The football season is finally here. After 214 days since the Tampa Bay Buccaneers won Super Bowl 55, they will be back in action to start the season on Thursday night. However, when football comes around, so does fantasy football. However, this “game” isn’t the easiest and will cause thousands of people to be stressed. With not knowing who to play or who to pick up, it is almost impossible to make the right decision every week. Nonetheless, here are starts/sits in fantasy football for week 1.
The start of the week for quarterbacks is Ryan Tannehill of the Tennessee Titans. Tannehill comes into this matchup being one of the most reliable fantasy options in 2020. Last season, the former Texas A&M star finished as QB8 and averaged 21.59.
Now, the 33-year-old quarterback draws a favorable matchup against the Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals ranked middle of the pack against fantasy quarterbacks last season, but with a shootout looming, this can help Tannehill’s fantasy production tremendously.
Running back Raheem Mostert has a solid matchup in week one against the Detriot Lions. Mostert, who suffered a minor back injury in training camp, is fully healthy and ready to go in this favorable matchup for the former Purdue star. Detriot ranked as the worst defense against the run last season.
When healthy, Mostert is one of the quickest running backs in the league. Last season, he averaged 5.0 yards per carry and had three games of 14+ points in his first three games played in 2020. The 29-year-old running back is getting up there in age, but going against this Lions’ defense makes for a solid start in week one.
Brandin Cooks (Image Courtesy of Bleacher Report)
Wide receiver Brandin Cooks makes the start list this week. Cooks draws a solid matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars who ranked 21st against wideouts in 2020. The former Oregon State star has been consistent with his finishing production over the last five seasons where he has finished as WR9, WR15, WR13, WR62 and WR16 the past five seasons.
Although the Jaguars added cornerback Shaquill Griffin in free agency, Cooks should still be involved in the game plan. As a matter of fact, the 27-year old wide receiver is the only real option on the Houston Texans. As a result, he should draw the majority of the targets in a game that they might be trailing throughout.
This sit might come as a surprise but quarterback Matthew Stafford likely won’t be the best option this week especially over guys like Jalen Hurts, Ryan Tannehill or even Trevor Lawrence. Stafford who finished as QB16 last season faces a vicious Chicago Bears defense in their home opener.
Even though the former Detriot Lions quarterback is in a new situation with the Los Angeles Rams, the Bears are extremely familiar with him. The former first overall pick previously faced the Bears twice a season. In the last 6 meetings between Stafford and the Bears, he averaged just 17.2 points per game and has only had 18+ points in one of those games.
Running backs Josh Jacobs is next on this list and a part of the sit list for week one. For starters, Jacobs is facing a Baltimore Ravens defense that ranked 12th against fantasy running backs in 2020. Additionally, the former Alabama star doesn’t produce when he gets less than 20 touches in a game.
Last season, when he received less than 20 touches in any game, he only averaged 10.5 fantasy points. Now with running back Kenyan Drake in the picture, Jacobs might not get 20 touches in this game especially if they were to try for most of the game.
Kenny Golladay makes the sit list this week after struggling to stay on the field for much of the offseason. Golladay has been limited the first two days of practice (Wednesday and Thursday) with a hamstring injury. Even if he plays, there is a strong chance that he is not 100 percent.
However, if Golladay does log a full practice on Friday and is a full go for Sunday, there is not much to like about his matchup this week. The 6-foot-4 wide receiver has to go against arguably the best secondary in the league, the Denver Broncos. Staying away from the former Pro Bowler is probably the move-in week one.
Featured Image Courtsey of Pro Football Network
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