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Fantasy drafts are done - it's time for football to begin!
Every Thursday, we'll highlight 10 moves to make ahead of that week's games, recommending who you should start, sit, add, stash, and drop, along with players to buy low and sell high in the trade market.
Let's get to it!
🟢 Start - Jaxson Dart
The inherent risk in drafting Dart is that he'll likely get hurt at some point this year. He played with reckless abandon in his rookie season, which led to multiple trips to the blue tent and missed games. Maybe his style of play will change under John Harbaugh, but either way, Dart is healthy and facing a Cowboys defense that should yield fantasy points.
The Giants have an implied team total of 23.5 points, while Dart's expected to throw for roughly 220 yards and add 30 yards on the ground. He's a threat to score around the goal line and now has Malik Nabers as his top receiving option. If he plays to his expectations, Dart has the upside of finishing the week as a top-five quarterback.
🔴 Sit - Jeremiyah Love
You probably drafted Love as one of your top two running backs, but there's a decent chance you'll have a better option than him in Week 1. Love hasn't played since suffering a high ankle sprain early in preseason, and his status for Arizona's season opener was in doubt. He's trending toward playing, but how much he'll be used and how effective he'll be are up in the air.
The Cardinals take on the Chargers on Sunday as 9.5-point underdogs. That's not an ideal start for a rookie rusher working his way back to the field, since Arizona won't want to risk aggravating Love's injury if the game gets out of hand.
It likely doesn't mean much, but the Cardinals notably listed Tyler Allgeier as the starting back on their depth chart. He's a capable backup who will likely take touches away from Love in Week 1.
🟢 Start - MarShawn Lloyd
If news had broken that Josh Jacobs would miss the entire season, Lloyd would've been selected within the first four rounds of fantasy drafts. Instead, managers grabbed Lloyd in the seventh round and can now immediately plug him into their starting lineup.
The Vikings may not be the easiest Week 1 matchup for Lloyd and the Packers, but that shouldn't deter you from starting Green Bay's top tailback. Lloyd should handle all of the first- and second-down work and contribute in the passing game. Meanwhile, Chris Brooks, who excels in pass protection, will see the field but won't receive many touches, if any. The Packers also brought in Kaleb Johnson from the Steelers, though he joined late in training camp and likely won't play much.
Lloyd should get 15-17 touches on an offense that's expected to score roughly 23 points. That makes him an easy fantasy start, and if you're deciding between him and Love, go with the Packer.
🔴 Sit - Alec Pierce
Pierce missed all of preseason and most of training camp while recovering from offseason ankle surgery. Considering he only recently started practicing with the Colts, he probably isn't in peak football shape yet. Pierce's entire game relies on explosive plays down the field, but he likely won't be ready to take the top off opposing defenses in Week 1 if he's still working his way back.
The Ravens' secondary is no joke, either. Kyle Hamilton is arguably the league's best safety, and Pierce could see a lot of Marlon Humphrey on the outside. Although Pierce would be in trouble even without the injury concerns, he's an easy player to leave on the bench given that this will be his first taste of action since January.
🟢 Start - Juwan Johnson
Without Jordyn Tyson, the Saints' receiving options are limited to Chris Olave, Devaughn Vele, and Johnson. After finishing last season as the TE10, Johnson is projected to take on a big role with Tyson sidelined, and his Week 1 matchup against Detroit is a perfect spot to start him.
The Lions will be without starting safeties Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph, which will give Johnson plenty of room to operate over the middle. This game is also projected to be a shootout, with a total of 49.5 points. The Saints play a high-tempo offense and are in a dome against a bad secondary, a recipe for fantasy production from New Orleans' pass-catchers.
🤝 Stash - Tyler Allgeier
As mentioned, Love may not be 100%, and Allgeier is a serviceable backup. Love could leave the season opener more injured than he already is, which would boost Allgeier's value. Right now, Allgeier is one of the league's more valuable backups and is worth holding on to until we see how Love performs in Week 1.
➕ Add - IR-eligible players
If you play in a league with IR slots, adding players already on the physically unable to perform list is a no-brainer. Tyson, Zach Charbonnet, and James Conner are all IR-eligible and won't take up a roster spot. Tyson could come back and be a fantasy contributor in November, Charbonnet may be in a 50-50 backfield when he returns, and Conner is a trade candidate who could land in a situation far more fantasy-friendly than where he is now in Arizona.
All three of these players are rostered in fewer than 60% of Yahoo leagues, so there's a decent chance one of them will be available in your fantasy league.
🤝 Stash - Mike Washington Jr.
Like Allgeier, Washington is slotted behind a starting running back dealing with an ankle injury. However, Washington dominated the preseason and may have carved out a role for himself in the Raiders' offense, which lacks top-tier talent outside of Ashton Jeanty and Brock Bowers.
Even if Jeanty is healthy enough to play Week 1 against the Dolphins, don't give up on Washington just yet. Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak is a smart offensive mind, and he'll find ways to get Washington the ball if he believes the rookie will help Las Vegas score points.
➕ Add - Titans defense
If you need a spot-start on defense for Week 1, you could do a lot worse than the Titans. Tennessee hosts the Jets in its season opener, which gives head coach Robert Saleh a chance to go up against his former team. A defensive-minded coach who spent last year with the 49ers, Saleh will have his group ready to make Geno Smith's day as tough as possible.
🤝 Stash - Keaton Mitchell
Mitchell's role with the Chargers is still unknown, but that's what makes him an exciting stash. L.A. signed him in the offseason to add speed to the offense, and how coordinator Mike McDaniel plans to use Mitchell remains to be seen. The former Dolphins head coach turned undersized speedster De'Von Achane into one of the league's best running backs, and he could deploy a similar game plan for Mitchell.
Mitchell is rostered in only 42% of Yahoo leagues, far too low for a player who could play a key role in what could be the league's best offense.
