Week 1 Fantasy Picks: Start 'Em, Sit 'Em for Bills vs Steelers

The Week 1 NFL schedule features a matchup between two AFC powerhouses in the Pittsburgh Steelers and Buffalo Bills. This battle is slated to kick off at 1 p.m. EST and the Bills are currently 6.5-point favorites, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. Of course, a game of this magnitude will have a number of fantasy football implications, too.

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

Eric Ebron Fantasy

Start Eric Ebron, TE, Pittsburgh Steelers: There is an opportunity in Week 1 for tight end Eric Ebron to have a big game on offense. The veteran pass-catcher enters as the No. 1 option on the depth chart and has a great matchup. The Bills gave up the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing TEs last season in PPR scoring leagues (14.83 average). In fact, Buffalo gave up eight touchdowns to the position as well. Ebron tied for first amongst all Pittsburgh receivers with 18 red zone targets in 2020. He could easily get in the end zone this week, which makes him a great option as a streaming TE.

Cole Beasley Fantasy

Start Cole Beasley, WR, Buffalo Bills: Even with the addition of Emmanuel Sanders and emergence of Gabriel Davis, Cole Beasley should still see more than enough volume to be a factor for Buffalo. The Bills ranked top-10 in pass attempts per game last season, and that helped Beasley see 10-plus targets in five of his 15 games. The Pittsburgh Steelers defense is a tough one, but Beasley's fantasy value is tied far more to volume than it is to efficiency, making him a safe play in a tough matchup.

Ben Roethlisberger Fantasy

Sit Ben Roethlisberger, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers: There are going to be times when Ben Roethlisberger is a reliable streaming option at quarterback. However, Week 1 is not one of those times. The veteran signal-caller has to go up against a Buffalo defense that tied for third in the NFL with 26 total takeaways last year. Overall, the Bills ranked 12th in the NFL in pass defense DVOA in 2020 and made improvements in the secondary during the offseason. This is a tough first matchup for Big Ben, so it would be best to keep him on the bench this week.

Zack Moss Fantasy

Sit Zack Moss, RB, Buffalo Bills: The Bills' backfield has all the makings of a committee early on in the 2021 season. No one truly knows whether Zack Moss or Devin Singletary will see more carries. No matter what, Moss is not worth the risk of starting this week. He draws a nightmare matchup against a Pittsburgh defense that gave up the second-fewest fantasy points to opposing RBs last season in PPR scoring (18.73 average). The Steelers were stout against the run allowing just 4.3 yards per carry (T-No. 11 in NFL). There's no reason to believe Moss will have much success in Week 1.

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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.