Fantasy Football Week 1: Start’em / Sit’em
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Running Back
Jonathan Stewart, @JAX (60%, 10) – While healthy J-Stew should get all the touches he can handle on a talent starved Panthers squad.
Chris Ivory, CLE (52%, 10) – Getting the chance to be a work-horse back for the first time in his career on an offense that might be better than expected with Geno Smith on the bench. Ivory has averaged over 5 YPC for his career and the Browns defense wasn’t great against the run last season.
Doug Martin, TEN (48%, 9) – This might be the first time I’ve recommended Martin in at least a few years, but the Titans run D was awful last year, Martin is inline to get most of the carries to start the season and he did look better in the preseason. If you have him on your roster, there probably won’t be a better time to play him. If he has a big game, I would trade him ASAP.
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TJ Yeldon, CAR (40%, 8) – There is some risk without knowing what the carry distribution will look like, but Yeldon is the most talent back on the Jags roster and if he gets the bulk of the carries should put up a double-digit fantasy line against a Panthers run defense that was just average last year.
Rashad Jennings, DAL (26%, 8) – Is undervalued in fantasy with talk that Andre Williams and Shane Vereen will cut into his touches, and they might, but Jennings averaged 25 touches over the first three games last season before getting banged up. I don’t expect him to be that busy, but think he’ll get the majority of the carries and should deliver 10+ fantasy points.
Tevin Coleman, PHI (17%, 10) – It was announced earlier this week that Coleman would get the starting gig for the Falcons. He’s got big play potential and could put up a nice fantasy line against an Eagles D that gave up the 8th most fantasy points to opposing RBs last season.
Deep Sleeper
Brandon Bolden, PIT (1%, 7) – It’s never easy to trust Bill Belichick when it comes to running backs, but with Blount suspended and Jonas Gray recently cut, I’m fairly confident that Bolden will get enough touches to be a decent flex play this week.