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Football

NFL fantasy football 2023 week one: Who are the best picks for the kick-off weekend?

NFL fantasy football 2023 week one: Who are the best picks for the kick-off weekend?Wesley Hitt/Getty Images
The new season is just days away.

The new NFL season gets underway on Thursday when the Detroit Lions take on the defending Super Bowl champions, the Kansas City Chiefs.

Not only will fans be getting excited for the start of a thrilling road to Super Bowl LVIII, they will also be busy preparing their fantasy teams ahead of opening weekend. 

Here DAZN chooses five of the best fantasy players who could prove the difference in fantasy leagues. 

Geno Smith, QB, Seattle Seahawks

Geno Smith Seattle_December2022Steph Chambers/Getty Images

Geno Smith would not be the first name that jumps off any draft board, but he may just be someone to consider for opening weekend when the Seattle Seahawks take on the Los Angeles Rams. 

After winning the NFL's Comeback Player of the Year award last season, Smith will now look to make a point to the rest of the league and he produced solid numbers in the two clashes with the Rams last season, throwing for 580 yards with four touchdowns and three interceptions. 

With the Rams losing a number of key names on defence including Jalen Ramsey and Bobby Wagner to name a few, Smith could have a field day against a Rams team which underperformed last season. 

Brian Robinson, RB, Washington Commanders

Brian Robinson Commanders_August2022Scott Taetsch/Getty Images

There may not be a lot going for the Washington Commanders this season, but they come up against an Arizona Cardinals team in disarray on opening weekend. 

Therefore, any stars on the Commanders offense could bank some easy points including running back Brian Robinson. 

The Cardinals struggled to stop the run last season, giving up the second highest touchdown rate to running backs, and as a result, Robinson will likely fancy his chances to make inroads come Sunday and for fantasy players, that could mean plenty of points. 

Chris Olave, WR, New Orleans Saints

Chris Olave Saints_April2022Jeff Speer/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The New Orleans Saints take on the Tennessee Titans on opening weekend and for the Saints receiver room, there maybe a chance to cause significant damage. 

The Titans allowed the most fantasy points to opposing receivers in 2022 according to FantasyPros, and the aerial game may become a vital part of the Saints offensive gameplan with the Titans effective defence against the run. 

Second year receiver Chris Olave will be a vital part of the Saints passing game after an impressive debut season which saw him make 72 catches for 1,042 yards and four touchdowns, and now with quarterback Derek Carr bringing some much needed stability to the Saints offense, 2023 could be Olave's breakout year. 

Tyler Higbee, TE, Los Angeles Rams

Tyler Higbee LA Rams_December2021Nick Wosika/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

There maybe some concerns surrounding the Los Angeles Rams offense going into their opener against the Seattle Seahawks, but one area which could be exploited is the Seahawks heavy reliance on zone coverage. 

This will give the Rams tight-ends an opportunity to thrive with the Seahawks allowing the third-most fantasy points to inline tight ends last season.

Therefore, if fantasy players are struggling to fill a tight-end spot on their teams, Tyler Higbee is worth considering after he lined up inline on 66.5% of the snaps he was involved with, and he is also someone who quarterback Matthew Stafford relies on to make the big plays. 

Derrick Henry, RB, Tennessee Titans

Derrick Henry Titans_October2021Mark Brown/Getty Images

There is no surprise Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry features on this list ahead of his team's opener against the New Orleans Saints. 

Henry is one of the standout offensive talents in the NFL and he will be licking his lips in the battle against a new look Saints run defense. 

Last season Henry had the fifth-most gap scheme runs and eighth-most rushing yards on gap runs, and this could be a problem for the Saints defense who allowed the fourth-highest success rate to gap scheme runs.