Fantasy Football: Top Five Waiver Wire Must Haves from Week 1

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Week 1 of the NFL season made fans recall how unpredictable the game of football can be. 

The Buffalo Bills, a team who won just four games in 2010, absolutely crushed the Kansas City Chiefs, a playoff team last season, 41-7.

The San Diego Chargers had Ryan Matthews start for them at running back, and while Matthews remained healthy throughout the game, it was Mike Tolbert who crossed the chalk three times. 

The Pittsburgh Steelers typically squeak out a win over their divisional rivals the Baltimore Ravens, but the Ravens soundly defeated their foes, 35-7, forcing a whopping seven turnovers. 

Chris Johnson, considered by many to be the top running back in the NFL, had just 24 yards on nine carries against a pretty mediocre Seattle Seahawks defense. 

These are just a few of the most surprising events that went down in Week 1, but those reading are most concerned with who they need to target on their waiver wire. 

Let’s look at the five biggest studs that are most likely on the waiver wire of your fantasy league.  

Cam Newton, QB Carolina Panthers

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In case you didn’t watch one game yesterday or turn on ESPN today, “Killa Cam” broke the record for passing yards in a rookie debut. 

Newton went 24 for 37 (about a 65 percent completion rate), for 422 yards and threw for two scores. 

While Newton was not perfect throwing an interception as well, he also rushed for a touchdown. 

That performance was good enough for 32 points in standard scoring leagues, making him as useful as Drew Brees in the first week of the season. 

Even if you have a quarterback like Brees already at your disposal, it certainly couldn’t hurt to have a guy like Newton as your backup.  

Also, if Steve Smith somehow went undrafted in your league, he absolutely went off with the rookie behind center. 

Smith had eight catches for 178 yards and two touchdowns in the Panthers' loss to the Arizona Cardinals.  

Rex Grossman, QB Washington Redskins

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The Washington Redskins started their season by pulling off a massive upset over NFC East rivals the New York Giants. 

A major part of that was Rex Grossman. 

Believe it or not, Grossman looked a lot more like “Sexy Rexy” than “Turnover-saurus Rex” this past Sunday. 

Grossman completed 21 out of 34 passes for 302 yards, and was responsible for two touchdowns. 

While the former Florida stand out is never exactly going to be Mr. Reliable (he still lost a fumble), he could be a high-end QB2, low-end QB1 if Week 1 is any indication. 

If teammates Jabar Gaffney or Fred Davis are available in your league, they are nice options if you need depth at receiver or an upgrade at tight end. 

Gaffney had over 50 yards and crossed the paint once, while Davis was a big part of the offense with five catches for 105 yards. 

Darren Sproles, RB New Orleans Saints

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While Darren Sproles was an interesting plug and play from time to time during his time with the San Diego Chargers, his fantasy value absolutely skyrocketed after his debut with the New Orleans Saints this past Thursday.

The undersized back (listed as 5’6”, 190 pounds) is never going to see a ton of carries (2 rushes for seven yards against the Green Bay Packers), but he is always going to be tough to spot on passing plays. 

Sproles caught seven passes for 75 yards, and also scored on a punt return. 

Looks like it's safe to say Sproles is actually an upgrade over Reggie Bush as the Saints receiving back. 

The speedster is a must-add if your league awards return yardage and touchdowns, and could still have some value in standard PPR leagues. 

If Week1 is any indication, Sproles could be a very useful flex player for the rest of the season. 

Cadillac Williams, RB St Louis Rams

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Looks like fantasy aficionados will still be able to get some mileage out of the Cadillac.  

Carnell "Cadillac" Williams quietly had a huge game as the St. Louis Rams were soundly defeated by the Philadelphia Eagles.  

Williams looked great in relief duty of starter Steven Jackson, who suffered a quad injury after a 47-yard rushing touchdown on the first play from scrimmage.  

Cadillac carried the pigskin 19 times for 91 yards, and actually went on to lead the team in receptions with five catches for 40 yards.

Given that head coach Steve Spagnuola has already stated that Jackson may not play against the Giants in Week 2, Cadillac immediately becomes a must-start in all formats.  

Although Big Blue is often stout against the run, Williams will get the Lions' share of carries (especially on the goal line) and will still see some passes out of the backfield.  

The Houston Texans' Ben Tate is in a similar situation, except that starting running back Arian Foster has a fair chance of playing in Week 2. 

Even if Foster is the starter against Miami, Tate is probably worth taking a “stash-and-see” approach, as hamstring injuries tend to linger.  

Devery Henderson, WR New Orleans Saints

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An effective fantasy football entity coming from one of the league’s most high-powered offenses?  It’s a funny world we live in sometimes. 

Henderson finished Week 1 with a solid stat line with six catches for 100 yards and a touchdown. 

And it’s not like the Green Bay Packers are a cupcake defense. 

Normally, Henderson is known to do a disappearing act from game to game, but with the news that Marques Colston is out for at least a month with a broken collarbone, Henderson all of a sudden sees his fantasy value shoot through the roof. 

If you’re lucky enough to be in a league with Lance Moore and/or Robert Meachem weren’t drafted, they could now have some additional fantasy value as well. 

Word on the street is this Drew Brees guy is pretty good, so it probably won’t be a bad thing to have a Saints player who catches the football in your fantasy team.