1. Jerome Harrison — This is the second consecutive week that Harrison has been atop this list, but he's a perfect example of why diligent fantasy owners will still be paying attention to Week 17. With the majority of NFL teams just playing for show this weekend, a lot of players are auditioning for more significant roles next season, and Harrison certainly falls into that category. He's been nothing short of sensational over the last two weeks, rushing 73 times for 434 yards and four TDs. If the Browns commit to making Harrison their No. 1 running back for 2010, he could be a second-round fantasy pick, or perhaps even higher. (I could envision him going at the end of the first round in my 16-team league.) Harrison's big numbers over the past two weeks have been compiled against bad run defenses (Chiefs, Raiders), and this week's game against the Jaguars, who have a pretty decent run defense, should pose an interesting test.

2. Chris Johnson — It's all about numbers. With a big game in Seattle, Johnson could hit 2,000 rushing yards and 2,500 rushing-receiving yards, and with numbers like that, how could anyone take Adrian Peterson or any other player ahead of Johnson in 2010 drafts?

3. Brian Westbrook — Finally back from his concussion problems, Westbrook had a moderate workload in Week 16, running nine times for 32 yards and catching two passes for five yards against the Broncos last week. The Eagles will be going all out this week in a tussle with the Cowboys for a division championship, so it will be interesting to see how the Eagles divide the labor among their running backs in an important game. LeSean McCoy is sort of a Westbrook-in-training, and if he outperforms the real thing in Week 17 and in the playoffs, there's a chance we won't see Westbrook back in Philly next season.

4. Ray Rice — The Ravens need a win in Oakland, and Rice is their most reliable weapon, so expect him to get a big workload. Rice needs just 48 combined yards to hit 2,000 for the season, and since he's only been held below 100 rushing-receiving yards once since late September (vs. Green Bay in Week 13), and since the Raiders' defense isn't very good, Rice shouldn't have much trouble reaching that milestone. He could also hit double digits in TDs by scoring twice.

5. Devin Aromashodu — Aromashodu had his breakout game against the Packers in Week 14 (eight catches for 76 yards and a TD against the Packers), went back into hibernation against the Ravens in Week 15 (two catches for 10 yards), and then went off against the Vikings in Week 16's Monday-nighter (seven catches for 150 yards and a TD). Jay Cutler obviously likes throwing to Aromashodu, whose size is similar to that of Cutler's favorite target from his days in Denver, Brandon Marshall. Aromashodu is clearly in line for a much greater role for the Bears in 2010, and he could emphasize that with another big outing this week against the Lions and their sieve-like pass defense.

6. Felix Jones — It seems as if Jones has been on the verge of big things aver since he came into the league in 2008, but then he gets hurt, or he doesn't get enough carries, or ... something. Well, Jones is healthy, and he's had 11 touches or more in three straight games, and he could really make an impression on fantasy owners this week with a strong performance against the Eagles in the most compelling game of Week 17.

7. Donald Brown — Heaven forbid the Colts risk the accidental dismemberment of their starting running back in Week 17, so expect Joseph Addai to spend most of this weekend's game updating his Facebook page while Donald Brown helps the Colts fulfill their obligatory 60 minutes of regular-season football. Brown faced the Jets' rugged run defense last week and was held to 22 yards on 15 carries, although he did have a TD run. Unless the Colts' offensive linemen are allowed to bring magazines onto the field with them, Brown figures to produce a significantly higher yardage total against Buffalo's rock-bottom run defense than he did against Rex Ryan's crew last week.

8. Matt Hasselbeck — Deathwatches can be intriguing, too.

9. Knowshon Moreno — Fifteen games into the regular season and it's still tough to tell whether this guy is any good. Recent evidence suggests not. Moreno hasn't averaged better than 2.7 yards per carry in any of his last three games, and that includes a Week 15 game against a wretched Oakland run defense in which he carried 19 times for 42 yards, with a long run of eight yards. Moreno is averaging 3.8 yards per carry for the season. He needs 103 yards against Kansas City this weekend to hit the 1,000-yard mark, but Moreno hasn't had a 100-yard rushing game all season. 

10. Mike Wallace — Wallace is going to be a hard player to rank next season, but the Steelers' critical game against the Dolphins could be a great chance for further evaluation, especially if Hines Ward misses this one due to an ailing hamstring.

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