Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Week 1: Last-Minute Fantasy Football Advice for Sunday

The first week of the NFL season should be relatively stress-free for fantasy owners. Since we really have no idea how good teams are going to be just yet, the theory goes that you should just start the best players you drafted and see what happens early on.

You have an entire season to play matchups and tweak your lineup. Go with your studs in Week 1.

But as a fantasy owner, I know that mentality is great in theory but nearly impossible to implement. The tinkering is the fun part about fantasy. The worrying, the research, the last-minute switch at your flex (which, let's be honest, never turns out well) all add to the tension. You're going to obsess until the very last minute. I know it. You know it. We all know it.

In particular this week, there are probably a few players or positions you are really stressing over. So in an effort to lend a hand, I picked out six players I either thought were being underappreciated or players I didn't trust and played the ol' start 'em, sit 'em game with them. Consider this your forum for the shared neurosis that is fantasy-lineup tinkering. 

Sit 'Em: Cam Newton, QB, Carolina Panthers

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Have you ever tried to throw the ball around with a rib injury? Heck, have you ever tried to do anything with a rib injury? 

It hurts. It hurts really, really badly. So it's hard to trust that Cam Newton will be at his best even if he does play on Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. And if you think the Panthers will want Newton running around willy-nilly with a rib injury in this game, think again. The game plan would likely be a bit more conservative with him playing. 

Everything points toward sitting Newton in fantasy this week even if he does play, which is no guarantee given his "questionable" designation. Newton will be a stud for owners once again this year but not in Week 1.

Start 'Em: Jeremy Maclin, WR, Philadelphia Eagles

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A year ago, the Jacksonville Jaguars were tied for 25th in the NFL with 248 passing yards per game allowed and were tied for 21st with five other teams with 29 touchdown passes surrendered. This is a team that is vulnerable against the pass, in other words.

While the Eagles have a number of mouths to feed in the passing game, the main man expected to emerge from a fantasy standpoint is Jeremy Maclin, who should be taking over the role DeSean Jackson held in the offense a year ago. Maclin isn't as explosive as Jackson, no, but he's a better route-runner and isn't exactly a snail on the deeper routes either. 

The Eagles offensive pace might not be sneaking up on anybody this year, but it's still difficult to deal with, especially in the first week of the season. Expect Maclin to break off at least one long touchdown reception and make the fantasy owners who started him very, very happy.

Sit 'Em: Andre Ellington, RB, Arizona Cardinals

Unless you have either Jonathan Dwyer, Ryan Mathews or Danny Woodhead and can slot them in for Ellington on Monday evening, you absolutely cannot start Ellington this week (though none of those players are great options this week). It's just too risky after he didn't practice on Friday, per Kent Somers of AZCentral.com:

The entire fantasy football world—and the state of Arizona for that matter—is waiting on pins and needles for any little bit of news on Ellington going forward. At this point, he could play on Monday night, or he could be out for several weeks, according to Mike Jurecki of Fox Sports:

Play it safe, folks, and keep Ellington on your bench unless we get news guaranteeing he'll play. No need to play Russian roulette with a player in Week 1.

Start 'Em: Antonio Gates, TE, San Diego Chargers

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I'm not a huge fan of Antonio Gates in fantasy football this season. In fact, I think Ladarius Green very well could overtake him as the San Diego Chargers' top pass-catching option at the position at some point. But in Week 1, I absolutely love me some Gates.

Why, you ask? Because in ESPN standard-scoring leagues a season ago the Arizona Cardinals gave up an average of 13.1 fantasy points to opposing tight ends, worst in the NFL and four more points than any other defense. And it's hard to imagine a Cardinals defense dealing with injuries and suspensions to key players suddenly getting better against opposing tight ends.

In San Diego's third preseason game, the traditional "dress rehearsal" for a team's starting players, Gates snagged three passes for 28 yards and a touchdown in just three series before watching the rest of the game from the sidelines. That performance alone would have made him a worthy starter for your team.

But in a full game against a Cardinals defense that struggles against tight ends? Gates is a worthy TE1, at least for one week.

Sit 'Em: Bernard Pierce, RB, Baltimore Ravens

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A year ago, the Cincinnati Bengals gave up just 11.8 fantasy points per week to opposing running backs, third best in the NFL. While many folks scrambled to draft Pierce after Ray Rice's two-game suspension was announced, savvy owners recognized Pierce probably wouldn't offer much value in Week 1.

The first time these teams met a season ago, the Ravens rushed the ball 30 times for 85 yards, a whopping 2.8 yards per carry. They abandoned that strategy the second time around, rushing just 14 times for 47 yards in late December. They didn't have a rushing touchdown in either game.

There will be those who point out that this is Pierce's chance to shine, however, and he won't want to screw this up. Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun asked him about that very subject:

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Asked Wednesday whether he looks at Sunday's game against the Cincinnati Bengals as an audition for a long-term starting role, Pierce said, 'You can put it that way, but … it's just another game to me.'

At the very least, Ray Rice's two-game suspension for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy has given Pierce—whether he acknowledges it or not—an opportunity to stake his claim to a bigger role in the Ravens' new-look offense, regardless of Rice's status going forward.

'I know this is a big opportunity for Bernard in his career,' Ravens offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak said. 'This is my first time with him, but I know that he's worked hard, he's ready to go, he's practiced well this week. This is a big, big stage for him at this point in his career and it's huge for our team that he plays well.'

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Look, the last thing I want to do is throw shade on Pierce during his big moment (now that I've used "throw shade" in an article, the terminology has officially reached uncool status). I'm a fellow Temple alum, after all.

But against Cincy's defense—which, by the way, didn't have stud defensive tackle Geno Atkins for either game against the Ravens last year—I just don't trust him from a fantasy perspective this week.

Start 'Em and Sit 'Em: C.J. Spiller, RB, Buffalo Bills

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Wait, what? How can you recommend starting and sitting someone? Aren't you just copping out?

Yes, yes I am. But if you owned Spiller a season ago, you might understand how hesitant I feel recommending anyone to start him this week.

Because here's the thing—the matchup against the Chicago Bears is begging for you to start Spiller. The Bears gave up an NFL-worst 161.4 rushing yards per game last year, a whopping 25.6 more yards per game than the next worst team in the league at stopping the run, the Atlanta Falcons. With his ankle injury behind him, why wouldn't you start Spiller?

Well, because we still don't know how the Bills will utilize Spiller for starters.

We don't know how much work Fred Jackson and Bryce Brown will get. We don't know if the Bills will put Spiller in positions to succeed—i.e. getting him into space—or if they'll continue to run him between the tackles where his explosiveness is often mitigated. We don't know if EJ Manuel's play will command respect from opponents or if they'll stack the box and beg teams to throw against them. 

Spiller reached double-digit fantasy points for owners just five times a year ago. Jackson did so 10 times. He may be 33, but he proved to be plenty productive for the Bills last season, something you'd imagine the team hasn't suddenly forgotten. Until we see the Bills fully commit to Spiller as the No. 1 guy, it's hard to truly recommend him as a locked-and-loaded fantasy starter. 

So yes, there are very good reasons to recommend starting him. There are just as many good reasons to recommend sitting him and seeing what you have in him early in the season. If you put a gun to my head and demanded I made a decision, I'd tell you I'd only want to use him as a flex this week if I didn't have any other great options on the bench.

But please don't put a gun to my head. It's just fantasy football, you guys.

Hit me up on Twitter—I'll answer your fantasy questions and make some corny jokes too. It's more fun than a trip to the Kentucky Derby with Wes Welker.