Bears wide receiver Devin Aromashodu.

BY ROB SHAW
sportsnet.ca

We now have our first Sunday of the NFL season in the books, and fantasy managers are still trying to come to grips with all the week's standout performances.

While Chad Ochocinco and Peyton Manning rewarded the fantasy managers who drafted them early, there were several other talents whose big performances were wasted on the fantasy waiver wire.

Hidden Jewels sheds light on these players, now it's your job to add them to your fantasy rosters.

Buyer's guide:

1) Look for catches or rushes (how often did the player have the ball in their hands?)

2) Look for touchdowns (are they a part of the goal-line or red-zone attack?)

3) Look at their age (are they a young player on the rise, a good investment?)

4) Look at their team and roster (were they filling in, and what's their role?)

5) Look at post-game recap (any quotes of encouragement for upcoming weeks?)

Silver

Mario Manningham, WR, Giants

All the talk coming into the season was of Giants wide outs Steve Smith and Hakeem Nicks, but Mario Manningham should not be ignored. The former Michigan Wolverine was a third-round pick in 2008 who enjoyed a breakout 2009 campaign with 57 receptions and 822 yards. With tight end Kevin Boss likely to miss at least one game, Manningham is a great pickup who can offer fantasy managers between 60 and 100 yards each week.

Nate Washington, WR, Titans

Never a star, always a role player, Nate Washington has been remarkably consistent over the last four years with a minimum of 450 yards and a maximum of 631 yards. Last season, Washington established career-bests with 47 receptions and six touchdowns. He picked up from where he left off to start the '09 campaign with 88 receiving yards and a touchdown. Considering up-and-coming wide out Kenny Britt has been in the doghouse of the coaching staff, Washington should enjoy an expanded role in the short-term.

Jordan Shipley, WR, Bengals

The third-round pick out of Texas enjoyed a big NFL debut when he made five grabs for 82 yards. Unfortunately, that performance should end up being one of his best performances this season. Chad Ochocinco and Terrell Owens both rank higher than Shipley on the depth chart and the only reason the Bengals were so pass-happy on Sunday was that they were trying to catch up to Tom Brady and the Patriots.

Gold

Davone Bess, WR, Dolphins

The addition of Brandon Marshall should open up the Dolphins offense a great deal. In the season opener, Davone Bess, who established career highs with 76 receptions and 758 yards last season, hauled in six passes for 51 yards. He is a must-start in point per reception leagues. He also received a vote of confidence when the Dolphins traded away fellow wide out Greg Camarillo.

Brandon Lloyd, WR, Broncos

A veteran wide receiver whose best season came five years and four teams ago, Brandon Lloyd pulled off a shocking performance on Sunday with five receptions for 117 yards. Lloyd is a fine talent with excellent speed, but has lacked consistency throughout much of his career. In fact, Lloyd has played just 21 games over the past three seasons. More importantly, Lloyd has been provided an opportunity to contribute on the Broncos, a team in need of playmakers. Lloyd should continue to start for the club and will have every shot at enjoying a bounce back season.

Mike Thomas, WR, Jaguars

Everyone drafted Mike Sims-Walker in the early rounds, but on Sunday it looked like Mike Thomas was the team's go-to receiver. Thomas is coming off a solid rookie campaign that concluded with 48 receptions and 453 yards. At just 5-8, Thomas could play a role on the Jaguars similar to Wes Welker's with the Patriots. Based on his youth and early results, Thomas is clearly a player to grab off the waiver wire.

Diamond

Vince Young, QB, Titans

Fantasy managers tend to ignore Vince Young's big performances, because he has never put together a full 16 games worth of action in a season. Nonetheless, Young did offer a glimpse of his potential in the second half of last season when he averaged 198 passing yards, and 29 rushing yards to go along with throwing nine touchdowns and six interceptions. Though Young was only called on for 17 pass attempts on Sunday, the Titans quarterback did connect on 77 percent of his passes for 154 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. He also picked up another 30 yards by foot. The dual threat of Young and Chris Johnson will be extremely difficult for opponents to stop. Young is a fine sleeper pick for this season.

Austin Collie, WR, Colts

Collie was solid in his rookie season, racking up 60 receptions for 676 yards and seven touchdowns. Now in his second season, Collie made a statement in the season opener. Though fantasy managers seem to value fellow Colts wide out Pierre Garcon more than Collie, it was the BYU alumnus who led the Colts with 10 grabs for 131 yards and a touchdown. He deserves to be plucked from the waiver wire by the time the Colts take the field against the Giants on Sunday night.

Devin Aromashodu, WR, Bears

Over his last three contests, Aromashodu has 17 receptions for 267 yards and three touchdowns. With Mike Martz now coordinating the Bears offense, it is clear that Chicago will continue to rely heavily on Jay Cutler and the passing attack. So far, it appears that Aromashodu has a leg up over Devin Hester when it comes to being the lead target for a valuable passing attack. A serious playmaker, 25 of Aromashodu's 36 career receptions have led to first downs for the Bears.