Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em Week 1: Top Matchup Plays and Sleepers for Opening Games

The first week always seems like the most difficult in the world of fantasy football.

It’s true that fantasy owners have prepared all offseason for the opener. Smart drafts alongside possible trades and waiver-wire claims have owners in what seems like the best possible position.

But the games have something to say on the matter. Week 1 has more potholes than an ignored highway, as owners have to come up with their own projections based on matchups, last year’s data and a simple leap of faith.

In an effort to help throw the tide back in an owner’s favor, let’s plot out some of the best fantasy options at each position against one another and identify some clear matchups and sleepers to exploit.

      

QB

Top Matchup Play: Derek Carr, OAK (at NO)

Derek Carr is the lucky man who gets to take on last year’s worst team against opposing quarterbacks, the New Orleans Saints. 

It doesn’t get much better than this for a fantasy quarterback. The Saints coughed up an average of 23.3 points to quarterbacks last year, with the next closest on the list coming in at 19.6. New Orleans should be better this year after some coaching shuffling and such, but it’s not going to happen overnight.

Call it a beautiful matchup for Carr. Last year, he quietly finished 13th in scoring at the position, posting 13 double-digit performances. He now has another year of experience under his belt, as well as timing with a high-upside weapon like Amari Cooper.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise when Carr finishes as one of the week’s top scorers.

       

Sleeper: Robert Griffin III, CLE (at PHI)

If owners find themselves in a backs-against-the-wall situation, Cleveland Browns quarterback Robert Griffin III isn’t a terrible way to go.

The stigma that comes with playing for the Browns aside, RG3 is a high-upside option against a team that ranked third-worst against quarterbacks last year. Like New Orleans, the Philadelphia Eagles should see improvement, but Week 1 projections rely on last year’s outputs.

RG3 is a quality Week 1 sleeper in this sense, especially because he’ll work with strong rookie Corey Coleman and a player in Terrelle Pryor who has proved he can hold down a starting gig.

In what could turn into a shootout, RG3 is a guy to know.

       

RB

Top Matchup Play: Todd Gurley, LA (at SF)

Who else?

Todd Gurley exploded onto the scene last year as a …

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