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The first week of the NFL season is here! And with it begins the first week of making the ever-important fantasy roster decisions. And while opening week is not the time to “get cute,” there are some managers who may need to take a closer look at their rosters to build the best roster possible. So here are five players you can turn to for help.
Mayfield was the 10th-best quarterback in fantasy football last season, and a first home game against the Commanders makes him a strong underdog. Washington’s defense will have a new face under head coach Dan Quinn, but that unit allowed 19 touchdown passes and averaged more than 20 fantasy points per game to home quarterbacks in 2023.
Williams was drafted as an RB3/Flex in the draft, but his fantasy value increased when the Broncos released Samaje Perine. I like him as an RB2/Flex this week because Williams will be facing a Seahawks defense that allowed the third-most fantasy points to backs in 2023. They were also worse at home, allowing nearly 28 points per game to opposing runners.
Singletary basically has a tight grip on the Giants’ backfield, and he knows coach Brian Daboll’s offense well from their time together in Buffalo. The Vikings weren’t bad against running backs based on last season’s numbers, but they allowed nine backs to beat them by 13-plus points. Plus, Singletary’s volume should be solid.
Most fantasy conversations about the Texans passing attack revolve around Nick Collins and Stefon Diggs, but we shouldn’t forget about Dell. He showed flashes of potential as a rookie and the matchup against the Colts is favorable. In fact, their defense allowed the third-most points to perimeter receivers in 2023. Dell ran 74.9% of his rookie routes wide out.
Smith-Njigba is one of my favorite wideouts for this season, and managers who need him should use him against the Broncos. Their defense was ruthless against homegrown slot receivers last season, allowing six touchdowns and the eighth-most points. Smith-Njigba, who ran 67.7% of his rookie routes inside, should be able to take advantage this weekend.
