Fantasy Football News: Sit Or Start Marshawn Lynch In Week 1?

Fantasy football news about Marshawn Lynch in Week 1 addresses whether to sit or start him. Fantasy football owners might need to take a different approach on Lynch this week, as he offers different value for daily versus season-long leagues. A report from ESPN football analyst Matthew Berry has mixed feelings about Lynch going up against the St. Louis Rams.

“If you own him in season-long leagues, of course you’re starting him, but I don’t love him in daily this week. I feel the offensive line for Seattle is still a work in progress and while he catches more balls than you think, Lynch is not a great PPR play.”

As far as where Berry lists Lynch in this Week 1 game for the Seattle Seahawks, he puts him in the category of, “running backs I hate in Week 1.” That’s a pretty bold statement for an analyst to make, but he is correct in stating that the Rams have a really good defensive line that could pose problems for the Seattle running game. It’s also a problem for Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, who will have to figure out how to pick apart the Rams defense if the defending NFC champions want a Week 1 victory.

With the fantasy football news about Marshawn Lynch, it’s also important to focus on how he has done against the St. Louis Rams in recent games. As a division rival of the Seahawks, the teams played twice during the 2014 NFL season. In the first game, Lynch had 18 rushes for 53 yards and two catches for 18 yards. In the second game, he had just 14 carries for 60 yards, but did have three catches for 36 receiving yards. Lynch also scored a rushing touchdown in the second game.

History is working against Lynch in Week 1, meaning he could struggle to get yards worthy of a first-round draft pick in fantasy leagues. Owners’ player full seasons don’t have a lot of choice here, but the numbers dictate that anyone playing in a daily league needs to choose a different running back. Players like Eddie Lacy for the Green Bay Packers and Jeremy Hill of the Cincinnati Bengals are much safer options in Week 1.

While Marshawn Lynch is an All Pro running back that could certainly find his numbers, the risk might be too great for fantasy football owners to count on him. In regard to question of whether to sit or start him, sit him in daily leagues and run with him in season-long affairs.

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