Our free Fantasy Index Blackout competition is back, and I'll be submitting weekly picks along with the rest of you. In Week 1, there's a couple of games that are particularly interesting, including Russell Wilson back in Seattle facing his former team.
How to play: Sign into your Fantasy Index account and click the blue "Your stuff" button in the top right corner. Then look for the link to Fantasy Index Blackout 2022 on the right side of the page. Each week, choose 2 QBs, 2 RBs, 3 WRs, 2 TEs, 2 PKs, and 2 defenses. To make the game more interesting, we remove several top players from the player pool (they're "blacked out," hence the name) each week.
Each week's high score (PPR scoring) will win a $25 Fantasy Index gift certificate, and the season champ will win a nice prize package. Enter for Week 1 and stay in the hunt for the season championship.
Here are my Week 1 picks.
Quarterback: Russell Wilson and Aaron Rodgers. Wilson travels back to face Seattle, which didn't let him pass as much as he wanted in recent years. He'll show them what they'll be missing in Week 1, with plenty of passing and maybe he'll even scramble for a short score at some point. I'd be using one of his receivers, but I'm not sure who he'll favor. But definitely Wilson.
As discussed in the Weekly, the Vikings defense has seemingly brought out the best in Aaron Rodgers in recent years. Granted, his receiving corps looks a little iffy; maybe I'll think better of this choice. But I think he'll have a good day, even if his main receivers are running backs and iffy veterans. I reserve the right to change my mind if Allen Lazard isn't playing; my third choice of non-blacked-out players would probably be a runner, either Lamar Jackson or Jalen Hurts.
Running back: Christian McCaffrey and Derrick Henry. McCaffrey used to be blacked out every week he was healthy; how the mighty have fallen. But knowing he's healthy now, it seems crazy not to use him. Similarly with Henry, plus he's facing a Giants defense that cut middle linebacker Blake Martinez last week. I think Henry's going to start out the season with a big game. If I were going with a third choice this week it would be James Conner or Joe Mixon, but I'll stick with these guys for now.
Wide receiver: Davante Adams, Michael Pittman, Keenan Allen. I think Derek Carr and Adams are going to play pitch and catch for a lot of their first game together. With Pittman, we heard all preseason about his rapport with Matt Ryan, and I'm not sure the Colts have any other good receivers to take many targets away; he should be very busy. The Allen selection is based on the matchup and my mild annoyance that people were drafting Mike Williams ahead of him in some of my leagues. Allen is still the 1 and I think we'll see that this week. I also considered Courtland Sutton and Allen Robinson, but Allen is the pick today.
Tight end: T.J. Hockenson and Dalton Schultz. Lots of good choices at this position. But Hockenson faces an Eagles defense that had a blind spot for tight ends a year ago, while Schultz is one of two healthy, proven Dallas receivers facing a Tampa Bay defense that gives up a ton of passing production.
Kicker: Justin Tucker and Jake Elliott. Good kickers on good offenses on teams that will win facing poor defenses. I try not to get too fancy with these picks, but those are the things I look for.
Defense: San Francisco and New Orleans. The 49ers facing Justin Fields behind Chicago's white flag offensive line are an easy choice. The Saints should be all over Marcus Mariota and Atlanta's talent-thin offense. If I change, and I might, Baltimore versus the Jets and Denver versus Seattle are the ones I'll be considering.
Good luck to the rest of you.