Mark Deming and co-manager Ian Ritchie were early participants in the WCOFF and the FPPC. Their success, and the high winning percentage in the high-stakes world led them to be named the No. 1 fantasy owners in the world according to FootballDieHards.com. Now Deming is proving his start and sit plays of Week 1!
Some lineup decisions are really easy. If you picked Christian McCaffrey in the first round, you’re starting him every week. Here are some slightly tougher calls, based on PPR scoring. Below are six players you should lock up in your lineup, and six players you should probably stash on your bench as we gear up for Week 1 of the NFL season.
Start:
QB Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys
Dallas has several weapons on offense and face a Giants’ defense with many question marks. I believe this game could be a sneaky shootout on the scoreboard and Prescott could be in for a two or three TD touchdown performance.
RB Sony Michel, New England Patriots
I’ve been surprised by how few drafters have been aggressively targeting Micael. Yes, the Patriots’ RB game has been a slippery slope over the years. However, Michel scored six rushing touchdowns in the postseason during the Pats’ run to the Super Bowl last year. Look for Tom Brady and the Patriots to ride Michel early, right out of the gate.
RB Tony Pollard, Dallas Cowboys
Yes, Zeke is back and it his offense. Pollard was too extraordinary over the last month for the Cowboys to sit him on the bench. If Zeke is on some sort of pitch count or limited carries, Pollard will get his opportunities. Also, Pollard should get 3-to-5 receptions and has the ability to break one for a big run.
WR Josh Gordon, New England Patriots
Speaking of Patriots, I’ve seen lots of news and chatter this week about sitting Gordon. Absolutely start Gordon in Week 1 vs the Steelers in a game that could get extremely loose. It is now or never for Gordon; don’t wait.
WR Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals
In PPR formats, don’t fear starting the ageless veteran in Week 1. I anticipate Fitzgerlad will serve as the check down and intermediate crossing route option in the Air Raid offense. Fitz can be an excellent match for Kyler Murray as he navigates his first NFL game.
TE Jimmy Graham, Green Bay Packers
Double check his status for Thursday’s NFL opener, but don’t fear starting the veteran tight end if you waited on the position in this years draft. Graham should be involved in the new-look Packer offense. Plus he has the intelligence to stay on the field more than some other options on the Packers’ offense.
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Sit:
QB Jimmy Garoppolo, San Francisco 49ers
Let’s give the Niners a little time to develop and progress before we count on Jimmy G to live up to the hype. I think over time they could be one of the best fantasy options on offense, but Garoppolo is under a lot of pressure to perform now. Long travel and an offense still finding itself, look for another QB option if you have one in Week 1.
RB Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans
In PPR formats, I’d like to see Henry prove his ability to catch passes before firing him up in my starting lineup. Henry obviously came on strong at the end of 2018, which propelled his 2019 ADP. Cleevland is stout upfront and has the physicality to match Henry’s strengths as a runner. If you have another option, I’d leave the Titan bruiser on the bench.
RB Miles Sanders, Philadelphia Eagles
Sanders is a stud but will he get his chance to showcase his abilities in Week 1? With word coming out of Philly that the eagles expect to use a RBBC approach, I’d advise to let the situation shake out.
WR T.Y. Hilton, Indianapolis Colts
Obviously the late retirement of Andrew Luck deeply affects the value of Hilton. It doesn’t mean that over time, Hilton can’t develop into a go-to fantasy WR, but you might want to see the cards fall in Week 1 with the Colts if you have other WR options.
WR DJ Moore, Carolina Panthers
With so many mouths to feed in Carolina, fantasy owners may want to take a wait-and-see approach with Moore in Week 1. Even if you used a high pick to draft him, remember it’s a long season. Be patient. He will most definitely make his way to the Start ‘Em section of this article in future weeks.
TE Eric Ebron, Indianapolis Colts
As mentioned above, the Luck retirement changes the game in the Colts’ offense. I’d like to wait and see what Frank Reich plans to do with the offense before I start Ebron. If you drafted after the retirement news, you likely have a better tight end to plug in anyway, so leave Ebron on the bench.
