The Shot Caller's Report strives to identify players that are borderline fantasy plays and clarify whether they should be started or benched. Rather than telling you to start Peyton Manning and bench John Beck, the Report looks at those "stuck in the middle" guys and evaluates if they will help your team win.

By now, most owners know what they have. Did your sleeper picks pan out or did they continue to doze? Was your first round pick a bust, like so many were this year? Do you have any healthy running backs left? Now that the bye weeks are finally over, teams can field the team they envisioned when they drafted. With good luck, the guys you slot into your lineup this week could stay there for the remainder of the season and hopefully power you deep into the playoffs. Alternatively, they could be leading you down the dark and creaky stairs of the league basement.

Quarterbacks

Must Start:

Marc Bulger @ SF: The last two games have been good ones for Bulger. In both, he threw for over 300 yards while totaling three touchdowns and only a single interception. These performances are the exact opposite of what we saw from him through the first half of the year. Has the St. Louis offense turned the corner or are their cakewalk opponents over the last two weeks making the difference? It doesn’t really matter as San Francisco turned in one of more nightmarish performances ever seen on Monday Night Football last week.

Kurt Warner @ CIN: It seems as if every part of Warner has been broken, strained, or sprained at one time or another during this season. Yet he still managed three touchdown passes against Detroit last week. Not overly impressive considering it was versus the Lions, but still not bad, and it’s not like the Bengals defense is better.

Donovan McNabb v. MIA: I could gush all over the page about McNabb’s four TD passes last week and how good he looked doing it. But seriously, what halfway decent quarterback would you not start when facing the incredibly bad Dolphins defense? If Don Shula has criticisms to make of any team, maybe he should start with the one he personally coached for so many years.

Matt Schaub v. NO: For the first time since Week Two, the Texans have all their key players healthy. I exclude Ahman Green, because no one really cares anymore. Considering the workmanlike but solid numbers Schaub was able to put up when healthy, he should do pretty well with his biggest weapon back on the field and well rested.

Going Out On a Limb:

Kyle Boller v. CLE: In a move that was long, long overdue, Boller will take over starting duties from the inept Steve McNair. I really like how they spared McNair’s feelings by benching him due to a shoulder injury rather than his pathetic play. Yeah, we are all buying that one….Similar to Miami above, I would start a slightly stale Twinkie against the Brownies lack of defense. Interestingly, the Twinkie is more elusive and has better arm strength than McNair.

Grab A Clipboard:

Brodie Croyle @ IND: Croyle hasn’t seen much action this year, but what he has done in limited action has been, in a word, uninspiring. So, let’s take a struggling offense with a below-average quarterback and replace that QB with the guy thought to be worse before the season began. Yeah, against the Indianapolis defense, even absent Dwight Freeney, I’ll pass on everything Kansas City.

Philip Rivers @ JAC: The scoring machine we expected to find in San Diego this year has been notably absent, much to the chagrin of Antonio Gates and LaDainian Tomlinson owners. That can all be traced back to some combination of offensive line issues and inconsistent quarterback play, depending on who you feel like blaming. Rivers has two TDs or better in four games and zero touchdowns in the other five.

Eli Manning @ DET: Speaking of inconsistent, here comes the poster boy for inconsistency, Eli Manning. Considering the weapons he has at his disposal, it is simply amazing that he has failed to top 300 yards more than twice this season. Detroit is not a particularly scary defense, but the Giants are just beginning their annual meltdown, where they blow any possible playoff hopes in the last two months of the season.

Jay Cutler v. TEN: Since he isn’t getting Javon Walker back this week, don’t expect much from the second-year quarterback. Interesting statistic - there has been only one game this season in which Cutler has more scores than turnovers. A sad fact, but interesting.

David Garrard v. SD: Jacksonville fans are very happy to see him back on the field and even happier to escort Quinn Gray off, but fantasy owners shouldn’t be getting all excited. He has no interceptions – that’s good. He also has passed for over 221 yards only once in the five games he completed this season. The story is the same on touchdowns: he has scored more than one in only a single game.

Running Backs