Arguably, the most frustrating thing in fantasy football is seeing someone in your starting lineup struggle that week. Therefore, the logic behind this article is simple – identify fantasy football lineup landmines.
These are players you’re leaning towards starting this week but could end up being a landmine that blows up and destroys your starting lineup, potentially costing you your matchup.
Brace yourself and take cover. These six players could blow up in your face in Week 1.
Arguably, the most frustrating thing in fantasy football is seeing someone in your starting lineup struggle that week. Therefore, the logic behind this article is simple – identify fantasy football lineup landmines.
These are players you’re leaning towards starting this week but could end up being a landmine that blows up and destroys your starting lineup, potentially costing you your matchup.
Brace yourself and take cover. These six players could blow up in your face in Week 1.
Fantasy Football Lineup Landmines: Week 1
Many are excited to see the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft make his regular-season debut on Sunday. While Williams should play well for the Bears, fantasy players might want to make other plans at the quarterback position. Quarterbacks rarely have big fantasy performances in their first NFL game. Last year, C.J. Stroud scored 10.7 fantasy points and Bryce Young had 7.5 while Anthony Richardson totaled 20.9 thanks to 40 rushing yards and a touchdown. More importantly, Williams didn’t have a great preseason, completing only 50% of his passes.
While he will be fantasy-relevant this year, Williams should rank outside the top 15 quarterbacks in Week 1. He faces a Titans defense that held quarterbacks to 15.5 fantasy points per game in 2023, the ninth-fewest in the league. They also surrendered only 20 passing touchdowns last season. More importantly, Tennessee added multiple difference-makers on defense in the offseason, trading for L’Jarius Sneed and Ernest Jones IV. While Williams belongs on the bench this week, the rookie has an appealing matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers next week.
The Giants lost Saquon Barkley in free agency but quickly replaced the superstar with Singletary. He was a popular mid-round draft pick because of a lack of competition in the backfield. However, the veteran isn’t a difference-maker and could lose touches to Tyrone Tracy Jr., especially in the passing game. Last year, he averaged nine half-point PPR fantasy points per game. Furthermore, Singletary’s 2.33 yards after contact per rushing attempt average ranked 41st among running backs with at least 100 attempts (per Fantasy Points Data).
Unfortunately, the veteran has a poor Week 1 matchup against the Vikings. Minnesota surrendered 17.1 fantasy points per game to running backs last season, the ninth-fewest in the NFL. Singletary will face a loaded box most of the year with Daniel Jones under center. Last season, Barkley saw an average of 6.7 defenders in the box (per PlayerProfiler). Furthermore, the Giants have one of the worst offensive lines in the league, earning the third-worst run-blocking grade from PFF in 2023 (40.9). Expect a quiet performance from Singletary.
Carolina’s offense should be significantly better this season, with new head coach Dave Canales on the sidelines after severely struggling in 2023. The Panthers averaged 13.9 points per game last year, the second-fewest in the NFL. Meanwhile, their implied team total for Week 1 is 19 points on DraftKings. Hubbard is the starting running back until Jonathon Brooks is healthy, giving him top-30 upside every week. While he had some solid moments last season, Hubbard scored double-digit half-point PPR fantasy points in only 41.2% of the games.
Anyone who drafted the veteran as part of a Zero-RB draft strategy shouldn’t panic. Hubbard will have significant value until Brooks is healthy and has a favorable matchup in Week 2. Unfortunately, the Saints are one of the more underrated defenses in the league. They held running backs to 16.5 fantasy points per game in 2023, the sixth-fewest in the NFL. Hubbard didn’t find the end zone and averaged 4.1 yards per rushing attempt and 9.1 fantasy points per game in the two matchups against New Orleans last year.
Week 1 will be the only time fantasy players will see Chase’s name in this article for the entire 2024 season. Thankfully, the superstar wide receiver returned to practice on Wednesday after sitting out most of training camp because of contract negotiations. While some believe he won’t play in Week 1 with only a few days of practice heading into the game, the Bengals would be foolish to make Chase inactive. However, the former LSU star will likely be on a snap count after sitting out training camp.
The likely snap count isn’t the only concern with Chase in Week 1. The Patriots held wide receivers to 27.7 half-point PPR fantasy points per game last season, about the league average. However, they didn’t have Christian Gonzales for most of the year. He was New England’s top cornerback as a rookie, earning a 79.3 coverage grade from PFF, the best on the team. Fantasy players shouldn’t bench Chase without a clear-cut better option. Yet, they should temper their expectations for the superstar, as he is a risky start.
Pickens became a popular third-year breakout candidate after the Steelers traded away Diontae Johnson in the offseason and didn’t acquire Brandon Aiyuk from the San Francisco 49ers. While Pittsburgh’s offense looked awful in the preseason, fantasy players should remember that Pickens averaged 8.3 targets and 14.5 half-point PPR fantasy points per game in the four contests without Johnson in 2023. While I still believe he will have a breakout season, fantasy players will want to put Pickens on their bench in Week 1.
Atlanta had a solid defense last year, surrendering 21.9 points per game. They held wide receivers to only 22.6 fantasy points per game, the fifth-fewest in the NFL. Unfortunately for Pickens, the Falcons made several massive additions on defense over the past few weeks, trading for Matthew Judon and signing Justin Simmons. Fantasy players should leave Pickens on the bench in Week 1. However, the former Georgia star is a perfect trade target, with friendly matchups against the Los Angeles Chargers and New York Giants on the horizon.
I called Njoku a fantasy draft bust all offseason. He set career highs in several categories, including receptions (81), targets (123), receiving yards (862), touchdowns (six) and half-point PPR fantasy points per game (10) in 2023. However, the veteran was the TE13 in the five contests that Deshaun Watson had at least six pass attempts, averaging 6.3 fantasy points per game. By comparison, Njoku was the TE1 in the five games with Joe Flacco under center, averaging 15.2 fantasy points per contest, scoring 13.4 or more in all but one.
Unfortunately, Flacco is with the Indianapolis Colts, and Njoku has an awful Week 1 matchup. The Cowboys surrendered only eight fantasy points per game to tight ends in 2023, the fourth-fewest in the league. They gave up the fewest receptions (64), third-fewest targets (95) and the third-fewest receiving yards (710) to tight ends last season. While the loss of Dan Quinn is significant, Dallas still has an elite pass defense. With Watson favoring Amari Cooper, don’t be surprised if Njoku fails to see more than five targets on Sunday.
Subscribe: YouTube | Spotify | Apple Podcasts | iHeart | Castbox | Amazon Music | Podcast Addict | TuneIn
Mike Fanelli is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Mike, check out his archive and follow him @Mike_NFL2.
