ROSENBERG: Nobody saw these Week 1 surprises coming

Those of you visionaries who laughed in the face of conventional wisdom last week and played Cam Newton, Chad Henne or Scott Chandler, please raise your hands.

OK, liars, put 'em down.

It's doubtful that any of their mothers even bothered to reserve spots for them on their own fantasy rosters, much less anointed them Week 1 starters, but surprisingly solid 2011 debuts made each among the most popular free-agent pickups this week.

While some could find themselves relegated to the where-are-they-now before the calendar flips to October, others could have staying power and pay long-term dividends.

Here's a look at some of last week's biggest surprises and what the future could hold in store:

Cam Newton, QB, Panthers: Newton's lackluster preseason performance provided no indication that a Dan Marino-like NFL debut (422 yards and two touchdowns passing and another score rushing) was forthcoming, but those of us (wink) who invested a late-round draft pick on Panthers receiver Steve Smith would like to express our extreme gratitude.

While it's foolish to expect Newton to have his way with NFL defenses on a regular basis, it's clear that Newton is no ordinary rookie, and that having a veteran target/force of nature like Smith on his side will ease whatever growing pains lie ahead for last year's Heisman Trophy winner.

If your wagon was hitched to Peyton Manning (we offer our condolences), perhaps you might want to take a look.

Scott Chandler, TE, Bills: Chandler, who hauled in six passes, including two scores, for 63 yards in last week's pasting of the Chiefs, appears to have benefited from last year's apprenticeship under Pro Bowl tight end Jason Witten in Dallas. Now starting for the Bills, Chandler might not be the second coming of Dave Casper, or Witten, but he'll play an active role in Buffalo's passing attack going forward, and opportunity is everything in the fantasy realm.

Chad Henne, QB, Dolphins: Lost in supermodel Tom Brady's 6,000-yard passing show on Monday night was Henne's 416-yard, 3-TD (two passing, one rushing) performance in Miami's loss to the Patriots. Henne might be about as popular in South Beach as Alex Smith is by the Bay, but he could deliver big numbers — with the help of Pro Bowl wideout Brandon Marshall and back Reggie Bush — for a down Dolphins team that will do most of its offensive bidding through the air this season. Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB, Bills: Despite passing for 3,000 yards and 23 TDs in 2010, most preseason prognosticators weren't sold on Fitzpatrick and freely used words like "no" and "don't" when advising potential suitors. That was before his four-touchdown performance last week against the Chiefs, which dramatically increased his fantasy street-cred.

Ben Tate, RB, Texans: Tate proved to be a capable stunt-double for the injured Arian Foster in Week 1, rushing for 116 yards and a score in Houston's 34-7 victory over Indianapolis. While Tate could thrive as a starter, he'll settle into a subordinate role the second Foster's cranky left hamstring allows him to return to full-time duty. Still, there's nothing wrong with handcuffing Tate to Foster if Foster's owner in your league failed to do so.

Fred Davis, TE, Redskins: Chris Cooley's dinged-up knee was Davis' ticket into Washington's starting lineup, and the fourth-year veteran responded with a three-catch, 105-yard effort in the Redskins' 28-14 dismantling of the Giants in Week 1. Even when Cooley recovers to the point that he can take full-time reps again, the 'Skins intend to use two-tight end sets on a frequent basis this season, which means Davis still should see plenty of targets from ...