Fantasy Football: Week 1 Starts and Sits
Week 1 of the NFL season begins tomorrow, and with it returns fantasy football.
As you get ready for your week one fantasy matchups, consider starting or sitting these players:
Start
Russell Wilson, QB, Denver Broncos vs. Seattle Seahawks
Wilson returns to Seattle where he spent the first 10 seasons of his NFL career this week. This will be the first time Wilson has an offensive head coach in his career in Nathaniel Hackett, so there should be plenty of opportunity for him to succeed in his revenge game against his former team.
Denver’s offensive line looks to be the best Wilson has played behind so far in his career. This will give him plenty of time to distribute the ball to receivers Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton and Penn State alum K.J. Hamler while facing a lackluster Seattle defense.
Ja’Marr Chase, WR, Cincinnati Bengals vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Chase emerged as Bengals’ quarterback Joe Burrow’s top target last year in his breakout rookie year, and he should flourish once again this season.
The Steelers’ main concerns on the defensive side of the ball are how the secondary will perform and whether or not Devin Bush can return to the level he was playing at before tearing his ACL two seasons ago.
Look for Chase to be targeted early and often this week, especially on crossing and deep route patterns.
Travis Kelce, TE, Kansas City Chiefs vs. Arizona Cardinals
Travis Kelce returns as the number one target for Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs’ offense this season. With the departure of Tyreek Hill via trade to the Miami Dolphins, Kelce’s target share should only go up.
Another thing to note is that he won’t be drawing the top corner in Hill’s absence, as tight ends aren’t covered by cornerbacks very often. With the increase in targets and the same people guarding him, Kelce is a must start every week, especially while new receivers JuJu Smith-Schuster and Marquez Valdes-Scantling learn their new offense in real game situations.
Sit
Elijah Mitchell, RB, San Francisco 49ers vs. Chicago Bears
With head coach Kyle Shanahan incorporating wide receiver Deebo Samuel in the run game last year, it led to Samuel wanting a contract extension that paid considerably more money than the rookie deal he was still playing on. After a lot of offseason drama and a trade request from Samuel, the 49ers eventually struck a deal with their top playmaker to keep him in San Francisco, indicating that his usage out of the backfield will only increase.
The 49ers also have a new dual threat quarterback in Trey Lance. Shanahan’s offense is perfect for Lance to utilize his legs, especially around the goal line on options and designed quarterback runs.
With this being said, Mitchell’s fantasy value will likely be touchdown dependent. So sit him this week.
Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Dallas Cowboys vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Elliott’s best fantasy season came in his rookie year back in 2016, and he hasn’t quite been able to replicate those numbers since. Fellow running back Tony Pollard burst onto the scene last year in a breakout campaign, and the Cowboys have said they are very excited to incorporate him into their offense much more this season.
Along with the competition with Pollard for snaps, Dallas’ offensive line suffered a huge blow recently, as starting left tackle Tyron Smith tore his hamstring and is out indefinitely.
These factors are more than enough reason to leave Elliott on benches this week against a stout Bucs' run defense.
Jonathan Hartley is a second-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email jdh6293@psu.edu.
