Week 1

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It’s finally here! Tonight marks the kickoff of a brand new season of high flying football action! Almost as exciting as that, fantasy football is back. Assuming, of course, that you actually took a few months off from it. Week 1 is always an exciting time. Your teams all have a clean slate and every player on your team is still waiting to break out. The only question is, which ones should be in your lineup to help you grab your first win on the way to a league championship?

Our rankings system is based on two sets of rankings. The first set is a value between 1-20 given based on a player’s Fantasy Value If Playing (FVIP). The second set is that player’s Playing Probability (PP). These two sets are thrown into a giant machine, twisted around a little, mixed up, sorted, resorted, then eventually darts are thrown at the results. Let us know how it turned out! If you require any further help, our start/sit forum is top notch. You will find quick replies to your questions there and many people eager to help. Kilroyz Krystal Ball has also proven to be a great help. He devotes a lot of time to helping with Start/Sit questions and is highly knowledgeable.

Start:
Kurt Warner (Rank: 16.00): In the last half of the 2007 season nobody threw more touchdown passes than Kurt Warner. He goes up against a San Francisco defense that allowed 18.7 fantasy points per game to quarterbacks last year. Granted it is a new season, some things have changed, but you have to like this matchup. Kurt Warner is a guy that, depending on when you drafted, you probably got late or on waivers. Though he may not be your QB1, He should probably be this week.

Sit:
Derek Anderson (Rank: 13.20): Not only is his health for this game in question, but he goes up against a great Dallas defense that just got another ballhawk taken off suspension in Adam “Pacman” Jones. This isn’t an ideal situation in many ways for a guy who lit the league on fire last year.

Start:
Michael Turner (Rank: 14.67): This is too good to pass up. “The Burner” looked great in preseason and he goes up against last year’s worst defense vs the run for fantasy purposes. The 2007 Lions gave up a whopping 26.1 fantasy points per game to opposing running backs. I expect a big day on the field turf of Ford Field.

Sit:
Ryan Grant (Rank: 9.63): He hasn’t practiced much since his hold out and didn’t even get one preseason game rushing attempt. Adding to that, his game is Monday night and his status is still unresolved. He plays against arguably the league’s best run defense. There are many reasons to bench Grant this week upsetting many owners that drafted him in the first 3 rounds.

Start:
Calvin Johnson (Rank: 16.00): This guy lit up the preseason. If coachspeak is correct, which it rarely is, Johnson’s numbers last year can be attributed to his lingering back problems. Those have subsided now, and he should be primed to break out this season. Atlanta is a nice place to get a good start on that.

Sit:
Any Raven: Not that you were planning on it anyway, but Joe Flacco hasn’t looked that great in the preseason and he is being forced out on to the field due to injuries and illnesses. Cincinnati had a very poor pass defense last year and that might trick you into starting a Raven wide receiver. Don’t get fooled. Defenses can change a lot from year to year. Players can improve. This would be a risky start.

Start:
Antonio Gates (Rank: 17.10): This should be a no brainer, but many have worried about his injury and lack of practices. He did a few this week and should be set to go. The guy has also been known to play hurt. You drafted him as high as you did for a reason. Slap his butt and tell him to get on in there.

Sit:
Ben Watson (Rank: 10.80): Though his matchup vs Kansas City bodes well, Brady spreads the ball around just a tad too much. If they get up early, the Patriots may opt to run down the clock more than last year considering all the negative attention they received for it. Not to mention he hasn’t been fully healthy yet.

Start:
Mason Crosby (Rank: 15.67): He plays a bend but don’t break type defense in the Minnesota Vikings this week. The rivalry has always led to quite a few field goals in the past. The Vikings pass defense is still a little suspect and Aaron Rodgers will have his work cut out for him. They should have a few good drives, some of which should end up with Green Bay coming away with three points.

Sit:
Stephen Gostkowski (Rank: 15.67): Ranked exactly the same as Mason Crosby, however it’s a very different situation for me. I’ll get flak for this, but I don’t see Kansas City stopping the Pats. I could easily see this being a 5 extra point game for Gostkowski.

 
Start:
Cincinnati Bengals (Rank: 13.00): The Bengals face a Baltimore team with an injured running back, a rookie running back, a rookie quarterback, and a weak offensive line. If they are available or on your bench, you may want to consider giving them the nod.

Sit:
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Rank: 8.33): The Bucs have a great defense, arguably one of the better defenses in the league. However, this week they play one of the best offenses in the NFL. Drew Brees throws the ball so much and all over the field that the Buccaneers will have to keep on their toes. Having Reggie Bush possibly back in that “satellite” roll in which he excelled can only help this offense.

Many thanks to the people who helped put this together: Dan Lambskin, Bobbing_headz, WaCougMBS, and joelamosobadiah.

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