Week 1 Revenge Games: 2 Players Out to Torch Their Ex-Teams
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Seeking revenge on a former lover, friend, or employer can take many forms, depending on the level of the breakup, falling out, or layoff/firing. There’s the popular sexy revenge body, the hotter or younger lover method, or, for business purposes, getting retribution by being highly successful at your next venture.
In the NFL, that translates to a player having themselves a day against a former team they’ve played for. I outlined what I found from 11 years of data in the article Revenge Games: 11 Years of Data on Fantasy Breakouts vs. Former Teams, and this weekly column will dive into who’s seeking retribution each week.
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Here are the Week 1 skill players with contests against their prior NFL employers. It's a light week; massive retaliation will have to wait.
Aaron Jones (MIN) vs. Packers
After seven seasons in Green Bay, Aaron Jones signed with the Vikings as a free agent in March of 2024, following his release from the Packers. That first year in Minnesota was Jones' second-best statistically, producing 1,546 yards from scrimmage and seven touchdowns on 306 touches. Last year, he missed five games while dealing with hamstring, shoulder, and hip injuries, and ended as the RB34 in half-PPR scoring on a per-game basis with 8.7 per contest.
Jones took a pay cut this offseason to remain in Minnesota and should be pretty fired up for this double narrative of NFC North rivalry and revenge tilt at home. While we can expect a hearty combination of both him and Jordan Mason throughout the season, we have to assume that Jones will get a few extra touches on Sunday afternoon.
Demarcus Robinson (SF) @ Rams (In Australia)
It's doubtful anyone is desperate enough to even be thinking about starting Demarcus Robinson in Week 1, but he is now in San Francisco after a two-year stint as a Ram. The 49ers have been dealing with their share of injuries this offseason, but it appears that their starting WRs are healthy for this matchup, so Robinson won't see much more than a few targets unless they lose someone during the contest.
