Flex Options for Week 1 (Fantasy Football)
Start/sit decisions aren’t usually something fantasy managers should overthink in Week 1. You just had your draft, and you should play the players who you drafted to be great. Just in case you’re feeling unsure though, here are some names you can feel comfortable locking into your lineup in Week 1. As always, you can check out the Fantasy Footballers’ complete rankings for all of your start/sit needs.
Jerome Ford
These are the weeks you drafted Jerome Ford for! With Nick Chubb starting the season on the PUP, you have a minimum of four weeks with Ford receiving the bulk of the work in Cleveland. They open the season as home underdogs against the Dallas Cowboys, but don’t let that scare you off of Ford in this matchup. He was fairly matchup-proof last year with a high weekly floor thanks to a 10.6% target share. As good as Dallas’ defense is, they’re better against the pass than the run, giving up the 22nd-most fantasy points to the running back position in 2023. Expect Cleveland to run the ball early and often in this one, leading to 15+ touches for Ford.
Javonte Williams
Javonte was going very late in drafts due to a slow season last year coming off a major injury in 2022. Because of this, you likely didn’t draft him as one of your top two running backs. If this is the case for your team, feel confident firing him up in your flex spot this week. Reports from Broncos camp surrounding Javonte’s health have been positive, and it doesn’t get much juicier than this Seattle matchup. The Seahawks allowed the second-most fantasy points per game to the running back position last year (24.2). Williams has a great chance to prove the doubters wrong with an explosive performance to open this season.
Tank Dell
I’m writing about Tank Dell because it may be my only chance to mention him in a “Flex Options” column all season. The matchup against the Colts this week isn’t particularly great, but cast that aside. I expect Dell to break out in a major way this year, and it will start in Week 1. He should see plenty of targets from second-year quarterback CJ Stroud, who has called Dell his “best friend,” but it may only take one target for the explosive young receiver to return flex value for your fantasy team this week.
Jayden Reed OR Christian Watson
Choose your fighter! Whether you prefer the shifty, short-area targets for Jayden Reed, or the explosive, field-stretching approach of Christian Watson, both of these guys are fine plays in one of the highest over/under matchups of the week. Philadelphia’s secondary was ATROCIOUS last year, allowing the most fantasy points to the wide receiver position, so I’m betting on a boom performance for at least one Packers receiver this week. Not to mention, who doesn’t love watching Friday football!?
Reminder: If you’re starting Reed or Watson, bump them up into a WR slot to maintain positional flexibility for Sunday. It’s only Week 1, but late scratches can happen!
Jameson Williams (Deep League Dart Throw)
The Detroit Lions (yes, those Lions) have the highest projected team total of the week (27) in their matchup with the Los Angeles Rams. It’s been an excruciatingly slow start to Williams’ career, but he started to carve out a role for himself over the back half of last season. This season, the departure of Josh Reynolds has cleared the path to WR2 on the Lions’ depth chart, and all reports out of the Lions’ camp suggest that Williams is thriving in this new role. Williams has a chance to get loose over the top against this leaky secondary, as the Rams allowed the seventh-most fantasy points per game to the wide receiver position last year (30.6). In most 10 or 12-team leagues, you’re probably better off taking the wait-and-see approach with Williams, but I don’t mind taking a chance on him in deeper leagues.