Week one showed us a lot. The biggest takeaway? That it is going to be one heck of a football season. Eight games were decided by 7 points or less. We love close football games. Not just because they are more competitive but the closer the game, the more likely we get more fantasy points! Now it’s time to look ahead. I know not everyone could win last week but don’t you dare think about giving up because of an 0-1 start. Let's go out there and set that lineup.
Starts
QB - Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders (vs NYG)
We all knew Washington QB Jayden Daniels was explosive. What we didn’t know was how much Washington was going to showcase it. Well, in Week 1 on the road against a good defense, Daniels led the team with 16 carries for 88 yards and 2 TDs. He did miss a deep ball for a touchdown to top WR Terry McLaurin, but overall didn’t look awful as a passer, as he went 17/24 for 184 yards and 0 Int. Yes the team lost, but we don’t care about that in fantasy. Daniels' success showed this was a huge step in the right direction in his development. Now he gets to go home with a much more favorable matchup against the New York Giants. Start him this week and if he balls out keep him in your lineup the rest of the year.
RB - Tony Pollard, Tennessee Titans (vs NYJ)
Tony Pollard signed a big contract with the Titans this offseason but with Tyjae Spears already there most fantasy owners were thinking it would be a split backfield. Well, in Week 1 it wasn’t really a split at all. Pollard had 16 carries for 82 yards and a TD along with 3 catches on 4 targets. His fellow RB had the same amount of targets with only 4 carries. If that share percentage stays about the same, Pollard would become an immediate week in and week out starter. He also ran well against one of the best running defenses in the league in Chicago. Now he faces another strong defense in the Jets, and with the atrocious play of QB Will Levis, has a very good chance to continue to receive touches. Make sure he’s in your lineup.
WR - Jameson Williams, Detroit Lions (TB)
Not much time has passed since Jameson Williams was drafted 12th overall in the 2022 draft surrounded with huge hype. Since then, Injuries and other variables have held him back but he is coming off the best game of his young career. Williams hauled in 5 of 9 targets for 121 yards and a TD in Week 1. He also added a rush for 13 yards. His involvement in the offense was quite intriguing since he led the team in both targets and receptions. He's now up against a Tampa Defense at home, a unit which didn’t exactly shut down Washington in Week 1. Look for Williams to take another step in the right direction in Week 2.
TE - Juwan Johnson, New Orleans Saints (@Dal)
Over the last couple of years Juwan Johnson has been a mediocre TE. Back in the day I remember watching him at Penn State and always knew he had potential to be successful in the NFL. Fast forward to today, and QB Derek Carr loves him in the red-zone, as Johnson secured his pass from Carr for a TD in Week 1. Since 2021, Johnson has 16 TDs, which puts him in the top 10 of TEs during that span. When it comes to the position from a fantasy perspective, TEs are so hit and miss that you have to go for either targets or touchdown upside. Johnson is getting the targets, which makes him a viable fantasy starter until further notice.
Defense - Los Angeles Chargers (@Car)
In Week 1, the Chargers offense came stumbling out of the gate, as they didn't do much in their matchup against the Raiders. The defense on the other hand was ready to play. The unit held their divisional rivals to just 10 points while forcing three turnovers and sacking the QB four times. Despite that dominance, those numbers need to be taken with a grain of salt when discovering the game was against Gardner Minshew. That being said, the matchup this week might be even more favorable, as L.A. goes up against a Panthers team that looks just downright awful. As a result, don’t be surprised if the Chargers are a top 5 defense in fantasy for Week 2.
Sits
QB - Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals (vs LAR)
If Arizona starter Kyler Murray is your QB1 this season I would say you should be a bit concerned. Murray completed 21 passes for just 162 yards while throwing for a TD and running for 57 yards. The big 'but' coming is that he isn’t an explosive game changer like he used to be. He has turned into a game manager and game managers rarely belong in fantasy lineups. Since 2022, Murray's averaging under 220 passing yards a game. The hope was that hyped rookie wide out Marvin Harrison Jr. would make a quick splash and help boost Murray's production, but Jr. had just 1 catch for 4 yards on 3 targets. Now slotted to go up against a solid Rams defense who just held Jared Goff in check, I would suggest you find a different QB until Murray either improves or has a better matchup.
RB - D’andre Swift, Chicago Bears (vs Hou)
Coming off his first 1,000 yard rushing campaign in 2023, Bears RB D’andre Swift had a lot of hype surrounding him this season. He didn’t get off to the hot start he was hoping for though, with just 10 carries for 30 yards and zero catches. Swift's ADP coming into the season was at 56, but these are quite disappointing numbers. I don’t trust anyone in this offense until rookie Caleb Williams finds his footing. Matched up Week 2 against Houston who just held Jonathan Taylor to fewer than 50 yards, there won't be many more running lanes. Keep Swift out of your lineup.
WR - Marvin Harrison Jr., Arizona Cardinals (vs LAR)
For the second week in a row another top pick WR is on the sit list. Marvin Harrison Jr. did not have fun in his first game in the NFL, pulling in just 1 catch for 4 yards on 3 targets. With Kyler Murray throwing the ball more than 30 times one would expect the young WR to see more. However, this did not occur, as Harrison ended up fourth on the team. With that in mind, it will be hard to trust him until he has more games under his belt, as the WR group as a whole is far too deep to start a guy getting just 3 targets. Keep the rookie on the bench until exhibits more chemistry with his QB.
TE - Dalton Kincaid, Buffalo Bills (@Mia)
Another guy with hype coming into this season is young TE Dalton Kincaid. With the Bills losing multiple WRs, it seemed obvious that the second year player would demand a high target share in Week 1. That simply was not the case, as he had only 1 catch for 11 yards on two targets. This despite him playing the most snaps he's ever had to date in his career. The biggest concern here is the target share. A total of 8 players got 2 plus targets week one. In today’s NFL if your TE isn’t getting touchdowns or targets you just can’t have him in your lineup. I could see the target share going up but for now Kincaid is just too risky.
Defense - Minnesota Vikings (vs SF)
When it comes to choosing defenses for fantasy purposes, it will always be about matchups. The Vikings were my start defense last week and they proved me right by dominating the Giants, getting 2 interceptions and 5 sacks along with a TD. New York is currently one of the bottom tier, if not worst, offenses in the league. However, looking ahead to Week 2 things are quite different. Minnesota now takes on the 49ers, who have arguably the most stacked offense in the NFL (even without stud Christian McCaffrey). Make sure you aren’t playing the Vikings this week.
