Week 4: Player Upgrades

WR Vincent Jackson, SD

Jackson was a fantasy sleeper for so long that most of us were pretty sure he went into a coma. Just like the monster in a horror movie, Jackson rose from the dead and caught 59 passes for 1,098 yards and 7 touchdowns in 2008. The main reason for Jackson's success in 2008 was the absence of LaDainian Tomlinson. Without Tomlinson, Philip Rivers was set loose, and he turned to the big physical playmaker often last season. Through three games in 2009, Jackson has caught 16 passes for 317 yards and 2 TD's. Once again this season the trend continues; Tomlinson's absence benefits Vincent Jackson more than any Charger not named Darren Sproles.

Assuming Tomlinson makes his return soon and is completely healthy and effective, Jackson could see his number of targets decrease. That is very unlikely because when Rivers drops back, his first read will always be Jackson (not Chris Chambers or Legedu Naanee). Fantasy owners: look at the matchup versus Pittsburgh this weekend. While the matchup appears scary on paper, Jackson should have little trouble getting open against a Steeler secondary missing its biggest playmaker in Troy Polamalu. Pittsburgh is ranked 15th against the pass this season, so feel confident starting Jackson this weekend.

Vincent Jackson will finish the season as a top ten fantasy wide receiver. All of the trends are pointing toward a monster season, so pulling the trigger on a deal for this budding superstar is a no brainer.

WR Kevin Walter, HOU

Another late round target making an impact early on in the fantasy season, Kevin Walter caught 7 passes for 96 yards and 1 TD on Sunday in the Texans' 31-24 loss to division rival Jacksonville. Walter is best know for his ultra-productive 2008 season where he played the role of Andre Johnson's wingman very effectively. Walter's tremendous size (6 foot 3, 218 pounds) allows him to prey on single coverage when teams double Andre Johnson. The area he is most effective? You guessed it, the red-zone. Kevin Walter (much like Pierre Thomas) was a major injury risk in the pre-season and into the regular season, but now that he's answered all of the questions and concerns, I feel confident that Walter's fantasy stock will continue to rise for the remainder of the season.

Walter's biggest aid this season (aside from Andre Johnson) is the Texans' upcoming schedule. Walter should have success against Oakland, Arizona, Cincinnati, San Francisco, and Buffalo (who rank 14th, 31st, 19th, 24th, and 28th against the pass through three weeks).

Remember to read all our columns for this week and use our Who To Start Rankings