Sit/Start Week 1: Reviewing All Fantasy Relevant Players In Every Single Game

Game Info

Kickoff: Thursday, September 8th, 8:20 PM ET

Location: SoFi Stadium, Inglewood California

Betting Odds: LAR +2.5, 52.5 total via PFF.com

Network: NBC

Writer: Dustin Ludke (@TheDunit13 on Twitter)

Buffalo Bills

Quarterback

Josh Allen (Start, QB1)

He was one of the first quarterbacks off the board in fantasy drafts and will be and should be started as such. This game projects to be a shootout with a projected over-under of 52.5 points. Josh Allen only had 2 games last season where he didn’t throw a touchdown and had 6 where he tossed 3 or more. Given Allen’s rushing upside, he is as solid as they come from a fantasy perspective. The Bills will want to come out and make a statement against the reigning champ. Start Allen and don’t overthink it.

Running Backs

Devin Singletary (Start, RB2), James Cook (Sit, Flex), Zack Moss (Sit)

Despite all the draft hype for James Cook, this looks to be Devin Singletary’s backfield and the starting job. Singletary played with the first-team offense in Week 2 of the preseason even if it was just one series with Josh Allen. Singletary finished 2021 with a four-game stretch where he averaged 19 carries a game. He should continue to see enough volume to make him an RB2. It looks as if James Cook and Zack Moss will sometimes come in and give Singletary a rest. Cook has the second-round draft capital to his name but he will have to show it on the field in meaningful games before the Bills give him more work. None of the backs have the build of a goal-line back. Both Singletary and Moss are about 205 lbs. and around 5’8. Cook is the tallest and lightest of the three coming in at  5’11” 190 lbs. With Duke Johnson no longer being on the roster, there is some pass-catching work to be had, which I think will lean towards Cook over Moss. Cook is an interesting name to watch but I don’t expect him to be consistent enough for fantasy until later in the season.

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends

Stefon Diggs (Start, WR1), Gabe Davis (Start, WR2), Isaiah McKenzie (Sit, Flex), Jamison Crowder (Sit), Dawson Knox (Start, TE2) 

When you have a game with this big of a spread you want the wideout options. The Bills threw the ball on 64.7% of their snaps in 2021. Even going against PFF’s second-rated defense there should be plenty of targets to go around. Stefon Diggs will unfortunately draw coverage from Jalen Ramsey who is known for shutting down receivers. Diggs has faced Ramsey three times before. In those three contests, Diggs scored a TD in two of them and earned at least 5 targets in each game, but only went over 60 yards once. (Note: the first two of those contests came when Diggs was still with Minnesota and Ramsey was with the Jaguars.) With Josh Allen at the helm, we should see numbers close to the last meeting from 2020 where Diggs posted 6 targets, 4 receptions, 49 yards, and a touchdown. The brighter side is that Gabe Davis will draw coverage from David Long Jr, who PFF ranks as the 70th best corner in the league. Davis has a four-inch height advantage and is looking to pick up where he left off in the playoffs. This could be a banner game for Davis which will make all of his truthers very happy and validated. Isaiah McKenzie has taken the number 3 spot from free agent signee Jamison Crowder. McKenzie has been dealing with a groin injury but looks to be suiting up. He should see a fair amount of targets, but I don’t expect him to be someone you can count on in Week 1. Tight end Dawson Knox has been a safety blanket for Allen in the past. He lacks consistent opportunities to make him a top-end tight end despite how he was drafted in your league’s draft. He had only four games with over 5 targets last season. out of the eight games where he did not score a touchdown, he was a TE1 in 5 of them. He is still worth starting but expectations should be lowered a little.

Los Angeles Rams

Quarterbacks

Matthew Stafford (Start, QB1)

Matthew Stafford looks to continue basking in the LA sun and lead the Rams to a victory in Week 1 and more during the season. Stafford has been dealing with an elbow issue that some reports say won’t affect him but other reports claim he will be dealing with it all season. It was enough to give some fantasy managers pause when drafting the former Lions quarterback but shouldn’t give you much pause for starting him in Week 1. He does have a tough matchup against the Bills D. Stafford will benefit from Bills’ star cornerback Tre’Davious White being out and a rookie corner in Kaiir Elam taking his place. Stafford will see plenty of pressure up front especially coming from former Ram Von Miller. If Stafford can stay upright and not turn the ball over, he should put up plenty of fantasy points to make managers happy who waited on drafting him.

Running Backs

Cam Akers (Start, RB2), Darrell Henderson (Start, Flex), Kyren Williams (Sit)

The Rams had a minor injury-plagued training camp with seemingly everyone missing time and dealing with some sort of soft tissue issue. Cam Akers hopes this year goes better than last where he missed all but the last game of the regular season dealing with an Achilles issue. His surprise return for the playoff run shocked most people and he played well during that stretch. He came into the year locked in as the Rams’ number one guy, but reports now have him possibly splitting time with Darrell Henderson. Akers should eventually separate himself if he stays healthy but against a tough defense in the Bills, I don’t expect him to be spectacular this week. You can easily put him in your RB2 spot and flex Henderson. Rookie Kyren Williams is a name to watch if one of the backs does miss time. He could come in and start getting some of the workload.

Wide Receivers/ Tight Ends

Cooper Kupp (Start, WR1), Allen Robinson (Start, WR2), Van Jefferson (Out), Tyler Higbee (Start, TE2), 

If Stafford wants to continue his winning ways he will be going to Cooper Kupp more often than not. Kupp is coming off a historic year, where he only had 3 games where he saw single-digit targets. The addition of Allen Robinson to replace Robert Woods/Odell Beckham’s role should shift coverage around the field. The Rams do a great job moving their wide receivers around the formations and can utilize players in ways that optimize their strength. It will help that Robinson will probably draw the rookie Elam for coverage. Third wide receiver Van Jefferson is dealing with an injury and wont play. Ben Skowronek and Tutu Atwell will see more opportunities, but it’s too early to tell who will be the next man up. If I had to pick I would assume Skowronek would be the guy after playing last year with Stafford while Atwell missed most of the season with injuries. In a game where Vegas odds have a ton of points being scored, you will want to start the top 3 pass-catching options on the team. After Kupp and Robinson, tight end Tyler Higbee is worth rostering and probably starting in Week 1. He has never been super productive but is coming off back-to-back five-touchdown seasons. Higbee needs to be more consistent to make his way into the top tight end category of player. However, there are some good signs: In 12 of his 15 games last year, he saw 5 or more targets, and volume is key for productive tight ends in fantasy. It’s a hard match up for Higbee considering the Bills have two of the best safeties in the game in Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde on top of some great linebackers who can cover.