This week was a microcosm of the entire 2007 fantasy football season. Quarterbacks were dominant, as eight signal-callers earned a spot in our top-10 performances, but running backs continued to frustrate owners. In fact, five of the 10 worst performances on our list came out of the backfield. And in another stroke of terrible luck at the position, one more of the NFL's best backs had his week cut short and sustained what could be a serious injury.
So without further adieu, let's take a look at the best and worst performances from Week 10.
Best performances
1. Brian Westbrook, RB, Philadelphia (36 points): All the fantasy attention among backs is directed at the likes of LaDainian Tomlinson, Adrian Peterson and Larry Johnson, but none of these three is more dominant overall than Westbrook. The most versatile back in the NFL, Westbrook caught five passes, totaled 183 yards from scrimmage and scored three touchdowns in a 33-25 win over Washington. Look for Westbrook's statistical dominance to continue next week in Miami against the winless Fish.
2. Donovan McNabb, QB, Philadelphia (35 points): McNabb is not Mr. Consistent, but when he's good, he's awesome. He threw for 251 yards and four touchdowns in Washington and seemed motivated after his skills were questioned earlier in the week. His scores came on connections of 4, 8, 45 and 57 yards, two of which went to his main man, Westbrook. McNabb now has two four-touchdown performances this season, but he also has a combined total of five touchdown passes in his other seven starts.
3. Ben Roethlisberger, QB, Pittsburgh (33 points): Never before has a quarterback reminded me of the great John Elway more than Roethlisberger, who led the Steelers back from a 15-point deficit to beat Cleveland, 31-28. Big Ben threw for 278 yards and two touchdowns, and he also rushed for 49 yards and a score in the contest. Now a must-start option in all fantasy formats, Roethlisberger should continue to find success next week when he leads Pittsburgh into New York to face a vulnerable Jets defense.
4. Brett Favre, QB, Green Bay (32 points): The 17-year NFL veteran dominated Minnesota with 351 yards and three touchdowns in a 34-0 blowout win. His scores came on passes of 1, 8 and 17 yards; two to Ruvell Martin and all in the second half. Favre is now on pace to set a career single-season high in passing yards and 28 touchdown passes. He's a must-start quarterback in all formats in Week 11 when the Packers host Carolina at Lambeau Field.
5. Tony Romo, QB, Dallas (31 points): If not for the immense production of Tom Brady, Romo would be the most successful quarterback in fantasy football. The field general threw for 247 yards and four touchdowns in a 31-20 win over the New York Giants, and he's now on pace to finish with over 4,500 passing yards and 44 touchdowns. Next on the slate is a Washington defense that allowed McNabb to throw for four scores this week, so Romo should improve on his impressive current full-season projections.
6. Jason Campbell, QB, Washington (27 points): Campbell entered this week's contest against Philadelphia without his No. 1 wide receiver, Santana Moss, but he still had an incredible stat line. The Auburn product threw for 215 yards and three touchdown passes, two to James Thrash and one to Keenan McCardell, in a loss to the Eagles. While this was a tremendous performance for the talented Campbell, most fantasy owners didn't benefit. Campbell was active in fewer than 15 percent of NFL.com leagues in Week 10.
T-7. Marc Bulger, QB, St. Louis (24 points): Shades of the Bulger from last season appeared this week, as he threw for 302 yards and two touchdowns in a 37-29 win over New Orleans. Bulger, who completed 82 percent of his passes, had decent protection from his offensive line and threw touchdown passes of 9 and 3 yards. This is a real positive for the value of Bulger, who will no doubt be active in countless fantasy leagues next week when the Rams head to San Francisco to face the Niners.
T-7. Kurt Warner, QB, Arizona (24 points): Warner made mincemeat of a vulnerable Detroit pass defense, throwing for 259 yards and three touchdowns in a 31-21 win. The former MVP hurt his left thumb, but he still threw for scores of 1, 2 and 16 yards, two of which went to Larry Fitzgerald. While he lacks consistency, Warner still has the tools to make statistical noise in an offense loaded with talent. In fact, he'll be a tremendous option for fantasy owners next week in Cincinnati.
T-7. Terrell Owens, WR, Dallas (24 points): People might not like him, but Owens remains one of the best wide receivers in all of fantasy football. He caught six passes for 125 yards and scored two touchdowns in a win over the Giants, and he now has 16 catches for 299 yards and three scores in his past two starts. Based on his current totals, T.O. will finish the season with 89 receptions, 1,520 yards and 14 touchdowns. He's a must-start wideout next week when Dallas hosts Washington in an NFC East bash.
10. Derek Anderson, QB, Cleveland (22 points): Anderson completed fewer than 50 percent of his passes and threw for 123 yards in this week's loss to Pittsburgh, but he still threw three touchdown passes. All of his scores came in the first half, as Anderson connected with Kellen Winslow on a 4-yard pass, Lawrence Vickers on a 2-yard toss and Braylon Edwards on a 16-yard pass. The top sleeper in fantasy football has another tough task next week in Baltimore, but he remains a solid starter in all formats.
Worst performances
T-1. Jamal Lewis, RB, Cleveland (1 point): Lewis rushed for 2 fewer yards than he had last week, when he earned a spot on our best performances list. However, he also rushed for four fewer touchdowns and was a serious dud for owners. Lewis rushed for 35 yards on 16 carries (2.2 YPC) and was invisible in a loss to the Steelers. One of the most inconsistent statistical runners in the NFL, Lewis could be in for another porous stat line in Week 10 when he heads to Baltimore to face his former team, the Ravens.
T-1. LenDale White, RB, Tennessee (1 point): White had rushed for 100-plus yards in three consecutive weeks, but that streak crashed hard in a loss to Jacksonville. The former USC standout rushed for 12 yards on eight carries (1.5 YPC) and failed to find the end zone in Week 10. He also sustained an apparent leg ailment in the third quarter and was sidelined for part of the second half. White has an awesome matchup next week in Denver, so be sure to monitor his health status throughout the week.
T-3. Anquan Boldin, WR, Arizona (2 points): Boldin had found immense statistical success in his previous three starts against Detroit with a combined 20 catches for 352 yards and two touchdowns, but that meant little in Week 10. The veteran out of Florida State recorded three catches for 25 yards and was held out of the end zone despite the fact that Arizona had four touchdown passes in the contest. With a favorable matchup on tap next week in Cincinnati, Boldin should be able to reverse his fortunes.
T-3. Marion Barber, RB, Dallas (2 points): No back runs harder than Barber, but that aggressiveness doesn't always equate into tremendous fantasy production. He had a total of 33 yards and was held out of the end zone in a huge win over the Giants, and he's now failed to score a touchdown in two of his past six contests. While he's still on pace for 12 total touchdowns, Barber does have some weeks that will kill owners in their quest for a win. His next matchup is at home against the Washington Redskins.
T-3. Plaxico Burress, WR, N.Y. Giants (2 points): Burress started the season hot, but his recent performances have left much to be desired. He caught four passes for 24 yards and didn't find the end zone in a loss to Dallas, and he has now gone three consecutive starts without a touchdown. That's a major decrease from the eight scores he had in his first six starts. It's hard to sit a wideout of his caliber, however, and next week's matchup in Detroit bodes well for his chance to rebound.
T-6. Rudi Johnson, RB, Cincinnati (4 points): What has happened to Johnson? Once a lock to rush for 1,300 yards and double-digit touchdowns each season, Johnson has been dreadful through 10 weeks. He rushed for 46 yards on 22 carries (2.1 YPC) and didn't find the end zone in a win over Baltimore, and he's now on pace to rush for his worst yardage total since 2002 -- when Corey Dillon was still the Bengals' featured back. Unless you're in a deeper league, Johnson should now be benched if at all possible.
T-6. T.J. Houshmandzadeh, WR, Cincinnati (4 points): Houshmandzadeh has been one of the best wideouts in real and fantasy football, but this week he did little to earn that status. He recorded a mere 45 yards in a win over Baltimore, and he failed to find the end zone for the first time this season. Whether or not the return of Chris Henry contributed to his lack of production remains to be seen, but Houshmandzadeh should still be active across the board when Cincinnati faces Arizona in Week 11.
T-6. Steve Smith, WR, Carolina (4 points): Never before have I seen the absence of quarterback become such a detriment to the value of a wide receiver, but Smith has been a mediocre fantasy option ever since Jake Delhomme went down with an injured elbow. Smith caught five passes for 61 yards and lost a fumble that would have been good for a score in a 20-13 loss to Atlanta. He has now failed to score in three consecutive weeks, and he'll be a real risk next week when Carolina faces Green Bay at Lambeau Field.
9. Adrian Peterson, RB, Minnesota (5 points): Peterson rushed for 45 yards on 11 carries before a knee injury landed him in the locker room. He will have an MRI to determine the extent of the damage, but there's a chance the standout rookie will either be limited or out in Week 11. That would be an incredible loss for fantasy owners who have leaned on Peterson but didn't secure Chester Taylor as insurance. The Vikes also have a nice matchup next week against Oakland, so keep tabs on A.P.'s status.
10. Lee Evans, WR, Buffalo (6 points): Evans' streak of success had to end at some point, but few thought it would happen against a winless Miami team. That was the case, however, as Evans recorded 65 yards and no touchdowns in a 13-10 win over the Fish. While he does have a bad matchup against New England next week, Evans should still be considered a viable No. 2 fantasy wideout in most cases. Buffalo could find itself behind in the second half and be forced to lean on Evans and the pass down the stretch.
