Starts of the Week + Week 1 Breakdown, It’s Football Time! - Fantasy Football Podcast for 9/8

You know, look at the things behind the scenes, and we'll bring these up next week, but the routes run and targets per routes run, those type of things. Well, let's look, let's go ahead and start at the running back position as we give you our starts of the week. Starts of the week. Well, that makes sense because my running back start of the week is Travis E.TN. Someone that I'm trying to pick someone that you might be nervous of, might be a little bit worried about. You drafted him, maybe where you have other running backs that you could start. And, you know, James Robinson, the news has been, look, he's ready to go. They say that no limitations. They say, you know, he's going to be ready to go. But the reality? The reality is he hasn't practiced.

with full contact yet this entire office. He's been practicing in full. We talked about how weird this is to be like, I'm a full participant practice, but also I can't. Don't hit me. Don't hit me. I can't have full contact. But that's where he's at right now. Now, James Robinson comes back this year. Let's say he gets to complete 100% recovery. And he is the James Robinson as far as talent on the field that it was last year. It's not going to be week one. It's not going to be right now. They're going to ease him back in. They've eased him along through training camp. He didn't play in the preseason. And so this week against this Mander's team, the defense does not look scary to me. You are without Chase Young to start the year. And ETN.

is going to have a lot of opportunities to catch the ball. I think he's a solid running back too this week. He's not someone I'm forcing in my lineups, but I'm trying to give you confidence that he's going to touch the ball enough to show his explosiveness. I think this offense is good. I think the matchup is good. I'm not afraid of starting Travis E.T.N. this season. or this week. And my start of the week is the running back on the other side. It's at least for the next month. It should continue to be Antonio Gibbs season. Washington, they are two and a half point home favorite. Opposing running backs average the fifth most rushing attempts per game against Jacksonville last year. And in his career when Gibson sees 15 or more carries, he averages 17 half PPR points per game. All right, I'm going to go with the unfortunate reality. We call it Melvante.

Oh, I think both Denver running backs. You know, you talk about a player. You'd be nervous to start. Melvin Gordon is one. You are probably nervous to start. I think this is a week that you can do it against Seattle. We didn't want the sequel to Melvante. We got it anyways. And they can both eat on the road. All the reports out of Denver, you know, Benjamin Albright coming out, who's locked in there talking about. Fancy players being bummed because Melvin Gordon is going to get a ton of work. And more importantly, situational work. Two minute drills, pass catching, goal line. You know, if there's a time for a veteran running back to have all the juice, it's week one. And so I think you've got flex.

start potential for Melvin Gordon with touchdown upside. I came into the dock to put Melvin Gordon as my running back. Did you really? I did. I think he is a great play this week and he was already taken by Giovante Williams and Melvin Gordon combination. Yes. All right, Jason. Let's hear your quarterback because they. He plays for the same team. Okay, let's go with Russell Wilson. Revenge game, Monday night football. He's going to be unlimited. That's right. If there's one person amped for this game, it's Russell Wilson. I think he's going to destroy Seattle secondary allowed the second most passing yards, the second highest pass success rate in the NFL last year. He knows this defense pretty well.

And Nathaniel Hackett's going to let Russ do his thing. As a Packers OC, his team's average 35 pass attempts per game. Pete Carroll only allowed Russ to hit that in 25% of his career games. And in those games, where Russ had 35 plus passing attempts, he averaged 280 and 2. So I think that Russell Wilson going to Seattle is going to be north of two passing touchdowns and he's going to want to show them what they're missing. Yeah, they're going to miss it. Mike. My quarterback started the week. Lamar Jackson is my number one guy of the week versus the Jets. He is a week one dominant player averages in those three career week one game. 74% completion, nearly 300 passing yards and three touchdowns plus 46 rushing touchdowns.

Meanwhile, the Jets allowed the second most 20 plus yard pass plays last season. That is a deadly combination here for Lamar Jackson. And then I just wanted to feature a quote, Warren Sharp. He tweeted out saying, like, I don't think people are prepared for what the Ravens are going to do this year. And he highlighted Isaiah likely. And Warren Sharps, like, I'm having 2019 flashbacks, which if you go back to 2019, the person loudest leading the Lamar Jackson charge that year. was Warren Sharp, and not necessarily saying likely is a huge fantasy option, but when Lamar was truly dominating, it was in two tight-end sets, and they had cut those back, and they were inefficient when they were out of that formation, and now they can do it yet again. I am all in on Lamar this entire season. I think he's going to be an absolute force. And he's playing for that bag. Yeah, he is, and Isaiah likely will be involved.

Sure. He really will. The closest thing they have to the third target. I'm going with Joe Burrow. So against Pittsburgh, I want to highlight a couple of things about Joe Burrow. First of all, 78%, 83%. That was this completion percentage in the two games against Pittsburgh last year. Very accurate. Also, the kind of narrative about it's just the end of the season for Joe Burrow, 5,100-yard pace. That was the last 11 games of the year. That's from week six on, and I think he has a chip on his shoulder heading into the year, and he's got weapons that you can't stop. You can say that you want to stop them. You can't stop them. Jamar Chase is a mismatch for every single team in the league, and he does the Tyreek Hill thing. He does the defense and enables T. Higgins and other players to get open because you have to devote so much attention to him. This is a week one confidence start. Joe Burrow at home.

I think it's going to be delicious. Yeah, at wide receiver, I've got Marquis Hollywood Brown. There's no DeAndre Hopkins. They are going to be down big to the Kansas City Chiefs. There's a banged up Rondale Moore and Zach Ertz that I think it seems like might be in the game, but they have been missing time, an old man, AJ Green. I think it's easy to say that Hollywood gets over seven targets this game, and Kansas City gets beat. deep and that is Hollywood's specialty. Opposing wide receivers averaged nearly 13 yards per reception against them and they are bottom 10 in 20 plus pass yard attempts. They lose the honey badger. So I think the necessity of having to throw the ball to Hollywood combined with the game script combined with the defense, this all sets up for Hollywood to have an awesome week one. I think he's going to be in that category of players that coaches want to try out the new toy.

Yeah. So I think Hollywood, you know, my start of the week is one of those guys, but like even Tyreek in Miami, Devante Adams, they're going to be given some shots. Mike, who's your start of the week at wide receiver? It's Elijah more against the Baltimore Ravens. The last time we saw Flacco and Elijah playing together was week 11 last year, eight for 141 and one on 11 targets. The Baltimore Ravens should be up big, meaning the Jets have to pass to catch up. And Baltimore allowed the most 20-plus yard passing plays. Well, the Jets were second. It was tough for the Baltimore Ravens. Maybe they have that fixed going into this season, but this is the data we have to go on. And I expect a very negative game script for the Jets. J. Brown, that's my start of the week at the wide receiver position against Detroit. You drafted him. Now it's time for liftoff. And he has played eight games in his career indoors. He's averaged seven and a half targets, 97 receiving yards, and almost a touchdown. Over 18 yards, a reception. Not a perception. That's a different thing. Right.

But I think, again, it's going to be showing off the new toy, taking some shots to him, and he's too physically gifted to be stopped. At tight end, I've got Gerald Mount Everett. Really? Interesting. He was one of my favorite late round tight ends this draft season. I took him last night in the Meglabel because of this week one matchup. The Raiders, they allowed the fifth most fantasy points of the tight end position last year. Everett is going to be a full-time player in a game with the second highest over under of the week. If you want to try to target a tight-in touchdown. Wow. That's a lot of T's. Gerald Everett is your man. Hi-T. By the way, Donald Parham didn't practice on Wednesday. So you have Gerald Everett really locked in to start the year. Yeah, I love the Gerald Everett call. I'm going with, it's another pivot option. Big Irv of the Minnesota Vikings. He's taking on the Green Bay Packers. He is back. He is healthy. He will be playing. Last year, the Packers allowed the fifth.

highest tight-end target success rates. So you have, what, you got Mount Everett and then you've got Big Erv. That's right. He's going to need to help me out because I have Colquette. Colcommo. No, that doesn't work. Well, for size, but it's a place that you want to go. I was looking for the, Kokomo. Colcombeau. Colcomat against San Francisco. Get there fast and you take it slow, baby. Yeah, I like it a lot. I mean, of all the options, I really didn't. Didn't expect that one to come out. Commet was our favorite late round pickup. Yep. He projects to be second on the team and targets behind Darnell Mooney, necessary to the offense. And San Francisco allowed the fifth highest pass rate inside the 10. Comat has a real shot at getting a touchdown, maybe even two in week one for the Chicago Bears. And I hope we see some signs or something resembling what we saw from Justin Fields and Company. Yes.

at the very end of the year, or of the preseason. Jason Moore's, ironclad, locked and loaded, 100% guaranteed boom, boom kicker of the week. I'm breaking off something fresh, seeing who can mesh, looking for a new boom, boom, brocif. But to be in my crew, I need something from you to start the Vikings Greg Joseph. Got the lights and everything? I mean, sensational. Excellent. Oh, yeah. Are we snapping? We snap for Boom Boom Brosif. Cool cat, man. Cool cat. All right. Tomorrow, the rest of the week one matchups, enjoy the football tonight. It is football time. And if you want to hang out with us, head to join thefoot.com. Join our Discord channel.

And it's going to be a fun year. So thanks for hanging out. Enjoy the football, everybody. Goodbye. You for listening to another episode of the Fantasy Footballers podcast. Join our fantasy football community on join thefoot.com. And follow us on Twitter at theFF ballers.