Finally. The NFL season is here. 266 games of pure bliss await us and you won’t even find the words “Oakland at Jacksonville” on the schedule. It’s truly a great thing (we kid, Raiders/Jags fans).

Of course, football is a game of surprises. If you predicted that John Kuhn and the immortal Ricardo Lockette would score the first 2 TDs of the season, you clearly have some type of superhuman powers. On the flip side, if you’re an Eddie Lacy owner (12 carries for 34 yards at SEA), you’re likely disappointed right about now. It’s simple proof that things don’t always go as planned. With that in mind, we’ve asked several Featured Experts to give us their picks for the players they expect to surprise us (good and bad) this weekend.

If you don’t see any of your players listed below, be sure to check out our Who Should I Start? tool. You can also import your team into My Playbook for instant suggestions specific to your players.





Q1: Give us the player you think will be the top positive surprise this week (someone who will be a good sneaky start for owners).

“I think Hopkins could be in for a sneaky good week. He has built a good rapport with Ryan Fitzpatrick , will play all the snaps, seeing as only six receivers played more than him last year, and the matchup is good. The Redskins secondary is inexperienced, and allowed the 8th-most fantasy points to wideouts last year. They also coughed up the 7th-most passing touchdowns and didn’t really improve their secondary.”

MARK INGRAM (RB, at ATL) (RB, at ATL)

“After letting fantasy owners down for three seasons, Ingram will begin a 2014 campaign towards redemption with a multi-touchdown effort against the Falcons. Ingram was exceptional during the preseason and although the plan is for him to share touches with Pierre Thomas, Ingram will be the one carrying the ball at the goal line. The Saints are a more complete team than the Falcons and when they have a late-game lead, the team will lean on Ingram to drain time off the clock and punish their division rivals. ” Justin Boone (The Score)

BEN TATE (RB, at PIT) (RB, at PIT)

“This isn’t the easiest matchup known to man, but it certainly won’t hold Tate back from getting good usage. Could Cleveland struggle to score? Could Pittsburgh get up big and force the Browns to pass, pass, pass? Sure, but that’s why this is a “surprise” pick, and I think Tate deserves such confidence given he has 100/1TD upside each game that he starts.” Smitty (Fantasy Football Starters)



JAMES JONES (WR – at NYJ)

“Jones hasn’t gotten much love and while he may not be an ideal No. 1 receiver, he is the best that the Oakland Raiders have. With the NFL’s best run defense controlling the line of scrimmage, Derek Carr will have to shoulder the load when it comes to moving the ball. Not to mention, the Jets will also trot out what is arguably the worst corners in the league on Sunday too, starting Darrin Walls and converted safety Antonio Allen.” Kyle Wachtel (Footballguys) ANTONIO GATES (TE, at ARI) (TE, at ARI) “While full-season expectations for him are rather low, Gates is my TE8 this week and a viable starting option in his fantasy-friendly matchup. No team allowed more fantasy points to opposing TEs last season than the Cardinals, who allowed a league-most 17 touchdowns to TEs. In fact, they allowed a TE to score in 11 of 16 games. With one of the best corners in the league (Patrick Peterson) shadowing Keenan Allen on Monday night, there is even more incentive for Philip Rivers & Co. to exploit this matchup. ” Kevin Hanson (EDSFootball) JULIAN EDELMAN (WR – at MIA) (WR – at MIA)

“Why is everyone so down on Edelman? I understand he was force-fed by necessity last year, but he earned Tom Brady‘s trust and will play an important role again this season. With Rob Gronkowski officially listed as “questionable” and perhaps limited to red-zone packages for week 1, Edelman should mop up between the 20s against the Dolphins. Keep in mind he drew 19 targets against Miami in week 15 last year, securing 13 balls for 139 yards and a score. Not only is he an excellent PPR play, he has appeal in Standard leagues too.” Ryan Rufe (RotoBaller)





Q2: On the flip side, name the player you believe will be week 1′s biggest disappointment.

KEENAN ALLEN (WR, at ARI) (WR, at ARI)

“I already have my doubts about Allen, but a Week 1 matchup with Patrick Peterson will lead to a disappointing start to the season. The Chargers have a healthy Malcom Floyd, two pass-catching tight ends in Ladarius Green and Antonio Gates, as well as Danny Woodhead getting targets out of the backfield. Allen makes the most of his talent and should be able to do some work in the short-passing game, but he simply won’t have the extra gear necessary to overcome one of the game’s best corners. ” Justin Boone (The Score)



ALFRED MORRIS (RB, at HOU)

“With Roy Helu Jr. now cemented as the third-down back, the hopes of an every down role for Morris are no longer. Although Morris ran well in the preseason and should be effective in his early down role, J.J. Watt leads a strong Texans run defense that can be expected to neutralize the game of Morris, leaving him as nothing more than a low-end RB2.” Kyle Wachtel (Footballguys) DOUG MARTIN (RB, vs. CAR) (RB, vs. CAR)

“Martin, a common Round 2 fantasy selection, is in for a long afternoon on Sunday as Tampa Bay squares off against division-rival Carolina, the NFL’s 2nd-ranked rushing defense from a year ago. The Panthers are anchored by reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year, Luke Kuechly, and a dominant Defensive Line that boasts Greg Hardy (16 sacks in 2013), Charles Johnson (11 sacks) and Star Lotulelei (3 sacks, excellent against the run). The Bucs’ recent trade for top run-blocking guard Logan Mankins certainly helps Martin’s cause, but I’d be surprised if he tops 70 combined yards in week 1.” Ryan Rufe (RotoBaller) STEVEN JACKSON (RB, vs. NO) (RB, vs. NO) “I could be wrong, but I’m not crazy about Jackson in Week 1. I’m not sure if he is fully healthy, the Saints run defense is tough, and I see Atlanta throwing the ball a ton in this game. Also, Jackson rarely gets off to strong starts, scoring just five touchdowns and under 10 fantasy points per game in 30 career September contests.” Adam Pfeifer (Rant Sports) BERNARD PIERCE (RB, vs. CIN) (RB, vs. CIN) “With Ray Rice out on suspension this week, Pierce gets an opportunity to be the team’s featured back. After a disappointing season for Pierce and the running game as a whole, I think we see a better result this year and perhaps most specifically for Pierce in Gary Kubiak’s scheme. It could be tough running for Pierce this week, however, as the Bengals allowed the third-fewest fantasy points to opposing RBs last season. Cincinnati allowed a league-low four TDs and only 3.75 YPC to RBs in 2013.” Kevin Hanson (EDSFootball) DEMARCO MURRAY (RB, at SF) (RB, at SF)