College fantasy football Week 1: Who to start, who to sit?

College fantasy football kicks off with a loaded Week 1 schedule and these are the players you need to start in your lineups and those you should sit.

From locking in daily rosters to managing season-long squads, this week marks the beginning of a busy fantasy college football season for many. Who should you play with confidence, and who should you avoid in Week 1?

Quarterback

Start

Jalen Hurts, Oklahoma: In case you doubted it for a second, Hurts has, in fact, been named the starter for the 2019 Oklahoma Sooners. And as such, he takes the reigns to one of the most potent offenses in all the country. Last season, Kyler Murray led the nation at 13.0 adjusted yards per attempt just a year after Baker Mayfield accomplished the same feat at 12.9 per attempt. This is a very quarterback-friendly offense in a very offense-friendly matchup. Per Sports Insights, the Sooners are 26.5-point favorites against the Houston Cougars, and a monster 82-point over/under has them lined up for 50-plus points in Hurts’ first official game in Norman.

Nathan Rourke, Ohio: There are other very obvious names you should be trotting out there (like Nebraska’s Adrian Martinez versus South Alabama) this week, but let’s venture to the MAC where Nathan Rourke and the Ohio Bobcats host the Rhode Island Rams of the FCS. Naturally, Ohio is favored by 22.5 in a game that figures to approach 70 points. Rourke has completed just  57.4 percent of his passes through two seasons, yet he’s thrown for 40 scores in that time and has used his legs for 36 more. He is the Ohio offense so expect big numbers in a lopsided opener.

Sit

Shea Patterson, Michigan: The Michigan Wolverines are expected to take a step forward in 2019, as is Patterson, but don’t let the 54-point total fool you. On top of the positive game script, we should expect Jim Harbaugh’s offense to continue the same run-heaviness we saw from them last year when they ranked 105th in the country in pass play percentage (according to Team Rankings). The senior signal-caller might get a couple of scores, but the ceiling is capped even in a plus-matchup at home.

Kellen Mond, Texas A&M: This one could go one of two ways, though it doesn’t seem like the risk is worth the potential reward. The Aggies are among the biggest favorites on the board (-33.5) and should coast to a win behind the efficient first-team play, particularly on the ground. There’s no reason we should see Mond play anything more than three quarters in the opener, as he’ll be relied on to lead A&M to a much better finish in its second year under Jimbo Fisher. He’ll be a much better option as the season progresses.

Running Back

Start

Eno Benjamin, Arizona State: Along with Wisconsin back Jonathan Taylor, Benjamin is about as no-brainer as it gets this week. On Thursday night in Tempe, his Arizona Sun Devils are giving 25 points to Kent State, and while that’s more than three scores it’s a shorter spread than those of both A&M and Clemson (-36.5). Regardless of price, Benjamin is a great high-volume play after turning 300 attempts into 1,600 yards and 16 touchdowns in his sophomore campaign.

Patrick Taylor Jr., Memphis: Unlike Benjamin, Taylor was not the go-to bellow-cow in 2018. He sat behind Darrell Henderson and split with fellow back Tony Pollard, but somehow he managed a great season of his own. The senior averaged 5.4 yards per carry for over 1,000 yards and 16 scores. He even added 17 catches for nearly 200 yards and 2 more trips to the end zone. Ole Miss is not the easiest opponent, but the Tigers remain 5.5-point home favorites against a team that allowed 76.7 plays per game in 2018.

Sit

Najee Harris, Alabama: On Tuesday night, news broke Alabama would be without running backs Najee Harris and Brian Robinson who are suspended for the first half against Duke due to missing a team function. The expectation is that Harris will get his work in the second half, but the issue with that is the 34-point spread in the Crimson Tide’s favor. By the time Harris is getting back into the swing of things, Nick Saban could opt to stick with the freshman and other less-experienced backs. In other words, it’s unlikely Harris sees a sizable workload so look elsewhere for your RB1 production.

Zack Moss, Utah: At first glance, Moss checks all the boxes. In addition to eclipsing the century mark as a senior, his Utes are favored by six to open the year against BYU. But the Cougars are no pushover of a defense. They return eight starters from a unit that ranked 28th in rushing S&P+, according to Football Outsiders, not to mention one that held opponents to 6.5 first downs on the ground when playing on their home field.

Wide receiver

Start

Tylan Wallace, Oklahoma State: You can’t go wrong with pairing CeeDee Lamb alongside Hurts, but going with the in-state rival’s top dog looks like an even better proposition. Last year, Wallace saw 150 targets, 86 of which he hauled in for 1,481 yards and 12 touchdowns. He averaged 17.2 yards per catch, a figure that will play into the weakness of Oregon State. In 2018, they were 115th in passing S&P and 74th in passing marginal explosiveness as a defense, per Football Outsiders. A 74.5 over/under and 14-point spread has all the makings of a high-flying shootout on Friday night.

Isiah Cox, Ohio: Like with the Hurts-Lamb connection, when you can it’s usually smart to pair a quarterback with one of the team’s top receivers. For Ohio, there are a couple of candidates, but among Bobcats with 10-plus catches last year, Cox ranked first in yards per catch, yards per target and marginal explosiveness. He’s a small, speedy sophomore that presents a threat hit a home run on nearly every down. When you can double down against Rhode Island, you just do it.

Sit

Jaylon Redd, Oregon: Redd showed a lot of promise as a sophomore last year, and with Dillon Mitchell gone he looks like the top guy on the outside for Justin Herbert and the Ducks. The problem? He opens up the year with an Auburn team that ranked 15th as a defense in passing S&P+ last year, and the same one that returns seven starters, including four upperclassmen in the secondary. Don’t expect Redd to get his just yet.

Darnell Mooney, Tulane: In 2018, Mooney was a big play waiting to happen. En route to averaging 20.7 yards per catch, the senior took eight of his 48 catches to the house while totaling a hair under 1,000 yards. His senior quarterback is back to feed him, but this week’s opposition is best avoided. Florida International was quite average in a number of passing metrics, yet they boast four members of Pro Football Focus’ all-conference defensive team after holding offenses to 194.1 passing yards per game a year ago.

Tight end

Start

Albert Okwuegbunam, Missouri: Wyoming is no stingy defense, but this play has little do with their defense. Over the last two seasons, the junior tight end has put together a combined 72 catches for 881 yards and 17 touchdowns. At 6-foot-5, he’s a big red zone target — one that quarterback Kelly Bryant should look to early and often. It only helps his cause that Okwuegbunam had 7, 50 and a touchdown against this same squad a year ago. He’s worth targeting for a team the oddsmakers project at 35-plus points in Week 1.

Sit

Jared Pinkney, Vanderbilt: Like Okwuegbunam, Pinkney showed out in 2018, producing 50 catches for 774 yards and seven touchdowns. He is one of Vanderbilt’s best pass-catchers, but the George Bulldogs should be well aware of that. This defense is as tough as they come, and just last year they held the talented tight end to a single catch for a dozen yards. They were also effective in holding former Alabama tight end Irv Smith Jr. to three catches and 35 yards. The Bulldogs’ team speed will prove too much for Pinkney to enjoy any success.