The NFL has turned a Monday Night Football doubleheader into an annual tradition, and this year the final day of Week 1 opens with two historic giants (no pun intended) of the league. The New York Giants open the second year of the Daniel Jones era hosting the Pittsburgh Steelers in Ben Roethlisberger’s return from a lost 2019 sesason.
The Giants struggled much of last season, but injuries were a big problem. Daniel Jones was inconsistent but showed some of the skills the Giants anticipated in drafting him. Now, they have Saquon Barkley back, and Jones has a full stable of pass catchers to build on his rookie season.
The Steelers welcome back Ben Roethlisberger after season-ending elbow surgery. With a group of pass catchers that includes JuJu Smith-Schuster, Diontae Johnson, and James Washington, and the addition of tight end Eric Ebron, this passing offense has a chance to be one of the better in the league. Of course, that depends a lot on what Roethlisberger has left in the tank.
Matchups are going to be key, but it helps to see what the analytics are saying about potential performances. Looking at fantasy projections for season-long leagues (1/2 PPR setting), you can’t really go wrong with most of your big name pieces. But there could be some value to be found a little further down the depth chart.
This game could be more fun than I think people expect. I think the Steelers probably win, but I expect a bit of a shootout between these two offenses. Here are Week 1 fantasy points projections to help you further improve your chances to get off to a strong start.
Pittsburgh Steelers
QB Ben Roethlisberger: 18.3
RB James Conner: 14.6
WR JuJu Smith-Schuster: 12.1
WR Diontae Johnson: 9.6
WR James Washington: 5.8
WR Chase Claypool: 5.2
TE Eric Ebron: 6.4
K Chris Boswell: 7.8
D/ST: 8.2
New York Giants
QB Daniel Jones: 15.0
RB Saquon Barkley: 17.1
WR Sterling Shepard: 10.1
WR Golden Tate: 8.5
WR Darius Slayton: 7.7
TE Evan Engram: 9.3
K Graham Gano: 7.4
Giants D/ST: 3.5