Game Previews: All Fantasy Relevant Players For Week 1

Titans vs. Dolphins

Titans

How will the offense look under new head coach Mike Vrabel and OC Matt LaFleur?

I think the biggest unknown for the Titans is what Matt Lafleur brings to the table, and how much of the Rams success last year was him vs Sean McVay. We know Sean McVay was the one calling the plays, but it’s still exciting to get a piece of that L.A. magic. The Titans offense didn’t exactly blow us away in the preseason, but this doesn’t worry me. Plenty of teams keep their cards close to the vest until they have to show ‘em. An excellent matchup against a bad Miami defense should be just what the doctor ordered for Tennessee to get started on the right foot.

Can Marcus Mariota take advantage of an all-around lackluster Miami defense?

Marcus Mariota has had an up and down career (great 2016 season, not as good 2017 season) and he is approaching the end of his rookie contract. He should be motivated to show that last season was a fluke, and that the Titans are the team to beat in the AFC South. A good season would also help Mariota to earn himself a monster new deal. He gets an A+ matchup this week against what Pro Football Focus grades a bottom-10 pass rush, a bottom-10 secondary, and possibly the worst run defense in the league. I don’t think Mariota will have to throw much, but I still like him this week to get off on the right foot as a back end qb1.

Should I start Dion Lewis, Derrick Henry, or both this week?

Something tells me Dion Lewis and Derrick Henry are going to be a constant thorn in the side of fantasy owners. Henry owners should hope the Titans are nursing leads throughout the season, thus necessitating plenty of ground-and-pound. Lewis owners, on the other hand, should be looking for deficits and 2-minute drills where the running back gets plenty of short looks. These are ppr gold. For this week, I love Henry as I don’t think the Dolphins offer much challenge. I expect Henry to get the ball early and often. Lewis is still startable, but I’m not sure what role he will carve out in the passing game. Also, I’d imagine the Titans want to keep him healthy as much as possible…why risk him in an easy early season game if it’s not necessary? He has the talent to impact games as we saw with the Pats last season, but I want to see what week 1 tells us about his usage.

Will Corey Davis break out this year like he flashed in the playoffs last year?

The hype train is strong for Corey Davis, and it seems like almost everyone is on board. He is going off as the WR26 in both standard and PPR despite finishing last year with only 375 receiving yards (outside the top 50 wide receivers). He came on late in the playoffs, but I’m curious to see if it continues. I do believe Davis is the Titans best receiver, and I am okay with his current price. He seems like a viable wr3 who has upside for much more if he makes the leap. Against an unimpressive Dolphins secondary, I am happy to take my chances and put Davis in the lineup this week.

Who else should I pay attention to here?

So we discussed the quarterback, the running backs, and the top wide receiver. Looking at tight end, Delanie Walker is completely off the injury report. This is great news, and it means we can count on Walker as a starting tight end. He has been reliable for years now, and I see no reason to worry…barring injury. Behind Corey Davis, I Rishard Matthews is the next best option. He had a strange offseason with the team not specifying his injury status (now known to have been a torn meniscus) and a questionable contract negotiation, but he seems ready to go now. Still, Matthews snaps are expected to be limited, and I don’t want to count on him in week 1 if he isn’t full go. Sit him on the bench and wait to see what happens. Let’s finish up with Taywan Taylor. Taylor flashed during the second preseason game (4 catches for 95 yards and 2 touchdowns), but he still doesn’t have a defined role. I could see Taywan breaking out this year, but I won’t start him yet with too many viable targets (Davis, Walker, Lewis, Matthews) ahead of him in an offense that might not be all that pass-happy in the first place. Still, he makes for a good roster stash.

-Matt Cava

Dolphins

What will Ryan Tannehill look like in his first regular season game since 2016?

Ryan Tannehill didn’t get to play in the regular season last year thanks to his ACL injury, but he’s back and starting in this game. The question is, how’s he going to look? Coming back from ACL injuries is tough, and I’d expect Tannehill to be a bit rusty, especially against what is a very improved Titans secondary. Last year, they were pretty middle-of-the-pack, but with the addition of Malcolm Butler alongside Adoree’ Jackson, the Titans have a secondary to be feared. They also have a good pass rush, and that’s going to be difficult for the Dolphins’ offensive line which, outside of Josh Sittton and Ja’Wuan James, is pretty terrible. That might mean Tannehill doesn’t have a ton of time to throw, which might mean there isn’t a lot of fantasy goodness to be obtained from the passing game.

Are there any Dolphins receivers worth starting?

The short answer? Maybe Kenny Stills. DeVante Parker is likely not starting this game due to his finger injury, so that leaves Stills alongside Danny Amendola and Albert Wilson. It’ll be interesting to see how that passing game shakes out, especially with Parker gone, but I hesitate to start anyone other than Stills except in very deep leagues given the strength of the Titans’ secondary.

Will the Titans’ run defense contain Kenyan Drake?

Last year, the Titans had one of the better run defenses in the game, and this year they’ve still got it. Their interior is pretty fierce, with Wesley Woodyard and Jurrell Casey in their front seven. Granted, Avery Williamson is gone, which definitely hurts, but it’s still a formidable run defense. Enter Kenyan Drake behind a Dolphins offensive line that, as I mentioned earlier, is pretty bad. It’s going to be interesting to see if Drake is able to overcome a poor offensive line to end up producing against the Titans. I’m expecting him to have a decent day, but nothing incredible.

-Ben Palmer