We finally made it. Goodbye Sunday errands, and helloooo multiple screens, chicken wings and cold beverages. It’s time to take a deep breath, set our lineups and enjoy the ride.

Our goal for this week is to dominate. So we can proceed to talk about our wins until each member of the group chat, one-by-one, stops responding. Every “silences notifications” pop-up feels like a modern-day white flag waving across our screen. It’s the little things that make victory so sweet.

I’m going to highlight some key players who are going to play a big role in our quest to start the season white-hot, plus set us up for success down the road.

The “Smashes” are players I expect to out-perform their season projections in Week 1. Make room for these guys in your lineups, even as flexes. The “Stashes” are our secret weapons with long-term upside. We don’t blink, we don’t flinch, and we certainly don’t panic drop these guys when they start slow.

What better place to start than the battle of Ohio...

SMASH: Jerry Jeudy WR, Cleveland Browns

The Cincinnati defense is the instagram filter of fantasy football. Got a blemish in your game? It won’t show up against Cincinnati. Want to see the best version of a player? Roll the tape against the Bengals.

The game ends and you’re saying to yourself  “Goddamn, THAT was Jerry Jeudy?!?!”

Smashing Cincy’s defense is a no-brainer. Although, I also see this as a chance to capitalize on Jeudy’s ability to grossly outperform his projections. A 26-year old former first-round pick coming off his most productive season (144 targets/1,225 yards) is a green flag, but it’s his late-season spikes, when heavily targeted, that really elevates his ceiling in this matchup.

Jeudy produced 20+ fantasy points twice in his final eight games, including a ridiculous 235-yard performance against Denver. Jeudy’s monster output was good for 36 points in 0.5 point PPR leagues. This isn’t just a WR1 one against a bad defense.

What really makes this a smash spot is the Joe Flacco factor.

If history has shown us anything, it’s that Kevin Stefanski allows Cool Joe to sling that thing all over the field. In 2023, the Browns passed on 53.6% of offensive plays (27th in the NFL) before handing the keys to the trusted veteran.

With Flacco under center, the pass rate increased over 8%, making Cleveland one of the most pass-heavy teams in the league during that five-game span.

David Njoku (also smash-worthy) will certainly eat up some targets. But if you are on the fence with Jeudy, I am here to pull you over to the right side. The Browns should be trailing in this one early and often, forcing Flacco to let it rip all over the field for four quarters.

STASH: Troy Franklin WR, Denver Broncos

If he walks like a duck, and acts like a duck, he probably caught passes from Bo Nix in college. And if his name is Troy Franklin, his connection with Nix also produced Oregon’s single season record in both receiving yards and touchdowns. The chemistry is undeniable, and the buzz out of Broncos’ camp is that Franklin is poised to see plenty of action in three-receiver sets.

His gaudy preseason stat line (9 receptions, 90 yards, two touchdowns) indicates that a big leap could be on the horizon in year two. However, it’s likely to be a gradual process, driven by Franklin flashing early as a rotational piece. As much as we want to take advantage of the Titans’ secondary in Week 1, Franklin is still battling Pat Bryant for opportunities behind Courtland Sutton and Marvin Mims Jr.

Franklin is currently slotted as Fantasy Life’s consensus WR82 for Week 1. Even in our season-long rankings, he remains below Sutton, Mims Jr. and Bryant.

We aren’t going to let the talented players around him push us off his potential. You know how this thing works. One injury, one tweak of an ankle or tightening of a hamstring, cracks the door open a little wider. That’s all a proven playmaker like Franklin needs to make an impact this season. Keep him rostered, and get ready to unleash him on your leaguemates when his time comes.

SMASH: Emeka Egbuka WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

This one is pretty cut and dry. Any reluctance to shove Egbuka into your lineup comes from trepidation that Liam Coen’s exit will revert Tampa’s quarterback into Carolina Baker. While that might be fair, I am not buying that the drop off will be steep enough to impact Egbuka’s production in Week 1.

The preseason sensation is set to start alongside Mike Evans in an offense that finished in the Top 5 in scoring (29 ppg), touchdown passes (41), and EPA per dropback (.211). It's an ideal matchup against an opponent that is unlikely to exploit the absence of LT Tristan Wirfs.

The Falcons defense ranked 27th in pass rush win-rate in 2024 prompting an overhaul of its defensive front. New players, a new defensive coordinator in Jeff Ulbrich, I’m willing to bet we don’t see immediate results. Expect Mayfield to operate from clean pockets on Sunday.

Fantasy Life+ subscribers already know that Egbuka is set up to perform in the WR23 range, fourteen spots higher than his season long projections. He is only starting in 55% of rosters, which tells me 45% of the world could use our models. Smash Egbuka and thank me later by using promo code: DRUM for 20% off.

STASH: Chig Okonkwo TE, Tennessee Titans

Okonkwo’s strong finish to his rookie season made him a popular pick late in drafts. He saw 10+ targets and averaged 7+ receptions over the final three games. If you selected him with visions of a high-upside TE2 or flex option, you made a solid pick. For those fantasy managers who spent the first twelve rounds punting every turnkey tight end, I don’t think he is the guy to bail you out.

The scheduling gods are obviously not Tennessee Titans’ fans.

Cam Ward’s first taste of NFL action will be against one of the best defenses in the league. Denver led the NFL with 63 sacks, and ranked No.1 in EPA per dropback allowed (-0.061).

Oh, don’t forget he gets to do it on the road, 5,280 feet above sea level. That sounds more like an episode of Squid Game than a place you should look for fantasy production.

Until the game slows down for Ward, it  will be a bad look for the Titans offense. Don’t press the panic button. Okonkwo proved he can handle an increased role at the end of 2024, and should have an inside beat on becoming the second option in the Titans’ passing attack.

SMASH: Tyrone Tracy RB, New York Giants

For anyone that claims I’m a biased Eagles fan, you might be right. That being said, let the record show that I’m about to say encouraging things about the New York Giants.

It’s critical that New York avoids a back and forth, high-scoring game. They don’t want that smoke with Jayden Daniels.

Tyrone Tracy is going to get that work on early downs, and volume equals production when you're running at the Washington defense. In 2024, the Commanders allowed 4.8 yards per carry, the third-highest mark ahead of only the Saints and Panthers.

Tracy’s forecasted workload puts him as RB21 in our Week 1 projections, one spot ahead of the Patriots rocketship, TreyVeon Henderson. If the world is screaming to smash Henderson, why are we whispering to smash Tracy?