This…is Start/Bench.  Every week I’ll have an All-Start Team, a group of guys who I think will have a standout week, and an All-Bench Team, a group I think will perform under their average.

Keep in mind a spot on the All-Start Team doesn’t mean you should start a guy over a proven player.  The All-Start Team are guys who can fill in for you for a week if your starter is injured or suspended.

Likewise, don’t automatically bench a guy on the All-Bench Team unless you have a viable option to replace him with.  Those guys will still score points, just not as much as they usually do.  Only use it to make a decision between two otherwise equal players.

All-Start Team

QB: Jon Kitna, DET
WR: Anthony Gonzalez, IND
WR: Greg Lewis, PHI
WR: Ike Hilliard, TB
RB: Ray Rice, BAL
RB: Michael Turner, ATL
TE: Zach Miller, OAK
K: Stephen Gostkowski, NE
DEF: Indianapolis

Week 1 is a tough week for this sort of thing, nobody knows what anyone is going to do, so I just went with the matchups.  Ray Rice, for example, could get decent yards even behind Willis McGahee just because the Bengals’ defense is so terrible.  Kitna could shine because the Falcons are terrible.

All-Bench Team

QB: Jay Cutler, DEN
WR: Torry Holt, STL
WR: Laveranues Coles, NYJ
WR: Ted Ginn Jr., MIA
RB: Ryan Grant, GB
RB: Chris Perry, CIN
TE: Antonio Gates, SD
K: Sebastian Janikowski, OAK
DEF: Baltimore

Like with the All-Start Team, this is just going with the matchups.  Chris Perry is inexperienced and Ray Lewis is still playing so he’s a risky start, for example.  The Raiders have a great secondary and the Broncos’ best receivers are all hurt or suspended so he should see the bench.

The only exceptions are Ted Ginn, who you shouldn’t be starting no matter what, and Antonio Gates.  Gates is by far the best fantasy TE in the league but nobody’s even sure he’s going to start this week while he finishes recovering from an injury.  He may do okay, but I don’t know if I’d risk it this early in the year.  Go with a guy who’s definitely starting and playing at 100% for now.