FantasyNFL

11 Fantasy Football Players To Stay The Hell Away From In Week 1

by Dan Fogarty | 2:04 pm, September 6th, 2012

It’s finally here. After a torturous summer where you were probably forced to go outside on the weekends, football — and with it, fantasy football — is back, here to keep you firmly glued to your couch, TV, and computer on Sundays.

But wait! Don’t go willy-nilly into your Week 1 fantasy matchup without first consulting our list of players you should avoid playing. Whether due to bad matchups or poor performance as of late, these are the guys that you’re thinking about starting — but shouldn’t.

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1.Ben Roethlisberger (at Denver)

Ben Roethlisberger was bad on the road last season. As CBS Sports' Jamey Eisenberg points out, he had just seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions away from Heinz field last season, and with a banged-up offensive line, he's not a good play in Week 1 vs. Denver. He may look like Frankenstein by the end of this game (which is kind of who he normally looks like anyway, but still).

2.Andy Dalton (at Baltimore)

Yes, he had a great rookie season. Yes, he has A.J. Green. But the Ginger Gunslinger starts off his sophomore year with a tough week 1 matchup: against the vaunted Baltimore D. Although Ray Lewis and the Ravens are another year older, Dalton's performance against them last season (one touchdown and three interceptions in two games) is enough to make us weary. Bench the Red Menace.

3.Carson Palmer (vs. San Diego)

If, for some insane reason, you were thinking of starting The Palm this weekend, please don't. He looked awful in the preseason, and his fantasy value is limited while Darren McFadden is healthy. (Related: Darren McFadden will probably only be healthy for a short while, so I guess it's not all bad for Carson Palmer owners).

4.Adrian Peterson (vs. Jacksonville)

AP's stock will rise as the season wears on, and for many, he was a second round fantasy draft pick, so you'll be itchy to use him. Don't. He's coming off season-ending knee surgery, and is still (technically) in the recovery phase. Although Peterson is a physical freak who's further ahead in his rehab than he should be, Leslie Frazier said he'd be used in a limited fashion (if at all) against the Jaguars, and white running back of note Toby Gerhart figures to get the majority of carries in Week 1.

5.Maurice Jones-Drew (at Minnesota)

Holdout. Holdout. Holdout. Rashad Jennings, MJD's backup, was named the Week 1 starter after Jones-Drew finally ended his training camp holdout, because you can't out-duel a man with a mustache like this when it comes to contract disputes. He'll be the number one back in Jacksonville soon (probably by next week), but you've got to bench him in Week 1.

6.Reggie Bush (at Houston)

Reggie's got two things going against him: he's facing one of the best run defenses in the league, and he's doing it with limited help. With a rookie quarterback and no wide receivers to speak of, it pretty much falls entirely on him to be the offense against the Texans. And guess what? The Texans know this. They'll stack the box 8-deep, and it'll be a long day for Bush.

7.Steve Johnson (at NYJ)

Johnson is the only top wideout in the NFL to have had success against Darrelle Revis, going for 11 catches for 159 yards and a touchdown in their two matchups last season. You know who probably remembers this? Darrelle Revis. You know who's probably going to make Steve Johnson's Sunday a living nightmare? Darrelle Revis. Stay away from Stevie.

8.Greg Little (vs. Philadelphia)

Greg Little is seen as a potential sleeper in many fantasy circles (wasn't that the case last year, too?), but with a rookie quarterback throwing him passes, and with Nnamdi Asomugha in his face most of the day, he's a WR3 at best.

9.Santonio Holmes (vs. Buffalo)

Did you see the Jets in the preseason? If not, please consult this New York Post cover. When an offense is this bad, and it looks like it's focusing more on the run, it doesn't bode well for its best receiver. Stay the hell away from Santonio until the Jets get it together.

10.Redskins Defense (at New Orleans)

They're playing the Saints. At the Superdome. Any time a defense is playing the Saints at the Superdome, it's a recipe for fantasy disaster. Drew Brees probably spent his offseason doing pushups with a photo of Sean Payton on the wall while Redskins game tape played in the background. He'll be ready, and it's entirely possible Washington's D (which really isn't that bad) will get lit up.

11.Rob Bironas (vs. New England)

As Michael Fabiano of NFL.com notes, the Pats gave up the fourth-fewest fantasy points to kickers in 2011 (which is a nice way of saying it's easy to score touchdowns on them instead of settling for three). Sit Bironas, and puck someone out of the free agent pool for Week 1.