Fantasy Football Emerging Names: Backups Who Will See Extensive Time in Week 1

Because of injuries to NFL starters, fantasy football owners will have to scramble to find replacements in Week 1.

Those players can be found among the backups who will see more playing time this week.

Here are three worth considering.

Ronnie Brown, RB, San Diego Chargers

Chargers running back Ryan Mathews has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Oakland Raiders. That means Brown will get the majority of the carries.

The 30-year-old has been a disappointment since being drafted No. 2 overall by the Miami Dolphins in 2005, but not all of that has been his fault. Unfortunately for Brown, he's been stuck behind elite running backs throughout his career.

But that holds true no longer, at least for Week 1 of 2012. With an inexperienced back like Curtis Brinkley as the Chargers' No. 2 option, Brown is certain to see a heavy workload on Sunday and that could lead to a big day.

Even if you have little faith in Brown's abilities, take solace that he's going against the unproven Raiders defense.

Isaac Redman, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers

Rashard Mendenhall was pushing hard to be ready for the first week of the season after tearing his ACL eight months ago. But sadly for the Steelers' back, he's listed as doubtful for Week 1.

That leaves Redman, who has proven to be a solid back during his time in Pittsburgh, as the featured back. He ran for 479 yards on 110 attempts in 2011, good for 4.4 yards per carry.

When called upon in last year's playoff matchup with the Broncos—the same defense he'll play against this Sunday—Redman scorched Denver for 121 yards on 17 carries, averaging an astounding 7.1 yards per touch in the losing effort.

With a positive history in general and great results against the Broncos in last year's playoffs, Redman is the perfect medicine to cure the injury bug on any fantasy football team.

Toby Gerhart, RB, Minnesota Vikings

It might be tempting to start Adrian Peterson, but fantasy owners should be wary of it.

Peterson is still on the comeback trail after tearing his ACL and MCL last season. He's been protected in practice, but no such luxury will exist on Sunday.

He's being listed as a game-time decision, so starting Peterson is nowhere near a certainty. Even if he is active, Peterson will likely see limited action. The Vikings don't want to risk giving him too much to do so soon.

Most likely, Toby Gerhart will get the majority of the carries. While his name might not be well known, he has proven to be a reliable back.

Gerhart broke the 90-yard mark three times after his carries increased in 2011 and averaged nearly five yards per carry on a bad team. That should be more than enough to persuade fantasy owners to start Gerhart on Sunday.