NFL Predictions Week 1: Odds Projections, Fantasy Stars to Target and More

Week 1 of the NFL season is often among the most unpredictable weekends on the schedule, but that is often an advantage for those betting on the games.

The oddsmakers don’t necessarily have a great feel for the teams yet, and the betting lines are primarily based on last season’s performances along with personnel moves made during the offseason. That means they could be ripe for the picking before settling into a groove as the 2016 campaign progresses.

Much like predicting games, there is a lot of guesswork involved with fantasy football in Week 1 of the season as well.

While early-round studs are obvious starts regardless of their matchups, filling out the rest of the lineup is challenging due to a lack of certainty regarding how certain defenses will fare.

Gut instincts will come into play for bettors and fantasy owners alike in Week 1, but here is a full rundown of picks against the spread and fantasy players worth a start to kick off the 2016 NFL season.

Week 1 Odds and Picks

Week 1 Fantasy Stars to Target Derek Carr, QB, OAK

The quarterback position is seemingly deeper than ever before from a fantasy perspective, which could reward owners who decided to wait on signal-callers rather than spend an early pick on an elite one.

For those who opted to to nab their starter in the mid-to-late rounds, Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr was a popular choice.

After a strong rookie season, Carr broke out even more as a second-year player in 2015, as he threw for 3,987 yards, 32 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.

According to ESPN Stats & Info, only one quarterback in NFL history has been more prolific than Carr in terms of touchdowns over their first two seasons:

Derek Carr had 53 touchdown passes in his first 2 NFL seasons, 2nd-most by a QB in NFL history (Dan Marino – 68). https://t.co/OvA2rJuYDN

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) September 4, 2016

All the pieces are in place for Carr to take another leap forward in 2016, as wide receiver Amari Cooper figures to be even better in his second …

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