After the Week 1 games have finished, most Fantasy owners will sadly have to come to the realization that their Fantasy drafting skills may not have been quite up to par. So you have a bench which consists of Daniel Thomas, Randy Moss, Pierre Thomas, Austin Collie and Jonathan Stewart – now what? The first step to rebounding after a poor Week 1 is to quickly head to the waiver wire and jump on the gems that everyone passed on draft day. Hurry and the “Sidney Rice Rice Baby Rices” still may have a chance to get to its Fantasy league championship.
 


Kevin Kolb: Can Kevin Kolb really be a starter in the NFL? Well, that question seemed to be emphatically answered Sunday as the perennial Eagles’ backup made the most of his first career start in an Arizona Cardinals uniform. Kolb threw for 309 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions in his team’s Week 1 win. What is even a better sign is that he did this in a week where Larry Fitzgerald was largely held in check, as he only had 3 catches for 62 yards. While some may argue it is too early to praise Kolb too much, it is not too early to grab him and stick him on your bench. The fantasy aspect overlooked about Kolb too is that he has a very favorable schedule. Weeks 7, 8 and 10 are will be tough matchups for him, but his last seven games may be the easiest of any starting QB.  

Mark Sanchez: Mark Sanchez and the New York Jets passing attack may be very hard to analyze for the 2011 season. Just by the numbers, Sanchez Week 1 performance would tell you he has a lot of Fantasy potential, and he does have a little, but you should also definitely not rush to judgment. Look to pick him up and a valuable backup, but do not expect the 335 yards and 2 touchdowns he put up against the Dallas Cowboys to be a weekly occurrence. For those who saw the game, you saw the Jets get held in check for most of it. It was not until the Cowboys’ top three defensive backs all were off the field with injuries that Sanchez and the Jets began to score. I also have to comment on the offensive pass interference which wasn’t called on Plaxico Burress’s touchdown as another statistics padder for Sanchez. Still, he has value, and if the running game is going to falter like this a lot, then the 44 passing attempts Sanchez got in Week 1 could become a regular sight in NYC.

Cam Newton: Nothing like tying the all-time passing record for a rookie in your first game. Cam Newton was very average in the preseason, but then in the Panthers’ opener against the Cardinals, all Newton did was throw for 422 yards and 2 touchdowns, while also running for another score. One must remember that Arizona traded their best defensive back (Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie) for the new starting quarterback, so the Cardinals’ secondary was a little suspect, but this is definitely a good sign for Newton’s Fantasy value. Pick him up quick before the rest of the vultures circle, but wait to play him until you see what he does against the Green Bay Packer’s defense he plays in Week 2. Newton may be a quick Add and Drop for you if he struggles against a good defense, but he’s worth a quick look, or at the very least, to keep him off of another team in your league.
 
Ben Tate: With Arian Foster’s health in question, the running back position in Houston could have giant fantasy value to the owner quick enough to grab Tate. Even though Derrick Ward was the official starter, it was Ben Tate that got the lion share of the carries – think of it like the New York Giants, Ben Tate is Ahmad Bradshaw and Derrick Ward is Brandon Jacobs. For Arian Foster, hamstrings can be a lingering injury, so even though he is said to be back on the practice field this Wednesday, Ben Tate may have fantasy value all season long.

Beanie Wells: Now that Tim Hightower has moved on to better things as the Washington Redskins starter(Yes, pick up Hightower immediately if he is available, but I doubt it), and with the injury to incumbent starter Ryan Williams, the default running back option has fallen to Beanie Wells. Beanie was drafted as the running back of the future in Arizona but continually under performed, or was just flat out beat for the starting job. Well, Beanie does not have to worry this year because there is simply no other option, he is the guy. And to his credit, his Week 1 performance seemed to indicate he might be ready to the job. Wells rushed for 90 yards and a touchdown, but what really impressed me was the 5.0 yard per rush average, and the fact that he didn’t put the ball on the carpet. One thing is for sure, Wells will get the opportunities this year.

Reggie Bush: For all of those who thought they were so smart drafting Daniel Thomas as a late round steal (I have to raise my hand on that one), the Miami Dolphins had other plans. Reggie Bush is now the feature back in South Florida, and if week 1 was any indication, it looks like Bush will be a serious target for Chad Henne is the passing game. Even though he only had 38 yards on the ground, we have to love the 56 receiving yards and the touchdown he got through the air. Seeing as he had 10 targets in their week 1 loss to the New England Patriots, Reggie Bush seems to have Felix Jones -type value moving forward.
 

Nate Burleson: All the talk will surely be about Calvin Johnson and his 2 touchdowns in Week 1. However, Nate Burleson should not be overlooked as Detroit’s second option. Burleson had a respectable 62 yards in the Lions season opener on Sunday, and his 5 receptions were only one catch less than what Calvin Johnson hauled in. Stafford showed a real chemistry with Burelson all preseason long, so expect these types of 70ish yard games to continue. Get lucky enough to use him in a week he scores a touchdown and you have yourself a real value wide receiver off the bench.

Robert Meachem/Devery Henderson: With Marques Colston going down with an injury in the New Orleans Saints’ opening day loss to the Green Bay Packers, the No. 1 position Drew Brees’ list of go-to receivers now becomes Robert Meachem and Devery Henderson. Each scored a touchdown and had at least eight targets in their first game. With one less option for the Saint’s gunslinger, the number of looks for both of these receivers should rise.

Davone Bess: The Dolphins traded away Wes Welker to the Patriots for a second round pick. While they are probably kicking themselves for that move, they have found a similar style slot receiver of their own in Davone Bess. Chad Henne looked outstanding in the Dolphin’s (closer than expected) loss to the Patriots on Monday night. If Miami’s much maligned QB can consistently put up numbers anywhere close to the 416 yard performance he had in Week 1, then Brandon Marshall looks like a solid choice again, but his wide receiving side-kick, Davone Bess could be an outright steal in most league. The speedster had 92 yards on Monday, with a per catch average of 18.4.Check the secondary the Dolphins will be playing, but if you need a backup wide receiver, Bess may be your guy.
 

Aaron Hernandez/ Rob Gronkowski: Yes, Tom Brady has Wes Welker and just got Chad Ochocinco in free agency, but the targets Brady appears to throw to most is his tight ends.  These two combined for 189 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 17 targets in Tom Brady’s incredible 517 yard outburst on Monday Night Football. It is surprising to me that these two are still available in most leagues after scoring 16 combined TDs a year ago, but judging by Hernandez’s 103 yards and Gronkowski’s 86 yards in Week 1, they will not be available much longer. Check the waiver wire immediately and pray you are not too late.

Brandon Pettigrew: The Detroit Lions look to have a highly explosive passing offense this year. Thanks to a (cross your fingers) healthy Matthew Stafford, all the Lion’s receivers look like good fantasy players this year. Pettigrew got 57 yards against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in their first games, which aren’t exactly out-of-this-world numbers, but as a backup tight end you will not do any better. Pettigrew will be a similar player as teammate Nate Burleson. Most weeks you can expect a 50-70 yard performance, but like Burleson, he is always a threat to score. 

Follow @FFChamps on Twitter

The views and content in this article are not necessarily the opinion of Fantasy Football Champs, www.FFChamps.com, and its in-house experts.