NFL Fantasy lineups: Week 1 starts and sits, Tua’s in, Deshaun sits

Welcome back fantasy faithful. Best of luck in your quest for 2023 championship glory. This Giddy Up! and Whoa Down! column is a list of players that I think will over or underperform every week. As we bid a sad farewell to summer and the passing of the great Jimmy Buffett, let’s take a minute to observe some NFL players he immortalized in song: Aaron “A Pirate Looks at Forty” Rodgers. Jimmy “Hey Good Lookin” Garoppolo. Josh “Pencil Thin Mustache” Allen. Breece “Bama Breeze” Hall. And who could forget before the 2017 playoffs, Odell “Boat Drinks” Beckham Jr.? Remember if your team is behind after the Sunday games, don’t give up hope. “Come Monday”, it’ll be all right.

Giddy Up!

Tua Tagovailoa, QB- Fins to the left. Fins to the right. Tua is one of the best Fantasy Football QBs in town. He ranked eighth in points per start last year (21.9), which was better than Kyler Murray, Trevor Lawrence, Dak Prescott, and Tom Brady. Throwing to arguably the fastest and best WR duo in the NFL, Tua should excel in the shootout with the Chargers.

Geno Smith, QB- In two games against the Rams last year, Geno threw for 580 yards and four TDs. With the losses of Jalen Ramsey, Leonard Floyd, and Bobby Wagner to free agency, the Rams D is that much worse. Giddy Up!

Rachaad White, RB- Speaking of missing defensive players, the Vikings’ already poor defense lost Dalvin Tomlinson, Eric Kendricks, and Za’Darius Smith. White’s speed and receiving ability will place him in the Top 10 for RBs this week on Minnesota’s fast carpet.

Tony Pollard, RB- The Cowboys ran all over the Giants twice last year (330 yards/2 TDs). Pollard is the 2023 golden ticket Fantasy draft pick. His debut as a starter will determine the fate of many Fantasy owners this season who took him in the second round.

Drake London, WR- London averaged six receptions for 85 yards in his last five games. The only competition for targets is the mercurial TE Kyle Pitts. Start London with confidence as a WR1 at home against the Panthers.

Jahan Dotson, WR- On the rare occasion that Dotson and teammate Terry McLaurin were on the field together, their stats were identical to each other. Yet the underrated Dotson is drafted four rounds after the more-heralded McLaurin. Jahan should have a field day at home against woeful Arizona.

Gerald Everett, TE- New OC Kellen Moore had a Top 10 TE for three years straight in Dallas. Everett is coming off an impressive playoff performance (109 yards, 1 TD). The over/under for the Dolphins/Chargers game is a substantial 51 points. This all adds up to a Mount Everett eruption of Fantasy points.

Whoa Down!

Daniel Jones, QB- Danny Dimes will have a better statistical year in 2023, but it might have to wait a week. He is a sorry 1-6 against Dallas, with just one TD pass in his last three games.

Deshaun Watson, QB- Cincinnati is a tough draw for the opener. They held Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson and even Patrick Mahomes to one TD pass each during the regular season in 2022. Watson still looked rusty last year. I’m looking elsewhere.

James Connor, RB- The Commanders gave up only two 100-yard games all last season, to Nick Chubb and Derrick Henry. Connor is clearly not on a level with either, but you might have to start him depending on your bench. Pray he falls into the end zone.

Dalvin Cook, RB- Too many questions surround the Jet backfield to consider starting Cook: Has he practiced much at all? Is Breece Hall playing? Will either be on a snap count? Who is the third down back? Where does a healthy Michael Carter fit in? Too many questions. Not enough answers.

Romeo Doubs, WR- Some folks are not sure of the number one WR in Green Bay: Doubs or Chris Watson. In my book, it’s Watson. He had almost 200 more yards and four more TDs with one less reception than Doubs. Time will tell if things reverse under new QB Jordan Love. Bench Doubs until we find out.

Van Jefferson, WR- To all the dart throwers adding Jefferson now that Cooper Kupp is injured: Jefferson never had more than three receptions in any contest in 2022, even when Kupp was out for nine games. Remember never to put a dart board on the ceiling. It makes you throw up.

Evan Engram, TE- Engram is no “Cheeseburger in Paradise”. He had eight games scoring nine points or less last season. 275 of his 766 yards came in two games. That’s 491 yards total in his other 15 games, a paltry 32-yard average. He has scored just eight times since 2020. I have no appetite for Engram. He reminds me of a menu at a Holiday Inn.

Bill Reinhard is a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association.