Week 1 is always a mystery! We had numerous bizarre results and some even more obscure stat lines. It’s always challenging to write about Week 1 because of the unpredictability, but we love to learn every week! That’s one of the best parts of the NFL grind because adapting to new information is critical to succeed.
The premise behind this article is simple: Identifying fantasy football smash plays that are on the fringe of your starting lineup. We will rarely recommend a top-10 player at any position, but we want to help you fill those critical flex spots!
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10 Fantasy Football Smash Starts for Week 2 (2023)
People will be discouraged by Rachaad White’s lackluster stat line in Week 1, but we’re excited! The youngster was supposed to be the go-to back coming into the year, which was undoubtedly the case in the opener. White played 79 percent of the team’s snaps, the sixth-highest total among all backs. Those 54 snaps are on par with his two highest shares last season, with White averaging 13 fantasy points per game in those outings despite failing to score a touchdown. We love that in this matchup, with Chicago allowing Aaron Jones to have one of the biggest stat lines in Week 1.
Jamaal Williams was running into a wall throughout Week 1, but we don’t want to fade him in this type of role. He’s playing nearly every down with Alvin Kamara sidelined, receiving 18 of the team’s 19 running back carries in Week 1. It was unfortunate he did not get any goal-line carries because J-Will had 17 touchdowns last season! If he gets 15-20 carries and all the goal-line work, Williams should be an elite flex option against Carolina. The Panthers allowed the most fantasy points to opposing rushers in Week 1, with New Orleans entering this matchup as the favorite.
This is risky with how bad Deon Jackson looked in Week 1, but the usage remains strong. Jackson started for Jonathan Taylor and had 13 carries and six targets. He also played 71 percent of the team’s snaps and is clearly the go-to guy without JT. He averaged 11 fantasy points per game as the starting running back last year and should be able to reach that total against Houston. The Texans surrendered the most fantasy points to opposing backs last year and allowed three rushing touchdowns in Week 1. With that said, we’d stay away if Zack Moss can go.
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Joel Bartilotta is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Joel, check out his archive and follow him @Bartilottajoel.