Fantasy Football Rundown: Week 1

Every week Nic hosts his Fantasy Football Rundown on Twitter were he hits on every single NFL game and every single player that’s fantasy relevant. Tune in every Thursday at 3 PM EST to watch the Fantasy Football Rundown live and join the conversation.

Bears at Packers

• Tough outing for Rodgers against the best defense in the league
• Davante Adams retains WR1 status though
• Aaron Jones is an RB2
• MVS is an ill-advised flyer
• Per Silva, sieve Buster Skrine now ruling Bears slot. Geronimo Allison is a sneaky upside play
• Jimmy Graham is a desperation play
• Mitchell Trubisky is as boom/bust as they come
• Allen Robinson is a target hog
• Anthony Miller is an okay 2flex play, normal flex in PPR—scored 6 times with a separated shoulder last year and Trey Burton being out is helpful
• Wouldn’t start Taylor Gabriel or Cordarrelle Patterson
• Adam Shaheen is a TD boom/bust
• David Montgomery is a true bell cow

Rams at Panthers

• Todd Gurley’s good for 18 touches, back-end RB1
• Darrell Henderson is a viable flex in PPR, he’ll be used for 10 or so to negate CAR’s intense defensive line
• Fire up Brandin Cooks and Robert Woods as WR2s. If you need to start Cooper Kupp, I get it but the knee is shaky and they’ve been running more 2 TE sets
• Jared Goff is a back-end QB1
• Dr. David Chao gives Cam Newton a clean bill of health. He’s a QB1
• Christian McCaffrey is a no-brainer
• D.J. Moore and Curtis Samuel are about to pop off. Moore after the catch, Samuel deep
• If you’re going to start Greg Olsen, now’s the time

Washington at Eagles

• Jordan Reed has reportedly not responded well to increased activity after clearing the concussion protocol
• Trey Quinn is a desperation PPR play
• Chris Thompson is viable
• Adrian Peterson and Derrius Guice are not
• Don’t start Case Keenum
• Miles Sanders is a flex with RB2 upside
• Start Zach Ertz
• DeSean Jackson is probably scoring—revenge game and Carson Wentz has never had someone like him
• Alshon Jeffrey is a go
• Jordan Howard is a desperation flex in standard
• Wentz is a QB1
• Dallas Goedert isn’t fully healthy but is practicing fully

Bills at Jets

• Josh Allen is a QB2 with QB1 upside
• John Brown flex in standard
• Cole Beasley flex in PPR
• Devin Singletary 2nd flex
• Frank Gore is just a good dude
• Rough outing for Sam Darnold
• Brutal Matchup for Robby Anderson
• More confident in Crowder for PPR
• Quincy Enunwa isn’t good on the outside and is banged up
• Le’Veon Bell is a shaky RB1
• Ty Montgomery is a contrarian 2nd flex

Falcons at Vikings

• Love Cook, especially against Falcons D
• Stefon Diggs back at practice but consider both he and Adam Thielen WR2s
• Cousins is a back-end QB2
• Matt Ryan, Devonta Freeman, and Julio Jones are all Top 12 at their position this week
• Calvin Ridley will ball in the slot
• Mohamed Sanu is a 2nd flex PPR play
• Austin Hooper a meh TE

Ravens at Dolphins

• Rushing bonanza! Greg Roman, this morning, said Mark Ingram is the starter but they’ll play the hot hand
• Lamar Jackson will finish QB4
• Mark Andrews is the passing game starter option
• Albert Wilson and Kenyan Drake are the starting options for Miami. Coach says Drake to get a lot of work

Chiefs at Jaguars

• Fournette an RB1
• Nick Foles a solid QB2
• Dede Westbrook a Flex with WR2 upside—lots of targets and KC still bad secondary
• Patrick Mahomes is the QB2
• Tyreek Hill a WR1
• Damien Williams an RB2 w/ excellent upside, McCoy a flex w/ RB2 upside, Darwin—nada.
• Travis Kelce the TE1
• Feel good about Sammy Watkins long term but a flyer this week, Mecole Hardman likely irrelevant without a Hill

Titans at Browns

• Fire the cannons for all Browns players
• Derrick Henry is a fringe RB2/3 volume-play
• Would only start Corey Davis in PPR
• Delanie Walker should be a solid TE1

Colts at Chargers

• Marlon Mack a volume based RB2
• TY Hilton has a brutal matchup WR2/flex
• Jacoby Brissett is a contrarian rushing QB/deep threat
• Would avoid both TEs and other pass catchers
• Austin Ekeler a high-end RB2
• Justin Jackson a flex
• Philip Rivers a QB2
• Hunter Henry a year-round TE1
• Keenan Allen a low-end WR1
• Mike Williams boom/bust flex w/ WR2 upside

Bengals at Seahawks

• Start Tyler Boyd and Joe Mixon—Tyler Eifert is you’re desperate b/c he could be a red-zone beast
• Chris Carson is the RB9
• Russell Wilson a back-end QB1, due for rushing positive regression
• Tyler Lockett is a back-end WR1 based on volume
• D.K. Metcalf a toss up —need to monitor injury news he’s practicing but Pete said his snap count is a “wait and see”

49ers at Buccaneers

• Fire the cannons, start everyone

Giants at Cowboys

• Saquon Barkley is Week 1 RB3
• Sterling Shepard a flex in standard
• Evan Engram is the primary pass catcher. Will ball in PPR (and standard)
• Amari Cooper and Dak Prescott both top 12 at their positions
• Michael Gallup a deep threat flex consideration in standard
• As of today, still like Tony Pollard to out snap & out touch Ezekiel Elliott due to Zeke injury risk being elevated after lack of preseason work

Lions at Cardinals

• Like Kerryon Johnson against bad defense
• Need to monitor CJ Anderson
• Kenny Golladay is a volume-based WR2
• TJ Hockenson might be the real deal
• Probably one of Matt Stafford’s more start-able weeks, have him as back-end QB2
• Kyler Murray, David Johnson, kept Kirk underwraps but this one is controversial, Larry Fitzgerald is more reliable than I thought
• Watch Chase Edmonds
• Monitor Charles Clay and Maxx Williams because why the hell not?

Steelers at Patriots

• Ben Roethlisberger a high-end QB2 given strength of the position
• JuJu Smith-Schuster has real path to being most targeted player in NFL w/ AB’s exit—will play in slot frequently when Steelers in 3 WR sets
• Donte Moncrief an every
• James Washington a non-factor
• James Conner should’ve been RB5 entering the year
• Vance McDonald a Top 7 fantasy TE
• Tom Brady is a QB2
• Josh Gordon a high-end WR2 every week
• Julian Edelman too, in PPR
• Not much expected of Matt LaCosse
• Sony Michel a rock solid RB2, darkhorse to lead league in rushing TDs
• James White can eat in this game too
• Nada from Meyers/Dorsett/Harris

Texans at Saints

• Superdome helps everyone
• Deshaun Watson overall QB1.
• DeAndre Hopkins a WR1, Will Fuller will score
• Duke Johnson to eat given passing game role/high-flying game
• Don’t worry about Carlos Hyde
• Possibly highest Drew Brees rating of season as QB9
• Michael Thomas high-end WR1 in PPR, mid-to-low end WR1
• Watch for Ted Ginn Jr/Tre’Quan Smith roles
• Jared Cook a TE1
• Alvin Kamara for 18 touches, Latavius Murray is Ingram’s 8-12 touches and every week flex consideration

Broncos at Raiders

• Mike Munchak boosts the Broncos line
• Rich Scangarello brings Shanahan system to Denver/calls Royce Freeman “Devonta Freeman & Phillip Lindsay “Tevin Coleman”
• Don’t like Courtland Sutton, DaeSean Hamilton in the Flacco Show
• Keep an eye on Noah Fant
• Derek Carr a QB3
• Josh Jacobs a volume-based RB2, slated for 320+ touches on the year
• Darren Waller’s stock increase with AB up in air
• Tyrell Williams is a no

Tune in every Thursday on Twitter (@faketeams) at 3 PM EST to watch me cover the weekly matchups live and give me your questions!