As Donovan McNabb owners, we knew our starting quarterback would get hurt.

We just didn't think said inevitable injury would occur in the third quarter of the first game.

With McNabb -- who played 16 games last season, after missing a combined 15 the previous three years -- out Sunday with a fractured rib, there might be more than a few decent alternatives available on the waiver wire in your league. And Kevin Kolb is not one of them.

Here are four who are available in more than 40 percent of the leagues on ESPN.com:

-- 1. Shaun Hill, 49ers (available in 89.1 percent of the ESPN leagues): In 10 games played since the start of the 2008 season, he has thrown for 2,255 yards and 14 touchdowns, with eight interceptions and two rushing TDs. Sunday, he'll face a Seahawks defense that was the NFL's worst against the pass last year.

-- 2. Trent Edwards, Bills (available in 42.7 percent of the ESPN leagues): He was impressive against the Patriots on Monday night (212 yards and two TDs), and Sunday the Bills host the Bucs, who allowed 462 total yards to Dallas in Week 1.

-- 3. Byron Leftwich, Buccaneers (available in 95.1 percent of the ESPN leagues): He threw for 276 yards and a touchdown against the Cowboys, and the Bills' defense nearly allowed 400 yards through the air on Monday.

-- 4. Jason Campbell, Redskins (available in 78.1 percent of the ESPN leagues): He certainly isn't much help in the scoring department (26 TD passes in 30 games since 2007), but even he should produce in a home game against the Rams.

-- Four likely backups who have favorable matchups this week: Matt Hasselbeck, Seahawks, at 49ers; Kyle Orton, Broncos, vs. Browns; Joe Flacco, Ravens, at the Chargers; David Garrard, Jaguars, vs. the Cardinals.

Linked in: Before we get to the start-and-sit lists, here are a few links. This is the column I wrote for Saturday's print editions about Anthony Gonzalez's knee injury, along with some buy-and-sell performances from Week 1. Here is a recap of the live chat we held Thursday (we'll have another this Thursday at 4 p.m. on the homepage of News-Herald.com), and here is a blog I wrote Thursday regarding LaDainian Tomlinson's injury.

Five to start

Our weekly look at part-time starters and fantasy backups who should benefit from a favorable matchup:

-- Brett Favre, QB, Vikings, vs. Lions: If there is ever a week to start the indecisive one, this is it. The Lions ranked 27th against the pass last season and were quite generous to Drew Brees in Week 1.

-- Ben Roethlisberger, QB, Steelers, at Bears: The Steelers, even if they don't want to admit it, are morphing into a pass-first offense under Big Ben. The Bears ranked 30th vs. opposing QBs last season, and they will play the rest of 2009 without their best defensive player, Brian Urlacher.

-- Fred Jackson, RB, Bills, vs. Buccaneers: Marshawn Lynch better be in shape when he returns from his suspension, because Jackson showed Monday night he can the featured back. The Bucs ranked 19th against the run in 2008 and gave up 118 rushing yards to the Cowboys last week.

-- Nate Burleson, WR, Seahawks, at 49ers: He caught seven passes for 74 yards and a TD last week, and the 49ers ranked 20th vs. the pass in 2008.

-- Isaac Bruce, WR, 49ers, vs. Seahawks: The ageless one continues to produce, and as we mentioned previously, no defense was worse against the pass last season than Seattle.

-- More matchups I like: Larry Johnson, RB, Chiefs, vs. Raiders; Darren McFadden, RB, Raiders, at Chiefs; Percy Harvin, WR, Vikings, at Lions; Julius Jones, RB, Seahawks, at 49ers; Matt Hasselbeck, QB, Seahawks, at 49ers; Cedric Benson, RB, Bengals, at Packers; Justin Gage, WR, Titans, vs. Texans.

Three to sit

If you have a quality backup, these starters should take a seat for a week:

-- Jay Cutler, QB, Bears, vs. Steelers: You already know about his debacle of a Bears debut in Green Bay, and it doesn't get any easier this week against the league's top defense, even with Troy Polamalu out of the lineup.

-- Matt Schaub, QB, Texans, at Titans: Andre Johnson owners were not happy with him in Week 1, and Schaub owners shouldn't rely on the QB this week, either. The Titans are still a top-10 defense without Albert Haynesworth.

-- Kevin Smith, RB, Lions, vs. Vikings: He faces the league's best run defense, and we're going to venture a guess that this game won't be close and Detroit will be throwing quite a bit.

-- More matchups I don't like: Eli Manning, QB, Giants, at Cowboys; Philip Rivers, QB, Chargers, vs. Ravens; Willie Parker, RB, Steelers, at Bears; any Saints running back at Eagles.

-- One matchup I don't dislike or like: Darren Sproles, RB, Chargers, vs. Ravens: I wouldn't have started L.T. in this one even if he would have attempted to play, but I wouldn't be surprised if Sproles has a productive game against Baltimore, especially in point-per-reception leagues. He's a decent flex play this week, but I wouldn't consider him a No. 2 back.

-- How we fared in Week 1: On the start list, Joe Flacco (307 yards, three TDs, one interception, 18 rushing yards), Matt Hasselbeck (279 yards, three TDs, two interceptions) and Cedric Benson (76 yards rushing, one TD, four receptions for 32 yards) were productive. Donnie Avery (six catches for 46 yards, 8 yards rushing) and Reggie Bush (14 yards rushing, five catches for 55 yards) were OK at best in PPR leagues and duds in other formats. The sit list of Santana Moss (two catches for 6 yards), Larry Johnson (20 yards rushing, one catch for 6 yards) and Darren McFadden (68 yards rushing, two receptions for 25 yards) was 3-for-3.

On to the expanded playlist ...

QUARTERBACKS

1. Tom Brady, Patriots, at Jets
2. Aaron Rodgers, Packers, vs. Bengals
3. Peyton Manning, Colts, at Dolphins
4. Drew Brees, Saints, at Eagles
5. Kurt Warner, Cardinals, at Jaguars
6. Matt Hasselbeck, Seahawks, at 49ers
7. Matt Ryan, Falcons, vs. Panthers
8. Tony Romo, Cowboys, vs. Giants
9. Brett Favre, Vikings, vs. Lions
10. Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers, at Bears
11. Shaun Hill, 49ers, vs. Seahawks
12. Philip Rivers, Chargers, vs. Ravens
13. x-Matt Cassel, Chiefs, vs. Raiders
14. Carson Palmer, Bengals, at Packers
15. Kyle Orton, Broncos, vs. Browns
16. Jay Cutler, Bears, vs. Steelers
17. Joe Flacco, Ravens, at Chargers
18. David Garrard, Jaguars, vs. Cardinals
19. Matt Schaub, Texans, at Titans
20. Trent Edwards, Bills, vs. Buccaneers
x-Make sure Cassel, who is listed as questionable with a knee injury, plays.

RUNNING BACKS

1. Adrian Peterson, Vikings, at Lions
2. Maurice Jones-Drew, Jaguars, vs. Cardinals
3. Chris Johnson, Titans, vs. Texans
4. Michael Turner, Falcons, vs. Panthers
5. DeAngelo Williams, Panthers, at Falcons
6. Frank Gore, 49ers, vs. Seahawks
7. Brian Westbrook, Eagles, vs. Saints
8. Clinton Portis, Redskins, vs. Rams
9. Ryan Grant, Packers, vs. Bengals
10. Steven Jackson, Rams, at Redskins
11. Matt Forte, Bears, vs. Steelers
12. Steve Slaton, Texans, at Titans
13. Marion Barber, Cowboys, vs. Giants
14. Brandon Jacobs, Giants, at Cowboys
15. Thomas Jones, Jets, vs. Patriots
16. Julius Jones, Seahawks, at 49ers
17. Derrick Ward, Buccaneers, at Bills
18. Larry Johnson, Chiefs, vs. Raiders
19. Ronnie Brown, Dolphins, vs. Colts
20. Cedric Benson, Bengals, at Packers
21. Fred Jackson, Bills, vs. Buccaneers
22. Ray Rice, Ravens, at Chargers
23. Darren McFadden, Raiders, at Chiefs
24. Joseph Addai, Colts, at Dolphins

WIDE RECEIVERS

1. Randy Moss, Patriots, at Jets
2. Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals, at Jaguars
3. Greg Jennings, Packers, vs. Bengals
4. Reggie Wayne, Colts, at Dolphins
5. Roddy White, Falcons, vs. Panthers
6. Andre Johnson, Texans, at Titans
7. Wes Welker, Patriots, at Jets
8. Calvin Johnson, Lions, vs. Vikings
9. T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Seahawks, at 49ers
10. Chad Ochocinco, Bengals, at Packers
11. Steve Smith, Panthers, at Falcons
12. Eddie Royal, Broncos, vs. Browns
13. Marques Colston, Saints, at Eagles
14. y-Anquan Boldin, Cardinals, at Jaguars
15. DeSean Jackson, Eagles, vs. Saints
16. Hines Ward, Steelers, at Bears
17. Terrell Owens, Bills, vs. Buccaneers
18. Derrick Mason, Ravens, at Chargers
19. Dwayne Bowe, Chiefs, vs. Raiders
20. Santonio Holmes, Steelers, at Bears
21. Braylon Edwards, Browns, at Broncos
22. Brandon Marshall, Broncos, vs. Browns
23. Nate Burleson, Seahawks, at 49ers
24. Bernard Berrian, Vikings, at Lions
25. Donald Driver, Packers, vs. Bengals
26. Santana Moss, Redskins, vs. Rams
27. Justin Gage, Titans, vs. Texans
28. Isaac Bruce, 49ers, vs. Seahawks
29. Torry Holt, Jaguars, vs. Cardinals
30. Lee Evans, Bills, vs. Buccaneers
31. Steve Smith, Giants, at Cowboys
32. Devin Hester, Bears, vs. Steelers
33. Donnie Avery, Rams, at Redskins
34. Ted Ginn Jr., Dolphins, vs. Colts
35. Percy Harvin, Vikings, at Lions
36. Michael Clayton, Buccaneers, at Bills
y-Boldin (hamstring injury) is expected to play, but make sure he's active before kickoff.