Injuries can create one of the biggest edges in fantasy football. When a star is ruled out, the touches don’t disappear, they get redistributed. For Week 1 of the NFL season, there are already some impactful injuries, so here is what they mean for fantasy football and the players that benefit the most in FanDrill Drafts through Smart Variations.
#1 Brock Bowers (TE – LV)
If you completed your FanDrill draft earlier in the week, this news was heartbreaking. Brock was a second-round pick and against a weak Miami Dolphins secondary, the odds he would outplay his projections were high. So that begs the question, what is the plan to replace him?
This is where the Smart Variations feature comes into play, where you will be doing a Double Swap.
Tight end is one of the least valuable positions in fantasy, simply due to production. There are cheap options to replace Brock Bowers later, but there are many early third round flex plays that you can swap Bowers with.
Double-Swap Part 1: Chris Olave (WR – NO)
Chris Olave is going against the Detroit Lions’ weak and injured secondary in week 1. Without Jordyn Tyson, Tyler Shough will have to look his way. In 9 games with Tyler Shough as the starter last season, Olave had 71 targets (ninth), 660 yards (ninth), and 6 touchdowns. He is the perfect swap for Brock Bowers this week. A great matchup, and a guaranteed high target share, there is no better option.
Double-Swap Part 2: Greg Dulcich (TE – MIA)
To replace Bowers, you also have to grab a tight end and swap him with one of your late round picks. According to FanDrill’s Opponent Rank, the Las Vegas Raiders are the tenth easiest matchup for tight ends in week 1.
Greg Dulcich has no proven target competition, outside of Devon Achane. In a Miami offense full of rookie wide receivers, Dulcich may quickly become Malik Willis’ favorite target in the middle of the field and he could outperform his projection this week.
#2 Jeremiyah Love (RB – ARI)
Jeremiyah Love is listed as questionable for his NFL debut against the Los Angeles Chargers, and was also named the RB2 on the depth chart behind Tyler Allgeier. I expect that Mike LaFleur will want to ease him in as he tends to that high-ankle sprain. With an ADP also in the third round, there are two running backs that you can swap him for.
Option A: D’Andre Swift (RB – CHI)
Swift has a great matchup in week 1 against the Carolina Panthers, who are the tenth easiest matchup for running backs this week. Kyle Monongai was cleared to play Sunday, but he missed a lot of time with his injury so it wouldn’t be shocking to see Swift get the majority of the workload in the backfield.
The Bears will be running a lot of 12 and 13 personnel (two and three tight end) sets, and Ben Johnson’s run scheme is one of, if not, the best in the NFL. In heavy personnel packages, the Bears will look to run the ball with their explosive outside zone back. He could go for a big week in Charlotte.
Option B: David Montgomery (RB – HOU)
The Texans new shiny toy looks great in week 1. Against a Buffalo Bills run defense that allowed the fifth most yards per game and were tied with the Dallas Cowboys for the most touchdowns allowed, David Montgomery has a real chance to have a blowup week.
The Texans offense is not inspiring in general, but they went out of their way to improve the offensive line and trade for Montgomery to build an identity in the trenches and the run game. In what looks to be a low scoring affair, David has a real chance to outplay his 11.4 point projection, with touchdown upside.
#3 Malik Nabers (WR – NYG)
Malik Nabers is coming off a major injury, tearing his ACL & meniscus. If you drafted Malik Nabers this week and he is ruled out, or you are scared how he will look in his first game back from injury, don’t fret, there are options out there.
Option A: Jameson Williams (WR – DET)
The NFL’s biggest “boom or bust” player, even though I disagree, that’s the consensus. He is going against the Saints defense which FanDrill opponent rankings have as the eleventh easiest matchup of the week. This will be a high-scoring game, Vegas projects it to have the second-highest projected total on Sunday. Two bad defenses, with the Lions great offense, Jameson Williams has explosive play potential in this matchup.
In the back half of last season, Dan Campbell took over playcalling duties and utilized Jameson Williams in ways the NFL hasn’t seen before, and he was one of the best receivers in the league. He should keep that same role in 2026, despite the playcalling change.
Option B: Tetairoa McMillan (WR – CAR)
McMillan has been a controversial player all summer long as Bryce Young doesn’t inspire much confidence, but that shouldn’t matter for week 1 against the Chicago Bears, the eighth best matchup for wide receivers.
The Carolina Panthers pass-catching group outside of Tetairoa is weak, and we already saw him get a huge target share in his rookie season. Mix that in with his increased slot usage in the preseason, I think we can expect the new role and lack of competition to come to fruition for fantasy football early against a bad Chicago secondary.
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