Game Previews: All Fantasy Relevant Players For Week 1

Bears vs. Packers

Bears

Will Matt Nagy rejuvenate the Bears offense, ala the Rams of last year?

I think the Bears becoming the Rams would be just about the best case scenario. There are certainly plenty of parallels (second-year quarterback coming off a disappointing first year, a young first-year head coach with a mind for offense, a bruising running back, plenty of new weapons added in the offseason). I like what I saw from Nagy when he took over play-calling duties last year for the Chiefs, and I have faith that he will know how to use his weapons properly. While it could make fantasy frustrating at times for the wide receivers, I would happily role with Jordan Howard and Trey Burton on all of my rosters.

Has Mitch Trubisky progressed from last year?

So we have a new coach. Excellent. However, that will only go so far if Mitch can’t lead the team. If he can’t accurately hit all those weapons, everything will fall apart. So how will year 2 go? I expect a big step forward now that Trubisky gets to leave the vanilla offense of John Fox. His athleticism should help extend plays and find the open man. I expect the scheme to make life much easier, and more capable threats to keep the defense honest. After all, last year the top wide receivers were Kendall Wright, Josh Bellamy, and Dontrelle Inman. I’d much rather roll with Allen Robinson, Anthony Miller, and Taylor Gabriel. I expect Mitch Trubisky to have more than a few top-12 weeks, and I think he makes for a good streamer at QB in week 1 against an uncertain Packers secondary.

How will Jordan Howard factor into/ be affected by the new offense?

Jordan Howard has been a top-15 running back in PPR the last two years. He is young, capable of handling a heavy workload, and a gifted runner. Sure, he isn’t great at catching passes. And there were those rumors that he might get traded during the offseason. However, it’s clear now that Howard is here to stay, and I love it. I liken his role to that of Kareem Hunt on the Chiefs offense, albeit with less pass-catching upside. What is that worth? I’d be fine with him as my RB1 if I started WR-WR in a draft, and I would be thrilled to have him as my RB2. That being said, the Packers boast the best run defense in the league according to Pro Football Focus. I will still start Howard, but be ready for his rushing yards to see a dip. My prediction is that a more capable offense means more scoring opportunities, thus raising Howard’s ceiling.

What exactly is Tarik Cohen’s role?

At the beginning of the offseason, I was all about Tarik Cohen. At the time, he looked like the best pass-catching weapon on the team. He is fast, agile, and able to break plays wide-open as we saw early last year…before John Fox seemingly forgot he was on the roster. However, the Bears added Allen Robinson, Taylor Gabriel, and Trey Burton in free agency as well as drafting Anthony Miller. So what does this mean for Cohen? I think this will boil down to game script, but I would project him for 4+ targets against Green Bay, and about the same number of rushes. Early on, I expect him to be boom/ bust, but more reliable in PPR because of his targets. I see the ceiling as something like Darren Sproles during his prime. I would be happy to flex Cohen this week.

Which receivers/ tight ends should I target, and how reliable are they?

The most difficult position to lock down this week for the Bears is the receiving corps. We have never seen this group together on the field in regular season action, and it’s hard to say how much everyone will be involved. Add in the youth of Green Bay’s corners, and who knows where the open man will be on a given play? I feel safest about Trey Burton, as he is the only pass-catching tight end on the roster that is healthy. If we look at the Chiefs last year, the tight end is constantly involved/ moved around to create mismatches. This helps to open up other weapons. I would be 100% confident with Burton as my week 1 tight end. For wide receiver, I would guess Robinson gets the most targets and proves a viable WR1 for the week (with WR2 floor). Anthony Miller would be the only other receiver I want to start here. I am curious to see how his preseason success carries over, but I am confident he will carve out a role for himself.

-Brennen Gorman

Packers

Will Jimmy Graham or Randall Cobb be the team’s second target?

Davante Adams is set to be the first look for Aaron Rodgers again this year, but with the departure of Jordy Nelson and the addition of Jimmy Graham, who Rodgers look to next is up for grabs. Graham should have a significant red-zone presence, but Nelson has 88 targets (let’s throw in Lance Kendrick, the team’s top targeted tight end’s 35 targets too) that will be eaten up by Graham and Randall Cobb.

Can Jamaal Williams distinguish himself enough to be the RB1a when Aaron Jones returns?

Jamaal Williams took the reigns and ran with it from Week 10 on. Williams was inconsistent, scoring over 10 fantasy points in four of eight games with only three touchdowns. Aaron Jones is currently serving a two-game suspension and is expected to be used significantly upon his return; Ty Montgomery will also snag some looks. A starting role is at stake for Williams these first two weeks and the role is his to lose.

Aaron Rodgers is back, but how will his offense fair against an upgraded Chicago defense?

Although Aaron Rodgers came back for one quick game against Carolina last season before getting locked out of the playoffs and taking the rest of the year off. Other than three interceptions, Rodgers looked sharp. Ten months later, Rodgers is at the helm of a potent offense featuring Davante Adams and Jimmy Graham. Chicago’s defense was a dark horse to repeat a top-10 performance in 2018, with the addition of Khalil Mack they could be considered a favorite to end in the top-10.

This game could be close, low-scoring game with Chicago’s offense struggling to score and Chicago’s defense preventing Green Bay from scoring.

-Brennan Gorman