By John Nemo
Enquirer contributor

Waiver wire, anyone?

After all, the first few weeks of the regular season are the best times to find those potential fill-in starters or studs-in-training you came out of your draft or auction failing to identify.

And while all those guys who snapped up Denver receiver Ashley Lelie early on are finding out what Jake Plummer can do to a passing game, owners dazzled by Anquan Boldin's 217-yard, two-touchdown performance last week against Detroit are no doubt scrambling to grab him.

But keep in mind: With most waiver wire acquisitions, the reality doesn't usually meet the hype. That said, here's a guide to some of the best players most likely available.

Best of the bunch: Marc Bulger, Rams. If the guy who drafted Kurt Warner in your league was dumb enough not to handcuff Bulger to him, congratulations. A fantasy stud is sitting right out in the open, waiting for you to snap him up.

Bulger proved last season he has the skills and smarts to run the high-octane St. Louis offense, and he'll start this week against San Francisco and its suspect secondary. With a woozy Warner on the sidelines, St. Louis is going to have a QB controversy again this season, because Bulger is the real deal.

Good Betts: Most of us thought Trung Canidate would be the guy in Washington, but Ladell Betts showed against the Jets he's ready to be the main man for Steve Spurrier. That doesn't mean a ton, given how much Washington likes to throw, but if you need a starting back desperately, Betts is a good option.

Moe & Olandis: Other running backs who might be out there include Olandis Gary of Detroit and Moe Williams of Minnesota. Gary is still getting adjusted to life in Detroit but the Lions have nobody else to carry the ball, and Gary is a former 1,000 yard rusher. If Williams hasn't been picked up in your league (and he must not be, judging by all the panicked Onterrio Smith e-mails I continue to get), grab him.

Here's the deal: The Vikings continue to do running back by committee, with Moe first, Doug Chapman second, John Avery third and Smith now a distant fourth. Vikings coaches are not happy with Smith's pass routes and his ability to pick up blitzes on pass protection, so he's been in the doghouse. Chapman is still getting over a bum ankle and Avery is really only going to see spot duty, so Williams remains the guy who will get 15-20 carries a game. Plus he scored 11 TDs last year as Minnesota's goal line back.

Bold Boldin: At receiver, everyone is on Anquan, and yes, he had an amazing day. But people, this was against Detroit. Let's not notify Canton quite yet. If you want to take a flyer on Boldin, go ahead, but remember that Arizona's LeShon Johnson once had more than 200 yards rushing and a couple of TDs in a single game.

What's that? You don't remember? My point exactly.

If you have to have a Cardinal, Jeff Blake might actually be a decent option. Sure, he won't duplicate last week's numbers (363 yards passing, 3 TDs) every time out, but Arizona will constantly be behind, forcing him to throw often. Blake isn't starter material, but he makes for an intriguing backup.

Either way, you should be active this week on the waiver wire. These are the days that can shape your team's fantasy future, so don't let them slip by!

John Nemo writes Fantasy Fanatic, a nationally-syndicated column, every week. Reach him with question and comments at johnnemo@comcast.net

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