Sunday, Sept. 12, brings the long-awaited return of the NFL regular season. Tonight the Los Angeles Rams are hosting the Chicago Bears for the Week 1 Sunday Night Football opener, and Yahoo Fantasy is making its debut in the NFL single-game format. The general concept of creating a team remains the same, but this is a one-game player pool. The twist is that any position player can be rostered, and one is designated to receive a 1.5x multiplier on their Yahoo fantasy points. Using Awesemo’s expert NFL projections and rankings, these are the top Yahoo NFL picks for the Sunday Night Football game tonight.
Yahoo NFL Picks: Week 1 Sunday Night Football
Be sure to check out all of our free Yahoo NFL picks, including the Yahoo NFL Cheat Sheet for tonight’s Rams vs. Bears Sunday Night Football matchup.
Top SUPERSTAR Options
The SUPERSTAR position will get a 1.5x multiplier on their Yahoo points in the single-game format.
David Montgomery, Chicago Bears – $19
David Montgomery should be the main option on the first two downs and last year he showed himself to be competent in the passing game. Tarik Cohen is out with an injury, so Damien Williams will be the main backup. Williams opted out last season for health reasons, and prior to having a solid late season run with Kansas City, he was a mediocre option for several years in Miami. Los Angeles has a stout defense, though Montgomery needs to be on the short list to anchor main lineups.
Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams – $27
The one downside of Matthew Stafford is that he does not have much rushing upside. Though he is mobile in the pocket, his last rushing touchdown was back in 2016. However, he is getting the keys to a luxury offense, and the Rams passing game was good with Jared Goff, so it is not hard to envision 300 yards and multiple scores even for Stafford tonight.
Yahoo NFL Core Picks
Robert Woods, Los Angeles Rams – $20
Cooper Kupp could just as easily land in this spot at a $2 discount to Robert Woods. Both receivers are among the steadiest in the game, and they will be the focal point of the passing offense. Woods gets a little boost for his rushing prowess. In 47 regular season games over his last three seasons, Woods has 60 carries for 427 yards and four touchdowns.
Allen Robinson, Chicago Bears – $17
This was another close call, with Darrell Henderson being a fine pivot. Allen Robinson has been phenomenal with a host of pedestrian quarterbacks over his career, so he should be capable of fantasy production with Andy Dalton. The Rams have a tough secondary, but Robinson is an elite pass catcher.
Yahoo NFL Value Picks
Darnell Mooney, Chicago Bears – $12
The questionable tag next to Darnell Mooney’s name should keep most fantasy gamers from looking in his direction. This injury designation was for a back issue, though Mooney was a full participant in Friday’s practice. He is going to need to get loose or have the Rams secondary lose track of him in order to pay off this salary. On the flip side, a couple of catches and 50 yards should be just enough to make him a worthwhile target.
Cole Kmet, Chicago Bears – $10
While Jimmy Graham is still on the team and getting some red-zone looks, he has ceded the full-time workload to Cole Kmet. Kmet is just as capable in the shadow of the goalpost, and he will likely be on the field for triple the snaps of Graham.
Final Thoughts
There are quite a few mid-tier options to mix and match in lineups. Tyler Higbee ($16) is a solid selection and Van Jefferson ($10), Damiere Byrd ($10) and Marquise Goodwin ($10) can be rotated through as extreme discount dandies.
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