Week 1 of the fantasy football season is more about player usage than schemes or game plans. Sure, the coaching matters, and so do the individual matchups. But when we set our lineups for this week, we want to base it on the volume and scoring opportunities for the players we just drafted, right?
Create a league and customize league size, scoring and rules to play in the league you want to play in.
Create a league today!
Yes, Week 1 numbers aren't necessarily a projection of a player's value for the remainder of the season. We know that. But they do give us a stronger sense of player deployment and situational roles, which is information we need to make lineup decisions moving forward. And when I look at this week's slate of games, I have a lot of questions for the 2025 season.
We can talk backfield rotations here, a quarterback's projected upside in a new system or the rookies in position to produce early. Let's start in Chicago with quarterback Caleb Williams, new head coach Ben Johnson and an offense that has the players to potentially produce multiple fantasy starters.
I don't expect the Week 1 matchup versus the Minnesota Vikings defense to be a true indicator of what this offense will be under Johnson this season. Remember, Minnesota led the NFL with a blitz rate of 38.4% last season, and coordinator Brian Flores is excellent at creating post-snap chaos with his fronts and pressures. He will speed up the internal clock for Williams, making his first start in a new system.
Williams, whom I see as a fringe QB1 in 12-team leagues, averaged 15.0 PPG as a rookie while showing flashes of his playmaking traits. Now you add Johnson's playcalling and coaching to the mix, plus upgrades on the offensive front.
So, can
Read more on espn.com
espn.com
