What does future hold for these 5 surprising players

What does future hold for these five surprising players?

Now that we're getting deeper into the regular season and most NFL teams have four games in the books, some of the surprise early-season performers have to be considered legitimate. Here are five of the more pleasant surprises of the fantasy football season so far, with thoughts on how these players might fare the rest of the way.

1. Steve Smith (Giants) — OK, so Smith probably won't be able to maintain a pace that projects to 136 receptions for the season, but a 100-catch year isn't out of the question. He's caught no fewer than six passes in any of the Giants' four games, and he's had 10- and 11-catch days. Teammate Mario Manningham has also opened eyes, but Smith has clearly established himself as Eli Manning's No. 1 receiver. And while he isn't as explosive as, say, the Panthers' Steve Smith, the king-sized Smith (he's 5-foot-11, as opposed to the Panthers' 5-9 model) is proving that he can be a reliable TD scorer, with four TDs in his last three games. He's averaging 12.1 yards per reception, and his longest catch of the year covered only 32 yards, but he's still a good bet to put up Wes Welker-type yardage numbers and has greater TD potential than Welker, which makes Smith no worse than a top-10 or top-15 receiver going forward.

2. Cedric Benson — It seems odd to label Benson "reliable," but what better way to describe the new-and-improved version of the former first-round disappointment? Benson has run for at least 74 yards in each of the Bengals' four games this season, and he's on a streak of seven straight games with 73 or more rushing yards dating back to last season, with three 100-yard games over that span. That sort of consistency is manna from the fantasy football heavens. Benson has thus far proven himself against good defenses. He produced identical numbers (76 yards, one TD) in games against the stingy Pittsburgh run defense and the vastly improved Denver run defense. In most of this year's fantasy drafts, Benson wasn't a top-20 running back. But if leagues conducted redrafts today, he'd probably be a top-10 back and a top-15 pick overall.

3. Mike Sims-Walker — An afterthought in this year's fantasy drafts, Sims-Walker has made a rapid ascension to dependable fantasy starter. He's had no fewer than six catches and 81 yards in any of his last three games and has scored three TDs during that stretch, including two last week against the Titans. Jaguars QB David Garrard obviously feels confident throwing to his new No. 1 target, and if Sims-Walker can keep his legs healthy (he has a pretty significant injury history dating back to his college days), he has a reasonable shot at 1,000-plus yards and 8-10 TDs.

4. Willis McGahee — With a league-high seven TDs in only four games, McGahee is pretty much a lock to produce his best TD total since he scored 13 times in 2004. An average of 5.4 yards per carry suggests that he has some skill to back up the inflated TD number, and it's clear that some fantasy owners were too quick to write him off. But Ray Rice is pretty good, too. Rice is averaging 6.0 yards per rushing attempt, and he's had 49 carries so far while McGahee has had 37. McGahee should be good for another half-dozen TDs or more, since the Ravens seem to favor him over Rice in the red zone, but it appears that the rushing load is going to be split approximately 60-40, with McGahee on the short end. McGahee is obviously a useful fantasy component, but how confident can one truly feel about starting a running back who might not average even 10 carries a game for the balance of the season?

5. Vernon Davis — Joe Flacco and Brent Celek were also considered for this spot. Flacco has improved since his rookie year, but he's also averaging just over 37 pass attempts per game, which is inflating his fantasy numbers and isn't a pace that will be sustained. Celek is off to a terrific start, but his numbers have a lot to do with Kevin Kolb starting two games in place of the injured Donovan McNabb. Kolb has been using Celek almost as a crutch. Davis has made huge strides that seem sustainable. Once ridiculously immature, Davis has grown up under the tutelage of Mike Singletary, and now he's a legitimate weapon. He has scored three TDs in his last two games, and he's averaging better than 50 yards per game. He's now a solid top-10 tight end.