THE SHADOW KNOWS Week 1 2021

THE SHADOW KNOWS: Week 1

Allen Robinson needs a hug.
Whether it has been in Jacksonville or in Chicago, Robinson has made a career of being one of the league's most dependable wide receivers despite a poo-poo platter of bad quarterback play. Robinson caught 80 passes for 1,400 yards with Blake Bortles under center in 2015. And caught 200 balls over the past two seasons playing with Mitch Trubisky at quarterback.

Now, the eighth-year veteran heads into the 2021 campaign preparing to serve as Andy Dalton's No. 1 wide receiver with the Bears. And as Scott Pianowski wrote for Yahoo Sports, he draws a brutal Week 1 matchup with arguably the NFL's best cornerback in Jalen Ramsey of the Los Angeles Rams.

"The Bears have a substandard offensive line (perhaps the worst in the conference), and are up against a challenging defense anchored by two stars - defensive lineman Aaron Donald, and cornerback Jalen Ramsey," he said. "Figure on Donald crashing the Chicago pocket regularly, and Ramsey seeing a healthy dose of Robinson - unless the Rams prefer to bracket Robinson and stick Ramsey on an island elsewhere. Neither scenario sets up well for Chicago's most reliable offensive player. Robinson had a 4-70-0 line in last year's meeting, and even a repeat of that score looks like wishful thinking given the current context. Better days are ahead, but it's going to be a rough takeoff."

It's a miserable situation for fantasy managers-either sit your WR1 in the first week of the season and open a gaping may in the starting lineup, or start the 28-year-old and hope against hope he can break through against a Rams defense that gave up the fewest fantasy points in the league to opposing wide receivers in 2020.

Not quite the start to another year of The Shadow Knows here at Football Diehards that we were hoping for.
 

Seattle Seahawks at Indianapolis Colts (DK Metcalf vs. Xavier Rhodes)

Metcalf has quickly developed a reputation as one of the NFL's most physically imposing receivers. But as Dan Pompei reported for the Athletic, Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll said that the third-year pro is more than just size and speed.

"This guy is way more than height, weight, speed and running routes real fast," Carroll says. "He's not just a physical specimen, a big fast guy. He's way more than that. He has unbelievable passion for being great, the way he applies himself, works. … He's got the talent, but he's making it come to the surface every day because he wants to be great. There's so much more to this person."

Indy's Xavier Rhodes is an excellent veteran cornerback who revived his career with the Colts. But the 31-year-old missed practice Wednesday and Thursday with a calf injury, and even were he 100 percent both Metcalf and Tyler Lockett would still both be quality starts in Week 1.
 

Philadelphia Eagles at Atlanta Falcons (Darius Slay vs. Calvin Ridley)

By just about any objective measure, Darius Slay's first season with the Eagles was a mess-his passer rating against was a whopping 111.9. But part of those struggles can be attributed to Slay shadowing star wideouts on a weekly basis. However, as Dave Zangaro reported for NBC Sports Philadelphia, new defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon said that Slay could play more zone in 2021.

"He's going to play some man-to-man," Gannon said. "We're just going to figure out how much of it we can play, if it suits us to win the game that week. So, you'll see us hopefully be a little bit adaptable week to week with what we're doing to try to defend opposing offenses."

Frankly, given the lack of talent around him at corner in Philly and the lack of wide receivers in Atlanta outside Calvin Ridley, it's entirely possible that Slay will back on shadow detail Sunday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Regardless, Ridley is an easy every-week "yes"-it's entirely possible that the 26-year-old will be the most-targeted wideout in the NFL In 2021.
 

Pittsburgh Steelers at Buffalo Bills (Chase Claypool vs. Tre'Davious White)

Last year, Claypool burst on the fantasy scene early, only to fade late-only one of his nine touchdowns on the season came after Week 10. As SB Nation's Jeff Hartman reported, Claypool said that the key to more consistency in 2021 lies in doing the little things better.

"Just execution." Claypool said. "Doing some of the things, the little things, well. If it's alignment, when to look for a ball. The little nuances. Always working on route running, and make that as best as it possibly can be."

Claypool has shown the ability to post the kind of gaudy stat line that can win fantasy managers a week at any time. But this week's trip to Buffalo is an uphill climb. Tre'Davious White is one of the best cover corners in the league, and when the Bills and Steelers met last December, Claypool caught just three of his six targets for 15 yards.

He's more WR3 than WR2 to start the season.
 

Minnesota Vikings at Cincinnati Bengals (Patrick Peterson vs. Ja'Marr Chase)

Peterson has been in the NFL a good long while-the 2021 season will be his 11th in the league. Ja'Marr Chase, on the other hand, has yet to play in an NFL game that counts. But that didn't stop the former LSU star from aiming some smack at his fellow LSU alum.

"I could put Patrick Peterson on my highlight tape," Chase said, via ESPN's Ben Baby. "He might be mad I'm saying it, but hey, you know what I'm saying, it's part of the game. I'd love to make a play on him. There's not much I can pick up on now besides his age really. I'm trying to take advantage of that, of course. But he's still the same Patrick Peterson and you still have to show the same amount of respect."

Considering the drops that have plagued Chase throughout training camp in the preseason, maybe he should spend more time working with a Juggs machine and less time working his gums. Peterson isn't the cornerback he once was, but he's still good enough to knock some of the fantasy shine off Chase's first NFL start.
 

Arizona Cardinals at Tennessee Titans (DeAndre Hopkins vs. Janoris Jenkins)

Hopkins has earned a reputation as one of the NFL's more eclectic young wide receivers. But as Bob McManaman reported for AZ Central, the 29-year-old insisted that if you peel back some of the glitz, what lies underneath is good old-fashioned toughness.

"I'd describe myself just as a competitor, man," he said. "Just somebody who wants to go out there and win, no matter where you put me at. I'm not really a high-class, bougie kind of guy. You might see that, you might think that by how I dress. But I'm a dog, man. I'll take licks for my team. I'll do whatever. I don't really complain much, and I like working. I like grinding. I love practice."

Hopkins exploded in his first season with the Redbirds in 2020-tying a career high with 115 catches and topping 1,400 receiving yards. Tennessee's Janoris Jenkins is a capable veteran corner who allowed a passer rating against of just 81.8 last season. But given Hopkins' talent and ridiculous target share, it doesn't really matter who is covering him.
 

Denver Broncos at New York Giants (Courtland Sutton/Jerry Jeudy vs. James Bradberry/Adoree Jackson)

Sunday's season opener between the Broncos and Giants features two underrated units-the wide receiver duo of Courtland Sutton and Jerry Jeudy taking on New York's cornerback pair of James Bradberry and Adoree Jackson. As ESPN's Jordan Ranaan wrote, Bradberry appears to finally be getting the notoriety that has eluded him in recent years.

"Bradberry proved in his first season in New York to be worth every penny of the three-year, $43.5 million deal he received as a free agent last offseason," he said. "He earned the first Pro Bowl berth of his career, and the Giants used him regularly to shut down No. 1 receivers. He was Pro Football Focus' seventh-ranked cornerback in 2020. Look for opposing quarterbacks to start avoiding him this season."

Frankly, the biggest issue facing Jeudy and especially Sutton Sunday may be the pop-gun arm of new Broncos quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. But Bradberry has shown the ability to man up on some of the best wideouts in the game. The odds of Sutton busting out in Week 1 just aren't very good-Jeudy is the better play, especially in PPR formats.
 

Green Bay Packers at New Orleans Saints (Davante Adams vs. Marshon Lattimore)

Lattimore was a late addition to the injury report ahead of this week's big matchup with the Packers in Jacksonville. But even if the knee injury that limited Lattimore in practice Thursday allows the fifth-year veteran to play in Week 1, Lattimore will no doubt have his hands full with maybe the No. 1 wide receiver in all of the NFL. Per the team's website, Adams said he's ready to build on last year's monstrous numbers.

"I feel like I had one of the best camps of my career," Adams said. "I was able to really lock in, come back and get reacquainted with my brothers. Me and '12' picked up where we left off. It's just the way that I have found success coming up from all stages of life. Just focusing on that moment."

For what it's worth, in their only career meeting to date, Lattimore held Adams to just two catches on five targets. But that was all the way back in 2017, and as Adams showed by catching a franchise-record 115 passes in 2020 for 1,374 yards and 18 touchdowns (in just 14 games), it's not especially likely he'll be held to two receptions this time around-especially with Lattimore dinged up.

Gary Davenport is a two-time Fantasy Sports Writers Association Football Writer of the Year. Follow Gary on Twitter @IDPSharks.