Fantasy football advice, Week 1: Who to start/sit for Vikings vs. Titans
Dan Ciarrocchi reviews who needs to be in your fantasy lineup or on the bench for an NFL game with plenty of unknowns
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Start ‘em
Adrian Peterson will run the show once again in 2016, especially now that Teddy Bridgewater is out for the season. The Titans quietly allowed just 3.9 yards per carry to opponents in 2015, but Peterson remains a special talent slated to get plenty of chances. He’s firmly in RB1 territory, even at the wrong side of 30.
Start ‘em?
Stefon Diggs is the only receiving option worth considering amid an offense that ranked dead last in pass attempts in 2015, and whether it’s Shaun Hill or Sam Bradford under center Week 1 won’t change that trend much. There are weaknesses to exploit against the Titans secondary, but such a shaky quarterback situation compounded with a run-first mentality makes projections discouraging for Diggs in Week 1. He should be considered a boom-or-bust flex.
Sit ‘em
Laquon Treadwell hasn’t yet earned a significant role on offense and should remain stashed until he does. Hill and Bradford should also remain on benches, unless owners in two-quarterback leagues already find themselves in a desperate spot.
Tennessee Titans
Start ‘em
I don’t know what “exotic smash mouth” means yet, but it probably includes some iteration of getting DeMarco Murray the football. The Titans did a fabulous job drawing up plays for him to succeed during the preseason, as their No. 1 running back ripped off chunk after chunk of big yardage. The Vikings starting defense presents a challenge, but Murray still presents a solid RB2 option for Week 1.
Delanie Walker remains a target monster atop an unreliable group of pass catchers, and is a top-four option at the tight end position.
Start ‘em?
Marcus Mariota’s dual threat nature will always be tempting for fantasy owners to deploy, but a difficult matchup makes it hard to justify, given how deep the quarterback position is overall. He’s worth a flier in two-quarterback leagues, but owners can probably do better this early in the season.
Sit ‘em
Questionable roles and a tough matchup for Tajae Sharpe, Rishard Matthews and Derrick Henry make it difficult to start any of them at the onset of the season. Fantasy owners would be better suited to wait and see how they fit in.
