Nov. 15, 2007 - We call this Young QB Week in the NFL, with Brodie Croyle and John Beck making starts for their teams this weekend and JaMarcus Russell's debut not looking far away. Ageless Priest Holmes highlights a group of runners with potential as injury replacements, and red zone favorites Drew Bennett and Chris Henry are among the top wide receivers available.

RUNNING BACKS

Justin Fargas, Oakland
Fargas snatched the starting running back job from LaMont Jordan last week and has rushed for 187 yards and a touchdown with in his two weeks as a starter. Fargas is a pretty talented guy and probably the best available player on your waiver wire. As the season wears on, the Raiders will not get any less reliant on the run, and their offensive line has done a nice job clearing the way.

Priest Holmes, Kansas City
Larry Johnson is out again this weekend, so Holmes is making his second straight start when the Chiefs travel to Indianapolis. The Colts defense just took a hit when Dwight Freeney went down for the season, which can only help the Chiefs in their running game. Look for Holmes to carry 20 times - as he did last week - and get the ball at the goal line.

Ryan Grant, Green Bay
Shares of Ryan Grant are skyrocketing this week after he rushed for 119 yards and a touchdown against the Vikings' third-ranked rush defense. The feature back role on a sure playoff team is a valuable one, and he's done extremely well in it thus far. If you're in a shallow league where he's still available, go get him now.

Ron Dayne, Houston
With all of Ahman Green's injury problems, Dayne should reward you with a couple more starts the rest of the way. He showed us last year what he can do when handed the starting job, and he backed it up two weeks ago with 21 rushes for 122 yards and a touchdown.

Kevin Faulk, New England
Barring a Laurence Maroney injury, Faulk will never be the feature back in New England. But he is a favorite in the passing game, and that's not likely to change. Faulk is in his ninth year with the Patriots, so his familiarity with the offense, involvement in the passing game and backup status to Maroney are all reasons to warrant a pickup in deeper leagues.

Selvin Young, Denver
Young had his first career 100-yard rushing day against the Chiefs last week, but is still in Travis Henry's shadow in Denver. Young has certainly warranted starting consideration, but Henry is coach Mike Shanahan's guy, so long as he is healthy and avoids suspension. Henry didn't practice on Wednesday, but is likely to play on Sunday against the Titans.

Maurice Morris, Seattle
Morris may have started a small running back controversy in Seattle, but make no mistake, a semi-healthy Shaun Alexander has too much clout to lose the starting job. But with a variety of injuries (wrist, ankle and knee), Alexander is no sure thing to remain healthy the rest of the season. Alexander may end up playing this Sunday against Chicago, but stashing Morris away for for the future is a good way to add depth to your bench.

Michael Pittman, Tampa Bay
If anyone is going to take Earnest Graham's job, it's going to be Pittman - a favorite of head coach Jon Gruden. The combination of Graham, Pittman and newly acquired Michael Bennett is bound to make this backfield situation dicey, but Pittman will be the feature back if Graham stumbles in the coming weeks.

WIDE RECEIVERS

D.J. Hackett, Seattle
Hackett has touchdowns in each of his two games since returning from a high ankle sprain, the second of which came on national television against San Francisco as part of an eight-catch, 101-yard performance. Seattle doesn't show any signs of slowing down its passing game, so Hackett comes highly recommended if he's still available in your league.

Chris Henry, Cincinnati
Henry's return to the lineup from an eight-game suspension added a much needed dimension to the Bengals passing attack against Baltimore. He didn't get a chance to find the end zone - something he did nine times in 13 games last season - but he's a good bet to get there, especially at home vs. the Cardinals this Sunday.

Drew Bennett, St. Louis
Bennett's last three performances have been worthwhile fantasy efforts, and now that the St. Louis offense is showing more life, Bennett is a worthy addition as a No. 3 or No. 4 receiver. Bennett, a college quarterback turned pro wideout, has trouble with drops, but is also a big-bodied, capable red zone target. Take a flyer and enjoy a number of fantasy friendly matchups in the week's ahead.

David Patten, New Orleans
The buzz surrounding Patten was at a season-high last week, then he and the Saints went out and laid an egg against the previously winless Rams. Don't let that make or break your decision to pick up Patten - the Saints do have a soft schedule over the next seven weeks, and quarterback Drew Brees isn't likely to stop throwing anytime soon.

Brandon Stokley, Denver
With Javon Walker out and Brandon Marshall now gaining the attention of opposing defenses, the speedy Stokley has found a more important role in the Broncos offense. As the primary possession receiver for quarterback Jay Cutler, Stokley will get plenty of looks until Walker comes back, at which time he'll lose his fantasy value.

Ike Hilliard, Tampa Bay
The NFC's version of Baltimore's Derrick Mason - a player who is catching a ton of passes, but not often getting into the end zone. Playing in the NFC South presents a lot of favorable divisional matchups, and the Bucs' late-season schedule won't scare many.

TIGHT ENDS

L.J. Smith, Philadelphia
Smith's absence from the lineup was a factor in Philadelphia's early offensive struggles, but he is back and seems to be healthy. And in his second game back, he caught one of four Donovan McNabb touchdown passes at Washington. He's an X-factor at tight end for Philly, and his fantasy value is boosted by the lack of other receiving options around him.

Donald Lee, Green Bay
Lee has caught either 3 or 4 passes in each and every game of the season. Brett Favre targets anybody and everybody, and Lee has pushed Bubba Franks aside as the Packers top receiving tight end. Figure that a few more TD passes will come his way in the second half of the season, but benefit by the fact that he gets more looks than most tight ends in the league.

Leonard Pope, Arizona
Take a wait and see approach on Pope, but his two touchdown performance against the Lions demands your attention. At 6-foot-8 and 260 pounds, Pope is among the biggest tight ends in the league, and that size makes him a legitimate red zone presence. Watch for one more decent outing and strike if you're looking for a tight end with some upside.

QUARTERBACKS

David Garrard, Jacksonville
By all indications, Garrard will not be listed on Jacksonville's Friday injury report, so his ankle sprain seems to be behind him. We'll see how that affects his ability to plant his back foot, move in the pocket and scramble for gains. Give him a game to see how a sore ankle might alter his game and fantasy value. If all looks well, grab him to fill out your roster.

John Beck, Miami
The Dolphins like Beck and are seeing exactly what they have in the BYU rookie. Take note that Beck is not a young man at 26 years old (his Mormon mission delayed graduation), and the older-than-average rookie was seen as a very good bargain for Miami in the second round of the draft. Put him above Croyle on your priority list, despite playing for the winless Dolphins.

Rex Grossman, Chicago
Sexy Rexy is back, and I like his chances coming back as an underdog this time around and not fighting the expectations of leading a playoff team. There are some good pass catchers around him, and who knows, maybe he learned a thing or two watching Brian Griese manage the offense.

Brodie Croyle, Kansas City
Croyle could be a shot in the arm for the Chiefs' struggling passing game, but he could also revert back to his preseason form and make a disastrous debut. The energy a backup brings when he cracks the lineup is usually positive, so don't be surprised if Croyle has a good game at Indianapolis. You can either add him to your bench now or wait, risk him having a big game and have to go through waivers to get him next week.

JaMarcus Russell, Oakland
Notice to those in keeper leagues. Russell's time is coming, though ownership is reluctant to feed him to the wolves with such a poor supporting cast. He's bound to take some snaps at some point in 2007, if anything to see exactly what he's got. Grab him now and pass your judgment for next season later.

KICKERS

Stephen Gostkowski, New England
One of the last top kickers with a bye week, Gostkowski either hit your waiver wire last week or whoever owned him sacrificed another player to retain his services. He's been incredibly consistent thus far, and though the weather in New England is bound to make things more difficult late in the year, he is a quality pickup for those with kicking issues.

Nick Folk, Dallas
With the Cowboys' Week 8 bye, owners in a pinch may have severed ties with Folk. He has as good a chance as any kicker to lead the league in scoring for the next 8 weeks, so consider dropping an average kicker for one with big time potential.

David Akers, Philadelphia
Akers' numbers are skewed by the fact that he's just 2-for-6 from 40+ yards, but he has still been a quality kicker in fantasy because he gets so many chip shot opportunities. He leads the NFL with nine makes from 20-29 yards and is a perfect 15-for-15 inside 40 yards.

DEFENSES

Seattle Seahawks D/ST
Some of the league's worst offenses are on the Seahawks' second-half schedule. In order, the Seahawks face: the Bears, Rams, Eagles, Cardinals, Panthers, Ravens and Falcons. Not a lot that scares you there, and this is a capable defense regardless of its matchups.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers D/ST
It's not that Tampa is all that good, it's just that its remaining opponents are all that bad. The Bucs play the Falcons twice, the 49ers, Texans, Panthers, Redskins and Saints - in order of most difficult. Take New Orleans out, and you've got matchups that can give you options down the stretch.

Buffalo Bills D/ST
The timing isn't good - they play the Patriots this week - but the Bills defense is another solid long-term investment. The Bills have a number of friendly matchups ahead. Take out the Pats and Giants (Week 16), and I'd take my chances with this improving unit against anyone left on their schedule.