Fantasy football analyst Sal Vetri will use this space to hand over his keys to victory each week of the 2024 NFL season.

The best RB position of week 1 goes to… James Cook

This is one of the best matchups you’ll find in Week 1. James Cook goes up against the Cardinals, who have arguably the worst defensive line in football. Cook is coming off a season in which he nearly gave up 1,600 yards and now finds himself matched up against a defensive line whose personnel would likely be a backup on most teams.

The Bills are a six-point favorite and are expected to score 27 points this week. Historically, this is a great spot for fantasy RB production. Expect an efficient game from Cook, with a higher chance of scoring a touchdown.

The Biggest O-Line vs. D-Line Mismatch of Week 1 Is… Lions vs. Rams

The Lions offensive line has a huge advantage over the Rams D-line this week. This will benefit Lions RB David Montgomery the most. I am concerned about the Rams defensive line without Aaron Donald. It is a unit with a lot of question marks and now they are facing the best offensive line in the league. This is the biggest mismatch in the trenches for Week 1.

I believe David Montgomery is an incredible player in all formats this week. Not only because of the matchup, but the Lions could limit Jahmyr Gibbs’ workload as he is coming off a hamstring injury. This would directly benefit Montgomery in Week 1.

The sketchy Week 1 spot belongs to… Aaron Jones vs. NYG

As long as Aaron Jones is healthy this season, he’ll be a top-20 back most weeks. But you may want to temper your expectations in Week 1, as he’ll be facing the Giants defensive line. That Giants D-line has been a bright spot for the team, led by Dexter Lawrence and Brian Burns.

There’s a risk the Giants could load the box against Sam Darnold, which would hurt Jones’ efficiency. But there’s some good news. The Vikings have a strong offensive line. Minnesota has one of the best left tackles in the game in Christian Darrisaw and a strong right tackle in Brian O’Neill. If the line holds up, Jones could still have a good day, but the matchup is sketchier than most would think.

The rookie to watch in week 1 is… Malik Nabers

Malik Nabers begins his NFL career with a favorable matchup against the Vikings. Minnesota has the 27th-ranked secondary entering the season, according to PFF. This Vikings secondary has had an unfortunate offseason.

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Mekhi Blackmon tore his ACL on the first day of training camp, and Shaq Griffin pulled his hamstring on the second day of camp. And that’s without even mentioning the fact that the team cut 2022 first-round pick Lewis Cine and lost rookie Khyree Jackson to a tragic car accident in July.

The Vikings still need time and resources to repair their secondary, but Week 1 is here. Expect the Giants’ first-round receiver to earn plenty of targets in a favorable matchup. If Daniel Jones has time to throw, Nabers should have a strong NFL debut.

The former Georgia star is considered one of the top TE prospects entering the NFL after three straight seasons of 50+ receptions in college. Bowers opens his NFL career in Week 1 against the Chargers’ weak linebacker unit.

The Chargers have a lot of question marks at the position. They are bringing back Denzel Perryman, who is coming off the worst year of his career, and LA will also be leaning heavily on a rookie in Junior Colson.

This matchup is a great setup for Bowers, who can identify elite-level coverages and his ability to win after the catch separates him from most rookie TEs. Start Bowers in Week 1.

Williams will be dealing with a Rams secondary that is a little thin. They signed Tre’Davious White who is only 29 years old but hasn’t been the same since his injury. The Rams also brought back Darius Williams who is coming off a solid year. But if those are your starting cornerbacks this year, I’m a little concerned. It’s thin at best.

I think this could be Jameson Williams’ coming out party. The last time we saw him, he scored two touchdowns in the NFC Championship game. This is a strong matchup to keep it going. Not to mention, Williams has been getting praise from his coaching staff all offseason as he’s stepped up to the plate as the starting receiver after veteran Josh Reynolds left in free agency.

The pick-and-play of week 1 is… Khalil Shakir

Shakir will enter the season against the Cardinals, who have the 32nd-ranked secondary by PFF entering the year. Arizona drafted four defensive backs, so there are some new additions to their underwhelming unit from last season. The problem is, these players are all rookies and it could take some time for them to develop in the NFL.

This bodes well for Shakir and the Bills. Shakir is the only Buffalo starting receiver Josh Allen has played with in the past. Last season, including the playoffs, Shakir had at least 12 fantasy points in 42% of his games after becoming a starter in Week 8. He did this while playing alongside Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis, who are now gone. There’s a chance Shakir leads this team in targets in Week 1, and you can now pick him up in nearly 40% of Yahoo leagues.

Bonus: Keep a close eye on the Panthers’ offense in Week 1

Does the number 4.1 mean anything to you? Probably not, but that’s the average number of yards per play the Panthers averaged last season. Way down in the NFL.

Week 1 will be a test of whether all the offseason moves were worth it. It’s a good test to start the season against a Saints team that has a solid secondary but is lacking on their defensive line.

Will the Panthers’ big spending on guard this offseason, and the additions at their skill positions, pay off? Will the offense look more creative under new coach Dave Canales?

If we can see some positive answers to these questions in Week 1, then I’d be fine with starting Diontae Johnson and Chuba Hubbard going forward. Maybe we can even FLEX Adam Thielen and Xavier Legette into deeper leagues.