Heading into Week 8

QB Ben Roethlisberger (Pittsburgh) – Big Ben, who is coming off a four-TD performance against Denver’s second-ranked pass defense, has never been a big yardage guy, but he’s usually good for at least one TD pass per game.  Better yet, five of his next six games will be against defenses that rank 24th or worse for touchdown passes allowed. 

RB Kevin Jones (Detroit) – Jones had a solid game (110 total yards and 1 TD) against the Bucs.  More importantly, he kept Tatum Bell on the bench for an entire game. 

WR Anquan Boldin (Arizona) – He may not be much of a passer, but in his four games this season, Boldin has averaged 7.5 receptions, 79 receiving yards and 1.3 TDs per game.  Working in Boldin’s favor for the rest of the season is the fact that QB Kurt Warner’s injured left elbow held up on Sunday, and four of the Cards’ next seven games will be against defenses that rank 27th or worse against the pass. 

WR Laveranues Coles (NY Jets) – When he scores his next touchdown, Coles will tie a career high for scores in a season (7 in 2001).  With four of his next six games against defenses that rank 23rd or worse for TD passes allowed, Coles is basically a lock to reach and exceed that mark. 

WR Ike Hilliard (Tampa Bay) – Can you win the Comeback Player of the Year award if you haven’t done anything for three straight seasons?  Well, Hilliard is on a major roll lately, catching an average of seven passes for 81 yards in his past four games. 

K Josh Brown (Seattle) – Not much is going right in Seattle these days, but at least Brown can claim that he ranks eighth in the NFL in scoring with 53 points.  With four of his next six games against defenses that rank 22nd or worse for points allowed, look for the veteran kicker to remain hot. 

RB Shaun Alexander (Seattle) – Alexander makes this list for the second consecutive week because he did virtually nothing against a St. Louis defense that came into last week’s game ranked 27th against the run. 

QB Jason Campbell (Washington) – Partially due to the Joe Gibbs’ conservative ways and partially due to his own inaccuracy, Campbell has thrown for less than 218 yards and two TDs in five of six games this season.

WR Nate Burleson (Seattle) – His kickoff return for a touchdown against the Rams was nice, but unfortunately, it didn’t count in most fantasy leagues.  Burleson has caught two or fewer balls in three of the last four games, and with Deion Branch (foot) and D.J. Hackett (ankle) likely to return after the Seahawks’ bye, his role is likely to diminish further. 

RB Marc Bulger (St. Louis) – The Rams are a mess.  Their offensive line and their receiving corps have been decimated by injuries.  As a result, Bulger has been reduced to a non-factor for fantasy teams.  RB Steven Jackson is due back this week, and the Rams’ remaining schedule is favorable.  Nevertheless, you shouldn’t start Bulger until he at least has one good game under his belt.

WR Marcus Colston (New Orleans) – He hasn’t surpassed 70 receiving yards in any game this season, and six of his next eight games will be against defenses that rank 19th or better against the pass. 

QB Donovan McNabb (Philadelphia) – Pick your excuse:  his knee is not 100 percent, he has a limited number of weapons, or his offensive line is not protecting him.  Whatever the reason, the bottom line is that if you take away the Lions game, McNabb has three TDs and two INTs in his five other contests. 

RB Jessie Chatman (Miami) – With Ronnie Brown out for the year, Chatman should at least post decent numbers for the rest of the season. 

K Rob Bironas (Tennessee) – I don’t have to tell you what he did on Sunday against the Texans, and he’s available in most leagues.

WR Muhsin Muhammad (Chicago) – With three touchdowns in the past four games, Muhammad is at least a viable option in scoring-only leagues. 

WR Roydell Williams (Tennessee) – The third-year speedster has caught at least four balls in three of his past five games.  His 124-yard performance against the Texans on Sunday will likely lead to more chances for Williams in future games. 

WR Brandon Stokely (Denver) – With both Javon Walker and Rod Smith sidelined by injuries and Brandon Marshall facing a possible suspension for a DUI arrest, Stokely could be Jay Cutler’s primary target sooner rather than later.

TE Tony Scheffler (Denver) – Scheffler, a second-year tight end with good speed, is another Denver receiver who could emerge due to the attrition of the receiving corps. 

DL Justin Tuck (NY Giants) – Tuck, the all-time sack leader at Notre Dame, is coming into his own in his third season.  He has 33 tackles, seven sacks, and 1 fumble recovery. 

LB Bradie James (Dallas) – With 26 tackles in his last three games, James has become a viable starter at linebacker. 

DB Nick Harper (Tennessee) – Despite changing teams, Harper remains a tackling machine at cornerback.  He has 38 stops to go along with two picks and one fumble recovery. 

LB James Harrison (Pittsburgh) – Harrison has done a fine job as Joey Porter’s replacement.  He leads the Steelers in tackles with 37 and also has three sacks to his credit.

RB Kenny Watson (Cincinnati) – He had a career performance against the Jets’ pathetic defense on Sunday, but don’t count on him for the rest of the season.  Rudi Johnson could be back this week, and fellow RB Chris Perry should come off the PUP list soon. 

WR Roddy White (Atlanta) – With Byron Leftwich starting at QB, White had his best game of the season on Sunday (8 catches for 110 yards and 1 TD).  Unfortunately, Leftwich is out indefinitely with an ankle injury, and six of the Falcons’ next eight games will be against defenses that rank 11th or better against the pass. 

RB Ernest Graham (Tampa Bay) – OK, let’s not get too excited.  Graham has had two big games against the Rams and the Lions, and in between, he’s had three crappy efforts against the Panthers, the Colts, and the Titans.  The bottom line is that this guy is a decent play against bad defenses.  However, if newly acquired Michael Bennett steals some of his between-the-20s carries and Zack Crockett steals some of his goal-line carries, Graham’s value will plummet quickly. 

RB LenDale White (Tennessee) – White had a 100-yard effort against the Texans on Sunday, but he was hardly impressive, averaging a modest 3.9 yards per carry.  White received 27 carries only because Chris Brown was out due to an ankle injury.  Brown could be back as soon as this week, and rookie Chris Henry, who averaged 5.2 yards per carry at Houston, may have worked himself into the mix. 

QB Carson Palmer (Cincinnati) – Palmer is fine; he has just been slowed by the lack of talent around him.  Both of his offensive tackles have been nursing injuries – but they’re getting healthy.  The same goes for RB Rudi Johnson, who will take pressure off the quarterback when he returns.  Most importantly, Chris Henry, perhaps the most talented No. 3 receiver in the league, will return to the team in a couple of weeks. 

RB Frank Gore (San Francisco) – Gore averaged 6.3 yards per carry against the Giants on Sunday.  Unfortunately, he received just 14 carries.  Gore finished the game with 111 total yards and no touchdowns, and after the contest, he made it clear that he was unhappy with the play calling.  The talented running back should fare better in the coming weeks – not just because he’s calling for the ball but also because only one team remaining on the 49ers’ schedule ranks better than 15th against run.