What a time to be alive. We just had the pleasure of watching two great games to kick off the NFL season, but now it’s time to lock in for Sunday. Today, I’m going to give you my must-start and must-sit of the week at each position. The players that will be eligible for this list are all close to being ranked as a back end QB1/TE1 or WR2/RB2 on FantasyPros ECR.
If you have any sit/start questions that I can’t get to on Reddit or want personalized team advice, click the link below and shoot me a message on Discord. Anyone in that channel will also be given access to my top 48 RB/WR rankings and top 24 QB/TE rankings each week. That being said, let’s dive right into the top sit/starts for week one of the fantasy football season!
Quarterback
Start: Caleb Williams vs TEN
This may come as a surprise to many but Caleb Williams projects out to have a very good game script in week one. According to BetMGM, this game has an over/under of 45 points which is above average for the week. Even though Williams is a rookie, he’s surrounded by D. J. Moore, Keenan Allen, and Rome Odunze who should allow him to thrive in week one.
Pair that with the fact that Williams was a plus rusher in college and he already has a built in floor to go along with his ceiling. If you need a low end QB1 start for week one, I’m going with the guy who has an elite talent profile and above average matchup.
Sit: Tua Tagovailoa vs JAC
Even though I like Tua Tagovailoa as a player, he’s not a guy I’m excited to start in fantasy football. While this should be a very high-scoring game, I’m expecting the Dolphins to win fairly easily. Right now, the over/under is 49.5 (per Draftkings), and the Dolphins have a -3-point spread. I won’t lie; the quarterback position is tough this week, and I don’t hate starting Tagovailoa. There’s a chance he’ll have a great game if this game turns into a shootout.
More than likely though, Tagovailoa is going to have a tough time scoring fantasy points because of his lack of rushing upside. I’m also super high on the Dolphins run game and I expect them to show it off in week one. If the Dolphins can get ahead early, I expect them to pound the ball over and over.
Running Back
Start: Tony Pollard @ CHI
Tony Pollard is a player I’ve been a fan of coming into the year and I really like his matchup in week one. The thing people fail to understand about Pollard is that he had his best season playing alongside Ezekiel Elliott. Then, once he was asked to handle a three-down workload, he dropped down to a 13.1 PPG season. Now, it’s not the same dynamic, but Pollard will be playing in a committee once again where he’s getting close to at least 60% of the snaps.
For week one in particular, as I talked about with Williams, this game should be decently high-scoring. For a running back, high-scoring matchups are always great targets to have, especially when you’re trying to find an RB2. Expect Pollard to be a solid play with upside in week one.
Sit: Najee Harris @ ATL
The Jaylen Warren injury has made Najee Harris a popular start for week one, but I’m not buying it. Even if Warren doesn’t play, it really doesn’t make a difference in my eyes. All that’s going to do is give him more opportunities, but that’s never been a concern in his career. Just last year, we saw Harris get 255 carries en route to an 11.5 PPG season.
According to DraftKings, this game should be one of the lower scoring games of the week. On top of that Justin Fields is expected to start week one which should significantly impact the number of checkdowns Harris will get. Let’s not look too much into the Warren injury and instead, focus on these other more impactful issues.
Wide Receiver
Start: Tank Dell @ IND
The Texans are facing off against the Colts this week and I love playing Tank Dell in my flex. For one this should be a shootout with an over/under of 48.5 according to DraftKings. On top of that the Colts secondary is very weak and Dell should be facing the number two or three option all game long.
While Stefon Diggs is the safe play, I wouldn’t be shocked at all if Dell outproduces him in week one. Dell is an emerging 2nd-year player who had just 15 PPG as a rookie. Diggs, on the other hand, is 30 years old and showed clear signs of regression last season. I love shooting for upside with Dell this week.
Sit: DK Metcalf vs DEN
I’m also a big fan of Jaxon Smith-Njigba this week, but not so much of DK Metcalf. Facing off against the Broncos, Metcalf should attract a lot of attention from Patrick Surtain on the outside. If Metcalf can use his incredible size and speed to stretch the field and take Surtain out of plays, he’ll be doing his job. That’s not good for fantasy football, though.
The Seahawks should win this one fairly easily, as they’re currently six-point favorites on DraftKings. Expect the Seahawks to get ahead in the first half and then run the ball a ton in the second half.
Tight End
Start: Dalton Schultz @ IND
After talking about Tank Dell, I’m also a big fan of Schultz this week. Once you get past the top 6-7 options, the water gets super murky each week. When looking for a back end TE1, I’m looking for a tight end with touchdown upside in a good game script. Like I said with Dell, the over/under of 48.5 according to DraftKings which gives him some nice touchdown upside.
Schultz has also just been a consistent fantasy producer every year since 2020. Since 2020, Schultz has gone over nine PPG and even peaked with a 12.3 PPG performance in 2021. Even with the target competition he'll be facing in 2024, I’m hoping his floor still stays fairly high as well.
Sit: Evan Engram @ MIA
Even though Evan Engram is coming off a great 2023 season, I’m not super excited about him for week one. He does have a good matchup with a 49-point over/under (per BetMGM). I’m not solid on his touchdown upside after only scoring four last season. Even as a rookie, I believe that Brian Thomas Jr will be the red zone threat, which is fair to say, considering he’s a 6’5” wide receiver who had 17 touchdowns last season at LSU.
Now that Christian Kirk is fully healthy, I expect Engram to lose a considerable amount of targets compared to what he saw last year. He’s not the only tight end facing target competition, but the Jaguars offense hasn’t proved to be elite yet.
