Week 1: Super Sleepers
Later in the season we'll move the focus of this article to players we feel will perform well in weeks to come. Many of those players will be on a team already, so you'll need to decide if trading for them is worth the asking price.
Good luck this fantasy football season.
QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, ---
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Fitzpatrick and the Bills shocked the NFL last year as Buffalo opened the season 3-0, and in the process beat division rival New England for the first time in 8 years. Fitzpatrick opened the season completing 17 of 25 for 208 yards with 4 touchdowns and no interceptions. Could Ryan possibly post similar numbers against the New York Jets in the season opener this year? Some would say I'm crazy, but look back at week 12 last year when Ryan completed 26 of 39 for 264 yards and 3 touchdowns with no interceptions. In week one it is hard to find diamonds in the rough, but if last year's week one is any indication of what we could see this season then Fitzpatrick could be a good play this week.
QB Josh Freeman, ---
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The big knock on Freeman last year was his touchdown to interception ratio. In 15 games he threw just 16 touchdowns while being intercepted 22 times. Compare those numbers to his 2010 performance when he played in 16 games throwing 25 touchdowns while being intercepted just 6 times and you see why fantasy owners were a little disappointed. Whether we'll see the Josh Freeman of 2010 or 2011 is yet to be determined; it is safe to say fantasy owners should feel comfortable with him in their starting line up. Josh played in fewer games in 2011 than 2010, yet he threw for 141 more yards. Add in Freeman's ability to scramble and possibly run one in and fantasy owners have a quality starting quarterback.
RB Ronnie Brown, ---
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With Ryan Mathews likely missing this weekend's game against the Raiders due to a broken clavicle, the Chargers' run game falls squarely on the shoulders of Ronnie Brown. The former Eagles and Dolphins back proved he could split time with LeSean McCoy and Reggie Bush the past two years without missing a game. The past two seasons Brown has proven that he can be a viable back when his playing time is somewhat limited. Such will be the case this weekend as the workload will be shared between Brown, Le'Ron McClain and Curtis Brinkley. Brown has the best chance to see a majority of the carries with McClain seeing action in short yardage situations. If you're looking for a good flex starter who could post quality numbers then Brown could be a nice start.
RB Evan Royster, ---
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When it comes to running backs, a fantasy owner's worst nightmare is Mike Shanahan. Of course I say this in jest with my point being that Shanahan seems to enjoy telling everyone his starting running back will be one player and then give the ball to a complete different back for a majority of the game. With that said, Royster has been elevated to RB1 on the Redskins' depth chart for this weekend. For the time being we have to hope this means he will receive the lion's share of carries this weekend. If this holds true then Royster could be a nice fantasy start this week.
RB Robert Turbin, ---
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At this time there's no gurantee Turbin will be fantasy worthy this weekend. Fellow back Marshawn Lynch has been out the past couple of weeks suffering from back spasms and could miss this weekend's game against Arizona. If Lynch can't go, Turbin will get the nod and fantasy owners would do well to get him in their line-up. The big 222-pound back has run well in pre-season action and he could use this opening to prove he should be a starter. Fantasy owners will need to keep an eye on this situation because Lynch or Turbin getting the start will likely be a game time decision.
WR Doug Baldwin, ---
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Yes, we realize the starting quarterback in Seattle is the rookie Russell Wilson, but that doesn't change our thoughts on Doug Baldwin. The way we see it someone has to catch the ball for Seattle, so why not Baldwin? In his rookie campaign Doug pulled in 51 receptions for 788 yards with 4 touchdowns. There is little reason to believe the second year man out of Stanford can't improve upon those numbers this week against the Cardinals. With both teams having big question marks at quarterback, this could be a back and forth game. With big numbers come lots of yards and multiple opportunities for touchdowns. Last year in week one Baldwin had 4 receptions for 83 yards and a touchdown. If he can post numbers similar or better this week then fantasy owners would do well to have him in their starting line up this weekend.
WR Randy Moss, ---
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After taking a year off retired from football, Moss decided to return to the game this March when he signed a one year deal with the San Francisco 49ers. There is plenty of downside to consider with Moss this season. First, he's 35 years old and hasn't played a game since 2010. In addition, Alex Smith is at quarterback and you never know what you'll get from him. Setting these issues aside, we are talking about one of the game's greatest receivers and you have to like where he's landed. Even with Alex Smith at quarterback, Moss should see plenty of looks. Couple his ability with a solid 49ers run game and a respectible receiver opposite him makes one believe Moss' numbers this year could be very good. This of course could all fall apart should the 13-year veteran decide to take a few plays off. For this week however we believe Moss steps on the field with something to prove and prove his value he will. It would not surprise me to see Moss with 100 yards and a touchdown this week when the 49ers head to Green Bay.