Fantasy football start/sit advice, Week 1: Vikings vs. Rams

Two teams that scuffled along last year look to get their seasons started strong Sunday.

The Minnesota Vikings and St. Louis Rams both finished last in their respective divisions in 2013. The Rams did so by going 7-9 in an NFC West in which all the other teams won at least 10 games, while the Vikings struggled to go 5-10-1 in an NFC North with no team winning more than eight games. So not all last places are made equal.

The two teams open their seasons at 1 p.m. Sunday in St. Louis, and the fantasy intrigue of the game is very top-heavy:

Vikings

Start in every league: Adrian Peterson

Start if you're desperate: Cordarrelle Patterson, Kyle Rudolph, Blair Walsh

Bench: Matt Cassel, Greg Jennings, Defense/special teams

Thanks for the click, Fantasy Player Who Was Wondering About Peterson, you can go now.

I'm in full pump-the-brakes mode on Patterson. We all love his talent and there is the "Norv is here!" factor, but this is still an Adrian Peterson-led offense quarterbacked by Matt Cassel -- we can't exactly count on plenty of yards for everyone. I'd much rather keep an eye on Patterson for a week. ... The same, frankly, goes for Rudolph, who is just not on the same level as ex-Norv Turner tight ends Antonio Gates and Jordan Cameron. ... Walsh is an upper-tier kicker who might not be able to count on enough opportunities to really dominate.

No, you aren't starting Cassel, though if he struggles, Teddy Bridgewater does look interesting down the road. ... Jennings is a far, far cry from the Greg Jennings that was in Green Bay. ... The Vikings' defense isn't as bad as it was a year ago, which is really far from meaning it's good.

Rams

Start in every league: Zac Stacy, Defense/special teams

Start if you're desperate: Greg Zuerlein

Bench: Shaun Hill, Benny Cunningham, Kenny Britt, Tavon Austin

Even though his stock was dropping in the preseason, Stacy is still basically a must-start as an RB2. He showed enough in the second half last year to deserve it. ... The Rams' defense is easily the team's best fantasy piece, and the Vikings still should be a fine matchup for defenses.

Zuerlein is still Greg the Leg, even if the team doesn't score a lot.

Sam Bradford wouldn't have been startable, either, so this isn't a slight against Hill. He's not necessarily a disaster, but there really isn't upside. ... Cunningham has become a bit interesting, the way the preseason went, but he's a long way from fantasy relevance. ... It's hard to see a disappointing mishmash of receivers, "led" by Britt and Austin, doing enough to warrant fantasy consideration.

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