Welcome to Week 1 of fantasy football. We’ll kick our our Fantasy Football Starts and Si.ts with a look at the quarterback and running back positions.
There are a ton of intriguing matchups in Week 1 with players who are listed outside the top 12 in their positions. Nailing these start and sit decisions will give you an edge in your weekly matchups. The top players at their positions will not always be must-starts. We’ll identify those situations as we come upon them
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Quarterback and Running Back Starts and Sits
Quarterback Starts
Dak Prescott @ Philadelphia Eagles
Dak Prescott gets a Week 1 matchup against the Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles. Prescott did not get to play the Eagles due to injury in 2024, but did in 2023. In two games in 2023, Prescott finished as the QB14 and the QB2. Now, the Cowboys traded away Micah Parsons and have the weakest RB room in the NFL. I expect Prescott to throw it over 35 times every single game this season. He is currently the QB16 in our Week 1 rankings. I think Prescott should start everywhere in Week 1 in a game that will most likely see the Cowboys behind for most of it.
Bryce Young @ Jacksonville Jaguars
Bryce Young improved slightly in his second season. Also, the Carolina Panthers drafted him a WR1 in the first round this past draft. The Jaguars gave up the eighth-most PPG to QBs and the seventh-most PPG to WRs in 2024. Young will once again improve in year three, and it starts in Week 1 against a suspect defense that the Jaguars have. Ranked as the QB20 in Week 1, Young will be a massive value in DFS lineups, too.
Quarterback Sits
Bo Nix vs. Tennessee Titans
Bo Nix is a fantastic QB. He is tied to Sean Payton and is the new Drew Brees of Payton’s offense, but they are playing the Tennessee Titans. The Titans are 8.5 underdogs, the highest in Week 1 with the Cowboys. I believe the Broncos will have this game won early on and force the offense to take it easy, therefore, making Nix a strong sit candidate for starts and sits in Week 1.
Justin Fields vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Most people do not like Justin Fields as a QB. I think he has some great traits, but at the same time, he has some awful ones. The issue I have with him in Week 1 is that the New York Jets are facing the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers are one of the better defenses in the NFL, and the Jets do not have many options on offense to go up against them. I believe Fields will be outside the top 20 QBs in Week 1 unless he breaks off a few big runs and scores. Fields is my most confident decision amongst the four QBs.
Running Back Starts
Chuba Hubbard @ Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars gave up the sixth-most PPG to RBs in 2024. Now, they face the Panthers and Chuba Hubbard. Hubbard is set to be the focal point of the Panthers’ offense and had a career year in 2024. Hubbard was the RB13 on a PPG basis with 1,195 yards and 11 total touchdowns. I believe Hubbard finishes as a RB1 in Week 1 and is a fantastic choice for DFS lineups this weekend.
TreVeyon Henderson vs. Las Vegas Raiders
TreVeyon Henderson can easily end up as the RB1 of his draft class. He is undersized, but is flat-out elite in everything he does. He showed flashes of what he can do as a runner and as a returner this pre-season, and that has skyrocketed his ADP over the past weeks. Henderson is a definite start for me in Week 1. Also, it has been reported that he will be the most important piece in the New England Patriots’ offense. It is wheels up for the former Ohio State RB.
Running Back Sits
James Cook vs. Baltimore Ravens
James Cook had just 1,009 rushing yards and was the RB11 on a PPG basis. What saved Cook last season was that he had 18 total touchdowns. A running back with 18 touchdowns should be closer to RB5 than RB11. The regression is coming for Cook, and it starts in Week 1 against the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens lost to the Bills in heartbreaking fashion in last year’s playoffs. Cook finished as the RB45 in their regular season matchup against the Ravens and then had just 11.2 points in the playoff matchup.
Tony Pollard @ Denver Broncos
First, I have drafted Tony Pollard in a few leagues. With Tyjae Spears out for the first four games, Pollard can be a great RB2 for fantasy teams, but not in Week 1. He faces the best defense in football on the road. The Titans are underdogs as well by nine points, and this game screams blowout. Being down big, the Titans will abandon the run and make Pollard a non-factor. Keep him on your bench, and just keep in mind that there will be better days for the Titans’ offense. Pollard and Cook might be intriguing players for fantasy, but they are nothing but sits for my starts and sits debut of the 2025 fantasy football season.
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