Fantasy Football Week 1 Start 'Em, Sit 'Em: 3 Star RBs to Avoid

The general rule of thumb in fantasy football is that when you have a star running back, you start him no matter what.

But sometimes it's worth benching a star running back because there really are no signs of him being productive in that given matchup. Even if he plays better than expected, he still likely won't give you starter's numbers.

Fantasy football owners are going to be tempted to roll out their full starting lineups in Week 1, but starting one of these three running backs may end up putting you in an 0-1 hole to start the season.

3. Michael Turner, RB, Atlanta Falcons

Michael Turner is one of the NFL's premier workhorses, rushing for over 1,300 yards last season for 12 touchdowns. On top of that, he has a passing game that keeps the defense honest.

But, seriously, going up against Brian Urlacher, Lance Briggs and the Chicago Bears is not a fun venture for any running back. The Bears gave up just 3.7 yards per carry in 2010, fifth-best in the league. This is one of the few matchups Turner owners will want to pass up on.

2. Rashard Mendenhall, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers

Rashard Mendenhall may have rushed for 1,273 yards and 13 touchdowns last season, but against the Baltimore Ravens he was a shadow of himself. In three games against the Ravens last season, Mendenhall rushed 64 times for 170 yards, averaging just 2.6 yards per carry.

The bright side is he did score four touchdowns in those three games, but, as his last game against the Ravens showed, it's "Touchdown or Bust" for Mendenhall against the Ravens.

1. Ray Rice, RB, Baltimore Ravens

Not only did Ray Rice have horrible numbers against the Pittsburgh Steelers last season, he just scored one touchdown in three meetings. In those three meetings, Rice rushed 29 times for 84 yards, good for 2.8 yards per carry.

Rice may have rushed for over 1,200 yards and five touchdowns last season, and caught 63 balls for 556 yards and one touchdown, but against the Steelers he was nothing but a scrub.