Football is back, and with it comes the return of the weekly articles that drinkfive has always tried to provide on a timely basis. With 'Under the Radar' I hope to help raise some awareness of players that could make a leap in performance but are likely still available for cheap or even free on your league's waiver wire. Thanks to FantasyPros player cards, you can take a quick look at all of these guys just by clicking on the icon next to their names. Please leave any questions/comments below and remember to have fun in week 1 and wreak havoc in your leagues this year!
(Listen to the Fantasy Football Podcast, 9/8/15: Week 1 Preview)
THURSDAY NIGHT
Steelers @ Patriots
Tom Brady’s triumphant return after defeating the evil Roger Goodell? Maybe. The Patriots started slowly last season and will likely do the same thing this year with a depleted secondary, banged up wide receivers and rag tag group of running backs. Under the Radar: DeAngelo Williams, Markus Wheaton, Dion Lewis, Brandon Bolden, Danny Amendola
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SUNDAY MORNING
Colts @ Bills
The Colts have built up their offense with proven veterans like Andre Johnson and Frank Gore in an effort to get to the big game now, rather than waiting to draft and develop talent around Andrew Luck. Might work for them! The Bills have perhaps the best defense in the NFL, and some great offensive weapons in guys like Watkins, McCoy and Harvin but their QB situation with Tyrod Taylor under center is extremely volatile. The Colts defense is a good play here in week 1, as is any defense going up against the new guy. Under the Radar: Phillip Dorsett, Donte Moncrief, Dwayne Allen, Tyrod Taylor, Karlos Williams, Charles Clay
Browns @ Jets
Not the most exciting match-up in NFL history; both teams lost the battle for relevancy pretty early on in 2014. Both teams have very solid defenses and equally unstable situations at quarterback with re-tooled receivers. Josh McCown and Ryan Fitzpatrick are less than interesting, but that doesn’t mean that the game is without standouts at their positions. Under the Radar: Eric Decker, Brian Hartline, Duke Johnson, Chris Ivory
Panthers @ Jaguars
Standout rookie Kelvin Benjamin is gone for the season, leaving Newton and the Panthers with Jonathan Stewart, Devin Funchess and Greg Olsen. That’s not enough on paper to get where they were last year, so without a superman season from Newton, they’re in trouble. The Jaguars are looking better each year, growing a good defense and turning some unfortunate seasons into good draft picks like Allen Robinson. Under the Radar: Cameron Artis-Payne, Corey Brown, T.J. Yeldon, Allen Hurns
Packers @ Bears
Sorry Bears, rebuilding really hurts the fantasy value of your players. The Packers win this one, hands down, even without Jordy Nelson. Does Alshon Jeffery get a chance to play? That news may not come out until game day, unfortunately. Under the Radar: James Jones, Richard Rodgers, Jeremy Langford, Eddie Royal
Chiefs @Texans
The Chiefs upgraded at wide receiver by picking up Jeremy Maclin and ditching Dwayne Bowe. Their other skill positions are filled to the brim with talent with names like Jamaal Charles and Travis Kelce. The Texans have a killer defense that only gets better with Jadeveon Clowney included and one of the best upcoming WRs in DeAndre Hopkins. What they don’t have right now is a quarterback or a running back. Under the Radar: Knile Davis, Cecil Shorts, Jaelen Strong, Garrett Graham
Dolphins @ Redskins
The Dolphins are making strides this season both defensively and offensively. They’ve picked up wide receiver depth and talent as well as strengthening the defense with Suh and bringing on Jordan Cameron. Tannehill has improved every year and looks to keep on going with his new tools. The Redskins are struggling mightily at the quarterback position and it looks as though they have finally decided to ditch RG3 in favor of Kirk Cousins. For better or for worse, it’s a new era in Washington. Under the Radar: Jonas Gray, Kenny Stills, Jordan Reed, Matt Jones
Seahawks @ Rams
The Seahawks got better? Nuts.. Adding Jimmy Graham and Fred Jackson has increased the offensive power of this defensive juggernaut. Teams should be very afraid this year. Kam Chancellor may hold out for some or all of the season, but that’s not enough to push the Seahawks from being Super Bowl favorites. The Rams have some talent to develop in Todd Gurley but he looks like he’ll come along slowly. Their new QB, Nick Foles, is a big question mark in the Rams offense.. will he mesh with #1 WR Brian Quick? Under the Radar: Tyler Lockett, Kenny Britt, Tre Mason
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SUNDAY AFTERNOON
Lions @ Chargers
Megatron and Tate should find all the success in the world this year in Detroit’s offense, especially with newcomer Abdullah adding a threat to the backfield. The Chargers’ offense is a little lacking in 2015 with aging TE Gates suspended for 4 games and Keenan Allen regressing from his rookie season. New acquisition Stevie Johnson should provide a spark as well as Danny Woodhead, who is healthy once again. Under the Radar: Stevie Johnson, Danny Woodhead, Eric Ebron
Saints @ Cardinals
Drew Brees and the Saints had a losing season last year, and it’s not likely that will continue to happen. Even though he lost some important offensive tools in Jimmy Graham and Kenny Stills, Brees has always had the ability to spread the ball around. The Cardinals will need Carson Palmer to stay healthy this season in order to make it to the playoffs, but if he can last the duration of 2015 that could mean big things for this offense. A weak point is at RB, and it’s unclear who will come out on top this year (Ellington, Johnson or Johnson). Under the Radar: Brandon Coleman, C.J. Spiller, John Brown, Jaron Brown
Ravens @ Broncos
Marc Trestman’s offense gets a good test in week 1 against the Denver Broncos – all signs point to Forsett continuing to be productive here and Steve Smith will likely shine early in the season as he has done throughout his career. The major issue here is the lack of depth at wide receiver. Look for Kamar Aiken to surprise if he can play up to the task at hand. Not much has changed for the Broncos except slightly more of a focus on the running game, with the aging Peyton Manning under center. Don’t get me wrong, Manning will still play lights out football but the Broncos will try to be more conservative to keep him healthy all season. Under the Radar: Kamar Aiken, Ronnie Hillman, Owen Daniels
Bengals @ Raiders
The Bengals will look to capitalize on what successes they have already had and keep pushing the running game with Jeremy Hill. The WR2 spot still has yet to be consistently filled and a lot of those targets will fall to TE Tyler Eifert. The Raiders have a new/young offense including guys Amari Cooper and Latavius Murray led by Derek Carr, who could take another step forward this season. Watch out for this team in 2015. Under the Radar: Michael Crabtree, Mychal Rivera, Tyler Eifert
Titans @ Buccaneers
Marcus Mariota is going to lead the Titans to a more successful season than in 2014. The big question is how much more successful? Without a lot of developed weapons, probably not that much more. Kendall Wright could shine here in PPR leagues with the volume of targets that he is slated to receive, but the rest of the team is a toss-up. The Bucs also have a rookie QB in Jameis Winston but they have more established tools on offense (Doug Martin, Vincent Jackson, Mike Evans, etc). The Bucs should enjoy more early success because of this. Under the Radar: Delanie Walker, Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Terrance West
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SUNDAY NIGHT
Giants @ Cowboys
The Cowboys jump into the 2015 season with a great passing attack, but a very jumbled backfield. Neither Joseph Randle nor Darren McFadden seem to be the guy that will lead them out of chaos, so it’s more likely that this situation will just be a rotating carousel of running backs depending on who is performing better from week-to-week. The Giants look to improve on their record from last year and should be able to do just that, though they have a similarly muddy looking backfield with Jennings and Williams. Best to focus on the pass with these two teams until their running situations become more fleshed out. Under the Radar: Reuben Randle, Shane Vereen, Terrance Williams, Christine Michael
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MONDAY NIGHT
Eagles @ Falcons
We could talk about the Eagles forever – the combination of explosive talent and fast-paced play running that Chip Kelly has bottled right now in Philadelphia could catapult the Eagles to the top of the charts pretty quickly. Bradford’s health and Murray’s production will ultimately determine whether or not this team makes it in the post-season. The Falcons have a comfortable passing attack and one of the best NFL receivers in Julio Jones, but they have major issues at the running back position. It looks like Tevin Coleman will start off the season with the job, but can he really make it his? Under the Radar: Jacob Tamme, Ryan Mathews, Leonard Hankerson
Vikings @ 49ers
The Vikings have impressed in the preseason (which doesn’t mean a whole lot) with good performances from Teddy Bridgewater and Co. The return of Adrian Peterson definitely adds an air of confidence for the team, and their defense has been looking like a cohesive unit lately. Looks like the battle of the NFC North might end up between Green Bay and Minnesota this year. San Francisco has lost a ton of players on offense and defense and I’m not sure that they can successfully recover this year. One bright spot is the addition of Torrey Smith, and the sure-handed Anquan Boldin is still kickin’. Nope, things do not bode well for the 49ers in 2015. Under the Radar: Reggie Bush, Charles Johnson, Vernon Davis
