Fantasy Football Week 1 Sleepers: 6 Must-Start Players You’re Overlooking (Ep. 2171)

This is an iHeart Podcast. Guaranteed human. Attention, chicken nugget fans. Burger King heard that a lot of you didn't like the old chicken nuggets, so they got to work and reinvented them. These new chicken nuggets are their tastiest, crispiest, juiciest nuggets ever. And because better chicken nuggets deserve better sauces, they've reinvented several of their sauces. And they created a brand new one, the new Special Savory Sauce, which is only available for a limited time at participating U.S. restaurants. Don't wait around. You got to try the new Burger King chicken nuggets today. Hello, everybody. Welcome into Fantasy Pros. I'm Ryan, warmly joined by Derek Brown and Pat Fitzmaurice. We are looking ahead to week one. Guys, it is upon us. We are no longer doing just a whole bunch of draft content. We are now doing weekly content. We've got a short episode here for you today, talking some sleeper starts in week one. It's kind of interesting, Fitz, thinking about the notion of a sleeper start in week one, because typically it's just the guys you drafted to fill your starting lineup. But there are certainly circumstances where sometimes you would say, hey, I know this player was going later, but for week one, great matchup. I really like him. Maybe I am going to put him in over the guy who was in my starting flex because I drafted him around earlier. I'm curious who you guys pick here. Reminder for everybody that our consensus rankings and tiers can be found at fantasypros.com slash rankings. That's both for drafts. If you still have any, go ahead and subscribe to Fantasy Pros.com. But also for weekly starting decisions. Fitz, let's start with you. Who's your first sleeper start here? It's Jordan Mason at home against the Green Bay Packers in week one. And we just talked about him on a key question show. We did a guy who I know he became kind of a draft value. I think late as it I slept on him for a lot of draft season, thinking it was going to be more of a running back by committee in Minnesota. But I now think that Jordan Mason is going to be a key question show. And I think that Jordan Mason is the lead guy. I think he's going to fit a run scheme that apparently is leaning more on outside zone stuff this year, which seems to be up Mason's alley Vikings offensive line. A lot of injury problems last year. They missed Christian Daris off for some of the season healthy now. And I don't think the Green Bay run defense is a pushover. It was kind of a middling run D last year. We'll see this year. But it's certainly not a daunting matchup at home for the Vikings. So I think Mason could be effective, maybe a little less effective in PPR leagues because we know he is not much of a pass catcher, but in standard and half point PPR, I think Mason is a guy you might want to consider for a flex spot in week one. This is somebody deeper that you have grown to really like for, you know, draft purposes as a value. Do you like him here right off the bat in week one as well? Absolutely. If we see the Minnesota Vikings come out with a run, heavy offense and attack, like Mason could get, 15, 17 carries in week one. If he gets in the end zone, like we're talking about, like he's possibly a top 15 back week one. Love it. We will be ranking him pretty aggressively. I'm not sure where he is in consensus right now. I don't have that. I will be ranking him aggressive versus consensus. And I'm looking at right now. He is RB 38 right now in the ECR for week one. Yeah, I will. I will definitively be above that. He's one spot behind Aaron Jones actually in ECR running back rankings right now. Like 37, 37 above him, like to Hubbard. Like what are we doing here? Yeah, no, I, I think this is, this is a good one. This is somebody you don't have to draft as a starter, but you should be interested in starting in week one. Um, all right, let's get to your first one here at D bro. If you've got a quarterback with a top mat, tough matchup, you need to look at possibly starting Malik Willis in week one. He gets the Raiders. I think that Malik Willis is going to put up a crap ton of points in week one. He's going to run a ton. Uh, last year, the Las Vegas, Raiders gave up the fourth, most rushing yards to design quarterback runs their defense. Yes. They added a lot of players in the off season and stuff, but it takes time to gel. How much is that really going to raise the ceiling on the floor for this past defense that last year they gave it the 10th highest passer rating and the ninth highest passing success rate. So Malik Willis, whether he's good or not, he's going to freaking run. If he runs as much as we all think he's going to do, he's going to be a top 12 quarterback in week one. And yet right now in week one rankings, he's QB 19. Okay. Yeah. Fitz, are you ahead of, or below consensus in terms of week one? I am above consensus on Malik Willis. I have got him, uh, sorry, let me just switch over. I was on the running backs. I've got Malik Willis, QB 13, 13, ahead of Jackson dart, Baker Mayfield, Brock Purdy, Kyler Murray, Bo Nix, Jordan love. Yeah. I'm I'm all in. I feel like Willis, like the reason he's not higher in season, long draft rankings is because of, oh, like, is he going to get the opportunity all year week to week with the rushing equity we're expecting? Like, I don't see why he should be outside the top 15, like pretty much any week he is starting in season long. I understand if you want to be hesitant or whatever, it's an upside swing, but week to week, like that rushing is there any game he's starting. So I, to your point too, with the short leash, does everybody not realize that the dolphins, cut or traded away every other quarterback on that roster outside of Malik Willis Quinn years gone, Cam Miller gone, Mark Grunowski gone. Okay. And I'm not saying that he should have a short leaf to be clear. No, no, but that's been the narrative all season. That has been the narrative. Yeah. Yeah. Um, all right, Fitz, let's go to your next sleeper. Start Quentin Johnston of the chargers. And, uh, I've got him wide receiver 35. So I think he's a viable start in, uh, leagues where you're required to start three, three receivers every week. Maybe he's a flex guy. I just, I think QJ is going to shine in the Mike McDaniel system, which has plenty of crossing routes and, and, uh, you know, plays that are going to get Quentin Johnston, the ball in his hands on the run. And that's where he shines. And the, the catch and run stuff, ball and hand stuff, juicy home matchup for the chargers against the Arizona Cardinals, who I think are probably going to have one of the worst defenses in the league. This season. And it, it's possible that we might not see that big a gap in value between lab McConkie and Quentin Johnston this year, because I think the McDaniel system is so well tailored to Quentin Johnston. Oh, and another thing, like if the, the chargers use as much 12 personnel as we think, or even some 13 personnel where they play Charlie Kohler, David Njoku, or Rondae Gadsden on the field at the same time, like that's good for the receivers. It sort of concentrates, whichever receivers are on the field when it's multiple tight ends, rather than 13 personnel where you're chopping up those targets between three receivers. I like it with just two. And I think QJ is going to have, if he can stay healthy, I think he's poised for a really good season this year. Fitz, do you think there's, there's a degree of inconsistency with any wide receiver outside of the elite of the elite? Do you think that this is largely going to be an up and down? Like you want to try and get the, you're, you're trying to get lucky, a pick the right weeks to start. Quentin Johnson, or do you think there will be a level of consistency week to week with him in this offense, man? I'm hoping more consistency than we have become accustomed to in the past because yes, he's been the classic, uh, better in best ball guy in recent years. Yeah. Uh, Debra, you have liked Quentin Johnson a lot in drafts. What do you think about him for week one? All in. I've been all in. I remain all in. I think he's going to be the wide receiver one for the chargers. Nobody's wanting to hear it. I'm, I'm, I'm with it. Like I think that because he operated, in this role last year, like again, speaking to the consistency, I do not believe in everybody thinks that I have a tinfoil hat on for all the entirety of the year, but like injury reporting in the NFL is a problem. Anytime that you've watched any Netflix documentary, so many different things come out in those that we never hear about that are never on the injury report. And I saw Greg rolls and Rosenthal out there talking about lad. McConkie had an injury and stuff. Uh, and it wasn't reported on bro. You want to give the same insight about Quentin Johnson and his hamstring injury. Are we not going to talk about that? So I think QJ is going to be the wide receiver one for the chargers this year. If you're not sure who to start, get fast free starter set advice with the fantasy pros. Who should I start tool, compare your players and get instant recommendations powered by more than 150 fantasy experts. Set your best lineup today at fantasy pros.com slash start. All right, guys, uh, D bro. Your next one is up here. Going with your dairy and price, man. I think he's going to have a surprising week. One. Uh, I would be willing to, to roll them out. There's an RB two and a, and a lot of lineups because a lot of spots, you probably drafted him as your RB three, uh, considering roster constructions, but no Zach Charbonnet to start the year. Jadarian price. Like I know everybody's like so worried about what can his usage be. Okay. I think he's going to get rushing volume and this new England Patriots rushing a defense. Yeah, sure. They held backs to the fifth lowest explosive run rate last year, but outside of that, they weren't good. Ninth, highest rushing success rate, 11th lowest stuff rate. Again, Seattle, rushing attack that is dependent upon zone runs. They give the fourth highest rushing success rate to zone runs last year. So Jadarian price, I think can walk away with a much better stat line a week one than a lot of people give him credit because they're worried about George Halani. They're worried about Emmanuel Wilson. They're worried about, Oh, you don't have to worry about Zach Charbonnet. So I think Jadarian price is going to be the clear leader of that backfield in week one. Is there any part of you fits that wants to see it first with price or are you kind of, uh, I don't, I don't want to say all in, but are you also on board with, putting him in as an exciting start here in week one? I've got him higher in my week one. rankings that i had them in my draft rankings i do think things are lined up i mean my biggest concern with judarian price is that eventually zach chardonnay comes back and turns this into a backfield by committee just as you're starting to play more important games in your fantasy season i think fitz is uh ready for the weekend because i believe he just called him zach chardonnay instead of charbonnet i thought i said charbonnet didn't i maybe i misheard i thought i heard chardonnay i'd obviously i know you know his name do you like my running backs dry and oaky i was gonna say i will plead the fifth i will plead the fifth in this but i will point out right now in week one ecr i don't understand why quinshawn judkins jalen warren basial tootin are all ranked ahead of jadarian price ahead of price yeah like i or even cam scataboo why no yeah i'm putting jadarian price above all those guys there's a reason why fitz's fantasy baseball team name is wines above replacement i'll just say that so good who's your next sleeper start wandale robinson versus the new york jets um yeah that we saw the titans offense struggle in the preseason and cam ward seemed kind of out of sync the downfield passing game wasn't really working i just wonder if wandale robinson rides to the rescue with like these easy completions make things like take a little off cam ward's plate by just you know getting wandale open in space short areas of the field quick completions catch and run and we know that titan's offensive coordinator brian dable is very familiar with wandale robinson from their time together with the new york giants um you know like all along my my worry in drafting carnell tate's where he's been going as sort of a mid-range to to lower end wide receiver three is like i can absolutely see a scenario where wandale robinson out targets him this year now the the targets for tate are more valuable because they're downfield targets they're going to be some splash plays but i just feel like wandale could be set up for yet another high volume season where he flirts with 100 catches now fitz you called him windale robinson no i'm just kidding um this isn't this isn't a good pick this is a great pick i i wanda has no business being outside the top 40 in week one in my opinion especially in any kind of ppr format um because i i think he's going to get a lot of targets even if you are still excited about somebody like carnell tate in terms of drafting him year long rookie even the best rookie receivers sometimes do take a couple of weeks right justin jefferson the prime example of like hey it took him like a month and then he was elite right away so even if you have the highest possible expectations for carnell tate it's reasonable to say hey maybe it takes a week or two especially since he didn't have a catch in the preseason and wandale has familiarity with brian dayball like you said he he i think is going to be used in a way that is really beneficial in a league that rewards you know catches with scoring and like i said any kind of ppr and to be outside the top 40 i think it's too low in week one so i think this is a spot on call debro where are you at on on wandale i just want everybody to know at home this is a a massive move by fitzy god who has not been a wandale robinson no through over the last few years definitely not a lot of shade at wandale robinson this definitely is a big vote of confidence from fitzy and i'm with it man like i already got through that game at the primer like i'm not worried about uh jarvis brownlee uh the slot corner in week one now he's been god awful during his tenure as an nfl player so yeah i can definitely get behind wandale all right we've got one more player here debro a tight end from you yeah i figured i played to the homer crowd here i'm going mark andrews um i just look at it like mark andrews will not be ranked as a tight end one if you waited on tight end this is a good spot to start him this week looking at an uh colts defense that last year against the tight end and the big thing that i want to highlight here too is that the volatility of defensive metrics is huge year to year but a team like the colts that is returning a ton of their personnel from last year a little bit more sticky than like maybe some other teams and honestly we have seen over how many years guys lou anarumo defenses just struggle to always stop tight ends so this isn't something new so mark andrews can definitely feast in week one against the colts they gave at most yards per target the 12th most fantasy points to receiving yards for tight ends and the 12th most fantasy points per opportunity andrews could come out and have a really strong week one and everybody's like oh andrews is back baby let's go and maybe that doesn't continue for the entirety of the season week one i think he's a really good start yeah i i mean healthy lamar right to start the year unlike what we saw from most of last year lamar went healthy for those first few games last year um we've seen him come out with have a big game in week one with a new coordinator before and he's in in a dome like this is like just feel like feels like it is built for a strong first impression from the ravens offense and i still despite what erickson and i keep betting against each other with zay flowers and mark andrews i still think the most likely person in any particular uh you know drive that is ending in the red zone the most likely person to catch a touchdown for the ravens is still mark andrews in my opinion and if you think that the ravens offense has a good day unless it's all going to derrick henry i think andrews has a good chance uh to catch a touchdown in this one so so i do like that call deeper i'm not convinced he's gonna have any big yardage games this season although this would be as he laid out a match where that could happen but touchdown wise i think it's spot on um what do you what do you think about the matchup we don't know what the i like the matchup and while we don't know what sort of role andrews is going to have in declan doyle's offense we know isaiah likely isn't there anymore and we know that in uh lamar jackson seven full seasons as a starter ravens tight ends have ranked in percentage of team targets first fifth first first tenth fourth and fourth lamar likes throwing to his tight ends he likes throwing his tight ends and he's like best friends with mark andrews specifically right like when plays break down that's where he looks so uh yeah i think that's a good call those were our sleeper starts for week one for fits and debro i'm ryan warmly thanks for tuning in we'll see you again next time thanks for listening to the fantasy pros fantasy football podcast if you love the show the best free way to support us is by leaving a positive review on apple podcasts at fantasypros.com slash review or on spotify follow us on x instagram and tiktok at 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