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    • 8 NFL Players to Start or Sit
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    8 NFL Players to Start or Sit

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    The NFL season starts in less than a week, which means Week 1 of fantasy football is about to begin.

    Week 1, however, is the most unpredictable portion of the NFL season, with fans having no idea how teams will operate, how certain players will be utilized, or how new coaching staffs will change the play-calling. What if we start someone who gets absolutely no use? What if all the reports from training camp fooled us and that sleeper running back you drafted way too early ends up being his team’s RB4?

    Well, don’t worry. Week 1 is often about safety. You want to start players who pose the least amount of risk. Of course, that’s not always possible. Some teams are thinner than others and require a little more foresight. So, here’s a player at each position to start or sit for the first week of the 2024-25 NFL season.

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    Players starting in week 1

    • QB Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

    Let’s face it. You only start Mayfield if you’re desperate for a QB or in a really deep league. He’s not a top-12 quarterback and Week 1 is all about starting your guys. However, if you’re in a position where you need a quarterback, Mayfield could be a great pick.

    The Washington Commanders were the worst pass defense in the NFL last year, giving up the most passing yards of any team in the league and the most passing touchdowns while throwing just eight interceptions. The absence of former offensive coordinator Dave Canales will certainly hurt the Bucs’ offense in the long run, but for Week 1, Mayfield and the Bucs should feast on a mediocre Commanders defense.

    • RB James Conner, Arizona Cardinals

    As great as the Bills’ defense has been in recent years, they weren’t very efficient in run defense last season. They allowed 4.6 yards per carry, which was the sixth-worst mark in the league. As for Conner himself, he was great late last season, scoring 20-plus PPR fantasy points in four of his last five games. In the one game he didn’t, he still scored 17.9. Sure, the Cardinals drafted Trey Benson this year, but Benson won’t be a serious threat to Conner’s workload until late in the season.

    • WR Chris Godwin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

    Every reason I gave this week for Baker Mayfield to be the starting option applies to Godwin as well, but Godwin has a little more potential. Before 2023, Godwin was the Buccaneers’ best receiver, even above Mike Evans. With 2023 offensive coordinator Dave Canales gone, there’s a chance Godwin can return to his 2022 form, when he caught 104 passes in 15 games. In PPR leagues, Godwin still has a lot of potential.

    • TE Evan Engram, Jacksonville Jaguars

    It surprises me that someone like Evan Engram, who was a top five tight end last year, is going to be a low-end TE1 in 2024. He’s a reception machine and he’s going to go up against the Miami Dolphins, who were one of only eight teams to allow 5.5 receptions per game or more to tight ends last season? Sign me up.

    The argument against Engram is that his situation is different. Brian Thomas was drafted in the first round, and he’s bound to take away some of Engram’s targets. Will he? He’ll take away some, sure, but more than Calvin Ridley took away last year? Even if Engram finishes with just 80% of his 2023 targets this year, he’d still have 114 targets, which would have ranked fifth in targets among tight ends last season.

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    Players who will play in week 1

    • QB Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers

    The Jets have a very good secondary. That alone would slow down anyone considering starting Purdy in Week 1. But when you factor in the possibility of Trent Williams sitting out of the Week 1 game, you really start to question Purdy’s viability.

    Losing Williams would actually be a huge loss for Purdy. Not only is Purdy 0-2 in starts without Williams at left tackle, he also threw just two touchdowns and four interceptions in the two games Williams missed last year. Against a very good Jets secondary, Purdy could start the 2024-25 season on a very bad foot without Williams protecting his blind side.

    • RB Zack Moss, Cincinnati Bengals

    The New England Patriots, as bad as they are, still have a fairly solid defense. In 2023, they’ve been insanely bad against the run, allowing just 3.3 yards per carry, a league-best mark. Moss may be the Bengals’ leading back, but he’s no pass-catcher, and he’s failed to even manage two receptions per game in a season his entire career. If Moss is going to be valuable against New England, it’ll likely be on sheer volume or through the air.

    Moss’ backup, Chase Brown, averaged 14.4 yards per reception on screens last season. Brown may not get the rushing work on early downs, but he could get some good looks in the passing game and was effective as a pass-catcher in his rookie season. If Moss doesn’t get those opportunities, he’ll struggle in Week 1.

    • WR DeAndre Hopkins, Tennessee Titans

    Hopkins has been out of practice for a month with a knee sprain. He’s also 32 years old. While Hopkins salvaged his 2023 season after Will Levis became the team’s starting quarterback, he’s just not in a good position to start the regular season. After Week 1, assuming he doesn’t suffer any more setbacks, he’ll be fine. But Week 1 against Jaylon Johnson and the Chicago Bears? I wouldn’t be too excited about that.

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    • TE Jake Ferguson, Dallas Cowboys

    In 2023, only one team allowed fewer than 3.8 receptions per game to opposing tight ends: the Cleveland Browns. They were also the only team to allow fewer than 40 yards per game to opposing tight ends.

    There is a silver lining here, and that is that the opposing tight ends were still able to find the end zone with relative ease against Cleveland. And Ferguson had the most red zone targets of any tight end in the NFL last year. That said, everyone knows where Dallas’ biggest flaws lie.

    Their backfield is terrible, and Cleveland’s game plan should be to force Dallas to run the ball as much as possible, even at the goal line. Ferguson will likely be a touchdown-reliant option in Week 1, and Cleveland should know not to give Dallas many good chances through the air. That bodes well for a bad combo.

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