Sit/Start Week 1: Reviewing All Fantasy Relevant Players In Every Single Game

Game Info

Kickoff: Sunday, September 10th, 1:00 PM ET

Location: FedEx Field, Washington D.C.

Betting Odds: WAS -7, 37.5 O/U total via OddsShark

Network: FOX

Writer: Nick Beaudoin

Arizona Cardinals

Quarterback

Joshua Dobbs (Sit, QB2), Clayton Tune (Sit), Kyler Murray (Out)

Just one year removed from extending Kyler Murray to a 5-year, $230 million dollar contract, the Cardinals appear to be rebuilding once again. With a new GM and Head Coach, the “Tank for Caleb Williams“ speculation has already commenced. Murray will open the season on the IR, meaning he will not see the field until Week 5 (at the earliest), with a reasonable chance he does not play a single snap this season. In his absence, the Cardinals will rely on journeyman Joshua Dobbs, who displayed leadership and grit with the Titans’ season on the line in 2022, but will be in a challenging position in only his second week with the team. Behind him will be 5th-round rookie Clayton Tune – an athletic, unproven asset who has drawn positive reviews through camp so far. Neither can be trusted in your lineup against arguably the best defensive line in the NFL.

Running Backs

James Conner (Start, RB2), Keaontay Ingram (Sit)

Week 1 will be a tough matchup for James Conner and the Arizona offense as a whole. PFF currently ranks the Cardinals’ offensive line as the “31st best” against a Commanders defense that finished 5th in EPA last season, mostly without top defender Chase Young. Young has not been cleared for contact after suffering a stinger in the team’s first preseason game and will be inactive in Week 1, however this will still be an uphill battle for the Arizona ground game. Although on paper this is not an enticing matchup, Conner had 46 receptions last year and has proven that he will be on the field regardless of game script. Conner provides a high-floor, volume-based RB2 option on a weekly basis.

Keaontay Ingram remains a distant second on the depth chart. He provides no pass-catching value and is nothing more than a handcuff while Conner is healthy.

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends

Marquise Brown (Start, WR2), Rondale Moore (Sit, Flex), Zach Ertz (Sit, TE2), Trey McBride (Sit, TE2)

With an underwhelming cast of weapons on offense, Marquise Brown stands out due to talent and volume. A first-round pick in 2019, Brown averaged 13 points/game last season, and 18.25/game in the first six weeks before DeAndre Hopkins returned to the lineup. Washington will be forced to game plan for him (potentially double-teaming him), but as 7-point underdogs, we can expect Brown to see a minimum of 7-10 targets in a positive game script.

Rondale Moore is a former second-round pick who has shown plenty of potential but has never quite seized his opportunities, even with Kyler Murray at the helm. With Josh Dobbs leading Arizona on Sunday, you should be avoiding Moore until we see how the new Cardinals regime plans to use him.

Zach Ertz has avoided the IR after a season-ending ACL and MCL injury in 2022. However, his status for Week 1 remains up in the air. Ertz is expected to remain the starter if healthy, but after spending a second-round pick on Trey McBride last year, both options will likely be on the field and feed into each other’s target shares. If Ertz is unable to go, McBride may offer sneaky (back end) TE1 upside. He was drafted for his receiving prowess and showed flashes at the end of last season. If Washington starts to double-team Marquise Brown, the 6’4″ TE may serve as a security blanket underneath for whoever is under center.

Washington Commanders

Quarterbacks

Sam Howell (Sit, QB2)

Entering his junior year at North Carolina, Sam Howell was one of the highest-rated QB prospects in the nation. Due to inconsistencies and injury, he fell to the Commanders in the fifth round of the NFL draft, where he spent the majority of the ’22 season third on the depth chart, behind Carson Wentz and Taylor Heinicke. In Week 18, Howell was given his chance to shine, leading the Commanders to a 26-6 victory over Dallas with playoff implications on the line. Coach Ron Rivera must have liked what he saw in Howell, as the Commanders did not add a QB in the draft. Instead, he brought in veteran journeyman Jacoby Brissett to back up and mentor the 22-year-old. We’ve yet to see what Howell can do at the NFL level, but the addition of OC Eric Bienemy from the Chiefs as well as a talented supporting cast may help elevate his play this season. Arizona’s defense is arguably one of the worst in the league, but Howell is unproven at this point in time, and we expect the Commanders to lean on the run as 7-point home favorites.

Running Backs

Brian Robinson (Start, RB2), Antonio Gibson (Start, FLEX)

Despite missing the first four games of his career to a gunshot wound (yes, you heard me correctly), Brian Robinson quietly had a decent first season in Washington. His performances were rarely special – averaging 3.9 YPC, scoring just three touchdowns, and providing little to no threat as a receiver – however, he remained in Coach Ron Rivera’s favor, averaging 18.6 touches/game. Entering the ’23 season, his role as the early down back in this offense remains safe, and as home favorites, Robinson is likely to handle 15-20 touches against an Arizona defense that lost their top two pass rushers this offseason.

On the other hand, Antonio Gibson is a player I am planting my flag on this season. Gibson is undoubtedly more talented than Robinson, but fumbling issues and injuries kept him in Rivera’s doghouse last year. Entering the ’23 season, the offense has been handed over to new OC Eric Bienemy, who spent his previous five years with the Chiefs. Maybe you’ve heard of them. I fully expect Bienemy to improve this offense and use his players to the best of their abilities, unlike previous OC Scott Turner. I like Gibson as a FLEX with upside this week due to his natural pass-catching skill set, but in a favorable matchup, I’d expect the Commanders to lean on the run game and give Brian Robinson the valuable goal-line touches.

Wide Receivers/ Tight Ends

Terry McLaurin (Start, WR2), Jahan Dotson (Start, WR2), Curtis Samuel (Sit, Flex), Logan Thomas (Sit)

Despite suffering a turf toe injury in last week’s preseason victory over the Ravens, Terry McLaurin will be active and removed from the injury report on Sunday. Despite a rotating platter of average-at-best QB play, McLaurin has eclipsed 1,000 yards in three of his four years in the league, with his floor at 919 yards in his rookie season. If he is on the field, McLaurin is a must-start in your WR2 spot every week, especially against a rebuilding Arizona defense that lost its top corner this offseason.

On the other side of the field is last year’s promising first-round pick, Jahan Dotson. Although his season was (slightly) derailed by injuries, all Dotson did was score touchdowns when he was on the field. All reports from camp are that Dotson and Howell have developed a strong rapport (including seven receptions for 106 yards and one touchdown in limited preseason action), and if McLaurin is unavailable for this game, he will offer WR1 upside and target share.

Curtis Samuel remains an underrated, but unpredictable asset in this offense. His versatile skillset has limited him to more of a “gadget” player, but he continues to be a deep threat and big play waiting to happen. The issue for fantasy managers is guessing which game(s) that will take place, rendering him a boom-bust FLEX option every week.

The TE room will be interesting in Washington, but one you can safely avoid to start the season. Veteran Logan Thomas sits at the top of the depth chart but has faced a myriad of injuries the past few years, and his TE1 days are likely behind him entering his age-32 season. Thomas could become a weekly streaming option if healthy, but I am happy to wait and see how he is being deployed in the new-look Commanders offense. It is worth mentioning that second-year backup Cole Turner has had a strong camp and preseason, and if Thomas struggles or faces another injury, Turner could take over the reins in ’23.

– Nick Beaudoin