The season opener was an interesting one. Kansas City almost managed to pull it off despite missing their two best players not named Patrick Mahomes. The Detroit Lions, led by a host of rookies, looked highly impressive and received a well-deserved confidence booster by coming away with the victory, even if it was against a shorthanded Chiefs team. There were sparks on both sides of the ball, with the players shining the brightest from an IDP perspective being Aidan Hutchinson, Felix Anudike-Uzomah, Mike Danna, and Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, who slotted in as a starting safety alongside Kerby Joseph, and Brian Branch whose emergence left anticipated starter Tracy Walker on the bench. Looking ahead to this weekend, we will take a look at five players fantasy managers should do their best to plug into their lineups and five others who are better left on benches despite promising upside. Let’s dig in.

Start em

Kyzir White (LB – ARI)
Kyzir is set to assume the every down role in Arizona now that the Cardinals brass has decided that Zaven Collins is an edge rusher. Kyzir should see all of the tackle opportunities he can handle behind an uninspiring defensive front on a defense that should see a steady dose of the run week-in-and-week-out, especially late in games when gamescript calls for it. Arizona will be bad this year, but Kyzir has the opportunity to put up Pro Bowl level numbers on a defense desperate for playmakers in their front seven. Tap White as a low-end LB2 option for Week 1 against the Washington Commanders.

Terrel Bernard (LB – BUF)
Bernard is set to get the start for the Bills against the Jets on Monday night. He beat out Tyrel Dodson for the starting gig and should provide strong fantasy production for Week 1. His outlook beyond that remains murky. Bernard was always going to cede some snaps to Dodson and was only in an 80 percent snap role to begin with. With the addition of Christian Kirksey, who was cut by the Texans, there is new competition for snaps and potentially the starting role. Bernard is a worthwhile LB3 play for Week 1, but managers may want to scour the wire for his replacement prior to Sunday’s games.

Brian Asamoah (LB – MIN)
Asamoah is set to start beside Jordan Hicks for Week 1 and should see roughly 70-80 percent of the snaps. Hicks will lead the position and snaps and tackles, but Asamoah has little in the way of threats behind him and should put up at least LB3 production on a weekly basis. A name that has slipped through the cracks, even in deeper formats, Asamoah should at least be on fantasy rosters for Week 1 in shallower leagues.

Leonard Floyd (DE – BUF)
Floyd is going to have a larger role than expected to open the 2023 season. With Von Miller placed on the PUP list, Floyd is set to get starter snaps alongside Greg Rousseau. Yes, starter snaps in Buffalo often means just 60-70 percent, but it is a major step up from the 30-40 percent he was set to see with both Miller and Rousseau healthy. Floyd should provide solid DL3-level value over the next few weeks and should be treated as such for this week’s tilt against the New York Jets. Deep league managers should feel confident to start him where needed.

Tony Adams (S – NYJ)
If you listened to the buzz this offseason, Tony Adams is a name that frequently came up on the defensive side of the ball. And with marketing machines like Good Morning Football and Hardknocks echoing the sentiments of Robert Saleh, it is easy to become enamored with the rookie safety, who, by all accounts, is ready to take the IDP world by storm. He could be a household name by the end of Monday night and be the hottest IDP waiver wire add, so it behooves fantasy managers to make the move now in the leagues where he was not recently scooped up. The cat is out of the bag, so to speak, but many don’t understand just how good he can be. Let me make it clear: he is already a DB2 option and has DB1 upside. Act now and start him where possible.

Sit em

Kenneth Murray (LB – LAC)
This may be the season that Murray finally puts it all together, but it appears that it may be too little too late. He should get the start in Week 1 but will not see an everydown role and will cede snaps to his eventual replacement, rookie Daiyan Henley. Eric Kendricks will be the every down linebacker in the middle while Murray and the rookie rotate snaps, cannibalizing each other’s fantasy values. Keep Murray on fantasy benches for Week 1. Only a true breakout performance can keep him on the radar as anything more than a deep league LB4 with LB3 upside.

Devin Bush (LB – SEA)
Jordyn Brooks is expected to play Week 1, which means Devin Bush is back to a reserve role behind two of the most productive linebackers on both the real and virtual gridirons. Bush never quite panned out in his previous stops but has shown enough glimpses that there was high hopes for him as an injury replacement for Brooks. Fantasy managers can feel free to hold onto Bush throughout the weekend but keep your eyes open for a hot waiver add. Bush can safely be dropped in shallower formats.

Taylor Rapp (S – BUF)
Rapp is a known commodity in IDP land but is now a member of the Buffalo Bills, where he will be a rotational option behind Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde. Both starters have had injury issues in the past, but for Week 1, Rapp is left without much of a projectable role. Even if the Bills make use of some free safety sets, they are unlikely to do so enough to give Rapp any standalone value. He is a strong stash in deeper leagues given his past production and potential role if an injury strikes ahead of him, but should be left on benches for Monday Night Football unless Micah Hyde is unable to go.

Jordan Fuller (S – LAR)
Fuller is healthy and ready to reassume his starting role for the Rams but is not a recommended fantasy option for Week 1. He has never been consistent in the tackle department, so despite a heavy snap role, he does not generally provide much fantasy value outside of the bye weeks. He is worth the roster spot in deeper leagues but should be left on benches in just about every format.

Jermaine Johnson (DE – NYJ)
Jermaine Johnson is a talented young player but remains stuck behind Carl Lawson and John Franklin-Myers. He should see a nice uptick from the 34 percent of the snaps he saw as a rookie, but with JFM and Lawson set to see at least 70 and 60 percent, respectively, there may not be much meat left on the bone for Johnson. He is worth a stash in redraft for those in deeper leagues with equally deep benches but should not be in starting lineups for Week 1.

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Raju Byfield is a featured writer for FantasyPros. For more from Raju, check out his profile and follow him @FantasyContext.