NFL Week 1: Fantasy football starts and sits

Welcome to the official start of a new fantasy season football fans. It is Week 1, which gives everyone a chance to start off the season with a win.

Before we get into the starts and sits I like to stat every season with a reminder that I try to avoid wasting everyone’s time by saying you should start someone like Saquon Barkley.

Unless a stud player has an exceptionally great or terrible matchup, I’m not going to include them. Especially in Week 1 I’m going to avoid that. If you spent a premiere pick on a player they need to be in your starting lineup Week 1. It is way too early to try and over think this stuff.

Anyway, on to Starts and Sits:

Starts

Kenny Golladay, WR, Detroit Lions: The Lions are going up against the Cardinals who will be without Patrick Peterson due to suspension. Golladay accounted for over 100 targets last season, and there is no reason to think that will go anywhere but up in 2019. Expect Golladay to be heavily involved in the shootout between the Cardinals and Lions.

Mark Ingram, RB, Baltimore Ravens: The Ravens are facing the Dolphins this week, and Miami seems like the team you’re going to start whatever players you have that are facing them. Baltimore appears to also be a very run heavy team heading into 2019, and the Dolphins were already the fourth worst defense against running backs last year, according to Fantasy Pros.

Lamar Jackson, QB, Baltimore Ravens: This is for you super flex/two quarterback league players. This isn’t a suggestion for those who have quarterbacks like Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes or Drew Brees, obviously. The Ravens are fully committed to this experimental offense, and it could be a fantasy owner’s dream to have Jackson gaining plenty of rushing yards and touchdowns. Against Miami, the Ravens shouldn’t face too much resistance.

(If Jackson isn’t available, Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen going up against an awful Jets secondary could be a nice play.)

Jared Cook, TE, Saints: Cook finished the 2018 season with a strong showing while he was a Raider. Now he is with the Saints and Drew Brees facing the Texans who allowed the third most fantasy points to tight ends during the 2018 season. Time will tell if Cook and Brees will have the type of chemistry to make him a consistent starter in fantasy, but Week 1 seems like they should have a good start.

Sits

T.Y. Hilton, WR, Indianapolis Colts: The fact is Hilton isn’t nearly as consistent when Andrew Luck hasn’t been his quarterback. We will have to see how Hilton is able to respond with Jacoby Brissett as his quarterback again in 2019, but if you have other options this week you should play them.

Aaron Jones, RB, Green Bay Packers: Jones will like be a very reliable flex or RB 2 going forward in the season, but the Bears defense is just not something you want to have you fantasy running back to deal with. Jones only had eight yards on four attempts against them last season.

David Njoku, TE, Cleveland Browns: The Browns are facing the Titans who allowed the fewest fantasy points to opposing tight end last season. Cleveland also has plenty of other options aside from forcing the ball to Njoku. He will probably be a tight end reliant play in Week 1.

Defenses to stream

Streaming defenses has become more and more popular among fantasy players as it has become nearly impossible to rely on a defense to score consistently week after week. Here are the defenses with ideal matchups in Week 1 who are probably available on the waiver wire.

The Browns defense playing against the Titans

The Chargers defense playing against the Colts

The Ravens defense playing against the Dolphins