Week 1 bold fantasy predictions: Surprise stars set to emerge
It’s 2019 — it’s a new fantasy football season, a new NFL season, so why not keep things fresh? With that said, we're gonna try something a little different this year: Every week, our Yahoo fantasy crew will unveil their boldest predictions for the action ahead. Feel free to keep score of who can tell the future most often or mock us as we go. Now, on to Week 1!
Kenny Golladay will lead all receivers in Week 1
Kenny Golladay will be the top-scoring receiver in the opening week. Remember, the Arizona Cardinals will be without both Patrick Peterson (suspension) and Robert Alford (tibia fracture), which means both Golladay and Marvin Jones should absolutely feast. All indications suggest the Lions intend to be a run-first team in 2019, but they'd be crazy not to punish the Cards at a position of weakness.
In a game with high-scoring appeal, don't be shocked if Golladay finds the end zone more than once. Three out of five Yahoo fantasy rankers place Golladay inside the top-12 wide receivers in Week 1, so it's not as if I'm on an island here. - Andy Behrens
Chris Carson will open as fantasy’s top RB
Chris Carson surpasses 150 total yards, scores twice and finishes Week 1 at RB1. The ingredients needed to propel Carson to out-of-sight numbers couldn't be more ideal. He's the clear-cut featured running back on a conservative-minded team facing a marshmallow-soft opponent in a game in which his club is favored by 9.5 points.
Cincinnati's No. 24 projected run defense, according to Pro Football Focus, will be no match for Carson's assertive, downhill approach. A rusher who racked 3.36 yards after contact last season, he's about to ascend to the top of the fantasy football ranks. If he's not in your Week 1 lineup, you might want to consult a physician. - Brad Evans
Will Fuller is a top-five WR to start season
Will Fuller routinely puts up WR1 stats when healthy (he has 11 touchdown grabs in 11 career games with Deshaun Watson) and gets a prime matchup against Eli Apple and company, who allowed the most fantasy points to wide receivers last season. Last year, Fuller produced the second-best Passer Rating when targeted, committed zero drops, finished third in yards per target (11.2) and was top-10 in fantasy points per target as well as fantasy points per route run, and he appears fully recovered from knee surgery. Indoors and with the week’s highest total (53), expect Fuller to benefit from a high-scoring affair Monday night, when he finishes as a top-five WR in Week 1. - Dalton Del Don
Marquise Goodwin will deliver great value
With a projected point total of 49, the 49ers @ Bucs tilt figures to be fairly high-scoring. That certainly makes sense given the aggressive nature of both HC’s offensive schemes. Additionally, Tampa Bay’s defense is all sorts of #recked. With JPP out and Vita Vea coming off of a knee injury, Jimmy G couldn’t ask for a better matchup in which to shake off rust.
In his first action since Week 3 of 2018, the team’s QB figures to rely heavily on Marquise Goodwin. The two showed incredible chemistry down the stretch of 2017 when Garoppolo became the face of the franchise. Averaging over eight targets per contest from Weeks 12-17, Goodwin managed over 75 yards or a TD in five of six games. Heading into 2019, he’s likely to lead the 49ers receiving corps (I know we all love Dante Pettis, but the fantasy darling had a mixed preseason and he’s dealing with a groin issue) in looks as the team faces off against a Tampa Bay secondary that PFF ranked dead last. Expect top-thirty numbers from the veteran track star. - Liz Loza
Broncos defense outscores all Raiders players
With the over/under set at just 43 points for this matchup, we are not expecting any wild performances from any offensive player. The Raiders offense has concerns at every level, even if the skill position talent is objectively better this season. The offensive line remains a massive issue, with troubles on the interior and the tackle positions. Antonio Brown is a verifiable difference-maker but hasn’t been building chemistry at every possible moment with his quarterback Derek Carr this offseason — plus, it looks like he might get suspended. A slow start (or lack thereof) shouldn’t shock anyone.
On the other side of the field waiting to feast on this group is the Denver Broncos defense. The Vic Fangio-led stop unit features two nightmarish pass rushers and looked ready to dominate in the preseason. A handful of sacks, a turnover or two and perhaps even a defensive score could make the Broncos defense the best fantasy play in this entire game. - Matt Harmon
Ravens will be fantasy gift to all vs. Dolphins
The Ravens are going to score two defensive touchdowns at Miami. If you don't play these guys in Survivor and DFS, I don't know you. Miami is a rare perfect combo of a lousy team that actually wants to be lousy. You want a bold prediction more off the map? Jesse James scores a touchdown this week. - Scott Pianowski
