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

Game Info

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

Location: SoFi Stadium, Inglewood California

Betting Odds: LAC -3, 51 total via PFF.com

Network: CBS

Writer: Justin Mello (@JustinMelloNE on Twitter)

Miami Dolphins

Quarterback

Tua Tagovailoa (Start, QB2)

The fourth-year quarterback out of Alabama gets his season debut against the Los Angeles Chargers and the man who went one pick after him in the 2020 draft, Justin Herbert. Tua Tagovailoa seemed to finally put it all together last season in Mike McDaniel’s offense. He averaged over 18 fantasy points per game when healthy. He should be back to full health from the scary concussions he suffered last season, and he still has his two elite receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. The bad news for Tua is that he is facing a defense that ranked top ten in coverage last year according to PFF, and they now have J.C. Jackson back healthy after missing most of last season with a ruptured patellar tendon (although he admittedly struggled the few games he played before the injury). The Chargers defense figures to be tough against the pass again which limits Tagovailoa’s appeal to a certain extent. However, there will likely be a lot of passes thrown on Sunday in what could be a shootout. Tua is a high-end QB2 with QB1 upside.

Running Backs

Raheem Mostert (Start, RB2), De’Von Achane (Sit)

Raheem Mostert being listed as an RB2 might come off as a hot take to some. I would feel confident sliding him into that spot in Week 1 though. Last season, Mostert averaged 4.9 yards per carry and proved that he is still the explosive player that he was in San Francisco. Jeff Wilson Jr. seemed like he’d have a prominent role in the offense, but he was recently placed on IR. The only other running back who could pose a threat to Mostert’s usage is rookie De’Von Achane who is still dealing with a shoulder injury that he suffered in the preseason. Mostert figures to be the clear lead back going into Week 1, and he’s facing a team that ranked 30th in run defense in 2022 according to PFF. The Chargers did sign former Viking Eric Kendricks this offseason, but they haven’t done a whole lot to address their run defense, or lack thereof, aside from that. There are certainly more appealing running backs than 31-year-old Mostert to put in your lineup, but he should be a solid RB2 option given his current situation. As for the previously mentioned rookie Achane, it would probably be wise to keep on the bench until he is both fully healthy and proven to be an important part of the offense.

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends

Tyreek Hill (Start, WR1), Jaylen Waddle (Start, WR2), Braxton Berrios (Sit), Durham Smythe (Sit)

The two speedy Dolphins receivers atop the depth chart are must-starts in just about every league. Tyreek Hill proved the doubters wrong last season when he put up his usual elite production without Patrick Mahomes. He enters 2023 with the same QB in the same system, and there is no reason to believe that this is the year his elite production stops. Brandon Staley and the Chargers have the personnel to limit big plays if they choose to consistently play soft coverage, but it shouldn’t matter because Mike McDaniel will manufacture touches for Hill regardless. He is a high-end WR1. His counterpart, Waddle, also finished as a top-10 WR last season while racking up over 1,300 yards and 8 touchdowns. Playing second fiddle to the man they call “Cheetah”, Waddle is a high-end WR2 with WR1 upside. The third receiver in the offense, Braxton Berrios, could play out of the slot quite a bit as he did on the New York Jets in previous years. However, this offense ran through just Hill and Waddle last season, and it doesn’t seem promising that any other receiver will get a large enough target share to be in starting consideration for fantasy.

Durham Smythe is the new starting tight-end in Miami after Mike Gesicki left in free agency for New England. Unfortunately for Smythe, McDaniel hasn’t utilized the tight-end position much in his Miami offense. Gesicki, who is almost certainly a more talented weapon than Smythe, was unable to be a viable fantasy option last season while playing under McDaniel. We can safely hold off on starting Smythe for that reason.

Los Angeles Chargers

Quarterbacks

Justin Herbert (Start, QB1)

Going as the QB2 overall in drafts last year, Justin Herbert had what a lot of people consider a disappointing season in 2022. This can largely be attributed to missing star receivers Keenan Allen and Mike Williams for a large part of the year though. Both are back healthy for Week 1, and the Chargers even went out and spent a first-round pick on receiver Quentin Johnston. Additionally, the Dolphins were graded as a bottom-five coverage team last season. They acquired Jalen Ramsay to help fix that, but he is currently on IR and unable to play Week 1. To sum it up, Herbert has a full cast of great weapons at his disposal, is playing a not-so-great pass defense, and also has mobility and rushing upside to top it off. Herbert is a pheromonal QB1 to start off the new campaign.

Running Backs

Austin Ekeler (Start, RB1), Joshua Kelley (Sit)

Last year’s RB1 overall is a locked and loaded starter regardless of matchup. Austin Ekeler totaled over 1,600 yards in 2022 while scoring 8 touchdowns and catching an unfathomable 107 passes as a running back. Those numbers seem impossible to top in 2023, but he doesn’t have to top them to be a fantasy stud. Miami had a top-five graded run defense per PFF which is mildly concerning for Ekeler, but he should still get enough volume in both the run and pass attacks to be a more than trustworthy starter. Given Ekeler’s workhorse status, backup Joshua Kelly is nothing more than a handcuff who should be kept far away from your starting lineup in Week 1.

Wide Receivers/ Tight Ends

Keenan Allen (Start, WR2), Mike Williams (Start, WR3), Quentin Johnson (Sit), Joshua Palmer (Sit), Gerald Everett (TE2)

The PPR machine that is Keenan Allen enters 2023 healthy. Allen has been a phenomenal fantasy asset for just about a decade now, and there is little reason to believe this is the year he takes a step back. He averaged over 16 points per game last season and figures to be the favorite weapon of Justin Herbert. He also gets a favorable matchup against a shaky Miami secondary in what could be a shootout. The only concern for Allen is the competition for targets with all the impressive skill players in LA, especially near the end zone. With touchdown magnets like Mike Williams and Austin Ekeler playing alongside him, the touchdown upside for Allen is minimal. Nonetheless, he is a promising WR2 in Week 1. As for the aforementioned Mike Williams, he is a much more volatile play. He averaged over 13.5 fantasy points per game in 2022, but the points came inconsistently. He scored over 23 points three times, but he also scored under 4 points three times. Williams is less trustworthy, but he offers enough upside as a top-two receiver on a talented Chargers team; that makes him a great WR3 candidate. Quentin Williams has been gaining a lot of hype as a first-round rookie, but Week 1 may be too early to trust him with a start. Joshua Palmer got a lot of reps with the starting offense during camp while Williams watched from the side. Additionally, rookie WRs tend to break out later in the season as opposed to from the start. Even Justin Jefferson took a few weeks to get going during his historic 2020 rookie campaign. For now, Williams can be left on the bench with Palmer.

Gerald Everett caught 58 passes for 555 yards and 4 touchdowns last season. He is far from an elite tight-end, but he does get enough involvement in the offense to be fantasy-relevant. Everett saw 8 targets against the Dolphins last season. If he is able to hit that mark again, he is a great TE2 option for fantasy purposes.