Tip Sheet

Olandis Gary, RB, Lions: Thanks to a last-minute trade to Detroit, Gary, a former 1,000-yard rusher with the Broncos, is back on the radar screen. As backup to Travis Henry in Buffalo, Gary had little fantasy value, but now he is expected to start for James Stewart, who will miss the entire season after dislocating his right shoulder in Detroit's preseason finale. Gary does not have much competition for the starting job. Shawn Bryson has some talent, but he is recovering from major knee surgery and has done little this preseason. Avon Cobourne, an undrafted rookie out of West Virginia, showed some promise in the exhibition games, but it is unlikely that he will beat out Gary, who had a league-leading four rushing touchdowns in the preseason.

Kelly Holcomb, QB, Browns: Including the playoffs, Holcomb had three starts last season. In those games, he completed 62 percent of his passes for 953 yards (318 avg.) with eight touchdowns and one interception. For those who need more convincing that he will play well this season, you should know that he completed 67 percent of his passes and had a QB rating of 112.6 this preseason. Holcomb has the luxury of being surrounded by a number of offensive weapons, and given that the Browns will likely have one of the league's worst defenses, you can expect the team to throw often this season. On the downside, Holcomb will probably be on a shorter leash than most starters, with former No. 1 pick Tim Couch waiting on the sidelines.

Quincy Carter, QB, Cowboys: Carter won the starting job in Dallas with a stellar training camp, and as a result, has emerged as a sleeper candidate. He finished the preseason with a passer rating of 109.0. He was especially hot in the final three games, completing 29 of 45 passes for 447 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions. Due to a lack of accuracy and experience, Carter cannot be considered a top-flight passer, and he will face one of the toughest schedules in the NFL. However, he does have a nice receiving corps to work with, and he will generate some fantasy points with his running ability. Another plus is that backup Chad Hutchinson appears to have fallen completely out of the picture as an option to start.

Josh Brown, K, Seahawks: A few weeks ago, I mentioned in this column that Brown had the potential to be a top-10 kicker this season. That statement was based more on the Seahawks' up-and-coming offense and their very favorable schedule than it was on Brown's ability. However, the rookie has done nothing this preseason to make anyone think that he is not going to be a fine kicker, making all six of his PAT tries and all five of his field-goal attempts, including two from 50-plus yards.

Wesley Walls, TE, Packers: Tight ends coach Jeff Jagodzinski was recently quoted as saying that Walls would get as many snaps as starter Bubba Franks in some games. This prompted some observes to predict big things for Walls, a five-time Pro Bowler. Considering that he is 37 years old and plagued by injuries for three consecutive seasons, including ACL injuries in 2000 and 2001, it is a bit of a reach to think that Walls will be a top-10 tight end this season. But given QB Brett Favre's tendency to favor his tight ends in the red zone, Walls may have significant value in scoring-only leagues.

Kyle Boller, QB, Ravens: With Boller being named the starting quarterback in Baltimore, he has to be considered one of the top fantasy prospects in this year's rookie class. In four preseason games, including two starts, he completed 59 percent of his passes for 456 yards and four touchdowns, with one INT.

Of all the quarterbacks drafted this year, Boller may be the most physically gifted, and there is little doubt that he will be a good signal caller in the future. However, of all the positions on the field, quarterback is the hardest to learn, and rookie signal callers very rarely produce good fantasy numbers. Boller's chances for success are further dimmed by the fact that he has a below-average supporting cast. He will, however, get a break to start the season, as three of his first five opponents ranked 28th or higher against the pass last season.

Nate Burleson, WR, Vikings: Burleson, who caught 138 passes for 1,629 yards as a senior at Nevada last year, was one of the more impressive performers of the preseason. The 6-foot, 197-pound third-round pick enters the league as one of the best leapers (42.5-inch vertical) in this year's draft class and also has 4.46 speed. At training camp, Burleson was able to take advantage of Kelly Campbell's knee injury; subsequently, the rookie moved up the depth chart and will begin the season as a No. 3 receiver in Minnesota. He may not be done climbing, as there is an outside chance that he could replace D'Wayne Bates and start opposite Randy Moss. Burleson finished the preseason with 11 catches for 131 yards (11.9 avg.) and two touchdowns. Moss led the team with 14 catches for 105 yards and two touchdowns, while Bates had three catches for 30 yards and a touchdown.

Ladell Betts, RB, Redskins: With Washington releasing fellow backup Kenny Watson, Betts is suddenly in a good spot. Betts, a 2002 second-round pick, showed promise last year as a reserve, rushing for 307 yards and a touchdown on 65 carries (4.7 avg.) and catching 12 passes for 154 yards (12.8 avg.). He missed most of this summer's training camp with an elbow injury, but with Watson no longer on the roster, he will be the primary backup to Trung Canidate, who has yet to prove that he can be a feature back.

Shaun McDonald, WR, Rams: With veteran Troy Edwards being released, the Rams don't have any wide receivers on the roster, other than Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt, who have caught an NFL regular-season pass. McDonald and fellow rookie Kevin Curtis made Edwards expendable. Of the two, Curtis was the more impressive player in the preseason, but he suffered a broken leg and is out until some time in October. As a result, McDonald, a fourth-round pick, will likely open the season as the Rams' No. 3 receiver. With a 5-foot-8, 170-pound frame and known as a very elusive runner after the catch, McDonald reminds many of former Ram Az-Zahir Hakim