We have finally reached Week 1 of the 2024 NFL season, and we can’t even reach Sunday without a debate on two wide receivers who have opportunities to produce a fantasy football lead before most teams play.
Today, we will discuss Zay Flowers and Devonta Smith, who are playing on solo slates Thursday and Friday night, respectively. Both can become their quarterbacks’ No. 1 target in the game, so we need to identify the better play for Week 1.
Let’s review the research on both players to help you correctly identify this week’s play.
Zay Flowers Fantasy Outlook this Week
Flowers will be the first player we break down as his Baltimore Ravens play on Thursday night in the first game of the 2024 season.
Flowers was a significant component of the Ravens’ offense as a rookie in 2023, as he saw 108 targets. He turned those targets into 77 receptions, 858 yards, and five touchdowns.
Something Flowers excelled in was his yards-after-catch (YAC) ability. He averaged 5.0 YAC, which was 26th best in the NFL last season, according to TruMedia.
The last time these two teams matched up, Flowers had a strong game in a playoff loss. He produced five receptions for 115 yards and a touchdown.
In that game, the Chiefs utilized Cover 1 as their primary scheme, which held Lamar Jackson’s rushing totals down and confused the Ravens’ offense.
Chances are, we see more of that this week, and with the Chiefs’ defense focused on Mark Andrews and Derrick Henry, Flowers could dominate.
DeVonta Smith Fantasy Outlook This Week
Smith plays in the NFL’s first-ever Brazil game on Friday. We know he is on a highly concentrated offense, and the Eagles’ passing game runs through him and A.J. Brown.
However, the Eagles added running back Saquon Barkley and wide receiver Jahan Dotson this offseason. They also still have Dallas Goedert. It could be tough for Smith to reach the 1,066 receiving yards he had last season.
The good news is he gets a strong offensive coordinator in Kellen Moore, who will help create ways for Smith to win on a per-route basis.
Last season, Smith created the 17th most touchdowns for wide receivers, and this week, he has a chance to avoid Jaire Alexander and pick on Isiah McDuffie. The Packers display a solid defensive front, making it hard for the Eagles to get their way on their Friday night special.
Who Should I Start in Week 1?
In the Pro Football Network Start/Sit Optimizer, PFN’s Consensus Rankings say Flowers is the player to start for Week 1 in fantasy football. His 12.4 points include a projection of 51.9 receiving yards, four receptions, and 0.3 touchdowns.
That doesn’t seem like a big stat line. However, it outperforms the consensus projection for Smith (11.8 points)
For Week 1, I agree that you should start Flowers. Flowers’ fantasy outlook will outshine Smith’s.
The Chiefs are without their lockdown corner, L’Jarius Snead, this season as he moves on to Tennessee. This departure will only help Flowers outperform Smith this week in fantasy football as he takes advantage of the better target share. More targets give you more opportunities to beat your fantasy opponent this week.
Join Theo Ash: Your Football Opinion
Listen to the Your Football Opinion with Theo Ash! Click the embedded player below to listen, or you can find this podcast on iTunes, Spotify, and all major podcast platforms. Be sure to subscribe and leave us a five-star review! Rather watch instead? Find us on the Pro Football Network YouTube Channel!