Fantasy football is back! (Excuse us while we celebrate properly)
OK, all good now.
It's finally time to set (and overthink) our lineups and get down to it.
If you have any questions, hit us up on @CSNFantasy and tune in to our weekly Fantasy Fix Facebook Live shows every Thursday.
Let's get into the first Start/Sit of 2016 and as always, Liam Neeson wishes you luck:
NFL
START
Derek Carr, QB, OAK (@ NO) - Start anybody against the Saints. Anybody you have (worth owning, of course; don't start some second string tight end). The Saints defense was absolutely horrendous last season and while, yes, they probably won't be as bad this season, they're still going to be a fantasy goldmine. Plus, you know, I like Carr this season. Like...a lot. (Tony Andracki)
Marvin Jones, WR, DET (@ IND) - Jones could very well be the top target for Matthew Stafford all season and this is as good a matchup as any he'll face in the early going with his new team - a banged up Colts squad that isn't all that great on defense even when healthy. (Andracki)
Jordan Matthews, WR, PHI (vs. CLE) - Matthews finds himself in a perfect situation heading into Sunday's season opener. As the de facto No. 1 wideout in Philly, Matthews will likely see around 10-plus targets a game. The Browns present a perfect matchup for Matthews to kick off the season on a high note as they were dead last against fantasy wide receivers in 2015, and didn't really do much to improve their porous secondary in the offseason. (Scott Krinch)
Matthew Stafford, QB, DET (@ IND) - I'm buying as much stock as I can in Stafford this week. There's a good chance Stafford is hanging around on your league's waiver wire. Scoop him up while you still can. I know Megatron is gone, but the combination of Marvin Jones, Golden Tate, Theo Riddick and an improved Eric Ebron should be enough to make Stafford a viable weekly quarterback streamer. The Colts secondary without Vontae Davis and a front seven missing their top two leading sackers from last season are going to have a difficult time slowing down Jim Bob Cooter's pass-happy offense in Week 1. (Krinch)
Spencer Ware, RB, KC (vs. SD) - Jamaal Charles might not play and even if he does, Ware figures to be a huge factor. Plus, the Chargers defense was poor against the run last year and things haven't changed much before Week 1 here. Ware was a stud last year (5.6 yards per carry) in limited duty and can't get a much better opportunity to start. (Andracki)
DeAngelo Williams, RB, PIT (@ WSH) - If you've got Williams you need to take advantage of him while you can. With Le'Veon Bell suspended for three games, Williams is a must-start at running back. He registered nine touchdowns in his 10 starts when Bell was suspended/injured in 2015. I'm expecting Williams to pick up where he left off last season when he goes up against Washington's shoddy run defense which houses two atrocious career run defenders in Ziggy Hood (-57.2) and Kedric Golston (-70.7), according to Pro Football Focus. (Krinch)
[FANTASY FOOTBALL: 10 Bold Predictions for the 2016 campaign]
SIT
Mike Evans, WR, TB (@ ATL) - I've gotten a lot of flack for deciding to sit Evans this week. I understand it. He's one of the best wideouts in the league and there aren't many instances that he wouldn't be in my lineup. This week is a rare occasion. Evans is going to have his hands full against Desmond Trufant. The third year cornerback is coming off a spectacular season and his first Pro Bowl nod after allowing just a minuscule two touchdowns in coverage. Proceed with caution in Week 1. (Krinch)
Jeremy Hill, RB, CIN (@ NYJ) - The Jets are consistently good against the run and Hill has consistently been inconsistent. Hill is not one of those guys who is a must-start entering Week 1 when everybody is healthy and nobody is on Bye. I like him this year overall, but I want to wait a week to see how he will be deployed in that offense with Gio Bernard still around. (Andracki)
DeMarco Murray, RB, TEN (vs. MIN) - I'm not going to have to tell you to sit Murray most weeks. His play will make that decision easy for you, especially this week against Minnesota's stout front seven. If you own him, I really hope you grabbed Derrick Henry as a handcuff. The reigning Heisman Trophy winner is going to be handed the keys to the backfield sooner rather than later. (Krinch)
Jordy Nelson, WR, GB (@ JAC) - Nelson probably won't be on the field for every snap coming off a major knee injury when the Packers are hoping to have their top-flight WR around and healthy for their Super Bowl run. They're gonna work him in slowly and the Jaguars are going to surprise some people on defense this week. All that adds up to a poor matchup this week. (Andracki)
Cam Newton, QB, CAR (@ DEN) - Look, you're not gonna sit Cam Newton in most cases. Why would you? You drafted him to be your No. 1 QB, he's not on Bye and we're all excited about the new NFL season and Cam's playing in the first real live NFL game since February. But this matchup is rough and if you have another QB worth rolling with and you feel so inclined to go bold, opt for your backup Q. (Andracki)
Philip Rivers, QB, SD (@ KC) - Whenever Rivers has the Chiefs on his schedule I'm parking him on my bench. In two 2015 matchups, fantasy football's No. 9 ranked quarterback failed to throw a touchdown pass and was picked off twice. I'm staying away and so should you. (Krinch)