Fantasy Roundup: Week 0

The NFL season has officially arrived. Finally, fans have another event to fill their schedules alongside the hundreds of baseball games and the phallic interruptions of the WNBA. Instead, plop down on the couch, grab your (surely nonalcoholic) beverage of choice, and watch as the Cowboys once again fail to reach the NFC Championship. At least you can watch Dallas’s cheerleaders in between the Wildcard-level play of “America’s Team.”

This year, the Independent has elected to cover the NFL season uniquely—through fantasy football. We have drafted six teams that will compete throughout the season including the playoffs. Each week, we will update you on how each team did while highlighting key moments from the past week’s games. Without further ado, here are the teams:

Bring it Dome (1st Overall Pick)

QB: Josh Allen

RB: Bucky Irving – James Cook

WR: Ja’Marr Chase – Puka Nacua 

TE: T.J. Hockenson 

FLEX: A.J. Brown (WR)

D/ST: Steelers 

K: Jake Elliot

Bench: Jaxon Smith-Njigba – TreVeyon Henderson – Mike Evans – Calvin Ridley – Isiah Pacheco – Jakobi Meyers – Jacory Croskey-Merritt

Led by the dangerous pair of Josh Allen and Ja’Marr Chase, this team has the potential to tear up the league. The roster is balanced across all positions: the explosiveness of Buffalo’s James Cook, the reliability of Tampa’s Mike Evans, and even Jake Elliot to hammer down the (almost) connection to Domus. Nacua, entering his third year, has been thrust into the spotlight with the Rams having moved away from 2022 Super Bowl MVP Cooper Kupp. Wide receiver A.J. Brown is on the potentially-cut-list, as he had a sharp decline in targets in his third season with the Eagles, but the season-opener against the Cowboys will show whether this trend is to continue.

First-and-Lowell (2nd Overall Pick)

QB: Jayden Daniels

RB: Saquon Barkley – De’Von Achane

WR: Drake London – Tyreek Hill

TE: George Kittle

FLEX: Chase Brown (RB)

D/ST: Ravens

K: Cameron Dicker

Bench: Terry McLaurin – Tetairoa McMillan – Xavier Worthy – Travis Hunter – Aaron Jones Sr. – RJ Harvey – Evan Engram

This Lowell roster is quite strong with powerful players at the RB, WR, and TE positions. Barkley, coming off a historic season, is projected to decline slightly, but he is still a dangerous player on a dangerous Eagles roster. With Penix Jr. taking the reins of the Falcons, Drake London might also see many opportunities to put points on the board alongside George Kittle, one of the best tight ends in the league. All eyes will be on Jayden Daniels in his sophomore season to see if he can continue his early success. Rookie Travis Hunter will be exciting to watch as he hopes to transfer his dominance from college to the league.

Kirkland Cousins (3rd Overall Pick)

QB: Lamar Jackson

RB: Jahmyr Gibbs – Josh Jacobs

WR: Amon-Ra St. Brown – Tee Higgins

TE: Travis Kelce

FLEX: James Conner (RB)

D/ST: Vikings

K: Harrison Butker

Bench: Omarion Hampton – Marvin Harrison Jr. – DJ Moore – Jaylen Waddle – Jameson Williams – Tony Pollard – Stefon Diggs

Though this team’s name is an ode to Kirk Cousins, this roster is led by Lamar Jackson and Jahmyr Gibbs and looks like it could be a contender. In addition to Amon-Ra, Josh Jacobs, and Tee Higgins, Kirkland has strong point-scorers for the season. Lamar Jackson is among the top ranked quarterbacks primarily due to his versatility on offense. The biggest question is whether the bench will be able to pull its weight as the season progresses. Diggs will make his debut with the Patriots, and although it has been a hot minute since his best years with the Vikings and Bills, he still shows flashes of brilliance. Further, Waddle’s place on this roster depends on whether Miami’s head coach Mike McDaniel and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa can regain their peak form.

The Inn-Zone (4th Overall Pick)

QB: Joe Burrow

RB: Bijan Robinson – Ashton Jeanty

WR: Nico Collins – Ladd McConkey

TE: Sam LaPorta

FLEX: Derrick Henry (RB)

D/ST: Texans

K: Chris Boswell

Bench: Garett Wilson – DK Metcalf – D’Andre Swift – Rome Odunze – Matthew Golden – Michael Pittman Jr. – Jaylen Warren

A roster featuring Joe Burrow, Bijan Robinson, Ashton Jeanty, and Derrick Henry seems like a cheat code. Throw in LaPorta’s scoring and the talents of Nico Collins, the Inn-Zone has a chance to win it all. The big question for the team is whether the bench players will mesh with their respective quarterbacks. Garett Wilson will be on the field alongside Justin Fields, who has had a tumultuous career thus far. Metcalf will be receiving from Aaron Rodgers who, while considered one of the best ever to play, is aging. While the bench is filled with great players, it is unclear whether the connection will be there.

Pfirst Down (5th Overall Pick)

QB: Jalen Hurts

RB: Christian McCaffrey – Jonathan Taylor

WR: Malik Nabers – Davante Adams

TE: Trey McBride

FLEX: Alvin Komara (RB)

D/ST: Broncos

K: Chase McLaughlin

Bench: Breece Hall – Jerry Jeudy – Courtland Sutton – Rashee Rice – David Montgomery – Emeka Egbuka – Tyrone Tracy Jr.

With Jalen Hurts on the team, expect to cheer for the tush-push as they crawl for a (p)first down. Like other top quarterbacks in the league, Hurts is a versatile playmaker who is guaranteed to put up impressive stats. Nabers, coming off an individually successful rookie year, hopes to continue impressing; however, he may be hindered by a lackluster quarterback situation. This roster also features proven talent of Alvin Kamara and Jonathan Taylor. Hopefully, Trey McBride continues his upward trajectory. The biggest question surrounds McCaffrey’s health. While one of the best running backs in the game, CMC missed 13 games last year.

The Ball Curriers (6th Overall Pick)

QB: Patrick Mahomes

RB: Kyren Williams – Chuba Hubbard

WR: CeeDee Lamb – Justin Jefferson

TE: Brock Bowers

FLEX: Brian Thomas Jr. (WR)

D/ST: Lions

K: Jake Bates

Bench: Kenneth Walker III – Zay Flowers – DeVonta Smith – Baker Mayfield – George Pickens – Chris Olave – Ricky Pearsall

Last but not least: the Ball Curriers. Immediately, a high scorer like Justin Jefferson shines as the brightest star among this lineup. The Vikings wide receiver has consistently broken reception records. Sophomore tight end Brock Bowers, who really impressed the league last year, and the Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard add depth in the backfield. The biggest uncertainty surrounds quarterbacks. The Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott needs to stay healthy for CeeDee Lamb to have the impact that we expect from him. Patrick Mahomes, undoubtedly one of the best quarterbacks in the league, has put up average regular-season stats.

League Rules

To make it easier to follow, teams will not be switching defenses throughout the season. Instead of picking up a team’s defense if they are playing an easier team, our fantasy teams will stick to their drafted defenses. Moreover, each weekly roundup will cover the previous week. At the beginning of week three, for instance, the roundup will cover the games from week one, to fit within our publishing schedule. Trades will generally not occur unless a proposal truly helps both teams. Waivers will only occur for players who have consistently been underperforming relative to their projections for multiple weeks.

The Inn-Zone may be a front runner to take this season, with a great player at every position as well as phenomenal bench. So far, though, it is too early to affirm this prediction, as fantasy teams are always full of surprises. Time will soon tell how our league performs, and which team will ultimately win it all.

Tyler Dang ’28 (tylerdang@college.harvard.edu) believes the Titans will reach the playoffs.