It’s almost time for everyone to stress about who they are going to start in their lineups in Fantasy Football each week. There are the obvious choices of guys who won’t ever leave your starting lineup, barring an injury or an altered role during the season.
On the other hand, there are players you may take a flier on in any given week in hopes to swing for the fences for a higher output of points.
We can take a look at matchups and just pure volume to determine what wide receivers we should be starting. Even though the season hasn’t begun, maybe you need an under-the-radar name that you can play over someone who may have gotten hurt or is someone you are no longer confident in starting.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at five sleeper wide receiver picks for Fantasy Football in Week 1.
Marquez Callaway, New Orleans Saints
Amid the absence of Michael Thomas to begin the season, Marquez Callaway is now expected to leap to the No. 1 spot on the depth chart for the New Orleans Saints. Callaway produced a stellar preseason, so it’s hard to label him as a complete sleeper as many are now clamoring to select the athletic wideout.
Still, Callaway is still being overlooked by some, even with him projected to have a steady target share to begin the season. On top of that, Callaway will be catching passes from Jameis Winston and not Taysom Hill, which gives him a boost in Fantasy Football.
Marvin Jones Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars
Everyone is going to be flocking toward having D.J. Chark or Laviska Shenault in their lineups in Week 1. Both Chark and Shenault are in line to be prominent members in the offense for the Jacksonville Jaguars, but I wouldn’t forget about Marvin Jones Jr.
Jones signed with the Jaguars this offseason to operate as another vertical threat for rookie Trevor Lawrence to target. There’s a chance we see big weeks from all three of the wide receivers in Jacksonville as they take on the lowly Houston Texans in Week 1. While Chark and Shenault are the popular choices, Jones could be a wideout that goes severely overlooked to begin the season.
Parris Campbell, Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts just can’t seem to avoid injuries this offseason as T.Y. Hilton was placed on short-term injured reserve, meaning he’ll miss at least the first three games of the season. With Hilton sidelined, both Michael Pittman Jr. and Parris Campbell are slated to be the top two wide receivers on the Colts.
Seeing that Carson Wentz is trending toward being ready for Week 1, Campbell may be worth taking a chance on against the Seattle Seahawks. Campbell has been hindered by injuries to begin his career, but he could be the explosive target that Indianapolis has been searching for in recent years. If you’re someone who has Hilton in Fantasy Football, replacing him with Campbell in Week 1 isn’t the worst idea.
Christian Kirk, Arizona Cardinals
Could this be the season we finally see Christian Kirk have a breakout season with the Arizona Cardinals? The additions of A.J. Green and Rondale Moore say otherwise, but Kirk could still emerge as the No. 2 target alongside DeAndre Hopkins. The Cardinals run a lot of their offense out of 10 personnel, meaning there are four wide receivers on the field often.
With Kirk’s speed, he could become a deep threat for Kyler Murray, beginning in Week 1 against the Tennessee Titans. Tennessee added Janoris Jenkins and Kristian Fulton at cornerback, but it remains to be seen if they can drastically improve the pass defense of the Titans.
Quez Watkins, Philadelphia Eagles
One of my favorite potential sleepers in Week 1 comes in the form of a wide receiver on the Philadelphia Eagles. While I like DeVonta Smith, he’s going to be a popular choice for many people in Fantasy Football to begin the season. Jalen Reagor isn’t someone I’m confident in as he enters his second season with the Eagles.
However, Quez Watkins has been running with the starters and could be a reliable deep threat for Jalen Hurts. In Week 1, Watkins will draw a favorable matchup versus the Atlanta Falcons, who have allowed plenty of big plays in recent years. All we need is Watkins to break free for one or two deep plays and he was well-worth starting in Week 1.
