This article was originally published by numberFire for Bleacher Report on Friday. It has been updated with new information and reposted here with Bleacher Report's permission by the article's author, numberFire's Zach Warren.
The clock sits at 11:59 for NFL teams: it's almost the start of the NFL season. Naturally, it wouldn't be the start of the season without a little bit of worrying. Unlike the offseason, you shouldn't worry about whether you'll be able to fill out your roster the way you want (right Jaguars fans?). Rather, it's whether the guys you already have will be healthy enough to play effectively. Other than the voodoo priests in Arizona, every single NFL team has at least one guy on the injury chart after the final week of the preseason. Even more players are coming back from major injuries last season. The trick for you, All-Knowing Fantasy Owner, is to figure out exactly how well these guys are actually going to play.
numberFire.com has crunched the numbers, and stats guru Keith Goldner has projected what some of these banged-up players will do Week 1. The projections aren't yet set in stone—that will happen when final roster cuts are made entering the weekend. But this is a good sneak peak into what you should trust these guys to do Week 1.
These numbers are based off of a standard Yahoo! league, with no points per reception and only four points for passing touchdowns.
Week One Stats for Banged-up Stars
our draft board — but this is clearly not the best matchup to begin his comeback. Last season, the Falcons finish sixth in the NFL in average rushing yards allowed with 97.0, one of eight teams to be under the 100 yard per game mark. Lofa Tatupu may be out for the season, but the rest of that Falcons defense returns with a vengeance, perhaps even a little stronger with the addition of Asante Samuel at corner. And remember: this isn't only Charles' return party, it's average draft position right around the late-fourth to early-fifth round, Bradshaw will likely be on the cusp of starting in many leagues come Week 1. He's been a great fantasy back when healthy. However, that's an extremely big caveat - he only played in 12 games and started nine for the Giants last season. But even with Bradshaw currently on the injury list (probable) for Week 1, I don't see too much reason to worry entering this first game. The main upside for Bradshaw is catching the ball out of the backfield: he had at least two receptions in nine of the 12 games he played last season. That doesn't even take into account his two receiving touchdowns, and one of those scores came against these very same Cowboys in Week 17. That day, he scored a rushing TD as well on his way to a big 18 fantasy points in many fantasy leagues' championship game. The Cowboys were impressive against the run last year (#7 in the NFL), but a big reason for that was their secondary's failure against the pass (#23 in the NFL). The Cowboys have made massive improvements at corner, but that might only mean more opportunities for Bradshaw up the middle of the field.
Verdict: Likely starter
Miles Austin - Dallas Cowboys
Week 1 Opponent: New York Giants
Projected Stats: 4.22 receptions, 58.11 yards, 0.50 TDs
Projected Fantasy Points: 8.73
Miles Austin missed six games last season and comes into Week 1 this year probable, just like seemingly everybody else with the Cowboys, including the peanut vendor in the south end zone. Dez Bryant is thought of as a must-start option at this point; Jerry Jones wouldn't have shelled out the money for a babysitter if he didn't think it would benefit him in some way. But what about the forgotten receiver? With Jason Witten's status still up in the air, the opportunities will likely be there for Austin; he averaged just over seven targets a game from Dallas QBs last season, even with Witten and Laurent Robinson in town. His main issue, then, is turning those targets into receptions, as his 58.9 percent catch rate sits slightly below the league average for receivers. In two games last year against the Giants, Austin's performances were Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, with a 12-fantasy point day and a TD in Week 14, but only two catches for 20 yards in Week 17. I'd be extremely wary of him as the season goes on, but if he's on your team, you're not going to get many opportunities better than a Week 1 game against the fourth-worst passing defense in the NFL in 2011.
Verdict: Likely starter