Top Options Include Anthony Richardson, Tyler Higbee, and Others

Injuries to Travis Kelce, George Kittle, Mark Andrews, and T.J. Hockenson have fantasy football managers wondering who to start or sit in Week 1 of NFL action.

Fear not, my friend, I’m here with some strong start/sit options at the TE and QB positions for the 2023 season opener. Let’s take a closer look.

Which QB Should You Start in Fantasy This Week?

Jared Goff, Detroit Lions

Normally, I wouldn’t recommend going with a starting QB on the road at Arrowhead to start the season. However, I could see this being one of the highest-scoring games of the opening slate.

If Chris Jones doesn’t dress for this matchup, I do have some concerns about the Chiefs being able to consistently pressure Jared Goff. Expect Goff to keep the Detroit Lions competitive in this matchup in a high-scoring affair.

Which QB Should You Sit in Fantasy This Week?

Anthony Richardson, Indianapolis Colts

Anthony Richardson enters the season as the Indianapolis Colts starting QB, but that doesn’t mean he should enter the season as your fantasy starter.

Richardson possesses an exciting dual-threat skill set that should generate a handful of monster fantasy performances during the 2023 season. I’m just skeptical of that performance coming in his first-ever NFL start against a playoff team from a year ago.

MORE: Week 1 Start/Sit — WR | RB

Richardson also won’t have the luxury of simply turning around and handing the ball to Jonathan Taylor to get him into manageable third-down situations regularly in this contest.

Expect there to be some growing pains in Richardson’s NFL debut. Just know that you don’t have to experience those pains with him in Week 1.

Which TE Should You Start in Fantasy This Week?

Tyler Higbee, Los Angeles Rams

The status of leading WR Cooper Kupp is completely up in the air for Week 1 after suffering a setback to his hamstring injury. While this probably won’t do the Los Angeles Rams’ offense any favors as a whole, it could help secure Tyler Higbee’s Week 1 passing-game workload to start the season.

The strength of the Seattle Seahawks’ passing defense is at cornerback, meaning I don’t think Higbee will see much of Tariq Woolen or Devon Witherspoon (if he plays at all). Higbee should be a safety blanket for Matthew Stafford in this contest, where the Rams could find themselves trailing for lengthy stretches in the second half.

Which TE Should You Sit in Fantasy This Week?

Pat Freiermuth, Pittsburgh Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers’ starting unit has looked great throughout most of this preseason, but they draw one of the toughest defenses to start their 2023 campaign.

I’m not necessarily fading Pittsburgh’s entire offense, but I feel more comfortable attacking the San Francisco 49ers out on the perimeter rather than the linebackers and safeties who are likely to check Freiermuth throughout this contest.

Trending Searches for QB & TE Start/Sit

Did you know that we have a Start/Sit Optimizer here at Pro Football Network?! It’s completely free to use and it allows you to enter in up to six players to find the best player to plug into your starting lineup!

It also allows us to see the most popular trending searches, which we’ve jotted some of them down here to help provide some clarity on!

Should You Start Deshaun Watson or Tua Tagovailoa?

The Cleveland Browns faithful are hoping Deshaun Watson has returned to his Pro Bowl form after a full offseason program with the organization.

On paper, the Browns’ matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals could certainly top the 50-point mark, but the Browns offense is still expected to run the ball quite a bit with Nick Chubb available.

MORE: Consensus Rankings

The Miami Dolphins on the other hand are absolutely decimated by injuries in the backfield and could enter the season with Raheem Mostert and undrafted free agent Chris Brooks as the only two fully healthy RBs heading into their season-opening matchup against the high-powered Los Angeles Chargers.

Expect Tua Tagovailoa to find himself in a potential shootout with Justin Herbert, meaning he is the better option for Week 1.

Should You Start Darren Waller or Kyle Pitts?

The Atlanta Falcons have one of the most talented RB-WR-TE triumvirates in the league with Bijan Robinson, Drake London, and Kyle Pitts. Unfortunately, we don’t know what to expect from second-year quarterback Desmond Ridder.

The Falcons are facing off against a rookie quarterback making his first start in the NFL, which has helped this game generate one of the lowest over/under lines of Week 1.

The New York Giants passing offense isn’t exactly one to get super excited about, but Darren Waller certainly feels like a good bet to lead the team in targets this season.

Sure, the Dallas Cowboys defense is a solid unit, but we can project that Waller will be involved in a passing attack in a game that should see more scoring opportunities than the NFC South showdown previously mentioned. I’m rolling with Waller in Week 1.

Should You Start George Kittle or Juwan Johnson?

The talented tight end for the 49ers is heading into the season-opening matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers with a nagging groin injury.

If George Kittle wasn’t dealing with any sort of injury, the choice between these two options would be much easier.

Unfortunately, his groin injury does have his status for Week 1 in real jeopardy.

Juwan Johnson has been a favorite target of New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr throughout the preseason and faces a Tennessee Titans pass defense that gave up the most passing yards in the league last season.

If Kittle is active, it will be hard to put him on your bench, but Johnson feels like a great sleeper option at the tight end position this week, and Kittle comes with a far greater chance of suffering an injury for Week 1.

Sure, Kittle has the upside to be a top producer on the field, but why take the risk of putting him in your lineup and seeing him reaggravate the groin injury and exit the game early? Johnson is a quality option for the season opener.