Congratulations if you were lucky enough to land Michael Vick, Brandon Jackson, Mark Clayton or maybe even Hakeem Nicks on the waiver wire.
Now it's time to take advantage of those who didn't.
You see, every fantasy squad got exposed in Week 1. There were countless injuries, disappointments and guys who were so bad, their names didn't even appear in the boxscore. A handful of owners were able to erase their biggest draft-day mistakes (or misfortunes) via the waiver process. The others are still holding the body bags.
That makes this the perfect time to offer these desperate rivals a trade.
Using the upcoming schedule as a means of distinguishing guys who should be targeted from those who should be jettisoned, today I offer up players I believe will have you forgetting all about Vick and his waiver-wire graduates in the very near future.
Steal him/deal him
Kyle Orton, Broncos: Utilizing a rejuvenated Eddie Royal, a healthy Brandon Lloyd and a dependable Jabar Gaffney, Orton came out firing in the opener. That's likely to continue as none of Denver's next three opponents ranks higher than 20th in my fantasy rankings against the pass. Steal him.
Arian Foster, Texans: Seriously? Yes. Let me tell you a few things about Mr. Foster: His college career was marred by fumbles and injuries, and he probably wouldn't have started the opener had Ben Tate not broken his ankle in the preseason. Now, with two monster run defenses (Washington and Dallas) ready to pop his balloon, you're being offered Steven Jackson straight up for him? Deal him.
Ahmad Bradshaw, Giants: A successful trade starts with a legitimate offer. Pursuing a guy who was drafted as a fantasy backup is a reasonable approach. But don't be fooled: Bradshaw isn't what he appeared on draft day. He's now the featured back on a high-scoring team, one that won't see an above-average run defense until almost Halloween. Steal him.
Matt Forte, Bears: It should be no surprise that a Mike Martz running back caught 28- and 89-yard touchdown passes in the opener. But that was supposed to be Chester Taylor, not Forte, right? And maybe next time it will. You'll never get better value on a guy whose short-term prospects - up against the mighty Dallas and Green Bay run defenses - don't look so good. Deal him.
Steve Breaston, Cardinals. It's understandable why most of us were generally uninterested in Breaston on draft day. The Cardinals were talking about running more and, at least initially, had Matt Leinart penciled in at quarterback. But things have changed, and if Breaston's fantasy owner believes he has two better wideouts, maybe you could get him cheaply (like maybe straight up for Terrell Owens)? With three of the league's worst pass defenses (Raiders, Chargers, Buccaneers) on the pre-November radar, Breaston isn't going to be anybody's backup for long. Steal him.
Randy Moss, Patriots: At the postgame podium to talk about his team's impressive opening win over the Bengals, Moss instead took the opportunity to remind everyone he's unhappy with his contract situation. Talk about a party-pooper. Things can only get worse, especially if nemesis Darrelle Revis shuts him down like last year. Tune in Sunday, it could be fun. Unless, of course, you're Moss' fantasy owner. Deal him.
Vincent Jackson, Chargers: Not everyone was disappointed in the Chargers' loss at Kansas City. You have to know Jackson was laughing all the way to the bank. He's sitting pretty right now - either set to return to a team that doesn't face a quality pass defense until Thanksgiving, or about to get dealt into possibly an even better situation. Steal him (and Sidney Rice, too, if you can).
Steve Smith, Panthers: The former fantasy standout posted winning numbers in the opener, but let's face it: He's not going far with Matt Moore (or Jimmy Clausen) as his quarterback and seeing double coverage everywhere he turns. The next three foes (Buccaneers, Bengals and Saints) are all better at defending the pass than the Giants, so now's the time to sell high. I'll take Knowshon Moreno straight up. Deal him.
Play him/sit him
Brandon Jackson, Packers. The best thing about winning the Jackson (or Vick) sweepstakes at the waiver wire this week? The next opponent. Only the Raiders are worse against the run than the Bills. Or in Vick's case, no one rolls out the welcome mat more graciously to quarterbacks than the Lions. Play him (them).
Matt Schaub, Texans: Yeah, I know, it's hard to sit the guy. But the Redskins just got done ruining opening day for Tony Romo's fantasy owners, so a precedent has been set. You'd be better off with the guy on the other sideline, Donovan McNabb. Sit him.
Percy Harvin, Vikings: No doubt, the Vikings weren't ready for the opener. Brett Favre was still in commercial mode and Harvin hadn't completely shaken the cobwebs out of his head. But that - and a visit from the Dolphins' 30th-rated pass defense - is the beauty of playing the Thursday opener: More time to rest up for Game 2. Play him.
Fred Taylor, Patriots: It's nice that the veteran has established himself as the primary back on what could be the league's highest-scoring team. That will earn him fantasy-starter status at least 10 times this season. But up against a Jets defense that permitted Ray Rice just 43 yards on 21 carries? No thanks. Sit him.
Dave Del Grande, a.k.a. Mr. Fantasy, offers free advice about your fantasy football team via e-mail at dave@mrfantasy.com.
