Week 1 Last-Minute News & Notes
Injuries/Situations To Watch
Update: Chase is set to play... limited, but will play. Start. Tee Higgins will not play.
Ja'Marr Chase (WR/CIN) is a game-time decision due to both his contract and now what's being reported as an illness. Is the 'illness' real? Tough to say. But, there is a strong chance Chase does not play Week 1. Even if he did, he himself has said he'd be extremely limited. If you need a replacement, pick-up Andrei Iosivas (spelled with an i). He is the no.3 receiver on that Bengals roster, and with Tee Higgins out for Week 1 with a hamstring, Iosivas is now the likely no.1 receiver for Joe Burrow. Panic on Burrow? No, not necessarily. It just so happens the Bengals face the Patriots this week (in Cincy), so if there is a week to have no receivers, this is that week. Iosivas has impressed this off-season/preseason, so he is a fine pick-up and play if in need.
Tee Higgins (WR/CIN) is out with a hamstring in this Week 1 tilt. Andrei Iosivas is expected to be the Bengals top receiver this week and is a great grab and play if in need.
Christian McCaffrey (RB/SF) has a tough matchup against the Jets on Monday night, and he is still reportedly struggling with a calf injury. This is concerning because about two days ago, the calf injury was updated to be described as a 'calf/Achilles', which is ultra concerning because Achilles tears are the new big injury striking down so many in the NFL. Strained calves often turn into torn Achilles if not rested enough, and CMC is not only 28 years old, he has a significant injury history (missing essentially two years in a row back in CAR). Jordan Mason is a must-own for all CMC owners (this goes not only for this week but all season long). If you own Mason, you can feel comfortable rolling into Monday night with the duo... make the call when the news breaks in pregame warm-ups. Note: CMC is said to be questionable, which means 50/50, but many believe the lean is toward playing.
Crafty Pre-Week 1 Adds
If you missed my Pre-Week 1 YouTube Waiver Wire Show, well, then you missed my "grab Isaiah Likely" tip. He was my top TE grab off waivers heading into Week 1. The goal of this show, or the purpose, is/was to arm you all with the correct and proper adds prior to Week 1 kickoff (so you didn't have to fight for these guys on waivers the day after Week 1... preemptive style. Here is that list:
Sleepers for Week 1?
At running back, I love Chase Brown, Jerome Ford from a deep perspective, and I think Kenneth Walker could explode this week.
Quarterbacks I love include Jayden Daniels and Justin Fields (if he starts). Tua Tagovailoa and Kirk Cousins are also crafty this week.
The receivers I love include Tank Dell (as a bigger name, but a name that people continue to disrespect), and I absolutely love AD Mitchell as a deeper call.
Ben Sinnott at tight end is a nice grab, but there is some 'dud' risk this week, as he is a rookie. But, he could also explode along side fellow rookie passer JD5.
Good luck this week.
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