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

Welcome to this year's first installment of our Start/Sit series. It's an honor to get to write this article again, and I'm excited for another great season starting with this week's monster slate of games. It might not be as loaded as last year's Week 1 slate, but an Alabama-Florida State showdown along with Michigan-Florida, UCLA-Texas A&M and Virginia Tech-West Virginia matchups make it a great opening weekend. As always, I'll get to any questions or comments you have in the comments section below. Without further adieu, let's get into who to start and who to sit in Week 1.

PLAYERS TO START

AAC

Justin Hobbs, WR, Tulsa (at Oklahoma State): Tulsa is one of the few AAC teams punching up a weight class this week, taking on an Oklahoma State squad that enters the year as a top-10 team. Although Oklahoma State is heavily favored, the over/under (69) suggests that Tulsa will put up some points regardless. Dane Evans might be gone, leaving Tulsa with some uncertainty at quarterback entering Week 1, but Hobbs should produce whether it's Chad President or Luke Skipper getting him the ball. Furthermore, Hobbs (6-foot-4, 207) is primed to step into the WR1 role at Tulsa with Keevan Lucas and Josh Atkinson gone. Look for the game flow to force Tulsa to go to the air early and often Thursday, which should lead to a hefty target volume for the big-bodied Hobbs against Oklahoma State's middling secondary.

ACC

Josh Jackson, QB, Virginia Tech (vs. West Virginia): Yes, this will be Jackson's first start for the Hokies, and yes, he's going against a ranked opponent at a neutral site in his debut. However, Jackson is a talented quarterback that fits the mold of what coach Justin Fuente looks for from his quarterbacks. Jackson was in consideration for the starting job during fall camp last year, but Jerod Evans' presence ultimately led to Jackson redshirting. Still, Jackson is talented and mobile, which should create some issues for the Mountaineer defense despite the Hokies losing two of their top three receiving targets from a year ago. Even with that lack of continuity in terms of personnel, Jackson is stepping into a system that is designed to draw massive production from the quarterback in both the passing and the running game. If you've been bullish on Jackson since he won the job, don't hesitate to use him just because Virginia Tech faces a ranked opponent, especially in two-quarterback formats.

BIG 12

Jalen McCleskey, WR, Oklahoma State (vs. Tulsa): James Washington draws most of the headlines from Stillwater, but McCleskey did just fine in relative anonymity last season, hauling in 73 of 99 targets for 812 yards and seven touchdowns. Even with Oklahoma State playing a non-Power 5 opponent, the Cowboys are likely looking to make a statement in Week 1 to silence any critics questioning its place among the top-10 teams in the nation. With that, look for the Mason Rudolph-led Cowboys to keep their foot on the gas and put up points in bunches Saturday. Washington will remain as Oklahoma State's deep threat, but this is a matchup that could allow for several Cowboy receivers -- including McCleskey -- to produce big numbers.

BIG TEN

Rodney Smith, Shannon Brooks, RB, Minnesota (vs. Buffalo): A two-back system tends to result in each back somewhat limiting his counterpart's overall value, but Minnesota is one of the few exceptions. Both Smith and Brooks saw double-digit carries per game last season, and both stand to see even more work this year with Minnesota breaking in a new system with a new quarterback(s). Coach P.J. Fleck will use both Conor Rhoda and Demry Croft behind center Thursday, but the expectation is that Minnesota will lean on the run game to take the pressure off those inexperienced signal callers. It's also worth noting that Smith and Brooks face a defense that allowed 5.09 yards per carry last season, and that includes sack yardage. Look for Smith and Brooks to gash Buffalo each time they get the ball, even if both are capped at about 15 carries.

CONFERENCE USA

Ito Smith, RB, Southern Mississippi (vs. Kentucky): Smith and the Golden Eagles draw a matchup at home against an SEC opponent, but that's no reason to leave him on your bench this week. Sure, last year was last year, but the Wildcats' run defense was awful no matter how you slice it. Kentucky allowed 25 rushing touchdowns in 2016 and opponents averaged 5.15 YPC. While it's tough to get much worse than that as a unit, a new year does not guarantee improvement -- particularly when facing a running back in Smith, who is quietly one of the top returning backs in the nation. He gashed Kentucky for 173 yards and a score in Southern Mississippi's upset win over Kentucky last year, and the Golden Eagles' offense might be more run-centric in general this season with the school's all-time leading passer, Nick Mullens, no longer on campus. Look for Smith to be heavily leaned upon Saturday, and even though he won't be sneaking up on Kentucky like he did last year, he's still capable of producing against the Wildcats as the centerpiece of the Golden Eagles' attack.

MAC

Scott Miller, WR, Bowling Green (at Michigan State): Man, a year ago I wouldn't have dreamed of confidently using a MAC receiver (not named Corey Davis) against the Spartans' secondary. Well, life comes at you fast, I suppose. Sparty's secondary allowed an average QB rating of 136.1 -- worse than Buffalo (!) and Oklahoma State. I'm not so sure the Spartans are ready to turn things around this season, either. Still, the spread here (-17 MSU) says that Sparty should take care of business. For fantasy purposes, that makes Bowling Green's pass-happy attack appealing this week. Miller, who caught 74 passes for 968 yards last year, should see heavy volume Saturday with the Falcons in catch-up mode for most of the afternoon. Bowling Green likely will lose, but Miller should have a fine bottom line when the clock hits zero.

MOUNTAIN WEST

Nick Stevens, QB, Colorado State (vs. Colorado): Stevens led the Rams to a resounding victory over Oregon State on Saturday, shredding the defense for 334 yards and three scores with the help of one of the Mountain West's best receiving corps. He'll get a decidedly tougher matchup this week, and Stevens and Co. won't have the benefit of 2017 game tape to study the Buffs. Colorado's secondary was one of the best in the nation last season, but most of its stars and its architect, Jim Leavitt, are gone. Colorado is a major regression candidate this season, making this a more favorable matchup for Stevens than one might expect at first glance. The Buffs should have their hands full trying to stop stud wideout Michael Gallup, but Stevens showed a strong rapport with several other targets in Week 1 that suggests he can burn a defense even if he has to look somewhere other than Gallup's direction. This should be a back-and-forth affair with points a plenty, and Stevens stands to be the ring leader.

PAC-12

Bolu Olorunfunmi, RB, UCLA (vs. Texas A&M): By any metric, UCLA was a mess on offense last year. Sure, Josh Rosen missed the bulk of the year, but rock bottom shouldn't be as far down as it was for a group as talented as UCLA. I'm bullish on a Bruin turnaround this year, and Olorunfunmi is part of the reason why. He averaged less than 4.0 YPC last year (as did all of UCLA's backs), but Olorunfunmi was ripping off close to 6.0 YPC as a freshman in 2015, and all reports suggest that a trimmed-down Olorunfunmi will lead the Bruins' rushing attack this year. He faces an SEC defense, but let's not forget that the Aggies got ripped for 191 yards per game on the ground last year, and that was with generational talent Myles Garrett eating up double teams on the edge. Olorunfunmi might be more of a waiver-wire target at the moment than a highly rostered asset, but in Pac-12 leagues where Stanford's backfield isn't in play this week, he's a sneaky play at a flex spot.

SEC

Ole Miss Receivers (vs. South Alabama): This might be one of the few chances Ole Miss gets to celebrate on a Saturday this season, so the Rebs are going to take full advantage. With Shea Patterson at the helm, Ole Miss is will have one of the more electric passing games in the country, and its receiving corps is right on par with Auburn and Alabama's in terms of talent. Whether you have D.K. Metcalf, A.J. Brown, Van Jefferson or DaMarkus Lodge, any Ole Miss receiver is worth a start this week against South Alabama.

And if you're wondering, yes I would start Jalen Hurts against Florida State.

SUN BELT

Jalin Moore, RB, Appalachian State (at Georgia): This game might be closer than people are expecting, so there isn't the baked in "Oh, App State's going to have to abandon the run right away" narrative. Also, Moore is the engine that makes Appalachian State's run-centric offense hum. He averaged 5.92 yards per carry on 237 totes last season, including eight 100-yard outings. This will likely be one of Moore's lowest rushing outputs of the season against an experienced and talented Georgia front, but Moore is too talented with too big a role to land on the bench this week.

PLAYERS TO SIT

AAC

Ventell Bryant, WR, Temple (at Notre Dame): This spot was reserved for Houston's Duke Catalon, but the Cougars' season opener was postponed in the wake of Hurricane Harvey. Moving down the list, Bryant strikes me as a bench candidate from the AAC this week. As mentioned in our AAC Preview, Bryant is an excellent player in a potentially tough situation as the Owls could be mixing and matching up to four quarterbacks in the season opener. I don't doubt that Bryant could beat whichever corners the Irish put on him, but I do doubt Logan Marchi/Frank Nutile/Anthony Russo's collective ability to deliver accurate passes in his direction.

ACC

Nyheim Hines, RB/WR, North Carolina State (at South Carolina): Hines and the Wolfpack will square off against a South Carolina defense that's entering Year 2 under coach Will Muschamp. Not only should South Carolina's defense be more comfortable in Muschamp's system, but the Gamecocks will also be getting star linebacker Skai Moore back in the fold after he missed the 2016 season due to injury. While Hines was a big-time recruit who enters his junior season with sky-high expectations, it might be tough for him to produce Saturday. Hines' role as a running back with pass-catching upside gives him a decent floor, but South Carolina's fast and physical defense severely limits Hines' likelihood of giving a decent return.

BIG 12

Kyle Hicks, RB, TCU (vs. Jackson State): Hicks has dealt with some minor nicks and bruises through the latter part of camp, but the expectation is that he'll be healthy enough to play Saturday. However, it's difficult to imagine coach Gary Patterson exposing Hicks to game action-level hits Saturday given how important he is to the Horned Frogs' chances at competing in the Big 12 this season. Toss in the fact that TCU should easily handle Jackson State, and there's even less chance that Hicks plays more than a handful of series -- if any. While it's frustrating for Hicks owners who drafted him early having to sit him Week 1, the likelihood of him seeing limited playing time makes benching him something of a necessary evil.

BIG TEN

Ty Johnson, RB, Maryland (at Texas): Johnson is one of the best running backs in the Big Ten and returns after averaging 9.13 yards per carry -- the highest mark in the nation among runners with more than 100 carries. He's also going against a Longhorn defense that was routinely gashed last season, allowing 189.75 rushing yards per and 23 rushing touchdowns. Part of this depends on where you land on the whole "Is Texas Back?" question following the Tom Herman hire, but I'm of the opinion that the Longhorns' defense should be a far more respectable this season. There's also the matter of Maryland's starting quarterback situation. Tyrrell Pigrome is going to start for the Terrapins on Saturday, and though he has some experience under center, his shaky performance in 2016 leaves some question about his upside for this year. Pigrome went 37-for-71 for 322 yards (4.5 YPA) last season and showed some effectiveness as a runner with 254 yards and four scores. Still, Texas knows that it can stymie the Maryland offense by keying in on Johnson and making the Terrapins throw it. Unless Pigrome can make Texas pay for overloading the box, look for Johnson to have tough sledding on Saturday.

CONFERENCE USA

Shane Tucker, RB, Middle Tennessee (vs. Vanderbilt): Tucker makes his return to the gridiron this weekend after missing all last season with a leg injury. He will move to his natural position of running back, but it'll be a tall task to get fully back up to speed against an SEC defense. Granted, Vanderbilt was middling against the run last year (4.67 YPC allowed) and lost one of the best defensive players in program history in Zach Cunningham, but Tucker still isn't a lock to produce right off the bat. When the season's all said and done, Tucker should be one of the better running backs in the conference. Whether he's ready to carve up an SEC defense in his first game since Christmas Eve 2015 is a whole other issue.

MAC

Jarvion Franklin, RB, Western Michigan (at USC): If you snagged Franklin in your draft, you probably did so in the first 10 rounds with the intention of having him be a regular starter in your lineup. Well, it's probably a good idea to hold off on that until next week with the Broncos opening against the title-contending Trojans. Western Michigan lost one of the best receivers in college football history, along with a four-year starter at quarterback, along with its rockstar head coach. This is a game where WMU might be down three touchdowns in the blink of an eye, and it'll have to abandon the run as a result. If this were last year and Western Michigan was coming to the Coliseum with a full complement of weapons, Franklin might've been a sneaky good play. This year? Leave Franklin on your bench if possible.

MOUNTAIN WEST

Brett Rypien, QB, Boise State (vs. Troy): Rypien and the Broncos enter this season with Mountain West title hopes. A home opener against a Sun Belt team seems like a good starting place for another strong season, but Troy isn't your average Sun Belt squad. Troy sports a defense rich on returning starters, which could slow this Boise State attack more than Vegas suggests. Rypien also lost security blanket Thomas Sperbeck from last year's team, as well as stud running back Jeremy McNichols. While McNichols' replacement, Alexander Mattison, is promising, it might take him some time before he poses the same threat as his predecessor. Boise State's offense might have some growing pains to start the year, and a tough Troy defense should play a hand in it. If you're in a two-quarterback league, Rypien is a fringe starting option. In one-quarterback leagues, he deserves a spot on the bench.

PAC-12

Tre Watson, RB, California (at North Carolina): Watson has been waiting in the wings for a while to become Cal's next feature back, and he could have a bigger carry market share than anything we've seen out of Berkeley in quite some time. However, Cal is ushering in a new era with a new coaching staff and an inexperienced quarterback under center. Getting that new era started all the way across the country against a North Carolina team that features a promising returning front seven is at least a reason for pause if you're considering punching Watson into your lineup. North Carolina knows it draws some fresh blood with Cal starting Ross Bowers under center, so shutting down figures to be the Heels' main priority. Even if Cal tries to spread UNC out with four-receiver sets, Watson may have a tough time gaining traction and finding running lanes.

SEC

Jordan Scarlett, RB, Florida (vs. Michigan): A lot has been made of the number 10 this offseason, as in the 10 starters the Wolverines lost from last year's defense. While that is a jarring amount of experienced personnel to lose, it's not a death knell. Not only did many of Michigan's projected starters on defense see playing time last year, but also this is the year where we start to see Jim Harbaugh's recruits really make up the bulk of the roster. Obviously, Harbaugh did well enough cooking with Brady Hoke's groceries, but having his guys makes a difference. As for Scarlett, he's in line to carry the load again for the Gators, and that'll be a key for them this season with a murky quarterback situation and a receiving corps rife with uncertainty. Michigan knows Florida will need to establish the run Saturday, and it's fair to assume that the Wolverines will do everything in their power to slow Scarlett and Co. -- even if it's with 10 new starters.

Sun Belt

Blake Mack, TE, Arkansas State (at Nebraska): Position scarcity makes this a tough call as Mack is one of the more established pass-catching tight ends in college football. He caught 34 of 53 targets for a whopping 652 yards (12.3 YPT), which is an absurd mark for anyone, let alone a tight end. With Cameron Echols-Luper gone, Mack will draw most of the attention from Nebraska's secondary. If there are any other tight ends on your bench, it might be best to start them over Mack in Week 1.