Week 1 Fantasy Football MVP Predictions

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Dec 22, 2013; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins (10) makes a reception during the third quarter against the Denver Broncos at Reliant Stadium. The Broncos defeated the Texans 37-13. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Week 1 is finally upon us.

We have been gearing up for this week for the last six months, and football is finally here! This year, I am going to go through every game and talk about the possible Fantasy MVP of each game.

I am doing this to spice things up compared to the usual start/sit articles that tells you to start your studs and to sit players who are going against tough defenses. If you have any start/sit dilemmas, you can contact me on Twitter (@bmatz08) and I will help you with your lineup decision.

I’m not good at many things in life. I can barely make mac and cheese, but I’m good at helping people out in fantasy. Let’s get this season started, light up our grills, play our TVs too loud and enjoy another amazing season of football.

Week 1: September 4 – September 9

THURSDAY, SEPT. 4

• Green Bay at Seattle (8:30 p.m.)
Russell Wilson, QB, SEA: I believe this game is going to be more of a shootout than what most fans are expecting, which will cause Wilson to display his passing abilities. I can see him throwing for 300-350 yards and 2-3 touchdowns. Even though there are a lot of fantasy gems in this game, I chose Wilson because he’s not expected to produce at such a high level, and this may be one of his better fantasy weeks this year.

SUNDAY, SEPT. 7
• New Orleans at Atlanta (1 p.m.)
Julio Jones, WR, ATL: This game is going to be a shootout, and Matt Ryan is going to target Jones heavily. This game is going to be fun to watch. Coming back from a foot injury last year, Jones is going to take over this game and show why he is an elite wide receiver talent. I expect him to have 11 receptions for 130 yards receiving and two touchdowns.

• Minnesota at St. Louis (1 p.m.)
Adrian Peterson, RB, MIN: This matchup is going to be ugly, with both teams starting questionable QBs in Shaun Hill (Rams) and Matt Cassel (Vikings). The Vikings are going to lean on Peterson, and even though the Rams’ defense is tough, Peterson will get his numbers. I project 80 yards rushing with one TD and three receptions for 35 yards.

Aug 9, 2014; Detroit, MI, USA; Cleveland Browns running back Ben Tate (44) against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

• Cleveland at Pittsburgh (1 p.m.)
Ben Tate, RB, CLE: The Browns are going to give Tate a massive workload to hide their horrendous passing game. I expect the Browns to play strong defense and use Tate to control the clock. I expect Tate to rush for over 100 yards in this game.

• Jacksonville at Philadelphia (1 p.m.)
Darren Sproles, RB, PHI: Sproles is being very undervalued. He is still going to have a large contribution to the offense. Sproles is going to get his numbers in the passing game all season long. This is going to be the first game where fantasy owners will feel regret for passing on Sproles during their drafts. I project him to have 30 yards rushing and six receptions for 55 yards, which will account for 14 points in PPR (Point Per Reception) leagues.

• Oakland at NY Jets (1 p.m.)
Jets Defense/Special Teams: Derek Carr is making his first-ever start on the road against a tough Jets defense. Rookie QBs generally have rough outings during their first career start, and I expect the same with Carr. Pick up the Jets’ defense if they are available on the waiver wire.

• Cincinnati at Baltimore (1 p.m.)
Joe Flacco QB BAL: The last three seasons, Flacco has put up Top 10 QB numbers on opening day. Ray Rice will be suspended for this game (two games for domestic violence), which will cause the Ravens to depend on the passing game. Don’t be surprised if Flacco throws for 400 yards in this game, because they may be playing from behind against the Bengals.

• Buffalo at Chicago (1 p.m.)
Fred Jackson RB BUF: He is like a cat that doesn’t die … no matter how old he gets, he remains fantasy-relevant. The Bears are porous on defense, which will give Jackson plenty of opportunities. I have a projection of 60 yards rushing and a TD, scoring around 12 fantasy points this week.

More from Houston Texans Fantasy Football

• Washington at Houston (1 p.m.)
DeAndre Hopkins WR HOU: I’m going out on a limb with this prediction, but Hopkins is a candidate to have a solid performance this week. Washington’s defense is horrible at stopping the pass, and they will be concentrating on not letting Andre Johnson beat them, which will leave Hopkins open a lot of the time. My prediction on his stat line will be five receptions for 75 yards.

• Tennessee at Kansas City (1 p.m.)
Justin Hunter WR TENN: I don’t believe there will many stand outs in this game other than Jamaal Charles, but I’m willing to go out on the limb and say that Hunter has a chance to have a productive fantasy week. Hunter specializes on winning jump-balls in the end zone, it’s a good possibility that Hunter comes down with a touchdown during this game. I have a projected stat line of four receptions 60 yards and a touchdown.

• New England at Miami (1 p.m.)
Ryan Tannehill QB MIA: This game is going to be high scoring. The Dolphins are going to have to utilize the passing game to keep up with the Patriots offense. Tannehill’s fantasy production should be high for this week. I have Tannehill projected for 350 yards passing, two TDs and 20 yards rushing.

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