Dave Richard issues Week 1 fantasy football start-sit recommendations across NFL slate
Fantasy analyst Dave Richard outlines his Week 1 starter, flex and bench picks for each NFL matchup, highlighting players he deems must-starts and cautions.
Fantasy analyst Dave Richard released his Week 1 player rankings, advising fantasy owners to base lineups on matchups rather than draft position. He evaluated each game, noting health, defensive schemes and recent personnel moves as key factors.
For the Seahawks-Patriots game, Richard warned that rookie running back Jadarian Price is unlikely to match the production of veteran Kenneth Walker III and suggested keeping George Holani as a stash. He praised the Patriots' new receivers A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs, saying they should boost rookie quarterback Drake Maye’s output, but cautioned that Brown performs best against Cover-3 zones.
"Start A.J. Brown with No. 2 WR expectations and expect a good game from Maye," Richard wrote.
He listed Jaxon Smith-Njigba and A.J. Brown as must-starts, and recommended the Seahawks and Patriots defenses as starters.
In the Rams-49ers matchup, Richard highlighted the Rams' recent travel schedule and the impact of new defensive additions such as Myles Garrett, Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson. He noted a potential slowdown for Mike Evans after a decline in efficiency last season. He named Christian McCaffrey, Puka Nacua and the Rams defense as must-starts.
Regarding the Lions-Saints game, Richard pointed to injuries in Detroit’s secondary and the Saints’ modest defensive upgrades. He projected strong performances for Chris Olave, Travis Etienne and rookie Juwan Johnson, while marking Jahmyr Gibbs and Amon-Ra St. Brown as must-starts.
He advised against starting Baker Mayfield in the Bengals-Chiefs game, citing the Bengals’ improved interior line and a defensive scheme that could limit Mayfield’s production. He recommended Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Chase Brown as must-starts.
For the Ravens-Colts contest, Richard emphasized Baltimore’s zone-heavy defense under new coach Jesse Minter and the favorable history of Lamar Jackson against Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo. He listed Lamar Jackson, Jonathan Taylor and Derrick Henry as must-starts.
He continued with similar analyses for the remaining games, providing starter, flex and sit suggestions for each roster slot. Throughout, Richard stressed that his recommendations are based on available data and that lineup decisions should reflect the most current matchup information.