This isn’t your dad’s sleepers and busts article. Who can forget the infamous presser from then-Head Coach of the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers, David Bennett? When addressing the media about what he needed from his team, he went on an epic rant explaining what he needed from his team, comparing it to a funny story about some cats trying to get into his house. It doesn’t make much sense, but his wise words still hold true today: “We don’t need no cats; we need more dogs.” Watch the video below, and then follow up by reading to find out about my Week 1 cats and dogs.
Cats (Busts) for Week 1:
Matthew Stafford & Kyren Williams: Los Angeles Rams
I don’t understand Sean McVay’s thinking about traveling to Australia. They left Los Angeles on Tuesday night and arrived in Australia on Thursday morning (local time), just 24 hours before game time. They endured a 15-hour flight and a 17-hour time change. Their opponents, the San Francisco 49ers, arrived almost a full week earlier. When considering sleepers and busts for this game, Kyren Williams is already a full-season fade for me, but competition from Blake Corum may emerge early as they try to break up the workload after such travel.
When it comes to Stafford, it’s more of a one-week fade. You have an old man who didn’t take a single preseason snap, along with his 3 biggest offensive weapons. Puka coming off of injury concerns, along with a stout 49ers defense, are both reasons to fade Stafford hard this week.
Drake London- Atlanta Falcons
Fade Drake London in Week 1 because Tua Tagovailoa is starting for the Falcons, and Tua being bad is the entire thesis. The guy who treats the middle of the field like it’s lined with landmines now has to sling it at Acrisure Stadium against a Steelers defense that actually hits people. Atlanta’s implied team total sits at a sad 19-ish points on a 41.5-point game total.
London’s props (5.5 catches, 63.5–64.5 yards, 22.5 long) assume a functional quarterback exists. He does not. Expect checkdowns that travel 4 yards, Tua staring at ghosts, and London finishing with 4-for-41 while you laugh-cry into your lineup. Sit him. Watch Tua instead. It’s cheaper entertainment. Sleepers and busts in this game are plenty, but London falls into the latter.
Tucker Kraft- Green Bay Packers
Listen. I’m not just going to list guys far down most rankings list. Fade Tucker Kraft this week because he’s coming off a torn ACL and still needs to be ramped up like a rusty lawnmower on the first warm day. First live snaps since last November against a Vikings defense that actually tackles.
Green Bay will treat him like fine China: limited routes, fewer targets, and a snap count that looks like a participation trophy. His 3.5-catch/45.5-yard props assume last year’s version shows up. This version is still asking the knee if it’s allowed to cut. Sit him, let the rust flake off, and start someone whose ligaments aren’t auditioning for a medical drama.
Dogs (Sleepers) for Week 1:
Malik Willis- Miami Dolphins
Here’s the fun part of a sleepers and busts article. Start Malik Willis because he’s a human scramble drill with a clipboard. In his lone 2025 start, he dropped 288 passing yards, 60 on the ground, and three scores without an INT. Miami’s implied total is a modest ~18, but Willis doesn’t need a shootout—he is the offense when the pocket collapses.
Maxx Crosby will hunt him; Willis will just tuck it and turn a sack into a 19-yard first down while the Raiders’ secondary files a missing-persons report. In 2QB/superflex he’s a Week 1 cheat code: low-cost rushing floor plus “what if he actually completes a deep ball?” ceiling. Fire him up and enjoy the chaos.
Kenneth Gainwell- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Start Kenny Gainwell because the Bengals still defend the run like it’s optional and this game has a 50.5 total that smells like points. Last year he closed as the RB7 from Weeks 11-18 on 13.3 touches and 85 total yards a game, and camp chatter has him splitting with Bucky Irving the way Rachaad White used to. Baker loves the checkdown; Gainwell is the checkdown with extra burst.
There are sleepers and busts in the same backfield in this game in my opinion. Even if Irving gets the early-down work, Gainwell will feast on passing downs while Cincinnati’s rebuilt line tries to remember how tackling works. He’s the sneaky PPR piece in a game that should turn into a track meet. Plug him in and let the volume do the talking.
Josh Downs – Indianapolis Colts
Start Josh Downs because Alec Pierce is still shaking off ankle rust and somebody has to catch Daniel Jones’ short stuff. Downs posted 58-566-4 last year and ranks well in yards per route when healthy; the Ravens just so happened to leak the sixth-most fantasy points to slot receivers a year ago.
Indianapolis sits around a 22-point implied total in a 47.5-point game, which is enough air for a slot guy who lives on slants and option routes. He’s the WR who shows up on your bench looking innocent, then drops 7-82-1 while you pretend you believed all along. Flex him with confidence, then thank him for the limited Pierce snaps later. Sleepers and busts in this game will (possibly) be lining up on the same line of scrimmage.
Harold Fannin Jr.- Cleveland Browns
I know. A Cleveland Brown. Woof. Start Harold Fannin Jr. because Cleveland’s passing attack is a dumpster fire and he’s the only one holding a working hose. As a rookie he finished TE8 with 72-731-6 and led the team in receiving; Njoku is gone, so the targets aren’t hypothetical. The team is starting two rookies at wide receiver.
The Browns’ implied total is a depressing 16 points, and Jacksonville was stingy versus TEs last year, but Fannin still projects as a volume monster (near 9 targets in some models). When your quarterback play is “whoever’s least injured,” the tight end who already produced through that chaos is your safest TE1. Start him, watch him grind out 6-58, and remind yourself you didn’t overthink the matchup.
