The matchup between the Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers will be a signaling of new ground which the NFL is breaking, in the Week 1 slate of the 2024 season. This will be the first ever NFL game taking place in South America, with Sao Paulo, Brazil playing host on Friday, September 6.
As for the game itself, it will be a showdown between two NFC playoff participants from a year ago, both of whom finished in the top half of the league in total offense (the Eagles being 8th and the Packers 11th).
The return of football also marks the return of fantasy football. Let’s dissect some of the primary participants in this game from a fantasy football perspective. All fantasy relevant players will be grouped, by position, into three categories:
Strong starts – Your “set and forget” players who should be in your starting lineups no matter what.
Weak starts – Players you can set in your lineups, but whom you can consider switching out if a better option is available.
Sits – Players whom you should consider not starting this week.
Quarterbacks
Jalen Hurts (Philadelphia Eagles) – Strong Start
Philadelphia’s signal caller has blossomed into an absolutely elite fantasy option over the past couple of years, finishing as the overall QB3 in 2022 and as the overall QB2 behind only Josh Allen in 2023.
While his passing numbers aren’t in the upper echelon of his peers (he has yet to reach 4,000 passing yards in a season), Hurts has achieved at least 600 rushing yards and double digit rushing touchdowns every year since taking over as the full time starter in 2021. This includes 15 rushing scores last year, which tied him with Allen for most among QBs. The rushing upside makes Hurts completely matchup proof.
Jordan Love (Green Bay Packers) – Strong Start
Speaking of blossoming, Jordan Love had a spectacular first year as Green Bay’s starter with a top 5 fantasy finish in 2023, finishing second in the league in passing touchdowns. The Eagles allowed the single most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks last year (all opposing fantasy points rankings in this article will only encompass weeks 1-17, as the majority of fantasy leagues do not play in Week 18), making Love an absolute smash play to begin this season.
Running Backs
Saquon Barkley (Philadelphia Eagles) – Strong Start
The only two times in his six years in the NFL in which Barkley did not finish in the top 10 in fantasy points per game among running backs in all scoring formats was when he tore his ACL in 2020 and in 2021, when he was not yet at 100% following the injury. Now, he steps into the best offense of his career, and goes from running behind one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL in New York to arguably the best OL in the league. Even if the “tush push” steals some goal line touchdowns from him, Barkley is likely to be just as matchup proof as his quarterback this season.
Josh Jacobs (Green Bay Packers) – Strong Start
Jacobs is another 2024 free agent signing who will go from operating in one of the worst offenses (and one of the worst OL units) in football to one of the best. It may not be the easiest go round for Jacobs in his first game with his new team, because while the Eagles’ defense resembled swiss cheese against quarterbacks last year, they were the seventh stingiest unit in the league against opposing RBs in terms of fantasy points allowed.
Nonetheless, Jacobs will be a bell cow in Jordan Love’s backfield, with nobody on the depth chart there to really challenge him for touches. The sheer amount of volume will make the University of Alabama product a strong start weekly.
Wide Receivers
A.J. Brown (Philadelphia Eagles) – Strong Start
Brown has finished as a top 10 scoring wide receiver in each of the past two seasons, since being traded to Philadelphia. While his best football no doubt happened in the first half of 2023, the Ole Miss product has also been one of the 10 most targeted players each season with Hurts as his quarterback. Brown is a target hog and alpha WR in this offense.
DeVonta Smith (Philadelphia Eagles) – Strong Start
While Brown is the top dog in this hierarchy, Smith is one of the best number two wide receivers in the league. He finished 13th among all WRs in fantasy points per game lined up out of the slot in 2023, and faces a Packers defense which was just outside the top 10 in fantasy points per game allowed out of the slot. Smith will be a strong option in the opener.
Jahan Dotson (Philadelphia Eagles) – Sit
Dotson is coming off of a disappointing 2023, where he finished as the overall WR56 despite being a popular breakout candidate. Now, he has been traded away from Washington, where he was the WR2, and finds himself lower on the depth chart in Philadelphia. Dotson will only have fantasy value if injury strikes one of the Eagles’ two best receivers.
Christian Watson (Green Bay Packers) – Strong Start
The Eagles allowed the most fantasy points against to opposing wide receivers in half PPR leagues last year, making this a smash spot for Green Bay’s receivers. Watson was severely limited by hamstring problems last season, but when healthy he is Love’s most explosive weapon, averaging 15 yards per reception since being drafted, and leading the team in that category in each of his two seasons.
Jayden Reed (Green Bay Packers) – Strong Start
Reed led the Packers in receiving yardage and was tied for first in receiving touchdowns last season. He was fourth in the league in fantasy points per game scored out of the slot, and faces an Eagles defense which allowed the second most fantasy points out of the slot in 2023. While Philadelphia attempted to address its awful secondary from a year ago with the selection of two CBs with their first two picks in this past draft, two players taking their first ever NFL snaps will not be a short term solution in Week 1.
Romeo Doubs (Green Bay Packers) – Weak Start
If you are already hurting for wide receiver options ahead of Week 1, you can do worse than Doubs, but this is a player who relied heavily on getting into the end zone to save his fantasy output last season, playing in all 17 regular season games and recording 55 yards or more just four times. I am expecting a regression from his eight scores on 96 targets.
While Jayden Reed also had eight touchdowns on two fewer targets, I do trust him a bit more based off his consistent role and production out of the slot all season.
Dontayvion Wicks (Green Bay Packers) – Sit
When everyone is healthy in Green Bay, Wicks is the WR4 on this team. He finished with just five more targets than Watson in 2023 despite playing in six more games, and was well behind Doubs and Reed in the pecking order. Wicks will have some fantasy relevance if one of the receivers ahead of him on the depth chart is forced to miss time.
Tight Ends
Dallas Goedert (Philadelphia Eagles) – Weak Start
The Packers allowed the 12th-most fantasy points to opposing tight ends last year, making Goedert a worthy start. With the arrival of offensive coordinator Kellen Moore in Philadelphia, we could see the Eagles pass the ball a bit more than we’ve become accustomed to. That will be a key if Goedert, who is a distance third option in the passing game, is to ascend into a top 10 option at his position in 2024.
Luke Musgrave/Tucker Kraft (Green Bay Packers) – Sit
The Packers just don’t utilize their tight ends enough in the passing game to consider either of these options in your starting lineup. Both had under 400 receiving yards in 2024, and they combined for three touchdowns.
