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The NFL bye weeks have come and gone, and now it's time for Fantasy owners to lean heavily on their stud players for the stretch run. But not all of the players selected in the early rounds on Draft Day are still considered must-starts as the playoffs approach. In fact, several middle-to-late and undrafted players have seen a drastic increase in value and find themselves shining in the Fantasy spotlight.

The following is a list of the top 10 surprises who should now be considered weekly starters in most Fantasy leagues.

(Fantasy points are based on a performance scoring system, with six points per touchdown and one per 25 passing yards and 10 rushing/receiving yards.)

Brad Johnson, QB, Tampa Bay: Johnson is easily the most underrated quarterback in Fantasy Football. He ranks third behind only Peyton Manning and Steve McNair in Fantasy points, and is tied with Manning for the league lead with 18 touchdown passes. Johnson faces some of the weakest pass defenses in the league down the stretch, including Atlanta the week of many Fantasy Super Bowls.

Matt Hasselbeck, QB, Seattle: Hasselbeck has been as good as advertised, ranking sixth among quarterbacks in Fantasy points. He is on pace to post 3,583 passing yards and 23 touchdowns, which would both be career highs. Hasselbeck faces several good matchups in the coming weeks, and will be a productive commodity for owners.

Marc Bulger, QB, St. Louis: Bulger wasn't even drafted in some Fantasy leagues, but he has performed like a first-round stud since taking over the starting job in St. Louis. He ranks slightly behind Hasselbeck (151) in Fantasy points (149), and has outscored such early-rounders as Aaron Brooks (131), Jeff Garcia (128) and Drew Bledsoe (86).

Marcel Shipp has 510 rushing yards this season. (Getty Images)

Marcel Shipp, RB, Arizona: Jim Nantz of CBS Sports said on The NFL Today that Shipp would be a first-round pick if owners drafted a team right now. Don't believe it? Project Shipp's numbers in his four starts over 16 games, and he would compile 1,720 rushing and 460 receiving yards.

Santana Moss, WR, N.Y. Jets: Moss is having a breakout season, posting 726 receiving yards and eight touchdowns in nine games. His 116 Fantasy points are more than early-round selections Marvin Harrison (114), Joe Horn (90) and Terrell Owens (84).

Keenan McCardell, WR, Tampa Bay: McCardell is quietly on pace to have his best season as a Fantasy player. The veteran is tied for fifth in the league among receivers with five touchdowns, and has more Fantasy points (101) than Plaxico Burress (53) and Donald Driver (38) combined.

Steve Smith, WR, Carolina: Smith has been a valuable Fantasy commodity, posting 645 receiving yards and five touchdowns despite starting only five games. Many owners bypassed him on Draft Day, but he has been a better No. 2 receiver than Chris Chambers, Isaac Bruce and Keyshawn Johnson.

Freddie Jones, TE, Arizona: Jones has been a solid No. 1 Fantasy tight end, posting 49 points, including three touchdowns in nine games. He has more points than highly-publicized players like Alge Crumpler (46), Marcus Pollard (45) and Bubba Franks (28).

John Kasay, K, Carolina: Kasay missed 14 games due to injuries last season, and slipped under the radar of many Fantasy owners. He has connected on 20-of-20 field goals including a 53-yarder, and is tied for fourth among kickers with 74 points.

The following is a list of the top 10 disappointments who should no longer be considered weekly starters in most Fantasy leagues:

Donovan McNabb, QB, Philadelphia: McNabb has turned things around in the past two games, but he has still been a major Fantasy bust overall. The early-round selection has just five touchdown passes in nine games, two fewer than Vinny Testaverde and rookie Kyle Boller.

Drew Bledsoe, QB, Buffalo: Bledsoe has been awful in his past seven games, posting three touchdowns, seven interceptions and no 250-plus yard games. Gus Frerotte, who has started only twice this season, has more touchdowns (7) than Bledsoe despite starting seven fewer games.

Ricky Williams, RB, Miami: Williams has been a major disappointment after a stellar 2002 campaign. He hasn't rushed for 100-plus yards since Week 3, and has fewer Fantasy points than Moe Williams and Fred Taylor (120). Owners with a deep backfield should consider reserving Williams against tougher opponents.

William Green, RB, Cleveland: A shoulder injury and team-imposed suspension have hurt Green's value in recent weeks. He has found the end zone just once in seven games, and has fewer Fantasy points (56) than Bengals running back Rudi Johnson (76), who has started only three games.

Charlie Garner, RB, Oakland: Garner has been a shell of the player who compiled 1,903 all-purpose yards and 11 touchdowns last season. He isn't even on pace to top 700 rushing or receiving yards, and a recent back injury threatens to limit his playing time in the coming weeks.

David Boston, WR, San Diego: Boston has been a major bust for Fantasy owners, especially when you consider he was ranked as a top-10 receiver during the preseason. He has fewer points (65) than later-round selections Ike Hilliard (78), Terry Glenn (76) and Peter Warrick (76).

Plaxico Burress, WR, Pittsburgh: Burress might be the biggest bust among wide receivers this season. He hasn't caught a touchdown pass since Week 2, and has fewer Fantasy points (53) than undrafted players like Justin McCareins (55).

Koren Robinson, WR, Seattle: K-Rob started the season strong, but has faltered the past seven games. During that span, he hasn't posted a 100-yard receiving game and has no touchdowns. He can still turn things around for the first-place Seahawks, but he's no longer a must-start.

Bubba Franks, TE, Green Bay: Franks is being used more as a blocking tight end, which has seriously hindered his Fantasy value. Lesser tight ends like Anthony Becht (39) and Jimmy Kleinsasser (33) have more points than Franks this season.

Jay Feely, K, Atlanta: Feely was the top-scoring kicker in the league last season, but he has been a nightmare for Fantasy owners in 2003. He has only converted 11-of-15 field-goal attempts, and is being outscored by the likes of Shayne Graham and Aaron Elling.

Insider notes

• Redskins coach Steve Spurrier might be leaning towards starting Rock Cartwright over Trung Canidate in Sunday's game at Carolina. Cartwright ran for 81 yards on 13 carries in a win over Seattle, and could again see a prominent role in the offense. Considering the lack of quality running backs available in most Fantasy leagues, Cartwright suddenly becomes an interesting short-term option.

• Broncos quarterback Jake Plummer (foot) practiced Monday and expects to return for Sunday's game against San Diego. He had emerged as a quality No. 1 for Fantasy owners prior to the injury, and would be a great free-agent signing if available. With upcoming games against San Diego Chicago, Oakland and Cleveland, Plummer could become a very productive commodity during the Fantasy postseason.

• The Minnesota Vikings want to increase Michael Bennett's workload to between 15-18 carries in Sunday's game at Oakland, but the team is in no hurry to run him 20-plus times. Bennett might not get back the starting job until Dec. 7 against Seattle, which would be the first week of the Fantasy playoffs in most leagues.

• Wide receiver Kevin Johnson, who was released by Cleveland on Tuesday, has signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars. It might not be this week, but he should eventually surpass Troy Edwards on the depth chart and join Jimmy Smith in the starting lineup. Depending on the level of wideouts on your roster, taking a chance on Johnson is worth considering in larger leagues.

Trench mailbag

Joe Hawk, Coralville, Iowa: Which quarterback should I retain for next season: Marc Bulger or Brett Favre? Will Favre come back next season?

M.F.: Bulger's mix of talent and youth make him the better option in a keeper league. Favre will come back in all likelihood and is one of the great quarterbacks in the NFL, but the upside Bulger possesses is too high to release him.

Chris Taylor, Atlanta: Corey Dillon has been on my bench all season. Should I go ahead and drop him?

M.F.: Dillon is still worth a roster spot unless you play in a smaller league with some good free agents available. Dropping him for a player like Rudi Johnson or Domanick Davis is advised, but not for lesser options like Wheatley or Dorsey Levens.

You can e-mail your questions to Michael Fabiano at gridguru@commissioner.com. Be sure to put Attn: In the Trenches in the subject field. Please be aware that due to the large volume of submissions received, we cannot guarantee personal responses or answers to all questions.