Fantasy Football: Week 1 Studs and Duds
By Bruce Matson
Aug 24, 2013; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo (9) throws a pass in the second quarter of the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at AT
Quarterback
Studs
– Tony Romo: Romo threw for almost 750 yards in the two meetings against the Giants last season. Romo is going to be in a shootout against the Giants and is going to be throwing a lot. Dez Bryant has looked great all preseason, and he’s going to give the defense fits.
– Drew Brees: It’s Drew Brees … he’s a stud, and you should always start him no matter what the matchup is. The Saints are playing Atlanta, and both teams are stacked on offense. Expect a shootout with Brees throwing for well over 300 yards and a few touchdowns.
– Matt Ryan: I like him for the same reason why I like Brees. He’s going to be in a shootout, and he’s going to put up a lot of passing yards. The addition of Steven Jackson and his ability to catch passes out of the back field is going to help Ryan a lot this season.
– Tom Brady: The Patriots scored 89 points on the Bills last season, and expect the Pats to continue that trend. Expect Brady to put the gas pedal down to the floor and not lay off until the game is over.
Sleeper
– Terrelle Pryor: The Raiders have managed to put together the worst roster I have seen in my entire life. I don’t know whether to feel bad for them or congratulate them for such a feat. The Raiders are going to be behind early, and Pryor is going to benefit from playing behind. Pryor could possibly be in the Tim Tebow mold of fantasy quarterbacks, which is horrible at real football but really good at fantasy football.
Duds
– Jay Cutler: Cutler is a turnover machine, and he’s facing a stout Cincinnati Bengal defense. He’s going to be throwing more in this new offense, which gives him more opportunity to throw INTs. The Bengals have an aggressive pass rush, and Cutler is going to be running for his life.
– Philip Rivers: He’s playing Houston this week, which is a tough defense. JJ Watt is going to be breathing down his neck all game. The Chargers are going to be a bad football team this year.