Fantasy Football: 10 Bold Predictions for Week 1
A Teammate to Shine & A Quarterback to Sign
Latavius Murray Will Outscore Dalvin Cook
After opening the 2017 season on fire, then-rookie running back Dalvin Cook tore his ACL just 11 months ago. Averaging 88.5 yards rushing and another 22.5 receiving per game, Cook looked other-worldly in an efficient Minnesota Vikings offense.
But once Cook was removed from the lineup, Latavius Murray and Jerick McKinnon combined for 112.0 rushing yards per game and another 39.6 receiving. Together, they more than picked up where Cook left off.
So, do I think Cook is some other-worldly talent? No, not really. Do I think the Vikings' offense is going to provide tremendous production to most any running back getting carries? You bet.
And I fully expect the training wheels to still be on for Cook. A 16-game season is a slog, and the Vikings would be wise to save Cook for the stretch run. With a viable replacement in Murray, who could be used in the more valuable areas of the field, I like him to outscore Cook to start the season.
Tyrod Taylor Will be a Top-6 Quarterback
Tyrod Taylor has long been a favorite among quarterback streamers in fantasy football. But in 2018, Tyrod has more weapons than he has had in his entire career. With Jarvis Landry, Josh Gordon, Duke Johnson, and David Njoku ready to roll, Taylor could have a luxury of riches at his disposal against a Pittsburgh Steelers defense that was actually pretty good against quarterbacks in every category in 2017.
However, the Steelers defense saw the fewest quarterback rush attempts in the NFL in 2017, which makes sense given the signal callers in their division. But Tyrod is a tremendously effective scrambler. Though he takes too many sacks at times, we fortunately aren't punished for sacks in fantasy football.
I like Taylor to find 40 yards on the ground and account for 3 total touchdowns in a game that has seen tremendous line movement toward the home team Browns. Taylor or rookie quarterback Baker Mayfield should be weekly streaming options with high upside throughout the year.
