It’s official: The NFL is back! And with that, fantasy football is underway. To help you make the right decisions for your perfect lineup, The League Winners have done their research to bring you: Start or Sit Week 1.
Each week we will be bringing you the best starts of the week and the players who should not see the light of day.
Fantasy Football Start or Sit Week 1 – Start
Jordan Love, QB – Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears (Erika Brown)
Jordan Love is set to take the helm after sitting behind Aaron Rodgers for three years. While he only has one start under his belt, the coaching staff has enough confidence in him that they did not invest in a high-round draft pick at the position. He looked good in preseason, throwing for 193 yards and three touchdowns. It helps to have solid weapons to throw to, such as receivers Romeo Doubs, Christian Watson (who is now questionable) and running back Aaron Jones. Look for Love to be a sneaky start against what could be a struggling Chicago Bears team.
Samaje Perine, RB – Denver Broncos vs. Las Vegas Raiders (Sheldon Hand)
Call me a party pooper, but I am still leery of Javonte Williams being fully healthy. Samaje Perine was hand-picked by Sean Payton and he will play a role in this offense. Expect him to be the main guy in Week 1 while the Denver Broncos ease Williams back in. The Las Vegas Raiders gave up the 7th-most fantasy points running backs last year. Perine will smash his current rankings on FantasyPros and push to be a top 20 RB this week. I am starting him with confidence as an RB2 unless I have two locked-in studs. Start him over guys like James Cook, D’Andre Swift, Jamaal Williams and Javonte.
Jahan Dotson, WR – Washington Commanders vs. Arizona Cardinals (Harry Prskalo)
The hype started last season with Jahan Dotson until he suffered an injury in Week 4 that kept him out until Week 10. Dotson has had a full offseason to heal and has a new QB in Sam Howell who has looked good so far. Dotson will be going up against one of the easiest defenses to play against in the Arizona Cardinals this week. Terry McLaurin‘s status is still uncertain, and even if he plays he won’t be 100%. Look for Dotson to put up some big numbers against a bad defense.
Baker Mayfield, QB – Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Minnesota Vikings (Mike Cannavo)
Although Baker Mayfield has been on the short end of the stick for NFL QBs, he earned himself one more chance in Tampa Bay. Mayfield provided us with some highlights towards the tail end of 2022, posting a rating of 124.7 in one of his games as an LA Ram. Mayfield has his best weapons to date, including the likes of Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. The Bucs take on the Minnesota Vikings in Week 1, who have proven to be an easy matchup for opposing offenses. Mayfield should show out early and often in this game
Fantasy Football Start or Sit Week 1 – Sit
Najee Harris, RB – Pittsburgh Steelers vs. San Fransico 49ers (Erika Brown)
Last year, Najee Harris was one of only ten players to not average four yards per carry. He averaged only 3.8 yards on 272 carries while playing in all 17 games. Add that low number against a San Francisco 49ers defense and you’re looking at a back who could be stifled at the line of scrimmage all game. Najee could be a better start next week against the Cleveland Browns, but this week, let him ride your bench.
DJ Moore, WR – Chicago Bears vs. Green Bay Packers (Sheldon Hand)
The Green Bay Packers only allowed 18.2 ppg to the WR position last year, which made them a top-12 team against WRs. Jaire Alexander is entering the prime of his career and is a top-five rated corner according to PFF. Look for him to shadow DJ Moore and make his Bears debut difficult. Moore is ranked as the WR 22 on FantasyPros, he doesn’t get there without a TD. Pivot options could be Terry McLaurin, Michael Thomas or Marvin Mims.
Dalton Kincaid, TE – Buffalo Bills at New York Jets (Harry Prskalo)
Dalton Kincaid has the chance to be a special player in fantasy football, but I’d pump the brakes on that in Week 1. In the preseason he played only half the snaps on Josh Allen‘s only drive, and the Bills just paid TE Dawson Knox a lot of money to be the starter. I do not see them letting Kincaid take over immediately. I believe he will be involved a little bit in this game, but I think it is too early to have him in your fantasy football lineup.
Michael Pittman, WR – Indianapolis Colts vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (Mike Cannavo)
The idea of starting Michael Pittman with a rookie QB who is projected to complete less than 55% of his passes is scary. The likes of Matt Ryan and company weren’t much better, but at least the ball was on target. I’m taking a week off of all Colts as a “prove it” game in Week 1. Pittman is no stranger to this as well. Keep him out of your fantasy football lineups until further notice.
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Erika Brown
Erika Brown is a fantasy football writer for The League Winners. A journalism graduate from Oklahoma State University, she enjoys watching OkState football games and writing about college football.