The first week of football is here, but already fantasy owners everywhere are looking for sleepers to fill injury holes or thin rosters. If you’re in need of some fantasy help to start the season, we’ve got you covered.
With Le’Veon Bell out and Jonathan Dwyer gone, Isaac Redman will start for the Pittsburgh Steelers at running back when they host the Tennessee Titans on Sunday. Tennessee gave up the fourth-most points to opposing runners in 2012, so Redman is a nice play.
The New England Patriots cut two tight ends on Saturday and Rob Gronkowski is still ailing, so that means Zach Sudfeld is in line for a decent workload against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. New England tight ends hauled in nine passes for 153 yards and two scores against Buffalo in 2012 so Sudfeld isn’t a bad option this week.
Dennis Pitta is out for the year, so Ed Dickson is a great fantasy option, right? Well, considering he’s also recovering from injury, new Baltimore Ravens tight end Dallas Clark is a deep sleeper for Thursday night’s game against the Denver Broncos, who gave up the second-most fantasy points to tight ends in 2012. Plus, Joe Flacco likes his security blanket and should even more so in 2013 with Anquan Boldin gone.
Brandon Weeden has improved a lot since his rookie year and Josh Gordon will miss the Cleveland Browns‘ game against the Dolphins, so Greg Little will be the top receiver for Weeden in Week 1. Take that with a grain of salt, but he’s a nice roster fill-in if you’re hurting at receiver.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers‘ defense gets Geno Smith and the New York Jets in Week 1, which is a great matchup for the visiting team. The New York Circus gave up the second-most fantasy points to opposing defense in 2012, so the Bucs could be in for a big day in Week 1.
