Fantasy Football Waiver Wire: Torrey Smith and 5 Must-Have Pick-Ups

SURPRISE! 

Or, Surprise, Surprise...

Whichever iteration you prefer, the fantasy football world was full of 'em in Week 3 of the 2011 NFL season, which likely means your waiver wire is less full of them now.

Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Torrey Smith had far and away the biggest breakout performance of the week in a 37-7 victory over the St. Louis Rams.

Smith, though, was only one among many budding fantasy studs who creeped ever closer to the cream of the crop on Sunday.

Let's have a look then at five guys, Smith included, who should be on your fantasy radar, if not already on your fantasy roster. 

Nate Washington, WR, Tennessee Titans

Nate Washington's been in the NFL for awhile now (he's in his seventh season), so he's not exactly new.

And his big day on Sunday came more as a function of someone else's misfortune (Kenny Britt's knee injury) than his own doing.

That being said, the fantasy football gods don't care how a guy racks up yards and touchdowns so long as he does. 

Trust me, Washington will be racking up plenty of each now that Britt is expected to miss the rest of the season with two torn ligaments in his knee. Matt Hasselbeck has been on a tear since leaving Seattle for Tennessee (310.7 yards per game passing, five touchdowns) and will need someone new to share his prosperity with from here on out.

That someone figures to be Washington, especially after his eight-catch, 92-yard, one-touchdown performance against the Broncos in Week 3.

If Hasselbeck is already showing Washington so much love on the field, then you probably should follow suit in your fantasy league's waiver wire.

Torrey Smith, WR, Baltimore Ravens

Quick! Name the top point man in fantasy football this week.

Did you say Torrey Smith? No?

Not surprising, since Smith, a rookie, hadn't caught a pass until Sunday, when he came up with five of 'em for 152 yards and three touchdowns. The Ravens brought in the young speedster out of Maryland to stretch the field and improve their vertical passing game.

Baltimore didn't really need that in Week 1, when the Steelers kept giving them the ball back with a short field. Joe Flacco and company struggled to get much of anything going against the Titans in Week 2, and things only looked worse when Lee Evans injured his ankle heading into Week 3.

But, as is always the case in the NFL, one man's injury is another man's opportunity, and boy, did Smith ever take full advantage of his.

As enticing a fantasy pickup as Smith clearly is, you may want to hold off for another day or two, at least. Smith pulled up with a hamstring injury in the fourth quarter of the Ravens' win over the Rams on Sunday. Apparently, it's only a tweak, so it shouldn't keep Smith out of the lineup against the Jets in Week 4, but it is something to keep an eye on. Smith's game is predicated on speed, and if he has any reason to hold back, his effectiveness will surely suffer.

Ryan Mathews, RB, San Diego Chargers

Are you ready for your fantasy football simile of the week? Here it goes!

Torrey Smith:wide receivers::Ryan Mathews:running backs.

In plain English, then, Torrey Smith was to wide receivers what Ryan Mathews was to running backs this week. Like Smith, Mathews had the sort of breakout game that fantasy observers have long expected from him. The Chargers' 'back racked up 149 total yards and two touchdowns in a 20-17 win over the lowly Chiefs.

Granted, we had to wait an extra year for Mathews to do something like that, but the fact remains: the kid has finally arrived.

Luckily for Mathews, and those of you who have him or want him on your fantasy teams, he'll spend this coming Sunday running roughshod over a Dolphins defense that's allowed more than 100 yards per game on the ground so far.

Daniel Thomas, RB, Miami Dolphins

Speaking of those same Dolphins, Miami's defense isn't the only thing that's been particularly friendly to fantasy owners this season.

Rookie running back Daniel Thomas has emerged as a surprisingly productive player in South Beach.

It didn't take Tony Sparano very long to figure out that Reggie Bush is not an every-down ball carrier and that wearing different colors doesn't change that.

Thomas, meanwhile, has made the most of the chance he's been given ahead of Bush, picking up 117 total yards against Houston in Week 2 and another 122 total yards and a touchdown against the Browns this time around.

At 6'1" and 228 pounds, Thomas has more than enough size and ability to be a productive, bruising 'back in the NFL for years to come, 2011 included.

And let's not forget, the Chargers, whom Thomas will be running against this week, are pretty ground-game-friendly themselves, relinquishing 111.3 yards per game rushing through three contests.

That being the case, don't pass on Thomas this time around if you can pick him up. 

Victor Cruz, WR, New York Giants

Remember Victor Cruz? The guy who was a preseason star for the New York Giants in the summer of 2010? The guy who came up with three touchdowns in a single, meaningless game?

Well, as it turns out, Cruz may yet be for real, at least in a fantasy sense. With Domenik Hixon and Mario Manningham out with injuries, Cruz finally got his chance to shine on Sunday, pulling in three balls for 110 yards and two long touchdowns.

What's more, Cruz's accomplishments came while he was covered by All-Pro corner Nnamdi Asomugha.

Manningham and Hakeem Nicks should be back and ready to play within the next week or so, but Cruz still figures to see plenty of playing time with Hixon out for the year with a torn ACL.

If Eli Manning continues to play as well as he has in the early going this season, look for Cruz to be one of his biggest beneficiaries.

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