The NFL regular season is starting a little early this year with a Super Bowl rematch on Wednesday with the Seattle Seahawks facing off against the New England Patriots followed by the San Francisco 49ers playing the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday in Australia.
There will be the regular slate of games on Sunday featuring games such as the Chicago Bears taking on the Carolina Panthers; both teams won their respective divisions last season. There will also be a high-powered AFC clash when the Buffalo Bills face the Houston Texans.
In the afternoon slot, the Green Bay Packers will play the Minnesota Vikings with new quarterback Kyler Murray and Sunday night football features another division matchup with the Dallas Cowboys taking on the New York Giants.
The week concludes with an epic AFC South showdown on Monday night with the Denver Broncos taking on the Kansas City Chiefs.
With these matchups in mind, here are some starts and sits in fantasy football for the opening week of the NFL season.
Start: RB Jeremiyah Love, Arizona Cardinals
There is an obvious question mark with Jeremiyah Love given he is recovering from a preseason injury. The Los Angeles Chargers also had a good run defense last season. However, there is something to be said for the volume of carries he is going to have this season. There is always a little bit of risk in starting a rookie running back out of the gate, but given how much the Cardinals are going to rely on him this year, especially given they drafted him as the No. 3 overall pick, Love is someone that should be in your fantasy lineup.
Sit: RB Jadarian Price, Seattle Seahawks
Unlike Love, the volume Jadarian Price is going to get as a rookie is unclear. The Seattle Seahawks have an elite wide receiver in Jaxon Smith-Njigba and quarterback Sam Darnold who can get the ball to all of his receivers. Price will be the starter, at least until Zach Charbonnet comes back, but in the first game of the season, it seems like too much of a risk to start Price. Depending on how he does in the opener, maybe it would be worth it to start him in Week 2, but not in the opener.
Start: QB Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams
Why the reigning MVP was drafted so low in fantasy drafts is beyond me given the receivers he has to throw to, but if you drafted Matthew Stafford this season, he should be in your starting lineup for this game. This is going to be a high-scoring affair with the 49ers and Rams throwing haymakers. That spells a lot of points for Stafford who will be making a point to get the ball to his top receivers - Davante Adams and Puka Nacua. He may not have the rushing upside other quarterbacks have, but he more than makes up for it with his passing yards and touchdowns.
Sit: QB Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders
The Washington Commanders are starting their season against the Philadelphia Eagles who had one of the better passing defenses last season. Jayden Daniels has high rushing upside, but he is also the primary runner for the Commanders. Especially when going against an elite defense like Philadelphia, having a one-dimensional offense could really hurt Daniels’ fantasy production in this game. Keep him on the bench for this one.
Start: WR Rome Odunze, Chicago Bears
The Carolina Panthers defense was decent against the pass last year, but Rome Odunze has something to prove this season. After starting last season on fire, he is going into this year looking to show his durability and consistency especially with Luther Burden trying to challenge him for the No. 1 receiver spot in camp before his injury. Chicago’s elite offense will challenge Carolina’s defense and give Odunze a lot of opportunities and he will take advantage. Note: Odunze is day-to-day with a foot injury but Ben Johnson expects him to play vs. Panthers.
Sit: WR Carnell Tate, Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans start their season with the Robert Saleh revenge game. However, that does not mean it is a good fantasy matchup. There are quarterback concerns with Cam Ward as the starter and the Titans have three wide receivers - Carnell Tate, Calvin Ridley and WanDale Robinson - to compete for the ball. As the season goes on, the top receiver should emerge on this roster. But until then, it is a safe option to keep Tate on the bench this week.
Start: TE Kyle Pitts, Atlanta Falcons
Speaking of quarterback concerns, Kyle Pitts fantasy owners are probably concerned about Tua Tagovailoa being the starting quarterback for the first week of the season. However, Tagovailoa actually seemed to have some rapport with Pitts during the preseason and Pitts has always been good after the catch. Also, the offensive strategy no matter who the quarterback is is to get the ball to running back Bijan Robinson, wide receiver Drake London and Pitts. He should put up solid fantasy production in the opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Sit: TE TJ Hockenson, Minnesota Vikings
There was once a time when T.J. Hockenson would have been a great start. However, that time is long gone. If you ended up with Hockenson on your roster, keep him on the bench and keep an eye on the waiver wire this season for a better tight end to pick up.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Starts and sits for fantasy football ahead of Week 1
