X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Stats & Leaders
Starts and Sit
Daily Fantasy
Who To Pickup
24x7 News and Alerts

Week 1 Fantasy Football Matchups: Start/Sit Advice (Games 9-12)

Drafts are done, and the NFL season is finally upon us! All the hard work and preparation put into your selections on draft day is about to get real. Just like your fantasy season, our job here at RotoBaller.com doesn't end after draft day. Each week we will offer you the best coverage on who to start, who to avoid, and who to keep an eye on as we break down every NFL match-up each week.

Below is part two of our Week 1 start/sit and fantasy football matchups analysis, providing advice and recommendations on matchups that we love, matchups that we hate, and some high risk/high reward players as well. Check back for part three of our matchups piece tomorrow.  Part One: Start/Sit Analysis for Games 1-8, and Part Three: Start/Sit Analysis for Games 13-16

Editor's Note: make sure to also bookmark our famous fantasy football waiver wire pickups list to find those waiver wire gems, and dominate your football leagues. Our waiver wire list is updated throughout each week of the fantasy football season, for all positions. Good luck RotoBallers!

 

Redskins @ Texans, Sunday 9/7 1PM

Keith Allison - http://www.flickr.com/photos/keithallison/7687510666/in/set-72157630845044624QB Robert Griffin, III - RG3's mechanics and results during preseason have been a mess. He could play well if he avoids the rush, so there's upside here, but in week 1 in a new system against a solid Houston defense, he's only startable in 14+ team and 2 QB leagues.

RB Alfred Morris and Roy Helu - Washington will need to run the ball a lot if RG3 isn't right, and that's good for Alfred Morris. While Roy Helu could see more time this year, especially in passing situations, Morris is the only must start. Helu is a sit until his role is more defined.

WR Pierre Garcon and Desean Jackson - You didn't draft these two to bench them. Start them both.

TE Jordan Reed - If RG3 is struggling against a tough Houston pass rush, he'll rely on Reed's hands for quick routes and dump offs. Reed is a must start.

Redskins DST - They stink, but if you're streaming defenses in a very deep league, you could do worse than a matchup against turnover prone Ryan Fitzpatrick.

QB Ryan Fitzpatrick and Ryan Mallett - Ryan Fitzpatrick is not startable, not even in a two QB format. The same can be said for Mallett right now, although he is worth keeping an eye on.

RB Arian Foster I'm all in on Foster this year while he's healthy as he seems to be going into week one; he's a must start.

WR DeAndre Hopkins and Andre Johnson - Both guys are must starts vs. the Redskins defense , even with Ryan Fitzpatrick throwing to them.

TE Garrett Graham - Graham is a solid tight end going against a weak defensive unit. He plays with other offensive weapons who will command most of the defensive attention.. start him with confidence.

Texans DST - A unit with JJ Watt, Jadeveon Clowney, and Brian Cushing going against an offensive unit still figuring things out smells like a must start to me.

 

Titans @ Chiefs, Sunday 9/7 1PM

QB Jake Locker - Love his offensive line, big arm, and receivers, but I don't love this matchup. I'd only start him in 2 QB leagues.

RB Shonn Greene and Bishop Sankey - Greene is just keeping the starting spot warm until rookie Bishop Sankey is ready, and by the way he looked in preseason, he's not there yet. Top it off with a tough defense, and I'd say Greene is nothing more than a flex option in very deep leagues. Sit Sankey.

Rotoballer-Fantasy-Football-Advice-Analysis-Kendall-WrightWR Kendall Wright and Justin Hunter - Absolutely love both these young wideouts against any defense, even the Chiefs. Both guys are must starts.

TE Delanie Walker - Solid tight end in a tight end friendly system. If there isn't a guy available with a better matchup, start him.

Titans DST - You have to worry about Jamaal Charles, and the QB doesn't turn the ball over, but I think this ends up being a low scoring game. Start them.

QB Alex Smith - Ho-hum quarterback who won't hurt you with turnovers. He's startable, but you could do better.

RB Jamaal Charles - Duh.

WR Junior Hemingway, Donnie Avery, and Albert Wilson - Yuck. Stay away. Dwayne Bowe is the only solid receiver here and he's suspended for 1 game.

TE Anthony Fassano and Travis Kelce - Fassano will get overtaken by Kelce, who is not a start yet but could be as soon as week 2 with a couple big plays. He has big time potential.

Chiefs DST - The Titans have weapons, but this should still be a low scoring game. Start them.

 

Patriots @ Dolphins, Sunday 9/7 1PM

tom-brady-nfl-fantasy-football-quarterbacks-analysisQB Tom Brady - Must start, period.

RB Shane Vereen and Stevan Ridley - Neither guy is more than a flex option this week. In standard formats I'd go with Ridley. In PPR formats, I'd use Vereen.

WR Julian Edelman, Danny AmendolaKenbrell Thompkins and Aaron Dobson - I like all of these guys in the order listed. Edelman is a must start, especially in a PPR format. Amendola is a very good WR2 when healthy, and Thompkins and Dobson make for  decent boom or bust flex plays, but the volume likely won't be there for the latter two.

TE Rob Gronkowski and Tim Wright - If Gronk is healthy and ready to go, he's a must start especially against a Miami defense that struggles against tight end. Keep an eye on Wright, but only start him if Gronk is out.

Patriots DST - Miami's offense will be better, but I still like this matchup. Never bet against the defensive mind of Bill Belichick. Start them.

QB Ryan Tannehill - Seen him on many sleeper lists, but I'm not a fan, except in a 2 QB league. Sit.

RB Knowshon Moreno and Lamar Miller - If Montee Ball could block and Ronnie Hillman hadn't had fumbilitis, Knowshon Moreno would have sat the pine last year. Lamar Miller had six games where he rushed for fewer than 20 yards last year. Neither guy is more than a bye week fill in right now.

WR Mike Wallace and Brian Hartline - Wallace is the number one receiver, and the 'Phins have said they plan to get him the ball as much as possible in 2014. He's a must start. Hartline isn't, but he makes for an interesting flex option in PPR leagues.

TE Charles Clay - Pats are always tough on opposing tight ends, and held Clay to 43 total yards in two games last year. I'd sit him.

Miami DST - The Brady/Gronk combo poses plenty of problems for this defense. I'd look elswhere.

 

Panthers @ Buccaneers, Sunday 9/7 4:25pm

By Cedward Brice (Flickr: 1st Play) [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia CommonsQB Cam Newton - If you read my QB tiers article, you know I love him this year. The broken rib worries me a bit, but he's traditionally toasted Tampa Bay in the past. He's a must start, if he starts.

RB DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart - I won't touch either guy until bye weeks start. The best running back on Carolina this year will be Cam Newton.

WR Kelvin Benjamin - He's the only Carolina wideout worth owning, even in deep leagues. The Tampa defense will be better this year, but I still think Benjamin makes for a nice WR2 or flex play.

TE Greg Olsen - Greg Olsen was very good against the Bucs last year and makes for a nice low end TE1 this week. Start him.

Panthers DST - Probably second best defense in fantasy. You drafted them to start them.

QB Josh McCown - He will have just as many weapons in Tampa as he had in Chicago last year, and he was terrific. He also has spent the better part of a decade in the NFL riding the bench. I'm not sold, and I'm not starting him against the Panthers D.

RB Doug Martin - Martin is going to bounce back this year, and could end up the steal of most drafts. Don't love him against Carolina's defensive front, but he's worth starting. He makes for a low-end RB2, but I like him much more as a flex play this week.

WR Vincent Jackson and Mike Evans - Vincent Jackson is a must start every week. I'm almost as high on rookie Mike Evans as I am on Kelvin Benjamin, and since Jackson is sure to command much of the defenses attention, the matchup doesn't worry me. Start Evans too as a flex.

TE Brandon Myers - Meh.

Buccaneers DST - Tampa D should be better this year, and as much as I like guys like Newton and Benjamin, the running game and o-line are not good. Newton has traditionally put up good numbers against this squad. They're a decent play, but I think there are better matchups out there.

 




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Stats & Leaders
Starts and Sit
Daily Fantasy
Who To Pickup
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

San Francisco 49ers2 hours ago

Nick Bosa "Questionable At Best" For Week 12
MacKenzie Weegar3 hours ago

Notches Three Assists Against Rangers
Macklin Celebrini3 hours ago

Tallies Two Assists In Thursday's Loss
Nikita Kucherov3 hours ago

Comes Up With Three Assists Versus Blue Jackets
Sean Monahan3 hours ago

Finishes Thursday's Win With Four Points
Zach Werenski3 hours ago

Enjoys Career Night With Five Points Against Lightning
Jack Hughes3 hours ago

Posts Three Assists Versus Hurricanes
Joonas Korpisalo3 hours ago

Records 21-Save Shutout Versus Utah
Jerry Jeudy6 hours ago

Leads Browns In Receiving In Week 12 Win
Nick Chubb6 hours ago

Scores Two TDs In Thursday Night Win Over Pittsburgh
Cleveland Browns11 hours ago

Kevin Stefanski, Andrew Berry Likely Returning To Browns In 2025
Deshaun Watson11 hours ago

Likely To Remain With Browns, Could Face Competition
Cedric Tillman11 hours ago

Enters Concussion Protocol
Cedric Tillman13 hours ago

Suffers Head Injury On Thursday Night
Wendell Carter Jr.14 hours ago

Out Against Lakers
Anthony Davis14 hours ago

Available Versus Magic On Thursday
Rui Hachimura14 hours ago

Unavailable Thursday
Carlos Ulberg15 hours ago

Looking To Cement Himself As A Title Contender At UFC Macau
Volkan Oezdemir15 hours ago

Eyes Another Knockout At UFC Macau
Gabriella Fernandes15 hours ago

A Big Underdog At UFC Macau
MMA15 hours ago

Cong Wang Puts Undefeated Record On The Line At UFC Macau
Deiveson Figueiredo15 hours ago

Looks To Extend Win Streak At UFC Macau
Petr Yan15 hours ago

A Favorite At UFC Macau
Yves Missi15 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Friday
CJ McCollum16 hours ago

Not Likely To Play Friday
Alexander Mattison16 hours ago

Zamir White Miss Practice Again
Brandon Ingram16 hours ago

Questionable For Friday
Shohei Ohtani16 hours ago

Named National League MVP In 2024
Aaron Judge16 hours ago

Wins American League MVP Award
Ja'Kobe Walter16 hours ago

Ready To Go Thursday
Donte DiVincenzo16 hours ago

Available Thursday
Mike Conley16 hours ago

Will Not Play Thursday
Jordan Clarkson17 hours ago

Sits Out Thursday's Game
Ausar Thompson17 hours ago

Won't Play On Thursday
Zach Collins17 hours ago

Cleared To Play Thursday
Domantas Sabonis17 hours ago

Gets Through Full Practice
Chris Paul17 hours ago

Good To Go Thursday
Brock Purdy17 hours ago

Limited Again On Thursday
Malik Monk17 hours ago

Making Progress
George Kittle17 hours ago

Limited Again On Thursday
Tre Mann17 hours ago

Good To Go On Thursday
Miles Bridges17 hours ago

Won't Play On Thursday
Vince Williams Jr.17 hours ago

Out At Least A Month
Scottie Barnes17 hours ago

Returning On Thursday
Alex Ovechkin18 hours ago

To Miss 4-6 Weeks With Fractured Fibula
Paul George18 hours ago

Out At Least Two Games
Aaron Gordon18 hours ago

Availability In Question For Friday
Zach Hyman18 hours ago

Expected To Miss 4-7 Days
Kent Johnson18 hours ago

Back For Blue Jackets Thursday
Yaroslav Askarov18 hours ago

Makes Sharks Debut Thursday
Jalen Hurts18 hours ago

Practices In Full On Thursday
Mikael Granlund18 hours ago

Good To Go Thursday
Alexandar Georgiev18 hours ago

Returns To Action Versus Capitals
TB18 hours ago

Nicholas Paul Will Miss Thursday's Game
Frederik Andersen18 hours ago

To Miss 8-12 Weeks
Jake Ferguson18 hours ago

Still Not Practicing
Sam LaPorta19 hours ago

Looking Good For A Week 12 Return
Sam Darnold19 hours ago

Upgrades To Full Participation, On Track To Play
Isiah Pacheco19 hours ago

Remains Limited On Thursday
D'Andre Swift19 hours ago

Upgrades To Limited Participant On Thursday
CeeDee Lamb19 hours ago

Sidelined During Thursday's Practice
Ladd McConkey19 hours ago

Does Not Practice On Thursday
Mike Evans19 hours ago

Logs Full Practice On Thursday
DeVonta Smith21 hours ago

Misses Another Practice
Cody Bellinger21 hours ago

Cubs Looking To Trade Cody Bellinger?
Brandin Cooks21 hours ago

Preparing To Play In Week 12
22 hours ago

Blake Snell Has Met With Red Sox, Dodgers
Chandler Stephenson1 day ago

Registers Three Assists Versus Predators
Jason Robertson1 day ago

Totals Three Points In Wednesday's Win
Nils Lundkvist1 day ago

Exits Early With A Lower-Body Injury
Matthew Knies1 day ago

Sustains An Upper-Body Injury
Mikael Granlund1 day ago

Exits Late With Injury Wednesday
Patrik Laine1 day ago

Returns To Practice
Chris Sale2 days ago

Wins National League Cy Young Award
Tarik Skubal2 days ago

Wins 2024 American League Cy Young Award
Austin Eckroat2 days ago

Heads To The RSM Classic After Win
Harris English2 days ago

Finding Form Heading To The RSM Classic
Ben Griffin2 days ago

Continues Playing Well Heading To The RSM Classic
Denny McCarthy2 days ago

Returns to The RSM Classic
Ludvig Aberg2 days ago

Looks To Defend RSM Classic Title
Si Woo Kim2 days ago

An Intriguing Option At RSM Classic
Maverick McNealy2 days ago

In Solid Form Ahead Of RSM Classic
Eric Cole2 days ago

Chasing First Tour Victory At RSM Classic
2 days ago

Guardians' Stephen Vogt Named AL Manager Of The Year
Milwaukee Brewers2 days ago

Pat Murphy Named NL Manager Of The Year
3 days ago

Nick Pivetta Declines Boston's Qualifying Offer
Jose Siri3 days ago

Mets Acquire Jose Siri From The Rays
3 days ago

Phillies To Meet With Juan Soto
3 days ago

Luis Severino Rejects Qualifying Offer From Mets
3 days ago

Willy Adames Declines Brewers Qualifying Offer
3 days ago

Teoscar Hernandez Declines Qualifying Offer From Dodgers
3 days ago

Juan Soto Declines Yankees' Qualifying Offer
Luis Gil4 days ago

Wins AL Rookie Of The Year Award
Paul Skenes4 days ago

Named 2024 NL Rookie Of The Year
Brady Singer4 days ago

Reds, Royals Discussing Jonathan India, Brady Singer
4 days ago

Sean Manaea To Reject Mets' Qualifying Offer
4 days ago

Braves Have Interest In Walker Buehler
4 days ago

Astros Interested In Willy Adames
Charles Oliveira4 days ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Michael Chandler4 days ago

Gets Dominated At UFC 309
Karine Silva4 days ago

Suffers Her First UFC Loss
Viviane Araujo4 days ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Mauricio Ruffy4 days ago

Extends His Win Streak To Six
James Llontop5 days ago

Loses Clear-Cut Decision In Thrilling Fight At UFC 309
Paul Craig5 days ago

Loses Decision At UFC 309
Bo Nickal5 days ago

Remains Undefeated With Lackluster Performance At UFC 309
Stipe Miocic5 days ago

Retires After UFC 309 Loss
Jon Jones5 days ago

Gets TKO Win At UFC 309 To Defend Heavyweight Title

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
DeVon Achane - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL DFS Picks, Injury News

Fantasy Football Start 'Em, Sit 'Em - Week 12 Matchups Analysis

Welcome back, RotoBallers, to another start'em and sit'em piece as we look ahead to Week 12! There will be a whopping six teams on bye this week (Atlanta Falcons, Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals, New Orleans Saints, Jacksonville Jaguars, and New York Jets), so that means fantasy managers might need to look deeper on their benches. This Week 12 matchups […]


Josh Downs - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

WR/CB Matchups to Upgrade and Downgrade - Fantasy Football Week 12 (2024)

Welcome back to our WR/CB Matchups for Week 12 of the 2024 fantasy football season. For those unfamiliar, this weekly series looks at fantasy football matchups for wide receivers versus the cornerbacks who are projected to cover them. The data we access for offensive and defensive players continues to skyrocket. Though we mainly focus on offensive […]


Houston Texans Defense D/ST Streamers, Rankings, Waiver Wire - Derek Stingley Fantasy Football IDP

D/ST Strength of Schedule: Best Fantasy Football Defense Streamers and Matchups (Weeks 12-17)

Ahh, the good old Defense/Special Teams (DST) position in fantasy football. It is a controversial inclusion in fantasy lineups for some fantasy players, but strategizing around DSTs is one of my favorite aspects of the in-season fantasy football experience. In the article below, I will present the strength of schedule (SOS) for the fantasy Defense/Special […]


NFL DFS: FanDuel Daily Fantasy Football Picks for Week 12 - Top Lineup Plays Include Jayden Daniels, Jahmyr Gibbs, Jared Goff, Puka Nacua

It’s already Week 12, although the end of the 2024-25 campaign can’t come soon enough for teams like the Jaguars, Raiders, Giants, and Panthers, to name a few. On the other hand, clubs like the Bills, Chiefs, and Lions are only a few weeks away from officially punching their tickets to the postseason.   In […]


Braelon Allen - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Best/Worst Fantasy Football Playoff Schedules: Streamers and Starts To Win A Championship (2024)

Planning too far in advance to align your fantasy football players for an optimal playoff performance comes with many pitfalls. However, positioning yourself for good fortune in Weeks 15 through 17 should be a key piece of your strategy if you're in line to make the bracket. Fantasy players still have time to trade for […]


Bo Nix - Fantasy Football Rankings, QB, NFL Rookies, Draft Sleepers

The King's Week 12 Lineup Rankings and Analysis (Premium Content)

RotoBaller senior writer Scott "The King" Engel shares his Week 12 fantasy football lineup rankings for PPR, half PPR, and standard scoring league participants. He also provides an analysis of the rankings at every skill position. Regular starting options are included to highlight that some of your must-start players have a good chance of supplying […]


Courtland Sutton - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Week 12 DraftKings NFL DFS Picks - Main Slate (2024): Anthony Richardson, Brian Robinson Jr., Courtland Sutton, and more

How's it going, RotoBallers? Welcome back to our DraftKings Main Slate article. Known around the fantasy football world as "Bye-Mageddon," Week 12 certainly offers up some unique challenges from a DFS perspective. Don't worry, we'll work through those difficulties to find the best plays we can on this slate. These DraftKings lineup recommendations are based […]


Brian Robinson Jr. - Fantasy Football Rankings Running Backs, Waiver Wire Sleepers, NFL DFS Picks

Bold Predictions for Fantasy Football Week 12: Tua Tagovailoa, Rhamondre Stevenson, Brian Robinson Jr., Ladd McConkey, Will Dissly

Week 12 is here, and I’m back with another edition of fantasy football bold predictions. This week’s list of bold predictions will include Tua Tagovailoa, Rhamondre Stevenson, Brian Robinson Jr., Ladd McConkey, and Will Dissly. Every week, I will provide some fun and bold fantasy football predictions. While these bold predictions aren’t the most likely […]


Ladd McConkey - Fantasy Football Rankings, Rookies, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Booms and Busts - Fantasy Football Starts and Sits for Week 12 Lineups Include Tua Tagovailoa, J.K. Dobbins, Ladd McConkey

Week 11 was pretty kind to us in this space. We correctly labeled Justin Herbert as a boom pick. He threw for 297 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 65 yards on the ground. It culminated with a QB8 finish. We also nailed Kirk Cousins and Tony Pollard as busts. Cousins and the Falcons […]


Chuba Hubbard - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Week 12 Fantasy Football Busts? Players Who May Disappoint Include Jayden Daniels, D'Andre Swift, Chuba Hubbard, Mark Andrews

Welcome back, RotoBallers, to our Week 12 fantasy football busts, or players who may disappoint for fantasy lineups this week. It's a strange week in the NFL with six teams taking their bye week. That could mean lineups are gridlocked and fantasy managers don't have the luxury of analyzing matchups to decide their starters. Potential […]


Josh Downs - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

PrizePicks NFL DFS Prop Picks - Over/Under Props for Week 12 (Sunday Main Slate)

Hello everybody, and welcome to our PrizePicks NFL DFS prop picks for Week 12 - Sunday Main Slate! The 2024 NFL season is now past the midpoint, and our friends over at PrizePicks have a TON of great DFS plays we can look to take advantage of. Our partners at PrizePicks offer some of the […]


Bo Nix - Fantasy Football Rankings, QB, NFL Rookies, Draft Sleepers

Fantasy Football Matchups We Love - Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Picks for Week 12 Include Bo Nix, De'Von Achane, Quentin Johnston, Calvin Ridley, more

It seems as though fantasy managers were either incredibly disappointed or incredibly excited in Week 11. The output was modest for most players. However, if you had a monopoly on a select few players such as Cooper Kupp, Taysom Hill, or the Detroit Lions, you likely won your week. With the fantasy playoffs roughly three weeks […]


Najee Harris - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

NFL Week 12 Predictions: Picks and Analysis for Every Game Including Thursday Night Football

After some high-octane matchups over the last couple of Thursday nights, Week 12 kicks off in a more old-school fashion with a classic rivalry game between the Steelers and Browns. There are some fun matchups on this Week 12 slate, however, "Bye-Mageddon" certainly does take a little of the sizzle away, as six teams will […]