One of the biggest stories in Week 1 of the NFL was the number of serious injuries that occurred to star players, with Ryan Grant's being certainly the most significant from a fantasy standpoint. Drafted as some owners' No. 1 back, Grant lasted all of about 25 minutes before suffering a season-ending ankle injury.

Most fantasy leagues have seen owners go after the presumable new starter in Green Bay, Brandon Jackson, the most added player in fantasy football this week.

Even though acquiring Jackson is no longer possible in many leagues, owners that now have him are left with the decision of whether or not to start him. Unless that owner had tremendous depth at running back, Grant was a fantasy starter and Jackson can fill his void in the starting lineup.

Today's game against Buffalo is a terrific trial period for Jackson because the Bills have a below-average defense. If Jackson shows signs of being a worthwhile fantasy back, he deserves a spot in the starting lineup in Week 3 at Chicago and Week 4 versus a Detroit defense that allowed running back Matt Forte 201 total yards in Week 1.

Owners that picked up Jackson but did not have Grant may find themselves in an enviable position — able to trade Jackson to an owner that lost Grant and ask for a good deal in return.

The owners needing to replace Grant will be prone to overreact and will pay more than they should for the comparatively unproven Jackson. Furthermore, starting in Week 7, the Packers face six consecutive opponents that ranked in the top 10 rushing defenses in 2009, so Jackson stands to lose value as the season progresses due to his unfriendly schedule.

Another possibility is that the Packers will trade for an additional running back. Marshawn Lynch is a name that has popped up in some reports. If Lynch or a different back goes to Green Bay, he will merit consideration for owners in desperate need of backfield support.

Although Ryan Grant's season turned out to be very short, it lasted much longer than Bob Sanders'. The injury-prone Indianapolis safety was hurt on his first defensive series, just five minutes into the game. Sanders tore a biceps tendon and will possibly miss the entire year.

Seeing Sanders injured is hardly newsworthy; it is a frequent occurrence. Indianapolis has learned to cope without Sanders, but the Colt defense allows more yards per game without him in the lineup over the last five years. Going forward, fantasy owners that have a choice between two similar talents at running back will always want to choose a back that is playing the Colts.

Certainly Kevin Kolb's injury has a number of fantasy owners left scrambling for a quarterback. Owners who drafted Kolb as a starter probably did so at least halfway through the draft and therefore have a fairly weak backup at the position.

Considering the recent emphasis on player safety, specifically regarding head injuries, as well as Michael Vick's strong second-half showing last Sunday, Kolb owners will want to prepare for the scenario that has him missing significant time by either nabbing Vick or becoming aggressive on the trade front to get a quality quarterback.

Aside from injuries, fantasy owners need to keep an eye on the running back situations of a few teams. Jerome Harrison in Cleveland was thought to be the clear front-runner for the job after Montario Hardesty's season-ending injury, yet Eric Mangini gave Peyton Hillis just as many carries as he did Harrison in Week 1. Hillis, a free agent in 50 percent of leagues, also caught four passes to Harrison's one and scored the lone Brown rushing touchdown.

In Denver, the Broncos acquired former Patriot running back Laurence Maroney via trade. Maroney has been ineffective since 2007, but he reunites with his offensive coordinator from his time in New England, Denver head coach Josh McDaniels. Still only 25 years old, Maroney, who is unowned in 40 percent of leagues, should stay on owners' watch lists as he has the potential to see substantial playing time when his thigh injury heals if Knowshon Moreno is unproductive.

Dan Massey's Fantasy Sports appears each Sunday. E-mail him at dmassey@lnpnews.com.