By Bob Harris, Special to SI.com, FootballDiehards

While Justin Gage or Rashied Davis are in the mix, I'm still looking for Bradley to step up -- and not just because Gage played so poorly last week. Nor am I alone in that belief. Heading into the season, Smith said he wasn't concerned about the No. 2 wide receiver spot because Bradley is "a star in waiting. ..."

Even if Berrian only misses one game, it might be enough to see if there's something to Smith's contention.

Tim Carter, WR, New York Giants

With Amani Toomer's season over (thanks to a knee injury suffered last Sunday), the Giants other receivers are Carter, David Tyree and Michael Jennings. Head coach Tom Coughlin hasn't named a starter, but Carter is the most experienced member of the group.

"It will be a game-time deal," Coughlin said. "We'll use everyone."

As Giants.com noted, Carter made his first start of the season last week in place of Plaxico Burress at split end. He caught one pass for 15 yards and has 11 receptions for 153 yards and two touchdowns (one on a fumble recovery) this year.

Now he will presumably move to flanker, which requires running more inside routes.

"I understand the system -- that's probably the biggest part," Carter said about his readiness to assume the position. "I understand the concepts and it's helped put me in a position where I can go out and make plays."

Carter is confident the offense will continue to play at a high level without Toomer. "As an offense, we have a lot of weapons and we'll be able to make some plays and step up our game so we can win," Carter explained.

Tyree and Jennings are also eager to contribute. A four-year veteran who has played well in the past when starters have gone down, Tyree played extensively in Seattle on Sept. 24, when Burress missed the second half because of his back. Tyree caught five passes -- his season total -- for 72 yards and a touchdown. Jennings also has five catches in spot duty this season.

Still, I'm looking for Carter to get the nod and do more damage than the others.

DeAngelo Williams, RB, Carolina Panthers

DeShaun Foster got his chance to open a season as the feature back and so far he's managed to avoid the kind of injuries that have plagued him in past years. The problem is he hasn't been especially productive.

He's had two 100-yard games and been ordinary the rest of the time.

Williams, meanwhile, hasn't played enough to be much of a factor, but that could change in the second half of the season, because the Panthers would like to find more of a balance between Foster and Williams, who has big-play ability.

In four full games with Williams in the lineup, the Panthers were averaging 110 rushing yards. In the three games without Williams, the Panthers are running at a 64.7-yard clip and have lost back-to-back games.

Count Pro Football Weekly among the observers expecting big things from Williams down the stretch. As PFW noted, the rookie running back was averaging 5.3 yards per carry before being knocked out of the Oct. 8 game in Cleveland with a high ankle sprain.

PFW believes the Panthers' plan is to get their first-round pick more involved in the offense, and if he's effective right away, Williams and Foster could split carries 50-50. Others, including Gaston Gazette beat writer Steve Reed, predict Williams will take over as the starter before the season is over.

Devery Henderson, WR, New Orleans Saints

With Drew Brees generating MVP chatter and rookie phenom Marques Colston drawing attention from opposing defenses, Henderson demonstrated what he's capable of last Sunday, when he pulled in three passes for a career-high 111 yards and TDs of 52 and 45 yards.

It was the first 100-yard day of Henderson's three-year career and marked the first time he's had two scores in a game. The 52-yarder was his longest TD catch as a pro.

The big question, of course, is whether last Sunday was a fluke. I think not. Remember, Henderson is finally working at full strength after suffering a sprained shoulder earlier this year and his sprinter's speed makes him a hard man to cover -- especially working off the bench behind Colston and (when healthy) a still-dangerous Joe Horn.

Having Brees under center is icing on the cake.

Bob Harris is co-founder of the FootballDiehards Web site and senior editor at FSP Inc., publisher of Fantasy Football Pro Forecast, DraftBook, CheatSheets and Football Diehards magazines. He is a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association.