Fantasy Football Today: The toughest lineup decisions for every Week 1 game plus injury updates

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If you were heavily invested in the Bills for your Fantasy Football team, you probably came out of Thursday's NFL season opener feeling pretty good. They passed the ball effectively and spread it around enough that Gabe Davis and Isaiah McKenzie were both good enough to be worth starting -- this week, at least.

If you were heavily invested in the Rams ... well, let's hope you had Cooper Kupp, because he might just be the best player in Fantasy again. If you had anyone else in your starting lineup, my condolences, because it wasn't the debut you wanted to see from anyone there.

You can read my full recap of Thursday's opener in today's newsletter before we get to my Week 1 game previews. And if that doesn't answer all of your lineup questions -- and how could it, really? -- send them my way at Chris.Towers@ViacomCBS.com with the subject line "#AskFFT" and they'll get included in my Sunday morning mailbag. Plus, you can catch our YouTube stream Sunday morning at 11:30 EDT where Adam Aizer, Frankl Stampfl and I will be answering all of your lineup questions.

Get ready for Week 1 with all of our preview content here:

Week 1 Start 'Em and Sit 'Em: QB | RB | WR
Starts, sits and sleepers for every game
PPR Cheat Sheet | Non-PPR Cheat Sheet
Week 1 Position Previews: QB | RB | WR | TE
Week 1 Rankings: Jamey | Dave | Heath | Chris

And here's what the rest of today's newsletter has in store to help you get ready for Week 1:

🏈TNF Fantasy Recap: Bills 31, Rams 10
🔍Week 1 Game Previews: Vegas notes, lineup decisions, and injury updates

🏈TNF Recap: Bills 31, Rams 10

This was a sloppy game, but the Bills certainly looked like a Super Bowl favorite.

The big takeaway: I don't know how much, if any, of Matthew Stafford's struggles in this one was related to Stafford's elbow, but he didn't look great. There were a few sailed throws, but mostly, it just felt like he was under duress on pretty much every dropback. There aren't a lot of teams with the kind of defensive line depth and talent the Bills can throw at you, especially not the Rams Week 2 opponents, the Falcons, so I'm willing to give a mulligan here. But if Allen Robinson doesn't become a bigger part of the offense and the running backs (more them shortly) can't get going, this offense could get derailed. It's way too early to panic, especially against this defense, but the Rams offense looked really bad.
Winner(s): Josh Allen, and Josh Allen-adjacent players. Stefon Diggs was a monster, and if you were worried that the emergence of Davis and McKenzie might hurt his Fantasy appeal, how does a 29% target share sound? Davis hit on a couple of big plays en route to a 5-4-88-1 line, and while a 16% target share isn't exactly what we were hoping to see, it would be enough to give him significant weekly upside in this offense even if it stayed constant. It was more of a mixed bag for McKenzie, and I'll want to see the snap and route data to determine how I really feel about this game. It was good to see him targeted in the end zone after a drop led to an early interception. But he was targeted fewer times than Jamison Crowder, and he seemed to split those slot snaps with Crowder, which is a concern. Diggs remains a locked-in WR1, Davis is a WR2/3 who might still have some weeks where he disappoints, but you kind of got bailed out if you started McKenzie, so don't do it again. And ... we'll give Dawson Knox a pass for his one-catch game, but this was my concern coming in, and why he wasn't a top-15 TE for me. There are just too many mouths to feed in this offense, and he just may not be as good as several other pass-catchers here.
Loser: Cam Akers. Maybe he just wasn't quite at 100% after missing time in camp with an injury, but ... zero scrimmage yards on three touches tells the whole story. Akers was a clear No. 2 back for the Rams, and it wasn't like he was used situationally -- he got some two-minute snaps and obvious passing downs, but so did Henderson. The Rams typically don't use a committee in the backfield, and they didn't really use one Thursday -- this was mostly Darrell Henderson's backfield, as he out touched Akers 19 to three. I started Akers in a few spots after his draft price really cratered, and I'm obviously not feeling great about it. But with 10 days off before their next game, we'll see what comes out from Sean McVay and out of practice before Week 2 before we totally panic, but there's basically nothing to be positive about with Akers. Honorable mention loser to Robinson, who had one target until the final play of the game and certainly didn't look like last year's issues were wholly the fault of the Bears offense. We'll give him another week, but given how bad last season was, he doesn't have a long leash.
One thing you might have missed: The Bills went back to a committee in the backfield, but it was third-year back Zack Moss who surprisingly saw six targets, not rookie James Cook. Of course, Cook fumbled on his first touch and pretty much wasn't heard from again. That's not going to help a young guy earn a role, but you shouldn't necessarily drop him yet. Let's give it a few weeks and see if Cook can't redeem himself, especially since Moss didn't do much with those targets -- and fumbled late, himself. Devin Singletary was the lead back, as expected, but that led to eight carries and two targets in a game the Bills won comfortably, which is hard to get excited about. Maybe the fumbles by Cook and Moss will convince the Bills to feature Singletary more, but after this game, I'm treating Singletary like an RB3 at best.

🔍Week 1 Game Previews

There's something to watch in every game on the NFL schedule every week, even if you have to squint to see it sometimes. This week, however, there are so many unanswered questions that it's hard to settle on just one thing for each game. Here's a look ahead at every Week 1 game, with some notes on what Vegas is expecting to see, some lineup help and one thing to watch for from each game:

All odds are via Caesars Sportsbook.

Saints at Falcons

Sunday, 1:00 p.m.
Line: Saints -5.5; 42.5 O/U
Implied totals: Saints 24-Falcons 18.5

The Saints have a new head coach, but most of the infrastructure from the Sean Payton era remains in place. That doesn't mean I expect this offense to look like last year's though -- Michael Thomas, Jarvis Landry, and Chris Olave are all better than any receivers the Saints had last season, so I expect them to be more aggressive. If not, this one could be pretty low-scoring, because the Falcons probably aren't going to force the issue through the air until they have to.

Toughest lineup decision: Michael Thomas -- Start. Thomas seems to be trending toward playing, but I'm not sure I'm ready to trust him. He's a fringe WR2 for me, so I suppose I'll say, "start," but it's not with a ton of confidence. There are just a lot of unknown variables here, especially because we haven't seen Thomas play at a high level really since 2019. But it should be a good matchup, so I'll give him a chance.
Injuries: Michael Thomas (hamstring) -- Thomas has been limited so far, but he has sounded a positive note when asked about his chances to play. I'm assuming he will ... Drake London (knee) -- London has been limited at practice this week, and I'm expecting him to make his debut. However, this is a tough matchup for a guy who missed much of training camp with an injury, so don't be surprised if he gets off to a slow start.

49ers at Bears

Sunday, 1:00 p.m.
Line: 49ers -7; 40.5 O/U
Implied totals: 48ers 23.75-Bears 16.75

The 49ers should be able to handle this one fairly easily; the Bears project to be one of the worst teams in the league. I'm expecting to see a Bears offense that takes advantage of Justin Fields' prodigious talents, but the 49ers shouldn't have too much trouble with them. The wild card is Trey Lance, who has prodigious talents of his own but reportedly struggled with consistency in camp. It's a nice soft landing, but I still have a lot of questions about the 49ers offense.

Toughest lineup decision: Elijah Mitchell -- Start. Shout out to Jacob Gibbs from SportsLine for this note: Elijah Mitchell rushed for 91 yards or more in each of the five games he played that the 49ers won by seven or more points. The 49ers are favored by seven in this one and Mitchell is apparently fully recovered from his hamstring injury. Kyle Shanahan can be unpredictable with his RB usage, but you should expect a big game from Mitchell in this one.
Injuries: George Kittle (groin) -- Kittle has been held out of practice all week since suffering the injury Monday, and at this point, it sounds like it's more a question of if he'll be able to play by Week 2 than whether he'll play Sunday. I'm making alternate plans, mostly focused on Gerald Everett and Albert Okwuegbunam where available ... Velus Jones (hamstring) -- Jones hasn't practiced this week, so I'm not expecting him to make his NFL debut. Not that you'd be using him, but he's someone to keep an eye on given the Bears lack of other options.

Steelers at Bengals

Sunday, 1:00 p.m.
Line: Bengals -6.5; 44.5 O/U
Implied totals: Bengals 25.5-Steelers 19

It's the first game of the post-Roethlisberger era for the Steelers, and that means we don't really know exactly what to expect here. Ben Roethlisberger peppered Diontae Johnson and Najee Harris with quick, short-area targets because he wasn't willing to stand in the pocket and risk getting hit, and Mitchell Trubisky's mobility changes a lot about how this offense looks as a result. Whether that proves ruinous to Harris and/or Johnson's Fantasy appeal remains to be seen, but it's not out of the question both could benefit from a more functional offense, even if their usage doesn't look quite like it did a year ago.

Toughest lineup decision: George Pickens - Sit. Pickens is one of the buzziest players coming out of the preseason, and he could have a big opportunity if Johnson's shoulder injury forces him to the sidelines. You might even be tempted to play him in the hope Johnson won't be quite himself even if he does play. My preference would be to sit Pickens and let him prove all the camp talk wasn't just that -- there's no guarantee he's even ahead of Chase Claypool in the pecking order at this point. You picked Pickens with the hope he could turn into a contributor down the line, but you should have the luxury of letting him prove it first.
Injuries: Diontae Johnson (shoulder) -- Johnson has been limited in practice both days so far, and there's a chance he'll play. However, I'm a bit concerned about this injury, given that Johnson sounded like he was still in quite a bit of pain earlier in the week. I'm starting him, but it's as a riskier WR2 than the rock-solid one I typically view him as. Just don't hold a slow start against him ... yet.

Eagles at Lions

Sunday, 1:00 p.m.
Line: Eagles -4; 48.5 O/U
Implied totals: Eagles 26.25-Lions 22.25

Expectations are incredibly high for the Eagles, but we're still not 100% sure what this offense looks like. They found success by becoming the most run-heavy team in the league in the second half, and while the addition of A.J. Brown figures to change that, we don't know that for a fact. Especially in a game they should be able to win pretty easily.

Toughest lineup decision: Miles Sanders -- Start. Sanders is, by all accounts, healthy after missing much of training camp with a hamstring injury. And the matchup against the Lions is a pretty great one. So, why am I not more excited about him? I suppose for the same reason nobody was particularly excited about him in draft season -- he's a two-down back who may not have a clear role near the goal line. Boston Scott and Jordan Howard combined for four touchdowns against the Lions last season, but the Eagles also split carries between three different backs, and I could see a similar situation here. Sanders isn't a must-start because of those concerns, but the matchup has me leaning toward starting him as a low-end RB2.
Injuries: Miles Sanders (hamstring) -- He's been a full participant in practice all week and should be good to go.

Patriots at Dolphins

Sunday, 1:00 p.m.
Line: Dolphins -3.5; 46 O/U
Implied totals: Dolphins 24.75-Patriots 21.25

The vibes around these two teams could not be more opposite coming out of training camp. The Dolphins are all optimism with new coach Mike McDaniel and new superstar receiver Tyreek Hill, while the Patriots had what was, by all accounts, an incredibly frustrating camp as they tried to install a new offense. You generally don't want to bet against Bill Belichick, but I can't help but feel like this could be the worst season for the Patriots in a long time, and I'm not sure I want to start anyone from this offense right now.

Toughest lineup decision: Damien Harris/Rhamondre Stevenson -- Sit. Harris and Stevenson were going late enough that you probably don't need to start them in Week 1, and you shouldn't. We just don't know what the split here is going to be, nor whether either is actually going to have a role in the passing game -- there was talk of both seeing increased opportunities in camp, but until we see it in games that matter, I'm treating it as just talk. There's a chance this is a frustrating split in a bad offense.
Injuries: Chase Edmonds (groin) -- Edmonds was a full participant in practice Thursday, which is a good sign for his chances of playing. He's a solid RB2, especially in PPR, as long as he's healthy ... Jaylen Waddle (quad) -- Waddle was also upgraded to a full participation in practice Thursday, a good sign for his availability. He's a fringe WR2 after missing much of training camp with the injury.

Ravens at Jets

Sunday, 1:00 p.m.
Line: Ravens -7; 44.5 O/U
Implied totals: Ravens 25.75-Jets 18.75

The Ravens still likely won't have their two lead backs, but I'm not sure you should expect that to mean they'll be as pass-heavy as they were last season. At least, not against a Jets team they should be able to handle pretty easily. The Jets won't be total pushovers with Joe Flacco at QB, and I have pretty high expectations for Elijah Moore in particular, but the Ravens should still be able to win comfortably enough that the running game should get plenty of reps.

Toughest lineup decision: Any of the running backs in this game -- Sit. Even if J.K. Dobbins is cleared to play by Sunday, I don't see any way it makes sense to start him; I also just don't expect him to be cleared, seeing as he hasn't taken contact yet. Kenyan Drake and Mike Davis figure to split carries, with no clear indication of who the lead back might be, so I'd prefer to sit them. And then on the Jets side, it sounds like Michael Carter really is the starter, but I would be surprised if Breece Hall didn't have a role. Given that ambiguity and what figures to be a tough matchup, I'd prefer to avoid any of the running backs here. If I had to start one, it would probably be Carter, but he's just barely inside of my top 36 for the week.
Injuries: J.K. Dobbins (knee) -- Dobbins has been limited in practice this week, but until he's cleared for contact, he's not going to play. I'm not expecting him to. Drake and Davis are just low-end RB fliers if Dobbins is out ... Zach Wilson (knee) -- Wilson is out for at least the first three weeks of the season. Joe Flacco will start for the Jets.

Jaguars at Commanders

Sunday, 1:00 p.m.
Line: Commanders -2.5; 44 O/U
Implied totals: Commanders 23.25-Jaguars 20.75

Both of these teams went out of their way to overhaul their struggling offenses this season, but it still feels like middle of the pack is a best-case scenario for both. By all accounts, Christian Kirk was the lead target for the Jaguars, but it feels like he'll be a Jakobi Meyers-esque No. 1 WR -- good enough to be worth rostering, but a pretty fringe starter. Terry McLaurin is more proven as a No. 1, but with Jahan Dotson added and Curtis Samuel healthy, it's fair to wonder what his target share is going to look like. I'm not particularly excited about either of these passing games for Week 1.

Toughest lineup decision: Antonio Gibson -- Start. But I do think there's a lot to like about the backfields here. Travis Etienne is a popular breakout candidate, though James Robinson being cleared for a "full workload" is a bit concerning. There are no such concerns for Gibson, at least not for the first four weeks of the season, with Brian Robinson sidelined. I'm expecting Gibson to take on the workload he had as the lead back last season, which means 15 or more carries and 3-4 targets. Ron Rivera gave Gibson the vote of confidence this week, so I'm not worried about his role until Robinson is healthy.
Injuries: Logan Thomas (knee) -- Thomas has been limited so far this week, but it's not clear if he's going to play. If he doesn't, it shouldn't be more than another week or so until he is cleared.

Browns at Panthers

Sunday, 1:00 p.m.
Line: Panthers -1.5; 42.5 O/U
Implied totals: Panthers 22-Browns 20.5

The Baker Mayfield revenge game narrative will be the dominant one in the lead up to the game, but I'm mostly just excited to see D.J. Moore play with an actually competent passer for once. Moore represents the end of a tier in my WR rankings at No. 11, and if he's not a top-12 option this season, I'll be disappointed. On the other side of the ball, well ... I'd be shocked if anyone on the Browns was a top-12 player at any position except maybe tight end until Deshaun Watson is allowed to play. That won't be until Week 13.

Toughest lineup decision: Amari Cooper - Sit. Jacoby Brissett just isn't a very good quarterback. And, while I do expect Cooper to earn a career-high target share in this offense, that comes with what will likely be one of the lowest overall pass rates and a pretty low quality of target, on average. Cooper's best case scenario probably looks something like what T.Y. Hilton did with Brissett as his QB in 2017 -- 57 catches, 966 yards, and four touchdowns in 16 games. He was WR27.
Injuries: Christian McCaffrey (shin) -- There was some panic on Fantasy Twitter when McCaffrey popped up on the injury report, but he just missed a few snaps after getting a cut on his shin. I appreciate the Panthers commitment to transparency.

Colts at Texans

Sunday, 1:00 p.m.
Line: Colts -7; 45.5 O/U
Implied totals: Colts 26.25-Texans 19.25

The Colts have talked a lot about not wanting to lean as heavily on Jonathan Taylor as they did last season, but I'd be pretty surprised to see him get fewer than 20 carries in this one. He rushed for 288 yards and four touchdowns in two games against the Texans last season, and there really isn't much reason to expect them to be significantly better on defense. The question is whether their offense can at least put up a fight after being outscored 62-3 in two games.

Toughest lineup decision: Dameon Pierce -- Sit. I'm lower than most on Pierce, because I just don't think this situation is very good at all. But I can see the case for him ending up as a viable starting option if the Texans just give him a ton of opportunities. I'm not convinced that's going to happen in Week 1, at least not enough to start him over the likes of Mitchell, Montgomery, Conner, Gibson, or Etienne. This Colts defense was one of the best in the league against running backs, so let Pierce earn his spot in your starting lineup -- though the absence of Shaquille Leonard does make this a slightly better matchup.
Injuries: Shaquille Leonard (back) is the only relevant injury here, and he's been ruled out. That's a big loss for the Colts.

Giants at Titans

Sunday, 4:25 p.m.
Line: Titans -5.5; 43.5 O/U
Implied totals: Titans 24.5-Giants 19

The Giants are hoping Brian Daboll can help the offense reach another level -- competence, would be nice. The Titans are hoping Robert Woods and Treylon Burks can combine to make up for the loss of A.J. Brown. There are good reasons to be skeptical in both regards, but there are also some undervalued players in these offenses who should be worth using. Woods is a WR3 for me, but if you want to give him a week to show he's back to full speed, that makes sense.

Toughest lineup decision: Kadarius Toney -- Start. I'm out on a limb on Toney a bit, as I've ranked him as a top 36 wide receiver during draft season. I'm surprised he wasn't one of my most-drafted players as a result of that, and I'm hoping I don't regret that. He's had a lot of trouble staying healthy, which has led the Giants to sour on him a bit, according to reports, but he also had the fifth highest targets per route run rate as a rookie. I'm not saying he's a must-start guy, but as a WR3 or flex, Toney is a fine upside play.
Injuries: Sterling Shepard (Achilles) -- Shepard has already declared himself ready for Week 1. Whether that means he'll be ready for a full role is a different question, but I'm expecting him to start out of the slot for the Giants.

Packers at Vikings

Sunday, 4:25 p.m.
Line: Packers -1.5; 47 O/U
Implied totals: Packers 24.25-Vikings 22.75

The numbers for Aaron Rodgers when he has played without Davante Adams over the past few years have been tremendous -- 26.98 points per game without Adams vs. 23.0 with him. However, I'm assuming there's a difference between seven games scattered over three seasons and having to play without Adams full time. The Vikings offense should play at a faster pace than we're used to with new coach Kevin O'Connell in place, which increases the chances of a shootout, but it's still fair to be skeptical of Rodgers.

Toughest lineup decision: Any Packers wide receiver -- Sit. One of my bold predictions for the season was that no wide receivers for the Chiefs or Packers would top 900 yards this season, but that doesn't mean that none of them can be useful. I especially like the chances for Christian Watson or Romeo Doubs to eventually emerge as a viable Fantasy option. However, there is absolutely no clarity with regards to the hierarchy in Green Bay right now -- Rodgers said Wednesday there are "five guys that we expect to kind of be in the mix consistently, playing receiver for us." Sammy Watkins followed up by saying, "There's no one, two three, four five...we out there together as a group." I think at some point, someone may emerge from the pack, but I won't bet on any of them in Week 1.
Injuries: Allen Lazard (ankle) -- Lazard hasn't practiced at all since suffering the injury last week, and at this point I'd be surprised if he plays. And I wouldn't start him even if he does.

Chiefs at Cardinals

Sunday, 4:25 p.m.
Line: Chiefs -6; 53.5 O/U
Implied totals: Chiefs 29.75-Cardinals 23.75

The line has moved pretty significantly toward the Chiefs since the start of the week, which is weird because the Cardinals usually don't collapse until November. Jokes aside, the Cardinals are playing the first six games without DeAndre Hopkins and have had multiple injuries to other pass-catchers, so the line movement makes sense. It lends a bit of uncertainty to the Cardinals offense, but it also makes it easier to project significant targets for Marquise Brown and James Conner.

Toughest lineup decision: Any Chiefs WR not named JuJu Smith-Schuster -- Sit. And even Smith-Schuster is a bit of a risk, though I do have him ranked in the WR2 range. Patrick Mahomes said earlier this week he expects a different wide receiver to step up and be featured every week, and I could see a situation a lot like the Packers the last few seasons, where Travis Kelce fills the Davante Adams role and then no other pass-catchers are worth using. Add in some uncertainty around how the Chiefs will use their running backs, and Kelce and Mahomes are the only two Chiefs who should be viewed as must-start options until we see more.
Injuries: JuJu Smith-Schuster (knee) -- Smith-Schuster has practiced both days so far and looks completely clear to play.

Raiders at Chargers

Sunday, 4:25 p.m.
Line: Chargers -3; 52 O/U
Implied totals: Chargers 27.5-Raiders 24.5

The Chargers have basically all of their key pieces returning from last season. The Raiders have a new coach and a new No. 1 wide receiver -- and that WR has been the biggest target hog in the league over the past half-decade. Which is to say, we pretty much know exactly what to expect from the Chargers, but the Raiders enter the season with a lot of unknowns.

Toughest lineup decision: Josh Jacobs -- Start. It's fair to have questions about what Jacobs' long-term outlook looks like this season, with the Raiders turning down his fifth-year option. At some point, I wouldn't be surprised if they gave Zamir White an extended look just to see what they can give him, but I'm expecting Jacobs to have a healthy role to start the season as the lead rusher, with Ameer Abdullah likely to see passing downs. Jacobs is a decent RB2 for this one.
Injuries: Donald Parham (hamstring) -- Parham has yet to practice this week, which makes it look unlikely he'll play. That's good news for Gerald Everett, one of my favorite tight ends if you missed on the must-start guys.

Buccaneers at Cowboys

Sunday, 8:20 p.m.
Line: Buccaneers -25; 51 O/U
Implied totals: Buccaneers 26.75-Cowboys 24.25

Seems pretty odd that the Cowboys and Buccaneers are opening the season against one another for the second season in a row, no? Both of these teams enter Week 1 with pretty big question marks around their receiving hierarchies. Or, more accurately, the Buccaneers have questions about their receiving hierarchy and the Cowboys don't necessarily have a receiving hierarchy.

Toughest lineup decision: Chris Godwin -- Sit. Even if Godwin plays, which I don't expect, I'd want to give him a week to show what he has. He hasn't been cleared for contact yet, so I'm expecting him to be pretty limited if he plays. Obviously, he's been such an integral part of this passing game over the past few seasons that he could be good even in a limited role, but I wouldn't risk it.
Injuries: Chris Godwin (knee) -- It looks like I was right to be skeptical about Godwin's "full practice" Wednesday, because he was downgraded to a DNP Thursday. I'm not expecting him to play ... Russell Gage (hamstring) -- Gage has been limited at practice so far this week, but he is expected to play. He's an intriguing WR4/Flex play if Godwin is out, but I prefer a healthier Julio Jones ... Michael Gallup (knee) -- It seems unlikely Gallup will play this week, but the Cowboys haven't ruled him out and he's been limited in practice so far. Gallup has solid long-term potential, but I'm not expecting to get much out of him until at least October.

Broncos at Seahawks

Monday, 8:15 p.m.
Line: Broncos -6.5; 44.5 O/U
Implied totals: Broncos 25.5-Seahawks 19

The Russell Wilson revenge game carries quite a bit of intrigue beyond that narrative, mostly because we just haven't seen Wilson with this offense yet. Courtland Sutton and Jerry Jeudy were both mediocre last season, and that's putting it kindly, so I'm not really sure what to expect here. Reports out of camp indicated Sutton was Wilson's favorite target in camp, but that's a different thing than being the No. 1 option in games. Both are worth starting, but I'm being cautiously optimistic with both.

Toughest lineup decision: Rashaad Penny -- Start. Penny's injury history and the eventual presence of Ken Walker drove Penny's price down in drafts, as did the limited upside in what figures to be a bad Seattle offense. However, Penny is going to get a bunch of carries as long as he's healthy, and he's currently healthy. I'm starting him over Dameon Pierce, for one.
Injuries: Kenneth Walker (hernia) -- Walker didn't practice Thursday, and it sounds like his chances of playing Monday are extremely slim. You're stashing him for long-term upside, not Week 1 value.