Manny’s Fantasy Facts: Week One Starts and Sits!

So, without further ado ….

Be smart and start,

Kenny Golladay: WR, Detroit Lions

No, I am not being biased when I say you have to start Kenny Golladay (I have him on three Fantasy teams), but I am being honest because his matchup is very good against the Arizona Cardinals. Starting Golladay is a must start against a very young secondary that does not even have its best player, Patrick Peterson. If Kerryon Johnson and T.J. Hockenson can keep the defense guessing all game, I think Golladay is a better bet over Marvin Jones Jr. to take advantage of the 20th ranked defense of last year in the Cardinals.

Mark Ingram: RB, Lamar Jackson: QB, or Baltimore Ravens Defense

This is a no brainer. If you have any of these three above, you should be celebrating and starting them this week against the torn-up Miami Dolphins. The Dolphins are rebuilding on all sides of the ball and it won’t be a great sight against the Ravens. I don’t know who quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick will throw to on the Dolphins, and can Kenyan Drake and Kalen Ballage do anything in the run.

I don’t think the Dolphins will muster anything against the stout Ravens defense led by Earl Thomas. If you have the Ravens defense, start them. We all remember how much the Dolphins struggled to stop offenses, especially the run game. Mark Ingram and Lamar Jackson should be able to run around this defense, and look for both of them to hit big numbers in week one. Start both of them, or you might just cry into your Natty Light.

IDP Start Tremaine Edmunds: LB, Buffalo Bills

I know what you’re thinking. You think I am being a homer. Hear me out though first before judging me. The Buffalo Bills play the New York Jets, and the Jets will be doing a lot of one thing: handing the ball to Le’Veon Bell over and over. To me that smells of middle linebacker tackles all day long.

Yeah, he is a Buffalo Bill, but he is playing a team that will be run heavy, and most run heavy teams hit up and the middle and usually the middle linebacker gets majority of the tackles. Look for Edmunds to have double-digit solo tackles in this game. If you have him in IDP, start him!

Don’t be in the pits and sit,

Marcus Mariota: QB, Tennessee Titans

The defense of the Cleveland Browns will be all over this inconsistent, injury-prone quarterback. In most leagues, he might be a free agent, but in deeper leagues or two quarterback leagues, he might be taken. Avoid him like the plague! The likes of Myles Garrett will be sniffing him down all game long.

Austin Ekeler: RB, Los Angeles Chargers

Call it my gut, but I think Ekeler will struggle against the really underrated defense of the Indianapolis Colts. Austin Ekeler does not have the same prowess as holdout, Melvin Gordon. I think Philip Rivers and the Los Angeles Chargers will probably throw the ball more due to the success last year of teams being able to complete passes easier against the Colts. This will also reduce the value of Ekeler. Also, does not help that backup Justin Jackson’s strong performance has Ekeler looking over his shoulder.

IDP Sit Xavien Howard: CB, Miami Dolphins

Xavien Howard is a world class cornerback, but only against a team who likes to throw the ball. The Baltimore Ravens will rely more on the legs of Lamar Jackson and Mark Ingram. Lamar Jackson will throw the ball especially with the addition of wide receiver Marquise Brown, but it won’t be enough for Howard to make a difference as an IDP player. I expect a few tackles, no interceptions, mostly an invisible night for the pro bowler. Don’t drop him because he is on a rebuilding team. He’s going to be on defense a lot, and he will get a chance to make a difference but just not against the Ravens.

There you have it folks, my week one start and sits. Let me know what you think of the format. Reach us on Twitter and ask us any Fantasy questions. We are the Buffalo Fanatics, and we all want to win our fantasy leagues. Ask your questions, and, next week, I will have some starts and sits for the PPR and the IDP players out there.