There is just nothing quite like the excitement of an NFL Week 1. From the moment the Super Bowl ends, we turn our attention to the NFL draft and mini-camps, anxiously awaiting the start of best-ball fantasy football season.
Then we move into training camp, which ultimately turns up the volume on season-long fantasy drafts. Once they complete, all eyes are on Week 1, when we finally get to see where we went right or wrong. Of course, nothing derails a draft plan like an injury to a major player, that being your quarterback.
When Jordan Love crumbled to the ground with a knee injury during the league’s first “Friday Night Football” in Brazil, you could hear the collective gasp of fantasy managers. His breakout 2023 campaign led to him being drafted as a top-10 fantasy quarterback this season, with a cost of a sixth- or seventh-round pick to acquire him.
A bullet was dodged with word that the ACL was intact and the MCL sprain would keep him out just 3-4 weeks, but when you want to start your fantasy season on the right foot, this is still a problem.
Fortunately, there are probably some usable players sitting on your waiver wire. Derek Carr looked incredibly comfortable in the Saints’ new-look, West Coast offense. The supportive ground game will take significant pressure off him, and the short, high-percentage passing will keep him throwing with efficiency, but will also help open up better downfield passing as well. He finished Week 1 with just 200 passing yards, but he had an 82.6 percent completion rate and three touchdowns.
You can also look at Baker Mayfield, who shined bright for the Buccaneers, throwing for 289 yards and four touchdowns against the Commanders. New offensive coordinator Liam Coen said he wanted Tampa Bay to throw the ball more this season, and it did just that. With a potential shootout against Detroit next week, Mayfield is a viable option.
Then, of course, there is Justin Fields, and everyone loves a quarterback with rushing upside. Thrust into action when a late-week calf injury sidelined Russell Wilson, the Steelers turned to Fields, and he led them to an 18-10 upset over the Falcons. Granted, the defense was a huge part of the win, but considering the lack of first-team reps for Fields this summer, his 156 passing yards, 57 rushing yards and no turnovers were a great start.
Those who say it’s better to have Loved and lost than not Loved at all, probably weren’t talking about fantasy football. If they were, they would know just how much this hurts the start of your season, but it is not an insurmountable issue. It’s a bump in the road, but you can patch it up from your waiver wire and be good for a smooth ride.
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Howard Bender is the head of content at FantasyAlarm.com. Follow him on X @rotobuzzguy and catch him on the award-winning “Fantasy Alarm Radio Show” on the SiriusXM fantasy sports channel weekdays from 6-8 p.m. Go to FantasyAlarm.com for all your fantasy football news and advice.
