{"id":94288,"date":"2020-09-07T08:20:47","date_gmt":"2020-09-07T12:20:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/?p=94288"},"modified":"2021-06-01T05:15:39","modified_gmt":"2021-06-01T09:15:39","slug":"fantasy-football-week-1-running-back-start-sits-sony-michel-cam-akers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2020\/09\/07\/fantasy-football-week-1-running-back-start-sits-sony-michel-cam-akers\/","title":{"rendered":"Fantasy Football Week 1 Running Back Start Sits: Sony Michel, Cam Akers, More"},"content":{"rendered":"

After a seemingly-endless offseason, the first week of the 2020 NFL season is right around the corner. Deciding who to start and sit isn\u2019t easy, especially with no preseason. Guys like Sony Michel<\/a><\/strong> might have a great opportunity, while someone like Cam Akers<\/strong><\/a> might not be ready to take over a lineup. Let\u2019s take a dive into all of the best start em\u2019, sit em\u2019 matchups of the week to put together the best lineup possible.<\/p>\n

Wide Receiver Start Sits<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

Note: This article assumes PPR scoring<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Sony Michel, Cam Akers Highlight Fantasy Football Running Back Week 1 Start Sits<\/h2>\n

Start: Sony Michel<\/h3>\n

Edit (9\/8\/20): ESPN\u2019s Mike Reiss reports that the Patriots will use all four running backs in an effort to ease Michel back into action. Do not start Sony Michel.<\/em>
\nStarting Sony Michel feels gross, but the opportunity is too good to pass up. Fellow Patriots running back Damien Harris<\/a><\/strong> suffered a hand injury and, according to reports, won\u2019t be ready to go for about a month. There\u2019s a very real chance<\/a> he lands on the short-term injured reserve, leaving Michel all alone in this backfield.<\/p>\n

Michel isn\u2019t a special talent, but he is capable of picking up what\u2019s provided by his blocking. The Patriots have arguably the NFL\u2019s best interior offensive line in Shaq Mason<\/a>, David Andrews<\/a><\/strong>, and Joe Thuney<\/a><\/strong>, and they\u2019re going up against an absolutely atrocious Miami Dolphins run defense. Additionally, Cam Newton<\/a><\/strong>\u2019s rushing ability should help Michel\u2019s efficiency on the ground. He should be able to put up an RB2 performance out of your flex spot.<\/p>\n

Sit: Cam Akers<\/h3>\n

Cam Akers is a talented running back, but he\u2019s going to need some time before you can reliably put him in your lineup. According to reports from the Rams\u2019 beat, Malcolm Brown<\/a><\/strong> is going to start at running back Week 1. Sean McVay<\/strong> tends to be honest with the media, so there is every reason to believe that he\u2019s telling the truth.<\/p>\n

This isn\u2019t too unusual a situation. Rookie running backs tend to need some time before taking control from the established veteran. This could be a 2019 Miles Sanders<\/a><\/strong> situation, where Akers will spend a few weeks behind Malcolm Brown before inevitably stealing the job down the stretch and becoming a star fantasy option.<\/p>\n

Start: Tarik Cohen<\/h3>\n

As of this posting, nobody knows whether or not David Montgomery<\/a><\/strong> will play in Week 1. The Chicago Bears<\/a> running back suffered a groin injury in practice and is expected to miss 2-4 weeks, making him a very real question mark for Week 1. This means that Tarik Cohen<\/a><\/strong> should receive all the passing work and a sizable portion of the carries. This volume alone makes him a worthy flex play, but only in PPR leagues.<\/p>\n

Sit: Kerryon Johnson, D\u2019Andre Swift<\/h3>\n

Stay away from the Detroit Lions backfield. As discussed in a previous article<\/a>, all three are looking like bad starts with Adrian Peterson<\/a><\/strong> in town. Even without Peterson, Swift probably wouldn\u2019t have played a big role thanks to time missed to injury. Johnson, meanwhile, will probably have to split carries with Peterson, putting a massive cap on his ceiling. One of these running backs could be fantasy-relevant if they fall into the endzone, but you don\u2019t want to start a touchdown-dependent player in Week 1.<\/p>\n

Start: Chris Thompson<\/h3>\n

Chris Thompson<\/a><\/strong> isn\u2019t a sexy pick, but he\u2019s probably the biggest benefactor of the Leonard Fournette<\/a><\/strong> release. Offensive coordinator Jay Gruden<\/strong> loves him, and Thompson has proven time and time again that he can be a decent fantasy option in this scheme. Additionally, Gardner Minshew<\/a><\/strong> had one of the highest checkdown rates in the league last year, so Thompson should see plenty of targets.<\/p>\n

As if that wasn\u2019t enough, Jacksonville\u2019s defense might be the least-talented unit in the league, so the Jaguars should be playing catch-up for most of the contest. DJ Chark<\/a><\/strong> is really Jacksonville\u2019s only good receiver, so Thompson shouldn\u2019t have to fight too hard for his target share. He has a genuine shot to be a week-in, week-out RB2 as long as he\u2019s on the field.<\/p>\n

Sit: Leonard Fournette<\/h3>\n

Leonard Fournette has one of the widest range of outcomes of any fantasy football running back. If everything breaks right, he\u2019s the three-down back on one of the best offenses in football. If things go wrong, he\u2019s Ronald Jones<\/a><\/strong>\u2019 backup. Bruce Arians<\/strong> said that Jones will still be the starter, and that\u2019s probably true in the short-term. For now, leave Fournette on your bench and see how the team distributes the running back workload.<\/p>\n

Auto-Starts (Better Than Sony Michel)<\/h3>\n

Christian McCaffrey<\/a>, Saquon Barkley<\/a>, Josh Jacobs<\/a>, Dalvin Cook<\/a>, Ezekiel Elliott<\/a>, Clyde Edwards-Helaire<\/a>, Derrick Henry<\/a>, Alvin Kamara<\/a>, Miles Sanders, Joe Mixon<\/a>, Kenyan Drake<\/a>, Chris Carson<\/a>, Nick Chubb<\/a>, Austin Ekeler<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Wide Receiver Start Sits<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

Main photo:
\nEmbed from Getty Images<\/a>