Fantasy Football Player Notes
Week 1 Rankings
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40.
James Cook
RB - (at NYJ)
In a game rich with interesting storylines, one of them is the RB duel between the Cook brothers, Dalvin and James. A committee back last year, James Cook seems to have ascended to a leading role, at least based on preseason usage and reports from Bills beat writers. New Bills RBs Damien Harris and Latavius Murray will get some early-down work and could poach goal-line carries since they're heavier and more rugged than Cook. Still, a meatier role for Cook is reason for his stakeholders to celebrate. It's nice to have the No. 1 back in one of the league's better offenses. This week, however, it's best to regard Cook as a high-end RB3 in a difficult matchup against the Jets.
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108.
Marquez Valdes-Scantling
WR - (at NYJ)
At this juncture, we know who Valdes-Scantling is. He's a drop-prone (18th-most) field stretcher. Valdes-Scantling had a 13.3% target share last year, ranking seventh in aDOT and 14th in deep targets among receivers. He had the seventh-highest passer rating while sitting at 21st in YPRR when targeted 20+ yards downfield (minimum ten deep targets). With Detroit remaking their corner room, their 2022 stats against deep passing could be a tad noisy as they allowed the fourth-highest completion rate and second-most deep passing yards. I'm sorry if you're stuck plugging in Valdes-Scantling in Week 1. He could surprise with a long touchdown. He'll run about 60% of his routes against Sutton and Jacobs as a WR5/6.
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113.
Curtis Samuel
WR - (at NYJ)
Samuel is a super-talented slot WR that fits the new scheme very well. He can make plays after the catch, and I fully expect him to see a decent chunk of volume/targets in Week 1, especially if McLaurin is limited. If you are in a pinch for a FLEX or WR3, add Samuel off waivers and plug him into your lineup. He likely won't give you a massive ceiling outcome, but he can give you a handful of points if you don't have any alternatives. Keep in mind that last season, Samuel was second on the team in catches, third in overall touches and first in catch rate (70%). He's the perfect safety option for his quarterback making his second regular-season start.
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134.
Dalton Kincaid
TE - (at NYJ)
A first-round pick out of Utah, Kincaid is a talented pass catcher who could cause matchup nightmares for opposing defenses. There have been 25 tight ends drafted in the first round since 2000. Only four of them finished in TE1 range in fantasy scoring as rookies - Kyle Pitts, Evan Engram, Jeremy Shockey and Heath Miller. Kincaid could be the rare first-round TE who makes a fantasy splash in Year 1, but I wouldn;t be eager to use him in Week 1, especially not against a tough Jets defense.
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155.
Chase Claypool
WR - (at NYJ)
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161.
Dawson Knox
TE - (at NYJ)
One of the less interesting offseason debates in the fantasy community was whether Dawson Knox would maintain fantasy relevance in 2023 after Buffalo's drafting of first-round TE Dalton Kincaid. Knox likely hit his fantasy peak in 2021, when he finished TE11 in PPR fantasy scoring, mostly on the strength of his nine touchdowns. Knox averaged 4.7 targets a game that season. Even though that's a modest number, it's hard to imagine Knox coming close to it with Kincaid around. Knox shouldn't be anywhere near your starting lineup this week.
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186.
Mack Hollins
WR - (at NYJ)
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200.
Khalil Shakir
WR - (at NYJ)
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314.
Reggie Gilliam
RB - (at NYJ)
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319.
Tre' McKitty
TE - (at NYJ)
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340.
Quintin Morris
TE - (at NYJ)
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362.
KJ Hamler
WR - (at NYJ)
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384.
Ty Johnson
RB - (at NYJ)
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476.
Tyrell Shavers
WR - (at NYJ)
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504.
Andy Isabella
WR - (at NYJ)
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509.
Darrynton Evans
RB - (at NYJ)
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