You can make healthy arguments that Felix Jones, Jonathan Stewart and Steve Slaton have already had significant impacts as well. Rashard Mendenhall will have a good chance to join them, as Steelers running back Willie Parker is dealing with a sprained knee. Head coach Mike Tomlin said that Mendenhall - who has just 10 carries through three games - will become the team's primary back in Parker's absence. He'll draw the always-tough Baltimore defense, which has given up just 71.5 yards per game on the ground in its first two games. Week 5 brings Jacksonville (17th against the run) before the bye in Week 6 and a Week 7 road trip to Cincinnati (28th against the run), so those in shallow leagues should be quick to roster Mendenhall if he's still floating around on the waiver wire. Just temper your expectation for his first NFL start on Monday night.

A reminder as to why those playing in PPR leagues love Reggie Bush so much (and no, the answer is not Kim Kardashian) - Bush leads all NFL players in receptions through the first three weeks of the season with 26. The next closest running back is Steve Jackson (15).

Jacksonville must give the ball to Maurice Jones-Drew more frequently. He's picking up 4.4 yards per tote, but with 31 carries through three games, he's ranked 39th in the league with 137 yards. Fred Taylor has had 49 carries (3.8 YPC) thus far, which really doesn't make any sense when consider that Jones-Drew is an explosive playmaker capable of turning a missed tackle into an 80-yard trip to the end zone - AND - the Jags still lack proven threats to produce consistently in the passing game. The list of other backs with more carries this season includes: Le'Ron McClain, Ricky Williams and DeAngelo Williams.

What were the preseason odds of Matt Jones, Hines Ward and Donald Driver all having more receptions than Randy Moss after three games? Hank Baskett and Antonio Bryant having more yards? For the ultimate trifecta, how about Chancey Stuckey having three times as many touchdown catches as Moss?

Plaxico Burress' two-week suspension will only force him to miss one game, since the Giants are counting the bye week as a part of his punishment. Apparently, Burress didn't report to the practice facilities on Monday, nor did he return calls from the team prior to the announcement of the suspension on Tuesday. The good news - rest for his balky ankle. Look for "the other" Steve Smith to play a larger role in Week 5 opposite Amani Toomer if you're trying to react and make a roster adjustment in advance. It's also been reported that Bobby Engram and Deion Branch will return for the Seahawks next week, so check your waiver wire to see they're still available if you're in need of a boost at receiver.

I'm actually starting to believe in Brandon Lloyd as a viable No. 3 fantasy receiver in most matchups. He's always shown in the ability to make extremely difficult catches and having Kyle Orton at quarterback will yield plenty of highlight reel opportunities. Still, don't get too carried away as his current pace projects to 69 receptions for 936 yards and five scores over the course of the entire season. He's never caught that many passes or had that many yards in a season, while his previous career-high in touchdowns is six, from his second season with San Francisco back in 2004.

The J.T. O'Sullivan Kool-Aid is now available by the keg. He's posted a 104.6 QB rating through three games and still has two games remaining against the Rams, in addition to one more each against the Cardinals and Seahawks. Beware of the rough patches in the schedule with the Eagles and Giants during Weeks 6-7 as well as the Cowboys and Bills in Weeks 12-13, but the fantasy playoffs are definitely another story. O'Sullivan and San Francisco have the Jets at home, followed by road trips to Miami and St. Louis during Weeks 14-16. Frank Gore owners can also begin salivating accordingly.

Cleveland head coach Romeo Crennel announced that Derek Anderson will start against the Bengals on Sunday. Even though he'll take the first snap of the game for the Browns, I'd put the odds of him taking the last one at 50-50. The rush to snap up Brady Quinn from the waiver wire will wait another week, unless you're able and willing to try and get a step ahead of the competition and just make the move now, while stashing Quinn away until he gets the nod later this season. In two games against the Bengals last season, Anderson went 49-of-81 for 579 yards and a 7:5 TD:INT ratio (85.4 QB rating). It's now or never for Anderson to salvage his job with the 0-3 Browns.

Peyton Manning enters the Colts' bye in Week 4 with 784 yards passing and a 73.1 passer rating through three games. Considering how little work he was able to do on the field prior to Week 1 and that he's faced three pretty good defenses thus far, this is looking like a buy-low window well on its way to being closed. Given that he rarely turns out a bad performance and that Manning will face the Texans (Week 5), Packers (Week 7) and Patriots in Week 9, it's time to strike with a trade now before he looks like his old self again.

Looking over my eight rosters for this fall, there's a pretty heavy dose of Jay Cutler - I like to wait on quarterbacks - Matt Forte and Zach Miller. Culter and Forte have proven to be two of the biggest steals of the year based on their average draft position a few weeks back, while Miller has suffered miserably with the Raiders' lack of a passing game through the first three contests. Owning Miller has been particularly costly in the leagues where I was unable to pair him up with Tony Scheffler - as I figured Scheffler would be a good spot starter at tight end this year while Miller would actually be the source of weekly consistency available very late in most drafts. Miller gets his last chance to start for me in Week 4, facing a San Diego defense that really can't cover tight ends. Dustin Keller had four catches for 41 yards and score in Week 3, following in the footsteps of Dante Rosario and Scheffler in the Chargers' first two games.

Regrettably, I missed out on the Anthony Fasano bandwagon to help cover up for my poor judgment with Miller, so I'm left to scrape the always bone-dry waiver wire for another tight end while getting aggressive with trade offers to the owners of Tony Gonzalez (the difference between Huard and Thigpen at quarterback is as much as that between a roll of Charmin and a cactus when you're on a camping trip) and Kellen Winslow.

Article first appeared 9/24/08