We are finally here.
The 2024 NFL season is just hours away from kicking off, and all is right with the world. The dog days of summer are finally over, and we can now get into the mix of meaningful fall football. With our favorite teams ready to take the field, our fantasy lineups at home are also getting set. If you’re struggling with spot decisions between the players you’ve drafted, this weekly segment can help ease your choices, and hopefully give you the win to start the season strong.
The common thought entering the season is “Go with your top picks.” We drafted who we drafted for a reason, and Week 1 is one of those matchups where your star players will start to show who they are and what they’re capable of this year.
That being said, WHO they’re playing is just as important; there are good and bad situations for positions across all 16 games on the schedule. Here are a few players going into the week that I feel are in a prime spot to shine (or disappoint).
Booms: Week 1
Tee Higgins, WR – Cincinnati Bengals
Week 1 Matchup: vs. New England Patriots
No one outside of the Bengals front office likely knows what will happen with all-pro WR Ja’Marr Chase entering 2024. He finally returned to practice today but missed all of training camp as he held in for a better contract and his Week 1 status seems up in the air. Chase is a stud, and probably won’t need much to get into game form, but it still might take some ramp-up time.
Thus, it’s Higgins’ time to shine.
The 5th-year man is a solid WR2 on his own, but entering a year where he himself wants top dollar and has tons to prove to the Bengals (or other potential suitors next offseason), it would behoove him to go off. What better way to do so than in the first week of the new season?
New England has revamped after moving on from legendary coach Bill Belichick and a 4-13 record in 2023, with defensive-minded HC Jerod Mayo manning the helm going forward. Promising CB Christian Gonzalez returns from a season-ending injury, and the defense as a whole looks solid, but not imposing.
Outside of Higgins, there aren’t a ton of stable options left for Cincinnati. The duo of Chase Brown/Zach Moss out of the backfield is shaky, and if Chase sits, you have unproven guys like Andre Iosivas to throw to now that Tyler Boyd is gone. I expect volume and red zone targets aplenty for the 6’4″ wideout, as the Bengals set out to start strong.
D’Andre Swift, RB – Chicago Bears
Week 1 Matchup: vs. Tennessee Titans
Tennessee made some strong moves over the last six months to shore up the roster on both sides of the ball. In particular, it’s the secondary that looks fairly scary on paper, with L’Jarius Sneed, Chidobe Awuzie, Quandre Diggs, and Jamal Adams joining the fray through trades or free agency. It’s a defense that wants to be aggressive under new coordinator Dennard Wilson, and a tall task to pass on for any offense this season.
So, it would make a ton of sense for the play calling to help aid and protect rookie sensation Caleb Williams as he faces this career-opening trial by fire. And what better way to do that than by establishing the run game?
Swift has been criticized in the past for his health and efficiency, especially in 2023 where he didn’t do much behind one of the top O-Lines in Philly. I’d argue the play-calling and TD vulturing by the tush-push didn’t help, and I look to Swift to bounce back in a big way this year with an exciting young offense. Williams has the makings of a star and is surrounded by top-tier weaponry in Chicago’s WR room, but you still want to avoid throwing the game on his shoulders to start and let him get comfortable.
Tennessee, for all its talented additions, didn’t do much to beef up their defensive line and allowed opposing run games a whopping 120 yards average on the road. It’s a good thing this bout is in Chicago, where I think Swift will thrive and complement a promising Bears offense.
Adonai Mitchell, WR – Indianapolis Colts
Week 1 Matchup: vs. Houston Texans
QB Anthony Richardson is a talented, if unproven prospect entering the new season. Between him and stud RB Jonathan Taylor, the running game is strong and is likely what the Colts will lean on as they protect Richardson from injury (and the lack of experience as a second-year starter). We all know what the game plan is in Indianapolis. I’m sure the Texans do as well.
Houston beat Indy in the season finale to claim the AFC South, and have only improved over the offseason, especially on defense. This is an extremely fast and physical unit, headlined by additions Danielle Hunter and Azeez Al-Shaair, and they’re sure to key in on the Colts’ run game and force Richardson to beat them through the air.
This is why I feel Mitchell has promise this week. It’s rare for rookies to show out in their first outings, but with WR2 Josh Downs likely out with a bad ankle to start the season, it’s up to the rest of the WR corps to pick up the slack behind Michael Pittman. It’s a tough ask, especially against a tough secondary, but with the focus elsewhere on this offense, I think Mitchell is a sneaky bet to hit the ground running in his first NFL game.
Busts: Week 1
Josh Jacobs, RB – Green Bay Packers
Week 1 Matchup: at Philadelphia Eagles (Sao Paulo, Brazil)
Fans of Jacobs got some interesting news to start the season, as fellow Packers RB AJ Dillon was put on season-ending IR. Now that Jacobs is THE de facto rushing option in Green Bay, it stands to reason he will dominate touches and thus fantasy scoring opportunities throughout the season. I’m extremely high on Jacobs and his potential this year, but I’m not a fan of the opening matchup in the heart of Brazil.
The Eagles disappointed many in 2023 but returned with key pieces healthy along the front seven and brought in respected defensive mind Vic Fangio to lead the unit as coordinator. If there’s anyone that can bring the best out of his units and their talent, it’s Fangio, and the Eagles D-Line is loaded with exactly that.
It’s hard to predict what will happen in foreign games, but the Packers’ game plan likely rests on the shoulders of QB Jordan Love through the air against a retooled (but untested and suspect) Philly secondary. I expect the Eagles to stonewall the Green Bay running game, much like they did last season (9th fewest yards allowed to opposing rushers).
Kyren Williams, RB – Los Angeles Rams
Week 1 Matchup: at Detroit Lions
The 2023 standout has been much hyped throughout the offseason and is a solid feature on a talented offense to start the ’24 campaign. A high pick in many fantasy drafts, Williams has lofty expectations on his shoulders after saving the seasons of many throughout the waiver wire last year. For all the positives surrounding Williams, I am not exactly convinced when it comes down to him and the situation he’s in in Los Angeles.
The main elephant in the room, obviously, is rookie rusher Blake Corum — a Williams 2.0 addition out of Michigan. Head coach Sean McVay likes him, and given the track record of McVay and his committee approaches over the years, I expect Corum to vulture opportunities early and often. Couple this with a hungry and contending Lions team that bulked up its D-Line over the offseason, and the potential is there for many Kyren owners to be disappointed come Sunday night.
George Pickens, WR – Pittsburgh Steelers
Week 1 Matchup: at Atlanta Falcons
There are a lot of unknowns right now in Pittsburgh. QB Russell Wilson won the starting job in an underwhelming fashion, and there are plenty of questions surrounding the type of offense new OC Arthur Smith will run and how good it’ll be. Couple that with Pickens and his reported attitude, and there’s a recipe for issues down the line.
The Steelers, for all of their problems year in and year out, are always competitive. Pickens has a ton of talent and is the main receiving threat in that offense. There’s a high probability they put it all together with a very tough defense and contend in the AFC this season. That being said, there’s sure to be some pains, and Week 1 in Atlanta against Smith’s former team is bound to be one of them.
A.J. Terrell got paid and is an absolute menace as a corner in that Falcons secondary. Add in acquisitions like Matthew Judon and Justin Simmons, and it’ll be hard to air it out against a defense that already kept opposing passing attacks down last year (fifth fewest overall). Pickens is a relatively easy fade for me this week.
Photos courtesy of Icon Sportswire
Adapted by Kurt Wasemiller (@kurtwasemiller on Twitter / @kurt_player02 on Instagram)