FOOTBALL. IS. BACK. With it so is fantasy football. Each week this column will analyze a player at each position rostered in 50 percent of Yahoo leagues or less. This group of players is basically a dream stream team. For reference, the threshold used for Wins and Losses in this article will be if the quarterbacks can score at least 17 points, if the tight ends can score at least eight PPR points, and if the rest can score at least 10 PPR points. Here is the week 1 stream team.
READ MORE: Week 1 Running Back Rankings
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Week 1 Stream Team: De’Von Achane, Luke Musgrave, and More!
Week 1 Stream Team
Quarterback – Sam Howell (WAS – 22%) v ARI
The Washington Commanders are hoping that Sam Howell can be the answer at the quarterback position that they’ve been searching for. The Commanders drafted Howell last year with the first pick of the fifth round after he slipped in the NFL Draft. The previous year, plenty of scouts had Howell much higher on their boards but after a shaky Junior season as a passer, he slipped. One thing he was much improved on as a Junior though was his rushing. He racked up 828 rushing yards across 12 games in his final collegiate season.
Last year as a rookie, he only got to play in one game but he continued to show willingness as a rusher with 35 yards and a score on the ground. That’s good for 9.5 fantasy points on the ground on his way to 19.3 for the game. Of course, he’s not going to run for a score every game, but if he can continue to be a willing runner and chip in an extra 3-6 fantasy points each game with his legs, that will be huge for fantasy managers.
Howell should get a soft landing to open the 2023 campaign against the Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals are missing star quarterback Kyler Murray, just traded away some defensive players, and are widely considered one of the worst teams in the NFL. The combined total isn’t ideal at 38 points but the Commanders are one of the biggest favorites and have a solid implied team total at 22.5 points. Howell should be a great Week 1 Stream Team candidate at quarterback to open 2023.
Honorable Mentions – Bryce Young (CAR – 20%) @ ATL, Derek Carr (NO – 44%) v TEN
Running Back – De’Von Achane (MIA – 48%) @ LAC
America is all about speed, hot, nasty, bad-ass speed. I’m not sure Eleanor Roosevelt was talking about De’Von Achane in that Talladega Nights quote but she might as well have been. Achane ran a 4.32 40-yard dash at the combine which was a 99th percentile score. He’s a bit smaller than the ideal running back size but has shown to be an explosive playmaker any time he touches the ball. Over the past two seasons at Texas A&M Achane has totaled over 2,400 total yards and 21 touchdowns.
He’s a capable pass catcher as well and that’s an area the Miami Dolphins should look to take advantage of right away to get him into open space where he’s most dangerous. The Dolphins used a third-round pick on Achane in the NFL draft this off-season and decided not to bring in any free agents. Instead, they let Myles Gaskin go and just recently put Jeff Wilson Jr. on the injured reserve. Assuming Achane is able to play, it wouldn’t be surprising if he amassed double-digit touches in his first game as a pro. On top of it, the matchup is ideal against the Los Angeles Chargers. This game has the second-highest total of the week so there should be plenty of yards and points to go around. As long as Achane is able to suit up, he should be viewed as a great Week 1 Stream Team candidate.
Devon Achane actually accelerates through curvilinear movement instead of slight deceleration, which is insane. Reaches next gear WHILE redirecting his body. So rare. That’s Chris Johnson ability!
If he gets a lane, he’s GONE 😤 💨
pic.twitter.com/CDDNexWQ8b— Jeff Mueller, PT, DPT (@jmthrivept) August 19, 2023
Honorable Mentions – Evan Hull (IND – 5%) v JAX, Deon Jackson (IND – 31%) v JAX
Wide Receiver – Nico Collins (HOU – 49%) @ BAL
The offseason has gone about as well as hoped for Nico Collins and his fantasy managers. The Houston Texans traded Brandin Cooks to the Dallas Cowboys which elevated Collins to the alpha wide receiver spot. They also used the second overall pick in the NFL draft on quarterback C.J. Stroud. That should be a big upgrade over last year so not only should Collins see a nice bump in target volume, but also the quality of those targets should be much improved.
Collins’ underlying metrics aren’t elite or anything but much better than given credit for. His 19.1% target share was 39th-best in the NFL among wide receivers. His 30.0% air yards share and 24.3% TPRR were both 27th-best in the league. Lastly, his 1.77 YPRR was 44th-best in the NFL. That’s not bad for a guy who should only improve this year and is going undrafted in more leagues than not currently.
This week’s matchup against the Baltimore Ravens is a little tough but seeing as how the Texans are the biggest underdogs on that week at -10, they should be throwing early and often to try to keep up. All of this makes Collins an excellent option for the Week 1 Stream Team.
Honorable Mentions – Van Jefferson (LAR – 17%) @ SEA, Zay Jones (JAX – 32%) @ IND
Tight End – Luke Musgrave (GB – 15%) @ CHI
“Don’t draft rookie tight ends” might be a rule that dies hard and fast this season. Fantasy managers are extremely excited about Dalton Kincaid and Sam LaPorta and over the last few weeks, Luke Musgrave has added his name to the mix. After missing most of his senior season, Musgrave put up some ridiculous athletic numbers at the combine. That was good enough for the Green Bay Packers to spend their second-round pick on him in this NFL Draft.
The Packers pass-catching corps is extremely young so Musgrave has a great chance to cement himself as a difference-maker right away. Tight end is typically a tough position to transition to in the NFL but from what he’s shown in the preseason, he may be one of the guys to make the transition quickly, especially if his route participation can eclipse 70% on a weekly basis. His roster percentage might skyrocket before the end of September, but until then Musgrave will be an excellent option for the Week 1 Stream Team.
Luke Musgrave is THE LATE ROUND sleeper at TE.
On 37 dropbacks with Jordan Love this preseason:
84% route participation (TE1-worthy)
22% target share (TE1-worthy)Yeah, it is a small sample but taking Musgrave over Kmet, Okonkwo, Juwan, Dulcich, Everett, Irv, Ferguson.
— Dwain McFarland (@dwainmcfarland) August 28, 2023
Honorable Mentions – Greg Dulcich (DEN – 42%) v LV, Hayden Hurst (CAR – 10%) @ ATL
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Main Photo: Jeff Romance – USA Today Sports
