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Dynasty $500 - FFL: Week 1 | NFL: Week 1

Justin Fields to start for Steelers as Russell Wilson ailing

Sun Sep 8 11:54am ET
Field Level Media

Justin Fields will start for the Pittsburgh Steelers in the season opener in Atlanta, the team announced 90 minutes before kickoff on Sunday.

Fields got the nod against the Falcons over Russell Wilson, who was placed on the inactive list as he deals with an ongoing calf issue.

The Steelers brought in the veteran Wilson and Fields, entering his fourth season, to battle to replace the traded Kenny Pickett. Head coach Mike Tomlin named Wilson as the starter, but the training camp calf injury has slowed Wilson.

Wilson was limited in practice on both Thursday and Friday with calf tightness and was listed as questionable on the injury report.

Wilson, 35, was named to the Pro Bowl in nine of his 10 seasons (2012-21) with the Seattle Seahawks. Traded to the Denver Broncos before the 2022 season in a blockbuster deal, Wilson went 11-19 as a starter with Denver and was released earlier this year.

In 188 career starts, Wilson has posted a 115-72-1 record. He's thrown for 43,653 yards and 334 touchdowns to go with 106 interceptions and has engineered 39 game-winning drives.

He has also rushed for 5,307 yards and added 29 touchdowns.

Fields was the No. 11 overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft by the Bears, but Chicago decided to move on from the 25-year-old after three seasons.

He has a 10-28 record in 40 games (38 starts) and has thrown for 6,674 yards with 40 TDs and 30 interceptions. He has rushed for 2,220 yards and 14 scores.

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Starts/Sits: Week 1

Player Notes
DeAndre Hopkins Sep 8 10:50am CT
DeAndre Hopkins

As expected, Tennessee Titans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins (knee) is officially active for the Week 1 contest on Sunday in Chicago at Soldier Field against the Bears. Hopkins suffered what he described as an MCL tear in his knee in the preseason and missed some time in training camp as a result, but he had enough time to heal up before the regular-season opener and is expected to have a big role against what was a stingy Bears defense last year. The 32-year-old Hopkins is likely to see plenty of All-Pro cornerback Jaylon Johnson and will also have more target competition in 2024 from Calvin Ridley. It may be harder for Nuk to post his eighth career 1,000-yard season this year, but he still has weekly fantasy appeal as a WR4/flex play.

From RotoBaller

Brock Purdy Sep 8 10:50am CT
Brock Purdy

San Francisco 49ers left tackle Trent Williams is expected to play a "full complement of snaps" on Monday night against the New York Jets, according to NFL Network's Mike Garafolo. There had been some concern that Williams' holdout, which ran into the start of September, could have put him behind in preparation for Week 1. However, it sounds like he'll be 100 percent. As Garafolo notes, it's difficult rotating left tackles in and out of the game, so having Williams for every snap is in the 49ers' best interest. Of course, his track record speaks for itself. He's regarded as one of the NFL's best linemen, so his presence bodes well for the likes of Brock Purdy, Christian McCaffrey, and others.

From RotoBaller

CeeDee Lamb Sep 8 10:50am CT
CeeDee Lamb

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb gained an extra 10 to 12 points during the offseason. He "looks jacked and [is] in really good shape," according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. Fresh off his contract extension, Lamb is active for Week 1 and expected to have a full workload. He'll continue to catch passes from Dak Prescott, who was also rewarded with a lucrative new deal on Sunday morning. Even against a solid Browns defense, Lamb remains a high-end WR1 for fantasy purposes.

From RotoBaller

Tyreek Hill Sep 8 10:50am CT
Tyreek Hill

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill is officially active for the Week 1 regular-season opener on Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Hill was pulled over and detained by police on his way to the stadium on Sunday for reckless driving but was released and will play in the season opener. Apparently, the 30-year-old was in a rush to get to the field and get his 2024 campaign started. Despite dealing with a thumb injury late in training camp and missing some practice time, the Cheetah is 100% good to go for the first game against the Jags and should be firmly locked into all starting fantasy lineups as an elite, high-end WR1. Hill last year led the NFL in receiving yards (1,799), touchdowns (13) and yards per game (112.4) and has excellent chemistry with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.

From RotoBaller

M.J. Stewart Sep 8 10:43am CT
M.J. Stewart

The Houston Texans have declared LB Jamal Hill, WR John Metchie, RB Cam Akers, CB M.J. Stewart and OG Nick Broeker inactive for Week 1.

From TheHuddle

Russell Wilson Sep 8 10:43am CT
Russell Wilson

The Pittsburgh Steelers have declared WR Roman Wilson, S Jalen Elliott, QB Russell Wilson, DE Dean Lowry and OG Isaac Seumalo inactive for Week 1.

From TheHuddle

Dak Prescott Sep 8 10:40am CT
Dak Prescott

The Dallas Cowboys and quarterback Dak Prescott are finalizing a four-year, $240 million extension with $231 million guaranteed, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. The deal comes less than five hours before Dallas opens its season on the road against the Cleveland Browns. Prescott led the Cowboys to a 12-5 record last year, completing 69.5 percent of his passes for 4,516 yards, 36 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. He has continued to support major production from his wide receiver group, headlined by CeeDee Lamb. Lamb inked an extension last week, so Dallas has officially locked up its star receiver-quarterback duo through 2028. Lamb remains a high-end WR1 in fantasy football while Prescott is a mid-to-low QB1.

From RotoBaller

Justin Fields Sep 8 10:40am CT
Justin Fields

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Justin Fields will start against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 1, according to NFL Network's Mike Garafolo. This means that Russell Wilson (calf), who had been listed as questionable, will either be inactive or only available off the bench in an emergency situation. While Wilson won the starting job out of camp, it was not an easy decision for the Steelers, who are confident in both quarterbacks' abilities to start in the NFL. Fields can elevate the offense with his rushing poise; he's rushed for 1,800 yards over his last two seasons (28 games). His rushing upside vaults him into the low-end QB1 tier this year, but managers should remember that he can be susceptible to turnovers.

From RotoBaller

Roschon Johnson Sep 8 10:40am CT
Roschon Johnson

Chicago Bears running back Roschon Johnson and wide receiver Tyler Scott are both healthy scratches for Week 1 against the Tennessee Titans. This news offers some insight into the Bears' offensive pecking order this year, with Johnson's absence being particularly interesting. He was a fourth-round pick in 2023 and made a solid impression as a rookie last year, but the Bears will opt for Travis Homer as their third-string running back behind starter D'Andre Swift and backup Khalil Herbert. Scott's absence is less of a surprise but still noteworthy considering he played 17 games in 2023 and is coming off a solid preseason. Regardless of Scott's availability, DJ Moore, Keenan Allen, and Rome Odunze are locked in as the Bears' top three receivers.

From RotoBaller

Dak Prescott Sep 8 10:33am CT
Dak Prescott

Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott agreed to terms on a four-year contract extension with the Cowboys Sunday, Sept. 8, worth $240 million. The deal includes $231 million in guaranteed money.

Fantasy Spin: Prescott will be the Cowboys quarterback for the foreseeable future and will look to have another productive season in 2024. He likely will be a low-end No. 1 fantasy quarterback most weeks.

From TheHuddle

Dawuane Smoot Sep 8 10:33am CT
Dawuane Smoot

The Buffalo Bills have declared LB Javon Solomon, LB Joe Andreessen, DE Dawuane Smoot, LB Edefuan Ulofoshio, S Cole Bishop, OT Ryan Van Demark and OG Sedrick Van Pran-Granger inactive for Week 1.

From TheHuddle

Ricky Pearsall Sep 8 10:30am CT
Ricky Pearsall

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall (chest) is expected to return as soon as he's eligible in Week 5, according to NFL Network's Mike Garafolo. The first-round rookie is currently on the non-football injury list after being shot during an armed robbery attempt. Garafolo notes that Pearsall was back in the facilities and wanted to play in Week 1 against the Jets, but the 49ers opted to sideline him for four weeks by placing him on the non-football injury list. In his absence, Jauan Jennings is headed for the No. 3 role in San Francisco and could see additional opportunities if Brandon Aiyuk is limited on Monday night.

From RotoBaller

Christian McCaffrey Sep 8 10:30am CT
Christian McCaffrey

San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (calf, Achilles) intends to play a full complement of snaps in Week 1, according to NFL Network's Mike Garafolo. The running back is officially listed as questionable after being limited during practice, but the star running back has consistently vowed to suit up without any limitations on Monday night. Nevertheless, the 49ers will monitor McCaffrey throughout the game, and in the event that he needs to take snaps off, Jordan Mason would likely enter in his place. Even with the lingering injuries, McCaffrey is a high-end RB1 for fantasy purposes.

From RotoBaller

Ja'Marr Chase Sep 8 10:20am CT
Ja'Marr Chase

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase (illness), who is listed as questionable to play in the Week 1 regular-season opener on Sunday due to an illness and because of lengthy contract standoff with the team that has yet to be resolved, was seen warming up on the field before the game against the New England Patriots. Chase's availability all week has been up in the air, but the 24-year-old was feeling better on Saturday night and appears to be on the right side of questionable with inactives coming out shortly. Especially with Tee Higgins (hamstring) doubtful to play, the Bengals' receiving corps would be extra thin if Chase chose to sit out as well. Chase was limited in two practices this week before practicing in full on Friday. He could have his reps limited in Week 1 if he's active, but fantasy managers need to keep the All-Pro pass-catcher in their starting lineups if he's good to go.

From RotoBaller

Rico Dowdle Sep 8 10:20am CT
Rico Dowdle

Dallas Cowboys running backs Ezekiel Elliott and Rico Dowdle are expected to operate on a "pretty even split" of touches out of the backfield on Sunday, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. It sounds like both players will have significant roles as the Cowboys open their season against the Cleveland Browns. Elliott is a veteran with more starting experience and he's coming off a solid campaign with the New England Patriots in which he tallied 955 scrimmage yards and five touchdowns. Meanwhile, Dowdle offers youth and is ready to take on an expanded role after totaling 505 yards and four touchdowns in 2023. Unfortunately, if each player is only expected to see around 10-15 touches, it could be difficult for them to have a lot of fantasy value, especially against a solid Browns defensive front. Both should be viewed as RB3/flex options this week.

From RotoBaller

Drake Maye Sep 8 10:20am CT
Drake Maye

The New England Patriots reportedly hope to sit rookie first-round quarterback Drake Maye behind veteran Jacoby Brissett until their offensive line improves. Brissett barely won the starting gig over Maye in training camp and is starting in the Week 1 regular-season opener on Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals. The Patriots were impressed with Maye's command and knowledge of the offense this summer, but they want to put him in the best position to succeed when they throw him in there, and NFL Network's Ian Rapoport says it will probably be several weeks at least. The 22-year-old third overall selection will be starting games in his rookie year in 2024, but that may not happen right away. When it does happen, the Pats' QB of the future will have more upside than Brissett, but he won't have much to work with on offense and won't be much more than a low-end QB2 option in superflex fantasy leagues.

From RotoBaller

Tyreek Hill Sep 8 10:13am CT
Tyreek Hill

Miami Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill was detained Sunday, Sept. 8, for a minor traffic violation but is expected to play in Week 1, according to agent Drew Rosenhaus.

Fantasy Spin: Fantasy players can monitor the situation to see if the incident affects his availability down the road, but he is on track to play against the Jacksonville Jaguars. He remains one of the top receivers in the NFL and is a must-start option in all leagues.

From TheHuddle

Johnny Mundt Sep 8 10:10am CT
Johnny Mundt

Minnesota Vikings tight end Johnny Mundt is penciled in as the backup tight end heading into the Week 1 matchup against the New York Giants. The 29-year-old will likely be the second string option for a few weeks while T.J. Hockenson (knee) recovers from injury. Josh Oliver is listed as the starter, but the two of them could split up the role. However, neither of them are likely to see a significant role with wide receivers Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison being the primary options on offense. Mundt has finished with less than 20 receptions in each of his last two seasons. He can be ignored in fantasy formats for Week 1, but could be an option if Oliver goes down.

From RotoBaller

Tyreek Hill Sep 8 10:10am CT
Tyreek Hill

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill was reportedly detained by police while heading to the stadium. The stop was for a driving violation, so it doesn't sound too serious. Hill's agent Drew Rosenhaus says that Hill will play today during the Week 1 matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Fantasy managers shouldn't be too concerned about this as it seems like a minor issue. Stay tuned for more updates, but Hill should be a locked in WR1 for Week 1 as long as he plays.

From RotoBaller

Tyreek Hill Sep 8 10:07am CT
Tyreek Hill

ESPN reporter Adam Schefter is reporting Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill was detained by police today entering the stadium for a driving violation. Hill is still expected to play in today's game but keep an eye on the inactives to be sure.