Fantasy Football Waiver-Wire Wonders: Cam Newton and 8 Pickups Post-Week 1

It's that time of the year again.

Sundays are once again tightly packed staring anxiously at computer and television screens. The fantasy-football shaped hole in my heart has once again been filled. 

And as much as it is fun to watch your drafted players perform, it's just as intriguing searching for those diamonds in the rough early on that can make a huge impact on your season. 

I still get those geeky chills from adding Michael Vick, Brandon Lloyd and Co. after Week 1 last season.

Here are some players we can hope will do their best fantasy-stud imitations.

(P.S.: To those IDP players out there, I included a few options just for you.)

QB: Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers

Owned in 25.3 percent ESPN Leagues

Well, that sure shut up the haters, for a week at least. 

Newton did a lot to answer questions about his game, and how it would translate to the pros. His cannon arm was pretty accurate, especially on deep passes. It appears that a rapport with Steve Smith has already developed, which is good news for both parties. 

I was especially surprised by the lack of success in the running game, and if that continues the team may choose to rely on Newton even more. 

Obviously, caution should be practiced and expectations tempered when dealing with a rookie quarterback. He'll have his growing pains and tough games along with the jaw-dropping performances. 

What it means for his fantasy value is that he's a nice add for now, but don't assume he's a consistent fantasy option just yet. Take a gamble on him for his limitless upside that has already been showcased, especially if your starter is Sam Bradford, Peyton Manning, or you're worried about Eli Manning.

QB: Chad Henne, Miami Dolphins

Owned in 5.4 percent ESPN Leagues

Another player who had his share of critics; if I recall correctly, Dolphin fans were booing Henne during training camp.

Henne certainly wasn't at fault Monday night, going 30-of-49 for 416 yards with three total touchdowns. He made full use of every weapon at his disposal, especially taking advantage of Reggie Bush out of the backfield.

He even took advantage of opportunities to scramble when they were there, showing that perhaps he's matured and is more aware than he was last season. 

As one of the top scorers of the week, Henne is a nice add, especially if you need a starter next week. In Week 2, Miami will face the Texans, a team that shut down Kerry Collins but doesn't have a particularly good secondary. 

This might be Henne's breakout year, it might not. Personally, I'd rather add Newton, but Henne may be more consistent if you are looking for a starter.

Other QB options:

Ryan Fitzpatrick, owned 26.7 percent ESPN: It was more that Kansas City was terrible, but Fitzpatrick was a decent fill-in last year and might be this year again. Week 2 vs. Buffalo

Rex Grossman, owned 3.5 percent ESPN: If you really want to play the matchups, he plays against Arizona next week. 

RB: Cadillac Williams, St. Louis Rams

Owned 7.5 percent in ESPN Leagues

Thanks to Steven Jackson's "felix culpa," Caddy has a chance to revitalize his injury-marred career with the Rams.

After Jackson left Sunday's game with a thigh injury, Cadillac stepped in and did his best Jackson impression, rushing for 91 yards on 19 carries and catching five passes for 49 yards. The Rams showed that they were willing to lean on him, especially when Bradford went out.

Now, Jackson is probably out for next week's game, leaving Caddy the feature back next week against the Giants. If you're searching for a nice flex play (especially in PPR leagues) this is a cheap option. If you're a Steven Jackson owner, I hope you've already put in a claim for him.

RB: Deji Karim, Jacksonville Jaguars

Owned in 8.3 percent of ESPN Leagues

Fantasy players should be surprised by the amount of touches Deji Karim got on Sunday—14 carries and three receptions. 

That's a pretty crazy amount, and even though Maurice Jones-Drew had 24 carries, it seems like the approach this year is to conserve MJD's legs. If that's true, Karim could be a sneaky bye-week option and could be more if MJD injures himself again. 

There's really not many obvious running back pickups, and the name of the game is opportunity. Karim has the opportunity to put up numbers given his situation, and should warrant consideration.

Other RB Options:

You probably shouldn't bother picking up Ben Tate or Derrick Ward unless you're a paranoid Arian Foster owner, because Foster should probably be back next week. In deep leagues they're good handcuffs/ hope Foster gets injured pickups. 

Darren Sproles, 58.2 percent ESPN Leagues: Sproles is a decent PPR flier, but I imagine his role will diminish as Mark Ingram takes over as the lead back. I doubt he gets seven catches and a punt return touchdown every week, but they may choose to integrate their backs in the passing game more without Colston 

WR: Devery Henderson, New Orleans Saints

Owned in 6.6 percent ESPN Leagues

With Lance Moore still out and Colston sidelined for at least a couple of months with a broken collarbone, Henderson will be on the field 95 percent of the time. This is a perfect opportunity for him to produce, and in such a pass-heavy offense you figure Henderson will be seeing plenty of targets his way. 

Henderson should be rostered in all 12-team leagues as a flex option for now. He has always been a tease, an inconsistent player who you figure has to be a stud in New Orleans but never is. He might finally be, for a couple of months (maybe even Brees' go-to receiver). 

Next week, the Saints play the Bears in what should be another high-scoring affair. I might even goes as far as to say that Henderson is a solid WR2 play. 

Other WR Options:

Jabar Gaffney, 1.6 percent: Gaffney's not a bad option next week against the Cardinals, pretty firmly locked in as the No. 2 WR in Washington. Then again, he is Jabar Gaffney...

Randall Cobb, 9.6 percent: The Packers spread the ball way too much, but if you're in a league that counts return yardage he is a decent pickup. 

TE: Dustin Keller, New York Jets

Owned in 38.5 percent ESPN Leagues

There's a lot of solid TE options that are likely to be on your waiver wire, and I consider Keller to be one of the best. He and Mark Sanchez have developed a nice connection over the years, and Sanchez seemed to look Keller's way a lot in go-to situations. 

It remains to be seen how long Plaxico holds up, and for now Keller is a top backup TE and borderline starter in 12-team leagues. 

TE: Jermaine Gresham, Cincinnati Bengals

Owned in 8.5 percent ESPN Leagues

In case Keller isn't available in your league, Gresham is a close second this week. I actually may like him a bit more in PPR leagues, as the short yardage game is popular with rookie quarterback Andy Dalton. 

Catching six passes for 58 yards and a touchdown on eight targets, Gresham could not only be the safety blanket for Dalton moving forward but also a big end zone target. 

Other TE Options:

Ed Dickson, 1.2 percent: A personal favorite of mine, Dickson is an athletic playmaker who has his chance to shine without Todd Heap this year. Problem is, there's still Dennis Pitta splitting snaps, but Dickson was targeted a lot more. If Lee Evans and the rest of the receivers don't step up, Dickson could be a big target for Joe Flacco. 

Fred Davis, 1.8 percent: Davis continues to make his case for more playing time. It's clear a change of guard is coming, but for now he will continue to lose time to incumbent Chris Cooley. If Cooley's knee acts up, though, watch out. Davis has proven he can be a stud tight end and could turn out to be this year's Jacob Tamme, with more upside. 

Scott Chandler, 0.3 percent- This week's top scoring TE, Chandler is a huge 6'7" target for Fitzpatrick. Besides Steve Johnson, there isn't a whole lot for Fitzpatrick to throw to (Donald Jones, David Nelson, bleh). Chandler might be this year's Marcedes Lewis. 

IDP Bonus

I'm a bit of an IDP enthusiast myself, and I find it hard to get IDP information. IDP gurus don't need to listen to me here, but for those in their first league in this format, here are some good options to consider. 

A quick note on IDP: It's not always about the Clay Matthews and Brian Urlachers of the NFL—you just need a good situation that can rack up plenty of tackles. 

Pat Angerer, MLB IND: Angerer is a tackling machine with Gary Brackett out, and the Colts figure to be on defense a lot while Kerry Collins leads the offense. You might see a lot of these 10-plus tackle performances from Angerer. 

D'Qwell Jackson, MLB CLE: Jackson used to be an IDP stud before injuries sidelined him for a couple of years. Now, he's back as the middle linebacker in Cleveland, and he's making plays again. Indianapolis isn't a bad matchup for him next week. 

Bryan Scott, S BUF: Taking over Donte Whitner's safety position, Scott has the opportunity to become a fantasy stud at DB due to his situation. He had nine tackles this week, as well as a sack. 

Others to consider: Sean Lee, MLB DAL; Earl Thomas, S SEA; Jason Pierre-Paul, DE NYG