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

Game Info

Kickoff: Sunday, September 10th, 4:25 PM ET

Location: Gillette Stadium, Foxborough Massachusetts

Betting Odds: NE +3.5, 45 total via PFF.com

Network: CBS

Writer: Justin Mello (@JustinMelloNE on Twitter)

Philadelphia Eagles

Quarterback

Jalen Hurts (Start, QB1)

Last year’s QB3 enters Foxborough to play meaningful football for the first time since Super Bowl LVII. Jalen Hurts is one of the few guys at the position who feels like a must-start regardless of matchup. His ability as a passer, and perhaps more importantly, his elite talent as a rusher make him an elite asset. With that said, the opposing defense in Week 1 is less than ideal. The Patriots were in the top half of the league in run defense (7th), pass rush (11th), and pass coverage (16th) last season according to PFF. But they did struggle against mobile QBs at times. Lamar Jackson ran for 107 yards and had his second-best fantasy performance of the season against New England. Justin Fields experienced a breakout game against the Pats where he ran for 82 yards. With all of that said, it is a new season and Bill Belichick’s familiar-looking 2023 squad is ultimately different than last year’s. We can’t read too much into the 2022 numbers. Regardless, Hurts is a must-start as previously mentioned.

Running Backs

D’Andre Swift (Start, Flex), Rashaad Penny (Sit), Kenneth Gainwell (Sit)

The running back room in Philadelphia looks quite different after the departure of Miles Sanders. It is still unclear who the lead dog in this backfield will be, or if there will even be a true lead dog. But D’Andre Swift is the best bet. Swift is an undeniable talent who has struggled to put it all together and stay healthy for a full season. In 2022, he had a higher PFF run grade than perennial studs Austin Ekeler, Saquon Barkley, and Christian McCaffrey.  That doesn’t necessarily mean he’s a better player, but his talent is clearly evident. But it is difficult to trust him in an Eagles offense which will likely split the load between multiple backs. He is still enticing enough to be considered for a Flex spot, but I wouldn’t feel too confident with him as your RB1 or RB2.

Rashaad Penny and Kenneth Gainwell are the other two backs in Philly who will likely see some work on Sunday. Penny offers some touchdown upside as a natural power runner. Gainwell is the most likely RB to see volume in the passing game given his experience as a third-down back. Despite this, it’s improbable that either will get a big enough slice of the delicious Eagles offense pie to be fantasy-relevant in Week 1.

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends

A.J. Brown (Start, WR1), Devonta Smith (Start, WR2), Quez Watkins (Sit), Dallas Goedert (Start, TE1)

A.J. Brown proved to be an exceptional offseason addition for the Eagles in 2022. He had 1,496 yards receiving and eleven touchdowns, and he also helped take away coverage from Devonta Smith, allowing him to catch 95 balls for 1,196 yards and 7 touchdowns. Both members of this dynamic duo fit the must-start category for the time being. The Patriots have a lengthy list of talented similarly-named, but unrelated, CBs including Jonathan Jones, Jack Jones, and Marcus Jones. They also invested a first-round pick in Christian Gonzalez who should see plenty of playing time.

Even with the talent the Patriots have at CB, they are outmatched by the two elite WRs that the Eagles have. Bill Belichick is known for trying to take out the opposing team’s best weapon which may bode well for Smith. However, Brown offers more upside as the superior talent and touchdown machine (he had 11 TDs last season). As for Quez Watkins, who only had 354 yards receiving all of last year, he and the rest of Philadelphia’s WRs will remain unplayable in fantasy until the Eagles get more than two receivers involved consistently.

Dallas Goedert gets a juicy matchup against a defense that ranked 22nd against TEs in fantasy last season. He also figures to be the de facto WR3 on the explosive Eagles offense. He has both a safe floor and a promising ceiling in Week 1.

New England Patriots

Quarterbacks

Mac Jones (Sit)

Full disclosure, I’m a Patriots fan. Even I can’t talk myself into this being a successful day offensively for the Patriots. Bill O’Brien should be a sizable upgrade over Matt Patricia as offensive coordinator, but that isn’t enough to save the Patriots. Mac Jones only had one game last season where he eclipsed 18 fantasy points, and that was against a less-than-superb (to put it mildly) Vikings secondary. As for Sunday, his opponent is the defense that led the league in sacks and had the third-highest PFF team defense grade in 2022. No, thank you. Mac can remain on your bench, or perhaps waivers.

Running Backs

Rhamondre Stevenson (Start, RB1), Ezekiel Elliott (Sit)

Rhamondre Stevenson enjoyed a glorious breakout season in 2022. Some are nervous that his workload could suffer as a result of the recent signing of former Cowboy Ezekiel Elliott. I say fear not though. Stevenson was able to finish as the RB7 overall despite having Damien Harris on the roster and healthy for a large part of last year. At this point in his career, Elliott is likely less of a threat to Stevenson than Harris was. Rhamondre should be the centerpiece of the offense on Sunday. Based on volume alone, you can count on him being a low-end RB1 against the Eagles. It also doesn’t hurt that the Eagles weren’t as elite at stopping the run as they were in other areas last year. They were PFF’s 15th-ranked run defense.

Ezekiel Elliott could be an intriguing hold for later in the season depending on how things shake out the first few weeks, but he can safely be left on your bench against the Eagles.

Wide Receivers/ Tight Ends

JuJu Smith Schuster (Start, Flex), DeVante Parker (Sit), Kendrick Bourne (Sit), Hunter Henry (Start, TE2), Mike Gesicki (Start, TE2)

JuJu Smith-Schuster enters New England after the departure of Jakobi Meyers, and he likely will play a similar role. Just as he has in recent years for the Chiefs and Steelers, JuJu will probably operate out of the slot quite a bit. His upside is severely limited, but this role in the Patriots offense should give him high enough volume to be comfortably plugged into a Flex spot. The rest of the Patriots receivers are very difficult to trust though.

DeVante Parker finished as the WR70 in 2022 and disappointed mightily in his first season in New England. Kendrick Bourne took a sizable step back in 2022 after a promising 2021 campaign. Bourne probably offers more upside than Parker given his explosiveness and previous success in New England, but neither should be started in Week 1 considering we’re not exactly sure what Bill O’Brien’s pecking order is yet, and the Eagles’ pass defense is elite. Cornerbacks Darius Slay and James Bradberry, who were both top 20 in PFF’s 2022 coverage grades, shouldn’t have too much of a problem locking up any Patriot who lines up on the outside.

The tight ends are a more interesting start than the wide receivers. Hunter Henry is just a couple of years removed from being Mac Jones’s favorite red zone target, and Mike Gesicki got a sizable contract from the Patriots this offseason for a reason. Both TEs should be very involved in the offensive game plan and are solid TE2 options for leagues where two tight ends start. The Eagles were the 12th-ranked defense against TEs last season.