The season is finally here, and soon, we’ll be speculating less as results begin to clarify muddy waters. But this week, we still have to make predictions with no regular season games to guide us.

I’m asking a litany of Fantasy Life family members to assist me in our analysis for Week 1, including:

  • Senior Fantasy Football Analyst Kendall Valenzuela
  • Head of Betting Matthew Freedman
  • Community Lead Sam Wallace
  • Director of Analytics and Lead Fantasy Analyst Dwain McFarland
  • Senior Fantasy Analyst Ian Hartitz

Which rookies are in your Week 1 starting lineup, and why?

  • Please specify the platform and whether it's PPR, Half-PPR, or standard scoring.

Sam Wallace: It's going to be impossible to sit players like Marvin Harrison and Malik Nabers at any point during their careers, so I'm firing up both of them this week without question.

I’m also rolling out Jayden Daniels and Brock Bowers as my locks for this week. These players should start across all scoring formats without issue.

Kendall Valenzuela: Jayden Daniels, BABY! I'm starting him in all leagues, regardless of shapes and sizes, this weekend, and you should too.

I think Daniels was mispriced all offseason, and he is going to pay off his ADP in a huge way. He has the rushing upside that you look for but went way later than other players like Anthony Richardson and Kyler Murray. He will finish inside the top 10 fantasy quarterbacks this season. Cheers to everyone who was able to draft him!

Jess Bryant: This year, I’m playing in five Yahoo leagues, two Guillotine leagues, an ESPN league, and an NFL.com league, many of them deep; I actually must start rookies this week.

On top of that, I am typically a high-ceiling fantasy player and enjoy taking risks (meaning too, that I’m a waiver wire machine). In one deep PPR league, I have Ladd McConkey, Rome Odunze, and Brian Thomas, Jr. starting. I am not confident in any of them for Week 1, but I expect Odunze and Thomas Jr. to have good seasons.

(Note: It is never too late in the season to start a Guillotine League! And they're free!)

In a SuperFlex PPR league, I’m going with Caleb Williams, Marvin Harrison, and Xavier Worthy. Williams is a great SuperFlex play, and with Hollywood Brown out, I think Worthy will produce, especially on long-yardage plays. Harrison Jr. is a no-brainer and will start in any and every league I have him in. In a deep Guillotine league, I have Adonai Mitchell starting and he would be a great low-price play in daily fantasy this week too, especially if Josh Downs is out. Richardson is healthy and spreads the ball so here’s hoping. 

Matthew Freedman: I'll echo Kendall. This offseason, Daniels was my top late-round QB target, and for Week 1 I have him as a top-10 QB in my rankings. I noted him in my Week 1 Freedman's Favorites, and I've logged a bet on the Commanders as +3.5 underdogs in our free Fantasy Life Bet Tracker.

In our free NFL Bets “Bet Tracker,” I have positions on Daniels to win OROY, to pass for over 3,025.5 yards, and to rush for over 525.5 yards in the season-long markets. I want to be as invested in Daniels as possible, and that starts with Week 1.

Ian Hartitz: Marvin Harrison and Malik Nabers should be started everywhere, and a similar sentiment is true for Jayden Daniels and Caleb Williams. Hell, I don't hate the idea of FLEX'ing guys like Rome Odunze, Brian Thomas Jr., Keon Coleman, and Ladd McConkey in deeper leagues, it's a free country after all.

After that? We're mostly looking at handcuffs and WRs who need to demonstrate they are indeed poised to have a large role in their respective passing games this season.

Rookies usually don't make a habit of overly balling out in fantasy land; playing the waiting game is advised when comparing a more proven veteran against a day-two or -three rookie who could start the season with less playing time than we'd prefer.

Dwain McFarland: Jayden Daniels, Malik Nabers, and Marvin Harrison should all be in starting lineups. Daniels is my QB8 in Week 1, thanks to a sweet passing matchup against the Buccaneers, who allowed 269 yards per contest (fifth-most) and the fourth-highest projected rushing yards (35) on the weekend.

Look for Nabers to challenge for a 30% target share out of the gate, and Harrison should be a top-two option for the Cardinals in a potential shootout against the Bills.

Brian Thomas Jr. should play most of the snaps, making him a WR3 or flex option in PPR 12-team formats. If Keenan Allen is less than 100%, Rome Odunze becomes an option as an upside WR3.

After evaluating preseason and training camp performances, which players are you benching for Week 1 that you initially expected to start?

  • Who is taking their place, and what influenced your decision?

Sam: I'm tempering expectations for players like Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze. While I'm fine starting Jayden Daniels this week, Williams doesn't offer the same rushing upside. The reason I'm nervous about Odunze is he could be the third option for a rookie quarterback in his first game.

The talent is there for both, but I'm fine waiting a week to see what happens. I would be okay pivoting to veteran options like Kirk Cousins or Jared Goff at quarterback and then starting someone like DeAndre Hopkins as a safer option at wide receiver.

Kendall: This isn't a super sexy starter, but if you punted the tight end position (like I did in some leagues) then you might have Cole Kmet on your team, someone who I am benching for Week 1.

Kmet had a solid season in 2023, but, unfortunately, we should not expect the same outcome this year. In the Preseason Week 2 utilization report, Kmet had a 39% route participation rate with Caleb Williams, while Gerald Everett was at 61%. As a Seahawks fan, I have seen this film before; Shane Waldron is going to rotate these tight ends, making me leave Kmet on the bench.

Jess: I may be questioning my choices after Sam’s comments, but I’m starting Caleb Wiliams over Trevor Lawrence in a PPR league for the upside. In what is a very difficult choice, I’m starting Nico Collins at WR2 and Jahmyr Gibbs in flex over Xavier Worthy, Malik Nabers, and Keenan Allen. Week 1 should provide me with more clarity moving forward, and I think Worthy and Nabers are both very good starts this week with Brown out and Nabers as the clear No. 1 wide receiver in New York. The only issue I see with Nabers is that Jones is throwing to him, but Nabers likely gets a huge target share, and Jones is good enough to get him the ball. Worthy goes against a pretty strong Baltimore defense, but Mahomes is Mahomes.

Freedman: I entered the preseason with the expectation (or hope?) that Zack Moss would be the clear lead RB for the Bengals this year. And he might be … but we didn't see him get the kind of usage in the preseason befitting a guy who has the backfield to himself. He will share work with Chase Brown--and he might even play behind Brown when the season opens or as it progresses.

So Moss, currently ranked as my RB29, is someone I'd hope not to need to start this week. At this point, I'd rather go with someone like Chuba Hubbard (RB27) at least (supposedly) should have most of the Panthers backfield to himself.

Ian: There's a difference between being injury-prone and already injured. Sadly, guys like Jaylen Warren (hamstring), DeAndre Hopkins (knee), and Mike Williams (knee) look like potential snap count casualties, and I'll accordingly be picking the other guy in close start/sit decisions.

A similar sentiment is true for Kyle Pitts (hamstring) if you happen to have a pretty solid second option like Evan Engram or Jake Ferguson.

Just realize that if you bench Pitts, he's going to ball out, and if you start him, your secondary option will perform better than him. That's just the way fantasy football works.

Dwain: Based on preseason utilization, I would steer clear of Zamir White, Cole Kmet, and Pat Freiermuth.

I am also downgrading all players entering the week with lingering injuries, such as the names Ian Hartitz outlined above. However, I am not swapping them out for clearly inferior talents. For example, I am not benching DeAndre Hopkins for Gabe Davis or Darnell Mooney.

Which Week 1 games are a must-watch from a fantasy perspective?

  • Which player matchups are you most excited to see?

Sam: The NFL did it right for Week 1, as all four prime-time games are must-see football, from the Chiefs vs. Ravens and Packers vs. Eagles on Thursday and Friday night respectively, to the Rams vs. Lions on Sunday night and Jets vs. 49ers on Monday night.

Those are the marquee games I want to see. Each game is chock-full of fantasy goodness, and many matchups will be decided by performances in those games.

Kendall: There are so many great matchups in Week 1, but my eyes are drawn to the Rams-Lions matchup on Sunday Night Football.

What is Kyren Williams going to look like? Will there be fireworks from Amon-Ra St. Brown and Puka Nacua? This should be a high-scoring affair, so sign me up. There are also some big questions going into this weekend that could get answered—will Anthony Richardson be the same quarterback we saw a small sample of last season? Which running back that found a new home during the offseason will absolutely go off? We made it, folks! Week 1 is here! 

Jess: Outside of the matchups mentioned by Kendall and Sam, I’m interested in the Cardinals-Bills Sunday afternoon matchup. I want to watch the complete package that is Marvin Harrison and Kyler Murray’s return with a new coach and better offense. James Conner was undervalued in fantasy drafts, and I hope he returns to top form this year.

I also want to see the Colts vs. Texans, specifically for the Stroud-Richardson matchup. Stroud has much better weapons at wide receiver with Stefon Diggs, Tank Dell, and Nico Collins. But I am looking forward to Michael Pittman and Adonai Mitchell’s play for the Colts, and I am of course looking forward to seeing a healthy Jonathan Taylor on the field.

Freedman: I'm most excited for the Friday night Eagles-Packers matchup in Brazil. What's not to love? It's a Friday night game--in Week 1! That's awesome.

It's another international game--and it's one I don't need to wake up early on a weekend to watch. And it has two teams that can both put up points. I can't wait to watch this game, and specifically, I'll be looking at the QBs. How does Jordan Love look in his second season as a starter? And how does Jalen Hurts look in OC Kellen Moore's offense? At the end of the season, the outcome of this game might determine who gets the No. 1 seed. Lots to love about this matchup.

Ian: I took the liberty of ranking all 16 matchups from an entertainment perspective earlier this week, and let me tell you what: I despise the idea that ANY NFL football game is “bad.”

We spend months of the calendar year pretending to give a shit about beta sports like basketball and baseball, and people have the audacity to criticize Patriots-Bengals? I'll watch Bo Nix throw four interceptions and lead zero TD drives on repeat before I willfully sit down and watch any given baseball game on my television without a second thought.

Shame on anyone who doesn't appreciate that bad football is still better than good-anything else. Wait, what was the question again?

Dwain: I am excited for every game this weekend, BUT from a fantasy perspective, there are six teams I am the most interested in.

  • Atlanta Falcons: Will Zac Robinson finally free Kyle Pitts, Drake London, and Bijan Robinson? Arthur Smith limited their utilization in mind-numbing ways.
     
  • Buffalo Bills: The passing depth chart is wide open after the departure of Stefon Diggs. Draft capital says that Dalton Kincaid and Keon Coleman will get their routes, but there is a chance for Khalil Shakir or Curtis Samuel also to make noise. Let's also not forget that James Cook is one of the better passing-down backs in the NFL, despite some untimely drops (name five other backs that get that open downfield).
     
  • Chicago Bears: Will Shane Waldron use two-TE sets often when he has DJ Moore, Keenan Allen, and Rome Odunze at his disposal? Seems like that would be crazy, but he did it last year with DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba AND we saw it this preseason.
     
  • Houston Texans: This is the same question as the Bears – can we get Nico Collins, Stefon Diggs, and Tank Dell all on the field with more three-WR sets? This preseason, Tank Dell was limited to a 67% route participation rate, which seems odd for one of the best young playmakers in the game.
     
  • Las Vegas Raiders: Is 2024 the year we see a team commit to using two TEs as their base personnel for the first time since Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez? Brock Bowers is one of the best TE prospects we have seen in a long time, but Michael Mayer was a solid prospect the year before. If these guys are sharing time, Bowers won't be startable.
     
  • Los Angeles Chargers: We know Jim Harbaugh wants to pound the rock and the Chargers have one of the best young offensive lines in the game. The question is if any of these backs can take charge. If one emerges with a 55%-plus rush share, we could have a surprise RB1!

Which team will Davante Adams play for by the end of the 2024-2025 season, and how will that impact his fantasy value?

Sam: I think Davante Adams will stay with the Raiders for the duration of this season. The Raiders are capable of winning just enough games to be competitive and in the playoff discussion until the last week of the season.

Barring a total collapse of the franchise, Adams plays out this year where he's at. He'll dominate the target share and will still be very viable for fantasy managers each week.

Kendall: I think Davante Adams lands on a team that could be contending for a deep playoff run. I know that's a boring answer, but that could mean the Jets (like all rumors suggest) or even the Steelers, who were in the market for Brandon Aiyuk, or maybe the Ravens?

That last one would just be so unfair. The Raiders probably are not going to have a strong 2024 season, which means if they trade Adams, they need to maximize their draft assets to set them up for future success. Adams will turn 32 in December, so the chances he is with the Raiders when they make the playoffs in a few years (??) is slim.

Jess: I think Adams will likely stay with the Raiders, especially if the quarterback play is even adequate. If he gets touches and opportunities, he’ll stay.

But last year with Jimmy Garoppolo, Adams was frustrated, as detailed on the Netflix show Receiver. If he doesn’t get touches, I think he will demand a trade and go to a team with a good quarterback room.

If Rodgers stays healthy, he may go to the Jets. Otherwise, I think the Bills and Lions could be playoff contenders and good landing places. The Bills need a veteran #1 receiver, and the Lions could do a lot of damage with Adams and St. Brown. This is an especially good landing place if Jameson Williams underperforms this season.

Freedman: My answer is boring. I don't really care where he plays. He's still Davante Adams. Wherever he is, he should get lots of targets. But I bet that he'll stay with the Raiders for the entire season.

Ian: The Raiders will start the season 1-6 because they decided to fade the QB position in the year 2024. Bold move, Cotton. At this point, they will hit the phones and give Adams the exact re-location he so desires: Cleveland, Ohio, baby.

From there, Adams will join one of the league's least-efficient passing "attacks" and not only fail to meet his own lofty fantasy aspirations, but also help nuke everyone involved … UNTIL Jameis Winston RISES OFF THE BENCH AND THROWS FOR 300+ YARDS ON A WEEKLY BASIS IN DECEMBER AND SINGLE-HANDEDLY SWINGS FANTASY CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHUPS! That, or maybe just the Raiders. One of those two.

Dwain: I think Adams ends the season with the Raiders. However, if he were to leave, I could see Aaron Rodgers talking the Jets into adding him if Mike Williams is a flop coming off of his ACL injury. Garrett Wilson plus Adams would form one of the more formidable WR duos in the NFL.

Which of these season-long specialty bets are you most confident in?

  • Here are the options
    • Kyler Murray to throw 4,000+ regular season passing yards (+250 on FanDuel)
    • Anthony Richardson to throw 30+ TDs in the regular season (+700 on FanDuel)
    • Terry McLaurin to surpass 1,000 receiving yards (+120 on FanDuel)
    • Deebo Samuel for 8+ regular season receiving touchdowns (+270 on FanDuel)

Sam: I'll take Kyler Murray throwing for more than 4,000 yards this season. He finished with 3,971 passing yards in 2020 and has two other seasons with more than 3,700 passing yards. With another year removed from his injury and the addition of Marvin Harrison, I'll take Murray to top the 4k mark this season.

Kendall: Oh, this is a spicy question! Let's go with Terry McLaurin to have 1,000 receiving yards.

We have him projected for 1,034 receiving yards on the season and this could very much be the best quarterback he has played with (someone save Terry!). Of course, Jayden Daniels may be a much better fantasy quarterback than a real-life quarterback, but looking down the depth chart, there are not many players who are taking away targets from McLaurin.

Jess: While taking Samuel for 8+ regular-season receiving touchdowns may be tempting, he has never had above seven, which he tallied in 2023.

Many of Samuel’s touchdowns come on rushes, so I’m also taking McLaurin to surpass 1,000 yards. He is talented, underrated, and no one is there, as Kendall said, to compete for touches. If Daniels is as good as projected or even serviceable, I’ll take the odds on this one.

Ian: Terry McLaurin's because it has the most likely odds and to quote the great Ruth Langmore: “We don't know sh*t about f*ck.”

Dwain: Terry McLaurin is the easy answer because it is the most likely to happen, but that is pretty boring.

Deebo Samuel battles too many injuries in a crowded offense to get in on the eight receiving TDs, so give me Anthony Richardson at +700 to throw for 30-plus TDs.

Is it likely to happen? No. But Richardson could throw for 31 TDs without being a prolific passer–teams will have to respect the Colts' ground game inside the five-yard line, which could lead to some wide-open looks to TEs and RBs sneaking into the flats.

Richardson also has a good deep ball, which could lead to a few extra long TD passes. I have Richardson projected for 3,514 yards passing. Since 2007, we have seen four QBs eclipse 30 passing TDs with under 3,500 yards:

  • Ben Roethlisberger: 3,164 yards, 32 TDs (2007)
  • Carson Wentz: 3,296 yards, 33 TDs (2017)
  • Russell Wilson: 3,448 yards, 35 TDs (2018)
  • Lamar Jackson: 3,127 yards, 36 TDs (2019)

As Lloyd Christmas once said, "So you're telling me there's a chance."

Pop culture question

  • Olympian and professional sports couples have been trending in pop culture and social media, especially on TikTok this year. Which couple do you stan and why?

Sam: Jrue and Lauren Holiday. As a Milwaukee native, I'll forever be grateful to Jrue for helping bring the Bucks a championship a few years back, in 2021. He truly was the missing piece we needed, and I'm sad he's no longer with the team.

As for Lauren, she's a two-time Olympic gold medalist in soccer and together they founded a social justice nonprofit organization. It's incredible to see two amazing athletes, publicly supporting each others' careers, who also do amazing work in their community and the world.

Kendall: Wait, this is the best question ever. I love following Simone Biles on TikTok because she is a SUPERSTAR athlete who is also married to Bears Defensive Back Jonathan Owens.

But also how can you not love following Kylie Kelce, who is married to Jason Kelce? They are always so damn funny.

My last one might be niche but I love Chanen Johnson and Juwan Johnson's account, too. Juwan plays tight end for the Saints and they are very entertaining! Shoutout to me for being chronically online! Go touch some grass, everyone.

Jess: I have to go with Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe, who are a long-standing fan-favorite duo with much clout. I love the fashion this couple brings to the table, and more importantly, they invest heavily in women’s sports and gender equity.

After watching Simone Biles Rising, I, too, am a big fan of Biles and Owens.

Owens came under some scrutiny after he said he didn’t know who Biles was and that he was “the catch” of the two of them, so I went into the documentary wondering about the dynamics of their relationship. But Owens is grounded, emotionally intelligent, and open about protecting his mental health in the show. He also is incredibly supportive of Biles and showed up for her 2024 Olympic revenge performance. I look forward to seeing her at the Bears games this year! Her energy is perfect.

Freedman: I'm flattered that this question assumes I have TikTok, that I know who the various sports couples are, that I know what the word "stan" means, and that I in fact actually do "stan" any of these couples. Truly, flattered.

Ian: I think we're underestimating Jameson Williams' blowup potential on Sunday Night Football. This is a Rams defense that was already underwhelming in 2023 … and that was with the single-best defensive player of this generation! I know, I know: Jamo hasn't exactly fulfilled expectations as a former No. 12 overall pick. But context, people, context! Year 1 was largely nuked because of his late-season torn ACL at Alabama, while year two featured a gambling suspension and preseason hamstring injury. Sunday night will be Williams' first professional September game.

We like the Lions scheme, we like Jared Goff's ability to put up numbers (especially indoors), and we like the potential for this game to turn into a shootout of sorts, so why wouldn't we like Williams' chances of putting up a "boom" in this sort of spot? If we aren't going to trust Williams, now, will we ever? WILL WE?

So yeah, give me Jameson Williams and Dan Campbell. That's my answer.

Dwain: Cut and paste what Freedman said. Guys … I am old. My wife loves the Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick videos. The latest one, where he is telling her happy anniversary after changing the lyrics of Jackson (popularized by Johnny Cash and June Carter) to "relaxing" was pretty cool.

I think my wife was probably just letting me know she wants me to be sweet and sing to her more. Thanks, Kevin Bacon!