The NFL is finally back, and with that comes fantasy football. This is our first fantasy football start sit: week 1 edition. It is easy to just start your highest draft players at each position. However, there are some matchups that starting caliber players don't match up favorably against, and conversely there are great matchups for guys that will be bench players most weeks. This becomes a little difficult because there is not any data from 2022. So what I try to look at are teams that haven't had a ton of change from a coaching staff and player personnel stand point. Teams that have had complete overhauls in those categories are going to be more difficult to forecast.
Looking back at 2021, the bottom 5 passing defenses were the Ravens, Seahawks, Jets, Commanders, and Vikings. The Ravens lost their DC, and had their entire secondary on IR half way through the season. Seattle didn't change much on the defensive side of the ball. The Jets bring in a new DC, and added Sauce Gardner with the 4th overall pick. Washington- like the Seahawks- didn't do much on the defensive side of the ball. And Minnesota lost about half of their defensive starters, and have moved on from the Mike Zimmer era in favor of Kevin O'Connell.
I will stay away from the obvious plays. If you drafted Najee Harris, you should leave him in your starting lineup, even though the Bengals were a top-5 defense against the run in 2022. Same goes for a guy like Stephon Diggs for Buffalo who could see a lot of action going up against Jalen Ramsey. Let's get into fantasy football start sit: week 1 of the NFL season.
Start: Derrek Carr- QB LV
The Raiders take on the Chargers in a game that should be a shootout. Las Vegas (the casinos) are telling us this will be an offensive show. The total of 52 points is a half a point away from being the highest point total on the board this week. Even though LA added Khalil Mack and JC Jackson this offseason, the Raiders will need to score to stay in this game. Carr is a better option than Matthew Stafford and Kirk Cousins.
Sit: Matthew Stafford- QB LAR
There are a few things going against a big time performance for Stafford against the Bills. The first is his elbow. Adam Schefter tweeted out that his elbow is fine, but I need to see it before I believe it. Also, the Bills have some serious pass rushers that will get after #9. There are better options this week.
Start- Antonio Gibson- RB WAS
Gibson was catching some heat when most drafts were going on. He was on punt protection in practice- something starting RB's don't do in the NFL, and rookie Brian Robinson was looking like the guy to take Gibson's job. But since then Robinson was shot- thankfully he is okay- and Gibson has reemerged as the starting back in Washington. He has a great matchup against the Jags this weekend.
Sit: Clyde Edwards-Helaire- RB KC
He's got a decent matchup against the Cardinals, but there are real question marks in the Chiefs backfield. I need to see how CEH is used before I would feel comfortable starting him. Watch out for rookie RB Isiah Pacheco's usage compared to Edwards-Helaire.
Start: Hunter Renfrow- WR LV
Think about it. JC Jackson will be locked onto Adams all afternoon. Darren Waller will be shadowed by Derwin James. That leaves Renfrow working one-on-one matchups vs the Chargers 3rd best coverage guy. He will nickle and dime his way to over 100 yards on 8 catches.
Sit: Tyler Lockett- WR SEA
Lockett feasted on broken plays with Russell Wilson at the helm. Russ has now changed into Geno Smith. By October I don't think Lockett carries much value as a bench player- let alone a starting receiver of flex option.
Start: Cole Kmet- TE CHI
Kmet looks like he is becoming a safety blanket for second year quarterback Justin Fields. The Bears figure to be trailing in a lot of games this year- and this weekend against a good 49ers team.
Sit: David Njoku- TE CLE
Njuko is a beast physically. However this beast has Jacoby Brissett throwing hi the ball against a Carolina secondary that was sneaky good last year allowing the 4th fewing passing yards last season.
National Beer Lover’s Day : Beer Commercial Trivia on Wiki-Pete-ia.
Today is National Beer Lover's Day . And we like beer on the Shemon and Sheppard Show. So today we will quiz Pete on famous beer commercials over the years for Wiki-Pete-ia.
In case you are not fortunate enough to be lucky caller number nine at 239-337-ESPN, then you are in luck! Play at home and dazzle your family! Stump your co-workers with useless knowledge! Amaze your friends with your newfound intelligence! Below are the actual questions AND ANSWERS heard during Wiki-Pete-ia on our show.
In honor of National Beer Lover's Day , we'd like to point out a lot of time, money, and creativity is put into marketing campaigns for national beer companies. There are so many beers to choose from that these companies must go the extra mile in order to make their product stand out above the rest. A common theme among beer commercials shows vibrant attractive people enjoying life to the max because they are holding a beer can in their hand. The message is: If you drink our beer your life will be amazing. Some of these commercials are really good and become memorable classics over time. So, with that in mind we will do Famous Beer Commercial Trivia for Wiki-Pete-ia. Good luck to you!
