Fortune favors the bold, right? As Matthew Freedman said on a recent episode of the FantasyPros Football Podcast, “I’m not drafting to come in third place.” Now that draft season is over and we’re into the regular season, it’s time for weekly bold predictions.

The point here is that if you follow the consensus, you’re probably going to have a good team. But in order to go from good to great, you have to take some chances. You have to do your homework and figure out where you can zig when the rest of your league (or at least your opponent this week) zags. In short, you need to know how and when to be bold.

We asked our analysts to provide a bold prediction for Week 1. Their answers and justifications are below.

Week 1 Bold Predictions

Miles Sanders scores…TWO touchdowns
The Eagles have PFF’s No.1-ranked OL/DL matchup advantage in Week 1, and that means they should be able to run efficiently on the ground. Miles Sanders is the team’s RB1 and is entering the week fully healthy, eager to find the end zone after going scoreless in 2021. Recall that during the preseason, Sanders earned all the work in the one drive with the 1st-team offense. And not only does he hit paydirt, but he scores TWICE against a defense that allowed the fourth-most rushing TDs to opposing RBs last season.
– Andrew Erickson

The Jaguars have a Top 5 defensive performance
Josh Allen (the other one) has the ability to take over a game, and the Jags new defensive front is better than people realize. The Washington Commanders have a new QB, a questionable OL and Wentz’s decision-making ability is questionable. All of that leads to the potential for sacks and turnovers, and that’s what you want from a fantasy D. Also, that line has moved the last few days, telling you the Jags have a real shot at winning this game outright.
– Joe Pisapia

Clyde Edwards-Helaire is an RB1 Week 1
If Mahomes doesn’t go nuclear this week, it’s because Clyde Edwards-Helaire ran wild. Yes, you read that right. Edwards-Helaire’s sophomore season was wrecked by off-season gall bladder surgery which caused him to lose a ton of weight. Now back to full health, he should more closely resemble the back we saw in his rookie season. That first year he was 17th in evaded tackles, 12th in breakaway runs, and 29th in yards created per touch. The Cardinals were a disaster last season attempting to stop running backs. They were 31st and 27th in second-level and open field yards. Arizona ranked seventh and third in yards per carry and yards after contact per attempt. Losing Jordan Phillips and Jordan Hicks in the offseason can’t help these numbers, either.
– Derek Brown

Trey Lance and Justin Fields both run for 70+ yards and a touchdown
We know that both of these young quarterbacks have serious wheels. The forecast for Sunday’s 49ers-Bears game in Chicago is calling for rain — potentially heavy rain at times — which could make passing treacherous. Look for 49ers HC Kyle Shanahan and Bears OC Luke Getsy to leverage the mobility of their QBs in sloppy conditions. Lance and Fields won’t do much damage through the air, but they’ll make up for it by producing double-digit fantasy points as runners.
– Pat Fitzmaurice

Julio Jones goes for 100 yards and a touchdown against the Cowboys
He’s never going to be healthier than he is Week 1, and he could see significant playing time because of the injuries to WRs Chris Godwin (knee) and Russell Gage (hamstring). Jones over the past two years has averaged an elite 10.4 yards per target, and in his 13 games with a snap rate of more than 50% (including playoffs) he has 72-1,071-4 receiving on 101 targets. With QB Tom Brady, Jones has the best pure passer of his career, he should face soft coverage across from No. 1 WR Mike Evans and he could inherit some of the red zone targets vacated by retired TE Rob Gronkowski.
– Matthew Freedman