Fantasy football advice, Week 1: Who to start/sit for Bengals vs. Jets
Dan Ciarrocchi reviews who needs to be in your fantasy lineup or on the bench for a matchup including two imposing AFC defenses
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Start ‘em
Health permitting, A.J. Green is a good bet to log more targets than ever before with Mohamed Sanu and Marvin Jones out of the picture. With Tyler Eifert also sidelined, don’t be surprised if Green’s number is called upon to absurd levels. With his talent, he can put up special numbers with those opportunities.
Gio Bernard is in the RB2 conversation with not much receiving depth behind Green, so don’t be shocked if he outpaces Jeremy Hill in snaps for Week 1.
Start ‘em?
Jeremy Hill will have tough sledding against a Jets defense that stymied opponent’s rushing attacks in 2015, allowing just 3.6 yards per carry. Owners set on starting Hill will have to hope for a short-yardage touchdown, and against an imposing defensive line, that’s far from a guarantee.
Sit ‘em
How Andy Dalton will fare with a thin group of receivers remains to be seen, and until it is, fantasy owners should keep him benched. Tyler Boyd has drawn a lot of preseason hype as the team’s No. 2 receiver, but fantasy owners would be wise to keep him stashed until he shows what he can do.
New York Jets
Start ‘em
Already dealing with a sore hip, Brandon Marshall is no stranger to the injury report. However, he’s also no stranger to putting up big numbers while on the injury report, so he ought to remain in lineups as usual. His counterpart, Eric Decker, also deserves WR3 consideration after a touchdown-laden campaign in 2015.
Start ‘em?
The wheels may finally be falling off for Matt Forte, who is on the wrong side of 30 and draws a matchup with an imposing front seven that could make early-down carries a real chore. However, Forte is expected to be involved in the passing game enough to warrant an RB2/Flex designation for Week 1.
Sit ‘em
Ryan Fitzpatrick put up a career season in 2015, but 2016 should be expected to get off to a rocky start. It would come as no shock if he is under duress from an imposing Bengals front line, and if that comes to fruition, it may be a long day of checkdowns and turnovers. Fitzpatrick’s long absence from camp is also reason for concern, and owners should take a wait-and-see approach with the Jets’ signal caller as a result.
