Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Week 1: Top Matchup Plays and Sleepers for Opening Games

The first week always seems like the most difficult in the world of fantasy football.

It's true that fantasy owners have prepared all offseason for the opener. Smart drafts alongside possible trades and waiver-wire claims have owners in what seems like the best possible position.

But the games have something to say on the matter. Week 1 has more potholes than an ignored highway, as owners have to come up with their own projections based on matchups, last year's data and a simple leap of faith.

In an effort to help throw the tide back in an owner's favor, let's plot out some of the best fantasy options at each position against one another and identify some clear matchups and sleepers to exploit.

QB

Matchup	Verdict
Cam Newton (at DEN) vs. Aaron Rodgers (at JAC)	Aaron Rodgers
Russell Wilson (vs. MIA) vs. Blake Bortles (vs. GB)	Blake Bortles
Carson Palmer (vs. NE) vs. Drew Brees (vs. OAK)	Drew Brees
Kirk Cousins (vs. PIT) vs. Eli Manning (at DAL)	Eli Manning
Philip Rivers (at KC) vs. Derek Carr (at NO)	Derek Carr
Tyrod Taylor (at BAL) vs. Andy Dalton (at NYJ)	Tyrod Taylor

Top Matchup Play: Derek Carr, OAK (at NO)

Ben Margot/Associated Press

Derek Carr is the lucky man who gets to take on last year's worst team against opposing quarterbacks, the New Orleans Saints. 

It doesn't get much better than this for a fantasy quarterback. The Saints coughed up an average of 23.3 points to quarterbacks last year, with the next closest on the list coming in at 19.6. New Orleans should be better this year after some coaching shuffling and such, but it's not going to happen overnight.

Call it a beautiful matchup for Carr. Last year, he quietly finished 13th in scoring at the position, posting 13 double-digit performances. He now has another year of experience under his belt, as well as timing with a high-upside weapon like Amari Cooper.

It shouldn't come as a surprise when Carr finishes as one of the week's top scorers.

Sleeper: Robert Griffin III, CLE (at PHI)

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If owners find themselves in a backs-against-the-wall situation, Cleveland Browns quarterback Robert Griffin III isn't a terrible way to go.

The stigma that comes with playing for the Browns aside, RG3 is a high-upside option against a team that ranked third-worst against quarterbacks last year. Like New Orleans, the Philadelphia Eagles should see improvement, but Week 1 projections rely on last year's outputs.

RG3 is a quality Week 1 sleeper in this sense, especially because he'll work with strong rookie Corey Coleman and a player in Terrelle Pryor who has proved he can hold down a starting gig.

In what could turn into a shootout, RG3 is a guy to know.

RB

Matchup	Verdict
Devonta Freeman (vs. TB) vs. Doug Martin (at ATL)	Devonta Freeman
Adrian Peterson (at TEN) vs. Todd Gurley (at SF)	Todd Gurley
Lamar Miller (vs. CHI) vs. David Johnson (vs. NE)	Lamar Miller
LeSean McCoy (at BAL) vs. Jeremy Langford (vs. HOU)	LeSean McCoy
Eddie Lacy (at JAC) vs. Jeremy Hill (vs. NYJ)	Eddie Lacy

Top Matchup Play: Todd Gurley, LA (at SF)

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Who else?

Todd Gurley exploded onto the scene last year as a rookie, landing as the fifth-scoring back and giving 2016 the look of a season in which he could wind up topping the chart.

The journey starts over the weekend against the San Francisco 49ers, a team that gave up the second-most points to backs on average last season. Anyone slightly familiar with the organization over the past few years knows the front office hasn't been able to fully replace the droves of lost talent.

Gurley is going to explode, as he did last year against San Francisco in Week 8 when he rumbled for 133 yards and a score, good for a cool 20 points.

Sleeper: Spencer Ware, KC (vs. SD)

Ryan Kang/Associated Press

The fluid situation in Kansas City already provides fantasy owners a lesson in how to juggle running backs on a week-to-week basis and find success.

With Jamaal Charles still working his way back from injury, the Chiefs will trot out Spencer Ware as the starter, according to Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star:

Ware hasn't made fantasy waves in the past, but he hasn't had much of a chance. He's still a guy who has averaged 5.5 yards per carry since coming into the league. Kansas City turns him loose over the weekend against a San Diego Chargers defense that surrendered the fifth-most points to backs on average last year.

WR

Matchup	Verdict
Antonio Brown (at WAS) vs. Brandon Marshall (vs. CIN)	Antonio Brown
Julio Jones (vs. TB) vs. Allen Robinson (vs. GB)	Allen Robinson
Odell Beckham (at DAL) vs. DeAndre Hopkins (vs. CHI)	DeAndre Hopkins
A.J. Green (at NYJ) vs. Sammy Watkins (at BAL)	Sammy Watkins
Emmanuel Sanders (vs. CAR) vs. Brandin Cooks (vs. OAK)	Brandin Cooks

Top Matchup Play: Sammy Watkins, BUF (at BAL)

Matt Rourke/Associated Press

Buffalo Bills wideout Sammy Watkins was one of the most dominant fantasy options available last year when actually on the field. 

The problem with Watkins was health, which caused him to miss three games and gimp through others. When healthy, though, he managed eight double-digit games and paired with Tyrod Taylor to craft one of the league's more interesting duos.

Healthy, expect Watkins to put up big numbers against a struggling Baltimore Ravens defense that allowed the fifth-most points to wideouts on average. Jimmy Smith and the rest of the Baltimore secondary, like many, don't have enough to contain Watkins while trying to keep eyes on Taylor and LeSean McCoy.

Sleeper: Josh Huff, PHI (vs. CLE)

Julio Cortez/Associated Press

Josh Huff might be the biggest winner of the Eagles' naming rookie quarterback Carson Wentz the starter. Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com explained why:

It's not just that, though. Dorial Green-Beckham is an unknown after joining the team recently, and Nelson Agholor continues to battle drop issues.

Huff, on the other hand, caught two passes for 60 yards and took two carries for 10 yards and a score in the team's dress-rehearsal preseason game. Philadelphia seems poised to unleash him over the weekend against a Browns team that has struggled for years to stop receivers.

TE

Matchup	Verdict
Rob Gronkowski (at ARI) vs. Greg OIsen (at DEN)	Rob Gronkowski
Jordan Reed (vs. PIT) vs. Delanie Walker (vs. MIN)	Jordan Reed
Travis Kelce (vs. SD) vs. Jason Witten (vs. NYG)	Jason Witten
Julius Thomas (vs. GB) vs. Kyle Rudolph (at TEN)	Julius Thomas
Martellus Bennett (at ARI) vs. Zach Miller (at HOU)	Zach Miller

Top Matchup Play: Jason Witten, DAL (vs. NYG)

Ron Jenkins/Associated Press

Tony Romo or not, Jason Witten of the Dallas Cowboys isn't going to taper off much when it comes to fantasy relevance.

A guy always sure to receive lots of attention, Witten will get plenty of targets this weekend with Dak Prescott under center. Tight ends are a rookie quarterback's best friend, and opportunity will equal production for Witten.

It helps that he gets to go against an old foe such as the New York Giants, a team that ranked among the worst against tight ends last year. Witten is partially to blame and will continue to be after Week 1.

Sleeper: Clive Walford, OAK (at NO)

Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Don't be afraid to take the weapons surrounding the top quarterback play of the week.

Clive Walford isn't a household name yet by any means, but he's an athletic tight end with plenty of big-play ability down the field. Walford is by far the best pass-catching tight end on the Oakland roster, and the news cycle hasn't been shy about the big year the coaching staff expects from him.

A breakout game might be on the way for Walford against New Orleans. The Saints allowed the most points on average to tight ends last year and have traditionally struggled against them. There's no better way for Walford to announce his arrival.

All scoring info and statistics courtesy of ESPN.com standard leagues, as are points-against info and ownership stats. Average draft position (ADP) courtesy of Fantasy Football Calculator.