Opening Night Highs

It was great to see some NFL football, am I right?! We’re getting spoiled this weekend because we get more football on Friday as well when the Packers face the Eagles in Brazil!

I’m looking forward to bringing you guys this weekly column on Friday’s, where I will go over some of the things I’m looking forward to in week 1 as well as helpful start/sit stats and considerations.

Not only that, but I’m bringing back a fun section as well, Spousal Showdown is back! The wife and I will face off on Thursday and Monday night football this season once again.

For opening night, I started Mark Andrews as captain with Lamar Jackson, Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Xavier Worthy, and Samaje Perine in the flex spots. Her lineup had Derrick Henry in the captain slot, with Jackson, Andrews, Zay Flowers, Worthy, and the Ravens defense.

In the first half, she had me good, outscoring me 51.25 to 27.78. Andrews being a big fat zero in the first half combined with Mahomes and Kelce’s lack of scoring put be behind the eight ball real quick, despite the Chiefs controlling most of the first half.

It got better in the second half, thanks to Mahomes throwing a touchdown pass through the air to Worthy, but that’s about it for me. Andrews never really got going as Isaiah Likely went bananas. She started off with a bang and beat me by nearly five points.

Thursday Night Fantasy Recap

What a breakout game for Isaiah Likely! He’s had big games before, but this one just felt different. The Ravens are fully healthy, have a brand new toy in Derrick Henry, and it’s Likely who stole the show with nine receptions for 111 receiving yards and a touchdown. It’s important to not overreact to one game, but if you are in a position of need at tight end because you don’t have one of the elite guys, snagging Likely (if you can) is not a bad idea. It could be a great one. 📈 

Mark Andrews was nowhere to be found and just looked out of sorts. I noticed on one short yardage play he and Likely bot ran the same route, both were open, and Lamar went to Likely. Again, let’s not overreact but it’s worth mentioning. Zay Flowers might break the receptions record and accumulate less than 1,000 yards thanks to the kind of passes he was getting. Derrick Henry saved his day with a touchdown, but otherwise, it was a bit of a disappointing performance. 😢 

As for the Chiefs, Rashee Rice looks to be the DUDE for this offense. Mahomes went to him early and often on his way to over 100 receiving yards in the game. Rice drafters rejoice!

And while it may not have been the biggest workload, the involvement of Xavier Worthy was encouraging, and not just because he scored twice. 🔥 It was only an 11% target share, but when you consider Rice was the only Chief to garner more than four targets, it’s not as bad. Worthy was utilized in the run game and had a missed endzone target as well where he may have snagged an additional touchdown had he not mistimed his jump. It seems he has the trust of Mahomes and Andy Reid.

Isaiah Pacheco had a decent night, staving off Samaje Perine rumors for at least a week. Travis Kelce’s lack of involvement was puzzling, but much like I mentioned with Andrews, I’m not going to overreact to one game. 🤔 

Now let’s preview the rest of week 1!

Things to look out for in Week 1

• 🦬 Khalil Shakir heads into Week 1 facing one of the worst NFL defenses in the Arizona Cardinals. They were middle of the road against receivers last year and they could see improvement under second-year head coach Jonathan Gannon. But expectations aren’t high, as they simply don’t have the personnel to stop offenses. Curtis Samuel is dealing with a toe injury and while he practiced in full on Wednesday, I’m staying away from him for fantasy. Shakir profiles to be the lead receiver for Josh Allen at the moment, and could be in line for some sneaky upside.

• Dalton Kincaid is also a great candidate for a big Week 1.

• 🔴 It’s worth mentioning that Buffalo was a difficult matchup for tight ends in 2023, but Matt Milano is once again out with an injury. That could open things up for Trey McBride as the second target and dump off valve for Kyler Murray.

• 🟣 🔵 I’m going to mention two players with this bullet point, but only because they are in the same game. Two LSU alumni face off in Week 1 and both should be started: Justin Jefferson and Malik Nabers. You were going to start Jefferson regardless, if you weren’t I’d ask why you drafted him in the first round. Nabers on the other hand might be more of a flex play for your team. Minnesota added Stephon Gilmore this offseason, but he’s on the downward side of his career and may not shadow Nabers, especially if he moves into the slot. Nabers was a very good prospect and has shown amazing ability in training camp. Start him.

• 🔥 If DeAndre Hopkins misses Week 1, I’d have a very tough time starting Calvin Ridley with confidence. The Bears’ top corner Jaylon Johnson is among the best in the league, and that could hinder Ridley. He can get open for a long touchdown or be creatively utilized, opening things up for him. But guys like Chig Okonkwo and Tyler Boyd may get involved this weekend more than expected.

• ⛪️ The Panthers were a favorable matchup for running backs last year and now they are without Brian Burns. They were good at limiting running backs through the air, however, and held Alvin Kamara to -11 receiving yards in his lone matchup against them last year. Is that stopping me from starting him? Nope. Carolina could suffer from a lack of talent up front yet again, and I doubt they hold him to negative receiving yards twice in a row.

• 🏴‍☠️ Speaking of favorable, Mike Evans and Chris Godwin get a great Week 1 matchup against the Commanders. Washington allowed the second most points to the position in 2023, and they don’t have anyone of note in the secondary other than Jeremy Chinn. If you’re feeling bold or in a deeper league, Jalen McMillan is interesting as well.

• 🏴‍☠️ By extension, if the receivers are great starts, Baker Mayfield is as well. He’s more of a deeper league start or a 2QB/Superflex option, but if you’re not liking your current QB, give Baker a shot.

• 🎖️ Aaaaand speaking of Tampa Bay, Jayden Daniels gets a decent matchup in his first NFL game. The Bucs gave up the second-most passing yards last season, and Daniels can add to his passing production with his legs (Tampa tied for second-most QB rushing TD allowed with 6).

• 🐄 Despite giving up just three touchdowns to the position last year, Indianapolis gave up the 8th most targets and receptions to tight ends last year. Dalton Schultz isn’t the flashiest name in Houston, and most everyone is enamored by the receivers, and rightly so. But, Schultz could be a sneaky option at tight end this week in a potentially advantageous matchup. 🔵 

• 🐏 Let’s be clear, you’re starting Kyren Williams. However, I would temper expectations. And no, this isn’t punt-returner talk. This is because the Lions were the best against the run in 2023. They figure to be good yet again this season. If you’re going to attack this Detroit defense, you’re going to do so through the air. Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp should find themselves busy moving the offense along in a potential shootout. 🟡 

• 🇺🇸 Thanks to a largely unknown receiving corp, Hunter Henry may find himself an integral part of the Patriots passing offense on Sunday. Cincinnati gave up the third-most points to the position last year, helping his case even more.

• 🐬 De’Von Achane is someone you should start every week. Especially against Jacksonville who gave up a lot to running backs through the air. But don’t stop there. Raheem Mostert is still an integral part of the offense and should receive some work. At least at this point in the year, Mostert should be the favorite for touches around the goal line.

• 🔥 While we’re talking about receiving usage, Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears are both excellent receiving backs and Chicago struggled against running backs through the air. They gave up the second-most receptions, the most yards, and second-most touchdowns to RBs through the air in 2023. Their defense has improved for sure, but so has the Tennessee offense. It will be an interesting matchup to watch for sure.

• 🐆 Brian Thomas Jr. could be in for a big Week 1 should Jalen Ramsey sit. Christian Kirk should be a stable option out of the slot and Evan Engram should eat as well. Gabe Davis should attract the top coverage, opening things up further for Thomas. He’s been gaining a lot of steam recently, and Jacksonville will be eager to find out what they have in their rookie receiver.

• 🐆 Much like Baker above, by extension, if you like the receivers this week, it’s logical you need to like the quarterback as well. Trevor Lawrence will look to bounce back from a down year in 2023. Ian Hartitz noted on X that Trevor Lawrence was a top-3 in adjusted EPA which accounts for drops and other factors. He did have a lot of near misses last year and while some were on him, there’s no denying his receivers let him down on plenty of occasions. If things swing back his way, we could be looking at a 25-30+ passing touchdown season. 🟢 

• ⬛️ Of the three potential running backs in Pittsburgh (Najee Harris, Jaylen Warren, and Cordarelle Patterson 🤢), I like Harris this week. Jaylen Warren has been dealing with an injury and may see reduced snaps. Patterson is a gadget player at this point in his career. For everything we fantasy players give Arthur Smith, there’s no denying his running game is very good. Harris should be good to go this week and a solid start in fantasy lineups. 🔺🔷 🟨 

That’s all for this week! Thanks for reading and let’s get this party started!