Fantasy Football Week 1 Start/Sit Advice: Javonte Williams, D’Andre Swift, Joe Mixon

Welcome to Week 1 of the 2023 NFL season. We have been waiting so long for this, and we can finally start to set our lineups and get ready to be right and wrong on so many little details. This column will help you to try and navigate the pitfalls and traps of fantasy football, avoiding those who could crater your matchups and pointing you towards those that are safer options instead.

Week 1 Start/Sit Advice (2023 Fantasy Football)

Javonte Williams (RB – DEN)

Speaking of the Broncos, Javonte Williams might be a very tricky proposition for now. By all accounts, Williams is ahead of schedule and has been doing well. Still, there is a difference between being ahead of schedule and being ready to be explosive and return value upon average draft position (ADP).

If Williams was ready to return to his former form, why did the Broncos recently check in with the Colts about the cost of acquiring Jonathan Taylor?

D’Andre Swift (RB – PHI)

The Eagles gave up the equivalent of a bowl of gruel to acquire D’Andre Swift from the Lions once they decided that the promise of Swift’s upside wasn’t worth dealing with him anymore. Swift ultimately might have more talent and be able to stay the healthiest out of all the Eagles running backs, but it’s fair to point out that the Eagles have a four-strong committee with Swift, Rashaad Penny, Kenneth Gainwell and Boston Scott.

With the Eagles playing the Patriots, perhaps they’re kept in neutral script longer than they typically were in 2022, but what will Swift do within this backfield? Penny is healthy and the best fit for the between-the-tackles runner, while Gainwell is the clear option for the hurry-up offense. What is it that Swift does? Let’s wait and see.

Joe Mixon (RB – CIN)

The Bengals tried to bring back Samaje Perine on the same contract he ultimately agreed to take from the Denver Broncos. And while that seemed like a show of faith, or lack of, in running back Joe Mixon, now the season is here, and outside of a few backup caliber options, the Bengals seem ready to roll with Mixon, who recently agreed to a cut-price deal to remain with the team.

Mixon might be heading towards his late 20s, an age when we want to avoid running backs, but for now, at age 27, he is the clear three-down workhorse on this Bengals team in a divisional matchup against the Browns. We should be comfortable starting him in Week 1.

Over the last three seasons, Joe Mixon has averaged 18.3 Half-PPR fantasy points per game in wins vs. 12.3 FPG in losses

That's the difference between ~RB4 and ~RB20 in scoring

The Bengals are favored in six-straight games to start their season by an average margin of 5 points

— Graham Barfield (@GrahamBarfield) September 4, 2023