by Mike Harmon

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Did you survive? The efforts of Michael Turner, DeAngelo Williams and Steven Jackson aided the cause. Steve Slaton and a number of other would-be heroes let you down.

Slaton's benching is one of the topics up for discussion this week, and that's where we begin the Week 9 trip to the wire. Former Eagles draft pick Ryan Moats leads the way.

Ryan Moats, RB, Houston Texans

Slaton lost his fifth fumble of the season and found himself standing on the sideline watching backup tailback Moats ran wild against the Bills. He finished the game with 126 rushing yards and became the first Houston running back to rush for three touchdowns in a game.

Moats will be part of a three-man rotation with Slaton and Chris Brown in the immediate future. Slaton is the best receiver of the trio and Brown has been utilized as the goal-line back (his effectiveness remains a question). Moats could serve as the lead option, but it remains to be seen how this workload shakes out. Either way, he warrants a waiver-wire look-see this week.

Jamaal Charles, RB, Kansas City Chiefs

Charles is tagged as the lead back in Kansas City for Week 9 with Larry Johnson serving his one-game suspension. He's in a decent spot this week against the defenseless Jaguars. Charles has averaged 6.4 yards per touch this season and stands as a solid one-week plug-in option. He may be a long-term option depending on how the Chiefs handle the Johnson situation.

If you are in a larger league with deeper rosters, you may want to make a defensive play and add Kolby Smith to your bench. Smith is eligible to come off the PUP list, and he may work into the mix alongside Dantrell Savage (desperation plug-in?) and Charles against the Jaguars. Smith was a fifth-round pick in 2007 and excelled at times during that season when given an opportunity. He may get another shot before this season ends.

Justin Fargas, RB, Oakland Raiders

Fargas returns to the waiver list for another week, as fantasy owners have been reticent to add any player with the Oakland logo on their helmet. He's averaged 16.3 carries and 71 rushing yards in the past weeks, adding seven receptions for 54 yards. Fargas even found the end zone against the Chargers. The Raiders take their bye in Week 9, followed by an attractive matchup for Fargas against the Chiefs.

Malcom Floyd, WR, San Diego Chargers

The Chargers finally released Chris Chambers on Tuesday, thus cementing Floyd's slot in the starting lineup opposite Vincent Jackson. He's caught multiple passes in three consecutive games, averaging 41.3 yards per game during this stretch. Floyd has caught seven of the 12 passes thrown to him in the past three weeks.

Mike Wallace, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers

The rookie from Mississippi has become a favorite go-to receiver for Ben Roethlisberger. Wallace has averaged three receptions and 52.6 receiving yards per game for the Steelers as a brilliant complementary piece of a loaded Pittsburgh passing game. Wallace topped 50 receiving yards in three consecutive games prior to the Steelers' Week 8 bye.

Jeremy Maclin, WR, Philadelphia Eagles

Donovan McNabb has found himself another speedster to run alongside DeSean Jackson. Maclin caught four passes for 47 yards, including his third touchdown of the season in Sunday's romp over the Giants. He's become a phenomenal downfield option, having caught four or more passes in four of his past five games. Maclin has averaged four receptions and 56.2 receiving yards during this five-game period.

Andre Caldwell, WR, Cincinnati Bengals

Caldwell has established himself as the No. 2 receiver in Cincinnati behind Chad Ochocinco. He averaged 3.71 receptions and 36.7 yards per game in the Bengals' first seven contests. Obviously, it's not an easy matchup in Week 9 against the Ravens, but opportunity means everything. Caldwell scored in the first meeting between these squads.

Antonio Bryant, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

We've obviously got no huge reason to believe in the Tampa Bay offense, even coming out of the bye week with a new quarterback under center. However, we would be remiss to ignore Bryant's return to the forefront of an offense that has generated production in the past several weeks. He scored in two of four games prior to the bye week while averaging 48.5 receiving yards per game.

Mark Sanchez, QB, New York Jets

Sanchez hasn't been posting a huge yardage total on a regular basis, but he's been finding the end zone fairly consistently. His 265 passing yards against the Dolphins marked his first 200-yard effort since Week 1. However, Sanchez has accounted for five total touchdowns in the past two weeks (three passing and two rushing). More importantly, Sanchez didn't turn the ball over in either game.

I know that his two horrid performances (New Orleans and Buffalo) were magnified on a larger scale. On the whole, Sanchez has played quite well, and his ability/willingness to push for an extra yard (or the painted grass) provides added value.

Alex Smith, QB, San Francisco 49ers

I had a chance to watch the San Francisco-Indianapolis game on Sunday, and I have to say that I was impressed with the way the fifth-year quarterback controlled the offense. The home run threat that is Frank Gore (early 64-yard touchdown sprint) helps keep defenses honest, and the further integration of Michael Crabtree into the passing game certainly doesn't hurt.

Smith completed 19-of-32 attempts for 198 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Those aren't overwhelming stats, but the final stat line is serviceable. I'm most concerned about Smith's time in the pocket going forward, as the offensive line is crumbling. Tackle Joe Staley sustained a knee injury and will miss a significant amount of time. Smith struggled behind a line that was cobbled together in the second half and was sacked four times. Still, he's worth stashing on your bench as insurance.

Vince Young, QB, Tennessee Titans

Young didn't blow up the stat sheet on Sunday against Jacksonville, but there were certainly a few positives to take from Tennessee's first win of the year. The Tennessee defense was bolstered by the return of Cortland Finnegan and controlled the action, allowing Young to pick his spots while Chris Johnson and LenDale White piled up touches. That's the formula for winning football in Tennessee.

I was encouraged by the fact that Young completed 15 of his 18 pass attempts and did not commit a turnover. He passed for 125 and a touchdown while adding 30 rushing yards. Do the math. Depending on how much your league values passing yardage, Young's scrambling ability certainly piques your interest. Can he out-run Patrick Willis in Week 9?

Dustin Keller, TE, New York Jets

Keller posted his best game since the season opener, registering an eight-catch, 76-yard day in Sunday's home loss to the Dolphins. He scored for the second time this season. Now, there's certainly some reticence to jump onboard Keller's bandwagon given a run of smallish efforts before last week's breakout. I point to the fact that Keller has been targeted 27 times in the past three weeks.

Fred Davis, TE, Washington Redskins

Davis stepped into the spotlight when Chris Cooley was injured in Week 7. He caught eight of the 10 passes thrown to him for 78 yards and a touchdown against the Eagles. Davis had caught at least one pass in five straight games prior to his breakout performance. The Washington offense is predicated on the short passing game right now, so Davis should be active in Cooley's absence. He's a solid option this week against the Falcons.

Given the spate of injuries to tight ends, fantasy owners may be forced to look a little deeper for Week 9.

Bo Scaife, Benjamin Watson, Tony Scheffler, Zach Miller and Kevin Boss are all plug-in options.