This article is part of our DFS NFL series.
The NFL season is here and Rival Fantasy brings a variety of fantasy options to play. They have season-long fantasy leagues, a Fantasy Bingo contest and a Challenges contest. For new users, click here for a first deposit match of up to $200.
Let's focus on the Challenges contest for Week 1. Challenges puts two players in a head-to-head matchup. The player who scores the most fantasy points wins the contest.
Bijan Robinson, Falcons vs. Josh Jacobs, Raiders
Robinson will begin his career with a matchup against the Panthers. As the eighth overall pick in the 2023 Draft, Robinson is expected to immediately take on a leading role. The Falcons led the NFL in rushing attempts last season, which further adds to Robinson's upside. Their 17 rushing touchdowns were 10th most in the league.
Jacobs is coming off a huge season in which he turned 340 carries into 1,653 yards and 12 touchdowns. He was also heavily involved in the passing game, totaling 53 receptions for 400 yards. He held out of training camp and the preseason after the Raiders placed the franchise tag on him, but he eventually signed a deal, making him available for Week 1 against the Broncos.
While the Broncos struggled on offense last season, they allowed the 10th-fewest rushing yards per game. Given that Jacobs missed all of training camp and preseason, it's unclear how effective he will be in his first game, or how many carries he will receive. This is a close call between talented running backs, but let's give the edge to Robinson in his run-heavy offense.
Jalen Hurts, Eagles vs. Lamar Jackson, Ravens
These are two of the most athletic quarterbacks in football. Hurts had a breakout campaign for the Eagles last season, including 760 rushing yards and 13 rushing touchdowns. To that, he added 3,701 passing yards and 22 scores through the air. His first game of the season will come against the Patriots in New England, which is no walk in the park. While their offense was bad last year, they allowed just 20.4 points per game.
Jackson has a much easier matchup against the Texans, who had one of the worst defenses in football last year and still have plenty of holes on that side of the ball. Jackson also enters this year with improved weapons after the Ravens added wide receivers Odell Beckham and Zay Flowers. Jackson is just as dangerous as Hurts on the ground, so rolling with him in a more favorable matchup is the more appealing route.
Christian McCaffrey, 49ers vs. Anthony Richardson, Colts
This has the potential to be one of the more lopsided matchups among the offerings. These two players are at different stages of their career. McCaffrey is established as one of the best running backs in football and plays for a team with Super Bowl aspirations. In 11 regular-season games with the 49ers last year, he had 746 rushing yards, 464 receiving yards and 10 total touchdowns.
The Colts hope Richardson will be their future at quarterback after selecting him with the fourth overall pick in the 2023 Draft. Much like Hurts and Jackson, he has the potential to wreak havoc on the ground. However, he is not a polished passer at this early stage of his career. While he may have an easier matchup against the Jaguars than McCaffrey does against the Steelers, it's difficult to justify rolling with the uncertainty that comes with Richardson.
