NFL Week 1 latest buzz, fantasy tips and upset predictions - ESPN

Week 1 of the 2023 NFL season is finally here, and league insiders Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano are here to break down the biggest questions, latest news and notable buzz heading into the season opener. Plus, they pick out which teams are on upset watch and which players should — or shouldn't — be in your fantasy football lineups.

Which team could be a playoff surprise? Who will break out this season? Will we see a veteran quarterback bounce back, and which rookie passer could stand out right away? Plus, what's the latest on lingering holdouts and looming contract negotiations? It's all here, as Dan and Jeremy answer big questions and empty their reporting notebooks with everything they've heard heading into Week 1.

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Playoff surprises | Breakout candidates
Rookie QBs | Veteran QBs
Upset picks | Fantasy tips | Latest buzz

Graziano: I got the Atlanta Falcons. I think the Saints are the favorites to win the NFC South, but (a) that's no guarantee, and (b) the division's team schedules look soft enough on paper that it's possible it sends more than one team to the playoffs. It's about time for the high-end draft picks the Falcons have been making on offense to click. And while a lot of this depends on quarterback Desmond Ridder being as good as Atlanta seems to believe he is, there is a fair bit of offensive talent on that roster around him. If nothing else, the Falcons should be fun to watch.

Fowler: Good call, Dan. Coach Arthur Smith and general manager Terry Fontenot aggressively improved the roster through free agency and the trade market, and the NFC South is open to just about anybody.

I'll take the Washington Commanders. Washington returns the core of a top-three defense that features an elite line. The offense