Prior to week one, the anticipation for the season was high. Questions about the new year began to fill the air. How will the rookies perform? How will players debut on their new teams? What will this season look like? Most, if not all, of our questions were answered last weekend. The rookies outdid themselves, the guys on new teams showed their true talent and this season looks wild.

Now that we know how our guys will play, and with week one under our belt: Let’s hop into who should start, who should sit and who is still a question mark. Some players have lived up to their hype immediately, and others crumbled under the pressure. But the real question is: who will continue to perform under a spotlight?

Quarterbacks:

In a classic rivalry matchup between the New Orleans Saints and the Green Bay Packers, the Saints’ new starting quarterback showed out with Drew Brees-esque numbers. Tossing five touchdowns and 148 yards, Jameis Winston had the best start of his career in week one. After his lasik eye surgery, Winston is in his first full season with 20/20 vision, and he did not disappoint. Winston is definitely starting on your team this week against the Carolina Panthers weak defense.

Flipping the ball, let’s talk about the Packers quarterback. Perennial MVP Aaron Rodgers’ first start of the new season was abysmal to say the least. Rodgers threw for only 133 yards, had two interceptions and didn’t score any touchdowns. Rodgers hasn’t had a game this bad since week five of last season against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who had the top defense in the NFL. It hurts me to say it, but the 37-year-old quarterback just isn’t the man he used to be. Rodgers should spend some time on your team’s bench.

On a more positive note, the rookie sensation and first overall draft pick Trevor Lawrence showed that he’s ready to compete in the NFL. Although recording his first ever regular season loss, including high school and college, Lawrence threw for 332 yards and three touchdowns as well. The young gun is looking like a promising candidate for the king pin that the Jaguars need for success, which is why I believe he should start in week two.

Running backs:

Leaving the air game and headed to the ground, let’s talk about the running backs. For Cleveland, Nick Chubb showed out this week. Seemingly untouchable, Chubb carried the ball 15 times, going for 83 yards and two touchdowns. As Chubb looks to have a breakout year in 2021, he is definitely a guy to keep your eye on, and start this week.

Bengals head rusher, Joe Mixon, also had a great game. Running for 127 yards and finding the endzone once, Mixon proved to the league that he can be a Pro Bowl candidate with ease, as long as Cincinnati gives him the opportunity to be great. If you benched Mixon last week, I bet you feel sorry for doing so. Do yourself a favor and put Mixon in your starting lineup this week.

Saquon Barkley; Where do I even start? He cost me the game in one of my leagues. He completely underperformed this week. Even though I want to be positive and say that I think he can bounce back, I really do not believe that he will. Not against Washington’s stellar defense. There isn’t much to say about his ten carry 26 yard performance, other than that you should sit him for week two.

Wide receivers/Tight ends:

For the tight ends, I have one thing to say right away: T.J. Hockenson is a beast. Putting up over 20 points in the tight end spot alone is hard, but Hockenson made it look like it was easy. The new duo of quarterback Jared Goff passing to Hockenson is one to keep your eye on all year long. If Hockenson can continue to impress then he will become a top five tight end in no time. He is definitely one of my starters this week.

For receivers, Deebo Samuel from the San Francisco 49ers was impressive in his season debut. Catching the ball on nine of the 12 targets, Samuel racked up 189 receiving yards and added a touchdown into the mix. The young wideout has been somewhat lack-luster in years past, but after a hard off season, Samuel proved that he can be one of the league’s elite receivers this year.

Lastly, in his Tennessee Titans debut, wide receiver Julio Jones didn’t do much. Once a dominating deep threat receiver, Jones showed to us this week that he isn’t the same player that he was five years ago. Jones had three catches on only six targets from his quarterback Ryan Tannehill. With only 29 yards and no touchdowns, I need Jones to prove to me that he still has what it takes to be elite in the NFL before I start him on my fantasy team again.

And now that we know how some players will perform this season, we have our set lineup. A lot of week one is just guessing who’s going to score the most in your team, and now that we have real information, this week is about knowing more than the person you’re playing against. Good luck to each and every one of you as you head into week two of action in your Fantasy Football leagues. See you next week.