Fantasy Football Start/Sit: Keenan Allen, Tony Pollard, Breece Hall

Week 1 is here, and that means it’s time for the annual tradition of second-guessing your lineup decisions before kickoff. Should you trust that shiny sleeper you drafted in the 12th round, or stick with the “safe” option who could quietly torpedo your week? To help separate sneaky starts from sneaky duds, our Featured Pros have weighed in with their picks. Think of it as your fantasy football GPS: They’ll point out the shortcuts, warn you about the potholes and maybe even save you from driving your roster straight off a cliff.

Fantasy Football Week 1 Start/Sit Advice

Week 1 Fantasy Football Sleepers

Which player outside of the top 100 in the FantasyPros Flex rankings is a good sleeper start and why do you think he has upside this week?

Keenan Allen (WR – LAC)

“Keenan Allen. The dude just showed up a month ago to the Chargers after being unsigned throughout most of free agency, and was already named as a team captain alternate as he seamlessly picked up the offense. Last season, he averaged 4.7 catches in a broken Bears offense. Allen averaged over eight catches per game with Justin Herbert in 2023. Only once in 2023 was he held under 3.5 catches in 13 games. I expected him to be heavily involved in Week 1 as one of Herbert’s go-to receivers.”
– Andrew Erickson (FantasyPros)

Week 1 Fantasy Football Duds

Which player inside the top 40 in the FantasyPros Flex rankings is likely to disappoint fantasy managers this week?

Tony Pollard (RB – TEN)

“I really like Tony Pollard as a player and think he’s underrated in real life and in fantasy. With that said, a Week 1 matchup on the road against the Denver Broncos is a nightmare scenario for him. With the Titans likely trailing for most of this game, I just don’t see how he’ll be able to be effective in this game, much less find the end zone.”
– Trevor Land (FlurrySports)

“Tony Pollard is going to be a perfectly fine RB2/Flex in fantasy this season, but we probably shouldn’t expect much in opening week. The Titans are on the road at Denver, facing one of the league’s elite defenses in Cam Ward‘s first regular-season start. Tennessee’s implied team total is just 17 points, and I’m not at all sure they can reach that number. No one should be surprised if we get a 15-touch, 55-yard scoreless outing from Pollard on Sunday.”
– Andy Behrens (The Deep Shot)

Breece Hall (RB – NYJ)

“By no means am I out on Breece Hall this season, but let’s wait a week to see just how much Braelon Allen is used in this offense. This is easily expected to be the lowest-scoring game of the week, and the Jets are, of course, underdogs, which could produce a negative game script for Hall and the running game. Pittsburgh boasted a top-10 fantasy rush defense last year to boot. We can still use Hall in a Flex slot, just temper expectations out of the gate.”
– Zach Greubel (Gridiron Experts)

“Breece Hall gets a tough opening draw versus the Steelers after losing a premier lineman. Take the under in a lower-scoring game and don’t expect much from Hall.”
– Scott Engel (RotoBaller)

“Breece Hall. He’s going to be used in a committee, and he has a tough matchup against the Steelers in a game with a Vegas total below 40 points. Hall is a Flex play, at best, this week.”
– Pat Fitzmaurice (FantasyPros)