Under-The-Radar Booms and Busts - Week 1

The NBA and the NHL are in the midst of their postseasons, and MLB is in the final month of its shortened regular season. Yet many sports fans and fantasy players who have been biding their time with those leagues are now ready for their main event of major sports --- and I am not talking about cornhole.

The NFL is back in action this week! Predicting which players will do what during the first week of the season is almost harder than predicting what Kanye West will do next, especially when there were no preseason games to watch. Fear not, fantasy footballers! I have some ideas of which players will be booms and which will be busts this week, with a special focus on players who were not selected within the first couple rounds of fantasy drafts.

Without further ado, here are my under-the-radar booms and busts for Week 1! Good luck, RotoBallers!

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Week 1 Under-the-Radar Booms

Sammy Watkins (WR, KC) vs. HOU (Thursday)

Watkins deserves props taking a pay cut to stay with the reigning Super Bowl champs even if it means his numbers will take a hit since he is the No. 3 weapon in Patrick Mahomes’ passing attack behind Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce. Watkins has always done well in his career against Houston, though, as he has 256 receiving yards and three touchdowns in four games against the Texans. The Texans and their suspect secondary (29^th vs. the pass in 2019) are bound to allow Watkins to break a couple of big plays against them in the opening game of the NFL season.

Robert Woods (WR, LAR) vs. DAL

Woods is coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard years, though slot man Cooper Kupp and breakout tight end Tyler Higbee are the favorites of fantasy general managers entering the new season. Woods should see more action and targets since Brandin Cooks was dealt to Houston during the offseason. The steady veteran will run routes against a young Dallas cornerback crew that is lacking someone who can always shut top receivers down, so Woods should have no trouble getting open early and often this Sunday evening.

Jamison Crowder (WR, NYJ) at BUF

You would think using a wideout against Buffalo’s staunch secondary would be akin to sticking a blindfolded man in front of a firing squad. If Buffalo’s defensive backfield has a slight weakness, though, it is with its slot corners. Crowder exploited the Bills last season as he piled up 22 receptions for 165 yards and a touchdown in two divisional tilts. With New York’s batch of receivers undermanned and banged-up, Crowder will certainly have his number called a lot this weekend. Do not shy away from him, especially in PPR leagues and DFS contests.

Indianapolis Colts Defense at JAC

Indianapolis’ defense does not deserve to be mentioned in the same breath as the 1985 Chicago Bears or the 2000 Baltimore Ravens. This year’s Colts defensive unit is probably middle-of-the-pack with some possible top-12 upside if everything breaks right. The reason I believe the Colts are an under-the-radar play this week is Jacksonville’s offense. You trust the Jags’ running game now that Leonard Fournette was waived and Ryquell Armstead was placed on the COVID list? You trust quarterback Gardner Minshew to be more than a one-year wonder? I do not trust either, so that is why I think the Colts could rack up some defensive fantasy points this week.

Week 1 Under-the-Radar Busts

Mitchell Trubisky (QB, CHI) at DET

Trubisky won Chicago’s starting signal-caller job against stiff competition from veteran Nick Foles, but do not go penciling him for 300 yards and three touchdown tosses for the opening week. Even though Detroit ranked 31^st against the pass last season, and even though Trubisky threw six touchdown passes against the Lions last year, their cornerback corps is revamped and upgraded after drafting Jeff Okudah with the third pick overall and signing Desmond Trufant this offseason. This is not the matchup made in Heaven you would think it would be for Trubisky.

CeeDee Lamb (WR, DAL) at LAR

His future in fantasy leagues is brighter than a 1,000-watt bulb, but this rookie receiver might not get off to the greatest of starts in his first year. Lamb must battle Dallas’ top two receivers, Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup, for targets in the early going before he establishes himself. The Cowboys might take their time feeding Lamb tons of targets with two hungry pass catchers ahead of him in the pecking order. Lamb is someone to stay away from in DFS contests until he proves himself and the Cowboys prove they will get the ball into his hands.

Larry Fitzgerald (WR, ARI) at SF

Fitzgerald is a future Hall of Famer who still surprisingly has some gas in his tank as he embarks on his 17^th season. He has a couple things going against him in Week 1, however. Fitz is facing 2019’s top-ranked pass defense, a 49ers crew that held teams to under 170 passing yards per week. Fitzgerald also now has to share targets with DeAndre Hopkins, who will undoubtedly find 8-10 Kyler Murray passes head his direction. Fitzgerald might be relegated to underneath-route duty and have his red-zone passes stolen by Hopkins. There will be better weeks to put Fitzgerald in your fantasy lineup.

Sony Michel (RB, NE) vs. MIA

Michel is coming off offseason foot surgery, so even though training camp competition Damien Harris is on the injured reserve with a hand injury, do not bank on Michel getting 20-25 carries right out of the gate. New England still has Rex Burkhead and James White around to share the workload. Michel should still see 10-15 touches, but who knows what he will do with them now that Tom Brady is not keeping front sevens honest and a couple of Patriots offensive linemen opted out of the season due to COVID concerns? Michel could be in for a 40-yard clunker for fantasy managers.