By Michael Blunda
Sept. 8, 2008

Maybe it’s just me, but this Week One seemed to be more eventful than most. I guess when the reigning league MVP (Tom Brady) suffers a season-ending ACL tear, two other starting QBs (Vince Young and Brodie Croyle) are lost for multiple weeks and two of the Super Bowl favorites (Chargers and Colts) get upset at home, that is a lot for one day. Well, all that aside, here is this week’s Fantasy Ticker, which will let you know who to pick up, who to trade for and who to get rid of as soon as possible.

Hot pickups

These players should be free agents in many leagues. Pounce on them if you can.

DeSean Jackson

Falcons QB Matt Ryan
Ryan’s debut couldn’t have turned out any better. The first-round pick tossed a 62-yard touchdown on his first pro pass and proceeded to complete 9-of-13 attempts for 161 yards in a 34-21 victory over Detroit. Now, Ryan shouldn’t be targeted in all leagues, but he should be owned in those that start two QBs or have expansive rosters. He only figures to improve as the season rolls on.

Dolphins TE Anthony Fasano
Finally out of Jason Witten’s shadow in Dallas, Fasano was able to show off his talents Sunday. In his first game for the Dolphins, he finished with eight catches for 84 yards and a touchdown, clearly establishing himself as the main target for QB Chad Pennington. Given Pennington’s weak arm, Fasano should see a lot of short-to-intermediate throws, which could translate into lots of yards and scores.

Giants RB Derrick Ward
While all us fantasy pundits thought Ahmad Bradshaw was going to be the guy spelling Brandon Jacobs in New York, it turns out Ward was handed those honors. Ward saw roughly one-third of the carries in Week One and looked pretty good in the process, with 39 rushing yards on nine carries. He also added 21 receiving yards on two catches. Given Jacobs’ violent running style, Ward is someone to handcuff for if — or when — Jacobs goes down.

Buy low

Here’s a player who has underperformed thus far and has seen his value drop. Trade for him before it’s too late.

Redskins TE Chris Cooley
Cooley had an awful first game, catching just one pass for seven yards against the Giants. However, new Redskins coach Jim Zorn has vowed to make Cooley the primary pass catcher in the offense, and it’s only a matter of time before that happens. He did have an 18-yard catch and run in the opener but it was wiped out by offsetting penalties. As QB Jason Campbell gets a better grasp of the system, Cooley will begin to see plenty of balls come his way. You’d be wise to snatch him at a bargain-basement price.

Sell high

Deal this guy for productive players right away, because his value is about to take a steep drop-off.

Patriots WR Randy Moss
This one is based solely on Tom Brady’s injury. If the All-Pro quarterback is indeed lost for the season, Moss could be in for a long year. Remember when he wasn’t getting the ball in Oakland and quickly became disinterested? Well, the same could happen in New England if Brady’s replacement struggles. If you can get close to equal value for Moss right now, you’d be wise to trade him away and let someone else deal with the fallout.

Cut bait

You might have thought this player had fantasy potential, but he clearly doesn’t. Drop him now.

Dolphins WR Ernest Wilford
Those of you who had very early drafts probably thought at the time that Wilford would start for Miami. Wrong. Not only is the former Jaguar not starting, he wasn’t even active in Week One. Given how far Wilford has tumbled down the depth chart, there’s no need to hold on to him in any leagues. Toss this fish into the free-agent ocean.