Fantasy Football Player Notes
Week 1 Rankings
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21.
Miles Sanders
RB - (at ATL)
Sanders missed time in training camp with a groin injury and didn't play in the preseason, but he returned to practice two weeks ago and is expected to be fine for Week 1. It's hard to tell whether we'll see bell-cow usage with Sanders this season. If we do, it might not come so soon after a soft-tissue injury. But this is nonetheless a pretty decent spot for Sanders. The Falcons gave up the eighth-most rushing yards to RBs last season and ranked 27th in DVOA vs. the run. Panthers head coach Frank Reich probably doesn't want his offense to be extremely pass-heavy in rookie QB Bryce Young's first regular-season game, so we can expect an earnest effort to maintain offensive balance. Sanders is best viewed as a midrange RB2 this week.
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69.
Diontae Johnson
WR - (at ATL)
Somehow, Johnson failed to score a touchdown last year despite drawing 147 targets and catching 87 passes. No other receiver in NFL history has drawn more than 109 targets in a season without scoring a touchdown. Whether Johnson will reverse his TD misfortune against the 49ers this week is unclear, but Johnson has averaged 9.6 targets, 5.9 catches and 61.8 receiving yards a game over the last three years, making him a must-start in most formats. Johnson is a low-end WR2 this week against a 49ers defense that yielded the sixth-most receiving yards to WRs last year.
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99.
Adam Thielen
WR - (at ATL)
Yes, Thielen turned 33 last month, and his efficiency numbers have been trending in the wrong direction for years. But is it crazy to think that a rookie quarterback making his NFL debut might lean heavily on a veteran receiver known for his precise route running and red-zone prowess? The problem is that Thielen is dealing with an ankle injury that had him limited in practice this week. If he's able to go on Sunday, Thielen could be a sneaky flex play against a Falcons defense that ranked 31st in DVOA vs. the pass a year ago.
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117.
Jonathan Mingo
WR - (at ATL)
A second-round rookie with good size (6-1, 226) and speed (4.46), Mingo is an intriguing sleeper for 2023. It's encouraging that Mingo ran a route on 29 of Bryce Young's 31 preseason dropbacks. That sort of involvement bodes well for Mingo's Year 1 production. With Adam Thielen dealing with an ankle injury and D.J. Chark out, Mingo could be a flex option in deeper leagues this week as a low-end WR4.
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134.
Chuba Hubbard
RB - (at ATL)
It's possible Hubbard gets a significant number of snaps this week if the Panthers decide to keep Miles Sanders' role limited following his return from a groin injury. It's also possible Hubbard will have some standalone value if this is more of a split backfield than most fantasy managers are suspecting. But for Week 1, Hubbard is little more than a contrarian play for DFS tournaments.
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175.
Terrace Marshall Jr.
WR - (at ATL)
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215.
Raheem Blackshear
RB - (at ATL)
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282.
Mike Boone
RB - (at ATL)
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286.
Tommy Tremble
TE - (at ATL)
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296.
Ihmir Smith-Marsette
WR - (at ATL)
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300.
Ian Thomas
TE - (at ATL)
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408.
Cam Sims
WR - (at ATL)
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425.
David Moore
WR - (at ATL)
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427.
Mike Strachan
WR - (at ATL)
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501.
Derek Wright
WR - (at ATL)
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508.
Spencer Brown
RB - (at ATL)
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