The Bears are no doubt certain Rex Grossman’s rotten play of late is just a phase, but impatient fantasy football players have another thought: Grossman just might have to go.

Grossman is in the middle of his best season with a career-high 14 touchdowns, but when he’s bad he’s really, really awful.

Just look at Chicago’s last three games, all against weaklings. Grossman ripped the 49ers, but in the other two games he went for a total of 1 TD, seven interceptions and three fumbles. He’s also had countless rookie-type goofball plays, which is understandable considering the fourth-year player just finished his 16th game.

The question now is: What do you do with him, especially since deep threat Bernard Berrian is out for at least a couple of weeks?

The answer, if you have another decent option at QB, is to trade Grossman. He hasn’t faced a tough defense yet, and the Giants, Patriots and Vikings are coming up. Just don’t get rid of him too cheap because the schedule gets much softer in weeks 13-15, when fantasy leagues are in their playoffs.

As you ponder the greatness of Ditka, here are some players to start in Week 10, some to avoid, and a few long shots who could pan out:

QUARTERBACKS

A safe bet

¢ The Eagles have had two weeks to fix the offense, and Donovan McNabb has at least one great game against the Redskins every year.

¢ Last time we saw Carolina’s Jake Delhomme, he was learning that his receivers could drop short, long, hard or soft passes. There should be more catches against Tampa Bay.

¢ If your league doesn’t penalize too much for turnovers, unleash Ben Roethlisberger for his next 400-yard, 4-turnover performance as the Steelers rack up numbers before finding a way to lose.

¢ Maybe Jacksonville’s better off with David Garrard, who’s 6-1 as a starter with seven touchdowns passing and two running.

RUNNING BACKS

All day long

¢ Overthinker Alert: Never bench the Giants’ star running back Tiki Barber, even though he’s playing against the Bears.

¢ Detroit’s Kevin Jones is solid again now that his line’s healthier, with 323 yards rushing and four TDs the past three games. Don’t overestimate the 49ers’ defenders he faces, either; they stopped a Minnesota offense not really interested in the end zone.

¢ In keeping with the Joneses, Julius should have a big day when his Cowboys play Arizona. The last time the disinterested Cards played they allowed not one but two 100-yard backs. Expect one more this week.

¢ Inspired by Fred Taylor’s courage in guaranteeing a win over the Texans, I’ll likewise guarantee a big game for him this week. (I won’t go out on the big limb, though, and guarantee he stays healthy.)

WIDE RECEIVERS

Throw him the ball!

¢ The Bengals are desperate, but Chad Johnson must really be panicking now that his stats aren’t even as good as Mike Furrey’s. A beat-up Chargers defense could help him reach the end zone uno or dos times.

¢ The last time we saw Chad Johnson’s cousin on national TV, he was dropping a probable touchdown then being ignored by his quarterback. Carolina’s Keyshawn Johnson, who likes being on national TV and being thrown to, should bounce back.

¢ The Rams’ Torry Holt hasn’t done squat in the two weeks since he went for over 150 yards and three scores against the Seahawks. He should get back on track.

¢ Also in that game, Seattle’s Deion Branch could have another big game in another shootout.

¢ The Steelers are still a scary defense on paper, but their defensive backs are apparently unaware of that. Fourth-to-last 2006 draft pick Marques Colston should continue his unlikely quest for a 1,400-yard season.