With Week 1 comes one of the most stressful weeks on the fantasy football schedule. Sure, the end of the season has much higher stakes, but guessing how players will perform in the first week of the season is a little bit of a crapshoot.
While both the Miami Dolphins and the Indianapolis Colts have seen some changes to their roster, the good news for those trying to forecast is that the two teams played just last year. Last season, though, Miami quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was out with an injury, and the Colts won with a shaky performance.
Tagovailoa’s presence should help the Miami offense substantially, but they don’t have an easy game ahead. The Indianapolis defensive line is just as good as it was last year and the secondary added a few notable names to the depth chart.
Here are seven players from the Week 1 game between the Dolphins and Colts that could help or hurt your fantasy lineup:
START: RB De’Von Achane, Dolphins
Unless you have a stacked running back room, it would be hard to justify benching De’Von Achane, especially this early in the season.
Achane is one of the premier running backs in fantasy football, and with Jaylen Wright dealing with an injury, rookie Ollie Gordon II is set to be Achane’s backup. His situation with the team lends him to be heavily relied on, especially as the team looks to find its footing in Week 1.
The issue, though, is the defense Miami is facing. The Colts have a good secondary, but their defensive front is even better. Achane has the speed to get around the edge, which will be crucial against the Colts.
Grover Stewart and DeForest Buckner will undoubtedly make their presence known in the interior. Plus, Zaire Franklin at linebacker has the ability to track down most running backs in the middle of the field.
If Achane can get around Kwity Paye and Laiatu Latu on the edge, he could have a productive day; if he doesn’t, he won’t have many places to go. Regardless, he’s the caliber of fantasy football player that’s hard to sit.
SIT: QB Tua Tagovailoa, Dolphins
Tagovailoa didn’t play in last season’s meeting, so there’s reason to think the Dolphins offense will be way more productive this time around. The duo of Tyler Huntley and Tim Boyle struggled to get much going, but this is Tagovailoa’s team.
The offense is far more competent with the former first-round pick under center. But the Colts’ defense has taken another step this offseason. The defensive line was and will be one of the best in the league. It’s the secondary that saw major improvements with Charvarius Ward and Xavien Howard joining the Colts.
The Dolphins receivers are talented, but Indianapolis should prove tough enough that there would be better options at quarterback, especially in smaller leagues.
START: WR Tyreek Hill, Dolphins
Tyreek Hill should almost always be a start in a fantasy lineup. But although he’s talented enough to earn the title of a must-start, last season showed he’s not immune to bad quarterback play.
Hill had a down year last year, and the Indianapolis defense looks like it could be one of the best in the league.
Hill likely won’t match up with Kenny Moore II, which could help, but Ward and Howard are still notable matchups. They just aren’t good enough to send Hill to the bench. If any Dolphins receiver is worth betting on, it’s still Hill.
SIT: WR Malik Washington, Dolphins
Most fantasy football players wouldn’t think of starting Malik Washington in a standard 12-team league. But for those in deeper fantasy football leagues, this isn’t the week to test Washington in your starting lineup.
Perhaps the best defensive back in Indianapolis, Moore, is likely to see a lot of time against Washington unless he’s moved around the field to match up with Hill or Jaylen Waddle. If he spends most of his time in the slot, he’ll be lined up across from Washington plenty, which isn’t a favorable matchup for the Dolphins.
SIT: DE Bradley Chubb, Dolphins
While most leagues only include offensive players, players in IDP leagues should be wary of Bradley Chubb. The last time Chubb was on the field, he looked great. But that was two seasons ago.
Chubb is undeniably a great talent, but he’ll probably need a few games to get back to his normal level of play. Plus, Miami also has Jaelan Phillips and Chop Robinson, who are best on the edge.
Chubb might not be a big part of the game plan early.
START: WRs Michael Pittman Jr and Josh Downs, Colts
Until proven otherwise, the Dolphins’ secondary is the glaring weakness of the defense. The team has capable linebackers and a solid defensive line, but the secondary could struggle all season.
Downs has broken out as potentially the go-to receiver in Indianapolis and Pittman has, at points, looked like one of the most underrated pass catchers in the league.
With the newly acquired Minkah Fitzpatrick over the top of the defense and Daniel Jones earning the start for the Colts, it’s not Alec Pierce that is poised to boom. Pittman and Downs both excel in the short and intermediate areas of the field, and that’s where Jones earned his money in New York.