Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Week 1: Opening Fantasy Football Lineup Decisions to Consider

Week 1 of the 2022 NFL season may be underway, but only one game has taken place. On Thursday night, the Buffalo Bills defeated the Los Angeles Rams 31-10 to kick off the year.

With so many games still to play on the opening-week schedule, fantasy football managers may still have important decisions to make. That's especially the case for those who didn't have any Bills or Rams players on their roster.

There are 14 games on Sunday's slate, followed by a Denver Broncos-Seattle Seahawks matchup on Monday night. And for fantasy football purposes, it's important to make the right choices on which players should be in the starting lineup and who should be on the bench.

Here's some start/sit advice heading into the rest of the Week 1 action.

Things didn't seem to be going well for Antonio Gibson this preseason. After fumbling six times in 2021, the Washington running back lost a fumble in the team's first exhibition game against the Carolina Panthers. Not long after, Gibson began getting special teams work at Commanders practices and appeared to be heading toward return duties.

But Gibson should be a key contributor in Washington's rushing attack this season. The Commanders were likely to give substantial carries to Brian Robinson Jr., but the rookie will begin the year on the reserve/non-injury list after he was shot in an attempted robbery in late August.

Gibson and J.D. McKissic will be the two primary RBs for Washington, with the latter set to handle third-down duties as the receiving back. That leaves plenty of opportunities for Gibson, who has been effective over his first two NFL seasons when he's held on to the ball.

In Week 1, the Commanders should be able to run the ball in their matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars. So Gibson could rack up some decent yards and get into the end zone, making him a solid fantasy option to open the season.

In 2021, Cordarrelle Patterson had a breakout year at age 30. It was unexpected, as the do-it-all running back racked up impressive numbers and became a must-start fantasy player in his first season with the Atlanta Falcons.

Now, can Patterson have similar success in 2022? There's a decent chance, even though he may have to share the workload with Damien Williams and rookie Tyler Allgeier. Each of those backs should get opportunities to contribute.

But the Falcons have a challenging matchup in Week 1. They're hosting the NFC South rival New Orleans Saints, who ranked fourth in the NFL in run defense last season, allowing only 93.5 rushing yards per game.

Patterson will likely have some big performances, and there will be times to start him in fantasy. But it's better to leave him on the bench in Week 1 if you have the depth to do so.

The Arizona Cardinals will have a shorthanded receiving corps to open the season. DeAndre Hopkins will be serving a six-game suspension to begin the year, while Rondale Moore is out with a hamstring injury. Tight end Zach Ertz is also questionable because of a calf injury.

Marquise Brown will be Arizona's No. 1 wide receiver, but he isn't going to catch every pass attempt from quarterback Kyler Murray. And that's why veteran A.J. Green could be a solid fill-in fantasy option for Week 1 when the Cardinals host the Kansas City Chiefs.

Arizona and Kansas City could compete in a high-scoring affair, with both sides potentially airing it out quite a bit. Green may be 34 now, but he showed he could still contribute in 2021 when he had 848 yards and three touchdowns in 16 games in his first season with the Cardinals.

Green will be fresh to open the year, and that could lead to a solid performance. So, if you're still in need of a wide receiver to start this weekend, Green should be under consideration.

There was a major overhaul in the Tennessee Titans' passing game this past offseason. A.J. Brown was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles and Julio Jones was released, while the team signed Robert Woods in free agency and used a first-round draft pick on Treylon Burks.

In addition to Woods and Burks, the Titans will be relying on others such as Nick Westbrook-Ikhine and Kyle Philips, another rookie. Tennessee will clearly run the ball a lot with star RB Derrick Henry, but it isn't clear who will emerge as the top targets for quarterback Ryan Tannehill in the passing attack.

Woods could become a solid option, though it may take some time for him to get acclimated in a new offense. He's a nine-year veteran who fared well during the past four seasons with the Los Angeles Rams, so he's shown what he can do.

But with so much uncertainty for the Titans in Week 1 and a matchup against the New York Giants that should favor a run-heavy game plan, Woods should likely be left on fantasy benches. Once it's clear how Tennessee will distribute receiving targets, there will be a better idea of who to start moving forward.