Welcome to Week 1! The point of this article is to inform you of players that we project to be in good situations and ones in bad situations, based on 1/2-point PPR.
Of course, you need to start your fantasy studs every week, which is why this article will mostly avoid mentioning star players. If any of your fantasy team’s players are mentioned, make sure to put your team into context before applying the advice; a player we deem worthy to “sit” may be your best shot at winning, so make sure to think through any decisions before they are made.
In the end you need to play the best lineup that you feel confident in, however you get there.
Latest Rankings: Week 1 Rankings | 2020 Season Rankings
Start – Cam Newton (QB, NE)
Fantasy football has always been about having fun and yelling at your TV, with little emotion in-between. With everything surrounding the NFL season, what is more fun than plugging Newton into your lineup Week 1? With a new head coach in Bill Belichick, you know this duo wants a shot at redemption and it all starts on Sunday.
This matchup against Miami is also premiere since they are a team that is projected to be a bottom of the barrel team. Newton also carries rushing upside and with the injury bug hitting New England early, who knows what Belichick will do with Newton. One thing we know is that Patriot teams are competitive and prepared and I don’t think that changes with Cam Newton behind center. The man is not a locked QB1 but with his talent and opportunity in Week 1 he certainly could finish as a QB1.
Start – Ben Roethlisberger (QB, PIT)
Even with practically an entire year off and his age scooting closer to 40, I feel Roethlisberger is a player to start this week. Before his season-ending injury in 2019, Roethlisberger was a near matchup-proof option at quarterback. Sure, Antonio Brown has left the Steelers but developing talent is what Mike Tomlin does well, especially at the receiver position. JuJu Smith-Schuster and Diontae Johnson both have the talent to get open, but clearly need a competent quarterback to get them the ball which Roethlisberger offers.
In terms of fantasy, this matchup against the New York Giants is one of the best for Week 1. The Giants are continuing their rebuild and with a new head coach, it could be bad for New York early into 2020. Nevertheless, Roethlisberger could have the highest ceiling you can find on waivers for Week 1.
Sit – Daniel Jones (QB, NY)
Daniel Jones is my sit of the week at the quarterback position. I simply cannot roll out Jones this week as he draws a matchup against the Steelers at home. The Steelers are nothing short of a defensive-minded team who will take advantage of mistakes, especially mistakes that young quarterbacks are susceptible to making.
It is also worth noting that Jones is working with new offensive coordinator Jason Garrett, who often was criticized for anemic offenses. Top that off with a limited preseason to install the new offense and Jones makes for a low ceiling play in Week 1. For 10 and 12-team leagues, there will be better options to chase on the waivers.
Start – Antonio Gibson (RB, WAS)
A man likely drafted as your team’s RB4 or RB5, Antonio Gibson has certainly ascended in ADP since the NFL’s official cut-day. Heading into Week 1 we know very little about the Washington backfield. What is certain is that head coach Ron Rivera loves Gibson, even comparing him to Christian McCaffrey and that Gibson’s strong training camp played a role in cutting Adrian Peterson.
Despite being the most talented back in Washington, Gibson will rotate with the other running backs so he certainly poses some risk and should not be blindly started. For Week 1, he does have a tough matchup against the Eagles but rivalries have been known to veer off game scripts. In addition, Ron Rivera is a seasoned head coach who builds disciplined football teams, making this matchup tough to project.
I would not play Gibson over the RB2 you drafted, but he certainly can be utilized as a FLEX spot and could have some marginal upside if he gets the bulk of the workload. I would absolutely start him over players such as Tarik Cohen, Marlon Mack, Leonard Fournette, and even Jordan Howard.
Start – Jonathan Taylor (RB, IND) / Marlon Mack (RB, IND)
Both of these running backs have to be on this list, especially given Taylor’s hype and Mack’s wide availability on waivers. The other reason, and definitely the main reason both backs are listed, is because they face off against the Jaguars who are expected to be bad. As for the expected workloads, every NFL team will likely rotate their running backs to some degree in Week 1 and I expect that to be the case here.
Given the game’s expected point total and a run-heavy offensive style, either one of these guys could go off and both will get their share of touches. Taylor is the lead back in the end, which is why you paid up for him in the draft, but Mack has plenty in the tank to support a fantasy team in Week 1 and maybe beyond. Mack also represents something not many players offer from the waiver-wire right now: a solid FLEX, with RB2 upside, that you can plug in Week 1. The biggest difference between Mack and Taylor is that the ceiling from Taylor is much higher.
Sit – Leonard Fournette (RB, TB)
Rarely would it be advised to sit a player in Week 1 that many fantasy managers drafted as an RB2. But for 12-team leagues and below that’s exactly what you must do to avoid the high probability of a bust week from Fournette. I get it if you buy into some of the hype because Tampa Bay has quickly assembled a team with firepower, talent, and veteran leadership. However expecting Fournette to be anything more than a low-volume, touchdown-dependent back in Week 1 is false hope.
To start, Tampa Bay’s matchup against New Orleans is awful. Their defensive line is easily one of the best at stopping the run and 2019 showed that. We also know that Ronald jones will be involved in the backfield, along with the possibility of other backs rotating into the game. Frankly, there are better options I would start in place of Fournette, some of which you can find on the waiver wire right now.
Start – DeSean Jackson (WR, PHI)
It should be no surprise that DJax made this list for Week 1. Jackson is healthy, unlike 2019, and is only behind Zach Ertz as the top pass catcher available in Philly, due to injuries. What we have seen in similar scenarios for Jackson in this situation is the high probability of a big play and even week winning fantasy performances.
If you still think I am crazy, allow me to present Djax’s game against Washington in Week 1 of 2019: 8 receptions, 154 yards, and two touchdowns – yeah, just start the guy. His ceiling is enormous and his floor is much safer than it normally would be without the barrage of injuries.
Start – Will Fuller (WR, HOU)
Now that DeAndre Hopkins is in Arizona, where will his targets trickle down? The answer seemingly is Fuller given his and Deshaun Watson’s rapport. Even before Hopkins’ departure, Fuller was a coveted boom-or-bust player that could win fantasy match-ups by himself.
Fast forward to Week 1 and the only other relevant receiver in Houston that could steal the show from Fuller is Brandin Cooks. Cooks is currently injured and questionable for Week 1, and he also has been the subject of a rumor which suggests he will be ‘eased into the offense.’ The matchup makes Fuller a must start, even if Cooks was fully healthy, against Kansas City. The game’s point total is 50-plus, so start him with confidence and see if he doesn’t win you Week 1.
Sit – DeAndre Parker (WR, MIA)
Playing against a New England defense is always tough, nevertheless Week 1 without any preseason games. It also happens to be the first game in which two key figures in New England get a chance to prove their value to the NFL going forward, which is head coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Cam Newton. For Miami, it is important to understand that Parker’s 2019 breakout was predicated around injuries. One of those injured last year, Preston Williams, is back and healthy which only means fewer targets to Parker.
Earlier this week head coach Brian Flores also mentioned in a conference call that ‘guys with an injury history will slowly be eased in [the game].’ Obviously Parker will see a large portion of the snaps, but you have to wonder if Parker will be eased into the game simply because of his injury history. If Parker is eased into the game, it almost certainly would be a bust effort. Finally, you also have to worry about the lockdown ability of Stephon Gilmore if he were to shadow Parker – YIKES! Parker will certainly have his moments and opportunity in 2020, it just is not going to be Week 1.
Start – Dallas Goedert (TE, PHI)
For the tight end position, it seems to be all about streaming for the majority of league managers. This week seems to favor a widely available tight end in Philly named Dallas Goedert. Goedert walks into Week 1 with a great match up and has an opportunity where he will see an increase of snaps and targets due to injuries to other receivers.
The matchup will be against Washington, who finished as the fourth-worst team at defending the tight end position in 2019. Goedert will likely be touchdown-dependent but honestly, most tight ends are. So don’t be shy because we know the Eagles love to target the tight end position inside the red zone.
Start – Tyler Higbee (TE, LAR)
We all remember the stellar ending that Higbee had to 2019. If you don’t recall, Higbee finished as the TE3 overall over the final eight games. His uptick in volume can be attributed to the Rams’ offensive adjustments, which featured a lot more 12 personnel than earlier in the season.
Walking into Week 1 Higbee finds himself facing off against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football and if it is more of the same for Dallas, the middle of the field could be open a lot. Last year Dallas finished as the 2nd worst team at defending the tight end position, so the opportunities will be there for fantasy dominance. This game also has a very high projected point total, which makes Higbee an even more bullish pick.
Sit – Mike Gesicki (TE, MIA)
What more could you want to avoid other than a date with the New England Patriots’ defense in Week 1? Gesicki, and frankly the entire offense in Miami, is really going to be tough to rely on in Week 1, as Devante Parker was already aforementioned in this article. Outside of the tough matchup, Gesicki was not listed as the starting tight end on the unofficial depth chart released by Miami. I admit this easily could be a formality and also that unofficial depth charts are as reliable as a snake oil salesman. But it is Week 1 with no preseason, so we can only go off what information is available.
Gesicki also saw an uptick in targets and usage due to the injury situation in 2019. The difference this year is that their receiving core is healthy, meaning less targets for the tight end. Gesicki isn’t all that bad if he is all you can turn to but the risk he poses, combined with his floor/ceiling, makes me want to check waivers for a streamer pickup.
