Well my friends, we are finally here! We have made it through months of gushing over rookie running backs, watching Russell Wilson post videos on social media as “Mr. Unlimited” and analyzing based off shirtless workout pics of DK Metcalf, Austin Ekeler and Kahale Warring. Finally, week 1 of the 2020 NFL season is upon us!
Every Thursday, I will be posting the week’s “Sexy Flexies” to give you a couple of players to consider starting in your flex spot. The objective isn’t to point out the obvious guys you’re starting in your RB or WR slots, but to take a look at a couple of players who are a bit more under the radar. These will likely be guys that you won’t start every week but will be good rotational pieces in the flex spot of your lineup based on match-up and opportunity.
What I will do is look at the match-ups and opportunities and highlight for you a couple of guys who I believe will perform in the situation they are in for the given week. For this column, we will be looking at players who are ranked 60th or later at the flex position for the week, according to Fantasy Pros Consensus Ratings. Without further ado, let’s take a look at two players who will be the “Sexy Flexies” for week 1!
Sony Michel – RB – New England Patriots – vs Miami
Sony Michel may be as un-sexy as they come, but the opportunity that he has this week makes him a “sexy flexie”! Sony came off the PUP list on August 26th and he appears ready to go for opening week. He was quoted this week as saying, “I would say I am in the best position possible right now to be able to go into game 1 and be able to perform”. His biggest competition for early down work was Damien Harris who was placed on the IR this week with a hand injury and will miss at least the first 3 weeks.
Michel, the former 1st round pick, will look to capitalize on this opportunity and he gets a great matchup out of the gate to begin to do that. The Miami Dolphins were the 32nd ranked defense in DVOA last season. They made some improvements, but they were largely in the secondary and on the edges, whereas Sony does his work between the tackles. The matchup is one the Patriots are expected to win so the game script is positive for the main ground and pound running back. The Patriots have also improved their offensive line in the off-season and brought in a QB in Cam Newton who the defense still must worry about possibly running the ball himself.
I look for Michel to take advantage of the early down and red zone role this week. Last season, in two games against Miami, Michel had 39 carries for 157 yards and two touchdowns. Sony should be able to tote 15-20 carries on Sunday with a high probability of getting into the end zone. Even at 16 for 71 and a touchdown Sony should be a viable flex option getting you 13+ points in your flex spot.
DeSean Jackson – WR –Philadelphia Eagles – vs Washington
A more risky, higher upside option for a week 1 flex is Eagles WR Desean Jackson. Jackson is the poster boy for “boom or bust” so I would advise to start him in your flex this week if you are looking for an upside play, not the safe play. The knock on Jackson for years has been his inability to stay healthy, so if you’re ever going to be confident in that it would be in week 1, right?
D Jax also has a great week 1 track record. He has 6 career performances in week 1 where he has gone for over 100 yards, including last year where he went 8 for 154 and 2 TDs. Guess who he played last year in week 1 – you guessed it – Washington, the same team they are playing this Sunday!
The Eagles have major wide receiver problems. They had those problems last year and drafted Jalen Reagor to help fix that, but he was limited in practice this week with a shoulder injury. Alshon Jefferey is out with the foot injury and that leaves DeSean as the only reliable wide receiver for Carson Wentz in week 1. Jackson will have an opportunity to get 8 or more targets and I’m sure a few of them will certainly be deep shots. If he goes 6 for 88 and a TD, that’s a robust 20+ points from your “boom” flex option.
Best of luck to you all in your week 1 match-ups. Set your lineups, sit back with your favorite beverage, but most importantly enjoy watching the games. In a year that has been extremely challenging and stressful for most, let week 1 of the NFL season be a refreshing stop on the return to normalcy! Cheers!
