Welcome to The Fantasy Football Universe Week 1 Fantasy Football Matchup Guide. This column will not tell you specifically who you should start or sit with, rather it will show you which players have the best and worst matchups from there. This isn’t meant to convince you to sit your studs in favor of streaming options it’s meant to help you determine which lower-ranked players could be streaming options best on a favorable matchup and which studs could be in for a down week based on a bad matchup.
*The information above the player photo is that player’s last name as well as their opponent’s rank against that position. 1 indicates the best matchup, while 32 indicates the worst matchup. The information above the player photo is their opponent and how many points per game they are allowing to that position on average.*
Quarterback Matchups
Must Start: The matchups won’t get much easier for Baker Mayfield. After finishing as QB10 in 2023, Baker looks to get off to a flying start with a Commanders defense that projects to be the worst against quarterbacks this season. Buy into Mayfield early in the season because this may be the best game he will have all year long. Consider Mayfield a top ten option for this week.
Must Sit: Derek Carr is far from a weekly must-start, but as a weekly streaming option he is normally in the mix to be relevant. This week, however, he faces a Panthers defense that was one of the stingiest against quarterbacks last season and projects to be a force once again this season. Carr falls to the range of long-end QB2 in this brutal matchup to kick off the season.
Running Back Matchups
Must Start: Alvin Kamara has been mostly off the radar this offseason for the first time in ten years. In a matchup with the Carolina Panthers who are nearly impossible to pass on, Kamara figures to be a big part of the Saints Week 1 gameplan. He may spend the majority of the season in the RB2 range, but he should kick things off with an RB1-level performance against a run-funnel defense.
Must Sit: Austin Ekeler’s fall from fantasy superstardom has come faster than any player before him. At this point last season he was in the conversation for matchup-proof RB1 overall candidate, a year later, and Ekeler projects to start his first season as a Commander with a dud. Not only are we unsure how this backfield will shake out, but he faces a pass-funnel Buccaneers defense. Leave Ekeler on your bench in hopes that he has something left in the tank, but against a tough matchup he needs to be benched in Week 1 until we know more.
Wide Receiver Matchups
Must Start: It’s scary to think that a rookie wide receiver is a must-start, but for Week 1, that’s exactly what Malik Nabers is. The rookie gets a prime matchup against the Minnesota Vikings and faces little competition for targets in the Giants offense. Fire up Nabers and watch as he hits the ground running en route to a long and productive career.
Must Sit: Rashee Rice has faced a tumultuous offseason and his 2024 NFL season could see that roller coaster ride continue. Not only does he have an insane amount of competition for targets but he gets a matchup with a perenially tough defense to score on. The Baltimore Ravens are not the tonic that will cure what ails Rashee Rice, so let’s steer clear of him as just a low-end WR3 in Week 1.
Tight End Matchups
Must Start: Evan Engram was a stud in 2023 and he looks to get off to a solid start in 2024 with a matchup against one of last year’s most porous defenses. The Dolphins gave up points early and often last year and only remained competitive due to their offensive prowess. Expect a high-scoring shootout in Week 1 between Miami and Jacksonville and that should bode well for Engram after the departure of Calvin Ridley.
Must Sit: Cole Kmet has been one of the most overvalued tight ends in fantasy drafts this offseason and that stock should come crashing down in Week 1. Kmet will go up against a Titans defense that gives up historically little to tight ends and will face them with more competition for targets than he’s ever seen in his career. If you were one of the managers who overpaid for Kmet in your fantasy drafts, your chickens area about to come home to roost.
If you enjoyed our Week 1 Fantasy Football Matchup Guide, check out our weekly Sit & Start column to see all the players we are targeting and fading this week, and check out The FFU YouTube Channel for all of our daily content.
