I always get a little sentimental this time of year.
The Sack: SB Nation’s fantasy football mailbag answers your Week 1 questions!
Got fantasy football questions? Come to SB Nation’s Fantasy War Room or tweet @TheSackSBN for answers. Every Thursday, a few will be pulled and answered here. Today, we talk sleepers, starts and sits, and the fantasy goldmine that is the Dallas Cowboys defense.
Maybe it’s because my fantasy team’s 0-0 record is usually the season’s high point for me. Maybe it’s because I’m excited for another year of finding excuses to hang out with my brethren on Sunday Fundays, Football-night Mondays and Awful Football Night Thursdays.
Or, maybe it’s because my body is enduring a relentless withdrawal of late nights because of my league’s fantasy draft-slash-bachelor party for me in Atlantic City this past weekend (it was the best). It’s likely all of the above. I don’t have enough functional brain cells to determine that anymore, but I’ve decided I’ve still got enough of them -- roughly 11 or so -- to dole out fantasy football advice.
Assessment of my football aptitude aside, I guess this is my clumsy way of saying: have fun this year. I won’t always be right with my picks, and I won’t win every week. But I’ll have well-researched advice that will let you temporarily forget about the anxiety of your daily grind and replace it with the even more stressful and less-rational anxiety over setting your lineup. Now let’s hear some questions.
Well, yeah. Brandon Marshall might even be a good bet if you started him during his bye week.
Emmanuel Sanders is going to be in a lot of lineups this week, and rightfully so since the pool of receivers in Denver was made just a bit more shallow due to Wes Welker's suspension. Even being fourth in the pecking order of that offense can bring in fantasy gold; ask Eric Decker.
I'd start Sanders over Keenan Allen this week, since he'll be getting the Patrick Peterson treatment. Peterson is one of the top corners in the NFL, and one who will rove the field and follow the opposition's No. 1 receiver. This week, that would be Allen. Is it a matchup Allen could overcome? Sure, but why is that worth the gamble when you can have Sanders and Cordarrelle Patterson starting as well? Peterson's not immune to giving up a big play here and there, but he's a tough nut to crack, as quarterbacks managed a completion percentage of 54 percent when throwing his way in 2013. Keep that in mind when setting your lineups, as Allen's more of a low-end WR2/WR3 this week. Sanders could flirt with WR1 upside.
@TheSackSBN pitta/kelce, Tate/vereen/gerhart
— Jesse U (@jetnee) September 2, 2014 @TheSackSBN (sorry, pick two of those RBs)
— Jesse U (@jetnee) September 2, 2014
I live in Baltimore, so I'm around a lot of people who think Steve Smith gives the Baltimore Ravens the geriatric receiving weapon that they haven't had since Anquan Boldin. He fits the age requirement, but I don't buy him having a prominent role. They have a pretty capable tight end in Dennis Pitta, who beat out Owen Daniels to have the Owen Daniels role in Gary Kubiak's offense. Pitta has his work cut out for him against the Cincinnati Bengals, but I'd rather bet with his upside than a guy such as Travis Kelce, who has a more undefined role. Keep Kelce stashed, but let's wait and see how he's used first.
As for your running backs, I can't advise starting Toby Gerhart this week over Been Tate or Shane Vereen, who each have pretty encouraging matchups this week. Tate should have the backfield all to himself thanks to Terrance West doing his best Curtis Enis impersonation this preseason, and Vereen should give Miami's linebackers fits while in space. Also on Earth. And also in space, while on earth, but more specifically in Miami when playing the Miami Dolphins.
The Jacksonville Jaguars, on the other hand, may have to abandon the run by the third quarter with that Philadelphia Eagles offense coming to town. That, of course, paves the way for an afternoon of Henne bombs. And that obviously won't end well, so we could see him hooked by the fourth quarter and Blake Bortles can get some mop-up duty. We know how this ends, right? He'll throw two touchdowns in 10 minutes, prompting further supporting outcry from the city of Jacksonville, but Gus Bradley will stick to his plan of having Henne start the next game because it's not Jaguars football unless its a joyless, soul-sucking team that hates its onlookers. #FREEBORTLES #MySonIsAlsoNamedBortles
@TheSackSBN RB NYG A. Williams, RB ATL D. Freeman, WR JAX M. Lee. Need to drop 1, who do u like the least for season potential?
— Austin Lettinga (@arl4534) September 2, 2014 It's gotta be Marqise Lee. It's a stretch to expect much from the Jaguars passing game this season (#FreeBortlesCOMEON!!!), and a secondary, and potentially a tertiary option in that offense isn't that inspiring. On the other hand, Andre Williams will get some time doing goal-line duties, and even though he plays on an offense that may be allergic to touchdowns, he's worth a spot.
Lastly, Devonta Freeman has raw talent and is one Steven Jackson injury away from being thrust to the backfield in what should be a potent offense. And given that Steven Jackson gets hurt when there's a heavy gust of wind, expect this to happen in the first outdoor game the Atlanta Falcons play. YOU CAN'T HIDE YOUR RUNNING BACKS INDOORS FOREVER, FALCONS. WE'RE ON TO YOU AND YOUR DOMES.
@TheSackSBN Vernon Davis or Heath Miller at TE? I know, I know, it's pretty bad.
— Andrew Constant (@andrew_constant) September 2, 2014 You know how people stream defenses and kickers week to week? The Cowboys might warrant fantasy owners trying to stream OFFENSES. If I cared enough about trolling, and I do, I wouldn't be opposed to starting the entire 49ers offense against the 11 tackling dummies that comprise the Cowboys' defensive depth chart.
Vernon Davis is about as hit or miss as it gets, especially with Crabtree in the lineup. But this week, there’s uncertainty about Crabtree’s availability and the upside is too much to pass on. The Cowboys have no one who can run with Davis up the seam, and their plan to blanket him in the corner of the end zone might have to involve throwing a literal blanket over him. That’s not even legal. I’d start him over most of the tight ends in the league.
I also like Heath Miller this week. I'd consider flexing him in really deep leagues, but the nature of the tight end position is that it's so hit or miss. The Steelers don't really have much in the department of red-zone threats this season, at least not until guys such as Martavis Bryant and Justin Brown develop. I won't count them out all year, but as of now, Miller's the comfortable bet to rack up targets as the offense nears the goal line. He's a sleeper this week, and a nice streaming option for those who addressed tight end super late in drafts.
