• The IDP Guys’ NFL Week 1 Start/Sit List: IDP

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    All the IDP Start/ Sit advice for Week 1 you could possibly need!


    It's time. After an arduous 214 day wait since the Super Bowl on February 7, we are finally rewarded with our first taste of meaningful, competitive, 'real' football. Week 1 of the 2021 season is upon us and I'm beyond excited. If you're reading this IDP start/sit advice, you are too.

    Long-time IDP Guys subscribers will quickly notice that I am not, in fact, the inimitable Johny the Greek. Johny became a mainstay in producing this article in years past and was very successful in doing so. But fear not, while I may lack the style of Johnny, I feel I can do a good job at this. IDP is my thing.

    I don't like to toot my own horn, I'm a very humble guy. I do understand that you need to know I have the credentials to offer IDP start/sit advice. To that end, I  have been very successful in winning both free and money leagues in IDP formats for over 16 years. I'm a real obsessive; a true IDP degenerate. I live for this stuff. Ask my poor wife…

    Disclaimers

    Per Johny, I need to mention a couple of points upfront. I've heard some of you lot can be a bit grumpy when we recommend IDP start/sit advice which goes wrong! To that end…

    These are only suggestions, your team and line-up are your responsibility and yours alone. With that said, I will track and publish IDP start/sit advice results from the previous week to show how many I get right and wrong each week. All season long, I will share results weekly to maintain accountability and transparency. If you don't like my success or failure rate, please feel free to ignore my advice.

    I do not work for the NFL. I do not sit in on defensive team meetings for all 32 teams. As much as I would love to, I do not have inside information. I'm just a guy who absorbs as much information as I can, based on what I see and read. The advice I give here is the same advice I am following in my own fantasy leagues.

    I will get things wrong. This isn’t an exact science, dumb luck plays a part in fantasy football. I am firmly in the camp of those who believe that if every writer held themselves accountable, many of us would be horribly wrong at times. Offering IDP advice is fun, but it isn't easy.

    This doesn't mean you can't give me feedback. I encourage all feedback, even if it is criticism, especially if it's constructive and I can learn from it. Just bear in mind the points above. As I say, I will already hold myself accountable from one week to the next. And if you think you can do better, please do show me the evidence and I'll bow to your superiority. As I say, I am modest, I can and will admit when I've failed.

    Article Key

    Tier 1 Starts

    These players have the best outlook based on their opportunity, past production, talent level, and matchup. They also have a solid floor and an excellent ceiling. These guys are the nearest to guaranteed production you will find.

    I strongly considered not including Tier 1 guys in this article. Everyone knows to start Myles Garrett and Darius Leonard on a weekly basis, right? Well, apparently not. There is a general feeling among the community that articles are written with other analysts in mind.

    I hate that sentiment, especially within IDP circles. I want to encourage everyone to dip their toe in the IDP water. For that reason, I decided to include Tier 1 guys here. If it helps just one IDP newbie all season, it was worth it.

    Tier 2 Starts

    These players will typically get you a reasonable amount of points but are not in the elite tier of players at their position. This could be a lack of opportunity, talent, or matchup. These players are usually a good option in deeper leagues and/or with large rosters.

    Tier 3 Starts

    These players are a real gamble. You will likely only start them in larger leagues with huge rosters, or perhaps as either bye week or injury replacements. The chances of them scoring well are slim. This tier is as close to “sit” as you can get while still retaining some value.

    Sits

    Pretty easy, sit them this week. For any number of reasons, these players should not be started. I will occasionally get these wrong, but at the time of publishing, the players in this category are far more likely to bust and get you nothing rather than have a good week.

    They aren't necessarily bad players — many rookies will land in this tier as the season begins — but they may progress as they earn my/our trust in fantasy terms. I don't predict them to be scoring well this game week.

    Any player not listed in any of these categories should probably be considered a “sit.” If they become IDP relevant on a week-to-week basis, they will likely end up in one of the categories above.

    No Cornerbacks?

    Johnny writes a separate article for CBs

    True Position Designations (DI and EDGE)

    Many IDP leagues designate DI, EDGE, and ILB positions in place of DT, DE, and LB positions. I firmly believe that true position is the way to go, so I'll be using true position designations in this article.

    Players with EDGE designations in such leagues can vary in value in value from players in leagues that still use traditional DE and OLB positions. Please bear that in mind when reading this article. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to value translation, everything depends on the scoring settings you use in your leagues.

    If I can help adjust IDP start/sit advice for the scoring system of your league, please get in touch in the comments or in my Twitter DMs and I'll do my best to help.

    I'll create an article on True Position in the coming weeks to help anyone who wants a better understanding of what it means and why it's important.

    Sorry for the lengthy preamble, but it is Week 1 so I figured I needed to get some things straight before we get into this. Once you've read this, you can gloss over it in the following weeks. With that said, I'm boring myself with all this talk and I'm sure you're beginning to glaze over too. So without further ado, here are is my IDP Start/Sit advice for Week 1:

    Thursday Night Football

    Dallas Cowboys at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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    Cowboys
    Starts

    Tier 1

    None.

    Tier 2

    Demarcus Lawrence, EDGE. LB Micah Parsons, Trevon Diggs, S.

    Lawrence didn't register a double-digit sack year in 2020, but he still played well. He could find his way in my tier 1 this season, but Tristan Wirfs is a challenging match-up in Week 1.

    Parsons could also elevate to tier 1 status before long. He has both the talent and the opportunity, but I need to see it translate first.

    Tier 3

    Keanu Neal, ILB. Donovan Wilson, S.

    Sits

    Jaylon Smith, ILB, Leighton Vander-Esch, ILB.

    Who could have predicted this a few years ago? At this point, it seems Neal will be the second ILB, and both Smith and Vander-Esch find themselves on the outside looking in.

    Buccaneers
    Starts

    Tier 1

    Devin White, ILB. Lavonte David, ILB. Shaq Barrett, EDGE.

    No brainers. You start all three of these guys on a weekly basis until they give you a reason not to. Will David slow down with age? He has shown no signs of doing so yet but we'll keep an eye on him this season.

    Tier 2

    Ndamukong Suh, DI. Jason Pierre-Paul, EDGE. Antoine Winfield, S.

    Winfield will have boom or bust weeks. JPP was productive in 2020 but, at 32, he is getting no younger. JPP is listed as questionable but has registered a full practice so should be good to go.

    Tier 3

    Vita Vea, DI.

    Can't wait to see the big man playing again. Better NFL player than he is an IDP in fantasy perhaps.

    Sits

    Joe Tryon, EDGE.

    It's just too soon to recommend him... Yet. But I'm excited about this guy and believe he could succeed JPP who is out of contract after 2021.

    Sunday Early Afternoon Slate

    Jacksonville Jaguars at Houston Texans

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    Jaguars
    Starts

    Tier 1

    Myles Jack, ILB.

    Jack benefits from the Schobert trade in general. He will probably bounce between tier 1 and tier 2 for me this season. Tier 1 vs this Texans offense.

    Tier 2

    Josh Allen, EDGE. Rayshawn Jenkins, S.

    Tier 3

    None.

    Sits

    Malcolm Brown, DI. Davon Hamilton, DI. Damien Wilson, ILB. K'Lavon Chaisson, EDGE. Andre Cisco, S.

    I'm not sure either DI will regularly make it into the tiers above, but of the two I do like Hamilton's chances more. Some analysts have Chaisson as a sleeper in 2021, but until we see some evidence I am not sold. It is too soon for Cisco, although I am a bit of a fan, so let's see how the playing time shakes out before starting a safety other than Jenkins.

    Texans
    Starts

    Tier 1

    Zach Cunningham, ILB.

    Every down LB, the defense will probably be on the field a lot. He will probably not move from tier 1 all season.

    Tier 2

    None.

    Tier 3

    Justin Reid, S.

    Ordinarily would be outside my top 36 at the position but he faces a rookie QB (Lawrence) playing in his debut.

    Sits

    Charles Omenihu, EDGE. Christian Kirksey, ILB.

    I quite like Omenihu to make a little noise this year, but you probably have more reliable options available until he proves it.

    Los Angeles Chargers at Washington Football Team

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    Chargers
    Starts

    Tier 1

    Joey Bosa, EDGE. Derwin James, S.

    Tier 2

    None.

    Tier 3

    Kenneth Murray, ILB.

    I'm personally not as high on Murray as the consensus, but I recognize he will probably play every down and will be the only Chargers LB to do so. I'm expecting feedback from readers to say I should have him in tier 2.

    Sits

    Uchenna Nwosu, EDGE. Drue Tranquil, ILB. Kyzir White, ILB.

    Much will be asked of Nwosu this season. I think he's a bit better than some give him credit for. He's a sit this week until we get a feel for how much playtime he gets. Kyler Fackrell may steal snaps.

    Football Team
    Starts

    Tier 1

    Chase Young, EDGE. Montez Sweat, EDGE.

    Tier 2

    None.

    Tier 3

    Daron Payne, DI. Jonathan Allen, DI. Landon Collins, S. Kamren Curl, S.

    Payne and Allen are both very good, but the matchup could be challenging; the Chargers field an upgraded interior OL comprising of Corey Linsley, Matt Feiler, and Oday Aboushi. Preseason alignments suggest Curl would play in the box more than Collins. I remain skeptical until I see it happen in meaningful games.

    One of these two will be more a tier 2 type player, occasionally tier 1 depending on the matchup. After week 1, we'll have a clearer idea of who that will be.

    Sits

    Cole Holcomb, ILB. Jamin Davis, ILB.

    Davis is the future at ILB for Washington, but we need to see how playing time shakes out before projecting any of these ILBs as starters.

    Seattle Seahawks at Indianapolis Colts

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    Seahawks
    Starts

    Tier 1

    Bobby Wagner, ILB. Jamal Adams, S.

    Tier 2

    Jordyn Brooks, ILB.

    There has been a lot of talk about Brooks, let's see what he can do. I like his chances.

    Tier 3

    Al Woods, DI. Poona Ford, DI.

    Sits

    Carlos Dunlap, EDGE. Quandre Diggs, S.

    I wouldn't be surprised if Dunlap had a bounce-back year, but if you have a steadier option, then sit Dunlap in week 1 until we know how much he will play. The Colts have half-decent tackles.
    Diggs is a boom-or-bust player and that has a place in fantasy, but the ratio of bust to boom puts me off most weeks. Play him if you want, but be prepared for very low-scoring weeks.

    Colts
    Starts

    Tier 1

    DeForest Buckner, DI. Darius Leonard, ILB.

    Tier 2

    Khari Willis, S.

    Tier 3

    Bobby Okereke, ILB. Kwity Paye, EDGE.

    Okereke could ascend tiers as the season goes on.

    Sits

    Kemoko Turay, EDGE (groin)

    New York Jets at Carolina Panthers

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    Jets
    Starts

    Tier 1

    Quinnen Williams, DI.

    I like Williams to finish as a top-5 DI this season. The Panthers O line is not great and lost RG John Miller who tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this week.

    Tier 2

    C.J. Mosley, ILB.

    Tier 3

    Marcus Maye, S. John Franklin-Myers, EDGE. Jamien Sherwood, ILB.

    Sits

    Bryce Huff, EDGE

    Huff is a preseason darling to many. I like the look of him too. But I'm not all-in and don't suggest starting him in week 1.

    Panthers
    Starts

    Tier 1

    Shaq Thompson, ILB. Brian Burns, EDGE. Jeremy Chinn, S.

    I'm not sure Thompson deserves to be as low as LB29 in ADP but here we are.

    The Jets should have an improved OL if Becton can build on a reasonable rookie year and with the addition of Vera-Tucker. However, Burns can rush the passer from either side and will be moved around until he finds a way to take advantage.

    Tier 2

    Derrick Brown, DI.

    I was too low on Brown until fairly recently. I'm interested in seeing him develop in year 2.

    Tier 3

    Jermaine Carter, ILB.

    Sits

    Yetur-Gross Matos, EDGE. Haason Reddick, EDGE. Justin Burris, S.

    Minnesota Vikings at Cincinnati Bengals

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    Vikings
    Starts

    Tier 1

    Danielle Hunter, EDGE. Eric Kendricks, ILB. Harrison Smith, S.

    Hunter should immediately return to elite form. Smith needs to play at an elite level this season (and next) to justify that big fat contract. Contrary to most, I fancy his chances.

    Tier 2

    None.

    Tier 3

    D.J. Wonnum, EDGE. Dalvin Tomlinson, DI. Michael Pierce, DI.

    Sits

    Anthony Barr, ILB (ruled out due to a knee injury) Xavier Woods, S.

    Bengals
    Starts

    Tier 1

    Vonn Bell, S.

    No Safety played in the box more in 2020. Fourth in total tackles. Start him.

    Tier 2

    Larry Ogunjobi, DI. Trey Hendrickson, EDGE. Sam Hubbard, EDGE. Jessie Bates, S.

    Tier 3

    Logan Wilson, ILB

    Sits

    D.J. Reader, DI. Germaine Pratt, ILB, Akeem Davies-Gaither, ILB.

    Fade these ILBs for now until they show you anything. Anything at all.

    Arizona Cardinals at Tennessee Titans

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    Cardinals
    Starts

    Tier 1

    Budda Baker, S.

    As solid as it comes at the Safety position.

    Tier 2

    J.J.Watt, EDGE. Chandler Jones, EDGE. Zaven Collins, ILB

    I'm excited to see Watt and Jones on the field together. King Henry is a baptism of fire for Collins.

    Tier 3

    Isaiah Simmons, ILB.

    Simmons is still a wildcard but I believe in the talent and the opportunity is much improved this season. Hopefully, we can soon trust him enough to place him in that tier 2.

    Sits

    Jordan Phillips, DI (IR). Corey Peters, DI. Rashard Lawrence, DI. Zach Allen, DI. Markus Golden, EDGE.ten

    Titans
    Starts

    Tier 1

    Jeffery Simmons, DI

    Tier 2

    Jayon Brown, ILB. Harold Landry, EDGE

    Landry played far too many snaps last year, more than any other EDGE rusher. Hopefully, Weaver and Dupree can give Landry the breather that Clowney couldn't in 2020.

    Tier 3

    Rashaan Evans, TEN. Bud Dupree, EDGE. Kevin Byard, S.

    Sits

    Denico Autry, DI. Rashad Weaver, EDGE. Monty Rice, ILB. Amari Hooker, S.

    Weaver flashed in the preseason but may need a season. Rice is buried on the depth chart. Hooker is overrated for fantasy purposes.

    San Francisco 49ers at Detroit Lions

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    49ers
    Starts

    Tier 1

    Nick Bosa, EDGE. Fred Warner, ILB.

    Can Bosa play at the same level as he did in his rookie season? Sure he can. Warner is a cornerback in the frame of a linebacker.

    Tier 2

    Javon Kinlaw, DI

    Kinlaw did not practice due to a knee injury and is listed as doubtful. Be ready to sit him.

    Tier 3

    Arik Armstead, EDGE. Dre Greenlaw, ILB. Tavon Wilson, S.

    If I had a tier 2.5 then Greenlaw would be in it for this game. Wilson is close to a sit but squeezed into tier 3 as I suspect the 49'ers make Goff feel uncomfortable and there is a chance Wilson stands to benefit.

    Sits

    Dee Ford, EDGE, Talanoa Hufanga, S. Jaquiski Tartt, S.

    Hufanga has been a trendy name recently. I'm playing the waiting game until I see it and so should you.

    Lions
    Starts

    Tier 1

    None.

    Tier 2

    Trey Flowers, EDGE. Jamie Collins, ILB. Tracy Walker, S

    Tier 3

    Michael Brockers, DI. Romeo Okwara, EDGE

    Brockers was limited in practice with a shoulder injury so keep an eye on things. He is listed as questionable.

    Sits

    DT, Levi Onwuzurike, Julian Okwara, EDGE. Derrick Barnes, ILB

    Barnes is another trendy name. Granted, he's been playing well in preseason, but you'll notice a trend with these rookies. It is week 1. Many will be eased in. Some won't, but we can afford to wait a week if we have more reliable players at the position.

    Besides, if you're relying on Barnes to produce from day one you're either rebuilding, a die-hard Lions fan, drunk, or Barnes' mother. Or maybe a combination of all four.

    Pittsburgh Steelers at Buffalo Bills

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    Steelers
    Starts

    Tier 1

    Cam Heyward, DI. T.J. Watt, EDGE*

    There was talk of Watt sitting due to stalled contract negotiations. He practiced in full on Weds and is expected to play. Monitor the situation in case this changes but we're currently looking good.

    Tier 2

    Alex Highsmith, EDGE. Devin Bush, ILB.

    Melvin Ingram's signing scared some Highsmith owners, but Highsmith is an ascending player whereas Ingram is heading in the other direction. The value differential is clear in dynasty and isn't exactly murky in redraft either.

    Highsmith practiced in full but is listed as questionable due to a groin injury. Monitor the situation.

    Tier 3

    Joe Schobert, ILB. Minkah Fitzpatrick, S. Terrell Edmunds, S.

    Sits

    Stephon Tuitt, DI. Tyson Alualu, DI. Melvin Ingram, EDGE*, Robert Spillane, ILB.

    Tuitt is on IR so will likely be in the sit tier for 3 weeks minimum. Big loss for the Steelers defense, he had a career year in 2020 and is still underrated. Ingram looked like an interesting play while the Watt concerns were circulating but he drops to the sit tier now. However, he's not as washed up as some are claiming. Could see him creep into lower tiers at times.

    Bills
    Starts

    Tier 1

    Jordan Poyer, S.

    Rock-solid starter. Can't go wrong with a bit of Poyer.

    Tier 2

    Tremaine Edmunds, ILB

    He's likely a starter on your fantasy team and as an every-down off-ball LB there is nothing wrong with that. Is he as good as his reputation? I have my reservations. But willing to give him another season given he played through injury last season. I hope he proves me and any other doubters wrong.

    Tier 3

    Ed Oliver, DI. Matt Milano, ILB. Micah Hyde, S.

    Milano should make his way back to tier 2 before long. I've got enough reservations about last season to leave him here for now.

    Sits

    Star Lotulelei, DI (out with a calf injury). Gregory Rousseau, EDGE. A.J. Epenesa, EDGE. Jerry Hughes, EDGE. Carlos Basham, EDGE

    A quite talented bunch of EDGE rushers here, but too many mouths to feed on a team who rotate EDGE rushers as much as they do. Rousseau has shown me something that makes me want to place him in tier 3 but let's wait and see. Hughes was sneaky-good for a while there but hasn't been quite the same player for a few seasons now. It's too early for Basham yet.

    Philadelphia Eagles at Atlanta Falcons

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    Eagles
    Starts

    Tier 1

    None.

    Tier 2

    Fletcher Cox, DI. Alex Singleton, LB.

    I'm probably slightly higher on Singleton than some.

    Tier 3

    Javon Hargrave, DI. Derek Barnett, EDGE, Brandon Graham, EDGE. Josh Sweat, EDGE.

    I love the talent Sweat has, I think he'll eat into Graham and Barnett's time a bit more this year.

    Sits

    Eric Wilson, ILB. Anthony Harris, S. Davion Taylor, ILB. Rodney McLeod, S (ruled out with an injury).

    Falcons
    Starts

    Tier 1

    Grady Jarrett, DI.

    Tier 2

    Dante Fowler, EDGE. Deion Jones, ILB.

    Tier 3

    Foye Oluokun, Duron Harmon, S. Erik Harris, S.

    Oluokun is not a bad LB and some would argue he should be tier 2. I'm unsure he can produce as many splash plays as last season which buoyed his fantasy stock. Grant's buzz has faded slightly. He's listed as the backup on the Falcons official depth chart. If he remains there it will be a slight surprise.

    Sits

    Tyeler Davison, DI. Jacob Tuioti-Mariner, EDGE. Richie Grant, S.

    Grant is listed as a backup on the depth chart for now. I'll be monitoring snap counts of Harmon, Harris, and Grant closely.

    Sunday Mid Afternoon Games

    Cleveland Browns Kansas City Chiefs

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    Browns
    Starts

    Tier 1

    Myles Garrett, EDGE.

    Tier 2

    Malik Jackson, DI. John Johnson, S.

    Tier 3

    Jadeveon Clowney, EDGE. Anthony Walker, ILB. Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, ILB.

    Clowney was limited in practice with an illness (not COVID-19). He is listed as questionable. Keep an eye on updated news nearer gameday.

    Sits

    Andrew Billings, DI. Jordan Elliott, DI. Takk McKinley, EDGE. Grant Delpit, S (questionable). Ronnie Harrison, S.

    Elliott and possibly Delpit have the ability to move up a tier if they get a decent amount of playing time. Delpit was limited in practice with a hamstring injury. Harrison is also listed as questionable with an ankle injury.

    Chiefs
    Starts

    Tier 1

    Chris Jones, DI

    Yes, Chris Jones is listed here twice. In some formats/leagues, he's still a DT or at least a DI. In others, he has been moved to DE or EDGE. Chiefs hinted this would be the case and of the 24 snaps he has played in the preseason, only three were at tackle. If he's a DT or DI in your league, he's clearly in tier 1. However…..

    Tier 2

    Chris Jones, EDGE. Tyrann Mathieu, S.

    … if Jones is a DE or EDGE in your league, he's in the upper echelon of Tier 2 players. If he splits time more than he has this preseason, we'll re-evaluate ahead of week 2. Mathieu is listed as questionable with an illness so monitor the situation closer to kick-off.

    Tier 3

    Derek Nnadi, DI. Jarran Reed, DI. Frank Clark, EDGE (questionable). Daniel Sorensen, S.

    I didn't imagine Clark would be eligible to play week 1. Nevertheless, here we are. He has a hamstring injury and was limited in practice.

    Sits

    Nick Bolton, ILB. Willie Gay, ILB. Ben Niemann, ILB. Anthony Hitchens, ILB. Juan Thornhill, S.

    Gay is on IR, and I don't trust any of the other ILBs to play significantly more snaps than any other in week 1. So I'm not keen on starting any of them unless I'm stuck with no better option. Thornhill is talented but Sorensen plays in the box. While the Chiefs play 3 safety packages more than most, you will likely have better options than Thornhill.

    Green Bay Packers at New Orleans Saints

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    Packers
    Starts

    Tier 1

    Kenny Clark, DI. Za'Darius Smith, EDGE.

    Clark had a down year in 2020 by his own standards but he finished strong. Smith is questionable with a back injury.

    Tier 2

    Adrian Amos, S. Rashan Gary, EDGE.

    Gary could be fun to watch this season if he becomes the player he has hinted at so far.

    Tier 3

    Krys Barnes, ILB. De'Vondre Campbell, ILB. Preston Smith, EDGE.

    Sits

    Dean Lowry, DI. Darnell Savage, S. Oren Burks, ILB.

    Saints
    Starts

    Tier 1

    Cameron Jordan, EDGE. Demario Davis, ILB.

    At some point, Davis will begin to drop off due to age. But he's still going strong for now. So until he proves otherwise, he's still tier 1.

    Tier 2

    Malcolm Jenkins, S.

    Jenkins is now 33 but is still a high-end tier 2 Safety most weeks.

    Tier 3

    Marcus Davenport, EDGE. Marcus Williams, S. Kwon Alexander, ILB.

    Sits

    David Onyemata, DI. Peyton Turner, EDGE. Pete Werner, ILB. Zach Baun, ILB. P.J. Williams, S.

    Werner's value was hurt by the Kwon signing. I fancy Turner to impress at times this season.

    Denver Broncos at New York Giants

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    Broncos
    Starts

    Tier 1

    Von Miller, EDGE. Justin Simmons, S.

    Von slots straight back into tier 1. He's a dark horse candidate for comeback player of the year in my humble opinion.

    Tier 2

    Shelby Harris, DI. Bradley Chubb, EDGE. Alexander Johnson, ILB.

    Chubb was limited in practice with an ankle injury. Check his status before kick-off.

    Tier 3

    Dre'Mont Jones, DI. Josey Jewell, ILB. Kareem Jackson, S.

    Jones has the talent to move up, wouldn't be surprised to see it happen soon.

    Sits

    Justin Strnad, ILB. Malik Reed, EDGE.

    I wouldn't be surprised to be switching Strnad with Jewell in these rankings at some point this season.

    Giants
    Starts

    Tier 1

    Leonard Williams, DI. Dexter Lawrence, DI. Blake Martinez, ILB.

    Tier 2

    Jabrill Peppers, S.

    Tier 3

    Lorenzo Carter, EDGE. Oshane Ximines, EDGE. Azeez Ojulari, EDGE.

    I've always quite liked Carter and I also like Ojulari. My gut tells me these two separate at some point.

    Sits

    Danny Shelton, DI. Reggie Ragland, ILB. Tae Crowder, ILB. Logan Ryan, S. Xavier McKinney, S.

    People won't like me suggesting to sit McKinney this week. It may be the only week I do so.

    Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots

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    Dolphins
    Starts

    Tier 1

    None.

    Tier 2

    Christian Wilkins, DI. Raekwon Davis, DI. Emmanuel Ogbah, EDGE. Jerome Baker, ILB.

    Tier 3

    Jaelan Phillips, EDGE.

    Clearly, Phillips has the talent to rise in these tiers and I look forward to him earning my/our trust as an every-week starter. Phillips is one of very few rookie DEs who isn't a recommended sit in my IDP start and sit advice article.

    Sits

    Andrew Van Ginkel, EDGE. Eric Rowe, S. Jason McCourty, S. Brandon Jones, S. Jevon Holland, S.

    I don't trust any of these Safeties to deliver in fantasy terms on a near consistent basis.

    Patriots
    Starts

    Tier 1

    None.

    Tier 2

    Davon Godchaux, DI. Matt Judon, EDGE.

    Tier 3

    Lawrence Guy, DI. Kyle Van Noy, EDGE. Donta Hightower, ILB. Adrian Phillips, S. Kyle Dugger, S.

    I've enjoyed Phillips as a box safety (linebacker) for years, but he isn't a full-time player which concerns me. Dugger can do some of what Phillips can which gives me further pause for thought.

    Sits

    Christian Barmore, DI. Deatrich Wise, EDGE. Josh Uche, EDGE. Chase Winovich, EDGE. Ja'Whaun Bentley, ILB. Devin McCourty, S

    Uche has some potential but I struggle to see it happen early in the season. I imagine all of these EDGE guys will play a little but none will stand out from the crowd. Bentley is a guy some people will never give up on. Ever.

    Sunday Night Football

    Chicago Bears at Los Angeles Rams

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    Bears
    Starts

    Tier 1

    Khalil Mack, EDGE. Roquan Smith, ILB.

    Roquan should be a rock-solid ILB again this year and for the foreseeable future. Mack followed up a limited practice with a full practice, but his game status is listed as questionable.

    Tier 2

    Akiem Hicks, DI

    Tier 3

    Bilal Nichols, DI.  Eddie Jackson, S. (questionable - wrist). Tashaun Gipson, S (back).

    Jackson will put up tier 2 worthy weeks but not with great regularity. Jackson was limited in practice earlier in the week with a wrist injury, but has since registered a full practice. Gipson was limited in practice with a back injury.

    Sits

    Eddie Goldman, DI. Angelo Blackson, DI. Robert Quinn, EDGE (questionable, back). Jeremiah Attaochu, EDGE. Alec Ogletree, ILB. Danny Trevathan, ILB (IR).

    Rams
    Starts

    Tier 1

    Aaron Donald, DI.

    Tier 2

    Leonard Floyd, EDGE. Jordan Fuller, S.

    Fuller is wearing the green dot.

    Tier 3

    Sebastian Joseph-Day, DI. Kenny Young, ILB, Taylor Rapp, S.

    Sits

    Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, EDGE. Terrell Lewis, EDGE. Troy Reeder, ILB. Ernest Young, ILB. Travin Howard, ILB. Terrell Burgess, S.

    Be patient with Young, it seems it's a matter of time. I quite like Burgess but I don't trust him to start for my fantasy teams yet. Reeder could arguably be a tier 3 player here, tough call.

    Monday Night Football

    Baltimore Ravens at Los Vegas Raiders

    Embed from Getty Images
    Ravens
    Starts

    Tier 1

    Patrick Queen, ILB.

    Tier 2

    Chuck Clark, S.

    Sixth highest pass rush rate amongst Safeties last season. Fourth for sacks. 10th for tackles. He's borderline tier 1.

    Tier 3

    Calais Campbell, DI. Derek Wolfe, DI. (back injury) Malik Harrison, ILB. DeShon Elliott, S. Tyus Bowser, EDGE. Justin Houston, EDGE.

    Elliot was right behind Clark, with the seventh-highest pass rush rate of any Safety in 2020. Eighth for sacks. He's in tier 3 as he was some way behind Clark in tackles. Wolfe has a lingering back injury so check on his status.

    Sits

    Odafe Oweh, EDGE. Pernell McPhee, EDGE. Jaylon Ferguson, EDGE. Geno Stone, S.

    Raiders
    Starts

    Tier 1

    Jonathan Abram, S.

    I think Abram is going to rack up the tackles this year. Solid no.1 Safety for me.

    Tier 2

    Maxx Crosby, EDGE. Cory Littleton, ILB

    Tier 3

    Gerald McCoy, DI. Yannick Ngakoue, EDGE. Clelin Ferrell, EDGE.

    Ngakoue is a streaky EDGE player. I will put up tier 1 numbers one week, then tier 3 weeks the next. Maddening.

    Sits

    Johnathan Hankins, DI. Quinton Jefferson, DI. Carl Nassib, EDGE. Nicholas Morrow, ILB (IR). Nick Kwiatkowski, ILB. K.J. Wright, ILB. Trevon Moehrig, S. Divine Deablo, S.

    Final Reminder

    Please remember to check inactive players before submitting your final lineups Thursdays, Sundays, and Mondays. Players can and will suddenly become inactive after looking good to go all week.

    This IDP start and sit advice article was published days before kick-off and I will do my best to update it and/or tweet/retweet injury updates nearer game time, but I may miss some things.

    These are only suggestions, your lineup is ultimately your responsibility and yours alone. Good luck this week and all season, go get that hardware and cash!


    Thanks for taking the time to read my IDP start and sit advice for week one. I hope you find it useful. You can find more of my work here at IDPguys.org and you can follow me on Twitter @FFIDP_Jase. I will do my best to be available for questions or feedback. My DMs are always open

    Jase Abbey

    I'm an IDP-obsessive and have been playing fantasy football for 20 years. I write the weekly IDP start/sit for IDP Guys in-season, redraft IDP content during the offseason, and appear on the odd podcast from time to time. I am a big, big believer in data-driven and evidence-based content. I'm UK-based, love most sports, and study sports journalism at university. My favorite two things in life are family and sarcasm.
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