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Fantasy Football Starts and Sits for Week 1

Week one Start/Sit list, who you want in your lineup and out of your lineup to begin the 2022 Fantasy Football Season.
Fantasy Football Starts and Sits

The start of the 2022 NFL season kicks off this Thursday between the Buffalo Bills and the Los Angeles Rams. Of course, with the start of the football season also comes the start of the fantasy football season, as managers everywehere are making difficult starts and sits decisions.

We all know who the automatic starts are that’ll be in your lineups every week, so those guys won’t be discussed here. Also, the term “sit” doesn’t mean that they are worthless this week. It just means that you need to temper their expectations due to a matchup or a change in role.

Fantasy Football Starts and Sits for Week 1

Quarterback Starts: Russell Wilson and Trey Lance

Russell Wilson’s first game as a member of the Denver Broncos is a revenge game against his old team the Seattle Seahawks. Wilson is expected to pass more in Nathaniel Hackett’s offense. Throughout Wilson’s career, he averages only 30 pass attempts per game. This will also be the best offensive line Wilson has ever played on. According to Football Outsiders, the Seahawks ranked 31st in the league in 2021 with a 5.3% sack percentage. This will lead to Wilson having opportunities downfield with his new pass catchers. In recent memory, Wilson has gotten off to a great start in week 1.

Since 2018, Wilson has thrown 13 touchdown passes in fourWeek 1 games.

Trey Lance opens this season as the franchise quarterback for the 49ers. He played sparingly in his rookie season, averaging 28 rushing yards per game in six games played in 2021. However, he is an explosive athlete and should exceed those numbers now that he’s had an entire offseason to prepare as the starter. The Bears were bottom 10 in points scored in 2021 and the same is expected in 2022. Lance should have plenty of opportunities to score in this matchup.

Quarterback Sits: Derek Carr and Mac Jones

The Raiders traded for Davante Adams in the offseason giving Derek Carr a new weapon in 2022. Derek Carr has a positive outlook for 2022 but week one will be a different story. The Chargers made upgrades in the offseason by trading for Khalil Mack and signing J.C. Jackson. Also, the return of Derwin James will help bolster this defense in 2022. Carr has a shaky history vs the Chargers, specifically last season.

In 2021, Carr was sacked seven times and failed to reach over 200 yards in both games vs the Chargers.

Mac Jones is entering his second season in the NFL looking to carry on from his rookie season. The Patriots did not make any big offensive changes as far as player personnel. But their biggest change was losing Offensive Coordinator Josh McDaniels. He was a big help to Jones’s development his rookie season and losing him will be huge. What’s even worse than that is his replacement. Matt Patricia is expected to call plays for the Patriots in 2022.

Patricia, a defensive coach for his entire career has no experience calling offensive plays and will be doing it for a team changing their offense this season. A new offensive coordinator vs a Dolphins team that has a history of beating the Patriots and holding their offense in check. Last season Mac Jones had a total of two touchdowns and two turnovers in two games vs the Dolphins.

Running back Starts: Elijah Mitchell and Javonte Williams

As a rookie, Elijah Mitchell led the 49ers in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns. Since Kyle Shanahan became head coach of the 49ers they have never had a player lead them in rushing yards in back-to-back seasons. Mitchell’s season outlook may be shaky but not in Week 1. Mitchell’s best game in 2021 came vs the Bears where he ran for 137 yards on 18 carries, his best output of the season. That type of workload can be expected in Week 1 with them heavily favored against the Bears.

 

In nine games with at least 15 carries Mitchell averaged almost 16 PPR points per game.

Javonte Williams played with Teddy Bridgewater and Drew Lock in 2021. He gets a quarterback upgrade in 2022 with Russell Wilson joining the Broncos. Williams shared snaps with Melvin Gordon as a rookie. That is somewhat expected to continue in 2022 but the addition of Wilson will give Williams more scoring opportunities. Before Wilson’s injury in 2021 the Seahawks averaged 26 points per game. In 2021 the Seahawks were last in the NFL in targets and receiving yards allowed to running backs. The Broncos are favored in week 1 vs the Seahawks so Williams is expected to get plenty of work.

Running back sits: Ezekiel Elliott and David Montgomery

Elliott is one of the most controversial players in fantasy football discussions. Thoughts as to if is he washed or was he just hurt? Is he even the best running back on the Cowboys? Owner Jerry Jones doesn’t see it as a controversy.

In Week 1 vs the Buccaneers last year Elliott had 33 yards on 11 carries. The Cowboys barely ran in this game due to the Buccaneers strong run defense. Going into 2022 that run defense is still strong.

 

That Week 1 game was one of eight games where he was held under 50 yards. Losing Tyron Smith to a torn hamstring is something that will affect Elliott as well. The Cowboys are also expected to use Tony Pollard more in 2022 as a receiver. Will that be done with Elliott on the field too? Remains to be seen but Week 1 will be a rough go for Zeke.

David Montgomery has a brutal matchup against the 49ers. The 49ers were a top-five defense in 2021 and look to be the same in 2022. This game has a low total so possessions will come at a minimum. Put a bad offensive line vs a great front seven and that smells trouble. The Bears will most likely be trailing in this game so his carries may eventually get cut short. In losses in 2021 Montgomery averaged just 13 carries per game.

Wide Receiver Starts: Courtland Sutton and Michael Pittman Jr

Courtland Sutton has had inept quarterback play for his entire career. Russell Wilson coming to town will completely change his life.

Sutton has 12 touchdowns in 50 career games. DK Metcalf had 12 last season for the Seahawks. Sutton has had the most chemistry with Russell Wilson in training camp. They will look to take that into the season in Week 1 vs the Seahawks. Wilson looking to get revenge against his old team, him throwing all over the Seahawks is a definite possibility and Sutton should have plenty of chances to find the endzone.

The Colts travel to Houston in Week 1 to take on the Houston Texans. Michael Pittman was a sleeper receiver entering 2021 and enters 2022 as a breakout. With a quarterback upgrade in 2022 with Matt Ryan joining the Colts, they look to get off to a good start in Week 1. In 2021 Pittman doubled up the Colts next-best receiver in catches and touchdowns. He also had 26% of the Colts targets in 2021. That won’t change any time soon, and he’ll be going up against a Texans team starting rookie Derek Stingley Jr in his first NFL game.

Wide Receiver Sits: Mike Evans and DK Metcalf

This fantasy season Mike Evans was drafted between rounds two and three. So if you drafted him you probably can’t sit him but you should temper expectations this week. In Week 1 last season Trevon Diggs held Mike Evans to his worst output of the season.

They will match up again on Sunday Night Football. If Evans finds the endzone that will probably save him from being a sit this week. But since Brady joined Tampa Bay, Evans has finished as third and fourth in targets per game on the Bucs. Chris Godwin’s status for Week 1 is up in the air but the Bucs did add Julio Jones and Russell Gage.

DK Metcalf has a brutal matchup in Week 1 and will most weeks with the Seahawks quarterback situation. Geno Smith, Seattle’s starting quarterback, averaged just over 190 passing yards per game while starting for an injured Russell Wilson. If you take away Metcalf’s 84-yard touchdown vs the Saints Metcalf averaged just 37 yards per game in that stretch. Metcalf will also be covered by Pat Surtain II who graded out as one of the best corners in 2021.

Tight End Starts: T.J. Hockenson and Dalton Schultz

T.J. Hockenson was an inconsistent fantasy tight end in 2021 but he enters Week 1 with a juicy matchup. The Eagles were bottom ten in targets and yards surrendered to tight ends in 2021. Hockenson had 19 PPR points vs the Eagles last season as well. The Eagles struggle covering tight ends so Hockenson has a real opportunity for another smash game in week one.

Dalton Schultz finished 2021 as a top-three tight end. He looks for more opportunities in 2022 due to wide receiver changes in Dallas. Last season versus the Bucs Schultz had 45 yards on six targets while sharing snaps with Blake Jarwin. As the number one tight end this year he looks for even more targets. In 2021 the Bucs were bottom five in the NFL in targets allowed to tight ends. The Cowboys threw 58 times in week one vs the Bucs in 2021. That number may not be as high but if its close to that Schultz will have a chance for another good game vs Tampa Bay.

Tight End Sits: Mike Gesicki and Cole Kmet

Mike Gesicki has a brutal track record vs the Patriots. In seven career games vs the Patriots Gesicki has 107 total yards. In two games last season vs the Patriots Gesicki had two catches on six targets. The Patriots were the best in the league in targets and yards allowed to tight ends in 2021. Another problem for Gesicki is the Dolphin’s new offense. Gesicki will be used more as a blocker than receiver in Mike McDaniel’s new scheme. With Gesicki no longer in his slot role, his target share is unclear to open the season.

Cole Kmet was a top 20 tight end in 2021 and looks to improve in 2022. He opens this season with the 49ers who have an elite defense. The 49ers were top five in targets and yards allowed to tight ends in 2021. Last season vs the 49ers Kmet had 24 yards on six targets. The o-line vs d-line matchup favors the 49ers in a big way so Kmet may spend some of this game blocking, decreasing his chance of being involved as a receiver

Caleb Lipscomb

Caleb Lipscomb

Champaign, Illinois native. Fantasy Football writer, Podcaster. Lover of movies.

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