Week 1 – we’ve made it. All that summer prep and all your drafts that didn’t go to plan have led to this glorious moment of making decisions for your lineup that will dictate how your season will take shape. We all know that championships aren’t won in the first week, but at the very least, these start ’em and sit ’em recommendations are here to steer you on the right path to kick off the fantasy year.
Start ‘Em
Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR – Seattle Seahawks
Week 1 Matchup: vs. Denver Broncos
Here’s to a second-year jump out the gate for Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Seattle didn’t add much to their WR room (aside from Laviska Shenault Jr.) this offseason, which bodes well for JSN’s season outlook. He’s coming off of a rookie campaign in which he turned 93 targets into 63 receptions, totaling 628 yards and four touchdowns. This matchup is lining up nicely to be able to lean on JSN, with a few considerations to take into account.
- Tyler Lockett is already a bit banged up. If JSN wants to take over the WR2 role in Seattle, he’s going to have to surpass the oft-injured Lockett on the depth chart. Since mid-August, Lockett has been dealing with a thigh injury, and at the time of writing, he’s gotten in limited practices this week ahead of this game upcoming vs the Broncos. This is a great spot for a healthy JSN to cement his stake in this offense.
- One would imagine a newly paid Patrick Surtain II will be following DK Metcalf around all game, which leaves the door open for JSN to shine against a Denver secondary that allowed the sixth-most points in the league last season. Not to mention, the Broncos have lost both of their starting safeties from last season, Kareem Jackson and Justin Simmons, in free agency.
Javonte Williams, RB – Denver Broncos
Week 1 Matchup: @ Seattle Seahawks
In the same game, I’m looking at Javonte Williams as worthy of a spot in your lineup as either your RB2 or FLEX. He’s entering the season as the RB1 for the Broncos, coming off a year in which he had 774 rushing yards and just five touchdowns (three on the ground, two through the air) on 217 carries. He also had 47 receptions (on 58 targets) to add 228 total receiving yards. Samaje Perine is no longer in the picture, which bodes well for Williams to take control of the backfield.
Denver will want to lean on their run game to ease in rookie QB Bo Nix, and Williams will handle the bulk of the workload to kick off the year. The Seahawks were prone to giving up yards on the ground last season, allowing the fifth-most across the league.
Time will tell how Williams’ involvement in the passing game takes shape, as that role is expected to be Jaleel McLaughlin‘s to own. Rookie back Audric Estime out of Notre Dame projects to factor in at some point this season, but for Week 1, feel confident in getting a return out of Williams.
Brian Thomas JR, WR – Jacksonville Jaguars
Week 1 Matchup: @ Miami Dolphins
There’s a new weapon in Duval for Trevor Lawrence. Goodbye Calvin Ridley, hello rookie Brian Thomas Jr. The LSU standout who played alongside Malik Nabers broke out for 1,177 receiving yards and a whopping 17 touchdowns last season. He was drafted 23rd overall to a WR-needy Jaguars team, and I would look for him to be targeted early and often. Yes, he’ll be sharing targets with fellow receivers Christian Kirk, Gabe Davis, and tight end Evan Engram, but Thomas is set to take on the Ridley role that saw him have 76 catches on 136 targets last season for 1,016 yards and eight touchdowns. Scoring in this game could be back and forth against the potent Miami offense, which gives Thomas a chance to show out in his NFL debut.
Sit ‘Em
Rashid Shaheed, WR – New Orleans Saints
Week 1 Matchup: vs. Carolina Panthers
The opponent appears tempting, but consider fading Rashid Shaheed this week. Yes, he’s avoided the injury report, but Shaheed has been banged up all summer. From a toe/foot injury to hamstring tightness in early August, you’ll be treading water with the Saints WR2 to start the season. He had 719 receiving yards and five touchdowns on 46 receptions in 2023, so we will see how he fares in this third year in the league. It’s also worth mentioning there is a new OC in NOLA, Klint Kubiak, who was the 49ers passing game coordinator last year. Albeit a different situation, when Kubiak was the former OC of the Vikings in 2021, that team “ranked 12th in total yards and 14th in points, ranking near the middle of the pack in run/pass split”, as per DraftSharks. He’s a fine bench stash, but don’t expect much from this speedster in Week 1.
Tyjae Spears, RB – Tennessee Titans
Week 1 Matchup: @ Chicago Bears
The King Henry era is over in Tennessee, which leaves the backfield to both free agency signing Tony Pollard and second-year back Tyjae Spears. Spears is coming off a rookie season in which he only had 100 carries that totaled 453 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. He was targeted 70 times in the passing game, catching 52 balls for just 385 yards and a touchdown. Last season, Chicago allowed the third-fewest rushing yards to opposing RBs, yet the most receiving yards to the position. Surely his role is set to expand this season, but I wouldn’t test him out in Week 1 against a solid Bears defense if you have another option.
Keon Coleman, WR – Buffalo Bills
Week 1 Matchup: vs Arizona Cardinals
Similar to the Jags, Josh Allen and the Bills had to replace the likes of Gabe Davis and Stefon Diggs this offseason. Aside from free agent Curtis Samuel, Buffalo drafted wide receiver Keon Coleman out of Florida State in the 2nd round (33rd overall) to round out their receiving corps. He is coming off a 2023 season in which he had 50 receptions, 658 receiving yards, and 11 touchdowns to his name.
While there is a path for him to be the WR1 for the Bills as the season progresses, I would be hard-pressed to have him in my lineup in Week 1. He showed the ability to win contested catches in college, but his route running and separation habits are open for improvement. I would suspect Allen will lean on James Cook, Khalil Shakir, and Dalton Kincaid over Coleman this week.
– Matthew Cava, @cavaM_ on Reddit
Photos courtesy of Icon Sportswire
Adapted by Kurt Wasemiller (@kurtwasemiller on Twitter / @kurt_player02 on Instagram)