Football season is finally here and not a day too soon. We’re finally about to get answers to some of those fantasy questions we’ve all had for months. With no preseason and weeks of coach speak, we’ll get to see which predictions were correct. Here are some Week 1 Fantasy Football situations to watch.
The Antonio Gibson Hype
Antonio Gibson was a sleeper all summer but the release of Adrian Peterson sent his stock skyrocketing. The rookie running back is definitely explosive. Gibson scored 14 touchdowns on only 77 touches at Memphis. He also scorched the combine with a 4.39 forty at 220 pounds. The two question marks are how he’ll respond to a full-time switch to running back and whether he’ll be productive for fantasy football as expected. Gibson’s ADP has soared into the late sixth round in PPR and late 7th in standard. That puts him firmly in starting flex territory. We’ll start to see if that gamble pays off this Sunday.
What Will the Target Share Be in Dallas?
Depending on where you look, Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup, or CeeDee Lamb are each destined to lead the Cowboys in receiving yards this season. This isn’t Highlander but “There can be only one” top receiver in Dallas. We’ll get our first look at how they’ll be used Sunday night in Los Angeles. While this conversation likely won’t end after one game, it’ll give us something to go on moving forward. Could this be a situation where someone falls out of favor? Maybe they pick on the weakest corner? Should be explosive and fun to watch.
Josh Jacobs in the Passing Game
This one is pretty simple. If Josh Jacobs can double his receptions from last season, he’ll be a top-five running back. If he can’t, his ceiling will likely be top-12. Jacobs has said that his goal is 60 catches. After only tallying 20 last season, it seems like a stretch. If he can double his output and hit 40, fantasy managers will be thrilled.
Running Back Situations
There are several running back situations to monitor. Here are the backfields I’ll be keeping an early eye on:
Indianapolis Colts – Is Marlon Mack truly the starter or will Jonathan Taylor take over early?
Cleveland Browns – Will this be closer to a split backfield and if so can Nick Chubb return to top-10 running back value?
Buffalo Bills – Zack Moss’ ADP leapfrogged Devin Singletary in a lot of places last week. Will that happen on the field as well?
New York Jets – Is this Le’veon Bell’s backfield or a full-blown committee?
Detroit Lions – Is this a situation worth starting anyone? Or should we wait until it shakes out?
Los Angeles Rams – Is this a committee or will Darrell Henderson or Cam Akers take the job?
Los Angeles Chargers – Will Justin Jackson or Joshua Kelly establish themselves as a usable back?
Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Is this Ronald Jones‘ job or is Leonard Fournette going to take over?
Baltimore Ravens – Is anyone really buying J.K. Dobbins is fourth on the depth chart?
A lot to watch in Week 1 on the Fantasy Football season. Prepare to get those waiver claims and bids in for Week 2!
