It’s time for our weekly fantasy football stock watch, where we identify which players are sizzling and which ones are fizzling on the fantasy football Value Meter.
Week 1 is always the most difficult to project because most NFL teams are reluctant to show anything but the most basic concepts in preseason. Heck, some of the best players in the league haven’t even seen any game action yet.
But this is our opportunity to point fantasy football managers in the right direction so they can stay ahead of developing trends and make smart decisions on the road to a fantasy league title.
WANNA BET? Here are the best mobile sports betting apps in 2024
Rising fantasy football values
PLAY TO WIN $5K: USA TODAY’s Pro Football Survivor Pool is free to enter. Sign up now!
WR Keon Coleman, Buffalo Bills: The Bills parted ways with starters Gabe Davis and Stefon Diggs in the offseason, opening the door for a new group of receivers. Coleman was drafted out of Michigan State, and WR Khalil Shakir figures to be his biggest competition. Coleman could emerge as a WR1 right off the bat if he gains QB Josh Allen’s trust early.
Falling fantasy football values
QB JustinHerbert, Los Angeles Chargers: There are a lot of changes for Herbert, and none are good. New coach John Harbaugh and OC Greg Roman have a history of a run-first approach. Herbert also lost dependable WR Keenan Allen via trade, and he is nursing a foot injury. It could be a slow start for the signal-caller.
RB Jerome Ford, Cleveland Browns: Ford will be tasked with RB1 duties in Cleveland to start, as Nick Chubb isn’t quite ready to return from his knee injury. Ford might stall against a Dallas Cowboys rush defense which allowed 4.2 yards per carry and only 14 rushing scores in 2023.
The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast.Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.