It’s the first week of the regular season, meaning it’s the big reveal of how teams will divvy up backfields, handle crowded receiver rooms and run their offense.

Four backfields, in particular, are shrouded in varying degrees of mystery. A potentially valuable No. 3 receiver job was up for grabs in the offseason, but did one player secure it, or will the competition bleed into the regular season?

Finally, a first-time offensive coordinator from a notable coaching tree has a handful of intriguing, high-upside weapons at his disposal. However, will the pupil follow in the teacher’s footsteps? Here are some of the top fantasy football storylines to follow Week 1 of the NFL season.

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Fantasy Football Week 1 Storylines

How Will the Backfields Shakeout for the Bengals, Cowboys and Both Teams in Los Angeles?

There are only so many bell-cow running backs and clear-cut backfield situations. Ambiguous backfields are an annual tradition in fantasy football, and the backfields for the Bengals, Cowboys and Chargers fall under that umbrella. The Rams should have a settled situation, but a recent nugget of news sent social media and fantasy football enthusiasts into a frenzy, making their backfield another intriguing storyline.

Ideally, gamers can start more projectable volume in their running back slots in Week 1 than the Bengals, Cowboys and Chargers can offer. Nevertheless, gamers who waited on their RB2 or drafted using a Zero RB strategy can expect a positive game script for Chase Brown and Zack Moss. The Bengals are 8.5-point favorites at home against the Patriots, likely setting the stage for enough meat on the bone for Brown and Moss to provide gamers with low-end value in a 50/50 or 60/40 split.

The Cowboys are 2.5-point underdogs on the road against the Browns. Gamers should keep Ezekiel Elliott and Rico Dowdle on the bench if they have viable alternatives.

Can Kimani Vidal mix in early for the Chargers? Probably not. He’s an intriguing stash, but Gus Edwards and J.K. Dobbins are familiar with offensive coordinator Greg Roman’s offense, so the veterans should get the first crack at splitting up the backfield.

The Gus Bus should handle the early-down and short-yardage work, while Dobbins is the better receiving option. Jim Harbaugh and Roman love to run the football, and the 3.5-point favored Chargers should have a neutral or positive game script, allowing them to utilize a ground-and-pound approach.

Edwards is a more appealing option in standard formats than in PPR or half-PPR leagues. His value in Week 1 largely hinges on whether he reaches paydirt, but a positive game script could allow him to get there with his rushing yardage. Dobbins is more appealing in PPR and half-PPR formats. If he siphons some early-down work and handles most or all of the passing work, Dobbins can deliver a low-end RB2 or Flex performance.

Kyren Williams is a must-start player. Yet, Sean McVay announced Williams would be the Rams’ primary punt returner, raising some eyebrows within the fantasy community. Williams’ 82% snap share in 2023 was the highest for any running back. The expectation should never have been that he’d repeat that workload. Williams can still routinely finish as an RB1 after regressing his snap share.

However, the Rams spent a third-round pick on Blake Corum. Williams’ new gig indicates McVay trusts the rookie. Corum is an elite handcuff and could have bye-week Flex utility if he handles a larger-than-expected workload when Williams is healthy.

Can One Player Secure the No. 3 Wide Receiver Gig for the Bengals?

It appears Andrei Iosivas will play the majority of snaps in the slot as Cincinnati’s No. 3 receiver. Iosivas is an athletic freak.

Andrei Iosivas is a WR prospect in the 2023 draft class. He scored a 9.96 #RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 14 out of 3048 WR from 1987 to 2023. https://t.co/X6YqWnv4u7 pic.twitter.com/H6HY22ZS9h

– Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) April 15, 2023

His size and speed could allow him to make the most of a limited target share behind Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins in the pecking order. However, he can’t afford to cede snaps to Charlie Jones or rookie Jermaine Burton.

Thankfully, if Iosivas is the full-time third receiver, he’s essentially a starter. According to Sumer Sports, the Bengals had the fourth-highest 11 personnel (one running back, one tight end and three receivers) usage (74.2%) in 2023. Furthermore, they used 11 personnel groupings 83.9% of the time in 2022. Iosivas is an ideal bench stash in 12-team leagues or bigger with medium-sized benches or larger. He can have Flex value with a full-time role and has additional upside if Chase or Higgins were injured.

What Will Zac Robinson’s Offense Look Like?

Arthur Smith was a thorn in the side of fantasy gamers. Additionally, Atlanta’s dreadful play at quarterback during Smith’s tenure didn’t help. Kirk Cousins should be a sizable upgrade from the motley crew of quarterbacks the Falcons trotted out last year, even if it takes a bit to shake the rust off after tearing his Achilles last October.

Of course, new offensive coordinator Zac Robinson will also have a critical role in getting the most out of Bijan Robinson, Drake London, Kyle Pitts and other ancillary weapons.

Robinson was on McVay’s staff for the previous five years. Per Pro Football Reference, Robinson spent the past two years as the Rams’ passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach.

McVay used bell-cow running backs, three-wideout sets and schemed his studs the ball. Williams’ eye-popping snap share was highlighted above, but McVay has also heavily featured Cam Akers, Darrell Henderson, Todd Gurley and others during his tenure as a head coach. The Rams have had the highest 11 personnel rates in the previous two years, at 93.1% in 2023 and 90.3% in 2022.

Gamers should start Robinson, London and Pitts in Week 1. If Atlanta’s offense resembles that of the Rams, the trio could smash this season. Even ancillary weapons such as Darnell Mooney and Ray-Ray McCloud could emerge as bye-week or deep-league options.

Josh Shepardson is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Josh, check out his archive and follow him @BChad50.