Week 1 aftermath: How to replace Tom Brady

September 10, 12:36 PMFantasy Football ExaminerDave Del Grande

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If you drafted Tom Brady in the first round of your fantasy draft, consider yourself lucky.

Lucky, that is, the injury occurred on Opening Day of the NFL season.

You see, there's never a better time to hit the waiver wire than after Week 1. As usual, several gems uncovered themselves on Opening Day. Suffice it to say, they won't be on the waiver wire long.

Obviously, no one on waivers can replace Brady. But let's not kid ourselves: One of the best offensive teams in the history of football last season isn't about to switch to a wishbone approach just because its quarterback got hurt.

Matt Cassel will step in and be fine. When all is said and done, he will be a Top 15 quarterback. Maybe even Top 10. He probably won't win you a fantasy championship, but he's not going to lose you one, either.

If I were Brady's owner, I'd make Cassel my No. 1 priority on the waiver wire this week. And if I didn't get him, I'd e-mail the club that did and see if a trade could be worked out.

Speaking of trades, the aftermath of Week 1 also is a great time to find a trade partner. That's because all those great picks on draft day suddenly don't look so good anymore.

I'm not saying you should overreact to one game. But someone in your league is bound to do exactly that, and that's why being the first to contact this person is highly recommended.

Maybe Carson Palmer's owner has soured on him. Or Marc Bulger. Or Matt Hasselbeck. Any of those three would be a nice trade acquisition at a decent price right now, especially if you have a Brady-sized hole to fill.

How about the owner who drafted Philip Rivers or Jake Delhomme as a backup? Maybe this rival now wants to make a change, potentially dropping a pretty good quarterback on your hands.

The point is: You didn't lose your fantasy championship just because you had some back luck in Game 1. But here's where you could make a huge mistake: By not making a waiver claim or seeking out trade options this week.

Here, let me point you in the right direction. Here are my observations on Opening Day(s):

• Lions-Falcons
• Buccaneers-Saints
• Cowboys-Browns
• Rams-Eagles
• Cardinals-49ers
• Panthers-Chargers
• Bengals-Ravens
• Dolphins-Jets
• Bears-Colts
• Texans-Steelers
• Jaguars-Titans
• Redskins-Giants
• Vikings-Packers
• Broncos-Raiders