Aug 10, 2012; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) prepares to take the snap during the first quarter of a preseason game against the Cleveland Browns at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-US PRESSWIRE

The first week of the fantasy football season is about to officially kickoff, so there are tons of questions about who to start and who to put on your bench.  To help you set your fantasy lineup, here are my week one fantasy football players to start and sit:

Guys to Start:

QB Matthew Stafford, DET (vs. STL) – Matthew “Staff Infection” Stafford may be battling a hand injury, but he is still healthy enough to tear up an abysmal Rams’ secondary.

RB Ryan Williams, ARI (vs. SEA) – Williams should get the start this weekend, as Beanie Wells is looking like he will be sidelined with a hamstring injury.

WR Brandon Marshall, CHI (vs. IND) – Marshall has been reunited with his favorite quarterback, Jay Cutler, so expect the duo to start strong against a rebuilding Colts’ defense.

TE Coby Fleener, IND (@CHI) – Fleener will have a field day in his first NFL game, as the majority of the Bears’ defense will be unable to suit up; which may include middle linebacker Brian Urlacher.

IDP: Tyvon Branch, OAK (vs. SD) – Branch will get plenty of chances to make plays against his division rival.  Expect him to easily rack up 8 tackles against a very conservative Chargers’ offense.

Guys to Sit:

QB Andy Dalton, CIN (@ BAL) – The first game of Dalton’s sophomore season will be one to forget, as the young signal caller opens the year in Baltimore.

RB Jonathan Stewart, CAR (@TB) – It has yet to come out if Stewart will officially play this weekend, but even if he does, expect him to get a very limited amount of touches.

WR Pierre Garcon, WSH (@NO) – Garcon looked great this preseason, but expect him to become just another bench receiver as the season begins.

TE Kellen Winslow, SEA (@ARI) – Winslow may have a new, young quarterback, but he still has the same old knees.

- Adam McGill

Mike Thomas is one of the receivers who will have to battle it out for the slot position this season. While Thomas led the Jaguars in receptions this past season as well as accounting for 820 yards the year before, there is speculation from Mark Long of the Associated Press that Thomas’ days are numbered. Paul Kuharsky has mentioned that Thomas may have given up in frustration during last season’s demoralizing offensive campaign. I don’t believe the Jags will give up on Thomas, as his size and speed would better suit the slot position. He also has a much better receivers coach in Jerry Sullivan as well as more talent around him in Justin Blackmon and Laurent Robinson. Yet nipping at his heels will be second year receiver Cecil Shorts III and Veteran Lee Evans.

Shorts caught 2 balls this past season for 30 yards and a touchdown. Shorts will have to beat out Thomas and Evans for the slot position as Blackmon and Robinson are all but entrenched at the first and second positions. Shorts attended Mount Union, the same school as Pierre Garcon of the Redskins. He broke Garcon’s records, and was hyped to be a similar player. This season he will have a real battle on his hands to see the field. On one hand, the receiver who caught the Hail Mary pass who has shown he can be productive. On the other hand, he also has Lee Evans, a former Buffalo Bill, who played for new Head Coach Mike Mularkey.

Lee Evans was known for two things last season. First for being injured, and second (and perhaps more so) for having a potential touchdown winning grab being knocked loose by Patriots defensive back Sterling Moore. Evans has slipped in production since 2008, but hopes to rebound for the Jaguars. I’m not sure how much Evans can contribute, but i wouldn’t say he’s exactly limited due to age. I’d like to compare the Evans signing to the Torry Holt signing of years past. I think he’ll be a lead by example kind of guy, but I don’t think he’ll rack up any where near the 722 yards like Holt did in 2009.

Who do you think will take over the slot? One of these three players or someone else?

-Antonio Furgiuele

Or we, the fans, are completely aloof as to the needs of the team.

John Oehser had it right when he wrote,

Outside owner Shad Khan and General Manager Gene Smith, no one knows for sure – and that’s pretty much par for the NFL course.

Marshall, we weren't even interested and I still miss you! Source: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-US PRESSWIRE

It was, and still is, the opinion of this writer that the Jaguars are going to pursue a better receiving corps in free agency.  That said a number of very good receivers have come off the board.  Of these, Stevie Johnson (resigned with Bills a week before free agency), Marques Colston (signed hours before free agency began), Vincent Jackson (signed with Tampa Bay), Pierre Garcon and Josh Morgan (signed with the Washington Redskins), Randy Moss (signed with San Francisco), and a surprise Brandon Marshall trade from Miami to Chicago for two third round picks in 2012 and 2013 respectively.

The Jags have hardly been mentioned amongst all of this hullabaloo.

ESPN’s AFC South blogger Paul Kuharsky recently mentioned that he thinks the Jags will still try to make a play for Mario Williams.  Not only does he think that they will, he thinks that they should.  Who else thinks that they should?  All of Jaguar nation.  Except maybe the front office.

While no word has come out of Shahid Khan or Gene Smith yet (after all, they like to keep things quiet), we, the Jaguars faithful, have got to begin wondering just what game the Jaguars are playing at.

It’s common knowledge that the goal for the team is to build through the draft.  But to what end?  Consistently, Gene Smith has traded up with picks to grab players he finds alluring.  I agree with the strategy on the whole, but none of the players being developed with those picks have any market value to trade for more picks to add more blood and more development to the young Jaguars roster.

And beyond all that, at the Jaguars’ greatest position of need, Gene Smith has not performed well.  Here at B&T, we outlined just how poorly he has done.  Are we to assume that the Jaguars are actually pleased with their current receiving corps?   Has Jarrett Dillard made his way off the injury cart enough make a play?  Will Mike Thomas be forced out of the slot due to underperformance yet again?  What about past attempts?  Did Jason Hill suddenly become the deep threat we all dreamed of?

The only assumption I can make based on the complete lack of depth, and action to fit that depth, at wide receiver is that the Jaguars are going to make “plays” again in the draft.  Plays for the likes of Justin Blackmon perhaps?

But at what cost?

It’s assumed picks will probably be involved in order to trade up an nab the star wide receiver from Oklahoma State.  Or perhaps there will be a move to trade back and acquire as many mediocre talents at wide out that we possibly can?

I’m not really certain.

In fact I’m straight up confused.

If anybody has any light whatsoever on this, please, please shine it my way.  Nay, shine it toward all of the fans.  Because as much as I’m behind Gene Smith, I just can’t make heads nor tails of his actions in free agency thus far.

- Luke N. Sims