What high-level player do you have the most concerns about in Week 1?
Some options include:
- Deshaun Watson (returning from injury)
- Andrew Luck (returning from injury)
- David Johnson (returning from injury)
- LeVeon Bell (late reporting or not at all?)
- Saquon Barkley (incoming rookie factor, plus limited preseason)
- Odell Beckham (returning from injury)
Phil Alexander: Andrew Luck still has a lot to prove. He barely threw the ball downfield in the preseason and the Colts offensive line had trouble protecting him as usual. Left tackle Anthony Castonzo is in danger of scratching Week 1 and the the Bengals defense yielded the 10th-fewest fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks last season. Unless Cincinnati can force Indianapolis into a pass-first game script (admittedly not unlikely), Luck will have a hard time delivering value in his first game since 2016.
Alessandro Miglio: Le'Veon Bell was my biggest fade this week, but he’s made that an easy decision, now. How about Leonard Fournette? Road game against a sneaky-tough run defense. I don’t expect the Jaguars to blow out the Giants, and Fournette could have a tough time getting going.
Will Grant: The Giants may be at home this week, but Jacksonville will be coming to town and they are going to be hungry. With their current offensive projection at about 20 points, I think Saquon Barkley is going to struggle. It's critical for rookie running backs to get playing time in the pre-season and it's important for them to know how to block. Against an aggressive offense like Jacksonville? I don't think he's going to do well this week.
Jason Wood: The Jaguars-Giants game scares me. Saquon Barkley has a daunting first game facing the Jaguars front seven, and similarly Odell Beckham has to deal with the Jalen Ramsey Experiment. On the other side, I'm nervous about Leonard Fournette because I think the Giants lone defensive strength will be the run defense.
Chad Parsons: I will not be touching Andrew Luck. The quarterback position offers plenty of options weekly and Luck is getting his first regular season action in two seasons. Plus, Luck has lackluster weapons and the Bengals offer a formidable pass rush. Without a projectable run game, Luck's return to action is poised to be a challenge.
