Fantasy Football: 8 Players With Easy Early-Season Schedules
Doug Baldwin, Seattle Seahawks
| Week | Opponent | Projected Defensive Pass NEP Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Packers | 22 |
| 2 | 49ers | 25 |
| 3 | Colts | 27 |
| 4 | Titans | 30 |
Doug Baldwin has long been underrated, but the masses now seem to have found love for his game. That doesn't mean he's undervalued, but that rather his value is finally where it should be for a guy who finished as the WR9 and WR8 in the last two seasons, respectively.
As our own Matt Blair laid out earlier this offseason, he's a safe, high-floor play at his draft point. In each of the last two seasons, Baldwin has produced the 11th-highest Reception NEP in the league. And as the only Seattle Seahawks receiver with over 100 targets since Russell Wilson entered the league, the connection with his quarterback is cemented.
However, Baldwin's ceiling is as high as anyone outside of the top four receivers in the league when looking at his early-season schedule.
Squaring off against four straight projected bottom-third defenses, Baldwin has two matchups with shootout potential when meeting the Packers in Week 1 and the Colts in Week 3. He also gets to face the lowly 49ers, and the Tennessee Titans, who are projected to be the 30th-ranked pass defense in the league.
If you draft Baldwin, don't do so with the expectation of selling him high, because he should be a productive asset all season given his track record. Just enjoy the early-season numbers he's likely to put up.
