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Russell Gage spent the offseason as an intriguing late-round dart throw in Best Ball after a strong finish in 2019. He erupted in Week 1, matching both Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley with 12 targets, nine receptions and over 100 receiving yards. Expect him to be the No. 1 waiver wire target this week as a result. We wouldn’t recommend blowing all of your FAAB or a top priority waiver claim on Gage, but he’s certainly worthy of a bench spot and Flex consideration.

The Logan Thomas breakout is upon us. Many refused to believe that Thomas could be this year’s Darren Waller due to the low probability of having two breakout tight ends in back-to-back years that came from absolutely nowhere. Thomas led the Washington Football team with eight targets and his usage was beyond promising for future success. Add Thomas and insert him into your starting tight end slot unless you already have one of the Big Five on your roster.

This is a red alert. Russell Wilson threw the ball 35 times on Sunday. That only happened six times last season, and this was in a game where the Seahawks were never behind. Wilson has historically been a top 5-efficient QB by basically any metric. Consistent volume has been the only missing piece. He carries as high a ceiling as any QB in football when he’s unleashed. While he is off the main DFS slate next week against the Patriots, he’s a top-5 QB in any format.

With Marlon Mack done for the season, both Jonathan Taylor and Nyheim Hines now hold starter value. We know about Philip Rivers’ propensity toward targeting running backs, and both of these backs are plus receivers with the requisite explosion and shimmy to add yards after the catch. Taylor will be a DFS smash next week against a Vikings team that ceded more than 150 yards on the ground to the Packers.

James Robinson’s 48.7-percent College Dominator Rating, a 97th-percentile mark, is the best among all incoming rookie running backs. His 107.2 Athleticism Score is the best in this rookie class, and No. 16 among all running backs in the entire database. That fact that he stuck around the team for this long in an offseason where all UDFAs faced a steeper-than-usual uphill climb to make a roster should’ve been the warning flare in the sky for fantasy gamers. The time to acquire him in all formats is running out. Be on the right side of history.

Marvin Hall’s seven (No. 150) receptions for 261 (No. 100) receiving yards helped give him astronomical marks in many of PlayerProfiler’s efficiency metrics, and he did most of that damage with Matthew Stafford healthy. In fact, eight of his 39 career targets have gone for 30-plus yards. Kenny Golladay led all wide receivers with 37 Deep Targets last year, so it would make sense for Hall to slide into that role over fifth-round rookie Quintez Cephus. Especially given his familiarity with the offense and the shortened offseason program. 

Will Fuller just needs to stay healthy and he will easily put up career marks in receptions, yards, and touchdowns. He has played in 14 or more games in a season just once, though he is healthy for now. With his injury history baked into his WR31 ADP, he will pay that off even if he misses time, provided his Week 1 Target Share holds up. The upside with Fuller relative to his ADP is that if he stays healthy, he’s contending for a top-12 finish at his position in fantasy football.

Sammy Watkins again came in hot in Week 1, pacing the Chiefs pass-catchers with nine targets. This is a mirage. However, if Watkins stacks a few more of these games together, we’re looking at potential Flex appeal. In the offseason, it was reported that Watkins held off Mecole Hardman for the No. 2 receiver job. After one week, it’s impossible to confirm this, but monitor him closely in the coming weeks for signs of a usage pattern.

Fantasy gamers should forget about DeSean Jackson and instead consider the oft-neglected Marvin Jones at home against the Bears for $5,500. With a 10.8 Weekly Volatility mark last season, Jones ranked No. 6 among receivers with at least 40 catches. Kenny Golladay earned a 21.1-percent (No. 33 among qualified wide receivers) Target Share in 2019, while Jones posted a 20.2-percent (No. 39) mark. If Golladay fails to suit up, Jones’ ownership percentage may creep into unplayable territory, so it’s a situation to monitor.

Henr Ruggs projects to carry a high degree of Weekly Volatility this season, to be sure. Dial him up against the Panthers in his first NFL game action before the masses become infatuated with him. He oozes with upside and the Raiders will move him all over the field and design plays to get him the ball in space. That’s why he will find the end zone in his first NFL game. The price is right on DraftKings ($5,100) and he doesn’t figure to garner huge ownership.

We can naturally anticipate a more pass-friendly offense from the Ravens in 2020, which will only bode well for the man they call Hollywood. With no serious competition for targets outside of Mark Andrews, Marquie Brown is in line for a significant share of the passing offense. Priced at $5,200 (WR32) on DraftKings, Hollywood is a great play vs a vulnerable Browns secondary.

For the second-straight season, Terry McLaurin will see the Eagles on opening day. He torched them for 255 yards and two touchdowns in two games last year. He’s slightly underpriced as the WR25 on the slate on DraftKings but has clear top-10 upside for the week with a safe floor and high ceiling.

Both Jalen Reagor and Alshon Jeffery are trending in the wrong direction for Week 1 with their respective shoulder injuries. Even if both suited up, DeSean Jackson is set to be the dynamic element to this passing attack while the tight ends dominate the intermediate range. Rostering Jackson offers a massive ceiling and a solid floor as well.

Now that Tyrell Williams is done with a shoulder injury, Bryan Edwards has earned the starting gig as the “X” receiver in Las Vegas opposite Henry Ruggs. While Ruggs is clearly a more polished athlete, Edwards looks the part of a true alpha at 6-3, 212 pounds. This Panthers-Raiders game has significant shootout potential, and Edwards is the best way to get cheap exposure to it.

To win a Touchdown Dance on MKF, you must have a multi-touchdown output from at least one player. Last season, the Carolina Panthers gave up a league-worst 27 rushing touchdowns, nine more than any other team. Josh Jacobs led the Raiders with seven touchdowns while finishing No. 11 among qualified running backs with 44 Red Zone Touches. Christian McCaffrey led the NFL with 19 total touchdowns in 2019, scoring multiple touchdowns in four of eight home games.

With 11 touchdowns in 2020, Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski have the opportunity to surpass the great Chargers duo of Philip Rivers and Antonio Gates as the most prolific QB/TE duo of all-time. While Gronk is healthy, expect Brady to target his favorite target early and often in this high scoring affair. In two games last season, Michael Thomas totaled almost 300 yards and three touchdowns against Tampa Bay. Expect nothing less from the best receiver in football on Sunday as New Orleans plays the league’s No. 1 rush defense.

The Miles Sanders profile looks like that of a bell-cow running back. He is dealing with a hamstring injury but will be announced as active for Week 1. That will return his price to the mid-first-round, back where he was late in the summer. Buy him then, buy him now, buy him high, just get Sanders before he turns from a prospective top-five fantasy back to the real deal.

Mike Williams is questionable for Week 1 with a shoulder injury and reports at the end of camp indicated that the Chargers were preparing to be without him for most of September. Now he’s set to be a game-time decision for Week 1 and will almost certainly not be completely healthy if he does suit up. This is on top of him already entering a worse situation that played in last year, now having Tyrod Taylor as his quarterback.

With the coaches in his corner and the first crack at opportunity, james Robinson looks the part of a free square RB for Week 1. Jacksonville won’t experience much positive Game Script against Indianapolis, but that will be a good thing for Robinson. The Colts allowed an NFL-leading 109 receptions to opposing running backs last season. Any time you can get a min-priced RB that projects for a sizable Opportunity Share, you should pounce.

The best argument for rostering Antonio Gibson is the wasteland of talent in Washington outside of Terry McLaurin. This is also an underrated game environment. The total sits at just 43, but both of these defenses feature strong fronts and weak secondaries. Whether they choose to line him up in the slot, pound him between the tackles or set him up for some slip screens, Gibson will be a major part of the game plan. Expect double-digit touches from the rookie.