Let’s jump right in!
Must Start QB’s
Justin Herbert vs NYJ: He cut the hair but that doesn’t mean he’s lost his swag. Look for Herbert to bully the Jets defense which isn’t as bad as people think, but is still very vulnerable to the pass. He is our start of the week and we think he could finish as the highest scoring QB this week.
Ben Roethlisburger at Jacksonville:
Big Ben has been on an absolute tear this year and he gets a nice matchup this week. The key word with Ben is volume. The Steelers throw it a shit ton and we think that trend continues this week. Look for Ben to at least get 2 touchdowns and 250+ yards.
Joe Burrow at Washington:
Listen, we know Joe is a rookie and he is coming off a mediocre fantasy matchup, but the guy is a fantasy stud in the making. And fantasy studs come up big no matter what the matchup is. He gets a tough defensive line this week, but the secondary is nothing to write home about. Go with Burrow and expect a solid over 25 fantasy points at least.
Others We Like
Lamar Jackson vs Tennessee
Cam Newton at Houston
Must Start RBs
Ezekiel Elliot at Minnesota:
A rejuvenated and rested Zeke should be a productive Zeke, right? Give Zeke one more shot this week as he goes up against a tough Minnesota front line that isn’t unbeatable. Chances are if he’s still on your team then you need to start him anyway, but don’t get cute. His ceiling is too high to sit.
Kalen Ballage vs NYJ:
The Chargers backfield has been a fantasy experts worst nightmare this season, but Ballage seems to have the skill set to keep him the regular starter until Ekeler comes back. He’s facing a Jets defense that should allow some serious yardage. Trust him to be your solid RB2 with low end RB1 upside.
J.D. Mckissic vs Cincinnati: Mckissic isn’t a favorite start with a lot of other fantasy websites, but I have to say if I have him on my roster I am starting him in every single league. His ability to catch the ball and make plays out of the backfield is what gives him such a value, especially in PPR leagues. plug him in the flex spot and watch him find the Endzone at least once caring you to a W this weekend.
James Robinson vs Pittsburgh:
Don’t get too cute here. We know Robinson is going up against the best rushing defense in the league, but if he’s on your team you absolutely need to start him. He may not have a monster performance but the offense in Jacksonville affectively runs through him. Make sure do you have him in as a RB2 and expect solid production out of him.
Others We Like
Mike Davis vs Detroit
Miles Sanders at Cleveland
Antonio Gibson vs Cincinnati
Must Start Wide Receivers
Calvin Ridley at NOLA: I swore I would never include him in a must start blog again because he should be starting in every single league. That being said we are getting tons of questions about him on the Twitter account so let me just reiterate our stance here. START CALVIN RIDLEY ALWAYS!
Terry Mclaurin vs Cincinnati:
At this point I feel like I am just repeating myself. You must always be starting Terry Mclaurin. This is going to be the last week that he appears in our must start blog because he has transcended matchup questions. He’s a stud and should be treated as such.
AJ Brown at Baltimore:
I know he is coming off a massive dud last week and fantasy owners are pissed, but our guy Brown still has elite wide receiver potential. Don’t worry about his match up with Baltimore, this is it your father‘s Baltimore defense they can get got. Plug him in and expect high and WR1 numbers.
Diontae Johnson/JuJu Smith-Schuster/Chase Claypool at Jacksonville: It has finally gotten to this point GCF Fam. No longer do we need to make the call on which Steeler wide receiver to start, but we are starting all of them. Even if you have more than one on your team you need to find a way to fit all of them in. Their ceilings are just too high.
Others We Like
Amari Cooper at Minnesota
Cooper Kupp vs Tampa Bay
Justin Jefferson vs Dallas
Tight Ends We Love
Marks Andrews vs Tennessee: The bust of 2020 looked to show signs of life last week as he was targeted heavily in New England. We think he finds the end zone at least once this week and gets back on track.
Hunter Henry vs NYJ: He plays the Jets. We have been over this all day. Start him with confidence.
Hayden Hurst vs NOLA: The constant Hurst slander has been annoying me all year long. A top 10 tight end with a top 5 ceiling should be started every damn week! Plug him in and expect solid production.
Others We Like
Jared Cook at Atlanta
Logan Thomas vs Cincinnati
Must Start D/ST
Miami D/ST vs Denver
LAC D/ST vs NYJ
Cleveland D/ST vs Philadelphia
LA Rams vs Tampa Bay