Fantasy Football: Week 1 Value Picks

Added on Sep 08, 2011 by Scott in

NFL

Tonight is the night. The 2011 NFL season kicks off with a doozy of a matchup between the Saints and Packers. It’s also the night millions of fantasy football enthusiasts begin their quests to capture fake glory. Months and weeks of pouring over projections and rankings all comes down to which guys to start and which ones to bench. Obviously you’re rolling with Philip Rivers, Adrian Peterson and Calvin Johnson, but here are some under the radar picks to help notch a win in Week 1.

Colt McCoy (vs. Cincinnati) – Peyton Manning owners should’ve protected themselves on draft day by plucking a quality backup, but those that dropped the ball can consider McCoy a decent alternative for opening week. The Bengals allowed 21 passing touchdowns in 2010, which was seventh best in the league. However, cornerback Johnathan Joseph is gone and safeties Chris Crocker and Reggie Nelson are awful in coverage. McCoy tossed for 243 yards and two touchdowns in his lone start against Cincinnati last season. Expect similar numbers on Sunday.

Ryan Mathews/Mike Tolbert (vs. Vikings) – Remember when the “Williams Wall” was impenetrable to running backs? Well, those days are over. Pat is retired and Kevin is suspended. This bodes well for the combo of Mathews and Tolbert, who combined for 18 touchdowns in 2010. The Chargers should be able to build an early lead through the air, then finish things off on the ground. Both backs make excellent flex options or low-end number two runners in most leagues.

Santonio Holmes (vs. Cowboys) – Cowboys corners Mike Jenkins and Terrence Newman are hobbled by injuries; both might miss the game. Even if they play, neither is close to 100%. Santonio caught at least three passes in ten of twelve starts a season ago. He’s clearly Mark Sanchez’s favorite target and should feast on the ‘Boys wounded secondary. Consider him a great number two or a low-end number one receiver for Week 1.

Brandon Lloyd (vs. Raiders) – In case you haven’t heard, Nnamdi Asomugha no longer wears silver and black. The Raiders secondary looked like a horror show during the preseason. Starting corners Chris Johnson and Stanford Routt are average at best. Lloyd was undervalued in drafts this summer after posting a career year in 2010. 1400 yards and 11 touchdowns is unlikely, but he’s still Denver’s top passing threat and has the steady Kyle Orton throwing to him. 80-plus yards and a score sounds reasonable.

Texans D/ST (vs. Colts) – Kerry Collins isn’t a terrible quarterback, but he’s had only two weeks to absorb Indy’s intricate passing attack. In addition, Wade Phillips is now running the Texans defense. His aggressive 3-4 scheme will ignite a tepid pass rush and new defensive backs Johnathan Joseph and Danieal Manning will stabilize a secondary that allowed a league worst 4280 yards last year. If you’re searching for a D/ST, give Houston a shot.