300-yard passers Player Team C-A Yds TDs Marc Bulger Rams 29-39 450 3 Trent Green Chiefs 33-53 373 1 Joey Harrington Lions 33-49 346 2 Jake Delhomme Panthers 24-50 307 2 100-yard rushers Player Team Carries Yds TDs Jamal Lewis Ravens 34 167 1 Curtis Martin Jets 28 153 0 Julius Jones Cowboys 29 149 1 Deuce McAllister Saints 28 140 1 Zack Crockett Raiders 22 134 0 Warrick Dunn Falcons 25 132 0 Lee Suggs Browns 26 131 0 Ladell Betts Redskins 26 118 1 Corey Dillon Patriots 14 116 1 Thomas Jones Bears 26 108 2 Kevan Barlow 49ers 25 103 0 Domanick Davis Texans 17 103 1 Willie Parker Steelers 19 102 0 100-yard receivers Player Team Catches Yds TDs Chris Chambers Dolphins 4 146 1 Tony Gonzalez Chiefs 14 144 0 Torry Holt Rams 7 116 2 Larry Johnson Chiefs 8 115 1* *-also had rushing TD

For those of you still playing fantasy football this week, it's a most frustrating time of year since many of top players, especially on teams who have clinched playoff berths and seeds, played limited minutes. Meanwhile, other good players on teams fighting for the playoffs are still going all-out. So it was even harder than usual to figure out who would do well this week.

Still, despite the even greater unpredictability, it's not a bad idea to study up on the performances of some of the non-starters who saw considerable action this week. For those playing in fantasy playoff leagues, the backups who logged major time in the NFL's final week of regular-season play could become nice sleeper/insurance picks, depending on how many rounds you draft. For those looking in keeper/dynasty leagues, some of the younger players might be more productive next season.

This week's studs and duds list will proceed as usual with players you probably had on your team, but I'll also highlight some of the fantasy studs who took all or most of the week off, not to mention some performances from rookies and key backups that could be relevant for playoff fantasy leagues and/or for next season.

Top 10 Fantasy Studs

1. Marc Bulger, QB, Rams (29-39, 450 yards, 3 TDs, 2 INTs; 1 carry, 6 yards): St. Louis didn't run much because Bulger had his way with the Jets' pass defense. This was the type of performance you expect from the Rams on a regular basis but didn't see all that consistently this season. In a playoff fantasy league, Bulger poses an interesting dilemma: he could run up huge stats in one game, but the Rams could be one-and-done. However, the Rams are playing Seattle first, so he may be around a couple for a few games.

2. Rudi Johnson, RB, Bengals (28 carries, 99 yards, 3 TDs): Cincinnati couldn't improve upon last year's 8-8 record, but finished with a flourish, concluding with a win over the JV Eagles. Johnson had a great season and capped it with three TDs Sunday. Congratulations to Johnson for breaking Corey Dillon's franchise rushing record.

3. Larry Johnson, RB, Chiefs (17 carries, 46 yards, 1 TD; 8 catches, 115 yards, 1 TD): It was a huge final month of the season for Johnson, who proved he could handle the load for Kansas City. Priest Holmes is still the man, but Johnson looks like a better insurance policy/handcuff pick in next year's draft.

4. Julius Jones, RB, Cowboys (29 carries, 149 yards, 1 TD; 5 catches, 46 yards): While Dallas came up just short, it was another big game for Jones, who will be a highly sought after running back in fantasy drafts next season.

5. Jake Plummer, QB, Broncos (17-30, 246 yards, 2 TDs; 7 carries, 15 yards, 1 TD): He did it all in a must-win situation, although he was doing it against plenty of second-stringers. Of course, it doesn't matter how it gets done as long as it does. These are the games many hope from Plummer but don't always get.

6. Daunte Culpepper, QB, Vikings (27-44, 299 yards, 2 TDs; 2 carries, 24 yards; 2-point conversion pass): Despite falling short against the Redskins, Minnesota is still in the playoffs and still has Culpepper, who can put up big numbers against any type of defense in the postseason (although it could be a one-and-done situation for the Vikes). Culpepper finished the season with 39 TD passes, fifth best all-time, but was somewhat overshadowed by Peyton Manning's record 49.

7. Torry Holt, WR, Rams (7 catches, 116 yards, 2 TDs): With Bulger channeling the Greatest Show on Turf, someone had to put up some big stats, so why not Holt, who's still among the best fantasy wide outs today.

8. Tiki Barber, RB, Giants (24 carries, 95 yards, 1 TD; 3 catches, 21 yards, 1 TD): It may have been a lost season for Big Blue, but Barber put up impressive stats all season. And while the Giants certainly didn't impress all year, they did finish on a high note with a nice two-minute rally to beat the Cowboys, capped by Barber's TD run. That also provides a nice boost of confidence for Eli Manning, who finally got his first win as a starter.

9. Thomas Jones, RB, Bears (26 carries, 108 yards, 2 TDs; 3 catches, 4 yards): A solid performance against an iffy Packers defense to cap a nice breakthrough campaign. If Chicago could ever get a passing game together, Jones may be even more dangerous next season.

10. Jamal Lewis, RB, Ravens (34 carries, 167 yards, 1 TD): Injuries hampered his follow-up to a 2,000-yard campaign, but when healthy, this is the type of performance you know he can get for your team.

Other top performances: Mushin Muhammad, WR, Panthers (6 catches, 95 yards, 2 TDs); Deuce McAllister, RB, Saints (28 carries, 140 yards, 1 TD; 1 catch, 14 yards); Joey Harrington, QB, Lions (33-49, 346 yards, 3 TDs, 2 INTs; 2 carries, 13 yards, 1 lost fumble); Domanick Davis, RB, Texans (17 carries, 103 yards, 1 TD; 5 catches, 42 yards); Corey Dillon, RB, Patriots (14 carries, 116 yards, 1 TD); Jake Delhomme, QB, Panthers (24-50, 307 yards, 2 TDs, 2-point conversion pass; 2 lost fumbles); Willis McGahee, RB, Bills (18 carries, 79 yards, 2 TDs); Chris Chambers, WR, Dolphins (4 carries, 146 yards, 1 TD); Matt Hasselbeck, QB, Seahawks (21-27, 191 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT; 1 carry, 1 yard, 1 TD); Curtis Martin, RB, Jets (28 carries, 153 yards; 2 catches, 22 yards).

Duds

Among the top fantasy players who either played sparingly or were benched completely this week include Peyton Manning, Edgerrin James, Donovan McNabb, Brian Westbrook, Drew Brees, LaDainian Tomlinson, Ahman Green, Michael Vick, Ben Roethlisberger, Jerome Bettis, Plaxico Burress, Brian Griese.

MAILBAG Got a question or comment for James? Your name: Your e-mail address: Your home town: Enter your question:

Drew Bledsoe, QB, Bills (16-30, 189 yards, 1 INT; 1 lost fumble): With a chance at the playoffs against mostly a second-string Steelers defense, Bledsoe stumbles. Even with some nice weapons around him, Bledsoe is still a bit too inconsistent for fantasy purposes.

Michael Bennett, RB, Vikings (8 carries, 19 yards; 3 catches, 24 yards): Just when we thought he found his game again, the Redskins helped keep him and the rest of the Minnesota rushing game down.

Kerry Collins, QB, Raiders (15-39, 142 yards, 3 INTs): Talk about inconsistent. He had four 300-yards games and two with at least four TDs this season. But then he finishes the season with this bust of a game.

Surprise stars

Freddie Mitchell, WR, Eagles (6 catches, 76 yards, 1 TD): With Terrell Owens out, Donovan McNabb will need another target, and Mitchell could fill that void. However, Mitchell was getting his passes on Sunday from Koy Detmer and Jeff Blake.

Antwaan Randle El, WR, Steelers (7 catches, 81 yards, 1 TD): He's turned things up in recent weeks with Plaxico Burress injured, and the Steelers may need to rely on Randle El to add some flavor to the passing game in the playoffs.

Ladell Betts, RB, Redskins (26 carries, 118 yards, 1 TD; 1 catch, 5 yards): He's still a good bet to back up Clinton Portis next year after replacing him for the season finale and putting up nice stats.

Kevin Curtis, WR, Rams (6 catches, 99 yards): If St. Louis puts up another air show like it did against the Jets, guys such as Curtis and Shaun McDonald will also be productive.

Zack Crockett, RB, Raiders (22 carries, 134 yards; 3 catches, 12 yards): Oakland never figured out who to start at running back, although Crockett always shows up as a goal-line back. But when Crockett starts, he can pile up huge numbers.

Fantasy game of the week

Rams 32, Jets 29: There weren't many games between teams that both had their playoff lives on the line, so there was plenty of going through the motions. But not in this case. Marc Bulger was chucking it all over the place, while Curtis Martin was running wild. Both teams could also look pretty desperate in the first round on the road next week.

News, notes and observations

While there were plenty of quarterbacks and running backs sitting out the final week, many top receivers from teams who have locked things up got decent action and numbers. Both Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne caught TDs from Jim Sorgi, while Javon Walker had a hookup from Craig Nall (although he did get hurt).

Both the Packers and Patriots played some of their stars a little longer than might be expected. New England's regulars stayed through the third quarter and put up decent stats. Brett Favre had a solid game (9-13, 196 yards, 2 TDs) despite only playing the first half. Sometimes you can still be productive even in these "rest your stars" games.

Domanick Davis ended the season by scoring a TD in nine consecutive games. Not bad for a guy whose job was seemingly on the line after an injury.

Shaun Alexander lost the rushing title to Curtis Martin by 1 yard. He could've gotten that yard had he scored Seattle's last TD, instead of Matt Hasselbeck on a quarterback sneak.

I was a bit surprised that Doug Flutie got the start for the Chargers, but Philip Rivers did come in throw a touchdown pass. Flutie also played well, throwing for a score and running for another one. It was fascinating to watch San Diego beat Kansas City (who still played all of their top stars, minus Priest Holmes) with nice receiving games from unknown receivers Ryan Krause, Kassim Osgood and Malcolm Floyd, and 87 yards rushing from Michael Turner (who starred at Northern Illinois last year).

The Broncos split the carries almost evenly between Reuben Droughns (15 carries, 76 yards) and Tatum Bell (16 carries, 91 yards). It looks like either would be good as a very late pickup in playoff fantasy leagues. However, I'm not sure which will become the main man next season.

SI.com Experts League finale

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention how the SI.com Experts League finished. The playoff scenario looked a lot like a combination of the AFC and NFC races. Ryan Houston and Greg Kellogg cruised into the playoffs, winning their divisions with 9-5 records. I pulled off an NFC West by winning my final game in Week 14 to claim my division at 7-7. Mike Nazarek needed a wild five-game winning streak to claim the wild card at 8-6 with a better head-to-head record over Dave Gawron and Sam Lubeck (who, like the Buffalo Bills, started 0-4, then rode Willis McGahee to just short of the playoffs).

In the playoffs in Week 15, both top seeds fell as Nazarek, the No. 4 seed, demolished top-seeded Kellogg 150-95 (thanks in part to huge games from Billy Volek, Corey Dillon and Nate Burleson), while I beat Ryan Houston 84-67 (even though Matt Hasselbeck was the only player to score TDs for my team).

In the finals in Week 16, late benchings to Matt Hasselbeck and Brian Westbrook doomed my team as I fell to Nazarek 79-44. Thus, Mike Nazarek claims the second annual SI.com Experts League. For the second straight year, the title is won by the wild card team who also drew the No. 12 spot in the draft. Congratulations to Mike Nazarek.

Even though this is the end of the regular season, Sunday's Best will still be around during the playoffs to highlight top performances for those taking part in playoff fantasy leagues. I'll be around later in the week to give some tips and hints for succeeding in those contests. Just because the regular season is done doesn't mean fantasy football has to end.