We wait seven months for football, and then 13 games are upon us in one day and it's deliriously overwhelming. We don't know where to look; we want to see it all, but that's impossible.

This new Monday morning column, being sent out with our Daily Dose email (signup to get it in your inbox every week day by entering your email address in the right-hand column of this page), hopes to let you take a deep breath, survey the Fantasy Nation landscape, and get caught up on the stories that matter.

This is going to work out just fine

1. Travis Henry and Mike Shanahan's running game sure looked like a good match on paper. With 183 total yards in his first game, Henry made it a reality. He put the preseason injury concerns behind him and looked like a first-round fantasy pick.

2. Tom Brady to Randy Moss. Yeah, this could work. The Patriots probably aren't going to miss the fourth-round pick they traded for Moss in April, as the second best wide receiver ever to come out of Marshall (Moss said it, not me) caught nine passes for 183 yards and a score – his biggest total since 1999.

While he didn't look blazing fast, Moss made tough leaping catches in traffic and beat triple coverage for a 51-yard score. Five of his first six catches went for more than 15 yards; he's New England's only true deep threat. The Patriots will spread it around more usually, but Moss only needs to throw in a handful of huge games to go with his lesser efforts to re-join the fantasy elite.

3. As a representative of Torry Holt owners everywhere, I want to thank Big Game for worrying out loud about his knee right before draft season. And then putting up a ho-hum eight catches for 73 yards and a touchdown in his first game.

4. Who needs a quarterback when you have Adrian Peterson? With Chester Taylor hurt, AP looked every bit like The Next Great Fantasy Running Back with 163 yards and a touchdown in his debut. He runs with such force, one can only hope he stays healthy. If Taylor's injury lingers, the Peterson Era is already in full swing.

5. Microfracture, microshmacture. Kellen Winslow put up 83 yards in his first official game back from the once career-threatening knee surgery.

6. Matt Schaub backed up a scorching preseason with a composed first game as a starter in Houston, connecting for 225 yards, one touchdown, and one pick against a solid Chiefs defense. Schaub has connected on 73% of his passes in a Houston uniform. Andre Johnson (172 yards) owners rejoice!

7. My optimism surrounding Raiders skill players Ronald Curry (10-133-1) and LaMont Jordan (159 total yards, 1 TD) wasn't just based on the varied skill sets they've displayed in the past. It was based on Oakland's record-setting ineptitude last year. If Lane Kiffin can just make the Raiders mediocre, improved numbers will follow.

Curry is one of the best twenty receivers in the NFL and his numbers will show it if Oakland is average. Josh McCown may play just well enough for Oakland to get beat, but the overall level of the offense was back to NFL standards Sunday. You are supposed to move the ball on the Lions, and they did. PPR owners of Jordan should love his eight-catch, 89-yard effort out of the backfield. He had 74 receiving yards all of last year after piling up 563 in 2005.

Don't Panic Yet

1. In his first game as Jaguars coordinator, Dirk Koetter called 13 combined runs for Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew, while David Garrard threw 30 passes. It was a tight game throughout. Look for Koetter to welcome Jack Del Rio back into his office this week, when Del Rio will plead for a return to smashmouth football.

2. I heard from a few panicked Chris Cooley owners who wanted to drop him for Marcedes Lewis or Eric Johnson. Relax - Cooley had a few similar games early last year. All tight ends do. That's why they don't put up 1,000 yards.

3. Take a deep breath Steven Jackson owners. He actually played worse against Carolina last year.

4. Thomas Jones may not put up great stats until the Jets are past their New England/Baltimore gauntlet to start the year, but he still got the majority of carries over Leon Washington Sunday. Jones may be a buy-low candidate next week.

5. Donovan McNabb was shaky in his season debut, completing less than half his passes for 184 yards and a score. But the dominant Packers defense is going to make a lot of offenses look bad. Worry about number five if he can't improve against the Redskins next week.

6. All offseason, I've talked about Larry Johnson's risks: his health and his teammates. His teammates did him in Sunday, as LJ only earned ten carries because Kansas City trailed all game and the passing game couldn't convert first downs.

Johnson owners could find positives though. He still looked like the LJ of old when he touched the ball, piling up 87 total yards in limited work. Johnson's teammates will keep him from being great this year, but his owners can hope for him to be good.

7. Here were the three scoring drives completed by the Green Bay offense Sunday:

* -1 yard, 3 points
* 51 yards, 3 points
* 6 yards, 3 points.

With a shaky running game, young players everywhere on offense, and Brett Favre in decline, this unit could take a while to get going. I'm concerned, but am willing to be patient.

8. Cedric Benson predictably struggled against the Chargers. Rotoworld has never been high on him as a dominant fantasy back, but he'll have better days. He's the type of RB2 that can't rise up against great defenses like San Diego's. He'll pile up his numbers when the Lions come to town.

9. Oakland's Nmandi Asomugha was responsible for Roy Williams' four-catch, 20-yard effort. The depth of the Raiders secondary behind Nmandi was exposed.

Go Ahead and Panic

1. Maurice Stovall barely saw the field for Tampa despite David Boston hurting his foot. I still could see Stovall making a fantasy impact this year, but there's no need to remain overly patient with a buried Tampa receiver. Ike Hilliard actually had an encouraging performance against Seattle. I would tell you to pick him up, but then I'd have to kill myself.

2. Donte' Stallworth was New England's fifth receiver Sunday according to snaps, behind even Kelley Washington. Stallworth played 26 fewer snaps than Jabar Gaffney, who essentially was a starter. Stallworth will probably have his moments this year, but good luck guessing when they come. I wouldn't hold on too long in shallow leagues.

3. Dwayne Jarrett was inactive for the Panthers. Unless you are in a keeper league, his upside isn't worth holding on to.

4. The same goes for Reggie Williams, who was a healthy scratch for Jacksonville. It's not a good sign for his career when a seventh-round pick like John Broussard is ahead of him.

5. The Rams offense, especially Marc Bulger, won't be same if Orlando Pace is out for an extended period of time. They will hardly turn into the Browns, but monster numbers will be more difficult to post.

6. Anyone forecasting a surprise by the Falcons offense this season was just being a contrarian for contrarian sake. This is one of the worst teams in football on both sides of the ball. They would be with or without Michael Vick. Jerious Norwood could earn more carries after Warrick Dunn struggled badly in Week 1, but Dunn is getting most of the work now.

7. I'm not sure Jamal Lewis has enough left in the tank to succeed if he was on an average offense. But I know he's not good enough to overcome playing on one of the worst offenses in the league. Lewis fumbled early against the Steelers Sunday and their revamped offensive line looked just like they did last season. The Browns had six months to decide on a starting quarterback, and they waited exactly ten passes Sunday before yanking Charlie Frye for Derek Anderson.

8. T.J. Duckett appeared to have put on some weight. He also appeared to be running through pudding when he got the ball (three carries, four yards). T.J. Duckett did not need to put on any more weight.

9. Devin Hester had one offensive snap Sunday. He was an insane fantasy pick to begin with. Jump ship.

Fear the Champ

Lee Evans is probably one of the best ten pure wide receivers in the NFL. Matched against Champ Bailey, he finished with two catches for five yards. With the additions of Dre Bly at cornerback and Jim Bates at defensive coordinator, the Broncos are going to be difficult to pass against. J.P. Losman finished with a microscopic 4.6 yards-per-attempt and wasn't able to top 100 passing yards.

So much for a committee

Dick Jauron talked tough all offseason about splitting up carries in the Buffalo backfield. But when gameday arrived, Marshawn Lynch put the struggles of the preseason behind him with 99 total yards and a score on 21 touches. He looked consistent from the first carry. The A Train got on the track four times, for seven yards. And Lynch owners everywhere felt a lot more secure.

Four's Company

Ben Roethlisberger, Tony Romo, and Eli Manning all endured offseason with varying levels of skepticism thrown their way. They each responded with four touchdowns in Week 1. Ben pulled it off despite only 161 yards. Romo pulled it off with 345 yards thrown in on only 24 attempts. He's off to a good start defending his YPA crown. Eli managed the feat despite a shoulder injury. More on that later.

Looks like a Committee

1. Cam Cameron talked up Jesse Chatman and followed through by playing him in key situations throughout the game, often with Ronnie Brown in the same backfield. Brown wound up with 17 touches for 72 total yards, while Chatman had 13 touches for 63 yards. And Brown owners began to wonder if 300 carries is but a dream.

2. Maybe the offseason is overrated. Clinton Portis barely practiced for ten months, yet looked to be in mid-season form with 98 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries. Ladell Betts wound up with one more touch (and 21 less yards), but that division of carries may not last long.

3. LenDale White started and looked ready to carry the load for the Titans early, but Chris Brown's terrific play forced a split of carries. Brown gained 80 yards on his first five carries and never looked back on the way to 175 carries. Don't expect Brown to become a workhorse, though. He's started fast before and wore down quickly. Jeff Fisher knows Brown well and won't overburden him with more than 15-20 carries a game. This will be a split until it doesn't work.

4. More of the same in Dallas. Julius Jones and Marion Barber split carries, and Barber outplayed the starter.

5. Ron Dayne quietly had 13 carries to 16 for Ahman Green, and only four of Dayne's totes came on the final drive when the game was decided. Green outplayed Dayne, but Texans coach Gary Kubiak is wise to divvy up the workload between his veterans – even if Green's fantasy owners don't agree.

Calm Down

1. Antwaan Randle El caught five passes for 162 yards in Week 1. While he's passed Brandon Lloyd as the second most valuable Redskins wideout, he may not put up half this total again all year.

2. Drew Carter caught two touchdowns, but he was the team's third receiver and only had three total catches. Odds are you just missed his best fantasy day for a while.

Depth Charting

1. Selvin Young was indeed Denver's backup running back on Sunday. Cecil Sapp was the starting fullback, and finished with one more carry, but Young was in at crunch time when Travis Henry briefly left the game.

2. Calvin Johnson was basically Detroit's fourth receiver against Oakland Sunday, playing behind Mike Furrey and Shaun McDonald. And yet Johnson still put up 70 yards and a touchdown in his first NFL game. The Lions go three and four wide so often, Johnson will get enough targets to be fantasy-worthy. He's being put in positions to succeed. More performances like these should help him earn even more snaps.

Infirmary report

Brian Flood will cover injures more in depth each Monday morning in our Season Pass package, but I'll give you the quick skinny here.

This week was defined by all the injuries. While they will hurt many fantasy owners, they also create opportunities. I try to take a Patriot-like view on injuries. Accept them as part of the game, don't moan about them, and quickly move on and try to find solutions. Don't waste energy on what you can't control.

1. Bills TE Kevin Everett's injury goes beyond sports. It casts a deep sadness on the whole day of football. We can only wish the young man and his family the best in the difficult days ahead.

2. Rotoworld favorite Brandon Jacobs suffered a potentially devastating injury when his knee buckled back on a hit Sunday. Testing will be performed Monday, but early indications are it's a sprained MCL – a three or four week injury.

3. D.J. Hackett left Sunday early with an ankle injury. Nate Burleson played the rest of the game in his place and caught two passes. That's two more than Deion Branch caught the whole game.

3. Carnell Williams was on his way to 100 yards before leaving in the third quarter against Seattle with a rib injury. Michael Pittman and Earnest Graham filled in for him.

4. Eli Manning left New York's wild loss late with a "bruised" right shoulder. Tests will reveal if it's something worse, and my instinct guesses it is. At least Eli was considerate enough to deliver 312 yards and four scores before the bad news.

5. Chad Pennington wound up missing a few series with an ankle injury, and further tests will show if it's anything serious. Jeff Garcia also missed time after getting decked, something that's probably going to happen too much.

6. Chester Taylor left Minnesota's game early with a hip pointer. Wait for the prognosis, but Taylor is worth holding on to in all leagues unless he's out for the year.

Waiver Wired Preview

Here are a few of the names who will be mentioned in Tuesday's waiver wired column.

Selvin Young
Michael Pittman
Nate Burleson
Sammy Morris
Derrick Ward
Mewelde Moore
Jared Lorenzen (any excuse to write about him)

Worst Person in Fantasy Football

I ran this segment in homage to Keith Olbermann's Countdown in the preseason a few times before I knew he was doing it for football on Football Night in America. It could because of the overkill. But show must go on.

Our Week 1 winner is Brandon Jacobs. Injuries happen, but do they have to happen six plays into the season? Honorable mention goes to Steven Jackson for his 61 total yard, two lost fumble effort.

Editor's Note: It's not too late to signup for the $100,000 Fantasy Challenge. Your worst two weeks are dropped, so if you didn't play in Week 1, you are just fine. $100,000 Fantasy Challenge.
Signup now.

Also check out...