Fantasy Football: One QB, RB, WR, and TE who are primed for huge Week 1 performances

Week 1 of the 2023 NFL season has officially kicked off in what was an exciting game between the reigning Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs and Detroit Lions. However, that left a taste in NFL fans’ mouths that has them wanting more, and Sunday could not come soon.

With the start of the NFL season also comes the beginning of fantasy football season. Those who didn’t have any players in Thursday’s game or got underwhelming performances from their players on primetime are itching for more action and eagerly waiting for Sunday.

Here is one QB, RB, WR, and TE who should be locked into your Week 1 lineups and primed for huge performances to start the 2023 NFL season.

QB. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens

Entering the season fresh off signing a lucrative contract extension to make him one of the highest-paid quarterbacks in NFL history, Lamar Jackson and the Ravens have a great opportunity to start the season strong against the Texans.

The Ravens are currently 10-point favorites and are tied with the Chargers for the second-highest expected team total of the week per DraftKings Sportsbook (27.5). They are welcoming offensive coordinator Todd Monken, formerly of the reigning College Football Playoff National Champion Georgia Bulldogs.

His addition to the coaching staff should only help Jackson and the rest of the offense. He has become known for his innovative and uptempo style of offense and it will be exciting to see how differently he uses Jackson compared to former offensive coordinator Greg Roman.

Not to mention, the Ravens signed three-time Pro Bowler Odell Beckham Jr. this offseason and also drafted rookie wide receiver Zay Flowers with the No. 22 overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft. Rashod Bateman is also returning from a foot injury that forced him to miss 11 games last season.

A new contract, a new offensive coordinator, and new shiny toys against a weak opponent. The stage is set for Jackson to put up monster numbers in Week 1 at home against the Texans.

RB. Cam Akers, Los Angeles Rams

The Rams have ruled out All-Pro wide receiver Cooper Kupp for their Week 1 matchup against the Seahawks due to a lingering hamstring injury that he originally suffered during training camp. Kupp is the engine that drives the Rams offense and leaves a huge void that needs to be filled, and running back Cam Akers could be the biggest beneficiary of that.

Unfortunately, we have seen this before with Kupp when he was forced to miss the final seven weeks of the 2022 season due to a high-ankle sprain, and head coach Sean McVay leaned on Akers throughout that stretch. Per StatMuse, Akers averaged 16 carries per game for 78.4 rushing yards, while providing an additional 1.6 receptions and 14.1 yards per game as a receiver out of the backfield in the Rams’ last seven games of 2022. Akers also had a nose for the end zone during that stretch, scoring six touchdowns (three of which came against the Broncos in Week 16).

The Seahawks were one of the worst teams in the NFL in terms of defending the run last season, allowing the third-most rushing yards per game (151.9) to their opponents. Akers fared well against the Seahawks in their two meetings last season, totaling 186 yards from scrimmage and scoring two touchdowns.

Currently 5.5-point underdogs per DraftKings Sportsbook, the Rams do not want to get into a shootout with the high-flying Seahawks offense. Their best chance of winning is by controlling the clock and keeping the ball out of Geno Smith, DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s hands.

Now over two years removed from Grade 3 Achilles Tear, Akers has had a full offseason to prepare without needing to focus on rehab. This should enable him to get off to a fast start against a Seahawks defense that couldn’t defend the run in 2022.

WR. Mike Williams, Los Angeles Chargers

The Chargers will host the Dolphins on Sunday in what is expected to be a shootout between two of the NFL’s most high-potent offenses. Per DraftKings Sportsbook, the over/under for this game is set at 51 points as of this writing. With that said it would be in fantasy manager’s best interest to have a stake in this game one way or another, but Chargers wide receiver Mike Williams is set up for a potentially huge day.

Williams is a 6-foot-4 receiver with blazing speed which has helped propel him to become one of the league’s best deep threats. His ability to track down and make incredible contested catches fits perfectly with quarterback Justin Herbert and his cannon of an arm. Through six seasons, Williams has averaged a healthy 15.7 yards per reception, which ranks 15th in the NFL during that span per StatMuse.

The Dolphins are going to be without their prized offseason acquisition in Week 1, All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey. Of course, they still have Xavien Howard who has also been an All-Pro as recently as 2020 and a Pro Bowl defensive back each of the past two seasons. However, Howard is likely also going to spend a good amount of time covering Chargers No. 1 receiver Keenan Allen, which should create favorable matchups for Williams.

Despite the inconsistency last season, Williams still posted 895 receiving yards despite missing four games. He is a big-play threat any time he touches the football with his unique blend of size and speed. In a game that is highly anticipated to be one of the highest-scoring matchups of the week and the Dolphins are missing their stud cornerback, look for Williams to make his presence felt against the Dolphins.

TE. David Njoku, Cleveland Browns

Injuries derailed what was shaping up to be a fun season for Browns tight end David Njoku. Before suffering a high-ankle sprain in Week 7 against the Ravens, Njoku was in the midst of a breakout season.

According to StatMuse, he averaged 4.9 receptions and 59.7 receiving yards in the first seven games of the season, amassing 34 catches for 418 yards. He exceeded 70 receiving yards in three of the first seven games and caught at least 5 passes in four games during that stretch.

High-ankle sprains have become notorious for lingering throughout the course of a season and hampering a player’s effectiveness, which seemed to be the case for Njoku. To make matters worse, he strained his knee in the Browns Week 12 game against the Bucs nearly a month later.

The Browns face the Bengals in a divisional battle that has sneaky shootout potential. The Bengals were a middle-of-the-pack team when it came to defending tight ends. Per FantasyPros’ Derek Brown, the Bengals were thirteenth in fantasy points per game allowed to the tight end position. They also allowed the seventh most receiving yards per game to tight ends.

If Deshaun Watson can regain his form from 2020 when he led the NFL in passing yards, Njoku is primed for a big Week 1 and has the potential to be one of the best late-round tight ends in fantasy football.