It's Saturday, and that means college football for those who can't get enough football. For the rest of us, it means agonizing over sit/start decisions. Here is the most interesting fantasy storyline for each Sunday team--players whose values could swing dramatically by Monday morning:
Cowboys -- Zeke Elliott vs. Rico Dowdle, at least for now. My money remains firmly on Dowdle -- which is to say, I don't see how Zeke continues to have a fantasy impact beyond midseason.
Saints -- They crushed Carolina in Week 1, which might or might not signal an offensive turnaround. My focus is on Alvin Kamara, who's had three straight years of rushing mediocrity (along with great receptions, as always). Is he back to being a top-12 RB? Or will he crash back to earth?
Lions -- Assuming Jameson Williams is good to go, did last Sunday signal his long-awaited ascendance?
Buccaneers -- Rachaad White and Bucky Irving. I ranked White as a fade and Irving as a bargain this summer. Week 2 will tell us more about the direction this backfield takes.
Packers -- While the passing game probably will struggle, I'm most interested in how Emmanuel Wilson fares as a would-be (and short-term?) handcuff.
Colts -- What should managers do with Michael Pittman? Sell somewhat low, or hold?
Titans -- How will the wideout corps shake out, and will it matter if Will Levis isn't a long-term solution?
Jets -- As some of you pointed out earlier this week, Allen Lazard's Week 1 outburst wasn't a fluke, as he and Aaron Rodgers have a history. Is that enough to make Lazard a safe streamer, or will Mike Williams cloud this receiving corps?
Vikings -- The Aaron Jones / Ty Chandler split is one of my favorite under-the-radar fantasy pressure points. Jones comfortably out-touched and outperformed Chandler last weekend. However, Jones will turn 30 in December and is a longshot to serve as a true workhorse.
49ers -- Speaking of age, the nearly 31-year-old George Kittle hasn't averaged more than 4.1 receptions per game since 2021. Is he no longer a no-brainer weekly fantasy starter?
Patriots -- It's fair to wonder if any Pats receiver will exceed 700 yards this year.
Seahawks -- Tyler Lockett's impressive opener muddies this receiving corps more than I anticipated. I think it'll prove to be an outlier, but we'll see.
Commanders -- Can Terry McLaurin get on the same page with Jayden Daniels, or will this be another "disappointing" season for McLaurin compared to preseason expectations.
Giants -- Malik Nabers' reported knee ailment might be a non-story. But it'll be interesting to see if he and Wan'Dale Robinson can both be fantasy-relevant.
Panthers -- Can Carolina bench Bryce Young? Probably not. The PR would be horrendous. Too troubling to think about. Except if Young looks as bad or worse than he did last year, there might be plenty of pressure to give Young a breather (politely stated) so he can watch and learn from Andy Dalton from the sidelines. Sounds bizarre, and yet if it happens, it could mean small boosts for Diontae Johnson and maybe Adam Thielen.
Chargers -- Is J.K. Dobbins "back"?
Jaguars -- Travis Etienne vs. Tank Bigsby. One of the best preseason RBs and one of my favorite preseason handcuffs.
Browns -- In Superflex, Jameis Winston might be one of the most valuable backup QBs. Whether it's on-the-field struggles or off-the-field issues, Deshaun Watson has been somewhere between acceptable and awful since joining Cleveland in 2021, completing 227 of 381 throws (59.6%) for 2,381 yards, along with a 15 TD / 10 INT split. Since leading the league with 8.9 yards per pass attempt in 2020 with Houston, he's at 6.2 with the Browns. And because expectations for this franchise are so high -- and because Joe Flacco arguably did last season what Watson would not have been able to do -- Winston is a must-roster QB in leagues that start two quarterbacks.
Ravens -- Expect a rebound for Mark Andrews at Isaiah Likely's expense, making Week 3 a more accurate determination of how this split might continue.
Raiders -- This week I sold high on Alexander Mattison. Or did I accidentally sell low?
Cardinals -- Marvin Harrison will get on track. I'm more interested in James Conner and Trey Benson. Conner has missed meaningful time year after year after year. We can feel quite confident that he won't get through 17 games. The question, then, is whether Benson will get more run on as the season progresses.
Rams -- Will anyone step up in Puka Nacua's absence? Or does it simply make Cooper Kupp and Kyren Williams that much more valuable?
Broncos -- Javonte Williams vs. Jaleel McLaughlin. We shouldn't be shocked if Javonte and his expiring contract are moved before the trade deadline.
Steelers -- Another strong performance (assuming he starts) from Justin Fields could solidify his standing as the team's #1 QB. Like I said several times over the summer, if you're rostering both him and Russell Wilson in Superflex, you want Fields to win out, because that's your best shot at a weekly 18+ point ceiling.
Chiefs -- With Hollywood Brown now sidelined for the foreseeable future, Rashee Rice's value is solidified, while Xavier Worthy (with more targets) could become a near-automatic weekly fantasy starter.
Bengals -- Is it just me, or could this team finish last in the AFC North for the fifth time in seven years? Between Ja'Marr Chase's contract issues and Tee Higgins' injury woes, how will Cincy compete in this division? And if they can't compete, will Chase be disincentivized to take the field during the fantasy playoffs? Given their upcoming schedule, they could realistically be 5-6 or even 4-7 entering their Week 12 bye.
Texans -- I believe Joe Mixon's late-season handcuff is not currently on this team. It is possibly the league's most top-heavy backfield. Rather than invest in Dameon Pierce, be prepared for Houston to acquire a veteran backup to help ensure Mixon isn't run into the ground before January.
Bears -- D'Andre Swift remains a big name to watch. If he's not getting adequate targets, his standing as a weekly fantasy starter will fade quickly.
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