Week 1 Fantasy Football Starts/Sits

Welcome Back fans of the Rat Pack Sports Show. Here we are back for another year of fantasy football. It is time to get those lineup set and chase down that money. That is if you are playing for money. Here at the Rat Pack, we do not bring you the heavy starters. You should not need any help starting those. We bring the players that you may have a question starting or sitting. Thus, without further ado here are your week one starts and sits.

Quarterback

Start: Ben Roethlisberger – Pittsburgh Steelers

Roethlisberger is returning from elbow surgery last season. Reports are that he is stronger than ever and all of his arm strength has returned. He faces a New York Giants defense that has a very questionable secondary. This makes Big Ben a solid starter for your fantasy team in week one.

Sit: Sam Darnold – New York Jets

Darnold and the Jets have a tough matchup to open the season. They are facing one of the best teams in the league in the Buffalo Bills. The Bills defense should be one of the best in the NFL this season. A secondary consisting of Tre’Davious White and Josh Norman should make life miserable for Darnold and company.

Running Back

Start: Kenyan Drake – Arizona Cardinals

The Cardinals acquired Drake last season. He was very solid for the team down the stretch. Including multiple games against the San Francisco 49ers. He gave them fits in both games. Including a 14-point fantasy performance in the second game. That gives me the confidence in starting Drake in week one.

Sit: Cam Akers – Los Angeles Rams

Akers has been all the talk with the Rams this summer. The former Florida State Seminole does look the part. However, a week one fantasy matchup against the Dallas Cowboys could prove tough. The front of the Cowboys defense is one to deal with. This, being third on the depth chart, and the o-line issues that the Rams had in 2019 give me doubt in starting this rookie in week one.

Wide receiver

Start: T.Y. Hilton – Indianapolis Colts

Hilton and the Colts have a very favorable matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars. He also has a new quarterback in Philip Rivers throwing to him. These two factors should play well for your fantasy team.

Sit: Amari Copper – Dallas Cowboys

Cooper will have to go up against Jalen Ramsey. Ramsey recently signed the largest contract for a defensive back. Cooper draws a tough assignment in week one. This is not good for your fantasy team as last season against Ramsey; Cooper only had two targets with one reception for 19 yards.

Tight End

Start: Tyler Higbee – Los Angeles Rams

Higbee was one of the hottest tight ends at the end of the 2019 season. Look for him to be a high target option for Jared Goff in 2020. Higbee is a big target, especially in the red zone. The linebacking group of the Dallas Cowboys will struggle but your fantasy team should not if you start Tyler Higbee.

Sit: Austin Hooper – Cleveland Browns

Hooper was one of the biggest free-agent acquisitions of the offseason. Nonetheless, the matchup against the Baltimore Ravens does not fare well for fantasy owners. In 2019, the Ravens did not allow a tight end to go over 50 yards in a game and finished, the season ranked third against the position.

Defense

Start: Green Bay Packers

The Packers defense started the season on a high note in 2019. They eventually came back down to earth as the season progressed. In saying that, they were very successful against Kirk Cousins and the Minnesota Vikings. Amassing five sacks and one interception in the two games against the purple and gold.

Sit: Atlanta Falcons

The Falcons welcome the Seattle Seahawks to the Mercedes Benz Dome on Sunday. That matchup is tough to begin the season. When the Seahawks are healthy, they are one of the best offenses in the NFL. Russell Wilson is also a solid fantasy QB. This makes the Falcons a no go in week one.

Sleepers

Offense: Jonathan Taylor, RB – Indianapolis Colts

As with Hilton above, Taylor has a very friendly fantasy matchup in week one. Jacksonville was very friendly to running backs in 2019. I do not see that changing to start 2020 either. Look for Taylor to get a nice workload behind Marlon Mack in this season opener.

Defense: Washington Football Team

Many are writing Washington off early. However, they could quietly have one of the best defenses in the league this year. It starts on Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles. A start on your fantasy team could be surprising.

There you have it, your week one starts and sits for the 2020 NFL Season. We are going to be here for 16 weeks. We hope to help win some games during that time.

Be sure to follow Sean on Twitter @NFLWBLZ for all of your ins, outs, and other football coverage. You can also email any questions to ratpackfantasyguru@gmail.com.