Week 1 Shore Things Sleepers (2024)

It’s that time of the year again! Waking up, setting your fantasy football lineups and watching NFL football. That’s the dream, right? Now that you’re awake, it’s time to discover some sleepers that could help you score big! These players might be sitting on your bench or on the waiver wire. So, consider these options if you’re unsure about your fantasy football start/sit decisions!

Fantasy Football Start/Sit Consideration: Week 1 Sleepers

Quarterback

Geno Smith (Seattle Seahawks)

In Week 1 of the 2022 season, Geno Smith famously said, “They wrote me off, I ain’t write back though.” Well, here I am writing about him, but I’m not writing him off. Last season, Smith missed two games but still finished as the QB19. In his last three games, he didn’t finish lower than QB17 for the week.

One reason to like Smith this week? He has excelled in non-divisional home games. In his last 11 such games, dating back to Week 8 of the 2021 season, he is averaging 268.6 total yards, 1.9 passing touchdowns, 0.6 interceptions and 19.1 fantasy points. He hasn’t scored below 14.4 fantasy points in any of those games.

The Broncos allowed the 12th-most fantasy points to QBs last season. They struggled in their last two non-divisional games, allowing a quarterback to throw for over 255 yards, multiple touchdowns, no interceptions and score at least 16 fantasy points. With Smith excelling in these games and the Broncos struggling a little bit, I can see him sneaking into the top-10 quarterbacks this week.

Running Back

Chuba Hubbard (Carolina Panthers)

Chuba Hubbard struggled with efficiency last season, ultimately finishing the Points Per Reception (PPR) RB27. Still, from Weeks 12-17, he was quietly the RB8. The Panthers drafted Jonathon Brooks, but he is on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list and will miss at least the first four weeks.

With no Brooks, Hubbard will be the primary ball carrier with Miles Sanders behind him. The Saints did finish as the eighth-best team against the running back position last year, but Hubbard finished the season strong. In four of his last six games, including one against the Saints, Hubbard ran for at least 83 yards and scored 11.1 PPR points. Plus, the Panthers focused on improving their offensive line this offseason, which could help give Hubbard a boost to surprise in Week 1.

Zack Moss (Cincinnati Bengals)

I’ve always loved this free-agent pickup from the get-go. Zack Moss stepped up for the Colts last season when Jonathan Taylor was out. Now, he replaces Joe Mixon, who was traded to the Texans. The big question: What will the snap split be with Chase Brown?

I believe Moss has beaten out Brown for the RB1 job, and it’s due to his pass blocking. Brown still has the upside of occasionally breaking out a big play, but Moss will be the early-down back. Therefore, getting more of the carries. The Patriots had an unforeseen change this offseason, making this an interesting matchup for Moss. After being diagnosed with blood clots, defensive tackle Christian Barmore was placed on the Non-Football Injury (NFI) list and will miss this game.

Meanwhile, the Patriots might have allowed the 16th-fewest points to running backs last year in PPR scoring. Yet, did you know they allowed the ninth-most receptions to running backs with 86 last year? That’s something Cincinnati is used to seeing; when Moss played against the Bengals in Week 14, he had eight targets. Although he did not do great in that game, they know he can catch the ball, too. I think Moss was picked up to replace Mixon, and even though Brown had some big games, he never outscored Mixon.

Wide Receiver

Jameson Williams (Detroit Lions)

Is this finally Jameson Williams’s year, or am I just reminiscing about Williams in Alabama while drinking a Jameson? Well, at least for now, I’m hoping this is his week. His rookie year was cut short by recovering from a torn ACL, and he missed the start of last year due to suspension. But the third time’s the charm, right?

This will be Williams’ first Week 1. He may have disappointed in last year’s Wild Card game against the Rams, but I sense he’ll start this season off strong against the Rams. Williams should see more targets as the suspected Lions WR2, and with only four active WRs on the roster currently. With the week-high 50.5-point total, Williams could spread the offense with his deep-threat ability and help push the total over.

Rashod Bateman (Baltimore Ravens)

Yeah, I know. This one is probably shocking you. Rashod Bateman didn’t post a double-digit PPR game last year, but after they bye, he showed improvement. Before the bye, he averaged just two receptions on 3.2 targets for 21.4 yards per game. After the bye, it improved to an average of 2.5 receptions on five targets for 32.7 yards. It’s not huge, but it’s still an improvement!

The Chiefs were definitely tough against wide receivers, as they allowed the third-fewest points to the position. But, the WR2s would sometimes outperform the WR1s; just look after the Week 10 bye, as there were multiple instances of this. In Week 11, DeVonta Smith outscored and A.J. Brown 15.9 to 1.8. Jakobi Meyers outscored Davante Adams in both games with an average of 13.6 to 6.8. I think the Chiefs will be able to cause problems for Zay Flowers and cause Bateman to have a surprise breakout game. After all, it is Week 1, and Week 1 gives us no shortage of surprises.

Tight End

Zach Ertz (Washington Commanders)

Surprise! It’s not the Commanders’ tight end that you were probably thinking of. It will be Ben Sinnott‘s time soon, so don’t worry. Sometimes, in Week 1, it leans more toward the veterans, as the rookies are still getting used to the game pace. That’s what I think happens here, as, after all, a tight end is a quarterback’s best friend, especially for a rookie quarterback in Jayden Daniels.

Also, there is a huge void in targets after the Commanders traded Jahan Dotson to the Eagles and lost Curtis Samuel to the Bills in free agency. Both of those players had a combined 174 targets last year, so Zach Ertz could see an increase in targets due to that.

Ertz might be past his prime, but in Weeks 1-7 last year, he was PPR TE15 with an average of 7.4 points per game. Also, the Buccaneers were atrocious against tight ends last year, as they allowed the second-most fantasy points to tight ends last year. Tampa Bay allowed all but two tight ends in non-divisional games last year to score 7.4 points last season. If this game were later in the season, I would likely lean more toward Sinnott. For now, I sense that the rookie quarterback in his first start will go to the veteran tight end in Ertz.

Check out all of our content for Week 1 of the fantasy football season:

Thanks for reading this week’s “Shore Thing Sleepers”! If you’re looking for more fantasy content like this or need help with the last-minute fantasy football start/sit decisions for your roster, you can find me on Facebook at “Fantasy Sports Start or Sit’Em Questions” or on Tiwtter/X @FSSOSEQ.

*Photo Credit: Junfu Han – USA TODAY Sports*

Comments (1)

· WishList

· 2024-09-11T11:59:48+0000
Jamo and Worthy doing fast things to kick this season off!