RADIO
The NFL season is finally upon us and a big matchup is on the horizon between the Chiefs and Lions on Thursday night football. Once again, I’ll be here at Rotoballer providing offensive line matchup analysis every week.
Since it is the first week of the season, there won’t be any “champs” (teams that had the best overall performance) or “chumps” (teams that had the worst performance) to post in this article. Instead, we will be focusing our energy on the best and worst matchups in the trenches for the first week of the season.
Offensive line play is a crucial, but underrated, part of fantasy football. 5 out of 11 positions on offense at any given time can be found on the line and they are instrumental for the success of quarterbacks, running backs, and wide receivers. Check out the teams to target and avoid in Week 1 below.
Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2024:- Quarterback fantasy football rankings
- Running back fantasy football rankings
- Wide receiver fantasy football rankings
- Tight end fantasy football rankings
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- Superflex fantasy football rankings
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- Dynasty fantasy football rankings
Matchups to Target in Week 1
Washington Commanders vs. Arizona Cardinals
On the surface, it is difficult to tell if the Commanders' offensive line will be any good. The team moved on from several veterans this offseason and is placing hope that several developmental prospects can step up and fill the void on the offensive line. The good news is the Arizona Cardinals are the perfect team to face in a team surrounded by uncertainty in the trenches.
The Cardinals have just 14.5 sacks returning from their 2022 team. Of their box defenders (defensive linemen and linebackers), only projected backup linebacker Cameron Thomas (3.0 sacks in 2022), Zaven Collins (2.0 sacks in 2022), and Dennis Gardeck (1.0 sacks in 2022) have a sack and are returning to the team.
The Cardinals project to be one of the worst units in the league, which is excellent news for any fantasy managers contemplating whether to start Sam Howell, Antonio Gibson, Brian Robinson Jr., Jahan Dotson, or Terry McLaurin (if he is active).
Brian Robinson and Antonio Gibson this Sunday against the Cardinalspic.twitter.com/OG9wrSIx23
— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) September 6, 2023
Denver Broncos vs. Las Vegas Raiders
The Broncos invested heavily in their offensive line this offseason, adding solid veterans Mike McGlinchey at right tackle and Ben Powers at left guard. Those moves combined with a solid stable of returning veteran pieces, should make for an improved unit.
The Broncos will face a Raiders defense that attempted to upgrade this season but still has serious flaws. You can count on a disruptive game from Maxx Crosby (10.0 sacks in 2022), but the rest of the unit is hurt by Chandler Jones’ unexpected absence this week. That will put more pressure on 2023 first-round pick Tyree Wilson to make an impact in his debut. Additionally, neither Bilal Nichols (55.5 PFF grade in 2022) nor Jerry Tillery (42.9 PFF grade in 2022) will strike fear on the interior offensive line of the Broncos.
There is a lot of hope that Denver’s offense will bounce back after a wildly disappointing 2022 season. Thankfully, the Raiders are a weak enough defense to at least give them a game to develop some confidence on offense.
Matchups to Avoid in Week 1
Buffalo Bills at New York Jets
Obviously, the first week of the season is a time for fantasy managers to start their studs. That means players like Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs are safe for this Week 1 matchup. However, some caution should be exercised when making difficult lineup decisions between some of Buffalo’s ancillary options for Week 1.
The Jets feature arguably the second most disruptive defensive line in the NFL behind the Philadelphia Eagles. Projected starters Quinnen Williams (13.0), Carl Lawson (8.0), and John Franklin-Meyers (7.0) combined for 24.0 sacks last season and returned to the defense. The team also has exceptional depth in the form of 2022 first-round defensive end Jermaine Johnson and 2023 first-round defensive end Will McDonald IV. The Jets bolstered their defensive line in free agency as well, adding nose tackles Al Woods and Quinton Jefferson to provide run support.
Buffalo spent resources in free agency and the draft trying to upgrade their offensive line, but this is still a weak unit that is comprised of very average veterans. They will get a true test in Week 1 and it is difficult to believe they will be up to it if their offensive line unit performs similarly to 2022.
#Bills QB Josh Allen seemed to agree w/ a reporter’s assertion that the #Jets defense gave him more problems than anyone else last year, ‘yeah they’re a really good group’ + called Sauce Gardner (@iamSauceGardner) ‘a great player’ also said DJ Reed (@D7_Reed) is ‘pretty dang… pic.twitter.com/TGQ4m6U9DD
— Paul Andrew Esden Jr (@BoyGreen25) September 7, 2023
Houston Texans at Baltimore Ravens
Houston entered the 2023 offseason with the makings of a potential top-10 offensive line. Unfortunately, preseason games and practices have already decimated this unit. First, projected starting right tackle Tytus Howard landed on the injured reserve due to a broken hand. He’s been replaced by a capable veteran in George Fant. But then the injuries kept coming.
Young developmental left guard (and 2022 first-round pick) Kenyon Green suffered a shoulder injury that will cost him the entirety of the 2023 season and was replaced via a late preseason trade with the Arizona Cardinals (Josh Jones). Finally, the team also lost 2023 second-round pick (and projected starting center) Juice Scruggs on the short-term IR and is replacing him with 2023 sixth-round pick Jarrett Patterson.
Houston heads into Week 1 down three projected starting offensive linemen and staring down a matchup with the Baltimore Ravens, whose defense didn’t get any weaker in the offseason. There should be a great deal of concern for anybody relying on a strong performance from the team’s passing attack or productive running lanes from Dameon Pierce to start the season.
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