It’s not advisable to get too bold when setting your first meaningful lineup for the fantasy football season. Sometimes, however, a bold prediction can go a long way and swing the matchup. Week 1 is never as chalky as we’d hope it to be. That said don’t be afraid to let these Week 1 fantasy football bold predictions tip the scale in favor of one of these players when making your tougher lineup decisions.
Week 1 Bold Predictions for the 2024 Fantasy Football Season
Chuba Hubbard, RB, Carolina Panthers
Bold Prediction: 20 carries, 85 yards, 2 touchdowns; 3 receptions, 15 yards
22.0 fantasy points
Fantrax Writer: Colin McTamany, @Colin_McT
Colin’s Breakdown: Entering Week 1, Chuba Hubbard is in a position to succeed in a high volume-based role. Second-round rookie pick, Jonathon Brooks, is already set to miss the first four weeks on the Physically Unable to Perform List. Meanwhile, Miles Sanders is entering Week 1 with a finger injury, though I don’t expect him to miss the Panthers’ first game.
Under a new regime in Carolina, with former Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator, Dave Canales, as the head coach, the Panthers will stay as committed to the run as possible this season. Canales is on record this summer explaining how important it is to never give up on the run game. Rachaad White’s 272 carries, tied for second with Christian McCaffrey in 2023, is further evidence of this.
Last season, Chuba Hubbard averaged 14.0 fantasy points per game in Points Per Reception scoring in six games that he logged 20 or more touches. My Week 1 bold prediction for Hubbard puts him right at 100 all-purpose yards eclipsing that 20-touch mark. He’s going to be busy so, assuming an improved Panthers offense takes the field on Sunday, I think Hubbard makes the most of scoring opportunities, as well. He is a later-round fantasy football draft pick I’m more comfortable than most plugging into my Week 1 lineup as an RB2 or high-floor flex play.
Alvin Kamara, RB, New Orleans Saints
Bold Prediction: 12 carries, 64 yards, 1 touchdown; 6 receptions, 68 yards, 1 touchdown
31.2 fantasy points
Fantrax Writer: Ryan Kirksey, @CableBoxScore
Ryan’s Breakdown: Despite an ADP of RB18 in offseason drafts on Fantrax, Alvin Kamara will finish Week 1 with the most PPR fantasy points of any running back. For fantasy running backs, production is always about equal parts talent, opportunity, and matchup. We know Kamara has talent. Despite missing the first three games of last season and the last game of the year, Kamara was third in fantasy points per game, eighth in weighted opportunities, and fourth in yards per route run. His opportunity remained elite in PPR formats despite his advanced age. Kamara’s 19.3% target share was second among running backs and his 46 red zone touches were ninth at the position (debunking the trope that Taysom Hill steals all that work).
Lastly, Kamara might have the best matchup of any top-20 running back in Week 1. The Carolina Panthers allowed the fourth-most fantasy points per game to the position last year, including allowing a league-high 21 rushing touchdowns and the fourth-most receiving scores (four). The Panthers lost elite linebacker Brian Burns and defensive end DeShawn Williams in free agency and replaced them with pass-rush specialist Jadeveon Clowney. With Kendre Miller on the IR and Jamaal Williams only 29% of snaps in 2023, this is still Kamara’s backfield as long as he is healthy and efficient.
C.J. Stroud, QB, Houston Texans
Bold Prediction: 350 yards, 2 touchdowns
22.0+ fantasy points
Fantrax Writer: Nick Skrip, @P2Wfantasy
Skrip’s Breakdown: C.J. Stroud threw for 384 and two touchdowns in Week 2 against the Colts last year. Then he threw for 264 and two touchdowns in Week 18 against them. Stroud had an immediate impact on fantasy football as a rookie and his 4,108 passing yards through 15 games speaks to that. The trio of Nico Collins, Tank Dell, and veteran newcomer Stefon Diggs, on top of pass-catching veteran newcomer Joe Mixon, will lift Stroud’s passing ceiling even higher in 2024. Scoring over 20 fantasy points in both weeks against the Colts last year should mean optimism to do the same this year in Stroud’s sophomore campaign. My bold prediction sets up Stroud to be the overall QB1 of Week 1.
Malik Nabers, WR, New York Giants
Bold Prediction: 7 receptions, 105 yards, 1 touchdown
23.5 fantasy points
Fantrax Writer: Meng Song, @FFA_Meng
Meng’s Breakdown: There has been a steady drumbeat from Giants beat reporters all throughout training camp that Daniel Jones has targeted Malik Nabers early and often. One reporter even speculated that Nabers could see 150 targets as a rookie. On top of that, there have been reports that with Brian Daboll taking over play-calling duties, the Giants want to be more aggressive downfield with Nabers as a focal point of the offense.
Expect the Jones-Nabers connection to be on full display starting Week 1 against a depleted Vikings defense that lost their best pass rusher, Danielle Hunter, this past offseason. Per Ryan Heath at FantasyPts, the Vikings also blitzed the most in the NFL last season under Brian Flores. When blitzed, Jones’ yards per attempt ranked 14th compared to 27th when not facing a blitz. Nabers should hit the ground running — literally — in his NFL debut and be an immediate contributor in fantasy based on my Week 1 bold prediction for him.
Taysom Hill, QB/TE, New Orleans Saints
Bold Prediction: 8 carries, 59 yards, 1 touchdown; 2 receptions, 20 yards
15.9 fantasy points
Fantrax Writer: Michael Reedy, @MikeReedyFF
Michael’s Breakdown: Last season Alvin Kamara was not good in the red zone. This season, Keandre Miller is dinged up and in the doghouse. Enter Taysom Hill the 34-year old Swiss Army knife of the Saints offense. Last season Hill had 81 rushing attempts for 401 yards and four touchdowns. He also completed six passes for 81 yards and a touchdown. To top it all off he had 33 receptions for 291 yards and another two touchdowns. The Saints say they are going to utilize him and they will. Hill scored double-digit fantasy points in seven of the last 11 games of the 2023 season. Stop questioning if he is really a tight end. If he has “TE” eligibility, then invest in Taysom Hill in your starting lineup backed by my Week 1 bold prediction for him.
Jameson Williams, WR, Detroit Lions
Bold Prediction: 6 receptions, 120 yards, 2 touchdowns
30.0 fantasy points
Fantrax Writer: Ray Kuhn, @ray_kuhn_28
Ray’s Breakdown: The 2024 NFL season will be Jameson Williams’ first full season. Due to injuries, Williams only has 18 regular season games under his belt. Williams certainly has shown the promise, tools, and upside as to why he was such a high draft pick, but the overall production has yet to back that up. After catching just one pass in his rookie season for a 41-yard touchdown, Williams caught 24 passes for 354 yards and two touchdowns last year. When evaluating wide receivers, it’s not always about them. Perhaps it has been under the radar, but Jared Goff has had two consecutive strong seasons. That production is only enhanced when Goff has the benefit in playing within the friendly confines of the dome.
The Lions are playing at home to begin the season. With Josh Reynolds no longer in Detroit, there should be plenty of production available for Williams. Williams finally being healthy plays a large part in that. Entering his third year in the league, this is Williams’ opportunity to truly deliver. Targeting the game with the highest Over/Under on the slate (50.5) is a strategy worth following. The reports out of Training Camp were positive regarding Williams, and the expectation is that he will continue on that path starting with my Week 1 bold prediction in a statement game.
Jordan Love, QB, Green Bay Packers
Bold Prediction: 350 yards and 4 touchdowns
30.0+ fantasy points
Fantrax Writer: Brandon Blanco, @BrandonBlancoFF
Brandon’s Breakdown: Jordan Love faces a Philadelphia Eagles defense that was one of the worst in terms of defending wide receivers. They gave up the most fantasy points per game to wide receivers in 2023. It is a good thing Love has about five receivers who all think they are worthy of being the WR1 for the Green Bay Packers. Play-calling genius Matt LaFleur will be ready to have numerous designs to help Love carve up the 2024 Eagles’ defense.
In Brazil, Jordan Love will have his first of many MVP-type performances. Although the Eagles got back C.J. Gardner-Johnson this off-season, it will not matter. Love will finish as the overall QB1 to start his second season as the Packers’ starting quarterback. For my Week 1 bold prediction, I see Love having 350 total yards with four touchdowns.
Make sure to check out all of our Week 1 Fantasy Football Rankings and analysis!