Week 1: Pickups of the Week

The season starts Wednesday and the waiver wire has been picked clean. There may not be any diamonds left in this rough, but you can still find players who will shine in the right circumstances. Have a glance at this cast of misfits and see if you can't round out your bench or patch-up some of those roster spots that have been vacated by injured players.

QB Blaine Gabbert, ---

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Among the 2011 rookie QB class, Gabbert drew the short straw. Sentenced to start in talent-starved Jacksonville, he had no one to throw to and few opportunities to throw last year thanks to his team's iron-clad commitment to the run game. This season he might be given a little more leeway. He has better receivers (Laurent Robinson, Justin Blackmon) and questions about Maurice Jones-Drew's availability/readiness could dampen the team's willingness to go as run-heavy. If you ever consider starting Gabbert, this is the week to do it. He faces a Vikings squad that gave up the most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks last season.

QB Jake Locker, ---

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Matt Hasselbeck is squarely in the rearview mirror and Locker has been handed the keys to a shiny new 2012 Titans offense. Is he ready? His preseason performance didn't wow us and accuracy remains a concern, but he seems to get the job done when it matters and his scrambling ability adds an extra dimension to his fantasy worthiness. He'll be given a soft introduction to life as a starter when he opens the season against New England's sieve-like secondary.

RB Ronnie Brown, ---

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Ryan Mathews is still recovering from a broken collar bone, leaving Ronnie Brown to handle a feature role -- possibly for the next few weeks. Though Brown's injury history is well-documented, it's not yet time to write him off. After logging a full season with Miami in 2010 when he was splitting time with Reggie Bush, he caught on with the Eagles in 2011 and survived another 16 consecutive healthy games as a change-of-pace behind LeSean McCoy. His on-field abilities have never been in question and he's shown, despite the health concerns, that he can still be very effective with a conservative workload. In Norv Turner's offense he'll have a chance to thrive -- not as a workhorse, but as the short term primary back with a supporting committee consisting of some combination of Curtis Brinkley, Jackie Battle and LeRon McClain.

RB Jonathan Dwyer, ---

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With Rashard Mendenhall likely out of the picture for the first four or five weeks, Jonathan Dwyer has stepped up to challenge Isaac Redman for first chair RB duties. Redman looks to have the early edge, but Pittsburgh figures to go with a committee approach until one of the two backs distinguishes himself. With minimal playing time, Dwyer averaged a whopping 7.7 yards per carry last season. He was solid this preseason, amassing 147 yard on 28 carries, and could push Redman to the bench if his hot hand continues when the games start to count. Worth at least stashing on your bench until we see how the carries get split in Week 1.

RB Evan Royster, ---

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For now, Evan Royster tops the Redskins depth chart at running back. Of course, he'd be owned in far more than the current 50 per cent of fantasy leagues if he didn't have Mike Shanahan as a coach. Shanahan is known for his ability to get the most out of his running backs. He's also known for shuffling them off to the bench on a whim. Last year, owners suffered through a debacle pitting Tim Hightower against Roy Helu with doses of Royster and Ryan Torain thrown in for good measure. Week-to-week it was nearly impossible to guess who would draw the start and who would get the most carries. Unfortnuately, there's little clarity again this season. Chosing any Washington back is a gamble, but Royster has the most favorable odds.

WR Brandon LaFell, ---

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Over the course of the preseason, LaFell has emerged as a starter and will open play against Tampa Bay this week opposite Steve Smith. Behind Legadu Nanee for most of 2011, LaFell still managed an impressive 613 yards on just 36 catches. As a full-time starter on an explosive offense headed by one of the top young quarterbacks in the game, he could approach 1,000 yards and will bear consideration as a flex play or WR3 most weeks.

WR Laurent Robinson, ---

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Robinson hit the free agency jackpot this offseason. Long damned to fantasy purgatory because of the flashing "fragile" label on his back, he managed to parlay his first (mostly) healthy season into a $32.5-million contract. We're not saying the Jaguars overpaid, but prior to his 11-TD breakout in 2011 Robinson had not scored more than twice in a season over his first four years in the league. Fortunately for fantasy owners, Robinson's services come cheaper in the realm of fake football. One of last year's breakout players is sitting on the waiver wire in many leagues right now. You don't need to trust his health or sign his paychecks, just throw him out there for Week 1 and trust he will exploit a Minnesota secondary that was extremely generous to visiting wideouts last year.

WR Rod Streater, ---

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A training camp and preseason darling, the undrafted Streater could pay serious dividends for owners in PPR leagues. With Jacoby Ford ailing, Streater seems to have a direct line to the starting slot job in Week 1 -- a position he might never relinquish. Unlike other Raiders receivers, Streater is a big-bodied concise route-runner with great hands. He's not as speedy as his teammates, but he could prove to be more consistent. Worth a gamble in deeper formats.

WR Kendall Wright, ---

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A 2012 first-rounder out of Baylor, Wright draws a starting assignment right out of the gates thanks to a Kenny Britt suspension. The rooke impressed in preseason and seemed poised to fill Britt's shoes long-term when it looked like the veteran was going to miss multiple games. Instead, Britt benefits from a rare instance of leniancy from the league's discipline committee and Wright gets a one-week test run. If you have the roster space, it might be worthwhile to roll the dice with the youngster versus a Patriots defense that struggled in coverage all last season.

TE Dustin Keller, ---

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Keller quietly put together a solid 65-ctach, 815-yard season -- if it's possible for any player to do things quietly in the football fishbowl that is New York/New Jersey. Only his limited touchdown output (five) kept him from cracking the top ten fantasy tight ends. He'll have an outside shot to ascend to the ranks of the TE1-worthy this season and opens with favorable competition against the visiting Bills. Buffalo gave up nearly a touchdown per game to opposing tight ends in 2011.