Entering the first week of the NFL season, many fantasy football questions linger, making start/sit decisions tough.
With that in mind, we have looked at the data and picked our top WRs starts and sits for Week 1 of the 2024 NFL season.
Which Wide Receivers Should You Start in Week 1?
Chris Godwin, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (vs. WAS)
We don’t want to presume the Washington Commanders will pick up where they left off as being one of the worst pass defenses of all time. It’s also unwise to assume they are suddenly a defense to avoid.
The Commanders were the gift that kept on giving last season. They allowed the second-most fantasy points per game to wide receivers. Per TruMedia, they also allowed the third-most points per game to targets in the slot.
After seeing the lowest slot rate of his career last season, Chris Godwin is returning to his primary spot this season. He should feast on a suspect Washington secondary in what could be a sneakily high-scoring game.
Jayden Reed, WR, Green Bay Packers (at PHI)
How much did the Philadelphia Eagles improve their defense? We’re about to find out. By the end of last season, they had surpassed Washington as the worst pass defense in the league.
No team allowed more fantasy points per game to receivers than the Eagles. Against the slot, they were even worse, allowing a full 2.0 points per game more than the next worst team.
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Jayden Reed was the most talented wide receiver on the Green Bay Packers last season. He managed to average 13.6 points per game while lining up in the slot 67% of the time.
The Packers have four WRs who could pop any given week. There’s no guarantee it will be Reed in Week 1, but based on the matchup and the potential for a lot of points, this is a good spot to gamble on his upside.
Which Wide Receivers Should You Sit in Week 1?
Brandon Aiyuk, WR, San Francisco 49ers (vs. NYJ)
Are you going to bench Brandon Aiyuk in Week 1? Probably not. But there are plenty of reasons to be concerned.
For starters, as of the time this was written, Aiyuk still had not returned to practice. We are one week away from opening day, and as of the Thursday before Week 1, Aiyuk had done nothing with his team.
Even with the extension signed and Aiyuk set to practice ahead of the season, how ready is he to play live football? Is he ready to play against the NFL’s No. 1 pass defense from last season?
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The New York Jets allowed the fewest fantasy points per game to wide receivers last year by a wide margin. Now, with a healthy Aaron Rodgers, the offense is less likely to put the defense in tough spots.
With plenty of other offensive weapons in McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel Sr., and George Kittle, the San Francisco 49ers don’t need to force too much onto Aiyuk’s plate early in the season as he gets back up to game speed. He is a risky play in Week 1.
DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Tennessee Titans (at CHI)
This isn’t the worst matchup for the Tennesee Titans based on last season’s data. The Chicago Bears were mediocre against wide receivers. However, they have a true shutdown corner in Jaylon Johnson, and DeAndre Hopkins doesn’t move inside very often. He ran just 19.3% of his routes from the slot last year.
Hopkins also hasn’t practiced in a month due to a knee sprain. Thus, we have a 32-year-old WR in a potentially unfavorable matchup coming off the shelf to face an improved defense while also competing for targets with Calvin Ridley.
I do still like Hopkins to bounce back this season. But in Week 1, he’s better left on fantasy benches.