Fantasy Football: 5 bold predictions for Week 1

3. Clyde Edwards-Helaire has more points than any Chiefs skill player

People seem very down on Clyde Edwards-Helaire going into his sophomore season. He was considered a first-round pick in his rookie season in fantasy drafts, but he didn’t live up to expectations. Edwards-Helaire finished the season 22nd among all running backs, just above Todd Gurley. That’s not where the Chiefs want their former first-round pick to be.

This season, Edwards-Helaire is used to the Chiefs offense, and he has more of a relationship with Patrick Mahomes. Fantasy players might remember he came out of the gates flaming against the Houston Texans. Injuries really took the wind out of his sails, but he’s healthy again and is ready to make an impact in Week 1.

The Chiefs are facing the Cleveland Browns in Week 1, and they will send one of the best pass rushes in the league at Mahomes. After the Super Bowl, that will be the memo against the Chiefs. They did reload on the offensive line, and it looked really good in the preseason, but against an elite front like the Browns, they will test the chemistry off the bat.

That’s where Edwards-Helaire comes in. He could change the pace of the game, and he might even get a few catches out of the backfield. Mahomes won’t have a ton of time to let someone like Tyreek Hill’s route to get set or for Travis Kelce to get open, so he’ll rely on the running back to make moves in the open field.