Friday sees an NFL spectacle as the Philadelphia Eagles play host to the Green Bay Packers in São Paolo, Brazil, with kick-off set for 7 p.m. ET. The points total for the game is set at 49, as per DraftKings, which means fantasy players could be in for a veritable feast of points.
So which Packers players are most likely to go off in Brazil? Let’s take a look:
NFL Brazil: Green Bay Packers’ top weapons
QB: Jordan Love (17.14 points)
Jordan Love is set to build on a very impressive first season as a starter in Green Bay, and the franchise’s youthful offense has a year of XP under its belt. The Packers QB threw for 4,159 yards and 32 touchdowns in 2023, and is primed for a big campaign.
Love has a healthy and capable receiver corps in 2024, headlined by Christian Watson, and is expected to be spreading the ball out fairly evenly.
Adding to that, the Eagles had defensive issues in 2023, especially toward the end of the season. They did bolster in the draft, but it remains to be seen how well they perform on the field.
If the game sees as many points as oddsmakers are predicting, Love could easily go over his 17.14-point projections. Unless you are in a very small league, he should start for you in Week 1.
RB: Josh Jacobs (12.65)
Josh Jacobs is set for a huge campaign in Green Bay and could be the RB1 in 2024 fantasy. Jacobs has the skill set to do it all and it would not be a surprise to see him get his (somehow) first-ever receiving touchdown on Friday.
Jacobs is predicted 12.65 points in HPPR leagues and it would not be a surprise to see him go over that by a wide margin. He is a must-start not just in Week 1, but every game this season.
WRs: Christian Watson (8.57), Romeo Doubs (8.76), Jayden Reed (9.96) & Dontayvion Wicks (6.42)
WR is a difficult position to predict for the Packers in fantasy, as displayed by their projections above. Any one or two of these could get into the endzone, and predicting who that will be is tricky.
That said, Christian Watson is the WR1 and feels like the biggest red-zone threat. Watson has struggled with injuries in his two-year NFL career but will be hoping those are behind him. He suffered a knee bruise in early August and should be fully healthy in Week 1.
Watson has accrued 69 receptions for 1,033 yards and 12 touchdowns across 23 games (20 starts), and when healthy has looked very promising. Watson looks like a good start in a high-scoring game like tonight is touted to be.
When it comes to volume, Jayden Reed and Romeo Doubs feel likely to see more targets than Christian Watson, but arguably less likely to get a touchdown.
In his rookie season, Reed recorded 64 receptions for 793 yards and 8 TDs. Meanwhile, Doubs has two campaigns under his belt and has 101 receptions for 1,099 yards and 11 TDs. Both these two receivers are fantasy-relevant and feel like good flex starts here.
Dontayvion Wicks is entering his second campaign after recording 39 receptions for 581 yards and 4 TDs in 2023. Wicks seems the least likely to get into the endzone of these four receivers, especially as the WR4.
That said, if you are in a very big league and struggling for a flex option, Wicks is worth a look. He would be a risky start, however, and there may be better options available.
Also read: NFL Brazil: Eagles’ fantasy outlooks for Packers showdown in São Paolo
TE: Luke Musgrave (5.23)
Luke Musgrave is expected to see the lion’s share of TE receptions in 2024, and with TE2 Tucker Kraft questionable in Week 1, he could be a solid start.
Musgrave did struggle with injuries in 2023 and started 9 of his 11 games played, recording 34 receptions for 252 yards and a touchdown.
With Jordan Love’s receiving options and Josh Jacobs in the backfield, Musgrave seems a risky pick this season, and you should probably wait before he proves it on the field before starting him.
Also read: Week 1 Tight Ends: Rankings, projections and streamers explored