Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em: NFL Week 1

By Ryan Bologna

Welcome to our new series called “Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em.” Each week of the NFL season, we’re going to be scouring for the best fantasy football advice so you don’t have to. If you need help finalizing your lineup for week one, this is the place for you.

Quarterbacks

One of the most interesting trends for this week is that multiple outlets love Jameis Winston. This is based purely on the matchup, as the Saints will face the Falcons on Sunday. If you are in a two-quarterback league or just don’t feel good about your quarterback situation, Winston could be someone to consider.

Many also like 49ers quarterback Trey Lance this week. The Bears are revamping their defense. Khalil Mack is gone and they are installing a new scheme under new head coach Matt Eberflus. In Kyle Shanahan’s friendly offensive scheme, Lance could be in for a good game.

Running Backs

Despite being the number two back behind Aaron Jones, A.J. Dillon is getting a lot of love heading into Green Bay’s matchup with Minnesota. Dillon is an all-around back and should get plenty of use on Sunday. Consider putting him in your lineup, especially if you are in a PPR league.

Jets rookie Breece Hall was popular in fantasy drafts, but most experts believe the Ravens are a tough matchup in week one. Joe Flacco will be starting due to Zach Wilson’s knee injury, which will make it even more of an uphill battle.

Wide Receivers

Marquise Brown was mentioned multiple times this week. He is making his Arizona Cardinals debut against the Chiefs on Sunday. Brown is reuniting with Kyler Murray, who he played with at Oklahoma. Murray has a better deep ball than Brown’s previous quarterback Lamar Jackson. The Cardinals are likely to be more pass-heavy than Baltimore was as well. All of that plays into Brown’s favor. Consider putting him in your starting lineup this week.

Multiple outlets are saying to avoid Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith this week. The Eagles have a favorable matchup against the Lions to open the season, but the Eagles are known to be a running team. The passing game should improve with the addition of A.J. Brown, but he will take targets away from Smith and quarterback Jalen Hurts is not known for his accuracy.

Tight Ends

Three of the outlets below like Broncos tight end Albert Okwuegbunam against Seattle this week. Russell Wilson has loved involving his tight ends in the passing game throughout his career, especially in the red zone. The Seahawks struggled to cover tight ends last season as well. If missed out on one of the elite tight ends in your draft, Okwuegbunam could be a good option this week.

Not many people like Mike Gesicki this week, and it’s easy to understand why when you dig a bit deeper. Gesicki is known for producing from the slot and on the outside as a wide receiver. He said he has been learning how to play the role of a more traditional tight end this preseason. There is concern that he will lose snaps to the blocking tight ends on the Dolphins roster. Receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle will get most of the targets as well. If you have Gesicki on your roster, consider leaving him on the bench this week.

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