The opening week of the NFL season is finally here, and with it comes a new year of worrying about fantasy football start ‘em, sit ‘em decisions. Fortunately, the experts at RotoBaller are allowing Sporting News Fantasy readers free access to their exclusive “Who to Start?” advice tool to help with their Week 1 fantasy lineup decisions.
How does the “Who to Start?” tool work? Simple: Choose up to four players to compare below, pick your league settings in the upper right corner (PPR, half-PPR, standard), and push “Who to Start?” It’s that easy. From there, you’ll get a lineup recommendation based on RotoBaller’s award-winning rankings and projections.
MORE: Click here to become a RotoBaller VIP subscriber and receive exclusive access to their premium lineup tools, DFS cheat sheets, and Team Sync platform! Use discount code SPORTING.
Heading into Week 1, many fantasy owners are likely content just starting whoever they drafted first, but the true fantasy crazies are already second-guessing themselves and looking at matchups. Obviously, we only know so much about how offenses and defenses are actually going to perform this year, but previous seasons’ stats and tendencies can tell us quite a bit.
RotoBaller factored all that into its Week 1 rankings, and it’s reflected in their “Who to Start?” tool. Check out an example from each offensive position.
Advice below based on full-point PPR leagues
Week 1 Fantasy QB Start ‘em, Sit ‘em Lineup Advice from RotoBaller
Trey Lance vs. Aaron Rodgers vs. Derek Carr
RotoBaller likes Lance by a nose here, ranking him 12th among QBs -- one spot ahead of Rodgers and two spots ahead of Carr. Matchup likely has a lot to do with it, as Lance gets the work-in-progress Bears while Carr gets an improved Chargers defense. Rodgers has a favorable matchup, too, but with so many questions surrounding his receiver corps, he's dropped a bit in the rankings. While the more experienced Rodgers and Carr might be a little “safer,” Lance’s rushing ability gives him a higher ceiling.
MORE: Click here to become a RotoBaller subscriber and receive exclusive access to their lineup tools, rankings, and analysis. Use discount code SPORTING.
Week 1 Fantasy RB Start ‘em, Sit ‘em Lineup Advice from RotoBaller
Dameon Pierce vs. Michael Carter
Here, we have a hot rookie trying to claim a backfield and a second-year player trying to hold off a rookie. RotoBaller is all-in on the Pierce train after his big preseason, ranking him ahead of Carter in both PPR and standard. While there are obvious risks in starting a rookie RB in Week 1, there’s also risk in trusting Carter to get more touches than Breece Hall.
SN's WEEK 1 FANTASY PPR RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kicker
Week 1 Fantasy WR Start ‘em, Sit ‘em Lineup Advice from RotoBaller
Chris Olave vs. Drake London vs. Romeo Doubs vs. George Pickens
So, you want to start a rookie WR in Week 1? Your funeral. But if you just can’t resist (and somehow have all four of these guys), RotoBaller suggests you go with the first one selected in the 2022 NFL Draft. London missed almost all of the preseason due to a knee injury, but he’s expected to be back against the Saints. He should see plenty of targets, so even though his matchup isn’t as good as Olave’s or Doubs', he still has the highest floor, especially in PPR leagues.
WEEK 1 FANTASY PICKS: Sleepers | Busts | Start 'em, sit 'em
Week 1 Fantasy TE Start ‘em, Sit ‘em Lineup Advice from RotoBaller
Irv Smith Jr. vs. Cole Kmet vs. Mike Gesicki
In this battle of fringe fantasy starters with breakout potential, RotoBaller gives the Week 1 edge to Kmet in PPR and standard leagues. He just barely edges out Gesicki, who’s ranked just two spots ahead of Smith. Obviously, any of these TEs can pay off if they get into the end zone, but given Kmet’s role as Chicago’s nominal No. 2 receiver, he should be a safer bet for targets.
MORE: Click here to become a RotoBaller VIP subscriber and receive exclusive access to their premium lineup tools, DFS cheat sheets, and Team Sync platform! Use discount code SPORTING.
Try out any combination of players – including players at different positions for your flex spot – with the RotoBaller “Who to Draft?” tool above. It’s like having your own fantasy football expert on call just to help with your specific lineup questions.
