Fantasy Football: 5 Major sleepers with tasty Week 1 matchups
It’s time for Week 1 of the 2022 NFL season, which means it’s time to finally and officially set your fantasy football lineups for the first time this year. Without any sample size, everyone is working off of preseason projections and some of last year’s tendencies. You’ve spent the last handful of months pouring over your fantasy football lineup and everyone wants to get off to a hot start.
The question is, are there any players that should undoubtedly be in your lineup this week that you — or others — could be overlooking? What fantasy football sleepers for Week 1 of the season could be the difference between winning and losing? Between having the highest score of the week or regretting keeping certain guys on your bench?
Let’s take a look through five players — a QB, RB, two WRs, and a TE — that are fantasy football sleepers with great matchups ahead in Week 1.
NFL Week 1 fantasy football sleeper at QB: Trevor Lawrence, Jaguars
Trevor Lawrence. 1. 52. QB. Jaguars. player. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis
Trevor Lawrence Week 1 matchup: @ Washington Commanders
Trevor Lawrence is one of my top candidates to have a breakout season in 2022, and I think we’re going to get the chance to see a glimpse of that in Week 1 against the Washington Commanders. Calling Lawrence, the top pick in last year’s NFL Draft, a breakout candidate is hardly a bold prediction, but you can see the writing on the wall for this one. Doug Pederson has replaced Urban Meyer as the team’s head coach. The Jaguars simply functioning as a normal NFL franchise should be enough for the former Clemson superstar to excel.
According to ESPN’s weekly rankings, Lawrence is currently their QB21, behind even the likes of Daniel Jones. I think that’s an absolute crock, considering this is a Commanders defense that was dead last in the NFL last season in passing touchdowns allowed. They were 29th against the pass overall, and they still don’t have Chase Young back from his injury.
Yes, Washington has an impressive and talented defensive front seven, but that unit is relatively incomplete without its best player. Lawrence has a much better offensive system, play caller, and overall weapons around him in 2022 and I think he’ll feast in Week 1.