Week 1 Sleepers | Fantasy Football
The Yards Per Fantasy team has looked at the matchups for the Week 1 slate of football action and determined the top sleepers to play in your lineups.
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Devonta Smith, WR, Eagles
Matchup: @ ATL
I usually steer away from starting rookies in Week 1 given the wide range of outcomes but there is one player that stands out to me. DeVonta Smith gets a very intriguing matchup against the Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons gave up over 293 passing yards per game in 2020 which ranked worst in the league. He was likely drafted as a WR4-5 on most teams but he could find his way into starting lineups sooner rather than later. If there is a rookie that gets off to a hot start in 2021, then Smith is definitely a leading candidate.
Brandin Cooks, WR, Texans
Matchup: vs JAX
Brandin Cooks being a sleeper at this point in his career really speaks to us as a fantasy industry. Shame on us. Ha. Cooks gas gad a great career. The dude has been traded 3 times, is playing on his 4th team and he has produced everywhere he’s gone. Every year Cooks drops in ADP and every year Cooks destroys his draft position. Brandon Cooks was PPR WR16 last year. He has commanded 119 targets on average five out of the last six years. His target share could easily top 25% this season.
Cooks should not be a sleeper Week 1 but he will be ranked outside the top-24. Against the Jaguars, I’m looking for Tyrod Taylor and Cooks to link up early and often. I’m predicting, 5 catches for 96 yards and a touchdown against a Jags defense that looks to be leaky once again in 2021. Cooks should be in your flex this week as he starts off with a bang.
Elijah Moore, WR, Jets
Matchup: @CAR
Elijah Moore was a 4-star recruit that played at Ole Miss for three years, and then early declared to the NFL. He was drafted 34th overall by the Jets after boasting an incredible 37% target share. His production was stellar: 189 catches, 2,441 receiving yards, and 16 touchdowns; 71% catch rate.
The Jets have made a lot of improvements this off season: Acquiring FA WR Corey Davis; drafting QB Zach Wilson, OL Alijah Vera-Tucker, RB Michael Carter, and some solid defensive pieces. Denzel Mims was the WR that everyone was watching last year, but he struggled heavily in training camp which led to him being relegated to the second team. That and WR Jamison Crowder testing positive for COVID-19 really opened up the path for Elijah Moore to get some real starting time Week 1.
The Jets face the young but strong defense in Carolina for their season opener, albeit not the best match up, also not the worst. With the recent loss of TE Chris Herndon via trade and no true workhorse RB I could see the offense running through Corey Davis and Elijah Moore. Elijah Moore was dealing with a quad injury during preseason but it’s likely they just wanted to play it safe with the rookie. If Elijah Moore suits up Week 1 then he is definitely someone to plug into your line up with some big upside.
Antonio Brown, WR, Buccaneers
Matchup: vs DAL
It’s crazy to be able to consider the former all-world WR as a sleeper, but that’s exactly what he is for this week 1 matchup against the Cowboys. Currently sitting at 62ndoverall, and the WR34 according to ECR, Brown could be one of the easiest bets to smash that ranking. From Week 9 through the Super Bowl win, Brown was able to garner 74 targets (6.5 per game) 53 catches (4.8 per game) and 564 yards (51.3 per game) plus 6 TDs.
Now with a full offseason and no off the field issues that we know of currently, Brown should be able to focus solely on football. In what should be a high scoring game (3rdhighest O/U for week 1 at 51.5) against a Dallas defense that was 31st in fantasy points allowed to WRs last season, I expect a big week from AB as the defending champs attempt to send a message to the rest of the league that there will be no Super Bowl hangover.
