3. Kyle Orton — "Game manager" has become such a contrite term, so let's instead refer to Orton as a caretaker. He commits few turnovers and compiles modest numbers. He will not win many games on his own, nor will he single-handedly lose many. In 22 starts dating back to the beginning of the 2008 season, Orton has a 15-7 record and a tidy TD-INT ratio of 27-13. But he's had only two 300-yard games over that span, and only once during that time has he thrown more than two TD passes in a game. Orton's specialty is the short-passing game. As for his accuracy on deeper downfield throws ... um, did we mention that he's good on short passes? Orton is an efficient quarterback who's steadily improving, but he'll probably never put up lights-out numbers over a full season.

4. David Garrard — It's tough to figure out what to make of this guy. Two years ago he fashioned a terrific 18-3 TD-INT ratio. Since then he's thrown nearly as many interceptions (18) as TD passes (20). Last year he operated behind a porous, injury-plagued offensive line and threw to perhaps the worst group of receivers in the league, yet he threw for a respectable 3,620 yards and 15 TDs (with 322 rushing yards and a pair of TD runs to boot). This year he has a better offensive line and two pretty fair receivers in Torry Holt and Mike Sims-Walker, yet he's on pace for fewer TD passes than he had in '08, his completion rate is more than two percentage points worse, and his passer rating is worse. In 2007 and 2008 he had at least one TD pass in 23 out of 28 starts. This year he's failed to throw a TD pass in five of his seven starts. He threw for 323 yards and three TDs in the first game against the Titans this season (Week Four), then threw for 139 yards and zero TDs against the Titans last week. Garrard is turning into a hit-or-miss enigma.

5. Alex Smith — He has just been reinserted as the 49ers' starter after spending all of the 2008 season and much of the '07 season holding a clipboard on the sideline, but the former college star out of Utah suddenly looks like a real quarterback for the first time in his pro career. Smith came off the bench in Week Seven and almost dug the Niners out of a big hole against the Texans, completing 15-of-22 passes for 206 yards and three TDs in a 24-21 loss. Last week he played respectably against a tough Indianapolis pass defense and almost led San Francisco to a noteworthy road upset. Smith has looked confident in the pocket, and his throws have been crisp. He seems to have an instant rapport with high-upside rookie WR Michael Crabtree, and he threw three TD passes to blossoming TE Vernon Davis in the game against Houston. It could be premature to promote Smith to the middle class after he's spent most of his career wallowing in the gutter, but Smith now appears capable of turning in a quality fantasy performance in any given week, which is more than you can say for a dozen starting NFL quarterbacks.