Week 1 is finally here! It’s time to #PropUp at ThriveFantasy and take a look at some of the props for Sunday’s action! One of my favorite things about ThriveFantasy’s Sunday contests is that they give props for games all throughout the day, so you aren’t just limited to the 1:00 and 4:25 games. Do you want the late night hammer or sweat it out all day? You can do that!
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Here are a few of my favorite props on Thrive Fantasy for Week 1!
Christian McCaffery OVER 71.5 Rushing Yards
McCaffery missed all but three games last year, but there’s no reason to think that Carolina doesn’t force feed him the ball in his return to the lineup. Sure, this line is only focused on his rushing yards, but this seems too low. Plus, you get extra points for taking the over! In his three games last year, he notched 23, 18 and 18 carries, averaging 3.81 yards per carry. The Jets allowed four yards per attempt last season and they are a bit banged up on the defensive side of the ball. Take the over here, as we may never see McCaffery’s line this low again.
Kyler Murray OVER 296.5 Passing and Rushing Yards
The over is the slight favorite here, but that’s okay with me, as 95 points is still solid. This game has the third-highest total for the week, and with the Titans having the fifth-highest implied team total, Arizona is going to have to put points up on the board. In 2020, the Titans allowed the ninth-most passing yards in the league, and allowed over four yards per carry for opposing quarterbacks. Tennessee's implied team total is just short of 27 points, and in the eight games that Arizona allowed at least 26 points in a game last year, Murray surpassed 296.5 passing and rushing yards five times. I love taking the over here.
Matthew Stafford OVER 23.5 Completions
If Jared Goff can complete 67 percent of his passes last season, despite how rough he could be at times, I’m excited for Stafford in Sean McVay’s offense. Goff only surpassed this line five times last year, but in Stafford’s debut with the Rams, I expect a lot of high-percentage passes early on to boost the confidence, and the injury to Cam Akers could lend itself to some inconsistency out of the backfield with Sony Michel and Darrell Henderson. If the Rams struggle to run the ball, expect screen passes and quick-hitters to Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp to be the de facto run game, pushing Stafford’s completions north of 23.5 on Sunday night.
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Player News
ESPN’s Kris Rhim reports Chargers RB Najee Harris (eye) participated in football drills Tuesday.
It was Harris’ first time participating in football drills this training camp. Rhim reports the 27-year-old did drills with a football off to the side with an athletic trainer. He is slowly progressing back to full football activities between jogging and individual drills on Tuesday, but remains on the PUP list for now. Omarion Hampton is the Chargers’ starter, while the third-string spot still remains open for competition. Harris may not be ready for Week 1, but working with a football is an optimistic sign that he is on his way back.
Texans RBs Nick Chubb (head) and Dameon Pierce (quad) split first-team snaps Tuesday.
Chubb returned to practice after a head injury and split first-team snaps with Pierce, who was a full-go in practice for the first time since he strained his quadriceps. With Joe Mixon still sidelined with ankle and foot issues, the Texans have a murky backfield split between the veterans. Chubb is a downhill runner who has lost some burst while Pierce was strictly a backup and special teamer last season. Splitting first-team snaps indicates this backfield will be a committee when Mixon is out, with rookie Woody Marks mixing in for pass-catching.
Chargers OL Mekhi Becton is “working through something” after missing the last two weeks of practice.
Offensive coordinator Greg Roman said Becton will be fine and is “getting a lot of great meeting time, walkthrough time.” The 26-year-old signed a two-year, $20 million deal with the Chargers in the offseason and has a chance to start as a blocker for the run game. Roman said he is “not putting anything in concrete”, but Becton should be back to start the season.
Chargers OC Greg Roman said Omarion Hampton will rotate with another back in Week 1 even if Najee Harris (eye) isn’t ready to go.
Who said back is, Roman says, is “wide open.” We’d guess the Chargers would probably go to Hassan Haskins as a between-the-tackles sledgehammer in that scenario. This isn’t exactly breaking news — every team rotates running backs — but it does look like we shouldn’t look at Hampton’s Week 1 assignment as a clear runway to 30 touches if Harris is out.
The Athletic’s Brooks Kubena believes there’s a “growing sense” that Jahan Dotson “could contribute more” than he did in 2024.
Well, it would be hard to contribute less than 19 catches for 216 yards over a full season, folks! Kubena believes Dotson’s advancement is “notable” and that the ball skills that made him a 2022 first-round pick are “showing up more” in his first full training camp in Philadelphia. We’re not expecting the Eagles to be invested in feeding Dotson after declining his fifth-year option, but it certainly would make sense for him to do better than he did in 2024.
Kenneth Walker (undisclosed) is back at practice on Tuesday.
It seems like if Walker’s foot (what he missed time with earlier in camp) is an issue, it’s one that will be long-term managed by the Seahawks. It’s probably not worth making a big deal out of at this point. Seahawks HC Mike Macdonald said “We have a plan for Ken, and we’re sticking to the plan,” when asked about Walker yesterday.