These players aren't doing much to help fantasy owners this season, but they stand a good chance of becoming prominent contributors in 2010:

1. Shonn Greene — The Jets are making noise about keeping Thomas Jones around for 2010, the final year of his current contract, due to uncertainty about Leon Washington's recovery from a broken leg. But it's probably just that: noise. The team would have to pay Jones $5.8 million, with $3 million of that sum in the form of a roster bonus. It's hard to see the Jets giving that sort of scratch to a running back who's on the wrong side of 30, even if he's been aging like a fine Bordeaux. Not only does it seem illogical for the Jets to willingly shell out a lot of extra cash for anything but another piece for head coach Rex Ryan's beloved defense, but it also seems as if the team could easily cut costs by handing the job to Greene and getting some sort of cheap insurance policy for Washington via the draft or free agency. Greene has carried the ball only 41 times this season, but the one time he was given a heavy workload, he diced up the Raiders for 144 rushing yards and two TDs. If Jones is released, Greene figures to be the main man next season. Even if Jones remains, the Jets will find ways to get Greene more involved. Count on the bruiser from the University of Iowa becoming more of a factor in 2010.

2. Matt Leinart — There's a 90 percent chance Leinart will be a starter for someone in 2010, but it's tough to tell whether the Cardinals will be that "someone." Kurt Warner will still be under contract for the 2010 season, but it will be the last year of his two-year deal, and his base salary will only be about $4 million. (He received a $19 million signing bonus.) Leinart's contract runs through 2011, and his base salary takes a big jump in the final year. In all likelihood the Cards will either commit to Leinart for next year or deal him to one of the umpteen teams in the league that have abominable QB situations. (Next year's rookie QB class could be a good one, but no way will it be deep enough to feed all of the NFL's hungry.) In three and a half seasons as a pro, Leinart's only impressive feat was getting photographed in a hot tub with a bevy of attractive young women. But there's reason for hope. Leinart has reportedly become more mature and more dedicated to his craft. And perhaps there's something to be said for a long ripening period. It seemed to work for Aaron Rodgers, who was mostly idle for his first three seasons in the league and then hit the ground running in his fourth. Leinart failed early in his pro career, then sat and watched. He may finally bear fruit for fantasy owners in 2010.

3. Sammie Stroughter — The messiness of the Buccaneers' rebuilding project has obscured Stroughter's potential; this rookie is going to be a good one. The seventh-rounder from Oregon State turned heads in training camp, and he drew attention a couple of weeks ago with a dazzling TD catch against the Packers in the Bucs' first win of the season. He's also performed well on special teams, which might not mean much to fantasy-leaguers but can be an indicator of future positional success. Rookie QB Josh Freeman is now on the job for Tampa Bay, and he hasn't been bad. If Freeman is the real deal, he and Stroughter should eventually turn into a nice pitch-and-catch combo, and we might see their chemistry develop in the weeks to come.

4. Louis Murphy — A fourth-round selection in this year's draft, Murphy may well prove superior to rookie teammate Darrius Heyward-Bey, a first-round choice and the No. 7 pick overall. (Ah, those delightfully backward Raiders ... so entertaining.) Logic suggests that the Raiders will no longer be starting JaMarcus Russell at quarterback next season. Obviously, logic and the Raiders are only fleeting acquaintances, but if that indeed turns out to be the case, Murphy could become a significant performer in 2010. Although his numbers don't stand out, he has more catches (16), receiving yards (232) and TD catches (1) than any other Oakland wide receiver, and he turned in one of the finer single-play efforts of the season during a long Zach Miller TD catch, throwing a block that knocked one would-be tackler off his feet, then racing farther ahead to wall off another, allowing Miller to go the distance. If the Raiders start a quarterback with a pulse next season, Murphy could surprise.

5. Danny Ware — This guy might have already captured the attention of fantasy owners had he not dislocated his elbow on the first play of the season, on a kickoff return. The Giants had planned to use Ware as the third man in a three-man RB rotation, but the injury nixed those plans. Now, Ware is back, and the Giants might start to use him on third downs. He's a big dude who can both run and catch, and the team seems high on him. With Brandon Jacobs slightly off his game this season (early signs of decline, maybe) and Ahmad Bradshaw seemingly prone to nicks and dents, Ware might end up playing a significant role for the Giants in 2010.

In addition to "Fitz's Five," each week during the season Pat Fitzmaurice will post his frequently updated player rankings based on the week's matchups, "Ten most intriguing players" of the week, and "The 60-second rant" — all in the Fantasy section.

PFW has launched its brand-new NFL Draft Newsletter series, with the second issue being released later this month. Produced by PFW's player personnel department under the direction of Nolan Nawrocki, the series consists of four information-packed issues. For more info or to subscribe — click here for PDF e-pub or here for print format.