2024 Fantasy Football Week 1: Start or Sit Wide Receivers

Each week we’ll break down wide receivers that should start in your fantasy lineup and wide receivers that would be better left on your bench. There are some players like Tyreek Hill & CeeDee Lamb who are matchup proof and should be in your starting lineups every week barring a major circumstance.

Wide Receivers to Start in Week 1:

Malik Nabers

There’s a lot of doubters on Malik Nabers being able to perform with Daniel Jones as his quarterback. We are not one of those doubters and going up against Minnesota where they will most likely be playing from behind the entire game, the Giants are going to be throwing the ball. With them throwing the ball, Nabers is the #1 guy on the whole offense and is going to take over the game. He should have a high target, high yardage game even if he doesn’t score. 

Chris Godwin

Godwin and Evans are both healthy at the same time and it’s exciting news for the Buccaneers. Godwin should be the primary option in the slot for quarterback Baker Mayfield who earned himself a big payday. In a matchup against Washington, Tampa Bay is going to wipe the floor with them and we wouldn’t be surprised to see both Evans & Godwin score in this game. 

Tee Higgins

With Ja’Marr Chase unlikely to play and even if he does play, he’s not going to give it his all until he gets paid, Tee Higgins becomes the new #1 option at receiver in Cincinnati for the time being. In this offense, that alone is worth making Higgins a starter. Now going against New England, one of the worst teams in the league, automatically promotes Higgins into wide receiver #1 status for the week. 

Wide Receivers to Sit in Week 1:

Amari Cooper

The Browns get a tough draw in week 1 against a top 5 defense in the Dallas Cowboys. This is going to be a matchup of two heavyweight defenses in the league and could be low scoring. With the Browns bringing in Jerry Jeudy in the offseason, we’re unsure what kind of role he will play and if this is going to take away from Amari Cooper. With Cooper matched up against Trevon Diggs, we don’t like this matchup for him at all, even if it is against Cooper’s former team. 

Diontae Johnson

Bryce Young is happy that the Panthers decided to invest in talent around him with the offseason acquisition of Diontae Johnson and the drafting of Jonathan Brooks & Xavier Legette. Diontae Johnson jumps into the new #1 role for Bryce Young. Just because he is a #1 receiver does not mean that he is a starter in fantasy. Going against a tough secondary in New Orleans, Diontae Johnson and Bryce Young are going to be in for a long afternoon. 

Christian Kirk

The Jaguars are likely to be in a shootout against the Miami Dolphins, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that Christian Kirk will play an integral part of that. KIrk will be paired up against the highest paid cornerback in the league in all-pro Jalen Ramsay which is going to be a very difficult matchup for the veteran receiver. With Ramsay taking on Kirk, the rest of the offense should succeed, but Kirk will be limited.