Here’s a look at 10 team DRAFT lineup advice for Week 1 Sunday Only NFL contests. I provide my rankings per position, a list of injuries to keep an eye on, and I conclude the article with a sample draft to give you a sense of how to approach your DRAFT contests.

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Quarterback

 
Jared Goff started out 2018 on a tear. In his first four games, Goff averaged 24 fantasy points per game. He had a couple of rough games when Cooper Kupp was sidelined and didn’t play full snaps at Seattle and at Denver in Week 5 and 6. Then in Week 7 through 11, Goff averaged 23.75 fantasy points per game. Then after their Week 12 bye, Goff averaged 11.5 fantasy points per game. Gurley has often been blamed for the drop in production at the end of the season, and he was likely part of the equation. However, after looking at splits and digging into the games, it looks like Cooper Kupp was the main culprit. He looks to be at or near 100% going into Week 1.

The Rams will face off against the Panthers in Carolina this week. The Panthers secondary was nothing to fear in 2018 and PFF has them ranked as the 26^th best unit entering 2019. PFF has Carolina ranked as the number 20 pass-rushing unit. This game has an over/under of 50 and there should be plenty of fireworks.

I am waiting until the fourth or fifth round and ending up with a mix of Jared Goff, Jameis Winston, Lamar Jackson, and Russell Wilson. Winston and Lamar are usually taken in the third or fourth round, so I have to take them in the fourth if I want to have any chance at them. Goff and Wilson I have mostly taken in the fifth round. I don’t want too many shares of Wilson, but he is not a bad pick at the end of the fifth round if all of my quarterbacks in front of him are gone.

Injury Watch

Cam Newton (QB – CAR)
He has been bothered by a mid-foot sprain since he left in the first quarter of Week 3 in the preseason. He has been practicing since Sunday and will certainly play. I am a little wary of a mobile quarterback coming off even a minor foot or ankle injury, so I have moved him down a couple of spots from where he would be at full health.

Running Back

 
Chris Carson has looked to be light years ahead of Rashaad Penny this preseason. His coaches have talked him up all offseason and OC Brian Schottenheimer said he wants Carson to get around 50 targets this year. The sky is the limit for Carson in this run-first offense. The addition of Jadeveon Clowney immediately takes the defense to another level. This offense is set up to be playing keep away from opponents all season long.

Enter the Cincinnati Bengals. This game has the second-largest spread for the week, as the Seahawks are favored to win by 9.5. The Seahawks should run the ball at least 30 times in this game. If Carson gets the bulk of these, he should be looking at a floor of 18-20 carries this week.

I really like the outlook for the top-10 running backs in my rankings this week. These 10 running backs are also my top-nine overall picks this week. If I can, I try to get two of them in the first two rounds every time I draft. If I can’t, I am generally waiting until the fifth round to get my second running back.

Injury Watch

Ezekiel Elliott (RB – DAL)
He just signed his contract this week in case you have been living under a rock. Reports are that he will get 20-25 “reps” this week. If he weren’t limited in this game he would be my top running back for the week, but in a game where they might not need him much, I am not willing to take him before the fourth round. He always goes before then.

Wide Receiver/ Tight End

 
Kenny Golladay built upon his rookie campaign with a very solid sophomore seasons. For the first seven games of the year, Golladay was competing for targets with Golden Tate, Marvin Jones, Kerryon Johnson, and Theo Riddick. In this time he averaged 6.3 targets and 11.5 fantasy points per game. Then for Week 12 through 16, Golladay played with only Theo Riddick from the prior group (Stafford also had small fractures in his back for much of the second half of the season). Over these weeks, Golladay averaged 8.6 targets and only 9.3 fantasy points per game with zero touchdowns.

A lot of people have said that Golladay was given the chance as a number one receiver, and he didn’t come through, but let’s pump the brakes here. Golladay was the number one receiver for several weeks while he played with the likes of Theo Riddick, LeGarrette Blount, Zach Zenner, Levine Toilolo, Luke Willson, T.J. Jones, Andy Jones, and Bruce Ellington. No other player played more than 40 snaps for the Detroit Lions in these five weeks.

Lastly, some are saying that there is a battle for the No. 1 wide receiver spot in Detroit between Marvin Jones and Kenny Golladay. Marvin Jones is great at what he does, but he is a jump-ball, deep-threat kind of receiver. He will get his 100-110 targets on the season (if healthy) and will likely have a similar number of red-zone targets to Kenny Golladay. Golladay is the clear possession receiver on this team. He will be the chain mover and target hog. I have his floor at 120 targets on the season, with a much higher ceiling if he takes another step forward with his skillset.

Odell Beckham is my top-ranked wide receiver, but he is still a second-round pick for me. I am strategizing around running back and quarterback this week while getting wide receivers wherever I’m not getting the other two positions. Because of this, I am ending up with a lot of Golladay, Cooks, Godwin, and Thielen in the third through fourth rounds and a decent share of Cooper Kupp in the fifth round.

Injury Watch

• Julio Jones (WR – ATL)
  On Wednesday, he himself said he wasn’t sure if he would play this week. With other reports coming out of Atlanta, it looks like he will play Sunday, but make sure to check Sunday morning.
• Mike Evans (WR – TB)
  He missed practice Friday with an illness but is expected to play Sunday.
• Keenan Allen (WR – LAC)
  He has been dealing with an ankle injury since mid-August but is expected to be ready for Week 1. He plays at 4 EST on Sunday, so hopefully there will be confirmation before the 1 PM games start.
• Stefon Diggs (WR – MIN)
  He is questionable to play Sunday with a hamstring issue. He is expected to play, but we certainly need to check his status Sunday morning. Diggs has notoriously struggled in games in which he is listed as questionable. If he plays he is still a starter this week, but I would reduce my expectations.
• Alshon Jeffery (WR – PHI)
  It would almost feel strange if he weren’t on this list. The team has assured us this is very minor, and he is good to go for Week 1. Always check on his status before game time, but he should be fine.
• Amari Cooper (WR – DAL)
  He is going to play on Sunday after getting in full practices this week. My issue is that the team hasn’t told us exactly what his injury is. Foot problems can be recurring, and I have Cooper lower in my season rankings and weekly rankings for now.

Sample Draft

My pick: 8^th

• First round – Chris Carson (RB – SEA)
  Chris Carson was my top-ranked running back left on the board and I am thrilled to take him with the No. 8 pick.
• Second round – Kerryon Johnson (RB – DET)
  Kerryon is in my top-10 overall picks, and he was still available in the second round so I snatched him up.
• Third round – Brandin Cooks (WR – LAR)
  Kenny Golladay was still on the board, but I can almost always get him in the fourth round so I took Cooks in the third, hoping to get Golladay in the fourth.
• Fourth round – Stefon Diggs (WR – MIN)
  Golladay came off the board in between my picks, and I went with my next highest-rated wide receiver in Stefon Diggs.
• Fifth round – Jared Goff (QB – LAR)
  I got my top quarterback for the week at the end of the fifth round. This will probably be the only week I am capable of doing this.

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Steven Roy is a featured writer for FantasyPros. For more from Steven, check out his archive and follow him on Twitter @Rockhead_Roy.