• Potential for James Cook to be an elite fantasy play this week: A great matchup in the trenches and strong usage could help Cook start the year off hot.

• An ideal first matchup for the 2024 first overall pick: Caleb Williams fantasy managers should feel good about plugging him into Week 1 lineups considering his positive matchup this week.

• Unlock your edge with a PFF+ subscription: Get full access to all our in-season fantasy tools, including weekly rankings, WR/CB matchup charts, weekly projections, the Start-Sit Optimizer and more. Sign up now!

Estimated reading time: 7 minutes

Whether you’re looking for some important tie-breakers in fantasy start/sit decisions or an advantage in DFS, knowing which players have the most and least beneficial matchups each week can help

Understanding which teams have the advantage in the trenches can be a key to weekly fantasy football results. These are some of the more crucial matchups to be aware of as fantasy managers head into Week 1.

Click here to see this week’s entire offensive line/defensive line matchup tool on PFF.

Offensive line matchups to target

Tennessee Titans @ Chicago Bears

• The Bears offensive line improved in the back half of last season, and the team even added a new center Ryan Bates.
• The Bears offensive line comes in ranked as the 11th-best unit from PFF’s offseason’s rankings.
• On the other side of things, the Titans defensive line ranks just 21st in the defensive line rankings.
• There are solid pieces on the Titans defensive line, including Harold Landry and Jeffery Simmons, but they could still be at a disadvantage against an improved Chicago offensive line.

Key player(s) to target

QB Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears 

• Many fantasy managers may be hesitant about plugging the first overall pick in this year’s NFL draft into starting lineups. Still, Williams gets a relatively friendly introductory game to kick things off on the right foot.
• Williams has already shown a tendency to hold the ball before passing, evidenced by his 3.68 seconds time-to-throw in the preseason. Part of that has to do with his ability to extend plays with his legs, but it's common for rookies because the game hasn’t slowed down for them just yet.
• For Williams, the advantage in the trenches should allow him to get the extra time needed to get the ball to his stars at the wide receiver position and potentially take off against a defense transitioning with a lot of new personnel this season.
• Williams isn’t the kind of rookie who we need to be hesitant about starting in Week 1, and he should fully be expected to hit the ground running like the top-12 quarterback he was drafted to be this offseason.

Buffalo Bills versus Arizona Cardinals

• The Bills come in ranked as a top-10 offensive line this offseason.
• The Cardinals came in ranked dead last in PFF’s defensive line rankings this offseason.
• When Joe Brady took over as offensive coordinator in Week 11 and into the playoffs, the Bills ranked tied for the highest run rate in the league (45.9%).

Key player(s) to target

RB James Cook, Buffalo Bills

• Cook is likely in most fantasy starting lineups this week, but there’s reason to believe expectations could push him into being a top-five running back for the week.
• The advantage in the trenches, combined with the potential to run more often, should greatly benefit the Bills' lead back in Week 1.
• As a smaller back, the opportunity to get additional yardage with positive run-blocking is often necessary for success, and Cook benefited from this last season. Buffalo’s offensive line helped generate 41.9% of Cook’s rushing yards before contact – the second-highest mark in the league (including playoffs).
• With the hope/potential for more goal-line touches as well this season, Cook should be off to a great start with his fantasy production in Week 1.

Detroit Lions versus Los Angeles Rams

• The Lions own the top spot on PFF’s offensive line rankings heading into the year.
• On the flip side, the Rams defensive line ranks just 23rd best in terms of PFF’s defensive line rankings heading into the year.
• The Aaron Donald loss, as he not only dominated opposing offensive linemen but also drew more blocking attention than any player in the league, which opened things up for the less-talented Rams’ pass-rushers.

Key player(s) to target

WR Jameson Williams, Detroit Lions 

• One key advantage in having a strong offensive line against a below-average defensive line is the extra amount of time that advantage can buy a quarterback and a deep-threat wide receiver.
• The focal points of the Lions' passing attack — Amon-Ra St. Brown and Sam LaPorta — are likely going to feast each week. Certain matchups will favor Williams as well, and this week is one of those potential matchups.
• The Rams have upgraded their secondary, but Williams' positive camp hype has indicated that he’ll be in for a bigger role and looks to have earned it with strong play this offseason.
• In 2023, Williams’ 16.4-yard average depth of target ranked fifth among all wide receivers. 
• Williams delivered both of his receiving touchdowns in the regular season on throws 20-plus yards downfield, earning a strong 90.4 receiving grade in the process.
• Look for the Lions to utilize Williams in a key role this week, making him a potential flex/DFS play for Week 1.

Offensive line matchups to avoid

Dallas Cowboys @ Cleveland Browns

• The Cowboys offensive line is going through a transition from last season when it was among the best in the league. While it can still be good, this figures to be a matchup where the Cowboys don’t necessarily have the advantage.
• Dallas has replaced former starting left tackle Tyron Smith and starting center Tyler Biadasz with rookie Tyler Guyton and second-year Brock Hoffman – who lack NFL experience.
• Going up against PFF’s fifth-ranked defensive line heading into the season, which includes reigning defensive player of the year Myles Garrett, it’s not an ideal starting point for Dallas’ new-look line.
• The Browns as a team in 2023 delivered the best overall pass-rush grade as a unit (91.3), and all of their star difference makers are back for 2024.

Key player(s) to avoid

WR Brandin Cooks, Dallas Cowboys

• There aren’t any fantasy managers benching CeeDee Lamb this week despite the tougher matchup, but that doesn’t necessarily translate to the Cowboys' tertiary options like Cooks.
• Cooks, much like Jameson Williams mentioned above, owned a relatively high average depth of target in 2023. He led the team (13.4) and ranked among the top-30 wide receivers in that regard.
• On the contrary to Williams, where we expect the Lions to have more time to hit those deep passes, it isn’t likely to be the same for Dallas against a dangerous pass rush.
• On pressured plays last season, Cooks saw the eighth-lowest target rate on the team at 13.5%, which ranked behind Michael Gallup and running back Tony Pollard.
• Cooks can still be the sleeper wide receiver we expect him to be in 2024, but it doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll start hot in Week 1.

QB Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys

• It is difficult to fade Cooks this week without also being concerned about his quarterback, who should be under significant pressure from one of the best defenses in the league.
• Not only does Cleveland’s pass rush pose a problem, but its coverage unit was also one of the best in the league last season.
• Bringing back defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz and beginning the year with all their starters healthy, this Browns defense could pick up right where it left off in 2023, which resulted in just 14.1 fantasy points per game yielded to the quarterback position – the fourth-lowest mark in the league.

Green Bay Packers @ Philadelphia Eagles

• The Eagles have one of the top-ranked defensive lines heading into the season, which was the case last season as well, as it earned the fourth-best run defense grade of the year.
• The Packers ranked 23rd in run-blocking last season and come in ranked as the 14th-best offensive line this year, according to the PFF rankings.

Key player(s) to avoid

RB Josh Jacobs, Green Bay Packers

• Jacobs has top-15 potential for his position this season based on volume alone, and as a result, he was drafted as such. However, this may not be the start to the season that fantasy managers are necessarily looking for in Week 1.
• Philadelphia was a stingy defense last season in terms of allowing running back fantasy points, and it figures to be in a similar position this season, which doesn’t bode well for a player like Jacobs, who is coming off a discouraging year in terms of rushing metrics.
• Jacobs’ efficiency dipped to career lows in 2023, which included averaging 3.5 yards per carry (tied for 50th) and managing just 2.35 yards after contact per attempt (tied for 53rd).
• Jacobs will have to look like an all-new player in Week 1 to potentially overcome this Eagles defensive line which continues to be one of the better units in the NFL.