This article was originally published by numberFire for Bleacher Report on yesterday. It has been reposted here by the article's author, numberFire's Zach Warren, with Bleacher Report's permission.
How does that start of the fantasy football season feel? Like a bed of rose pedals? Like an Olympic gold medal around your neck? No, my friend, not yet. The battle has simply begun. To get that feeling, you need to reach the finish line first, to have a reason to lie in that sweet-smelling bed of victory.
With the help of some projections from numberFire.com, I've compiled a list of the five guys you should buy low on before Week 1. These guys have been overlooked for one reason or another, but if you can make a trade or pick them up off the waiver wire, do so immediately. It could be paying dividends when you're collecting your league championship trophy in January. Because that, and only that, is the single best feeling in the world.
5 Buy Low Fantasy Stars Before Week 1
any carries at all. One cause for concern may be that McGahee's efficiency did drop a little bit in 2011 from his previous couple of seasons with the Ravens. He finished the year with a 30.80 percent success rate, meaning that the Broncos only increased their expected points on the drive on 77 of his 250 carries. He looks to make up for that with such a large quantity of carries, though, and he's been good when he gets the rock. Last season, McGahee scored double-digit fantasy points in eight of the 10 games in which he had at least 15 carries.
connoisseur of quantity anymore, but it could be that very style that projects Greene to the top. He's projected to be the 6th RB in week 1 by numberFire with the Jets playing the Bills, and he could be hard to pick up in the very near future.
Kentucky Law Enforcement and not trust any Titans receivers? I wouldn't give up hope that quickly, my friend. The fact of the matter is, the Titans might not have lost Jake Locker's top target for this game after all. Matt Hasselbeckwas the starting QB for the entire season last year, targeting receivers 537 total times on the season. Many of those were to Nate Washington, especially after Kenny Britt was injured in game three, a total of 19 percent of his passes. That's not a bad percentage if you're looking for a fantasy WR to trust. That trust blows up to Titan-ic proportions, however, when Jake Locker comes into the game. Over one-quarter of his passes (18 of 71) were to Washington last year, showing a knack for getting his No. 1 guy the ball. Of those he was able to convert, he achieved a career-high (and above NFL average) 61.16 percent catch rate. Especially with Britt out in Week 1 and rookie Kendall Wright lining up opposite him, Washington has a chance to establish his dominance early against the weak secondary of the Patriots and send his value skyrocketing.
Tony Gonzalez - Atlanta Falcons
Week 1 Projected Stats: 4.65 receptions, 53.14 receiving yards, 0.36 receiving TDs
Projected Points: 7.42
I've heard it all before. Tony Gonzalez started playing football during the Grover Cleveland Presidency. His first high school date was with Betty White. Soon after becoming an adult, he once gave a young kid named Gandhi some good advice. He's old, I get it. Now get this: Since 1999, he's missed a grand total of one start, and that was in 2006. He is the only fantasy tight end ever with a dozen straight years of at least 100 fantasy points; only two other current tight ends, Antonio Gates and Jason Witten enter the season with more than three consecutive 100-point years. Since coming to Atlanta, he's actually gotten even better as he's grown with Matt Ryan; his 875 yards and seven TDs last year were his most in a Falcons uniform. And his geriatric eyesight must not be hurting him too bad, as his 68.97 percent catch rate was his highest since 2006. numberFire projects him as the fourth-best fantasy TE in Week 1 behind Rob Gronkowski, Jimmy Graham and Aaron Hernandez. I'd be trying to pick up Old Man Gonzalez before that happens and the rest of the fantasy world catches on.