had 31 attempts (second-fewest in any game this season) in Week 5’s game against the Bengals, and threw two picks.

Flacco should end the season as a top-15 option, but he is currently overachieving at the moment and should be sold high.

7. Tom Brady (1,344 passing yards, 6 TD-2 INT, 75 points)

Brady was likely among the top two quarterbacks drafted in your league, but he has not performed like one to date. While the New England offense isn’t showing the bite that it featured in 2007, Brady is a player that must be on a BUY LOW status.

He will end the season as a top-10 option as Moss and Welker see more targets, and if the New England offense kicks it into high gear soon, he has top-three potential. Brady has a chance to feast on Tennessee and Tampa Bay before his bye, so get him now if you can.

8. Brett Favre (1,069 passing yards, 9 TD-2 INT, 73 points)

Brett Favre started out last season red-hot as well through the first four weeks. Fantasy owners who own Favre need to realize that he isn’t getting any younger, and he collapsed in the last five weeks of last season (five games of 61.4 or less passer rating).

While Favre is a valuable real-life player for the Vikings, he cannot be relied upon to deliver solid fantasy numbers the entire year. Look for Favre to finish the year around the 15-20 ranking.

8. Tony Romo (1,341 passing yards, 6 TD-4 INT, 73 points)

Good Romo or bad Romo? If you own Romo and have him as your fantasy starter, you’ve seen the best and you’ve seen the worst. Romo is an inconsistent option but is valuable if used against poor defenses.

Romo is not a top-10 option, but should finish just outside of it. A solid QB to use as a platoon option, but nothing more.

8. Kyle Orton (1,236 passing yards, 10 TD-1 INT, 73 points)

I’ve discussed Kyle Orton plenty of times here at RotoMind, and believe that he will remain a solid top-10 option throughout the rest of the season. He has thrown a touchdown pass in every game this year and has improved his completion percentage weekly since Week 2.

In the off chance he is still available in your league, you must get this guy now. Orton is a great fit in Josh McDaniel’s offense and will continue to deliver solid value for fantasy owners.

During the course of a fantasy season, player’s value can adjust significantly along the way. Let’s take a look at some players that should be upgraded, downgraded, or held neutral in fantasy football leagues.

QB David Garrard, Jacksonville Jaguars

Garrard is one of those players that is becoming more and more inconsistent by the week. Three out of five weeks this season, Garrard has failed to register a touchdown pass. His QB rating has fluctuated significantly from week-to-week as well (75.7-81 8 has been his mid-QB rating range to date).

Garrard cannot be counted on as a top-ten QB at the position, but could be a decent start in a bye week. I drafted him myself as my main backup to Brady. VALUE: Key Backup

QB Matt Hasselbeck, Seattle Seahawks

As recently as 2007, Hasselbeck was a fantasy stud QB. He has played in three games this season, excelling in his games against the St. Louis Rams and Jacksonville Jaguars (not necessarily the toughest matchups). He struggled against a decent San Francisco defense in Week 2.

Hasselbeck has only been sacked twice this season, and while that statistic is based on a small sample size, it is still important to note. I believe that Hasselbeck is a low-end fantasy starter, so value him as such unless he completely implodes in the future. VALUE: Borderline starter

Sammy Morris, New England Patriots

Now that Fred Taylor (NE, RB) is out for a while, Morris has stepped in and performed well. In his last game against Denver, Morris registered 68 rushing yards on 17 carries.

Morris has recorded three straight weeks of 35+ receiving yards as well, so he is capable in the receiving game as well.

Morris is a good option who should continue to receive his fair share of carries. VALUE: Second running back / Flex option

RB Correll Buckhalter, Denver Broncos

With his injury, he could be out another week, which makes it great for any fantasy owner looking to trade for or acquire Buckhalter off waivers/free agency. He is averaging 7.2 yards per carry on 37 carries this season.

When he returns from injury, expect the Broncos to keep him involved. I highly doubt any coach would give a rookie full-time carries when the team has a veteran averaging a high yards-per-carry average. VALUE: Flex option / Bench depth

RB Jamal Lewis, Cleveland Browns

Yup, even the running back on what could be the league’s worst offense appears like he has some value. Lewis carried the ball 31 times in Week 5 for 117 rushing yards.

The Browns’ QBs are terrible, so Lewis will stay involved no matter the opponent. Add him immediately if he was dropped in your league, as he is (believe it or not) a worthwhile #2 runner. Value: Second Running Back

WR Donnie Avery, St. Louis Rams

Avery caught five passes for 87 yards and a touchdown in Week 5, and with the Rams reeling as expected, look for Avery to remain involved along with Steven Jackson (STL, RB).

He’ll be targeted often as the top wideout in this offense, so look out for him on your waiver wire. Value: Third Wide Receiver / Flex Option

WR Hakeem Nicks, New York Giants

Steve Smith (NYG, WR) is the clear #1 wide receiver in this offense, but you could do worse than Nicks for bench depth. In Week 4 and Week 5, he had 3 and 6 targets.

Mario Manningham (NYG, WR) will still be a threat for catches, and it will negatively affect Nicks’ value. While owners may flock to the waiver wire looking for Nicks, realize that he is only worth stashing away on your bench, with third wide receiver potential. VALUE: Bench depth

Braylon Edwards was traded to the New York Jets yesterday, and it marks one of the big deals of the 2009 season to date.

From a fantasy perspective, getting Edwards out of Cleveland can only be a good thing for his fantasy value, right?

Well, not so fast. Let’s break down the Braylon Edwards debacle and access how his fantasy value will change (if at all) on the balance of the 2009 season.

Cleveland Situation

On a Cleveland team where Edwards was supposed to be the go-to guy and the No. 1 option, his numbers barely show it. 10 catches, 139 receiving yards just doesn’t cut it.

Mohamed Massaquoi (CLE, WR) posted better receiving totals.

While you can easily blame Edwards’ underachievement on the quality passers in Cleveland, you’d have to think that Edwards would at least post reasonable numbers considering how much they chuck the football. 141 passing attempts for Cleveland is good enough for 8th in the league.

New York Situation

Edwards moves to a questionable fantasy situation in New York. While Mark Sanchez (NYJ, QB) should be able to pass the football decently, Edwards has a significant amount of better players around him competing for catches.

Jerricho Cotchery (NYJ, WR) should still be the go-to receiver here, and Dustin Keller (NYJ, TE) is a red-zone threat.

More likely than not, the impact of Sanchez’s enhanced passing skill on Edwards  is significantly minimized when considering the players he will compete for catches with.

However!

Edwards does have a big value uptick for owners in keeper leagues. Sanchez has an incredible, bright future ahead of him, and as he continues to improve, so will Edwards and his opportunities. If he was dropped in a keeper league, he is worth an immediate pickup and stashing away for later.

At the very least, Sanchez has more long-term upside than Derek Anderson (CLE, QB) or Brady Quinn (CLE, QB).

If you’re wondering if you should roster Chansi Stuckey (CLE, WR), don’t. Besides the fact that he needs to get acclimated with Cleveland’s playbook, he does not have consistently decent QB play, and may not even be the top option in the offense.

Take a wait-and-see approach, but you probably won’t miss out on much if someone else rosters him. Even his keeper potential is capped until Anderson or Quinn shows significant improvement.

Michael Crabtree finally agreed to a deal with the San Francisco 49ers.

Finally.

Crabtree was prepared to sit out the entire season and re-enter the NFL Draft in 2010, but thought better of it and agreed to terms early Wednesday morning.

Crabtree’s signing is leaving many fantasy football owners wondering, can he be an immediate impact player?

Crabtree had 231 receptions, 3,127 receiving yards and 41 touchdowns in his two years at Texas Tech.

Considering Crabtree’s immense talent, there is always a possibility that he could break out this season and deliver tremendous value. More likely than not, he is available on your waiver wire, and may even be available in some keeper leagues.

But the chance of Crabtree developing into a fantasy WR1 or WR2 this season is extremely slim.

He will compete for catches with WR Josh Morgan and TE Vernon Davis, assuming he even gets playing time. Crabtree still has to learn the playbook and (presumably) get back into shape.

Should Crabtree be rostered in redraft leagues? Only if you have a deep, deep bench.

Crabtree is a tremendous value in keeper leagues, and as long as you keep this seasons’ expectations in check, Michael could end up evolving into an elite wide receiver.

It is hard to project Crabtree this early on, but assuming he picks up the playbook quickly, four or five catch games in a matter of weeks is fairly realistic.

With the offense remaining fairly conservative and centered around the run game, Crabtree can not be depended on as a starter in any league this year.

One of the great things about Monday Night Football is that it gives fantasy owners a great chance to focus in and analyze the two teams going head-to-head.

Here’s a few things I saw tonight that could have potential fantasy implications.

Aaron Rodgers (GB, QB)

If this guy ever got an offensive line, he would be an amazing fantasy stud. But that doesn’t mean he can’t register the numbers now, this season.

Rodgers is a sure-fire starting QB in every fantasy league. Count on him week in and week out to put up massive statistical numbers. This week, he was 26-37 for 384 passing yards, 2 pass TD, and 1 INT.

One big red flag with Rodgers is the number of hits he takes. He gets hit more often than David Carr ever did with Houston. No kidding.

Bernard Berrian (MIN, WR)

Berrian caught 6 of his 10 targets tonight, totaling 75 receiving yards and adding a score. Favre seems pretty apt to spreading the ball around from week to week, but Berrian is a nice option who can put up big points in the right situations.

Berrian is a true WR3 in most formats, and could also be played as a flex. He is a nice player who some fantasy owners may have already given up on: if so, pounce on him.

Sidney Rice (MIN, WR)

Rice surely can’t pass (0-1, 39.6 QB rating), but he can catch. Rice saw 6 targets tonight, good enough for second on the team. He caught 5 for 70 yards and a score.

Rice is worth an add in the case he is still available on your league’s waiver wire. He is not a fantasy starter yet, but is a fine fill in as a bye week replacement.

Jermichael Finley (GB, TE)

Finley blossomed under the spotlight tonight, and it is becoming clear that he could be a big part of the Packers passing game. He led the team in targets (7), and finished with 6 catches, 128 receiving yards, and 1 TD.

There is little doubt that Finley is a better pass catcher than Donald Lee (GB, TE), who had an opportunity to catch a game-changing TD pass tonight.

Finley is a fine pickup in leagues that start two tight ends, as he could deliver solid fantasy value the rest of the season.

Minnesota Vikings Offensive Line (MIN, OFF)

0 sacks allowed to Brett Favre tonight. No wonder he was able to register a monster statistical line.

Green Bay Packers Defense (GB, DEF)

They can stop the run. Adrian Peterson (MIN, RB) was only able to register 55 yards on 25 carries: a mere 2.2 yards per carry.

But they can’t stop the pass. The defensive line was unable to get any pressure on Brett Favre, and there was one play where he got forever to chuck it. Start the Green Bay squad with caution against good passing offenses.

Here is a recap of the biggest fantasy football performances from Week 4.

QB David Garrard, Jacksonville Jaguars

Garrard showed up big-time for a Jacksonville team hungry for a win. He was 27-37 with 3 touchdown passes, no interceptions.

Forrest’s Take: Aside from his Week 2 performance against Arizona, Garrard cannot be counted on at this point to put up consistent fantasy numbers. But if you got him as a backup QB in your league, you have to be smiling at this performance.

QB Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers

Big Ben was incredibly efficient in the Sunday night game, racking up 333 passing yards, 2 touchdowns, and no interceptions.

Forrest’s Take: Roethlisberger is an efficient signal caller who will put up some nice numbers this season. While nowhere near a fantasy standout, he is a solid QB to platoon from week to week.

RB Rashard Mendenhall, Pittsburgh Steelers

Count me among those who ended up cutting bait on Mendenhall before his HUGE performance. He put up 165 rushing yards and two rushing scores on the Chargers.

Forrest’s Take: There’s a good chance Mendenhall could have been cut in your league, so here is your cue to go roster him again. He made a huge step towards more playing time, and Willie Parker (PIT, RB) has been ineffective for the most part this season.

RB Jerome Harrison, Cleveland Browns

Raise your hand if you could have seen this one coming. Harrison ended his day against the Bengals with a stellar statistical line: 29 carries, 121 rushing yards.

Forrest’s Take: Harrison didn’t score a rushing TD, but he is a viable option in all fantasy leagues as long as Jamal Lewis (CLE, RB) is out. Heck, even when Lewis comes back, his starting job could be long gone. Harrison is a stellar pickup in all formats, and he could be the main guy here for a while.

WR Mohamed Massaquoi, Cleveland Browns

While believing Harrison’s statistical line is hard enough, get a load of Massaquoi! Targeted 13 times, he reeled in 8 receptions for 148 yards.

Forrest’s Take: Braylon Edwards (CLE, WR) saw five targets but didn’t catch a ball. So much of that chemistry with Derek Anderson (CLE, QB). Massaquoi is worth an add in all leagues, especially if Anderson continues under center for the Browns.

WR Kenny Britt, Tennessee Titans

Coming into the season, you probably didn’t have a Tennessee wide receiver on your draft list. That could change this week: Kenny Britt registered 7 catches for 105 yards.

Forrest’s Take: Nate Washington (TEN, WR) actually saw one more target than Britt, who had 11. Both wide receivers are worth adds in all fantasy formats, as it appears that Tennessee will be playing from behind in more than a few games this season.

TE Marcedes Lewis, Jacksonville Jaguars

The former star college tight end registered 4 catches and 76 receiving yards today, adding a score.

Forrest’s Take: Lewis was only targeted 5 times, but caught 4 that came his way. Lewis will be streaky, but could be worth a pickup in 2-TE leagues. His success depends on the quality of David Garrard’s (JAC, QB) day.

Here’s a rundown of the NFL players who are generating a lot of interest in fantasy football leagues everywhere.

Dwayne Bowe, Kansas City Chiefs. So Bowe tweaked his hamstring in Thursday practice. A No. 1 wide receiver tweaking his hamstring is never a good thing.

Bowe has immense talent and needs to be there for Matt Cassel (KC, QB) as he makes a start this weekend. Keep an eye on his status, but expect him to play.

Correll Buckhalter and Knowshon Moreno, Denver Broncos. Moreno was added to the injury report after missing Friday practice and is currently questionable to play on Sunday.

If Moreno cannot go, it would be a huge upgrade to the fantasy value for Buckhalter, as he would step right in and get the majority of carries in the backfield. The game is at Oakland, which could turn into a real nice matchup for Buckhalter.

DeSean Jackson, Philadelphia Eagles. After a full day of Friday practice, Jackson should start on Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs. Whether you should start him, however, is a different story.

Kevin Kolb (PHI, QB) is set to start at quarterback for the Eagles. Unless you have no wide receiver depth, consider benching Jackson for Week 3 games.

LeSean McCoy, Philadelphia Eagles. Hopefully, you did the smart thing and insured Brian Westbrook (PHI, RB). It looks like Westbrook could miss this weekend’s games, which would instantly upgrade McCoy in all formats to starter status.

If he starts and Westbrook sits, watch out for 70+ rushing yards and a score.

Randy Moss, New England Patriots. Moss did not practice today and is now listed as questionable on the New England Patriots injury report. The Patriots take on the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, so having Moss in the lineup is important for their success.

If he can’t go, make sure to have a backup in place, but this isn’t the first time New England has listed a regular starter as questionable.

See if you can get ahold of Julian Edelman (NE, WR) in your league, but realize that he is a near Wes Welker (NE, WR) clone and may be overlooked for a possession option with Welker in the lineup.

Pierre Thomas, Reggie Bush and Lynell Hamilton, New Orleans Saints. What a mess—the good news here is that Mike Bell (NO, RB) is DEFINITELY ruled out for the weekend. Pierre Thomas is upgraded to probable and will most likely play on Sunday. The new question: to what extent?

If you have solid running back depth, now is the time to use it. The only back I would consider starting from this group is Reggie Bush.

Derrick Ward, Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Ward is expected to start for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this weekend against the Giants. While the whole Buccaneers offense should struggle against an elite Giants defense, you can’t ignore the fact that Ward should see an increased workload.

Both Ernest Graham (TB, RB) and Carnell Williams (TB, RB) are injured. If he gets enough carries, look for upwards of 65+ rushing yards and a possible score. Don’t forget that he can also catch balls out of the backfield fairly effectively.

Which players are you monitoring closely for Week 3 games?