FANTASY FOOTBALL: Week One Starters

Week #1 is here and it’s the start of a new football season. There are many players in the NFL, but not all of them are good fantasy football players. Here is a list of players that should do very well for your fantasy football team in Week #1.

QUARTERBACKS-

1. Daunte Culpepper- Culpepper starts the first game of the 2000 NFL season off with a bang. Culpepper will go up against one of the worst defenses in the league. The game will be played in Minnesota, so the home crowd will be behind Culpepper 100%. Look for Culpepper to exploit the Chicago secondary for two to three TDs and 250 plus yards.

2. Brad Johnson- Last season, Johnson torched the Panther secondary for four TDs and over 300 yards passing. Johnson should be in for another great game this week against Carolina. Johnson should have over 275 yards passing and two or three TDs.

3. Kurt Warner- Warner, last seasons’ MVP, will start off this season with a great game. Warner will be throwing to the dynamic duo of Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt. Also, look for Marshall Faulk to catch a lot of passes out of the backfield. Warner should be in the 250 yard passing range with two TDs.

4. Cade McNown- McNown looks to be a great start this week for your quarterback. McNown is going against the 30th ranked defense from a year ago. The Viking defense is a little improved from last season, but McNown should still have a great game. Look for McNown to throw for 250 plus yards and have two TDs.

5. Peyton Manning- Another great start this week is Manning going against the Kansas City defense. Although, Kansas City is a really good defense, Manning should still have a pretty decent game. Look for Manning to throw for around 250 yards and two scores.

Other Quality Starters This Week-

Mark Brunell- Brunell goes against an awful Cleveland defense this week. Although, the loss of Fred Taylor will hurt Brunells’ total numbers. Brunell could have a decent game overall.

Kerry Collins- Collins this week is going against an injury depleted Arizona defense. Big numbers are possible from Collins.

Sleeper of the Week-

Tony Banks- The sleeper pick this week looks to be Tony Banks playing against an awful Pittsburgh defense. Look for Banks to throw to his wide receivers a lot and to his tight end, Shannon Sharpe. Banks could put up some pretty good numbers this week.

RUNNING BACKS-

1. Edgerrin James- James will start this week were he left off from last year. Without a doubt, James is the most exciting running back in the NFL today. This week, James goes up against a tough Kansas City defense. This week will be a harder than usual for James, but he should still top the 100 yards mark and score one TD.

2. Marshall Faulk- Faulk looks to be another great start at running back this week. This week Faulk plays at home against the Denver Broncos. Faulk will get a lot of screen passes out of the backfield and 25 plus carries. Look for Faulk to have between 125-150 total yards and one TD this week.

3. Emmitt Smith- Emmitt starts off the season with a home game against the rival Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles always play the Cowboys tough, but Emmitt always gets the best of them. Look for another quality start for Smith as he should break the 100-yard rushing mark and score at least once.

4. Stephen Davis- This week, Davis plays a weak defensive team and should take full advantage of it. Last season when these two teams met, Davis ran for over 70 yards and had one TD. Look for Davis to get a lot of rushing attempts this week as he should top the 100-yard mark and score at least once.

5. Eddie George- On Sunday night, Eddie George looks to be in for a pretty good game. George will be facing a pretty good Buffalo defense at home. George should have some trouble hitting the 100-yard rushing mark, but he should score a rushing TD.

Other Quality Starters This Week-

Terrell Davis- The week could go either way for Davis. Davis could have either a really good game or a pretty bad game. It all depends on how long Davis plays and how his knee feels. Davis will be going up against a great defense in the St. Louis Rams. We will have to wait and see this week.

Ron Dayne- Dayne will be looking forward to his first start in the NFL this week. He will be facing an injury depleted Arizona defense. The only problem with starting Dayne this week is how much time Tiki Barber is going to take away from him.

Sleeper of the Week-

Stacey Mack- With Fred Taylor out with a knee injury and Jacksonville playing Cleveland, anything can happen.

WIDE RECEIVERS-

1. Randy Moss- Here we go again. A new starting quarterback, a new season, but the same results. Moss should have a field day this week playing the Bears in Minnesota. Last year against Chicago, Moss had over 300 yards receiving in two games. Look for Moss to easily hit the 100 yards receiving mark with at least one TD.

2. Marcus Robinson- Another big game this week is in store for Marcus Robinson. Robinson will burn the Vikings secondary the same way he did last season. Last year, Robinson had almost 250 yards receiving and two TDs in two games against the Vikings. Things should go well this week for Robinson, as he should top 100 yards receiving and at least one TD.

3. Marvin Harrison- Harrison looks to be another good start this week. This week he plays against the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs have a pretty good defense, but Harrison should be able to hit the 100-yard mark. Also, look for one score from Harrison.

4. Isaac Bruce- Bruce and the St. Louis Rams play a home game this week against the Denver Broncos. The Rams will be playing a very beatable Denver secondary. Bruce should be in for a good game, going for over 100 yards receiving and one score.

5. Michael Westbrook- Last season, Westbrook and the Redskins had a huge game against the Carolina Panthers. That shouldn’t change this year either, as Brad Johnson will air it out often. Look for Westbrook to have great numbers this week, as he is a lock for 100 yards receiving and one TD.

Other Quality Starters This Week-

Albert Connell- Connell had well over 100 yards receiving and two TDs last season against the Panthers. That shouldn’t change this year either.

Jimmy Smith- Smith and the Jaguars go against on of the worst defenses in the AFC this week. Even without a quality running back, Smith should still have a very good game.

Sleeper of the Week-

Peerless Price- With the loss of Andre Reed this past offseason due to being released, Price jumps up to the number two receiver on the Buffalo Bills. Look for Eric Moulds to get double-teamed a lot this game leaving Price one on one with a cornerback. Price could put up some pretty good numbers this week.

TIGHT ENDS-

1. Tony Gonzalez- Last season, Gonzalez was the best tight end in the NFL. Look for that to continue this season, as Gonzalez goes against the Colts this week. Look for many receptions this week for Gonzalez, possibly scoring one TD and having around 75 yards receiving.

2. Shannon Sharpe- This week, Sharpe goes against a poor Steelers defense. The Ravens improved a lot this offseason and Sharpe is one of those improved players. Look for Shannon Sharpe to have a great debut as he should have around 50 yards receiving and one score.

3. Wesley Walls- Walls, one of the best tight ends in the NFL, will go against a much improved Washington defense this week. With the loss of Patrick Jeffers, due to a season ending knee injury, Walls becomes a bigger part of the Panther offense. Look for Walls to continue to have good games, possibly catching at least one TD and having 60 yards receiving.

4. Ricky Dudley- This week, Dudley goes up against a pretty good defense in the San Diego Chargers. Last season, Dudley had three TDs in two games against the Chargers. Look for this to continue as Dudley should score once and be around the 40 yards receiving mark.

5. Stephen Alexander- Alexander and the high-powered Redskins offense face a pretty bad defense in the Panthers this week. Last season, Brad Johnson threw four TDs against the Panthers defense. Look for Alexander to get around 40 yards receiving and possibly a score.

Sleeper of the Week-

Dave Moore- Moore and the Buccaneers will be going up north to face the Patriots in Foxboro. Shaun King should have an OK game, but might look to Moore a lot this game. Moore and Warrick Dunn look to be Kings’ two safety blankets when he gets in trouble. Moore could be in for a decent game this week.

DEFENSES AND SPECIAL TEAMS-

1. Jacksonville- This week Jacksonville goes up against an awful Cleveland Browns offense. Tim Couch has not looked good in preseason and Kevin Johnson has been bothered by a hamstring injury for almost a month now. Look for a good defensive game by Jacksonville forcing many turnovers.

2. Tampa Bay- This week, the number three overall defense from a year ago, goes against an offense that barely has a passing game and no rushing game. The Bucs have one of the stingiest defenses in the league and the Patriots should be no match for Tampa Bay. Look for a big game from Sapp and Company.

3. St. Louis- This looks to be another good match-up this week if you have the Rams. The Rams are at home this week against the Denver Broncos. St. Louis is tough against the run and Terrell Davis makes his long awaited return after his knee surgery. Look for a good defensive game for the Rams, possibly scoring a TD.

4. Tennessee- The Titans defense was ranked number one from a year ago, and this week they face the Bills in Buffalo. The Bills have Rob Johnson starting at quarterback this year with Peerless Price moving up to the number two receiver spot. Look for Jevon Kearse and the rest of the Titan defense to come up big in this game.

5. Washington- In the offseason, Washington vastly improved their defense and we will see what they look like this week when they face the Carolina Panthers. Look for the Washington defense to get a lot of pressure on Beuerlein. Maybe a defensive TD from Deion is a possibility.

Other Quality Starts This Week-

Baltimore- The Ravens defense this week goes against an awful Pittsburgh offense. Kent Graham gets the nod at starting quarterback this week, but the Ravens defense should still be able to put a lot of pressure on him. Look for the Baltimore defense to get their share of sacks and a couple of turnovers.

Sleeper Pick of the Week-

Dallas- Even though the Cowboys probably have some of the worst cornerbacks in the league, the Cowboys defense could do pretty well this week. First off, the weather in “Big D” has been down right hot. The Dallas area has had over 30 days straight with temps over 100 degrees. That does not favor the Eagles at all. Even though Dallas has no cornerbacks, the Eagles have no good wide recievers. The only person that looks good in this game is Duce Staley. Look for the Dallas defense to pressure Donovan McNabb a lot this game and get a few sacks and maybe an interception or two. Also, look for newly acquired Joey Galloway to return punts. Anything can happen.