Week 1 in the NFL has come and gone… what did we learn?
The Kansas City Chiefs may be the team to beat in the AFC; both James White and Austin Hooper can lay a mean MF’in stiff arm; Chicago Bears and Jacksonville Jaguars may not be as bad as we thought they were; and Deshaun Watson only had to wait two quarters of football to make his debut… what a wild week it was to kickoff the season!!!
Week 1 Key Injuries:
Arizona Cardinals running back David Johnson injured his wrist in the team’s week 1 matchup with the Detroit Lions. The worst case scenario was avoided, as X-rays taken immediately after injury didn’t show a fracture. However, initial diagnosis indicates a dislocation and early timetables report the star RB will likely miss 8-12 weeks! Second opinion is still pending, and he will receive an MRI on Tuesday.
Fantasy Impact: HUUUUGE! For owners of DJ, swoop up Kerwynn Williams this week; don’t be a f****** idiot and take a shot on “CJ2K” like the Cardinals might…
Chris Mort’s tweet:
So, @BruceArians says @DavidJohnson31 indeed probably needs wrist surgery, is an IR candidate and veteran RB Chris Johnson is an option.
— Chris Mortensen (@mortreport) September 11, 2017
Prognosis:
Other Injury News: Philadelphia Eagles’ CB Ronald Darby suffered a gruesome dislocated ankle injury on Sunday (seems to be the theme of week 1, dislocations). Rasul Douglas will fill in while he’s on the mend.
Notable Rookie Performances:
- DeShone Kizer, Cleveland Browns: Kizer had a “meh” debut with 222 yards (gotta play that number in the Powerball!) in the air and 2 TDs (one pass, one rush). As a DFS play, Kizer did hit 3X value so continue to target in your DraftKings or FanDuel lineups in the right matchup!
- Leonard Fournette, Jacksonville Jaguars: Fournette came and delivered… as advertised! → 26 Rush Attempts, 100 Yards, 1 Rush TD, 3 Receptions, 24 Yards Receiving
Monday Night Football Preview
New Orleans Saints @ Minnesota Vikings (7:10 EST): This game will be an interesting one, and I’m curious to see how the Saints fare on the road this year (one of the worst on the road last season). The main storyline of the game will be Adrian Peterson’s first game with his new team vs. his old team… REVENGE GAME!
Saints win 27-13
- Fantasy Projections: Look out for Michael Thomas to make a statement week 1 as the new #1 of the Saints. Obvious WR1 in all formats; fade in DFS. Fade Brees as well, along with all RBs in their backfield. The smart DFS play is Coby Fleener @ $5,100 on FD. As for Min, I would take a flier on Adam Thielen if you need a “Monday Night Miracle!”
Los Angeles Chargers (that still sounds f****** weird) @ Denver Broncos (10:15 EST): Phil Rivers and co. travel to Mile High for the second half of Week 1’s Monday Night doubleheader. Rivers and his wide receivers will have a quite night, as Denver was #1 in fantasy against QBs and WRs. Their defense is illin’ and chillin’! However, they were middle of the pack (19th to be specific) against the run. This will be the Melvin Gordon show.
Chargers win 31-20
Fantasy Projections: Gordon in all formats… duh?! Emmanuel Sanders will earn 3X value in garbage time (even if game flips my script, he’s still a solid play tonight)!
