Fantasy football advice, Week 1: Who to start/sit for Steelers vs. Patriots on Thursday night

The long-awaited NFL season kicks off with games that matter on Thursday, and the opener features two division champions from 2014. The defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots will host the defending AFC North champion Pittsburgh Steelers in a game most fans have been waiting months for.

The Steelers will be without two suspended starters on Thursday night, as running back Le'Veon Bell will miss two games and wide receiver Martavis Bryant will miss four. The Patriots spent a big chunk of the offseason thinking they'd be without quarterback Tom Brady to a suspension of his own, but he somewhat famously beat his suspension in court. They will, though, be without running back LeGarrette Blount, who is dealing with a one-game suspension. (This is officially the longest suspension paragraph that has ever existed in this space.) They will also be without wide receiver Brandon LaFell, who was put on the PUP list last week.

Start 'em: Even with the other problems plaguing the Steelers, Antonio Brown is a must-start in every league, as everyone knows. He's a total stud.

Start 'em?: Without two of his three or four top weapons and with center Maurkice Pouncey for almost three-quarters of the season, Ben Roethlisberger is starting to look a little scary. He has great upside, but he's not as safe as some position-mates. ... Bell will be replaced in the starting lineup by new Steeler DeAngelo Williams. If he were still great, the Panthers never would have let him go. Williams is a mid-level flex play at best. ... If you want a time to use Heath Miller, it's early in the season, with Bell and Bryant sidelined, but even then he's very low-upside. ... The Steelers traded for Josh Scobee as their other kickers fell like flies. He makes some sense, but let's see how he does with Pittsburgh before we count on him.

Sit 'em: The buzz around Markus Wheaton grew when news of Bryant's suspension came down, but it's overstated; he's a desperation play at best. ... The Steelers' defense is a far cry from what it once was, and against a New England offense that should be strong and will play angry, it's a total stay-away.

Start 'em: No team does more when it's perceived to be angry than the Patriots, and quarterback Tom Brady leads that charge. He's a must-start. ... A friend DM'ed me on Tuesday night just to tell me that I had to list Julian Edelman as a must-start, as he'll face off against slot cornerback Cortez Allen, who has graded out as one of the game's worst. This friend used a bad word to stress how strongly he felt about this, so you know he meant it. ... There might be no safer option at any position in all of fantasy football than Rob Gronkowski, who you are obviously using. ... Stephen Gostkowski is still the game's premium kicker.

Start 'em?:This year, it's Scott Chandler's turn to fill the role of Gronkowski's running mate. He's low-floor, high-ceiling, but a reasonable desperation option if you need to shoot for the fences. ... Pittsburgh's offense is still decent, even with the personnel missing, so the Patriots' defense is only a mediocre option.

Sit 'em: How in the world can you feel confident using any New England running back (he said for the 500th time)? With Blount suspended and Jonas Gray gone, maybe it'll be Brandon Bolden, maybe it'll be Dion Lewis, maybe it'll be Travaris Cadet or James White. But who knows. Stay away. ... With LaFell out, the No. 2 New England wide receiver will be either Aaron Dobson or Danny Amendola. Don't touch.