Start vs. Sit: Who to Play, Who to Bench Week 1

The season is finally upon us and with that, we're going to take a look at some matchups to target and some matchups to avoid for the Week 1 slate.

PLAYERS TO START

American Athletic

Mike Boone, RB, Cincinnati (vs.Tennessee-Martin): Boone is primed for a big season with Hosey Williams no longer in the picture. There's some concern that senior Tion Green will eat into Boone's workload, but Boone's per-carry production ought to result in a big game even if his volume is less than ideal. Boone averaged a whopping 7.20 yards per carry on 104 rushes last season, making him one of the most explosive backs with at least 100 carries. This weekend's matchup should be a cake walk for the Bearcats, so even if he's not asked to take on 20-plus carries, his big-play ability still makes him a must-start.

ACC

Mike Williams, WR, Clemson (at Auburn): Williams is ready to get back on the field for his senior season after his 2015 campaign ended Week 1 with a fractured bone in his neck. Now that he's healthy, Williams should have a massive season, and it's going to get started Saturday on The Plains. Williams not only has the best quarterback in the country at his disposal, but he faces a legitimate SEC program in Auburn, so he figures to play most of the game. Iif Clemson turns it into a boat race, Williams likely will have a major hand in it.

Big 12

Taj Williams, WR, TCU (vs. South Dakota State): Williams has some risk because this game could get out of hand in a hurry. That said, TCU's passing attack should be almost as dangerous as last year's thanks to the addition of Kenny Hill, and the Horned Frogs are looking for a new No. 1 wideout, which could be Williams. KaVontae Turpin looks to be the early leader, but he'll have a different role than Williams due to his size (5-foot-9, 153). Williams, on the other hand, has the more classic receiver build at 6-3, 180. He was the top JUCO receiver in this year's recruiting class and has already made a big impression on the coaching staff, earning the X receiver starting job. Williams or Deante Gray should have a big season opposite Turpin, and it could be Williams due to his size, skill set and pedigree.

Big Ten

J.T. Barrett, QB, Ohio State (vs. Bowling Green): Although Ohio State is opening up against a Group of 5 opponent, Bowling Green is no slouch and Barrett should play late into the game, giving him the opportunity for impressive numbers. Barrett is breaking in an inexperienced receiving corps and running back group, so the onus likely will be firmly on him to shoulder the load offensively. Furthermore, Cardale Jones is out of the picture, so there's no real threat to Barrett's playing time except in blowout situations.

Conference USA

Aaron Jones, RB, UTEP (vs. Alabama State): Jones is one of the best backs in Conference USA and has a favorable matchup against a weak opponent. He had his 2015 campaign cut short due to an ankle injury, so he'll be looking to make up for lost time starting Saturday. He averaged 6.5 yards per carry before suffering the ankle injury and is just two years removed from a 1,300-yard season. Look for a strong game from Jones to start what should be a big year.

MAC

Cooper Rush, QB, Central Michigan (vs. Presbyterian): Central Michigan draws one of the easiest matchups of Week 1 against Presbyterian. Although it should be a blowout, Rush is more than capable of putting up big numbers before all is said and done. We have rush ranked 13th this week among quarterbacks, making him a near must-start in nearly all formats and an absolute must-start in two-quarterback leagues. Central Michigan wasn't shy about throwing it against FCS Monmouth last year, chucking it 36 times for 328 yards in a 31-10 win. Rush is one of the more established quarterbacks in FBS and likely will kick off his senior season with a big-time performance.

Mountain West

D'Angelo Brewer, RB, Tulsa (vs. San Jose State): Choosing a Mountain West running back was one of the tougher calls because so many have great matchups. Players like Jeremy McNichols, James Butler and Donnel Pumphrey likely will have big games, but Brewer gets the edge as he's the less of obvious choice. He faces a San Jose State defense that allowed 5.09 yards per carry last season and lost four starters. Unlike some of the other matchups, this figures to be close (Tulsa -5.5), which should keep Brewer on the field all game. Brewer has little competition for touches with Ramadi Warren academically ineligible and Zack Langer exhausting his eligibility, and he increased his weight to nearly 200 pounds after playing at 180 a year ago, meaning he should hold up with an increased workload. The Mountain West is littered with great running backs, but Brewer definitely warrants a spot in lineups this weekend.

Pac-12

Myles Gaskin, RB, Washington (vs. Rutgers): The Huskies are massive home favorites (-26.5) despite going against a Power 5 team this weekend, and Gaskin is a big reason why. The rising sophomore was one of college football's best surprises as a freshman last year, taking 227 carries for 1,302 yards and 14 touchdowns. Dwayne Washington's departure for the NFL means Gaskin has even less competition for carries. Even if coach Chris Peterson pulls Gaskin out in the latter stages, Gaskin should only need 15-20 carries to put up the kind of numbers necessary from a top player.

SEC

Ralph Webb, RB, Vanderbilt (vs. South Carolina): Few teams were more inept than South Carolina when it came to stopping the run last season as the Gamecocks were bullied for 217 rushing yards allowed per game. The new Will Muschamp era ought to make for an improved unit overall, but a defense doesn't go from a bottom-dweller to elite overnight. Webb should be able to take advantage of this matchup Thursday, especially considering the team context. The Commodores have an unintimidating passing attack, which often results in Webb seeing a major workload. He averaged 24.13 attempts per game in conference play last year, and with this game looking to be a close matchup, there's no chance Vandy abandons the run. Look for Webb to get close to matching that workload, and with that, he should wear down the Gamecock run defense and reach paydirt.

Sun Belt

Penny Hart, WR, Georgia State (vs Ball State): Ball State routinely got shredded in the passing game last season, which does not bode well for its chances this weekend when it matches up with a high-flying Georgia State offense. Hart is the leader of that receiving corps as he looks to build on a stellar freshman season in which he hauled in 71 yards for 1,099 yards. This matchup sets up in Hart's favor, even if the Panthers are breaking in a new quarterback following Nick Arbuckle's departure. If you own Penny Hart, odds are you're starting him. However, if he somehow fell through the cracks in your draft, now would be the time to scoop him up and get him into your lineup.

PLAYERS TO SIT

American Athletic

Chance Allen, WR, Houston (at Oklahoma): This might be the best matchup of Week 1 from a pure football perspective, but it might be tough for Allen to put up the big numbers we're used to seeing from him against a tough Oklahoma secondary that's returning some All-Conference talent. Allen has some pretty big shoes to fill as well, taking on a bigger role with Demarcus Ayers gone. It's difficult to project how he'll respond to the additional attention, and Saturday's matchup is going to be a test that's perhaps too tough. He'll see plenty of targets, but he faces arguably the toughest secondary he'll see all year, as well. It might be best to look elsewhere for a WR2.

ACC

Justin Thomas, QB, Georgia Tech (at Boston College): Thomas gets one of the tougher matchups of any Power 5 quarterback as he'll square off against a Boston College defense that can make anyone's run game look mediocre. The Eagles allowed a mere 2.39 yards per carry last season, and while some of that average is deflated by the two games when they held Howard and Maine to 14 combined rushing yards, they still stifled the likes of Virginia Tech, Duke and even Clemson to an extent. Even though Boston College is breaking in a new coordinator, the pieces are still in place for the Eagles to have another tremendous season on defense. The plodding pace at which this game will be played also hurts Thomas' upside heading into Week 1. This has all the makings of a low-scoring game that fantasy owners should avoid.

Big 12

Charles Jones, RB, Kansas State (at Stanford): Yes, Jones was named the starting running back this week, but that doesn't come without a catch. Kansas State is deep at running back, and coach Bill Snyder reportedly intends to use up to four running backs in the season opener. Jones might be the best and most experienced of the bunch, but the fact that he will have so much competition for touches makes him a player to avoid. Furthermore, Stanford plays a hard-nosed brand of run defense that should stifle Kansas State's offense for 60 minutes. With Kansas State lacking a true threat in the passing game, Stanford will key in on slowing Jones and the run game.

Big Ten

Corey Clement, RB, Wisconsin (vs. LSU): Clement is finally healthy and ready to start his comeback tour after a disappointing and injury-riddled 2015. That comeback tour will have to wait a week, however, as the Badgers face what will be one of the top defensive fronts in the nation Saturday with LSU coming to Lambeau. LSU not only brings back most of its starters on defense, but former Wisconsin defensive coordinator Dave Aranda will be calling the shots on that side of the ball for the Tigers -- which lines up to be a recipe for disaster for Wisconsin. Clement should see a healthy number of carries as Wisconsin likely will be leaning on the run game with quarterback Bart Houston making his starting debut. Volume alone won't get it done against LSU, however, and it could be a long day for Clement and the Badgers. Make no mistake, Clement is one of the best backs in the Big Ten, but his fantasy relevance isn't going to kick in until next week.

Conference USA

Kalif Phillips, RB, UNC Charlotte (at Louisville): Phillips is the clear-cut top back for UNC Charlotte, but it's going to be tough sledding Saturday against Louisville. The Cardinals bring back a ton of experience on defense, including a stout front seven that's one of the better groups in the ACC. Also, UNC Charlotte likely will trail by a huge margin most of the game, which puts a definite cap on his workload. Phillips will be a legitimate option once UNC Charlotte gets into conference play, but it's best to steer clear of him this weekend.

MAC

Jamauri Bogan, RB, Western Michigan (at Northwestern): Bogan draws one of the tougher individual matchups among MAC backs with Western Michigan heading to Evanston. Northwestern ranked 20th in yards per carry allowed last season, giving up just 3.54 YPC. Northwestern returns only five defensive starters, but coac Pat Fitzgerald will have his team ready to stop the run. Bogan seems to be the clear-cut bell cow for the Mustangs, but it's not a good matchup. Look for Northwestern to fluster Bogan and the Western Michigan rushing attack.

Mountain West

Diocemy Saint Juste, RB, Hawaii (at Michigan): Saint Juste had an eye-popping performance in last week's season opener against Cal, but running roughshod over a soft Golden Bears defense is not the same as finding room to run against a Michigan defense that is simply terrifying. He ripped up the Bears for 118 yards and a score while averaging 8.43 yards per carry and looked to be the clear top back ahead of Paul Harris. However, Saturday's matchup is a different story. Michigan has one of the deepest defensive lines in the country and draftable talent at every level. The Wolverines routinely shut down running backs last season, holding Northwestern's Justin Jackson to just 2.1 yards per carry and Utah's Devontae Booker to 3.1 YPC. The sheer mismatch in the trenches in this game makes Saint Juste a player to leave on the bench.

Pac-12

Max Browne, QB, USC (vs. Alabama): Browne will make his first career start Saturday, but he won't be eased into action as he'll have to take his lumps against an Alabama defense that should be among the nation's best once again. The redshirt junior has a great pedigree as the former No.1 quarterback in his recruiting class and has excellent skill players at his disposal, but a starting debut against a team like Alabama is an almost impossible task. Although there was some attrition to Alabama's defense with the departures of, among others, A'Shawn Robinson and Reggie Ragland, the door is now open for highly touted players like Da'Shawn Hand or Tim Williams to take over. In the end, Alabama's sheer depth and talent will be too much for Browne to figure out. What's more, USC is forced to start a backup at left tackle with Chad Wheeler injured. Everything's adding up to what should be a long day for USC on Saturday.

SEC

Jalen Hurd, RB, Tennessee (vs. Appalachian State): Hurd isn't necessarily in for a long night against Appalachian State, but it's not a great matchup. App State is one of better Group of Five teams, and although Tennessee is deserving of its lofty preseason expectations, it's difficult to project Hurd having a big game Thursday. Appalachian State had one of the better run defenses in the nation last season, allowing a mere 3.44 YPC. It's also a crowded backfield in Knoxville with Hurd sharing carries with Alvin Kamara and Josh Dobbs. Georgia's Nick Chubb might also be a back to leave on the bench given that he might not have the requisite workload against North Carolina to put up big numbers.

Sun Belt

Taylor Lamb, QB, Appalachian State (at Tennessee): Lamb is a top-20 fantasy quarterback, but Thursday might be the one game where he should be left on your bench. The Volunteers have one of the most talented and experienced defenses in the nation, featuring a deep defensive line, a stout linebacking corps and a dangerous secondary. Appalachian State's defense might help keep the Mountaineers within striking distance, but it will be extremely difficult for Lamb and the offense to move the ball. Again, Lamb is a talented passer and one of the best that the Sun Belt has to offer, but Thursday's meeting with the Vols in Knoxville might be too tough a task to warrant keeping him in your lineup.