Fantasy Football 2017 - Week 1 Matchups, In-or-Out, Kareem the Dream

in the passing weapons. I mean, Aaron Rogers, 246 and 3 last time when he played Seattle last year. So he can get it done. And this was Adams was my start of the week because I want, I have confidence in starting. I mean, he was over 100 yards of the touchdown. I know Jordy had the other two, but I, if this game wasn't in Lambo, right, there'd be more concerned for me on the overall. Sure. And that's a fair point, but it is in Lambo. So I'm, I'm perfectly fine.

firing up your Green Bay weapons here. What about Ty Montgomery? Because, I mean, I feel like Seattle's defense is not getting enough credit right now. I know it's Lambo. I know the Green Bay offense, but their defense looks much better than it did to me last year. Yeah, I mean, it's too early to say that, though. I mean, this is not the team from three years ago. They were seventh and eighth in the league last year, like I said. So they're good, but they were not.

unstopably good. They gave up 18 points a game in Montgomery's the guy. So I, by the way, I got, I had a big Jamal Williams fan from his alma mater, send me about a 10-page note on why I am very dumb about loving time Montgomery and why Jamal Williams is the best player that has ever played football in the history. There's no bias there. Yeah, and so it was, it was all about past protection and Jamal Williams and how great he is. Jamal Williams is solid.

He's a solid player, but Ty Montgomery is the starter, and he will continue to be the starter on a high-powered offense. So I play Montgomery weekly. And for fantasy, we talked about this with Kareem Hunt. When you are utilized in the passing game, which is the Green Bay Packers game, there's just more value. And Jamal Williams won't have that role. All right, the Panthers take on the 49ers to start the career of Christian McCaffrey, 47.5 point over under.

This game's in San Francisco. They are five and a half point underdogs at home. This is the Brian Hoyer era, the Kyle Shanahan era that begins. I'm a big Pierre Garsohn fan. I'm not sure this is the greatest matchup to start the season. But the Panthers D, obviously, without Josh Norman last year, struggled against the pass. I'm starting Garcon and I'm starting Carlos Hyde. And that's probably where it ends on the San Francisco side of the ball. Yeah, I can agree. I mean, you're not.

overly excited for George Kittle yet. You have to see proof of concept there. And Goodwin, Markey's Goodwin for San Francisco. I mean, that's just a dart throw at this point. So I'm with Andy. I'm not very excited for anybody. But, of course, two-quarterback league, I'm not afraid to start Brian Hoyer as my two. He's not, I'm not starting him as a one this week. Cam Newton, Christian McCaffrey, Calvin Benjamin, Greg Olson.

I'm rolling them all out there. Do you start Jonathan Stewart as well? Yes. Yes. Absolutely. I mean, this is a team that's going to be winning. They're not going to need to pass the ball. And they're going up against a lousy rush defense. So I think Jonathan Stewart is a fine play. I mean, do not forget last year the Saints rolled into town. Mark Ingram and Timmy Hightower went full ham sandwich on this defense. So it's not out of the room of possibilities for both.

Stuart and McCaffrey to have a big game. Last year the 49ers gave up 1.6 rushing touchdowns per game, which is worse in the league. 29.3 points per game. You compare that to what Seattle gave up, which is about 18 points a game. And what's crazy is I think that, you know, when I look at the Niners defense as far as rush defense versus last year, there might be worse. Oh.

I don't see them being all of a sudden a great rush defense. I think this game's a shootout. I think it's a close game. It's possible. I would take the 49ers in the points, if I were a betting man, which I'm not. But that's what I would do. I would take the 49ers in the points at home. If it is, I'm doing it on the back of Carlos Hyde. I mean, I believe Carlos Hyde is one of those backs that plays so much better at home than on the road. You know, we saw him. You just brought up his week one Minnesota game. That was a great defense. So.

Carlos Hyde, you said you'd start him. I completely agree. I'd start. Yeah, I think Hoyer actually has a pretty good game. All right, Sunday night football. The Giants take on the Cowboys. What a way to get Sunday night football kicked off. Cowboys' four-point favorites at home, 47.5 point over under. Eli Manning a sneaky start this week. Oh, certainly. Absolutely. The Cowboys secondary, we've talked about it through the off season. They've gotten worse. They're actually calling it their tertiary. Nice.

I mean, they were bad last year, and now they're even worse. So I think that Eli Manning is a sneaky start. It kind of hurts him that Odell Beckham is not 100%. I still expect him to play, but clearly he will not be the Otto Beckham you're used to.

The sneakiest start of this game. You're stealing my guy, aren't you? I'll then I'll let you get in there. Oh, look, this is a glory play. There are too many guys that I would play over him to actually do it. But if you want glory, you're playing that division rival where a win isn't good enough. You want to look him in the face and say, I beat you with a rookie tight end. Evan Ingram.

has a juicy, perfect matchup here if O'Dell Beckham is, you know, even if he's on, especially if he's on the field, because he might be hobbled, but he'll take the defenses away. Last year, the Dallas Cowboys had the worst. You know, we think of Cleveland Browns as the worst against the tight ends. The Cowboys were worse. Let me give you a scenario, because this is how this can play out. You just said the glory play. When you have a Sunday night or a Monday night game, you get options.

because you see how the games have played out earlier in the day. If you're a Kyle Rudolph or Kobe Fleener owner who play Monday night and you don't think the high-end upside is there for them to get you back in your matchup, that's when you could play a guy like Evan Ingram, who's a streaker down the field, big play type of potential, and say, hey, I'm just going to try to get back in this game because I think Kyle Rudolph's going to catch seven or eight passes, but maybe he doesn't have the big play potential. Or maybe I don't believe in Kobe Fleener or Antonio Gates, right, on that Monday night game.

I think that's when you could take the dart throw because Evan Ingram, who's got a higher chance, a higher percentage of having, you know, 100 yards? Is it Evan Ingram or is it Kyle Rudolph? Probably Kyle Rudolph still. Yeah, I don't think so. Well, yeah. I mean, that's just you and I, all offseason. You hate Kyle Rudolph. Yeah, that's just based on his career. Fair. All right. Paul Perkins, when I see him in lineups, I cringe. Are you cringing? Yep.

I mean, the Cowboys, the run defense was solid last year. And Paul Perkins says he gets what's blocked for him. And the bad news about that is the Giants offensive line cannot run block. So it's going to be rough. It's going to be rough for Paul Perkins. Would you sit him for Adrian Peterson? Yes. Okay. Yes. Would you sit him for Alvin Camara? No. Do you sit him for Jamal Charles? No. No.

Because Paul Bert, he has this going for him. He's a starting running back. Hey. And he has a cool nickname. Yep. It's called Bishop Sanky. That's good. Yeah. All right.

Brandon Marshall, confident starting him in this game? I am. Could have a nice game against that secondary. He's healthy. He's back on the field and Beckham could be hobbled. I'm the anti-Branda Marshall guy of the three of us, but this is a decent matchup. I mean, you've got a hurt secondary. You've got a hobbled O'Dell Beckham. I think he is worthy of starting this week. If he comes out and flops this week, I'm right. The big. No, well, that's all I know. He hasn't played with Eli, man. The big question for me is.

Des Bryant is a stud, so you drafted him to be a stud, and I'm playing him despite the Giants eliminating him. You're going to have to make that decision every week this year. You're basically going to have to say I'm starting Des against this elite cornerback because that's all he's going to face this year. So I'm just saying I'm still confidently playing him. The question, though, is Dak Prescott, who I love this year. I think that he is a top 10 quarterback, but this is a rough matchup.

The Giants secondary is fantastic. Are you trying to pivot away from DAC? It just depends on who my other options are. Carson Palmer is on the waiver wire. No, I think I would go DAC over Palmer. All right. Me too. All right. Monday night football, the Saints and Vikings, the Chargers and the Broncos, let's start in the Vikings game, 48 point over under. The game is in Minnesota.

And so Drew Breeze hits the road. I think this is going to be a pretty exciting game. The Vikings are favorite at home. You get to see Dalvin Cook for the first time. You get to see how this running back carousel breaks down for the Saints. And you get to see Ted Ginn in that wide receiver two spot. I'm a huge Adam Thielen fan. I would start him over Diggs in this matchup. I know that's a hot take. But I believe Thielen has a better season than Stephen Diggs. Despite Diggs talent, who I believe he's a very talented guy, just liked Dillon a lot.

What are some starts at decisions you see breaking down in this game? Are you more comfortable with Ingram over Peterson, for example? I think that's the big decision, and I would play Ingram. At this point, he's been the starter for years. By all accounts, he should be starting again. He should receive the most touches of the running back court. That doesn't mean that he's going to get 25 touches. I mean, you're probably banking on, what, 15?

15 to 17? Yeah, you're hoping for 15. But there are high-powered offense. Will Ingram retain that passing role? Are they going to say, hey, rookie, Camara, get in there and be the passing specialist? So I'm still, I still have confidence playing Mark Ingram this week. Yeah, this isn't a good matchup for any of them. When you split the ball three ways and then you go up against a team that is good against that, that's just, you know, I would order them personally, Ingram, AP, Camara.

but I'm not excited to play any. I have to play Ingram in a couple leagues, and it could work out, certainly. He's a good enough back. The matchup isn't too bad. Yeah. Vikings allowed nine rushing touchdowns last year. Yeah, that's rough. But they gave up some yards. Yeah, but they also only allowed 18.7 points a game. For the record, you know, I know, maybe we can find a waterbed around it, but I do think Diggs has a really good game. I think he's...

prepared. I love Thielen, too. I think this is a game that could be high scoring against, I mean, I mean, you guys are calling New Orleans. Let's just keep betting these tandems. You want to go Thielen Diggs? No, because I really like Thelan's upside. But I, no, my, my thing is not an anti-thelan. I think mine is Diggs. Get it on the board. Join me, Jason. Water bet. I knew I couldn't get Jason a bet twice.

He's too scared. Sam Bradford. I think I brought up the idea of finding it. Yeah, and then we tried to do it and you wouldn't do it. The Saints, 30 second against the pass last year, everything about, you know, the streaming quarterback philosophy says, look, you're at home. You've got a new weapon in Cook. You have the opportunity here to have a big game. Are you streaming Sam Bradford? I know Mike and I believe the defense is better for New Orleans, but you're going on the road in week one. Right. It's hard to get there.

Is Bradford a better play than someone like Palmer? No. He's like Hoyer. I'm confident in Bradford as a QB2, but he is not going to be a QB1 for me this week. All right. Let's move on. The Chargers, the Broncos. Last game we're going over before we do a live draft here on the show of this week's players. So Rivers, Simeon, the Broncos are favored. 43 point over under. They're looking at it as a lower scoring game in Denver.

I am not excited about starting any of the chargers other than obviously you're rolling out Melvin Gordon. There's no qualms about that. The Broncos struggled against the run last year. So what do we think about this game? I'm still fine going to Keenan Allen. I think that the volume will be there. I think he is an elite separator. I'm not expecting a monster game. But PPR, half PPR, I think that he will still deliver for the player that you drafted.

Son of bum. Bum is no longer there. Wade Phillips has gone from that defense. The Broncos defense is one that I worry about the turnover. They've lost a little bit of pass rush. They've lost quite a few players, but they still have the elite cornerbacks. They lost their defensive coordinator. This is a game where if the chargers come out and end up exposing the Broncos D, I will take note of that. But I'm not expecting that. And right now, you know, week one, you kind of have to go. The only thing you have to go on is just,

off-season acquisitions and losses along with last season's production. That says to me, I worry about starting every single charger, including Keenan Allen. Akeeb-Talib might miss the game, though. That would change some things. He has an Achilles injury, did not practice on Thursday. We don't know the details yet, and I haven't been able to find anything new, but that would change some things. That would very much change things because not only, I mean, is Akeeb-Talib, he's just great, but he also.