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Fantasy Football Player Notes

Week 1 Half PPR Rankings

Joe Mixon Note
Joe Mixon photo 9. Joe Mixon (at BAL)
This game sets up extremely well for Mixon. Bengals QB Joe Burrow is coming back from a calf injury, so you have to figure that the Bengals will make an earnest effort to run the ball to keep the Cleveland pass rush honest. The Bengals will also be facing a Browns defense that was much better against the pass than it was against the run last season. Cleveland's defense ranked 12th in DVOA against the pass, 26th against the run. The Browns gave up 1,994 rushing yards to opposing RBs last season, the fifth-highest total in the league. They allowed 17 TD runs to RBs, third-most in the league. Mixon had a disappointing 8-27-0 rushing performance when the Browns blew out the Bengals on Halloween night last year, 32-13, although Mixon did have seven catches for 32 yards in that game. In a Week 14 rematch, Mixon had 14-96-0 and 2-10-0 receiving as the Bengals cruised to a 23-10 win. Expect Mixon to get a more substantial carry total against Cleveland this time around. For fantasy purposes, view him as a midrange to low-end RB1.
29 weeks ago
Dameon Pierce Note
Dameon Pierce photo 23. Dameon Pierce (at BAL)
All the reasons to be sour on Stroud also apply to the Texans starting RB. Except the matchup might be even worse for Pierce because the Ravens' strengths are certainly in their front seven led by linebacker Roquan Smith. From Week 9 onward (after the Ravens acquired linebacker Roquan Smith), the Ravens were 3rd overall in defensive DVOA (9th in pass, 2nd in run) in 2022. This defense has injuries in their secondary, so that's the only way I can envision the Texans moving the ball successfully, especially with Baltimore offering a lackluster pass rush. I warned the masses about drafting Pierce too aggressively in redraft formats for this exact matchup, and I feel strongly that his value is going to dip dramatically after he inevitably busts in Week 1. Pierce needs to ride the pine in Week 1 as a 10-point road dogs.
29 weeks ago