Week 1 Start 'Em, Sit 'Em: Advice on Top Fantasy Football Stars in Opening Games
The 2023 NFL season starts now.
With mostly healthy rosters at the disposal of fantasy football managers, a fully loaded schedule and no real games on the books to shed light on roles and workloads, lineup decisions might be as tough this weekend as they are all season.
We're here to help simplify the process a bit by providing a few start-or-sit recommendations.
Start: Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Miami Dolphins (at Los Angeles Chargers)
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Before injury issues derailed his 2022 season, Tua Tagovailoa was busy establishing himself as one of the top quarterbacks in fantasy. He had five different games with at least 280 passing yards and multiple touchdowns.
He should be in position to pick up right where he left off.
This game has serious shootout potential. The Dolphins, who could be even more pass-happy than normal with injury issues at running back, might need Tagovailoa to score early and often to keep pace with Justin Herbert and the Chargers explosive offense. Tagovailoa, who has one of the top receiving tandems around him in Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, could be a fantasy gold mine in this matchup.
Sit: Deshaun Watson, QB, Cleveland Browns (vs. Cincinnati Bengals)
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There were times in the past when Deshaun Watson was among the most prolific quarterbacks in fantasy. There could be times in the future when he again ranks among the elites.
But two full seasons have passed since he was viewed in that regard. The six outings he played last season were entirely underwhelming. He completed just 58.2 percent of his passes and threw nearly as many touchdowns (seven) as interceptions (five).
He might bounce back this season, but fantasy managers shouldn't just assume that's guaranteed. Especially not in this matchup, as the Bengals allowed the third-fewest fantasy points to quarterbacks last season, per Yahoo.
Start: Drake London, WR, Atlanta Falcons (vs. Carolina Panthers)
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The No. 8 pick in 2022, Drake London wasted little time making his presence felt in the fantasy world. He saw a robust 117 targets and turned them into 72 receptions for 866 yards and four scores.
Those numbers helped establish his fantasy floor, but this season could be all about elevating his ceiling. This passing game should see a boost with Desmond Ridder as the full-time starter, and if it does, London will likely be the primary beneficiary of that.
He also has a chance to get started right away, as he'll open with an inviting matchup against a Panthers defense that allowed the fourth-most points to fantasy receivers in 2022.
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Sit: Michael Pittman Jr., WR, Indianapolis Colts (vs. Jacksonville Jaguars)
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Indy's offense is among the trickiest to project this season with rookie Anthony Richardson under center and Jonathan Taylor out of this backfield for at least the first four weeks.
With all of that uncertainty, you should stay away from Colts players until we get more clarity on what this group can do. They could be extremely run-heavy, since that's by far the more NFL-ready part of Richardson's game, so there may not be many targets to go around for Michael Pittman Jr. or any of their other pass-catchers.
He was already a feast-or-famine player last season, and his inconsistency might remain a constant with a raw rookie running this offense.
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