5 breakout fantasy football stars to pick up for Week 1

CHARLOTTE, NC - AUGUST 21: Gus Edwards #35 of the Baltimore Ravens runs the ball against the Carolina Panthers during the first half of a NFL preseason game at Bank of America Stadium on August 21, 2021 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Chris Keane/Getty Images) /

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ALLEN PARK, MICHIGAN – JULY 30: Amon-Ra St. Brown #14 of the Detroit Lions runs with the ball during Training Camp on July 30, 2021, in Allen Park, Michigan. (Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images) /

2. Week 1 Fantasy Football Pickups – Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown

This pick qualifies as a rising wideout who turned heads in training camp for a bad team. The Detroit Lions clearly had plans for Amon-Ra St. Brown when he was drafted in the fourth round out of USC, but he has managed to impress the coaching staff with strong work during the preseason.

That work should lead to an increased role for St. Brown after the Lions released veteran Breshad Perriman prior to the final cutdown to 53. Perriman had been signed in the offseason to add a deep threat to the Lions’ receiving corps but now that he is gone his expected targets could well go to St. Brown.

The Athletic’s Lions’ beat reporter Chris Burke believes that St. Brown will inherit a lot of the targets now that Perriman is gone. Outside of Tyrell Williams and tight-end T.J. Hockenson, there simply isn’t a lot of competition to catch passes in Detroit.

This is also another garbage time chase since Detroit will be down in plenty of games, leading to plenty of empty catches and yards for Jared Goff to work on. St. Brown figures to be in line for a lot of those and could earn more responsibility in the offense as the season progresses.

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