The SFB9: Heath’s Week 1 lineup

It is time to submit your way-too-early Week 1 lineups for this year’s Scott Fish Bowl. What follows will almost assuredly change as roles shift and the dreaded injuries occur, but for now this is a fun exercise. Feel free to share your own lineups and projections for Week 1 below! And if you haven’t yet, head on over to Fantasy Cares and do your part to donate or just spread the word about an awesome charity.

I am starting with my obvious plays (I have two apiece at QB and TE) and working outward from there to unearth my potential starting 11. It’s all for fun, okay? Who else is excited about the NFL season?!?

QUARTERBACK

Russell Wilson vs. Bengals
Andy Dalton @ Seahawks

Reserves: Eli Manning at Cowboys, Case Keenum at Eagles

Seems pretty cut and dry to me. I didn’t plan to snag four quarterbacks, and I may only have three due to Manning and Keenum both being on shaky ground. But I got Manning (18.01) and Keenum (19.12) cheap. At any rate, Dalton at Seattle is a sketchy proposition. If I had a strong WR flex play I might consider it over the Red Rifle. We shall see.

TIGHT END

Trey Burton vs. Packers
Austin Hooper @ Vikings

Reserves: Will Dissly vs. Bengals, Blake Jarwin vs. Giants

A tight end versus the Giants! I wish. There’s no guarantee that Jarwin gets the lion’s share of snaps in Dallas due to Jason Witten’s return, but I took a late shot on him eventually wrestling the mantle away. We’ll see, but I don’t see a scenario where I can trust Jarwin in Week 1.

Burton QUIETLY was the TE6 last year, and this is a format where tight ends get a boost. Everyone is buying in on Trubisky, so maybe I snagged a formidable piece of that pie. Either way, I’m starting him initially to see what I’ve got. I’ll be comparing him to my stable of wideouts early on in the season to see who makes the most sense in a flex spot.

WIDE RECEIVER

Julio Jones @ Vikings
A.J. Green @ Seahawks
Tyler Lockett vs. Bengals
Robby Anderson vs. Bills
John Brown @ Jets

Reserves: Danny Amendola @ Cardinals, Michael Gallup vs. Giants, Paul Richardson @ Eagles

It just occurred to me that I have the Keenum-Richardson hookup on top of the Dalton-Green and Wilson-Lockett pairings. Maybe that will come in handy at some point if Richardson can round back into form. Anyway, with the Cowboys being so run-centric, Gallup is merely a stash play for me. I actually really like Amendola in this format, and I’m not opposed to working him into my lineups for Week 1 if it seems like he’ll be Stafford’s primary slot guy. Pat Pete will be probably be focused on the likes of Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones on the boundaries, which could (theoretically) free up Amendola to rack up some catches (and first downs).

In general, I am hoping this wideout corps is a strength of my team. If the Jets truly do expand Robby Anderson’s route tree and John Brown can emerge as Josh Allen’s primary deep threat, it could happen.

RUNNING BACK

Le’Veon Bell vs. Bills
James White vs. Steelers

Reserves: Matt Breida @ Buccaneers, Royce Freeman @ Raiders, Nyheim Hines @ Chargers, Dion Lewis @ Browns

There are plenty of names among my reserve RB group that could pop off at any time. The issue might be discerning who and when. But I like the talent pool there and as we move closer to Week 1 I could see any of these guys supplanting John Brown and perhaps even Robby Anderson. Or Andy Dalton, if I knew I had a tailback that was going to get the lion’s share of touches (for one reason or another).

I don’t want to say I neglected this position, because I chose Bell over Ertz at the end of Round 1. I figured it would be easier to find tight end production than it would be to find a combo-style runner who could give me a shot at rushing and receiving bonuses. I also expect Ertz’s target share to get dinged a bit in 2019. Anyway, White saw 123 targets a year ago, second only to Run-CMC’s 124 looks. His 7.7 targets per game was second behind only CMC, and right up there with Saquon Barkley (7.6), Alvin Kamara (7.0), and Ezekiel Elliott (6.3). Sure, he isn’t getting the running volume, but as a chain-mover for Tom Brady and as a back who can stack up the first downs, I’m in love with White in this format.

What do you guys think? My Week 1 projection of 215 or so is a bit on the low side—but I have some obvious weaknesses on my roster. This isn’t the best team I’ve ever drafted, but I guess that happens when you’re in a league with Matthew flipping Berry and everyone is on their proverbial A-games.

Would love to hear some other projections, and I tag @NFLClark to share his starting 11 next. You know, whenever his draft gets done...