Fantasy football advice: Week 1 start ’em, sit ’em picks

We are finally here: Week 1! It’s also the perfect opportunity to have 50 points from two players sitting on your bench at the end of Monday night.

For some players it’s all about the match up, for some they can be a must start at all times. You know who those guys are, but every once in a while there’s a better option.

So, here is some fantasy football advice on who to play and who to leave out this week.

Start Em’

qb: Ryan Tannehill

Tannehill mainly benefits this week from his opponent, the Washington Redskins. After all, they did give up the most points to opposing quarterbacks last season. There’s no real reason to think that will change and the Dolphins have a couple new weapons for the former wide receiver. He needs to be in your lineup if you have him.

QB: Sam Bradford

Coming off a promising preseason (as much as that’s really worth), Bradford also gets a favorable match up with the Falcons. I picked him as a sleeper this summer and at this point his rising stock should take him out of the sleeper category. Chip Kelly’s offense will score a lot and as long as he’s healthy, he’ll be leading it.

RB: Doug Martin

Martin is attempting a career revival after injury plagued and down years, and seems to be off to a good start. He won the job as the primary ball carrier in an off season in which many predicted Chris Simms to take the role. Now he will start against the team that gave up the second most fantasy points in the Tennessee Titans.

RB: Frank Gore

Yes, Gore will be on a carry count for the first couple weeks and yes, they are playing the Bills. But Andrew Luck has made Ahmad Bradshaw and others fantasy relevant, so Gore will get his catches and chances near the goal line.

WR: Allen Robinson

With Julius Thomas out, Allen Robinson will have to pick up the slack in the red zone for the Jaguars. He’s the clear-cut top receiving option for them. Their opponent, the Carolina Panthers, have a good defense, but are banged up. Start him.

WR: Kendall Wright

With Wright emerging as Marcus Mariota’s top option and going against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, owners need to place him in their lineups. He’s never quite lived up to expectations for the Titans but a strong connection with the second pick may change that.

TE: Charles Clay

The Bills want to get and keep Clay heavily involved through the air this season. Against the Colts, who allow tight ends to put up big numbers, he’s a good bet for a nice day.

cincinnati Bengals D/ST

The Cincinnati Bengals defense is somewhat overlooked in fantasy. When it’s fully healthy, they are one of the best in the league but weren’t a lot last season. When they were healthy they usually ended up in the top-10 for that week. A match up against the Raiders is always nice too.

Sit Em’

QB: Cam Newton

We need to see what Cam Newton and his offense lacking a receiver will look like. The offensive line isn’t supposed to be that good so the usual points he gets on the ground may not come. Last season was the first in a while he didn’t end up in the top-5, so give it a week or two to see how much he can do with what’s around him.

QB: Phillip Rivers

I don’t think Rivers has a great match up out of the gate against the Lions. Their defense should be about the same as last season and without Antonio Gates I see Rivers not getting into the end zone.

RB: Alfred Morris

Morris is going against one of the better run defenses in the league, the Miami Dolphins. The addition of Suh will only make that stronger. Plus rookie Matt Jones is going to push him for carries so you might have a better option on your bench.

RB: C.J. Anderson

Anderson is mostly a victim of a tough match up as well. The Broncos will take on the Ravens and their stout front seven. I don’t think he’ll see the end zone or make much of an impact in this opener.

WR: Brandon Cooks

Cooks is going to have a big year… but he’s also not going to line up against Patrick Peterson every week. One of the main focuses of the usually good Cardinals defense will be to limit his damage. His time will come, just not yet.

WR: DeAndre Hopkins

Hopkins doesn’t have a nice match up, against the Kansas City Chiefs, or a great arm throwing him the ball. This is another player who we need to see gell with his QB a little longer, there are better options out there.

TE: Any Colts Player

Dwayne Allen and Colby Fleener have each had their fantasy success over the past few years. Fleener gets more targets and yards but Luck likes both of them. Against the stingy Buffalo Bills defense, one of the better teams against tight ends in 2014, they won’t do much damage.