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Quarterback
Start of the Week: Jared Goff (@ GB)
The Packers are a tough on-paper matchup based on last year (15.3 fantasy points per game allowed to opposing quarterbacks), but Goff had zero issues—completing 18-of-22 passes in Green Bay despite rainy conditions and then following it up with 283 yards and three touchdowns (plus one interception) in the rematch. I’m not too worried about Micah Parsons at less than 100% after just joining the Packers, and it’s easy to imagine the Detroit offense beginning 2025 with fireworks. We have Goff as our QB7 for Week 1.
Start: C.J. Stroud (@ LAR)
Stroud is hoping to play closer to how he did as a rookie (23:5 touchdown-interception ratio) this year after a disappointing second season (20:12 touchdown-interception ratio), and I like his chances of starting fast for a potential shootout against the Rams. There is no doubt that Los Angeles has a very talented young defense, but the weakness is at cornerback, and they might not have answers for Nico Collins on Sunday. Stroud should be boosted into the low-end QB1 ranks for at least this week—and potentially for the entire month before the schedule gets tougher in October.
Start: Michael Penix Jr. (v TB)
Kirk Cousins was the starter for Atlanta last year in both matchups against the Bucs, but the Falcons clearly had a good plan of attack—with the veteran totaling eight touchdowns passes in a couple of high-scoring victories. Penix has no shortage of weapons as he enters 2025 as the starter, and the Falcons seem to be getting Tampa Bay at a good time with rookie cornerback Benjamin Morrison (hamstring) looking uncertain for Sunday. Consider Penix a borderline top-15 option with the hopes that the first matchup between the NFC South foes this year is another shootout.
Start: Daniel Jones (v MIA)
I’m not saying Jones should be a starting option in non-Superflex leagues, but we have him in the top 20 facing a Miami secondary that is expected to be one of the worst in the league. Plus, the rushing ability of Jones—in an offense that won’t be afraid to utilize the quarterback run—shouldn’t be discounted, as the former Giant had 708 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground in his lone season with more than 14 starts. At home, I’m expecting sharp quarterback play from Jones in a situation where he doesn’t lack for weapons.
Sit of the Week: Brock Purdy (@ SEA)
Purdy ripped the Seahawks last year in Seattle with 255 yards and three touchdowns on just 18 completions, but he didn’t fare as well in the rematch (159 yards, one touchdown, and one interception)—with Mike Macdonald’s group hitting their stride late. The Seahawks should be even better defensively this year, and the San Francisco passing attack might not immediately click considering all the missed time for the pass-catchers this summer. We have Purdy as a low-end QB2 to open the season.
Sit: Justin Fields (v PIT)
Fields has QB1 upside every game based on what he can do as a runner, but Pittsburgh won’t be easy in the opener—especially with them perhaps having an idea of how to defend New York’s starter after he spent last season with the Steelers. The weaponry for the Jets behind Garrett Wilson is a major question mark, so with Joey Porter Jr., Jalen Ramsey, and Darius Slay in the Pittsburgh secondary, those rolling with Fields might be banking on heavy rushing production to begin 2025.
Sit: Jordan Love (v DET)
Detroit was impacted by injuries last year, but Love still had a difficult time against them—throwing for 273 yards and one interception in the first matchup and 206 yards and one touchdown in the rematch. Now healthier with Aidan Hutchinson (leg) back and the secondary even better after signing D.J. Reed, the Lions are flying under the radar as a defense, while the Packers could start slow with injuries at wide receiver. Love might need a full-blown shootout to break out to be more than a low-end QB2.
Sit: Joe Burrow (@ CLE)
We still have Burrow in the top 10 at quarterback, and Cincinnati giving him and the offense extended run last month might lead to a quick start. On the other hand, the Browns have given Burrow some problems in recent years, particularly in Cleveland where the Bengals have averaged 12.3 points per game over the past three meetings. Cornerback Martin Emerson Jr. (Achilles) being out for the season will make for an easier matchup, but the offensive line needs to prove it can hold up against Myles Garrett and company.
Running Back
Start of the Week: David Montgomery (@ GB)
We have Montgomery as a high-end RB2 for the season, and he’ll remain a key part of the Detroit offense despite the emergence of Jahmyr Gibbs. Last year, Montgomery had 20 touches for 96 yards in the first matchup against the Packers (with rain slowing the pace down), and he turned 19 touches into 84 yards and a score in the second meeting. A case can certainly be made that the run defense for Green Bay will be worse with Kenny Clark traded to Dallas in the Micah Parsons deal, and Montgomery is always a quality touchdown bet.
Start: Isiah Pacheco (@ LAC)
The Chargers hope to be better defending the run in the second year of the Jim Harbaugh era, but they allowed 4.7 yards per carry last season—setting up Isiah Pacheco to be an RB2 for Week 1. I’m interested to see how the backfield split goes with Kareem Hunt involved and rookie Brashard Smith and Elijah Mitchell also on the roster, but Pacheco might be leaned on more with Kansas City not having Rashee Rice (suspension) early in the year. Los Angeles allowing the fewest rushing touchdowns (seven) in the league last season isn’t a big concern if the hard-charging Pacheco gets an opportunity to cap a scoring drive.
Start: Travis Etienne Jr. (v CAR)
Jacksonville is at least expected to have a two-man backfield split under Liam Coen with Etienne and Tank Bigsby both getting touches—but you couldn’t ask for a better matchup to open the season with Carolina easily allowing the most rushing yards in the league last year (3,057). To be fair, Derrick Brown being healthy combined with three additions made on the defensive front should make the Panthers a bit more formidable; however, Coen fed Bucky Irving in two matchups last year with the Bucs (185+ total yards in both games), and Etienne’s skillset could present problems this weekend.
Start: Dylan Sampson (v CIN)
There wasn’t really anything in preseason action to suggest the Bengals will be better on defense this season, so Sampson will be positioned for a strong debut with fellow rookie Quinshon Judkins still away from the team (at best, Judkins will return and be very limited). At Tennessee, Sampson proved to be a tough inside runner who fits the kind of offense Cleveland wants to reestablish this season, and we prefer him to Jerome Ford as a top-30 play at running back to begin his career.
Sit of the Week: Breece Hall (v PIT)
The silver lining for Hall this week is that he could soak up receptions if Justin Fields is contained inside the pocket (i.e., he’ll be more eager to hit checkdowns than usual)—but the runner needs to be downgraded to low-end RB2/FLEX range based on the matchup. Last year, the Steelers didn’t live up to expectations defensively and still allowed the sixth-fewest rushing yards per game (98.7) and fifth-fewest yards per carry (4.1) in the league. Standout guard Alijah Vera-Tucker (arm) going down this week will only make it tougher sledding for Hall.
Sit: Tony Pollard (@ DEN)
Pollard is set to be a workhorse for Tennessee with Tyjae Spears (ankle) on injured reserve to begin the season—but Denver is a worrisome matchup out of the gates after they allowed the second-fewest yards per carry (3.9) last year. Furthermore, Pollard’s skillset as a pass-catcher wasn’t really highlighted by the Titans last year (he had a career-low 4.2 yards per target), so that might need to change for Pollard to pay dividends as more than a volume-based RB2/FLEX option.
Sit: Bill Croskey-Merritt (v NYG)
From a long-term perspective, I would not overreact to Croskey-Merritt being listed as the No. 4 running back on the depth chart this week—as it seemed to be ordered based on experience. That said, the fantasy community might have collectively jumped the gun on him being a weekly starter following the trade of Brian Robinson Jr.; and with Austin Ekeler getting receiving work and Chris Rodriguez Jr. getting goal-line carries, it might take time for the rookie to be more than a decent FLEX. Even in a great matchup versus the Giants, I’d wait to see how things play out if possible.
Sit: Javonte Williams (@ PHI)
Jaydon Blue and Miles Sanders are both off the injury report leading up to the opener, so the appeal for Williams—heading into a difficult matchup—isn’t what it could have been if set for a larger workload. Last season, the Eagles allowed the second-fewest fantasy points per game to opposing running backs (14.4), and I don’t see the Dallas offensive line being able to move Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter on the interior. There is also the possibility of the Cowboys falling behind and abandoning the run, so Williams falls outside the top 36 at the position.
Wide Receiver
Start of the Week: Jameson Williams (@ GB)
We’ll see if Nate Hobbs (knee) is ready for Sunday, but either way, the cornerback group for Green Bay might not be able to stop Williams—who is perhaps our favorite fantasy value of 2025. After being suspended the first matchup last season, Jamo caught five passes for 80 yards in a 34-31 win over the Packers last December, and I’d anticipate at least one downfield shot from Jared Goff in addition to an expanded overall route tree. We have Williams as our WR11 for this week, and he’ll likely be close to the WR1/WR2 borderline all year.
Start: DeVonta Smith (v DAL)
Possible rain is something to pay attention to for tomorrow night, but in general, all indications are that Smith will be more involved this year—and it’s not like the production was a disappointment in 2024. When healthy, the former Heisman winner began last season with 64+ yards in six of his first seven games (with four touchdowns over that span), and then when he was healed, Smith went for lines of 11/109/1, 6/51, and 6/120/2 in the fantasy playoffs. The last of those games came against Dallas, and them having Trevon Diggs healthy doesn’t keep Smith outside the top 20.
Start: Emeka Egbuka (@ ATL)
The path is clear for Egbuka to be a featured player to begin 2025 with Chris Godwin Jr. (ankle) out, and Atlanta—who still refuses to start Clark Phillips III for whatever reason—has some vulnerability behind A.J. Terrell Jr. at cornerback. Look for Tampa Bay’s first-round pick to benefit from Mike Evans seeing a lot of Terrell on Sunday while he faces Mike Hughes and rookie Billy Bowman Jr. at the other outside cornerback spot and in the slot, respectively. We have Egbuka as a low-end WR2/FLEX option with a very good floor and ceiling.
Start: Rashid Shaheed (v ARI)
Concerns about the quarterback play in New Orleans combined with Arizona playing a lot of shell coverage under Jonathan Gannon makes this risky—but it’s more of a feeling that Shaheed could hit a double move at some point. Based on preseason action, I think the Saints want to try to be aggressive, so all it might take is one defender to bite on a pump fake to have Shaheed get vertical. Last year, the speedster averaged a career-high 17.5 yards per reception and had 349 yards and three scores in six games before suffering a season-ending knee injury.
Others: Jerry Jeudy (v CIN), Romeo Doubs (v DET)
Sit of the Week: DK Metcalf (@ NYJ)
We’ll have to keep an eye on the injury report for the Jets with Sauce Gardner (fibula) limited to begin the week—but Metcalf will be downgraded if New York’s top cornerback plays, particularly with Pittsburgh not having an established target behind him at wide receiver. I’ll hit on Jonnu Smith as a recommended start at tight end, but it feels like this weekend could be a game where the Steelers funnel things more through the backs and tight ends if Gardner is healthy. We have Metcalf barely inside the top 36 at wide receiver.
Sit: Garrett Wilson (v PIT)
On the other side of Steelers-Jets, it’s a similar situation for Wilson with New York lacking an established No. 2 target—but even more of a challenge based on the matchup with Pittsburgh offering no escape between Joey Porter Jr., Jalen Ramsey, and Darius Slay. While the Jets are expecting big things from Wilson after signing him to a massive extension, he’s averaged 6.9 yards per target through three seasons and has been limited to seven receptions for 102 yards and zero touchdowns in two career matchups against the Steelers.
Sit: Calvin Ridley (@ DEN)
The first potential victim of shadow coverage from Pat Surtain II this year would seem to be Ridley—who has the talent as a route runner to win against anyone but might not get many opportunities with Cameron Ward perhaps avoiding the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year in his first career start. We have Ridley way down as the WR47 for Week 1, and it’d be unwise to rely on the possibility of “garbage time” if Tennessee is down big on the road.
Sit: Keon Coleman (v BAL)
We are expecting a breakout campaign from Coleman, but Baltimore won’t be an easy first matchup with a top defense that could be even better after adding Jaire Alexander and rookie Malaki Starks in the secondary. Last season, Coleman was limited to a combined four receptions for 56 yards and two matchups (including playoffs, where he had just one catch), so those counting on him in lineups on Sunday night might need him to hit paydirt in a spread-the-wealth offense that will attack opponents every week based on matchups.
Others: Jayden Reed (v DET), Rashod Bateman (@ BUF)
Tight End
Start: of the Week: Kyle Pitts Sr. (v TB)
It’s easy to forget that Pitts reached 1,000 receiving yards as a rookie because of three years of disappointment since, but he’s still just 24, become golfing buddies with Michael Penix Jr. this offseason, and has been talked up with Atlanta wanting to get him going in 2025. After going for lines of 7/88 and 4/91/2 in two matchups against the Bucs last season, Pitts is in the perfect spot to at least begin the season off the right foot. We have him as a top-five play.
Start: Jonnu Smith (@ NYJ)
As stated, the Steelers might play more through the tight ends this week—and the position is already a priority in Arthur Smith’s offense. Smith was a high-end TE1 over the final three months of last season with a 17-game pace of 103/1,054/10.5 with the Dolphins, and that stretch included a score in both games against the Jets. There is no doubt that Aaron Rodgers is extremely determined to beat his former team, and I think he’ll be comfortable following a game plan that might have Smith as the focus on Sunday.
Start: Zach Ertz (v NYG)
Ertz was limited to one reception against the Giants in the second meeting last year, but it ended up being an outlier on a season-low (when healthy) 48.4% of the snaps played. In the first matchup, Ertz caught four passes for 62 yards, and he could benefit from Terry McLaurin missing a chunk of camp—not to mention Washington’s running game being a question mark. I like the veteran a little more than usual this week as a TE2 play.
Sit of the Week: Mark Andrews (@ BUF)
Andrews is a low-end TE1 and probably worth starting if you have him with Isaiah Likely (foot) not expected to play on Sunday night—but I’m expecting a healthier Buffalo defense to have better luck stopping him than they did in the playoffs (five receptions for 61 yards). In the regular season matchup last September, Andrews was limited to zero receptions (on one target), so the probable absence of Likely isn’t enough to make him a must-start if you have options.
Sit: Darren Waller (@ IND)
We are optimistic about Waller’s outlook for the season, but it’s important to remember that he’s coming out of retirement, and there seems to be a long ramp-up period for him—including not even practicing to begin the week. I would anticipate Waller being limited in his team debut with De’Von Achane, Tyreek Hill, and Jayden Waddle being the clear focus for Tua Tagovailoa; and the former Raiders star might not pay off until he rounds into form.
Sit: Theo Johnson (@ WAS)
Despite missing most of camp, Johnson has generated quite a bit of hype as a breakout candidate this season—which could make him a consideration for those taking a swing at tight end. However, the missed time is reason to avoid the Penn State product, and I believe Russell Wilson will play more through the wide receivers (including in the red zone). I’d look elsewhere and want to see production from Johnson before feeling good about him.