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

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1:00I'm curious who you guys pick here. Reminder for everybody that are consensus rankings and tiers. Let's start with you. I'm going to be a running back by committee in Minnesota. But I now 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.

2:09A lot of injury problems last year. They missed Christian Darisoff for some of the season. Healthy now. And I don't think the Green Bay Runde offense is a push over 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 Viking. 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 a half point PPR, I think Mason is a guy you might want to consider for Flexpot and week one. This is somebody Debra that you have grown to really like for draft purposes as a value. Do you like him here right off the bat and 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 and week one if he gets in the end zone. Like we're talking about like he's possibly the top 15 back week one. Love it. We'll be ranking him pretty aggressively. I'm not sure where he has a consensus right now. I will be ranking him aggressive versus consensus and I'm looking at right now.

3:14He 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. I'm like 30. Like 30. I'm above him. I'm a true. I'm a hybrid. Like what are we doing here? Yeah, no, 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. All right, let's get to your first one here. D. Bro. If you got a quarterback with a top match up, you need to look at possibly starting Malik Wilson week one. He gets the Raiders. I think that Malik Wilson is going to put up a crap ton of points in week one. He's going to run a ton. Last year the laws Vegas Raiders gave it the fourth most rushing yards to design quarterback runs. They're defense. Yes, they added a lot of players in the offseason 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 pass rating and the 9th highest passing success rate. So Malik Willis, whether he's good or not, he's going to freaking run.

4:18If 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 it's right now in a week one rankings. He's QB 19. Okay. Yeah, if it's a you ahead of our below consensus in terms of week one. I am above consensus on Malik Willis. I have got him. Sorry, let me just switch over. I was on the running backs. I've got Malik Willis QB 13. What's going on? 13. Oh, that's a lot. It's got a lot. I had a Jackson Dart Baker Mayfield Brock party. Yeah. Kyler Murray Bownecks. Jordan Love. Yeah. I'm all in. I feel like 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 to whatever it's an upside swing, but week to week, like that rushing is there any game he's starting.

5:20So I to your point to 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? Quen yours gone. Camille or gone. Mark Rinalcki gone. And I'm not saying that he should have a short leash to be clear. No, no, but that's from the narrative. That is been the narrative. Yeah. All right, Fitz, let's go to your next sleeper start. Quentin Johnston of the Chargers. And I've got him wide receiver 35. So I think he's a viable start in leagues where you're required to start 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, 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 catch and run stuff, ball and hand stuff, juicy home matchup for the Chargers against the Arizona Cardinals,

6:20who I think are probably going to have one of the worst defenses in the league this season. And it's possible that we might not see that big a gap in value between Lab McKinkey and Quentin Johnston this year, because I think the McDaniel system is so well tailored to Quentin Johnston. One 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 Najoku, Orrande Getston 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 a degree of inconsistency with any water seeker 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 there?

7:21You're trying to get lucky to pick the right weeks to start Quentin Johnston, 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 better in basketball guy in recent years. Yeah. Debra, you have liked Quentin Johnston 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 wanted to hear him. 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 tenfold 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 Roles and Rosenthal out there talking about Lad McConkey had any injury and stuff. And it wasn't reported on.

8:21Bro, you want to give the same insight about Quentin Johnston 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-sit 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 fantasypros.com slash start. All right, guys, D-Roh, your next one is up here. Go on with Gidarian Price, man. I think he's going to have a surprising week one. I would be willing to roll him out there as an RB2 and a lot of lineups because a lot of spots, you probably drafted him as your RB3 considering roster constructions. But no Zach Sharbonate has started the year. Gidarian 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 doing on Patreon, it's rushing at 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.

9:2111th 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 Gidarian 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 Hullani. They're worried about him and Wilson. They're worried about, oh, you don't have to worry about Zach Sharbonate. So I think Gidarian Price is going to be the clear leader of that backfield and week one. Is there any part of you fits that wants to see it first with price or are you kind of, 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 than I had him in my draft rankings. I do think things are lined up. I mean, my biggest concern with Gidarian Price is that eventually Zach Sharbonate 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 fits is ready for the weekend because I believe he just called him Zach Sharbonate instead of Sharbonate. I thought I said Sharbonate.

10:21Maybe I'm a sir. I thought I heard Sharbonate. Obviously, I know you know his name. Do you like my running backs dry and oaky? 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 Quinch on Judkins, Jailen Warren, Basel Tutin are all ranked ahead at Gidarian Price. There's the two names ahead of price. Like I or even Cam Skataboo, why? No, I'm putting Gidarian Price above all those guys. There's a reason why it fits his fantasy baseball team name is Wines Above Replacing it. So good. So good. Who's your next lead for start? Wondale Robinson versus the New York Jets. Yeah, 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 Wondale Robinson rides to the rescue with like these easy completions. Make things like take a little off Cam Ward's plate by just getting Wondale open in space, short areas of the field,

11:29quick completions, catch and run. And we know that Titans offense of coordinator Brian Dable is very familiar with Wondale Robinson from their time together with the New York Giants. You know, like all along my worry in drafting carnalt Tates, where he's been going as sort of a mid range to lower end wide receiver three is like, I can absolutely see a scenario where Wondale Robinson out targets him this year. Now 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 Wondale could be set up for yet another high volley. And there's a lot of things that are higher high volume season where he flirts with 100 catches. Now fits you call him wine Dale Rob is not just this isn't a good pick. This is a great pick. I want to know business being outside the top 40 in week one of my opinion, especially in any kind of PPR format. Because I think he's going to get a lot of targets.

12:29Even if you are still excited about somebody like carnalt Tate in terms of drafting him. You're wrong. Rooker even the best Rooker receivers sometimes you take a couple of weeks, right? Justin Jefferson, the prime example of like, hey, took him like a month and then he was elite right away. So even if you have the highest possible expectations for carnalt 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 Wondale has familiarity with Brian Deibault. Like you said, he I think is going to be used in a way that is really beneficial in a league that rewards catches with scoring. And like I said, any kind of PPR and to be outside the top 40, I think is too low in week one. So I think this is a spot on call. Deibault, where are you at on Wondale? I just want everybody to know at home. This is a massive move by Fitsy, God, who has not been a Wondale Robinson trail through over the last few years. Definitely not a lot of shade at Wondale Robinson. This definitely is a big vote of confidence from Fitsy. And I'm with it, man. Like I already got through that game at the primer. Like I'm not worried about a Jarvis Brownlee, the Jets slot corner and week one. He's been got awful during his tenure as an NFL player.

13:31So yeah, I could definitely get behind Wondale. All right. We've got one more player here. Deibault, a tight end from you. Yeah, figured I played at the Homer crowd here. I'm going Mark Andrews. I just look at it. Like Mark Andrews will not be ranked as a tight end one. If you wait it on tight end, this is a good spot to start him this week. Looking at a cold 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 might the colds 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 and Arumo, deep defenses just struggle to always stop tight ends. So this isn't something new. So Mark Andrews can definitely feast on week one against the colds. They gave it the fourth most yards per target. The 12th most fantasy points to receiving arts for tight ends of the 12th most fantasy points.

14:31Opportunity. Andrews could come out and have a really strong week one. And everybody said, 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 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 was awesome. We've seen him come out with have a big game in week one with a new coordinator before. And he's in a dome like this is like just feels like it is built for a strong first impression from the Ravens offense. And I still despite what Eric said and I keep betting against each other with Zay flowers and Mark Andrews. I still think the most likely person in any particular 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 here, unless it's all going to dare canary, I think Andrews has a good chance to catch a touchdown on this one. So I so I do like that call D.

15:31I'm not convinced he's going to have any big yardage games this season, although this would be laid out a match where that could happen. But touchdown wise, I think it's spot on. Yeah. 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 Lamar Jackson seven full seasons as a starter Ravens tight ends have ranked in percentage of team targets. First fifth first first 10th fourth and fourth. Lamar likes throwing news tight ends. He likes throwing those tight ends and he's like best friends with Mark Andrews specifically right when plays break down. That's where he looks. So yeah, I think that's a good call. Those were our sleeper starts for week one for fits and Debro. I'm Ryan Warmley. 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 fantasyproze.com slash review or on Spotify.

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