It’s finally time for the start of the National Football League season.

The NFL added a regular season game this year, so your fantasy football league playoff format could have changed.

It appears that we will see some of the rookie quarterbacks starting in Week 1. It’s a sure thing that Trevor Lawrence and Mac Jones will start and it wouldn’t surprise me if one or two other rookie QBs end up in a game this week.

How will new Los Angeles Rams QB Matthew Stafford in his first game with the team?

Here is our Fantasy Football Sit/Start for Week 1 of the 2021 NFL season…and enjoy our awesome MS Paint masterpiece of QB Trevor Lawrence of the Jacksonville Jaguars.

I want to explain what I mean by “sit” and “start.” Of course you are going to start some of the guys i say to bench this week, because you probably used high draft picks or a lot of money in an auction for them. My ‘sit’ players are guys I am just not completely sold that they will have good weeks. If you have a guy that you are on the fence about, maybe this will help you pick between the players.

START’EM

• QB Trevor Lawrence (Jacksonville Jaguars) – Lawrence has a great match-up for his NFL debut. He plays the Texans, who seem to already be punting the season by starting QB Tyrod Taylor. My only worry is that Lawrence hasn’t had any preseason in-game reps with most of his wide receivers. I think he’ll be fine and should put up a solid fantasy output against Houston.
• WR Jakobi Meyers (New England Patriots) – The Patriots decided to go with rookie QB Mac Jones at starting quarterback. I would say that Meyers is his most talented wide receiver on the roster. He was the Patriots leading receiver last year and Jones has a better arm than former QB Cam Newton. Miami does have a good secondary, so Meyers might be a solid flex.
• TE Tyler Higbee (Los Angeles Rams) – Last year, the Rams offense worked in the tight ends more than in previous seasons. New Rams QB Matthew Stafford has loved his tight ends in the past and I think he’s going to love Higbee. He’s a big target with good hands. The match-up isn’t great (Chicago Bears), but I think he could be a high-upside starter this week.
• RB Gus Edwards (Baltimore Ravens) – The Ravens have dealt with injuries in their backfield this preseason. They lost both J.K. Dobbins (knee) and Justice Hill (Achilles) for the season. The Ravens worked out Le’Veon Bell and Devonta Freeman this week, but Edwards is clearly RB1 in Baltimore. He had success in that role in the past and he’s very underrated. I think he will get a ton of work against the Raiders on Monday Night Football. 
• RB Ty’Son Williams (Baltimore Ravens) – Welp, as you can see, I crossed out the section above because RB Gus Edwards may have tore his ACL on Thursday. The Ravens have lost three running backs to season-ending injuries this preseason. Williams is the next man up. He went undrafted in the 2020 NFL Draft and spent the entire season on the practice squad. The Ravens signed veteran RB Le’Veon Bell to the practice squad a couple days ago and could be added to the 53-man roster before their game. I would still suggest that Williams will get the larger share of snaps if that happens. He’s had a year in their system and should know the pass-blocking schemes.
• San Francisco 49ers Defense & Special Teams – The Niners are healthy and should look more like the 2019 squad this season. Their secondary is a question mark, but their pass rush will make their secondary play above their talent level. The Niners face the Lions, who look to have a down year this year with new QB Jared Goff.
• RB Zack Moss (Buffalo Bills) – Even though RB Devin Singletary had a strong preseason, I still love Moss more than him. Moss will get the red-zone touches and will play more snaps. The Bills will run the ball quite a bit against the Steelers on Sunday. I look for Moss to get a handful of redzone touches in Buffalo’s high-scoring offense.
• WR Robby Anderson (Carolina Panthers) – Anderson could be a fantasy stud in a below-average offense. I’m not sold on new Panthers QB Sam Darnold, but Anderson is clearly the red-zone target, plus they have some experience together when both were on the Jets. He faces his old team on Sunday and it wouldn’t surprise me if he finds the endzone. Anderson is a flex option in a 12+ team league.
• TE Robert Tonyan (Green Bay Packers) – Tonyan has touchdown-only fantasy value, but most tight ends are in this league. Unless you have Kittle or Kelce, most tight ends are heavily touchdown-or-nothing in fantasy. Tonyan is worth the risk as Packers QB Aaron Rodgers clearly looks for him in the red zone.
• WR Jerry Jeudy (Denver Broncos) – New Broncos QB Teddy Bridgewater didn’t have a great season in Carolina, but he did turn a couple wide receivers into fantasy-relevant wideouts. Jeudy is way more talented than the guys Bridgewater had in Carolina. I think he could have a breakout season. His match-up this weekend (New York Giants) works in his favor.
• RB Najee Harris (Pittsburgh Steelers) – Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger desperately needs Harris to have a huge rookie season. Big Ben’s arm isn’t what it used to be and he needs a strong running game to pull the safeties up. Harris has the size and catching ability to have a big year.
• Los Angeles Rams Defense & Special Teams – This goes without saying, but it’s usually smart to start a defense that faces QB Andy Dalton. The Bears offense could have issues with turnovers with Dalton under center.
• QB Dak Prescott (Dallas Cowboys) – Before Prescott went down with his season-ending injury last season, he was having an incredible year. He has a ton of weapons and even though his offensive line isn’t as rock-solid, he is setup to have an incredible fantasy season in that offense.

SIT’EM

• RB Mike Davis (Atlanta Falcons) – The Falcons offensive line is a problem. I don’t think it really matters who they have in the backfield, the running game will have problems. Davis could get some action in the passing game, but I’m avoiding him against the Eagles this week.
• QB Jameis Winston (New Orleans Saints) – Winston was a interception machine the last time he had a starting job. Yes, he was still able to throw a lot of touchdowns, but interceptions are a hard thing to rid yourself of without consistent reps. He faces a good Packers defense and it’s not a great match-up for him.
• WR Ja’Marr Chase (Cincinnati Bengals) – I’m not a fan of starting rookie wide receivers. The Bengals also have a couple other young wide receivers that QB Joe Burrow connected with a lot last year. Chase had issues with drops this preseason and if that continues, he could see less snaps.
• RB David Montgomery (Chicago Bears) – I’m really down on the Bears offense against the Los Angeles Rams. It’s just a horrible match-up for Chicago and I don’t see Montgomery being worthy of a start in fantasy this week.
• QB Jared Goff (Detroit Lions) – The only people who would consider starting Goff this week would be insane 20+ team league. Some could have Goff as a QB2 as a stash for the bye week, but I would look for a different backup. He could have a long season in Detroit.
• WR Randall Cobb (Green Bay Packers) – It’s nice that Cobb is reunited with QB Aaron Rodgers, but he has lost a step from his heyday with Rodgers. Also, I think wide receivers Allen Lazard and Marquez Valdes-Scantling has more upside this season.
• TE Zach Ertz (Philadelphia Eagles) – I’m not sure the current Eagles offense can support two top-20 fantasy tight ends. It’s clear to me that TE Dallas Goedert is TE1 in Philly. Ertz has had a productive career in Philly, but the Eagles did spent a portion of the season looking to dump him to another team. 
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers Defense & Special Teams – The Bucs face the Cowboys on Thursday, which might be a tough match-up for the Bucs defense. I just don’t see them forcing a ton of turnovers or limiting Dallas to single-digit points.
• WR Terrace Marshall Jr. (Carolina Panthers) – There’s a lot of hype around Marshall, but I don’t see the Panthers wide receivers having a huge fantasy year. Panthers WR Robby Anderson is really the only receiver on Carolina that I’d consider starting this week.
• RB Javonte Williams (Denver Broncos) – Williams is the backup to RB Melvin Gordon, but there’s enough touches for a backup to have some decent fantasy weeks this season. I don’t like the match-up against the Giants, who had a very underrated defense last season. Williams could have a some fantasy-worthy weeks, but I’d avoid him Week 1. 

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About the Author…

Bobby Roberts (otherwise known as Sweetbob) is the creator of ‘America’s White Boy’ and contributor at Project Shanks. His writing has been featured on ESPN’s ‘SportsNation’, Sports Illustrated’s Hot Clicks, Guyspeed, and various other sites. You can follow him on Twitter at @Sweetbob.