Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em Week 1: Examining Fringe Fantasy Football Flex Start

There is no such thing as a perfect fantasy football lineup.

Each week, there will usually be a player on your bench who outperforms a starter in your lineup, and even though the difference in points may seem minuscule, every point counts in fantasy. 

It doesn’t matter if a player was your first overall pick or last, lineup tinkering is a necessity. Even some top picks should be removed from your lineup at times to avoid wasting a spot on a poor performance.

Week 1 is like the preseason for fantasy. It’s when you really get to know your lineup and figure out which players have stepped up their game for the upcoming season. On the flip side, it can also expose the lack of research you did before drafting.

It’s important to adjust your roster based on favorable matchups each week, though this sometimes leads to tough calls that will haunt you through the weekend and beyond. Here’s a look at some fringe starters for Week 1 and some simple advice: start ’em or sit ’em.

Start ‘Em: Markus Wheaton, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers

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Markus Wheaton has been one of my favorite sleepers at wide receiver for the 2016 season since it was announced that Martavis Bryant would be suspended for the entire year.

Steelers announced Martavis Bryant officially suspended without pay for a minimum of one year.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 14, 2016

Last season, Wheaton hauled in 44 receptions for 749 yards and five touchdowns as Ben Roethlisberger’s No. 3 receiver. With Bryant out until 2017, Wheaton should be in line to tack on more yardage and scores, perhaps even eclipsing 1,000 yards on the year. 

The Steelers will face off against the Washington Redskins in Week 1, and while the Redskins have shutdown corner Josh Norman in their secondary, it’s important to remember that Norman will likely shadow Antonio Brown the entire game, leaving Wheaton alone to deal with Bashaud Breeland. 

While Breeland is no slouch, he’s no Norman. Wheaton should be able to reel in some passes, particularly in the red zone against a Washington defense that allowed the third-most fantasy points to wideouts last season, according to Yahoo Sports. 

While Wheaton is listed as questionable in Yahoo fantasy leagues with a minor shoulder injury, the good news is that the Steelers don’t play until …

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