Week 1 of the NFL season is here, and with it comes new ways to make money off fantasy football and prop bets. While most of the prop bets are Underdog Fantasy could go either way, there are a few that stand out as must-bets.
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Fantasy Football: Top Five Week 1 Prop Bets
Michael Thomas: UNDER 55.5 Receiving Yards
At his best, Michael Thomas is one of the most unstoppable forces in fantasy football. However, he probably won’t be at his best in Week 1 of the 2022 season. Thomas missed the entirety of the 2021 campaign and the vast majority of the 2020 season. He hasn’t consistently played football in two years, and he’ll probably need some time to knock off the rust. Additionally, he’s battled injury throughout training camp, and we have no idea what kind of rapport he’ll have with starting quarterback Jameis Winston.
George Kittle: UNDER 48.5 Receiving Yards
As of this posting, this bet is still live, so it’s fair game until further notice. George Kittle is currently nursing a groin injury and might not suit up in Week 1. Even if he does, it’s safe to assume he won’t be at full strength. Even if he is healthy, I’d still take the under. Kittle is a great talent, but he has the unproven Trey Lance throwing the ball. The 49ers will run the ball more with Lance, and Lance prefers to target deeper routes when he actually throws the ball. This is a bad combination for Kittle and makes it unlikely he reaches the over.
Amon-Ra St. Brown: UNDER 57.5 Receiving Yards
Amon-Ra St. Brown set the world on fire over the final month of 2021, but he’s not likely to repeat that performance. Most of his production was the byproduct of injuries, and T.J. Hockenson and D’Andre Swift will both be healthy for this contest. Additionally, the team added DJ Chark into the mix, and he’ll only continue to steal targets from St. Brown. Last year, we saw Brandon Aiyuk disappoint early after coming alive late in his rookie season. Amon-Ra St. Brown is set to repeat that performance this year, and you don’t want to be on the bad end of that bet.
Terry McLaurin: OVER 11.95 Fantasy Points
Based on raw talent alone, Terry McLaurin is one of the best wide receivers in football. However, he hasn’t had the chance to show off what he can do because he’s never had an actual starting-caliber quarterback. Carson Wentz is not a good starter, but he’s considerably better than Taylor Heinicke, Dwayne Haskins, Kyle Allen, Alex Smith, and Case Keenum. McLaurin easily has the talent to exceed 11.95 fantasy points in any given outing, and Wentz isn’t bad enough to actively prevent him from producing.
Three years ago today — Terry McLaurin’s debut in the burgundy and gold.
— Ryan Fowler (@_RyanFowler_) September 8, 2022
Juju Smith-Schuster: OVER 47.5 Receiving Yards
Juju Smith-Schuster is one of the most overlooked players in fantasy football entering the season. The former Steeler has yet to finish as anything worse than a WR2 when playing a full season, and all camp reports indicate that he’ll be the top wide receiver in this offense. Needless to say, Travis Kelce will remain the top overall target in Kansas City’s pass-heavy attack, which is actually great news for Smith-Schuster. Juju was at his best when playing second-fiddle to Antonio Brown, and now he can play second-fiddle to Kelce with more than enough targets to go around. Hitting the over shouldn’t be too hard for Smith-Schuster here.
[pickup_prop id=”22059″]
