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

Flipping a coin between two viable starters for the last spot in your fantasy lineup can make or break your season. The best bet is to look at the matchups and potential game flow to project how a player may do.

For example, if a running back is a favorite, he may see the ball for all four quarters. If a running back is on an underdog, that player may not see as many touches, especially if someone else is used in passing situations.

Here's a look at 10 start 'em or sit 'em recommendations on the fringe this week. FantasyPros' Week 1 expert consensus rankings were used to determine players on the borderline.

You can also find further analysis on six of them below.

Start 'Em

1. Cincinnati Bengals QB Andy Dalton at Indianapolis Colts

2. Green Bay Packers RB Jamaal Williams vs. Chicago Bears

3. Houston Texans WR Will Fuller at New England Patriots

4. Indianapolis Colts TE Jack Doyle vs. Cincinnati Bengals

5. Tennessee Titans D/ST at Miami Dolphins

Sit 'Em

1. Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott at Carolina Panthers

2. Oakland Raiders RB Marshawn Lynch vs. Los Angeles Rams

3. San Francisco 49ers WR Marquise Goodwin at Minnesota Vikings

4. Jacksonville Jaguars TE Austin Seferian-Jenkins at New York Giants

5. Cincinnati Bengals D/ST at Indianapolis Colts

Start 'Em: Green Bay Packers RB Jamaal Williams vs. Chicago Bears

Green Bay Packers running back Aaron Jones is suspended for the first two games, which means Jamaal Williams should be the clear leader in the backfield against the Chicago Bears.

Although Chicago's defense got much tougher with the addition of edge-rusher Khalil Mack, the Packers are clear 7.5-point favorites in this one, per OddsShark.

Williams could be seeing a lot of action as the home favorite, with the team potentially looking to run the clock out in the second half. He's also proved to be an adept pass-catcher and had two games of 69 receiving yards and a touchdown last year, making him a solid asset in point-per-reception leagues.

Ultimately, a lot of things add up into Williams' favor for Sunday.

Sit 'Em: Oakland Raiders RB Marshawn Lynch vs. Los Angeles Rams

Oakland Raiders running back Marshawn Lynch could be in Canton someday, but his outlook doesn't seem great for Monday against the Los Angeles Rams. For one, he'll be facing a Rams run defense that just added Pro Bowl defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, who should help gum up the middle of the line.

Furthermore, with Khalil Mack (36.5 sacks in the past three years) now on the Bears, the Rams could have a huge offensive day, which would force the Raiders to play catch-up with the pass. That would preclude Lynch from seeing too much volume for this game.

Start 'Em: Indianapolis Colts TE Jack Doyle vs. Cincinnati Bengals

Indianapolis Colts tight end Jack Doyle caught 80 passes for 690 yards and four touchdowns last year with a quarterback (Jacoby Brissett) who wasn't on the team until September.

The fact that he was able to establish a solid rapport with Brissett despite the two not playing on the same field until Week 2 is remarkable, and now Doyle will work with Andrew Luck, who was one of the better signal-callers in the game prior to missing the 2017 season with a shoulder injury.

If those two can establish their old rapport, they could both be in for a big year, starting Sunday against a Cincinnati Bengals defense that ranked just 30th against tight ends, per Football Outsiders.

Sit 'Em: Jacksonville Jaguars TE Austin Seferian-Jenkins at New York Giants

The New York Giants defense was a sieve against tight ends last year. Seemingly every week, Big Blue was either giving up 100 receiving yards and/or a touchdown to the opposing tight end.

A new regime is in town this year, however, with ex-Arizona Cardinals defensive coordinator James Bettcher calling the shots. Scott Barrett of Pro Football Focus explained why Bettcher's arrival (and other reasons) could spell the end of the reign of tight ends against the Giants:

Austin Seferian-Jenkins is an intriguing season-long option: He caught 50 passes for the New York Jets last year and could conceivably lead the Jags in receptions this year.

However, he may be best used in other matchups down the road. As is, the Jaguars-Giants game isn't an intriguing fantasy option, with the over/under set at just 43.5 points, per OddsShark.

Start 'Em: Tennessee Titans D/ST at Miami Dolphins

The Miami Dolphins offense has a ton of question marks heading into the season. How will Ryan Tannehill fare after missing 2017 with a torn ACL? What's going to happen in the backfield with both Frank Gore and Kenyan Drake listed as starters? Will rookie Mike Gesicki provide the team with a boost at tight end? Can the Dolphins replace Jarvis Landry's production? Will Devante Parker make the leap?

The Dolphins offense could be decent, and wideout Kenny Stills has serious sleeper potential. However, it may also falter if the new faces don't mesh well together. Further problems could arise when the Dolphins face excellent rushing offenses, which could be the case Sunday as the Tennessee Titans roll into town.

If Derrick Henry and Dion Lewis dominate the ground game, the Dolphins will be on their heels all afternoon. They'll lose the time-of-possession battle and be forced to go to the pass, which could lead to turnovers.

Tennessee's defense won't be usable as it faces some high-powered offenses this year, but it is a viable streaming option Sunday.

Sit 'Em: San Francisco 49ers WR Marquise Goodwin at Minnesota Vikings

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Marquise Goodwin showcased a tremendous rapport with new starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo last year, catching 29 passes for 384 yards and one touchdown in his five starts.

The two should pick things up where they left off this year, but the Week 1 opener against the Minnesota Vikings on the road is one of the worst possible matchups.

The Vikings secondary is fierce, led by shutdown cornerback Xavier Rhodes and safety Harrison Smith. They should cause problems for the 49ers attack all game, which could mean a quiet day for Goodwin.