Fantasy Football Week 1: Big Board and Advice for 'MNF'
With Week 1 underway and another New England Patriots win, Monday Night Football kicks off for the first time this season with two games on the docket: the Minnesota Vikings at the San Francisco 49ers and the Atlanta Falcons hosting the Philadelphia Eagles.
On Monday night, we will see the return of Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson, who missed much of the 2014 season due to a suspension. How will he fare in his first game back since Week 1 of last season?
Peterson isn't the only one making a triumphant return to the regular season. Former St. Louis Ram and current Philadelphia Eagles starting quarterback Sam Bradford will play in his first regular-season game in approximately 690 days against Matt Ryan and the Falcons. Many people are hoping he can continue the success of of the preseason, where he threw for three touchdowns.
Will Bradford vs. Ryan turn into a shootout? How will Peterson do in his return?
One thing is certain: We are in for another great night of football.
Football is officially back!
Top-20 Big Board
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| Rank | Player | Pos. | Team |
| 1 | Julio Jones | WR | Atlanta Falcons |
| 2 | Sam Bradford | QB | Philadelphia Eagles |
| 3 | Adrian Peterson | RB | Minnesota Vikings |
| 4 | Jordan Matthews | WR | Philadelphia Eagles |
| 5 | Tevin Coleman | RB | Atlanta Falcons |
| 6 | Charles Johnson | WR | Minnesota Vikings |
| 7 | Matt Ryan | QB | Atlanta Falcons |
| 8 | Anquan Boldin | WR | San Francisco 49ers |
| 9 | Teddy Bridgewater | QB | Minnesota Vikings |
| 10 | Darren Sproles | RB | Philadelphia Eagles |
| 11 | Ryan Mathews | RB | Philadelphia Eagles |
| 12 | DeMarco Murray | RB | Philadelphia Eagles |
| 13 | Nelson Agholor | WR | Philadelphia Eagles |
| 14 | Brent Celek | TE | Philadelphia Eagles |
| 15 | Roddy White | WR | Atlanta Falcons |
| 16 | Reggie Bush | RB | San Francisco 49ers |
| 17 | Jarius Wright | WR | Minnesota Vikings |
| 18 | Colin Kaepernick | QB | San Francisco 49ers |
| 19 | Mike Wallace | WR | Minnesota Vikings |
| 20 | Carlos Hyde | RB | San Francisco 49ers |
Starting Quarterback
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Philadelphia Eagles: Sam Bradford
Bradford will be a top-10 quarterback when Week 1 ends.
Looking at his first opponent in what seems like forever (just under two years), Bradford draws the Falcons, who ranked in the bottom portion of pass coverage last season. The one bright spot on the Falcons defense is Desmond Trufant, but the rest is mediocre.
Another bright spot for Bradford is the fact that he faces a team that recorded a mere 26 sacks all of last season. That says the Falcons cannot create pressure on the quarterback, which bodes well for Bradford, as it's unlikely he'll take a ton of hits.
Bradford's preseason success should carry over into Week 1, and his obscene amount of weapons will lead to the Eagles putting up a ton of points. You know what that means—success for Bradford.
Projections: 33-of-45, 320 passing yards, 3 TDs, 0 INT.
Atlanta Falcons: Matt Ryan
Ryan has one of the best wide receivers in football in Julio Jones. This game features two teams that have quite a few weapons. Fortunately for both quarterbacks, it should be a shootout, and, like Bradford, Ryan will put up respectable numbers.
The Philadelphia Eagles added former Seattle Seahawks cornerback Byron Maxwell in hopes of maintaining a solid pass defense that featured Brandon Boykin, Nate Allen and Cary Williams in 2014, but they all have departed since.
The Eagles, for what it's worth, ranked sixth this preseason in terms of pass coverage. This game will be somewhat close, and both quarterbacks will put up respectable numbers.
Projections: 27-of-42, 280 passing yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT.
Minnesota Vikings: Teddy Bridgewater
The Vikings are widely considered a playoff team, and that's due in large part to the consistent play of their quarterback, Teddy Bridgewater.
In his first regular-season game of the year, Teddy Bridgewater and the Vikings travel to Levi's Stadium, where he'll take on a 49ers teams that has been in the headlines all offseason.
San Francisco has a rebuilt secondary that features Tramaine Brock and Kenneth Acker as its starting cornerbacks.
Brock played in three games all of last season, and Acker spent last season on injured reserve.
Bridgewater isn't necessarily a guy who will light up the scoreboard, but he will produce enough to hopefully wrap up a win for your fantasy team in Week 1.
Projections: 21-of-27, 230 passing yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT.
San Francisco 49ers: Colin Kaepernick
Spoiler alert: I'm not into Colin Kaepernick on Monday Night Football.
Despite the additions of Reggie Bush and Torrey Smith, Kaepernick is going to struggle in this game.
In 2014, the Vikings were the ninth-ranked defense overall, and they added Trae Waynes in the 2015 NFL draft.
Facing a defense that includes cornerback Xavier Rhodes, safety Harrison Smith and defensive end Everson Griffen will result in Kaepernick struggling throughout the game.
The loss of Frank Gore to the Indianapolis Colts will be felt, and Carlos Hyde will have a hard time getting it going against a team that should repeat its 2014 success against opposing teams' ground games.
Avoid playing Kaepernick this week against a defense that is going to create a ton of problems.
Projections: 19-of-33, 240 passing yards, 1 TD, 3 INTs.
Running Backs
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Philadelphia Eagles Starter: DeMarco Murray
I've been saying all along that I expect this backfield to be split 65/25/10 among the trio of running backs we'll go over on this slide.
The split among the three backs is worrisome, but you can expect to see upward of 20 carries from DeMarco Murray in this game.
For the second season in a row, Murray will benefit from a solid offensive line, and, as I mentioned before, the Falcons don't create the best pressure.
In 2014, the Atlanta Falcons surrendered 49 receiving yards per game to opposing running backs and gave up the league's most touchdowns to opposing running backs with 19.
Look for all three Eagles running backs to be involved Monday night.
Projections: 20 carries, 90 rushing yards; 3 receptions, 20 receiving yards.
Philadelphia Eagles Backup: Ryan Mathews
As we saw in the preseason, Ryan Mathews could become a bit of a touchdown vulture to Murray this season. He's too talented to be ignored.
Expected to see a decent amount of carries, Mathews will be productive, and I'll even goes as far as predicting he'll repeat what he did in the preseason—vulture a Murray touchdown.
Projections: 11 carries, 50 rushing yards, 1 TD; 2 receptions, 20 receiving yards.
Philadelphia Eagles Backup: Darren Sproles
Usually we cover only the starter and one of his backups, but Darren Sproles cannot be ignored.
While he may not carry the ball a ton, he will prove to be a valuable dump-off option to Bradford as he settles in as an NFL starting quarterback again.
Remember Bradford's projections? Yeah, the three touchdowns. Well, Sproles gets one of them.
Projections: 2 carries, 12 rushing yards; 5 receptions, 35 yards, 1 TD.
Atlanta Falcons Starter: Tevin Coleman
Coming off an injury-riddled preseason, Tevin Coleman will look to be another productive rookie running back in Week 1.
Last season, the Philadelphia Eagles surrendered almost a touchdown per game (13) to opposing running backs and gave up a league-high eight receiving touchdowns to opposing running backs.
I know, that's last season, but the Eagles front seven hasn't changed must since last season other than the addition of Kiko Alonso.
In a game in which Coleman and fellow Falcons running back Devonta Freeman should see a similar amount of carries, expect Coleman to shine and find paydirt.
Projections: 15 carries, 65 rushing yards, 1 TD; 4 receptions, 35 receiving yards.
Atlanta Falcons Backup: Devonta Freeman
I've never been much of a fan of Freeman. I'm a firm believer that Coleman is the guy in Atlanta and should be the starting running back.
Until then, Freeman will see a decent amount of touches and will have some production. This will be the beginning of Coleman outshining Freeman.
Projections: 10 carries, 45 rushing yards; 2 receptions, 15 receiving yards.
Minnesota Vikings Starter: Adrian Peterson
Dun, dun, dun. Peterson is back, and I'd hate to be the one to tackle him Monday night.
San Francisco lost a ton of guys who could help stop the run—Justin Smith, Aldon Smith, Patrick Willis and Chris Borland.
The 49ers will be a much more porous bunch compared to the 2014 defense, which was one of the best when it came to opposing running backs.
Peterson is going to go out there with the mindset that he has something to prove, and it will pay huge dividends for your fantasy squad.
Projections: 24 carries, 120 rushing yards, 1 TD; 3 receptions, 20 receiving yards.
Minnesota Vikings Backup: Jerick McKinnon
Last season, we witnessed the emergence of freak athlete Jerick McKinnon.
With Peterson returning, his opportunities will be more limited, but he could prove to be an adequate option in the passing game.
Throughout his career, Peterson hasn't been the most prominent pass-catcher, going over 40 receptions in a season just twice in his career.
McKinnon will see still see some carries, but expect him to be used by the Vikings this season.
Projections: 5 carries, 20 rushing yards; 4 receptions, 20 receiving yards.
San Francisco 49ers Starter: Carlos Hyde
For some reason, I can't hop on the Carlos Hyde bandwagon.
While Hyde has talent, the team around him is average. I expect the 49ers to trail in a lot of their games, which will limit Hyde's rushing attempts. Additionally, the 49ers acquired running back Reggie Bush in the offseason, and he should take away some carries and be a primary pass-catcher out of the backfield. That also hurts Hyde.
While the Vikings ranked ninth against running backs in 2014, a lot of that was due to the generosity to pass-catching backs. Don't expect Hyde to get a ton of action in the passing game—that belongs to Bush.
Projections: 15 carries, 70 rushing yards, 1 FF; 2 receptions, 15 receiving yards.
San Francisco 49ers Backup: Reggie Bush
As I explained above, the Vikings were generous to pass-catching backs last season.
Kaepernick hasn't had a weapon like Bush coming out of the backfield, and throughout this season, he'll use Bush to his advantage. He'll also assist in Bush outscoring Hyde in terms of fantasy points in Week 1.
Projections: 8 carries, 35 yards; 4 receptions, 45 receiving yards.
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Wide Receivers
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Philadelphia Eagles: Jordan Matthews
Jordan Matthews is a special talent.
Expected to draw Desmond Trufant, Matthews may be heading toward the matchup-proof pedestal. You're playing him this week, and Bradford should look for him early and often during the shootout in Atlanta.
Projections: 7 receptions, 80 yards, 1 TD.
Philadelphia Eagles: Nelson Agholor
This guy is going to pay huge dividends throughout the season in points-per-reception leagues. Against a weak secondary, Agholor should see a nice amount of targets and receptions in his regular-season debut. Play him!
Projections: 6 receptions, 75 receiving yards.
Philadelphia Eagles: Riley Cooper
With Matthews and Agholor probably rotating in and out, Riley Cooper should see time as an outside wide receiver option for Bradford.
Right now, Cooper is an inconsistent wide receiver option.
Projections: 3 receptions, 35 receiving yards.
Philadelphia Eagles: Josh Huff
An offseason favorite by many, Josh Huff could see a few huge plays throughout the season, but it won't happen just yet.
Projections: 1 reception, 15 receiving yards.
Atlanta Falcons: Julio Jones
It doesn't matter the team, time or weather—Jones could have one of the best season for a wide receiver ever.
Projections: 7 receptions, 110 receiving yards, 2 TDs.
Atlanta Falcons: Roddy White
Dealing with a few nagging injuries, Roddy White should be all set to go. In his 30s now, Roddy isn't getting any younger, but he'll prove to be a reliable veteran target for Ryan and the Falcons.
Projections: 6 receptions, 65 receiving yards.
Atlanta Falcons: Leonard Hankerson
With Harry Douglas gone and headed to the Tennessee Titans, the Falcons scooped up former Washington Redskins wide receiver Leonard Hankerson. He's one White (or Julio but please no) injury away from being relevant.
Projections: 4 receptions, 30 receiving yards.
Atlanta Falcons: Justin Hardy
A top-five wide receiver coming out of the 2015 draft in my opinion, Justin Hardy will be buried on a deep wide receiver depth chart. He's worth monitoring in points per reception leagues.
Projections: 2 receptions, 15 receiving yards.
Minnesota Vikings: Mike Wallace
Heading to a team that can utilize the deep ball, Mike Wallace has great upside. He'll look to catch a deep bomb from Bridgewater on national television Monday night.
Projections: 4 receptions, 50 receiving yards.
Minnesota Vikings: Charles Johnson
The true No. 1 wide receiver on this team, Charles Johnson is headed for a spectacular season. After scoring a mere two total touchdowns in 2014, Johnson is going to torch the 49ers.
Projections: 5 receptions, 75 receiving yards, 1 TD.
Minnesota Vikings: Cordarrelle Patterson
After last season, it was easy to lose faith in Cordarrelle Patterson. He's not a true wide receiver but is a force to be reckoned with in the return game.
Projections: 1 reception, 10 receiving yards.
Minnesota Vikings: Jarius Wright
He's my Hail Mary prediction for Week 1. He'll find some space in a presumably generous secondary and find his way into the end zone.
Projections: 2 receptions, 30 receiving yards, 1 TD.
San Francisco 49ers: Torrey Smith
Torrey Smith is a deep threat. Kaepernick has a big arm, but, like last season when he was with the Baltimore Ravens, Smith will prove to be too inconsistent during your fantasy season.
Projections: 3 receptions, 50 receiving yards.
San Francisco 49ers: Anquan Boldin
Anquan Boldin is ageless, and if he isn't on your roster, you missed out on a fabulous points-per-reception monster. Boldin will be the only glimmer of hope for the 49ers in this game.
Projections: 5 receptions, 65 receiving yards, 1 TD.
San Francisco 49ers: Quinton Patton and Bruce Ellington
Outside Smith and Boldin, the wide receiver play for the 49ers is weak. Of course, there will be a random game that makes fantasy owners run to their computers to try to add them. Don't waste your time. Both of these guys are off fantasy radars for the time being.
Projections: 1 reception each, 8 receiving yards (Patton) and 12 receiving yards (Ellington).
Tight Ends
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Philadelphia Eagles Starter: Brent Celek
Going up against what was a stingy unit against tight ends last season, Brent Celek will find sneaky production.
Fortunately for him, this Eagles offense is filled with weapons. The Falcons are not known for their defense. As a result, Celek should put up six after being the beneficiary of the Falcons trying to take away the premier pass-catching options.
Projections: 3 receptions, 40 receiving yards, 1 TD.
Philadelphia Eagles Backup: Zach Ertz
It's never a good idea to hope for a player who is dubbed a game-time decision. Be proactive! Even if Ertz does play, he likely won't be close to 100 percent coming off offseason groin surgery. If he does play, his production will be limited. Avoid Ertz.
Projections: 2 receptions, 10 receiving yards.
Atlanta Falcons Starter: Jacob Tamme
You know how you might find yourself "punting" a certain position in daily fantasy? Well, that's what the Falcons seem to want to do with their tight ends ever since Tony Gonzalez retired. Sporting Jacob Tamme as your starting tight end is never a good sign, and Ryan has better and more reliable weapons to use to try to keep up with the Chip Kelly-run offense.
Projections: 2 receptions, 10 receiving yards.
Atlanta Falcons Backup: Levine Toilolo
"Stop trying to make Levine Toilolo happen." If you don't understand the Mean Girls reference, Toilolo isn't worth thinking about during the fantasy season.
Projections: 0 receptions
Minnesota Vikings Starter: Kyle Rudolph
If there was some sort of a statistic I could throw at you to help prove my point, there would be one. However, trust me when I say to avoid Kyle Rudolph. MyCole Pruitt should start to take some snaps for Rudolph soon enough.
Projections: 2 receptions, 25 receiving yards.
Minnesota Vikings Backup: Rhett Ellison
No Vikings tight end intrigues me besides MyCole Pruitt. It's a messy, inconsistent mess you don't want to dabble in.
Projections: 0 receptions.
San Francisco 49ers Starter: Vernon Davis
After a miserable 2014 campaign, Vernon Davis should rebound. The addition of Torrey Smith should stretch the field and help open up the seams and the middle of the field for the athletic Davis. Just wait.
Projections: 3 receptions, 45 receiving yards.
San Francisco 49ers Backup: Vance McDonald
While Vance McDonald is an interesting player, he's another guy I don't expect to get heavily involved in this offense. He was already completely off your radars anyway, though, right?
Projections: 0 receptions.
Defense/Special Teams
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Philadelphia Eagles Defense/Special Teams
Philadelphia will walk out of Week 1 with a victory, but it won't be because of the defense. The Eagles will find it hard to contain Jones this game. However, going up against a weak Falcons offensive line, the Eagles will get to Ryan a few times. The Eagles are a low-end defense in Week 1.
Projections: 27 points allowed, 1 INT, 3 sacks.
Atlanta Falcons Defense/Special Teams
The Eagles are a low-end defense, so this makes the Falcons almost unplayable. Without Devin Hester, this defense loses the big punt/kick return capability, which would be your only hope to score some points. Avoid the Falcons defense in Week 1.
Projections: 34 points allowed, 1 sack.
Minnesota Vikings Defense/Special Teams
The 49ers are going to lose this game.
While Kaepernick is a mobile quarterback threat, the Vikings defense is going to create problems for him all night long, leading to a total of three interceptions. Minnesota is a solid defensive play in Week 1.
Will rookie cornerback Waynes get his first career interception?
Projections: 16 points allowed, 3 INT, 1 FF, 4 sacks.
San Francisco 49ers Defense/Special Teams
This will be a close game.
While the Vikings will prevail, the bright side is the 49ers should get a Bridgewater interception. The 49ers are a middle-of-the-road Week 1 defense/special teams play.
Projections: 24 points allowed, 1 INT.
Best Sleeper Adds
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1. Brent Celek, Tight End, Philadelphia Eagles (Owned in 2.5 percent of ESPN Leagues)
With fellow Phildelphia Eagles tight end Zach Ertz either sidelined or lightly used on Monday night, Celek could sneak in a touchdown.
Yes, the Atlanta Falcons were stingy against tight ends in 2014, but they face an Eagles team that has so many weapons, it could be hard for them to control all of them. Celek is a touchdown candidate on Monday Night Football.
2. Jarius Wright, Wide Receiver, Minnesota Vikings (Owned in 0.6 percent of ESPN Leagues)
Facing up against what is a rebuilt secondary, Jarius Wright is a deep threat that could burn past one of the mediocre cornerbacks that will take the field for the San Francisco 49ers Monday night.
After scoring two touchdowns last season in the latter portion of it, Wright will look to start where he left off and score a sneaky touchdown.
Injury Report
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The major injury to monitor heading into Monday Night Football is Ertz. Having had groin surgery in the preseason, Ertz will be worth monitoring leading up to kickoff Monday night. All injury-report updates can be found here.
Philadelphia Eagles
Player | Status | |
Marcus Smith II | LB | Questionable |
Zach Ertz | TE | Questionable |
Atlanta Falcons
Player | Status | |
Roddy White | WR | Probable |
Devin Hester | WR | Out |
Brooks Reed | LB | Out |
| Devonta Freeman | RB | Probable |
Brooks Reed being ruled out doesn't help what is an overall porous defense.
Minnesota Vikings
Player | Status | |
Zach Line | FB | Probable |
MyCole Pruitt | TE | Probable |
Chase Ford | TE | Probable |
Pruitt is an exciting, athletic tight end. Seeing him as probable is a good sign.
San Francisco 49ers
Player | Status | |
Tramaine Brock | CB | Probable |
Tramaine Brock is expected to play. He projects as the 49ers' No. 1 cornerback in the rebuilt secondary.
Sit or Start
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You know the no-brainers for this week, but what about the guys who create lineup controversy? You may be pondering whether to play one of these guys, and hopefully this will help answer those questions.
WR Anquan Boldin (San Francisco 49ers): Coming off a season in which he saw over 120 targets, Boldin will continue to be a favorite target of Kaepernick.
Verdict: Start
TE Kyle Rudolph (Minnesota Vikings): I've never been a fan of Rudolph, and you shouldn't rely on him to help win you your fantasy football matchup this week. Unless you're desperate, you're better off looking elsewhere, as Bridgewater will lean on Peterson and Johnson in this game.
Verdict: Sit
RB Ryan Mathews (Philadelphia Eagles): He should be involved and see a fair amount of action. Projected by me to score a vultured DeMarco Murray touchdown, Mathews is a sneaky running back option in Week 1.
Verdict: Start
TE: Zach Ertz (Philadelphia Eagles): Coming off preseason groin surgery, Ertz is questionable to play in the game. If he does go, I can't see him being that involved. Hopefully, you have another tight end option going into Monday night.
Verdict: Sit
Advanced statistics courtesy of ProFootballFocus.com, Football Outsiders and fantasy.nfl.com unless otherwise noted.
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