Thursday Night Football Fantasy Picks: Start 'Em, Sit' Em for Texans vs Chiefs

The 2020 NFL season is finally here, and Week 1's "Thursday Night Football" matchup brings us a really interesting game for fantasy football purposes.

The over/under for the Kansas City Chiefs vs Houston Texans matchup is the highest of the week, sitting at 53.5 points on FanDuel Sportsbook.

With that in mind, here are the top start 'em, sit 'em fantasy picks for tonight's season opener.

Who Should I Start Fantasy Football

Start Randall Cobb, WR, Houston Texans: Most of the "start" options in this game are pretty straightforward. You're obviously not sitting guys like Patrick Mahomes, and even a guy like Will Fuller is a pretty easy choice. Randall Cobb may be flying under the radar, though. The Texans' WR corps is loaded with downfield talent like Fuller, but there's not much competition for the short-yardage targets that Cobb could command from the slot. As 9.5-point underdogs, the Texans will likely be forced to throw a ton, and Cobb could put up a really strong reception total in this game, making him especially valuable in point-per-reception (PPR) leagues.

Start Darrel Williams, RB, Kansas City Chiefs: As I said, you're obviously starting the Chiefs players that you drafted in the early rounds. Darrel Williams is a really interesting dart throw tonight, however. Clyde Edwards-Helaire is a rookie running back stepping into an intricate offense with no preseason snaps under his belt. Darrel Williams is the No. 2 RB in KC, and he could see some significant run tonight. The Chiefs could be more run-heavy than usual if they get ahead early as such big favorites, and that could further increase the role of Williams, who is more of a between-the-tackles runner and less of a receiver than Edwards-Helaire. That difference in style could also make Williams the favorite for any potential goal line carries, adding some nice touchdown upside to his fantasy outlook.

Sit Brandin Cooks, WR, Houston Texans: Replacing DeAndre Hopkins, Brandin Cooks could offer some big value this season. He's banged up heading into Week 1, however, and even if he suits up, you're better off leaving him on the bench. He'll have plenty of competition for targets, and there's no telling how much a soft tissue injury like he's nursing will slow him down, which could severely limit his value as a deep threat.

Sit Mecole Hardman, WR, Kansas City Chiefs: Mecole Hardman was an interesting boom-or-bust pick in the late rounds of fantasy drafts this offseason, but you'll want to keep him on your bench in Week 1. To realize his upside he's going to need to pass Sammy Watkins in the pecking order, and there's just not much indication that he's done that yet. Hardman can be a strong fantasy option if he takes over WR2 duties in KC, but until he does his floor is going to be incredibly low in any given week.

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Jason Schandl is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Jason Schandl also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username Jaymun. 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 his articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.