X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

Week 1 NFL Matchups Analysis: Start/Sit for Fantasy Football (Part 2)

Vladimir De Wet breaks down the second half of the Week 1 matchups for the 2015 season. Below, you will find part two of our Week 1 NFL matchups & fantasy football start/sit analysis, which should help you prepare your lineups to win this week. Be sure to also check out part one of this week's matchups analysis, diving into the early slate of games.

It’s essential to analyze the weekly NFL matchups to find lineup sleepers and gems, while also avoiding those players who may turn out to be busts. Each week of the NFL season, we will be breaking down each of the NFL matchups and providing you with some fantasy football advice and lineup recommendations based on matchups that we love, matchups that we hate, and some high-risk/high-reward players, as well.

Editor’s Note: Want some more matchups data for your start/sit lineup decisions? RotoBaller's NFL Premium Subscriptions are your secret weapon. Sign up now and get access to our in-house developed tools including the DFS matchups tool, lineup sleepers/streamers tool, DFS lineups picks newsletter, start/sit tool & much more. 

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

Lions @ Chargers - Sunday, 9/13 @ 4:05 EST

Matchups We Love

Yes, Ameer Abdullah may be the second coming of Barry Sanders, but until we know that for sure Joique Bell is the starting running back for the Detroit Lions. Bell should be a RB2 until further notice. He finished last season the 14th-overall fantasy back, so don't let all the rookie hype scare you away from him.

Stevie Johnson is a WR3/flex option in San Diego's pass-happy offense. Johnson had three seasons of over 1,000 yards in Buffalo with no one in the same stratosphere as Philip Rivers throwing him the ball. With no Antonio Gates and a really good preseason, Johnson should shine from his first snap in Charger Blue.

Matchups We Hate

Rookie Melvin Gordon was drafted as the 16th-overall running back making him a RB2 in most leagues. Gordon is still a rookie and after a rough preseason where he averaged less than three yards per carry, expect him to be gradually inserted into the offense as the season goes on. Until then the Chargers will likely go with a three-headed running back monster of Gordon, Danny Woodhead, and Branden Oliver.

Additionally, the Lions have a stout front seven that, even with the loss of N'Damukong Suh, should recreate their fourth-overall run defense from last year. Brandon Pettigrew and all the other Detroit TE's are no-go's for fantasy until someone takes the job or injuries occur.

Key Players/Notes

Expect stars Calvin Johnson and Golden Tate to rack up the points against last season's 21st-ranked pass defense.

 

Titans @ Buccaneers - Sunday, 9/13 @ 4:25 EST

Matchups We Love

Last year the Buccaneers' secondary gave up the third-most fantasy points to opposing WRs. Kendall Wright and Marcus Mariota  established a clear connection in the preseason, making Wright a WR3 with high upside.

The Titans defense was pretty pathetic against the run last year, giving up the second-most fantasy points to opposing RBs. Doug Martin showed flashes of his 2012 form in the preseason and should be relied upon heavily with rookie Jameis Winston at the helm. Martin is a high-end RB3/low-end RB2.

Matchups We Hate

Two rookie quarterbacks on two really bad teams should equal a tire fire of a game. Proceed with caution with all players. These two defenses ranked 25th (TB) and 32nd (TEN) in rotoballer's fantasy football defense rankings. Yes, they're both going against rookie quarterbacks, but don't overthink it--just stay away.

Key Players/Notes

Mike Evans has been hurt most of the preseason and his status still isn't clear for Week 1. If he's out, his targets will be split between Vincent Jackson and Austin Seferian-Jenkins. Delanie Walker is healthy after hurting his thumb early in the preseason and should be a TE1 moving forward. Walker has put up two 60+ reception seasons despite having a QB carnival throwing him the ball. The simple stability of Mariota should see Walker put up even more consistent numbers.

 

Bengals @ Raiders - Sunday, 9/13 @ 4:25 EST

Matchups We Love

When healthy last year Latavius Murray brought a solid balance to the Raiders offense and has been one of the more trendy options as a RB2, usually coming off the board as the 15th running back selected. Expect him to feature against the Bengals run defense, which came in as the third-worst in the league last year.

Matchups We Hate

Mohamed Sanu, Marvin Jones, Tyler Eifert, and Giovani Bernard are all healthy. Rex Burkhead, Ryan Hewitt, and Greg Little are also healthy plus they looked good in the preseason. Outside of AJ Green and Jeremy Hill there are just too many options to feel comfortable starting one Cincinnati skill player over another.

Key Players/Notes

Michael Crabtree has an ADP of 141 overall and isn't owned in most fantasy leagues. He emerged as the clear number two target in a pass-happy offense during the preseason and his performance in Week 1 should be an indicator of whether or not he can regain his old form.

 

Ravens @ Broncos - Sunday, 9/13 @ 4:25 EST

Matchups We Love

Kamar Aiken is the starting WR opposite Steve Smith and will be getting his fair share of targets. He is still a flier and only start-worthy if you're desperate (or you just want to be the person who gets to say, "I actually started Aiken"). The Broncos had one of the top defenses last season, especially in the secondary (highest-ranked pass coverage), but Joe Flacco and the Ravens always play them tough and someone has to score. High risk/high reward for the Ravens offense.

Julius Thomas was Virgil Green before Virgil Green was Virgil Green. Basically, Virgil Green can step out of nowhere and become that touchdown machine in the red zone for Peyton Manning. Like Aiken, Green is a flier with high potential and upside. Keep an eye on these guys because they may become waiver wire stars after Week 1.

Matchups We Hate

Justin Forsett is going against last year's third-ranked rush defense at Mile High Stadium where the Broncos held their opponents under 75 yards rushing six times.

Key Players/Notes

Emmanuel Sanders should be healthy and ready to go after missing much of the preseason. Breshad Perriman seems to be the exact opposite, with it highly likely he sits out Week 1.

 

Giants @ Cowboys - Sunday, 9/13 @ 8:30 EST

Matchups We Love

All TEs and WRs are start-worthy in this game with special consideration going towards Reuben Randle and Terrance Williams. Between the two teams it wouldn't be possible to assemble four guys for a decent secondary. Flashy Sunday night lights should lead to big passing plays and lots of points.

Matchups We Hate

Rashad Jennings and Joseph Randle are currently the starters at running back for their teams, but with backups like Shane Vereen and (a healthy) Darren McFadden lurking both starters are boom-or-bust prospects.

Key Players/Notes

Victor Cruz has been in and out of practice and may not play Week 1. Dez Bryant and Jason Witten are healthy and always play well against the Giants.

 

Eagles @ Falcons- Monday, 9/14 @ 7:10 EST

Matchups We Love

Nelson Agholor played well in the preseason and is expected to get a high volume of snaps right from the start. He should be a WR3 with low-end WR2 potential. Devonta Freeman is hurt and is the clear number two behind Tevin Coleman to open the season. Coleman should see his fair amount of snaps and red zone opportunities. In Week 1 he is a touchdown-dependent RB2.

Matchups We Hate

Darren Sproles and Ryan Mathews will be splitting back-up duties behind Demarco Murray. This split makes them both risky starts in any format. Sproles may only be a viable option in PPR leagues anyway. All of this being said, every time Sproles gets ignored or pushed to the side he seems to end up scoring lots of points. But with a healthy Murray and Mathews there may not be enough snaps to go around.

Key Players/Notes

Julio Jones and Roddy White are going up against an Eagles team that gave up the most fantasy points to opposing wide outs in 2014. Expect both WRs to get the ball early and often in a potential Monday Night shoot-out. The flip side of the shoot-out sees Zach Ertz return to the field alongside Brent Celek and stud WR Jordan Matthews. All three are good bets to produce up to their expected potential in Week 1 against one of the league's worst defenses from a year ago.

 

Vikings @ 49ers -Monday, 9/14 @ 10:20 EST

Matchups We Love

The Vikings offense is reloaded with Adrian Peterson back and most of its roster healthy and ready to go. This along with a strong rookie campaign has PFF ranking Teddy Bridgewater as the 14th QB in the league. Teddy is due for a big year and there's no better place to start than Monday Night Football.

Matchups We Hate

The 49ers defense lost so much talent over the past year through retirement and cuts it's hard to believe they can be even average in 2015. Adrian Peterson loves the big stage and hasn't played in a year, Bridgewater is solid at not turning the ball over--I don't see many opportunities for the 49ers D to rack up fantasy points.

Vernon Davis was a gigantic disappointment last season and hasn't impressed this offseason. The Vikings defense was one of the better ones last year against opposing TEs and Davis just doesn't seem viable as a fantasy option until he proves otherwise.

Key Players/Notes

Carlos Hyde and Anquan Boldin are solid second options at their positions. Both are healthy and expected to share a heavy work load for the 49ers.

 

NFL & Fantasy Football Chat Room

[iflychat_embed id="c-0" hide_user_list="yes" hide_popup_chat="no" height="400px"]

 

 




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Brandon Aiyuk

49ers Officially Place Brandon Aiyuk on PUP List
Nathan Eovaldi

Likely Done for the Season
Tyreek Hill

Remains Out of Practice
Najee Harris

Moved to Active Roster
Yordan Alvarez

Activated and Starting on Tuesday
Oneil Cruz

Back From Injured List
New York Mets

Jonah Tong Promoted to Major Leagues
Spencer Rattler

Saints Name Spencer Rattler as Starting QB
MarShawn Lloyd

Packers Leaning Toward Placing MarShawn Lloyd on Injured Reserve
Tyjae Spears

to Begin the Season on Injured Reserve
Nikola Jović

Heat Have High Hopes for Nikola Jovic
Golden State Warriors

Cody Martin Drawing Interest From Warriors
Minnesota Timberwolves

Timberwolves Interested in Reunion With Bones Hyland
Kylor Kelley

Joins Lakers
Colin Castleton

Links Up With Magic
Brock Bowers

Pete Carroll Classifies Brock Bowers Among His Best Players Ever
De'Von Achane

Lingering Calf Injury Poses Concerns for De'Von Achane
Adam Thielen

Vikings and Panthers Struggling to Finalize Adam Thielen Trade
Malik Monk

Kings "Not Actively Engaged" in Trade Discussions Involving Malik Monk
P.J. Washington

Mavs Likely to Offer P.J. Washington a Contract Extension
Kenny Pickett

Raiders Acquire Kenny Pickett From Browns
Cincinnati Bengals

Bengals Give Trey Hendrickson a Raise
Amari Cooper

Signs One-Year Deal With Raiders
NHL

Jan Rutta Lands in Switzerland
Kirby Dach

Skates on Monday
COL

Tyson Barrie Retires From NHL
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Back in Toronto's Lineup
Joe Mixon

to Start Season on Non-Football Injury List
Jaylen Wright

Not Expected to Play in Week 1
Jakobi Meyers

Requests Trade
Jauan Jennings

Not Practicing on Monday, has Avoided IR for Now
Matthew Stafford

Taking 11-On-11 Reps on Monday
Zhang Mingyang

Suffers His First UFC Loss
Johnny Walker

Gets Back In The Win Column
Brian Ortega

Loses Back-To-Back Fights
Aljamain Sterling

Proves Too Much For Brian Ortega
Chris Sale

Penciled in to Start on Saturday
Waldo Cortes-Acosta

Suffers Unanimous-Decision Loss
Sergei Pavlovich

Wins Decision At UFC Shanghai
Terry McLaurin

Signs Three-Year Extension with Commanders
Kevin Borjas

Drops Decision At UFC Shanghai
Sumudaerji

Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Kiefer Crosbie

Still Winless In The UFC
Taiyilake Nueraji

Gets His First UFC Win
Ryan Blaney

Earns his Second Daytona Cup Series Win
Tyler Reddick

Locks Into the 2025 Playoffs Despite Underwhelming Daytona Performance
Erik Jones

Misses the 2025 Playoffs Despite Top-Five Run at Daytona
Justin Haley

Best Performance of 2025 Falls Short of Victory at Daytona
Chase Burns

To Throw Bullpen on Tuesday
Kyle Larson

Enters Playoffs As Co-Points Leader
Alex Bowman

Advances to Playoffs Despite Crashing at Daytona
Cole Custer

Finally Shows Signs of Life at Daytona
Daniel Suarez

Lame-Duck Daniel Suarez Delivers Clutch Second-Place Finish
Logan Gilbert

Punches Out 13 in Victory
Randy Rodríguez

Randy Rodriguez Battling Arm Soreness
Marcus Semien

Out 4-6 Weeks, Could Miss Rest of Season
Ranger Suárez

Ranger Suarez Strikes Out 11 in Win
Cal Raleigh

Sets Catcher Home Run Record
Yordan Alvarez

Likely to Return on Tuesday
Jacob deGrom

to Start on Monday
Kyle Tucker

Homers Twice in Win
Chris Sale

Likely to Return Next Weekend
Brian Robinson Jr.

to be RB2
Najee Harris

to be Ready Week 1?
De'Von Achane

Making Good Progress
Marcus Semien

Placed on Injured List
Jackson Merrill

Heads to 10-Day Injured List
Brice Turang

Absent on Saturday, "Touch-and-Go" With Wrist Injury
Chase Elliott

Despite Being Winless at Daytona, Chase Elliott is Probably the Best DFS Option
Ryan Blaney

Will Likely Lead a Lot at Daytona
Kyle Larson

a Poor DFS Option at Daytona
Christopher Bell

Consistent Enough to Consider for DFS
Chris Buescher

Now Must Win His Way Into Playoffs
Ryan Preece

Being One of the Slowest-Starting Fords Makes Ryan Preece a Strong DFS Option
Ross Chastain

Leads a Lot on Drafting Tracks
Daniel Suarez

Now in Desperation Mode With his Career on the Line
Chase Briscoe

Tendency to Finish Better Than He Runs May Reap Dividends at Daytona
Carson Hocevar

Hard to Forecast Since He's Rarely Given 100 Percent at Daytona
Michael McDowell

has a Solid Drafting Record
AJ Allmendinger

A.J. Allmendinger Arguably Starting Too Well for Place-Differential Points
Austin Dillon

Will Likely Be Too Conservative for DFS Consideration
Matt Chapman

Activated and Starting on Saturday
Moses Moody

Warriors Not Interested in Trading Moses Moody
Kevin Durant

Rockets Expected to Agree on New Contract
Trey Murphy III

Warriors, Spurs Interested in Trey Murphy III
Zack Wheeler

to Undergo Season-Ending Surgery
CAR

Luke Kunin Joins Panthers on One-Year Deal
Auston Matthews

Says His Health is "Good" Before Start of Season
Roope Hintz

"Feeling Good" Ahead of New Season
Matthew Tkachuk

Recovering From Surgery
Marco Rossi

Wild Re-Sign Marco Rossi to Three-Year Deal
NBA

Malik Beasley Now Drawing Interest from Teams
Zhang Mingyang

Set For UFC Shanghai Main Event
Johnny Walker

In Dire Need Of Victory
Brian Ortega

An Underdog At UFC Shanghai
Aljamain Sterling

Set For UFC Shanghai Co-Main Event
Waldo Cortes-Acosta

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Sergei Pavlovich

A Favorite At UFC Shanghai
Kevin Borjas

Set for UFC Shanghai Main-Card Bout
Sumudaerji

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Kiefer Crosbie

Set To Open Up UFC Shanghai Main Card
Taiyilake Nueraji

Set For His UFC Debut
Connor Ingram

Clears Player Assistance Program
Frank Nazar

Inks Seven-Year Extension With Blackhawks
COL

Victor Olofsson Signs One-Year Deal With Avalanche
Dru Smith

Aims to Be Healthy for Training Camp
Jayson Tatum

Provides Injury Update
RJ Barrett

Considered a Trade Candidate
Golden State Warriors

Warriors "Remain Very Confident" About Signing Al Horford
Jahmir Young

Agrees to Deal With Heat

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP