Week 1 Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Fringe Fantasy Football Flex Starters

Week 1 can bring a tricky slate for fantasy football managers to navigate. Rosters are different than they were a year ago, players are older, and roles have changed. However, it's usually safe to stick with established stars during the opening week.

Players like Lamar Jackson, Saquon Barkley and Ja'Marr Chase are highly unlikely to flat-out bust, regardless of their situations.

Things get a little trickier with fringe starters who may fill the back ends of rosters and flex spots. Here, you'll find some start and sit advice for a few of this week's tougher calls.

Start: Tank Bigsby, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars

AP Photo/Gerald Herbert

True committee backfields can be a headache for fantasy managers especially early in the year when splits are hard to predict. Still, Jacksonville Jaguars back Tank Bigsby feels like a fairly safe play for Week 1.

Bigsby, who is rostered in 80 percent of Yahoo leagues and 71 percent of ESPN leagues, is expected to split time with Travis Etienne Jr. and rookie Bhayshul Tuten this season. It will probably be a legitimate committee backfield under new head coach Liam Coen, who utilized one with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last season.

All three of Jacksonville's backs have upside this week against the Carolina Panthers, however, with Bigsby standing out as the top option. He was more efficient on the ground than Etienne last season and should serve as the Jags' goal-line back.

Carolina allowed the most fantasy points to opposing RBs last season.

Sit: Tyler Allgeier, RB, Atlanta Falcons

AP Photo/Danny Karnik

Atlanta Falcons running back Tyler Allgeier is still a strong fantasy handcuff, but he's declining as a potential flex option. The fourth-year back, who is rostered in 33 percent of Yahoo leagues and 40 percent of ESPN leagues, is a distant second option for Atlanta behind Bijan Robinson.

Last season, Allgeier had just 732 scrimmage yards and three touchdowns after amassing 876 yards and five touchdowns the previous season.

There will still be matchups in which Allgeier is worth a start, but a Week 1 battle with the rival Tampa Bay Buccaneers isn't it. For one thing, Tampa allowed the ninth-fewest fantasy points to opposing RBs last season. Secondly, Allgeier will have more fantasy value during games in which Atlanta is protecting a lead.

Last year's Buccaneers-Falcons matchups were high-scoring back-and-forth affairs that largely left Allgeier on the sidelines. He logged 18 carries, three receptions and just 58 scrimmage yards in the two games combined.

Start: Rome Odunze, WR, Chicago Bears

AP Photo/Abbie Parr

Plenty of managers are high on second-year Chicago Bears wideout Rome Odunze, who is rostered in 93 percent of Yahoo leagues and 91 percent of ESPN leagues. Until we see how he and quarterback Caleb Williams perform in Ben Johnson's offense, however, he should be considered a fringe starter.

Odunze averaged just 3.2 receptions and 43.2 yards per game as a rookie while finding the end zone a mere three times.

However, Odunze was targeted an average of six times per game, and that rate should increase with Keenan Allen no longer involved. Williams should also get the ball to Odunze more efficiently with Johnson's guidance and with a vastly improved offensive line.

This is a good week to go ahead and get the Odunze experiment started. The Minnesota Vikings allowed the most fantasy points to opposing wideouts a year ago.

Sit: Keenan Allen, WR, Los Angeles Chargers

AP PhotoJessie Alcheh

Allen is back with the Los Angeles Chargers and set to start alongside Ladd McConkey and rookie Tre Harris. Unsurprisingly, he's rostered in 49 percent of Yahoo leagues and 75 percent of ESPN leagues.

However, there are a couple of reasons to be wary of Allen in Week 1. The first is a matchup against the rival Kansas City Chiefs. While Kansas City's defense isn't quite elite, it allowed the eighth-fewest fantasy points to opposing receivers last season.

The second potential issue is Rashawn Slater's season-ending knee injury. With L.A.'s standout left tackle sidelined, quarterback Justin Herbert won't have the time to pick apart Steve Spagnuolo's defense.

Allen may provide managers with a few receptions, but he's unlikely to accumulate the yards needed to justify a start in point-per-reception or standard formats.

*Fantasy roster and scoring information from FantasyPros.