Finally! Football is almost here. We are two days away from football and that means we’re two days away from fantasy football as well. Now everyone knows that the most important part in fantasy football is selecting the right lineup each week. Here I have one quarterback, one running back and one wide receiver to avoid in week 1.
Quarterback: Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions
Matthew Stafford just got paid. But did he deserve it? Yes, he is a franchise quarterback for the Lions but he has yet to win a playoff game.
Stafford is coming off of his best season as a pro but we don’t know if it’ll translate into this season. I’m not saying that Matt Stafford is a bad quarterback this season for fantasy, I’d just stay away from him week one against the Arizona Cardinals.
The Cardinals pass defense is coming off of a big 2016 where they ranked fourth in the NFL, allowing 210 passing yards per game. Now the Cardinals come into 2017 with a healthy Tyrann Mathieu. The Cardinals did lose Tony Jefferson to free agency but replaced him with the veteran Antoine Bethea.
Stafford is pretty consistent both home and away so that doesn’t really make a difference, plus the Cardinals play just as well away as they do at home. With a healthy Arizona defense looking to prove something from last year, I’d avoid Matthew Stafford week one.
Running back: Frank Gore, Indianapolis Colts
If anyone can beat Father Time, it’s Frank Gore. Gore showed that he still has some gas left in the tank after finishing as the No. 12 fantasy running back in standard leagues in 2016. Now he’s 34 and faces some real problems week 1. Andrew Luck is officially out so that means Scott Tolzien is under center for the Colts on Sunday.
There’s a big problem right there. Now with Luck out, the Colts’ passing game is a lot weaker than it was last year. The Rams will stack the box and provide problems for Frank Gore and the Colts’ offensive line.
The Rams ranked 16th in the NFL last year in terms of yards given up per game and were 10th in yards per attempt given up.
The Rams also added Connor Barwin in the offseason which should help put pressure on opposing NFL offenses. Now Frank Gore does play a little bit better on the road, but with the fierce Rams defense and a backup quarterback leading the way, Frank Gore should be on your bench week 1.
Wide Receiver: Deandre Hopkins, Houston Texans
Deandre Hopkins fell off last year, and that’s an understatement. With Brock Osweiler and Tom Savage under center for the Texans last season, Hopkins saw his numbers dramatically decrease. Now Hopkins opens the season with Tom Savage under center full time and I don’t believe that is the solution to Hopkins’ problems.
When Tom Savage played last season, Deandre Hopkins didn’t put up huge numbers. In fact, in three games he failed to catch a touchdown pass with Savage throwing to him. Hopkins has nearly identical stats away and home so the fact that this game will be played in Houston doesn’t make much of a difference.
The part that causes me to avoid Hopkins is the fact that he’ll be playing against one of the best young secondaries in the NFL. Both A.J Bouye and Jalen Ramsey have the chance to be lockdown corners this year and for that reason I’d wait to play Deandre Hopkins.
Feature image courtesy of http://www.khou.com
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