Fantasy Football: Week 1 Starts And Sits
By Pat Pitts
We did it. We made it to Week One! It's time to hit the gas pedal and set your fantasy football lineups with the starts and sits of the week.
Starts
Quarterbacks
Start: Matthew Stafford (DET)
Before he fell to the injury bug, Stafford was a Top-5 fantasy QB and was projected to throw close to 40 touchdowns. He plays a Chicago Bears team that has a lot of question marks on defense due to injury. Lock it in that Stafford is going to throw the rock around the yard on Sunday for all the fantasy points your heart could ever desire.
Start: Philip Rivers (IND)
Rivers is back with a familiar face in Frank Reich, has the best offensive line he may ever play behind, and he's got weapons all around him. A Week One matchup with a young and inexperienced Jaguars defense should have you salivating about the numbers Rivers will put up on Sunday.
Start: Ben Roethlisberger (PIT)
Big Ben is back and looking better than ever. He makes every single part of this offense better and getting a Week One matchup with the New York Giants is the ultimate "Welcome Back" gift ever. Fire Roethlisberger up in your season-long leagues and DFS.
Running Backs
Start: David Johnson (HOU)
When Johnson has played a full season, he averages around 1000 yards and 11 touchdowns. The Chiefs defense is pretty good against the run, but Johnson is a very good pass catching back. The Texans do not have set number ones at the RB and WR positions. On Thursday night, Johnson is going to throw it back to 2017 and give fantasy owners the show they remember.
Start: Malcolm Brown (LAR)
Yes Cam Akers is the high-upside RB in Los Angeles, but Malcolm Brown is expected to the starting RB in the first series for the Rams on Sunday Night Football. Brown vultured touchdowns from Todd Gurley in the red zone last season and remember when the Rams prevented the Lions from signing him as a Restricted Free Agent? This team loves Malcolm Brown and I love him for Week One.
Start: Tarik Cohen (CHI)
He's the RB1 for the first couple weeks of the season and gets to face the WORST run defense from 2019. Tarik Cohen should be a monster this week, especially in PPR leagues.
Wide Receivers
Start: Robert Woods (LAR)
Does your fantasy roster need to be fixed? I have a guy for that.
Woods has finished the last two seasons well over 1000 yards and has established himself as Goff’s WR1B, next to Cooper Kupp. This game is going to have offense and with the defense focusing on Kupp, Robert Woods is going to put up fantasy points all night long.
Start: Tyler Boyd (CIN)
Between Tyler Boyd building an instant connection with rookie sensation Joe Burrow and A.J. Green dealing with yet another hamstring injury, Boyd slides into WR1 duties for the Bengals. Boyd could see Chris Harris Jr. on Sunday, but that shouldn't scare you away from firing him up with confidence.
Start: Chris Godwin (TB)
You were already starting Godwin regardless, but with the Mike Evans injury popping up on Wednesday and Bruce Arians sounding SUPER sketchy about it, Godwin could feast even more than expected in a Week One shootout against the Saints.
Tight Ends
Start: Eric Ebron (PIT)
The Steelers adding Ebron during the offseason was a very underrated signing of 2020. In 2018, Ebron played in eight games and caught THIRTEEN TOUCHDOWNS!! He was Luck’s primary target in the red zone and crucial third downs.
Now, he comes into a system similar to the one he had massive success with a few years prior. The Giants were one of the worst teams defending in the red zone last year. There is a reason that Ebron has been praised throughout camp; on Sunday, fantasy owners will be doing the same
Start: Dawson Knox (BUF)
Are you streaming the TE position this season? Dawson Knox draws the Jets in Week One and with question marks everywhere on the Gang Green defense, especially with the C.J. Mosley opt-out, Josh Allen is going to use Knox as his check down option and should be peppered a ton in the red zone.
Start: Mike Gesicki (MIA)
Are you streami... everything that was just stated about Knox can be applied for Gesicki in his matchup against New England. The Patriots defense will find a way to be good, but with so many opt-outs and the reports that we could see Gesicki in the slot, fire him up as a streaming option and a low-risk DFS play.
Sits
Quarterbacks
Sit: Baker Mayfield (CLE)
I love the prospect of a Baker bounce back this season, but it's not getting underway in Week One. The Browns get going against a Ravens defense that is absolutely loaded with talent. I've started a summoning circle already for Mayfield to not get absolutely blitzed by the Ravens pass rush. Bench Baker this week.
Sit: Daniel Jones (NYG)
The Pittsburgh Steelers arguably have the best defense in the league this season. Use your noggin, don't play Danny Dimes.
Running Backs
Sit: Antonio Gibson (WAS)
This has nothing to do with my personal feelings towards Gibson; it's not his time...yet. The Football Team face an Eagles defense that has an incredible run stuffing front, and they'll be looking to get the ball down the field to keep up with the speed of the Eagles offense. Gibson will be the guy to have in the long run, but just hold off this week.
Sit: The New England Backfield
I love the Patriots. I do NOT love the Patriots running backs. Bill Belichick does not care about fantasy football. He will play whatever running back is the best fit for that situation. Therefore, avoid this backfield at all cost.
Sit: The Jacksonville Jaguars Backfield
If you are starting ANYONE in this backfield with the amount of uncertainty there is in Duval, your fantasy roster is in a boat load of trouble already.
Wide Receivers
Sit: AJ Green (CIN)
Death. Taxes. AJ Green is dealing with a nagging injury.
Sit: Marvin Jones Jr. (DET)
Detroit takes on Chicago this week and during his time in Detroit, Marvin Jones Jr. has just 27 receptions for 483 yards, and just two touchdowns. Jones Jr. just doesn't play well against Chicago. Sit him this week.
Sit: CeeDee Lamb (DAL)
CeeDee Lamb is going to be awesome. We don't know how Mike McCarthy's offense is going to look with the Cowboys just yet. Give it a week or two to see how Lamb is utilized.
Tight Ends
Sit: Jared Cook (NO)
It's 2020 and you still don't realize that Drew Brees absolutely HATES throwing to TEs not named Jimmy Graham? This game against Tampa Bay is going to be a shootout and Jared Cook will not be a factor in this one.
Sit: Greg Olsen (SEA)
He's with a new team, he's hosting a podcast, and the receiving options for Mr. Unlimited are on X-Games Mode now that Josh Gordon is back in Seattle. This is a heavy wait and see situation.
Sit: T.J. Hockenson (DET)
Hock is gonna be on the block this week. Not the trade block, blocking the pass rush of the Chicago Bears. Hockenson will get his chances this season to put up numbers, but this week isn't that week.
I cannot describe how excited I am for football season to begin. Set your lineups, tweet your picks, and sit your ass down on the couch because it’s time to play some football.