Sunday Night Football Fantasy Picks: Start 'Em, Sit 'Em for Bears vs Rams Week 1

The Chicago Bears go on the road to take on the Los Angeles Rams at 8:20 p.m. EST during a Week 1 Sunday Night Football showdown. FanDuel Sportsbook has the Rams as heavy 8.5-point home favorites, meaning this one could get out of hand quickly.

If you need some help with your fantasy lineups, here's some start 'em, sit 'em advice for this NFC Week 1 clash.

Allen Robinson Fantasy

Start Allen Robinson, WR, Chicago Bears: This is a tough matchup for almost any offensive player on the Bears. However, fantasy managers should never be looking to bench Allen Robinson. The eighth-year wide receiver is the focal point of this Bears’ offense and averaged 78.1 yards on 9.4 targets per game last season. It’s possible Robinson may be able to avoid Jalen Ramsey in coverage given the cornerback’s history with No. 2 WR Darnell Mooney. With a spread set at over 7 points, Chicago is expected to trail for the entirety of the game on Sunday night. If that is the case, Robinson’s volume should be enough to overcome the underwhelming matchup.

Tyler Higbee Fantasy

Start Tyler Higbee, TE, Los Angeles Rams: The Rams showed faith in what tight end Tyler Higbee brings to the field by not re-signing Gerald Everett in free agency. The 28-year-old has almost no competition for snaps and draws a great matchup in Week 1. Chicago posted solid defensive numbers in 2020, but it failed to cover tight ends well. In fact, the Bears gave up the second-most fantasy points to opposing TEs in 2020 (10.20 average) as well as 12 touchdowns (Third-most in NFL). Higbee was drafted as a borderline TE1 in many drafts and he has a great opportunity to post starting-caliber numbers on Sunday night.

Cole Kmet Fantasy

Sit Cole Kmet, TE, Chicago Bears: Cole Kmet looks poised to have an improved second season in Chicago, but he is still splitting reps with veteran Jimmy Graham on offense. His workload should increase as the season goes on. For now, he is a sit candidate going up against a Rams’ defense that gave up the 11th-fewest amount of fantasy points to opposing tight ends in 2020. Overall, the Rams posted the fourth-best pass defense DVOA rating. Although the Bears could be throwing the ball a lot on Sunday night, look for quarterback Andy Dalton to target other options rather than Kmet.

Matthew Stafford Fantasy

Sit Matthew Stafford, QB, Los Angeles Rams: It’s no secret that many fantasy football managers are banking on Matthew Stafford having a big year in his first season with the Rams. That doesn’t mean he is an automatic start in Week 1, though. Head coach Sean McVay will likely lean on his rushing attack in a game that could get out of hand quickly. That would allow Stafford to ease into action running a completely new offense. The Bears’ defense is no joke, either. Chicago posted the eighth-best overall DVOA rating during the 2020 season. Stafford’s low floor makes him a quarterback that should stay on the bench this week.

SIGN UP AND GET AN INSTANT DEPOSIT BONUS UP TO 500! We'll match 20% of your first deposit on FanDuel Fantasy Sports. Max bonus $500

Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.