Start Em Sit Em Week 1: QBs Who Will Make and Break Your Team

Winning your fantasy football league comes down to making good decisions. Choosing starters in Week 1 can be a daunting task, as it tends to be the most unpredictable week of the fantasy season.

Obviously, if you have the luxury of owning the elite players at the position (Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, Drew Brees or Matthew Stafford) this is a no-brainer, but for those with fringe starters at the position, making the right decision is crucial. With only one starting slot for quarterbacks in most leagues, these are the players who can make or break you this week.

Start 'Em

Phillip Rivers

Rivers stock has been down this season after a tumultuous 2011 season that saw him throw 20 interceptions. The traditionally elite Rivers was a huge letdown to owners last season and it is completely logical that he isn't highly regarded this season.

However, managers who snagged Rivers later in their drafts should be rewarded this week as this is stacking up to be a good performance for Rivers.

Rivers did throw a ton of picks last season, but by the end of the year his turnover issues seemed to be behind him. He only threw three interceptions over the final six games. Of those six games, Rivers performed the best in the season finale in Oakland.

Where does Rivers start this season?

In Oakland.

Ryan Matthews will be out of commission this game with his broken collarbone so the Chargers will need to pass in this one if they want to keep it close. The risk is there for Rivers to throw too many interceptions, but he found success in Oakland last season and that makes him a sneaky good option this week.

Michael Vick

When on the field and healthy, Vick is one of fantasy football's elite.

His position at the helm of an explosive Philadelphia Eagles offense makes him a good play every week, but an opening game against the Browns makes him a must-play. Vick ended last season with three straight 20-plus point games and could easily start the season with another.

The Browns were a decent team at defending the pass last season but were absolutely dreadful when it came to stopping the run. With Phil Taylor out with an injury, the Browns run defense will have difficulty improving which means DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin will see plenty of single coverage while the Browns try to stop LeSean McCoy.

This is the healthiest Vick will be all season, so now is a better time than any to give him the starting nod.

Jay Cutler

Chances are if you're considering starting Cutler in Week 1 you waited a really long time to take a quarterback in your draft.

If that's the case, your patience should pay off early as Cutler should be primed to put up start-worthy stats in the first game of the season.

Cutler has done well with season openers the last two seasons, posting over 300 yards and multiple touchdowns in each of those games. Past performance in season openers may not seem like a relevant stat, but it shows that Cutler has traditionally come prepared and ready to contribute right away.

Throw in the facts that Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffrey make this the best crop of receivers he's had in Chicago and the Bears will be playing the Indianapolis Colts at home, and you could do a lot worse than starting Cutler in Week 1.

Sit 'Em

Robert Griffin III

Before you rush to your Cam Newton comparison and point out that the ultra-athletic quarterback scored 29 points in his first game as a rookie, consider the rarity of the event.

Rookie quarterbacks don't routinely throw for over 400 yards in their first start. Newton was going against a Cardinals defense that wasn't exactly elite and featured a rookie cornerback in Patrick Peterson.

The Saints on the other hand, who Griffin III will see in Week 1 are a team coming off of a 13-3 season with a defense out to prove something without suspended linebacker Jonathan Vilma.

Could RGIII come out and blow the roof off the SuperDome en route to a performance that will win you your first game? Of course.

Is it more likely that he puts forth a pedestrian effort that doesn't make fantasy players jump out of their seat? Yes.

Let RGIII show what he can do before buying into Newton comparisons.

Ben Roethlisberger

Big Ben is capable of putting up big fantasy numbers depending on his matchup, but this week against Denver is not one of them.

For starters, this defense should look familiar to Roethlisberger, the Broncos escorted the Steelers out of the playoffs last season and limited Roethlisberger to one touchdown while picking him off once and sacking him five times. With an injury to rookie guard David DeCastro, this offfensive line could struggle to slow Von Miller and Co. once again and Roethlisberger could find himself struggling to remain upright.

Throw in the fact that injuries to Rashard Mendenhall and Isaac Redman give the Steelers a questionable run game on top of Mike Wallace's late arrival, and it could be a rough start for Roethlisberger.

In last season's season opener against the Ravens, Roethlisberger put up a paltry five points. Wait to see how the Steelers offense comes together before rolling with Roethlisberger.

Peyton Manning

In general, you should be leery of starting anyone who had four neck surgeries this offseason.

Add in the fact that Manning is going against a Pittsburgh defense known for getting to the quarterback, is adjusting to a new set of targets with the exception of Jacob Tamme and is relying on the aging Willis McGahee to grind out yardage in the running game.

It may be best to see what Manning can do in Week 1 before announcing him as an automatic start.