The New Orleans Saints' defense and special teams have one of the strongest Week 1 matchups as they face the Carolina Panthers. Although Pete Werner (shoulder), Willie Gay Jr. (back), and Marshon Lattimore (hip) are on the injury report, all three should be good to go on Sunday. New Orleans remains one of the stronger defensive units in the league, and performed strongly in both matchups with Carolina a season ago. Start the Saints' defense in Week 1.

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Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice will likely not miss any time during the 2024 season as he awaits a trial date for his felony charges of street racing, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Florio reports that a guilty plea in 2024 is unlikely as Rice has no official trial date. Florio's sources express that since the trial will not happen until December (at the earliest), there is no urgency to reach a plea deal. Florio further emphasized that Rice will likely be suspended at some time, but it is hard to picture that he will miss time this season. Fantasy managers who have Rice on their team should continue to follow any updates regarding his legal issues throughout the season in case he does miss time. After being a league-winner down the stretch last season, the 24-year-old continued his breakout run by catching seven passes for 103 yards in the season opener on Thursday. Rice should continue to be a lineup lock for the foreseeable future as he is shaping up to be Patrick Mahomes' go-to option in the passing game.

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New Orleans Saints tight end Juwan Johnson opened camp up on the PUP list, but is now fully recovered from his June foot surgery. Johnson had a down season a year ago, finishing as the TE26 overall. The veteran is available in many leagues, but could emerge as a consistent target earner behind Chris Olave. He grades as a low-end TE2 for Week 1, making him a very deep option, but the matchup with Carolina is not a great one for tight ends. Leave Johnson on the waiver wire for now, but monitor his Week 1 target share.

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New Orleans Saints tight end Taysom Hill showed in the preseason that he again will be used in the Saints' offense, creating headaches for fantasy managers. Hill is a high-end TE2 in Week 1 against Carolina, whose porous rush defense may open up opportunities for Hill to find the endzone. He likely won't pay off without a touchdown but is a solid tight end flier if your team lacks one of the top options. Hill's red zone usage will determine if he can be a viable fantasy option after he finished as the TE10 a season ago.

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Two new safeties, the loss of a key pass-rusher, and a linebacker on Injured Reserve. This is not the same Buffalo DST that finished third in fantasy football scoring a season ago. Taylor Rapp and Damar Hamlin take over for longtime starting safeties Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer. Pass rusher Leonard Floyd moved to the Bay Area and linebacker Matt Milano (bicep) will miss most of the season with an injury. The coaching staff won't have the luxury of easing new faces into the starting lineup. While the Arizona Cardinals didn't improve their defense, the offense should take a big step forward. Kyler Murray is another season removed from an ACL tear and they added a number-one receiver (Marvin Harrison Jr.) through the NFL Draft. Add in running back James Conner and tight end Trey McBride and this offense has more than enough firepower to put up points. The Bills are a middle-of-the-pack DST for Week 1. Fantasy managers should be able to find another streaming option (Seattle, Atlanta, or Cincinnati) to plug and play in Week 1.

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New Orleans Saints' second-year kicker Blake Grupe is an option at the kicker position heading into Week 1's tout with the Carolina Panthers. Grupe had a solid rookie season, converting 30-of-37 field goal attempts with a long of 55 yards. The Notre Dame product finished the season strong and will look to carry over his late-season success into Week 1. Carolina allowed the fourteenth-most points to kickers a season ago, making it a solid matchup for Grupe.

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The one returning Buffalo Bill at the position, Khalil Shakir could become the top wide receiver option for Josh Allen in 2024. While he may be the betting favorite, the target distribution in Buffalo is one of the biggest question marks for fantasy football. Shakir, Curtis Samuel, and rookie Keon Coleman were all selected late in fantasy football drafts. Shakir will operate primarily out of the slot, giving him a safe PPR floor against a shaky Arizona defense. It's hard to project Shakir or any other wideouts booming in the team's season opener. Allen will spread the ball around while they establish a hierarchy. Because of the uncertainty, Shakir can be left on benches as a WR4 in most league formats and sizes. But if there's one Buffalo wide receiver to start in Week 1, it's Shakir.

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New Orleans Saints receiver Rashid Shaheed has been dealing with a foot injury over the past couple of weeks, but the third-year speedster avoided the injury report heading into Week 1's matchup against the Carolina Panthers. Shaheed could see a more consistent target share than he has in years past with Michael Thomas no longer on the roster, but he remains a boom-or-bust option until he proves otherwise. Against a Carolina defense that is favorable to the run game, Shaheed is best left on benches as a stash.

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Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase was spotted at practice on Friday ahead of the team's Week 1 matchup against the New England Patriots. Despite his lengthy training camp hold-in, Chase appears on track to play Sunday. However, Tee Higgins showed up on the injury report on Thursday with a hamstring injury. After being a limited participant on Thursday, Higgins wasn't out on the field at the start of Friday's practice. Going from a limited participant to a non-participant this late in the week likely means he won't play on Sunday. Jermaine Burton and Andrei Iosivas would benefit if Higgins misses Sunday's contest.

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The Buffalo Bills completely revamped their wide receiver room over the offseason, with one of the notable additions being Curtis Samuel. The do-it-all wideout has been good for at least 50 receptions in every season since 2019 (excluding a season-ending injury early in 2021) and a handful of carries out of the backfield. A turf toe injury has kept Samuel from fully participating in training camp and building a rapport with new quarterback Josh Allen. He's practicing in full leading up to the matchup against the Arizona Cardinals. Still, there's too much uncertainty in target distribution in upstate New York. Dalton Kincaid, Khalil Shakir, Keon Coleman, and Samuel are all competing to be the top dog in Buffalo. Samuel is worth a bench spot in fantasy football while we wait to see who Allen favors to target, but shouldn't be started in the meantime.

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New Orleans Saints veteran running back Alvin Kamara is set to handle his typical workload on Sunday as he suits up to face the Carolina Panthers. With New Orleans favored, it is possible that we see them stick to the ground game against the divisional rival. Carolina's rush defense surrendered the 10th most yards in the league a season ago, and may have even more holes heading into 2024. With Kendre Miller (hamstring) on the injured reserve and Jamaal Williams coming off of a down year, Kamara should be set to dominate touches. He is a low-end RB1 in Week 1 in a plus matchup.

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New Orleans Saints receiver Chris Olave should once again be set to lead the receiving room in 2024 after the departure of the oft-injured Michael Thomas. Olave was commonly selected in Round 2 of fantasy drafts this draft season, making it likely that he will be thrust into starting lineups in Week 1. Expectations should be tempered, as Carolina offers a strong matchup on the ground but a weaker matchup for receivers. Olave is in WR2 territory entering his season debut, and is the favorite to lead the team in targets.

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New Orleans Saints' quarterback Derek Carr finished as the QB16 overall last season after some impressive games down the stretch. To kick off 2024, he will face a Carolina defense that has many holes. The matchup still isn't beautiful, as both of these teams like to win through their defense and we could be faced with a lower-scoring game. Carr grades as a low-end QB2 in Week 1, as he has a safe floor but does not offer much of a ceiling. There are likely better options available in leagues where you can start multiple quarterbacks.

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How will the target share be spread out in Buffalo? That's the question many fantasy managers are asking as we approach the Bills' season opener. Tight end Dalton Kincaid is projected to lead the team, with receivers Keon Coleman, Khalil Shakir, and Curtis Samuel not far behind. Coleman, a second-round pick, is unlike the other two receivers. He's a big body who can develop into a deep threat. He struggles with separation, an issue that could impact him early, even against a weak Arizona secondary. The key is whether Josh Allen and the rookie have developed enough chemistry and timing to get the football where Coleman can make a play. It wouldn't be a big surprise to see Coleman break off a long reception in his NFL debut, but it's a risky gamble. It's safer for fantasy managers to watch how the target and snap shares shake out before inserting Coleman into starting lineups.

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With 241 targets vacated between the now-departed Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis, tight end Dalton Kincaid takes the title of Buffalo's top receiver. When Kincaid was given the starting job midway through last season, he secured at least five receptions in every matchup from Weeks 7 through 14. He finished second on the team in targets (91). Rookie Keon Coleman, Khalil Shakir, and Curtis Samuel are his primary target competitors in year two. The sportsbooks are banking on the talented second-year professional improving and adding more offensive responsibility to his plate in 2024. He's the betting favorite to lead the Bills in receptions and yards on Sunday. The breakout candidate was drafted as a TE1 in fantasy football and should be started as such against the Cardinals.

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When Josh Allen wasn't poaching touchdowns from James Cook in 2023, it was 33-year-old Latavius Murray. The veteran logged 17 carries inside the 10 and 11 inside the five-yard line. That role is now projected to be filled by rookie Ray Davis, a fourth-round pick out of Kentucky. The 24-year-old scored 14 touchdowns in his senior season and has the size to finish runs in the red zone. He'll open the season behind James Cook and Ty Johnson on the depth chart. The backups will split a limited amount of touches in Week 1, depending on the situation. Without a healthy amount of opportunities, Davis will need to find paydirt to turn a respectable fantasy football debut. He's a bench stash until proven otherwise.

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There's little concern for the top quarterback in fantasy football in Week 1. Josh Allen, who finished as the QB1 in three of the last four seasons, will face off against the Arizona Cardinals at home. While the Cardinals' offense has improved from a year ago, the defense remains a work in progress. The roster is devoid of quality pass rushers. Allen should have all day to throw the football, letting his new receiving corps shake the secondary. He ranked second in clean pocket accuracy rating in 2023. Rookie Keon Coleman, Curtis Samuel, and Khalil Shakir are tasked with replacing Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis. Tight end Dalton Kincaid will also be heavily involved. There's no reason to shy away from Allen in Week 1.

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Buffalo Bills running back James Cook is again opening the season as the lead back in Buffalo. Despite concerns over touches near the endzone, Cook should be started in all fantasy football leagues. A low touchdown total (six) was the only blemish from Cook's RB12 finish from a season ago. He totaled 1,567 yards and caught 44 passes, despite only playing more than 70% of the team's snaps once. Cook could be even more involved in the passing game in 2024, with two of Buffalo's top target earners (Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis) on other rosters. The Cardinals ranked dead last in rushing yards allowed to running backs in 2023 (2,027) and surrendered eight receiving touchdowns to the position, the most in the NFL. Even if Cook is vultured by Josh Allen or rookie Ray Davis in the red zone, it should still be a productive day for fantasy football.

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Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews turned in a very quiet game during the 20-27 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday. The veteran only received two targets and he caught both of them for 14 yards. The hot hand at tight end in this game went to Isaiah Likely who received 12 targets compared to Andrews' two. A silver lining for fantasy managers is that Andrews still played more snaps and ran more routes than Likely in this game, so his opportunities will likely remain high as the season progresses. According to PFF, he played 59 snaps and ran 38 routes compared to Likely's 53 snaps and 35 routes. Andrews might not be the target sponge he once was, but that remains to be seen while the Ravens take on the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 2 looking for a bounce-back win.

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Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers received about as many touches as expected but couldn't turn it into many fantasy points in the 20-27 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Flowers had a lot of manufactured touches in the form of short passes, runs, and catches behind the line of scrimmage. That turned into 10 targets, six receptions, and 37 yards while taking two carries for 14 yards. For the most part, he was bottled up by Trent McDuffie while Lamar Jackson was running more often than not to escape pressure. Flowers will likely find more space to operate as the season progresses, but it remains to be seen if there will be more play calls to send him further down the field.

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