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There’s no better feeling for fantasy football players than the build-up to Week 1 and the moment the first Sunday of the NFL season gets underway. But before the action starts, there are a number of tough decisions to be made, including which players to start and who deserves a spot on your bench that week.
These calls can come down to potentially sitting a well-known and top-tier player in a tough matchup, or simply finding a strong sleeper to fill out your lineup. On a weekly basis, we’ll roll out player-by-player start’ em sit ’em articles, with the focus being on helping to make those crucial decisions.
Below, we’ve broken down some of the biggest names with breakdowns already written. Each section is separated by position. For more player start/sit articles, they can be found on the fantasy football page here.
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Fantasy Football Quarterback Start ‘Em Sit ‘Em: Week 1
Kyler Murray: Written by Vinny Somma
“Unless you’re in a two-quarterback league, Kyler Murray is a hard sit for me in Week 1. Murray will certainly have his moments in the NFL, and likely have some in Sunday’s contest. However, those moments vs. Detroit’s talented defense will likely be too few and far apart to warrant starting in most leagues.”
Jameis Winston: Written by Vinny Somma
“Absolutely! Unless you have an elite option at quarterback Winston needs to be in your lineup. And even if you do have yourself a top-tier quarterback, if they have a questionable matchup you may want to think long and hard about swapping them out with Winston.”
Fantasy Football Running Back Start ‘Em Sit ‘Em: Week 1
Derrius Guice: Written by Jon Adams
“Leading up to the Eagles game, Gruden implied that it would be Guice who would receive the “mother load” of the carries. If true, it would be music to fantasy owners ears.”
“If you are looking for an RB2 or flex play for Week 1, Guice is a start in your fantasy lineup.”
Duke Johnson: Written by Vinny Somma
“Johnson is a lock to be Houston’s RB1 this season, and a likely RB2 in fantasy football. It will be the Duke Johnson show in Houston this season, and it all begins in week one. Start Johnson in all your fantasy lineups, and reap the benefits.”
Austin Ekeler: Written by Jon Adams
“Ekeler has an ADP of 58, per Fantasy Pros and the running back went even later in earlier drafts. While Ekeler still has some value when Gordon returns, his touches likely take a sizable hit when the star rusher is back in the lineup. For now, Ekeler should hover in the RB2 territory and is a solid play in PPR leagues.”
Josh Jacobs: Written by Austin Boyd
“Jacobs is a must-start in Week 1. He’s going to get a ton of looks and is playing a defense that wasn’t great against the run in 2018. The addition of Vic Fangio as the Broncos’ head coach could mean that they field a stronger defense, but that shouldn’t slow Jacobs down too much. The rookie has top-10 running back potential throughout the year, so if he’s playing, he should be a start. Obviously, that should be reevaluated if he struggles, but it seems unlikely.”
Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Start ‘Em Sit ‘Em: Week 1
Dede Westbrook: Written by Vinny Somma
“Yes, lock it in, Dede Westbrook is on the fantasy radar as a flex starter in week one with WR2 upside. Westbrook has a great chance of staking claim as a bonafide star from the slot this season as long as Nick Foles carries over a little of his Philly magic to Jacksonville.”
Julian Edelman: Written by Dan Shulman
“If you’re in a PPR league, getting Edelman into your starting lineup is a must for Sunday night. He’ll likely be around 10 catches barring any injury and his yardage total could be over 75 depending on his yards after the catch.”
“A non-PPR league is a little different. Is starting Edelman worth risking his 7.5-12.5 points for another receiver or tight end who could put up larger numbers? In that regard, it depends who you have on your roster, but still slotting Edelman into the flex spot would be a wise move.”
Hunter Renfrow: Written by Austin Boyd
“Renfrow will probably be available on the waiver wire for a lot of leagues and should stay that way for this week one matchup. With Brown gone, the only receiver with upside is Tyrell Williams. The Raiders offense hasn’t played well against the Broncos in the past and Renfrow still has some kinks he’s going to need to work out. If he’s on your roster, sit him. It’s hard to imagine he’ll put up more than single-digit points in PPR leagues. ESPN projects him to have 5.5 points in Week 1 and there’s no reason to think that they’re off.”
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