Week 1 lineup choices can be tricky. Pre-season games tell us very little, resulting in very little concrete direction towards player’s values. Furthermore, fantasy owners cannot simply assume the same porous run and pass defenses of 2008 will be susceptible to more damage this season. Read MoreTennessee and Pittsburgh kick things off on Thursday night and with that comes the fantasy football season’s first lineup submissions. I’m hoping to feature a Start, Sit or Squat and Pray post every Thursday or Friday throughout the season. Time constraints may prevent me from doing this, but the plan of attack is to highlight a few guys at each position who may pose tougher decisions to their fantasy owners. There are plenty of other places to get weekly rankings and projections so I’m only going to focus on a few guys each week.
The best thing you can do in week 1 is look back at your pre-season rankings. Don’t try to get cute playing match ups and don’t automatically assume the Chiefs will yield 200 yards on the ground. When in doubt, dance with the lady you brought to the dance in week 1!
Quarterbacks
START: Carson Palmer – If you selected Palmer to be your starter, don’t be afraid trotting him out there against the Broncos. Denver’s defensive unit has not played too many games together and more importantly; Palmer’s elbow is healthy.
SIT: Matt Schaub – Do you really want to take a chance at playing an injury prone quarterback who isn’t fully healed from his previous injury? I sure wouldn’t feel good about it and neither should you.
SQUAT and PRAY: Tony Romo – I’m a little worried Romo may try to do too much in the opening weekend of the season. Forcing the ball to Witten and Roy Williams could spell disaster against the sound Bucs defensive unit.
Running Backs
START: LenDale White – Pittsburgh is the type of opponent you typically avoid starting your RBs against but in this case I’m feeling good about White. There should be plenty of short yardage situations and White is the best bet to tally a TD.
SIT: Larry Johnson – I’m not sure the Ravens defense will be quite as effective as they have been in recent years, but I’d like to see how the Chiefs offense performs in the wake of Chan Gailey’s departure-especially Johnson’s touches.
SQUAT and PRAY: Darren McFadden – I’m not optimistic about playing him in one of my leagues, but the touches should be there in the end. As I said earlier, sometimes you have to just review your rankings and realize you drafted McFadden to be in your starting lineup, not on the bench.
Wide Receivers
START: Vincent Jackson – Oaktown’s franchise cornerback, Nnamdi Asomugha, will be playing this game with a soft cast on his hand. This should make it even easier for Jackson to get down the field and win jump balls.
SIT: Giants WRs – Until someone emerges in the passing game, there is no reason to start a Giants wide receiver. An improved Washington defense only makes this decision easier.
SQUAT and PRAY: Greg Jennings – The Bears are healthier in the secondary and although some switches at the safety position might cause a couple of hiccups, Jennings doesn’t have the elite size or speed to take full advantage. Add in an improved pass rush and I’m seeing a very mediocre outing.
TE/DEF/Kickers
START: Minnesota – The Vikings will have their big guys in the middle and that means, little room for Jamal Lewis. Plenty of three and outs and a few turnovers are on the menu for Eric Mangini’s new club.
SIT: Chris Cooley – The Giants’ pass rush is among the best in the league and Cooley will be needed to help with pass protection. Additionally, Jason Campbell has a 78.8 passer rating in four career starts against New York.
SQUAT and PRAY: Shayne Graham – Cincy’s improved offense should be able to score plenty of points at home against Denver this week. Graham has been sitting out with a sore groin but has been given the nod to start the season opener.
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