Chiefs at Jaguars
Game Info
Kickoff: Sunday, September 8th at 1:00 pm EST
Location: EverBank Field, Jacksonville, FL
Betting Odds: JAC +4, 52 Total via Oddsshark
Network: CBS
Sleeper Spotlight: Keelan Cole
Kansas City Chiefs
Quarterback
- Patrick Mahomes
Fantasy players who own Patrick Mahomes must be salivating as they wait to see their heavy investment pay off this year. People bought into Mahomes this year for good reason; because the guy was the number one fantasy player last season by a wide margin. I believe Mahomes is due for a little regression this year but should still be fighting for the overall QB1 position. He’s a versatile quarterback that can launch the ball even when he’s on the run and off-balance. He will start the season with a solid test against a Jaguars defense trying to return to excellence. The Jaguars defense finished 12 in fantasy points last year and many in “Sacksonville” expect better. They are allegedly improved this year but that remains to be seen.
Running Backs
- Damien Williams
- LeSean McCoy
Pour one out for your boy. I drafted Damien Williams the night before it was announced LeSean McCoy was signing with the Chiefs. To make things worse, my girlfriend drafted McCoy having no idea who he is. That being said, nobody knows what this backfield will look like from Week 1 to Week 8. There are so many factors to consider. Head coach Andy Reid has said this backfield will be a timeshare well before McCoy came back to Kansas City. At the same time, McCoy knows the system well but he’s also 31 years old. Shady had a mediocre season last year but had a 1000-yard season just two years ago. We will simply have to monitor this situation and hope it doesn’t become a two-headed monster.
Wide Receivers/ Tight Ends
- Tyreek Hill
- Travis Kelce
- Sammy Watkins
- Mecole Hardman
There isn’t much to say here. The Chiefs spread the ball around well on a high-powered offense. Beyond the guys you know and love (okay maybe not “love” in Tyreek Hill’s case) there just isn’t much fantasy relevance beyond the guys you know will be productive. Like everyone else in the world, I expect a big game from Travis Kelce. I didn’t realize until I was watching a Chiefs preseason game a few weeks ago that this offense is tailor-made for tight ends. Even Kelce’s third-string backups were productive. I think Sammy Watkins will take a big step up in this offense this year. Mecole Hardman could prove useful in deeper leagues if he gets enough reps.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Quarterback
- Nick Foles
Jaguars fans should be excited to finally see more of quarterback Nick Foles. The 88-million-dollar man is starting his tenure at Jacksonville and many have high expectations for him. We didn’t get to see much of Foles in the preseason. He only played one game and had just 10 attempts in that game. Foles threw a touchdown and an interception in his short time on the field. Interestingly, Foles doesn’t even appear on Boris Chen’s tiered player list this week. It is entirely possible Foles does great and is consistently listed among Boris Chen’s tiers but many NFL fans feel it’s just as likely he stays off that list.
Running Backs
- Leonard Fournette
- Ryquell Armstead
Leonard Fournette has said he is healthy and in a better place this year. Whether or not that translates into a complete fantasy football season remains to be seen. Fournette only got 7 carries and 2 receptions in the preseason but that’s no surprise given his injury history. The guy is an absolute stud but he has only played 21 out of a possible 32 games in his career. That’s a lot of time missed for a player entering into their third season. Fournette just feels like one of those guys who will frustrate fantasy owners all year or win them their leagues. Ryquell Armstead, whose name sounds like a two-in-one cold medication and house cleaner, will be completely irrelevant unless Fournette goes down.
Wide Receivers/ Tight Ends
- Marqise Lee
- Chris Conley
- Keelan Cole
- Dede Westbrook
The receiver situation is a bit interesting for the Jaguars. There’s plenty of opportunities for a receiver to step up with Marqise Lee possibly missing the season opener. I would be on the lookout for Chris Conley and Keelan Cole to impress in Lee’s absence. The latter has been consistent since he entered the NFL in 2017 and seems to be getting better each year. Dede Westbrook, another receiver entering his third year, is now the de-facto WR1 for the Jaguars. I’ll be looking closely at how many targets he gets from Nick Foles. If the two show they have a strong connection it could quickly improve Westbrook’s value.
–Ryan Kruse (@ryanpkruse)