15 predictions for NFL Week 1: Upset picks, fantasy sleepers, projected stat lines and more

September 12, 2026

Following opening Week 1 victories by Seattle and San Francisco, a panel of experts broke down the upcoming slate of 14 matchups with 15 distinct forecasts. Betting specialist Pamela Maldonado highlighted a pair of potential underdog victories, backing the New York Jets (+1.5) to prevail over Tennessee and the Denver Broncos (+2.5) to topple Kansas City.

The Jets' bolstered defensive front—featuring Will McDonald IV alongside second overall selection David Bailey—looks poised to capitalize on a Titans offensive front ranked 26th by Mike Clay, potentially provoking miscues from quarterback Cam Ward. Meanwhile, Denver's defense faces a Chiefs unit dealing with offensive line concerns and Patrick Mahomes working his way back from major knee surgery amid an already cooling aerial attack.

Beyond those moneyline projections, the panel offered several player-specific outlooks for Sunday and Monday. Seth Walder outlined projected numbers for three athletes, Eric Moody identified three fantasy sleepers including Miami quarterback Malik Willis, and Matt Bowen selected three potential touchdown scorers such as Dallas tight end Jake Ferguson.

Rounding out the predictions, Ben Solak contributed four wild-card forecasts for the remainder of the opening weekend.