By Zack Cimini
Notjustagame23@gmail.com

Talk about a breakout week for running backs not even ranked in the top fifty of any fantasy sports rankings coming into 2009. Jerome Harrison, Jamal Charles, Maurice Morris, Michael Bush, and Beanie Wells were the fantasy factor backs for week fifteen. Who would of imagined that? All this does is give fantasy owners knocked out of the playoffs chances to wheel and deal in your dynasty leagues, or start taking notes early for next years draft. It is never too early to start preparing to strategize and reload for next year. Heck, those owners should be strategizing for building a 2009 fantasy playoff team. There though the players busting out on teams not heading for the playoffs won’t matter to you.

A small percentage of owners though have a shot at winning their leagues title. Meaning you’ve got one last shot to perfect your fantasy lineup via the waiver wire.

Quarterbacks

Chad Henne- Henne likely has answered enough questions Miami may have had about making him compete with Chad Pennington for 2010’s starting job. The future is in Henne’s hands and he will learn from the mistakes he has been making. Unlike some of his younger counterparts trying to adapt to the game, Henne is displaying an array of throws and isn’t afraid to stick the ball in some tough spots. Miami was afraid to unleash Henne after the wildcat had to be abandoned. In the long run it will prove to be a quality decision by coach Sparano. Miami should also give Henne some better talent to throw to as Davone Bess, Ted Ginn, Greg Camarillo, and Brian Hartline is not going to cut it.

Matt Moore- What does Carolina have a reason to sit Delhomme for good? Moore’s got the size at 6’6, and is performing well for a quarterback with as little experience as himself. Were sure the Panthers will still have Delhomme as their starter going into 2010, but the battle will brew quickly if Delhomme has any mishaps as he did this year.

Running Backs

Jerome Harrison- Just when it seemed like the Browns were going to give the bulk of their carries to Chris Jennings they fooled us all. Harrison dueled against Jamaal Charles for the highest combo from two backs all season long. We don’t know if Harrison’s breakout game will end up being an after thought but we do know he will be the hottest commodity on any waiver wire this week.

Maurice Morris- Morris did much more than expected against a Cardinals defense that has been stout against the run. Heck they shut down Adrian Peterson to 19 yards. Detroit came out of the second half with a strong commitment to get back in the game. They made some changes on the offensive line as well which really gave Morris some great lanes to run the ball through. Morris is a great veteran back that has done well when giving the opportunity due to injuries

Michael Bush- Whatever system the Raiders plan on having for Michael Bush and Darren McFadden is yet to be discovered. The carries all year long have had no consistency, but they do know they have a talented core of backs. Look for the Raiders to continue to heighten the overall carries to their tail backs. With a strong weakness at quarterback the best thing to do is keep a heavy dose of run plays. It worked to their advantage and allowed them to eek out their fifth win of the season.

Tight Ends

J.P. Foschi- Carson Palmer accuracy lately is as precise as anyone in the league. He seems to have timing down with every pass catching Bengal. Foschi had a big day against the Chargers. He is a big target that hasn’t seen enough looks for whatever reason. Palmer likely has gained trust and confidence after this game and will start to look his way more often.

John Carlson- Carlson was the only plus too Seattle’s horrid performance against the lowly Buccaneers. If your looking for a new look at tight end for your fantasy super bowl hopes, Carlson is available in 44 percent of Yahoo leagues.

Wide Receivers

Chaz Schilens- Schilens is a big target that has a knack for getting open. After missing most of the year with injuries, Schilens is starting to factor in more and more. With the Raiders barely throwing for 100 yards on any given week it’s a high risk investment to go with Schilens. At any rate the Raiders have scored 20 or more points in three of their last five games. Most of that was due to the effectiveness of Bruce Gradkowski. Still, Schilens is worth a shot if you’re stuck in a rut in your third wide receiver position.

Chris Chambers- After being unable to beat out Malcolm Floyd for a starting position in San Diego and fading on their roster by the week, it seemed that Chambers was ready to be written off from fantasy relevance for good. When he was cut and picked up off the natural NFL waiver wire little was thought of Chambers having an impact. The Chiefs needed someone with Dwayne Bowe’s suspension and Chambers immediately entered their starting position. Were still surprised at what he has been able to do, but it can no longer be looked at as a fluke.

Lavernues Coles- Coles lost his starting job to Andre Caldwell but Palmer still will be throwing his way for the short and intermediate routes. Coles has lost the speed he had as a Jet but still can run decent routes. The Bengals will need him to perform like he did this past week to keep Chad Johnson from being blanketed by double and triple coverages.

Kevin Walters- Matt Schaub and the Texans have dismissed any thoughts of running the football. Schaubs averaging 300 yards passing a game and has had Andre Johnson owners beaming lately. When you’re throwing the football at the pace the Texans are obviously balls are going to be a plenty to catch. Proportionally it should mean the first three receivers on the Texans depth chart should all be fantasy factors. Walters is coming off his best year in the league but has had trouble factoring in due to Andre Johnsons enormous all world games.

Mike Wallace- The rookie came up huge with a catch Steelers fans will never forget. When memories of the 2009 highlight reels are showcased he will always be a part of that. Big Ben’s refusal to let his team down and carry everything on his shoulders has meant many a passes being thrown. Roethlisberger’s averaging throwing the football 34 times a game. With Hines Ward seemingly playing no where near 100 percent, it will mean Wallace’s role should expand the last few games.