His first action came in the opening quarter after a Nate Kaeding field goal put the Chargers ahead 3-0.  Royal fielded the kickoff from his own 7-yard line and took it 93 yards to the house, silencing the crowd and giving the Broncos their first lead.  After a San Diego touchdown and a Denver field goal, the game was all knotted up at 10-10 in the second quarter.  That was when Royal made his second appearance in the end zone, this time off a 71-yard punt return.  By the end of the night, he would have 230 total yards on special teams, but it was his ability to break the big ones that helped earn him “The Stat Line Of The Night” for Monday, October 19, 2009.

The Broncos would rally behind Royal’s two big scores on route to a 34-23 thrashing of their division rivals.  The win was an important one as their impressive 6-0 record has them four games up on the second place Chargers.  Denver will want to keep last seasons second half meltdown in mind as they surely do not want history to repeat itself, but if they continue to play well on both sides of the ball, their main concern rather than just getting in,  may be earning home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

It can be difficult to identify such players, and that is why we here at TPS are going to help you out. Each Tuesday for the remainder of the season, we will give you some players to look out for that may be on your waiver wire. These players are the ones we assume are available in most leagues, but beware. There may be better free agents out there that we have not listed because we just assume that someone should already have taken them. If one of those guys is a free agent in your league, PICK HIM UP!

Here is a look at some guys you may want to take a look at in you league:

Kyle Orton, DEN, QB: We are now going into week 6 and Kyle Orton has his Denver Broncos at 5-0.  With that being said, it may finally be time to pick him up and put him on your fantasy team.  His numbers may not be mind-blowing, but Orton has consistently put up decent fantasy totals and has steadily improved throughout the year thus far.  That was evident in a 330 yard, two touchdown performance Sunday against the New England Patriots.  With coach Josh McDaniels guiding him along the way, and growing increasingly confident in Orton, the Broncos QB is well worth a backup role on most fantasy teams.

Matt Cassel, KC, QB: After missing the first week with an injury and having a rough week two against the Raiders, many owners may have jumped the gun quick on Cassel and kicked him to the curb.  Now after three consecutive weeks of two touchdown performances, those same owners should be scrambling to pick him back up off waivers, and so should you.  The Chiefs often find themselves playing from behind, and that means you can expect Cassel to be airing the ball out quite a bit for the remainder of the season.

Jamal Lewis, CLE, RB: Many owners fell off the Jamal Lewis bandwagon after Jerome Harrison‘s big week four performance.  It was expected that Harrison would be a great week five start against the Bills poor run defense, but Lewis stole the show with a whopping 31 carries for 117 yards.  That is even more impressive when you consider how poorly the Browns passing game was (only two completions) allowing the Bills defense to anticipate run.  The Browns backfield depth chart may continue to change throughout the season, but for now Lewis has reclaimed the top spot.

Jeremy Maclin, PHI, WR: Eagels quarterback Donovan McNabb was back in action Sunday and that meant great things for rookie receiver Jeremy Maclin.  The man out of Missouri was a popular target against the Bucs, catching 6 passes for 142 yards and two touchdowns.  As long as McNabb is in the lineup and teams look to clamp down on DeSean Jackson, Maclin may continue to put up some numbers in the Eagles deadly offensive attack.

Eddie Royal, DEN, WR: Eddie Royal was expected to have a breakout yer prior to the beginning of this season, but after four games he recorded only 8 receptions.  That caused many owners to drop the second year man out of Virginia Tech, but after a 10 catch performance for 90 yards against the Patriots, Orton and Royal may have finally found their comfort level.  This could just be a one game thing, but if the two can build off their week 5 chemistry, Royal may quickly reestablish himself as a No. 2 fantasy receiver.

Here is a look at some of last year’s rookies who performed well and whether you should worry about going after them in your draft as they enter their second seasons.

Quarterbacks:

Matt Ryan, ATL : Matt Ryan had an impressive debut season throwing for 3440 yards and 16 TDs.  We expect him to continue to improve as the go-to quarterback in Atlanta.  No sophomore jinx expected here.

Joe Flacco, BAL : If there is one QB we expect to get hit by the jinx, it would be Flacco.  His leash is shorter than Ryan’s with Troy Smith also waiting in the wings.  Remember, the starting job was Smith’s until he got hurt.  He never played himself out of it.

Running Backs:

Darren McFadden, OAK : Although Oakland still looks to be in quite a mess, I expect McFadden to have a breakout year this season, especially if Russell or Garcia can provide some help through the air.

Jonathan Stewart, CAR : Here is one back I expect to be hit by the jinx.  If he is healthy he should fair well behind the Panthers great offensive line, but already dealing with injury problems in preseason, this may be a setback season for Stewart.

Felix Jones, DAL :  He was playing great before going down with an injury, but if Jones stays healthy, he could be the Cowboys started sooner rather than later.  That, however, is a big “if”.

Chris Johnson, TEN : Johnson showed what he can do with the ball in his hands and only got stronger as the year progressed.  He should be even better this year and may receive more carries between the 20s.  Hopefully he will have Kevin Mawae back in time as well.

Matt Forte, CHI : It is hard to believe that Forte can improve on his great 2008 campaign, but with Cutler now the QB for the Bears, that is a very real possibility.  He will also be given some added rest with the addition of Kevin Jones to the backfield.

Ray Rice, BAL : He was not given as much responsibility as a rookie, but Rice should be set to start for the Ravens.  That is great news as he will likely receive the majority of the carries on a team that tends to rush the ball more than any other in the NFL.

Kevin Smith, DET : Detroit did not get the opportunity to rush the ball very often last year and this season may be somewhat similar, but when Kevin Jones is given the chance, he has proven he can produce.  Expect the Lions to improve this year and Smith’s numbers should do the same.

Steve Slaton, HOU : After impressing in his rookie year, Slaton has been given full control of the Texans backfield.  With strength at the receiver position and a quarterback who can spread the ball out, this may be the season that the Texans’ offense breaks out.  Slaton, of course, will benefit from this.

Wide Receivers:

Donnie Avery, STL : Avery is the starter which is good, but for the Rams, which is bad.  Because of the latter handicap, I would expect a quiet season for him, but a bright future is in sight.

DeSean Jackson, PHI : The Eagles offense is once again loaded.  With depth at all skill positions, the points should be coming in bunches in Philadelphia.  Expect Jackson to lead the charge as the number one receiver.

Eddie Royal, DEN : He was great last season but will no longer have Cutler throwing to him.  Now with Orton under center, Royal may be hard pressed to produce 91 catches and 980 yards, but he does give Orton a good check-down option and has the ability to break a short pass for a long gain.

Tight Ends :

Dustin Keller, NYJ : He was one of Favre’s favorite targets last season and it could be the same story with Mark Sanchez at QB.  You can bet the rookie QB will be looking for his TE more often than not.

John Carlson, SEA : He was Seattle’s leading receiver last year, but that was the result of injuries at WR.  With most of the wideouts back, expect Carlson to be used less, but things could change quickly when the injuries begin to come again.

The most disgruntled part of this deal has to be the Denver Bronco fans. Yes you have two first round picks, but one of those has to be used on getting Mark Sanchez or Josh Freeman both serious downgrades (at least in 2009) from Cutler – even if you sat them a year, Kyle Orton won’t offer anything near the level Cutler would have. I liked Orton the first half of last year from a conservative run first game manager standpoint, but after rushing back too early from a mid season ankle injury his play fell away badly and he slipped into the coma of mediocrity that many Chicago QBs find themselves in. He lacks the arm of Cutler and is a statue in the pocket, but he fits the mold of what Josh McDaniels wants his offense to do; coordinating for Tom Brady and Matt Cassel has taught McDaniels that you don’t need a huge arm for success, instead basing your offense around slants and screens whilst keeping the defence honest with the persistent threat of the deep ball. I don’t really understand McDaniels’ unwavering attempts to force his strategy into Denver like a square peg in a round hole. I’ve heard Eddie Royal is his Wes Welker, but I still don’t see how this offense caters to a top 10 receiver in Brandon Marshall; Marshall lacks top end speed so you use his big frame to cause trouble in the middle of the field, but his routes aren’t sharp enough to play the slant routes McDaniels may ask of him. I’m not saying this kills Marshall but it certainly won’t be utilising him in his best role. You also fear for Orton due to the lack of a coherent run game to lean on; he’ll be blessed with a talented TE like he was in Chicago, but Denver lack an every down back that can catch ball and go between the tackles. Instead, Denver will employ 19 running backs at a time: Hillis and Buckhalter receiving, Lamont Jordan between the tackles, Selvin Young when Jordan inevitably gets injured. In other words: a mess.

As far as the Bears, I think they’ll be pleased and their fans ecstatic. There aren’t too many young franchise QBs out there (Rivers, Roethlisberger, Rodgers and Cutler are about it), so Chicago will be delighted to have one. Cutler will plug in and be productive from 2009 onwards no problem at all, with his cannon arm suiting the vertical passing offense Chicago employs. The price they paid – Orton, a 2009 first round, a 2009 third round and a 2010 first round – was a steep one; I’m not saying they overpaid, but they certainly didn’t steal Cutler for nothing. And at the end of the day the money, interest and hype that Cutler brings far outweighs that of Eben Britton or Larry English.

As far as the draft, if Denver targets a QB, I think they’re actually worse off than before despite adding a first round pick. They have to trade up since they can’t guarantee Freeman getting past the Jets and falling to them at 18, and they can’t guarantee Sanchez getting past San Francisco to them at 12. McDaniels is going to fall in love with the pro-style offense Sanchez runs in USC and I think that’s who he targets, so he has to move ahead of San Francisco. If Green Bay wants Everette Brown or BJ Raji they can’t move from 9 and go behind San Francisco and the Bills, leaving Jacksonville to start a lucrative bidding war for their 8 pick; they can still get any corner they want between 10 and 15 and would secure at least an extra third from Denver, San Francisco or the Bucs. If Denver ship their 12 pick for a QB inferior to Cutler, and draft a 3-4 defensive player who is worse than who they would of drafted at 12 (Tyson Jackson and BJ Raji will both be gone), how has this trade helped them this year? Denver can still stick with Orton and go defence, defence with the 12 and 18 pick which of course upgrades them no end, but I just think the lure of Sanchez may be too much for Josh McDaniels to resist. It looks like Chicago were targeting Eben Britton so when they traded away their first they scrambled for an elite left tackle, with Orlando Pace installed they can move Chris Williams over to RT – a much better fit for him. My concern would be how they address both their meagre pass rush and their lack of possession receiver with just a second round pick. They can’t have Hakeem Nicks AND 3-4 defensive end Jarron Gilbert.

Bottom line the Broncos should never have got themselves in this position and Josh McDaniels is probably, and deservedly, getting absolutely blasted by owner Pat Bowlen for this whole fiasco.

Eddie Royal, WR, Denver Broncos,

Royal busted onto the fantasy scene with his incredible performance on Monday night.  He accumulated 146 yards on just nine catches along with 1 touchdown in a convincing win over the Raiders.  If the guy is available in your league pick him up immediately.  The only thing that should concern you is that Brandon Marshall who was suspended for the first game will return in week two and will regain his role as the number 1 wide receiver in Denver.  

Dante Rosario, TE, Carolina Panthers,

This second year tight end was the heroes in Sundays win over the Chargers as he had a career game with 7 Receptions for 96 yards and the game winning touchdown.  You should look to add this guy to lineup right away as Steve Smith will not return until week 3.  Also, after catching the game winning score Delhomme should have a lot of confidence in this guy and will continue to target him in upcoming games.

Le’Ron McClain, RB, Baltimore Ravens,

McClain, a converted fullback bulldozed his way to a great performance in week one against the Cincinnati Bengals.  Mclain carried the ball for 18 times gaining 86 yards and also had 2 receptions for 24 yards, not bad for a fourth round compensatory pick.  McClain could have some value as a handcuff for Willis Mcgahee owners.   

Tim Hightower, RB, Arizona Cardinals,

This rookie had only 8 rushes for 13 yards and 3 receptions for 21 yards but did score a touchdown.  James is no longer the player that he once was which means he will be losing many touches to Hightower in the coming weeks.  It also looks like he might be the goal line guy which should give him some value in fantasy leagues.