Week 1 Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Fantasy Football Lineup Decisions to Consider in NFL Openers

The first week of the 2025 NFL season is underway. With two games already in the books, managers may be off to a great start or looking to battle back over the remaining 14.

Hopefully, you remembered to get those lineups set for Thursday and Friday.

The rest of the Week 1 schedule looks about as unpredictable as the first two games were. By closely examining offseason roster movement, projected roles and recent trends, managers can still find matchups to love.

Here, you'll find some start/sit projections for the rest of Week 1 based on these factors and point-per-reception (PPR) scoring.

Quarterback

AP Photo/Noah K. Murray

Justin Fields

Start: Justin Fields, New York Jets

New York Jets quarterback Justin Fields should be viewed as a streaming option to start the season. He isn't particularly consistent as a passer, and New York's supporting cast is, overall, average. That scrambling upside is impossible to ignore, though.

While a matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers might seem like a great reason to sit Fields in Week 1, it isn't. Yes, the Steelers will find ways to limit Fields' strengths, but speed beats scheme more often than not.

Will Fields make mistakes against Pittsburgh's defense? Probably. It's a unit that allowed the fifth-fewest fantasy points to opposing QBs last season. However, a rushing touchdown or two should make him an above-average Week 1 performer.

Sit: Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers

On the flip side of things, Jordan Love's matchup with the Detroit Lions looks like a favorable one. The Green Bay Packers have a strong supporting cast, while the Lions defense allowed the seventh-most fantasy points to opposing QBs in 2024.

However, it's important to note that Detroit's defense was decimated by injuries for most of last season. The unit is much healthier now, and star pass-rusher Aidan Hutchinson is back.

Love didn't reach 300 passing yards in either of last season's games against Detroit, and he threw just one touchdown pass between the two. Josh Jacobs could quickly become the offensive focus for Green Bay, and Love's rushing upside is limited.

Running Back

AP Photo/Danny Karnik

Tyrone Tracy Jr.

Start: Tyrone Tracy Jr., New York Giants

It feels like Tyrone Tracy Jr. was largely overlooked during the summer, even though he was a solid RB2 on most rosters last season. He tallied 38 receptions and 1,123 scrimmage yards in 2024 despite having a horrendous quarterback situation.

The other factor may be the presence of rookie fourth-round pick  Cam Skattebo, who is expected to steal touches away from Tracy. That may happen, but the New York Giants' starter should be trusted this week.

The Washington Commanders added some pieces to their defensive front this offseason, but they're unlikely to have a true shutdown unit. Washington ranked 30th in rushing yards allowed last season. With Russell Wilson stretching the field better than any of New York's quarterbacks did in 2024, Tracy should find room to roam.

Sit: Tony Pollard, Tennessee Titans

Starting backs on bad teams are typically worth flex consideration—see Javonte Williams' two-touchdown performance from Thursday for proof. However, Tony Pollard has an extremely unfavorable situation in Week 1.

The Tennessee Titans starter will be on the road against the Denver Broncos, who ranked third in rushing yards allowed last season. Pollard may see decent volume against Denver with Tyjae Spears on injured reserve, but Julius Chestnut and Kalel Mullings may also factor into the rotation.

Pollard's production will probably be dependent on receptions, and he averaged fewer than three in 2024.

Wide Receiver

AP Photo/Duane Burleson

Rome Odunze

Start: Rome Odunze, Chicago Bears

There's no getting around the fact that Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze both disappointed for the Chicago Bears as rookies. Of course, Williams' struggles directly led to Odunze's limited production.

Odunze was targeted 101 times but caught just 54 passes for 734 yards and three touchdowns. New head coach Ben Johnson should coax better play out of Williams—an improved offensive line certainly won't hurt—which will, in turn, boost Odunze's numbers.

While the Bears did add Colston Loveland and Luther Burden III to their receiving corps, they also parted with Keenan Allen, who logged 121 targets last season. Odunze should fill the No. 2 receiver role against a Minnesota Vikings defense that allowed the most fantasy points to opposing receivers in 2024.

Sit: Cooper Kupp, Seattle Seahawks

Jaxon Smith-Njigba is the sort of high-volume receiver who is an auto-start in most formats. Seattle Seahawks teammate Cooper Kupp was once a similar player, but he isn't that dependable anymore.

The 32-year-old is impossible to trust until we know how he fits next to Smith-Njigba and Tory Horton and what sort of chemistry he can build with new quarterback Sam Darnold.

This isn't a great week for managers to search for answers either. The San Francisco 49ers experienced a lot of defensive turnover this offseason, but they also brought back coordinator Robert Saleh. Don't expect the new-look unit to be much worse than last year's group, which allowed the fourth-fewest fantasy points to opposing receivers.

Tight End

AP Photo/Jeff Dean

David Njoku

Start: David Njoku, Cleveland Browns

The Cleveland Browns aren't expected to be good in 2025, but they'll have a chance to change that narrative against a suspect Cincinnati Bengals defense in Week 1. Cleveland might not pull off the upset, but it may keep things competitive, barring a meltdown by quarterback Joe Flacco.

Even if Flacco has a turnover-filled game, though, David Njoku will have a chance to thrive. He had a career year in 2023, when Flacco became the late-season starter, and the Bengals have traditionally struggled against tight ends.

Cincinnati tied with the Carolina Panthers for the most fantasy points allowed to opposing tight ends in 2024. New coordinator Al Golden might shake things up a bit, but his unit did not look formidable in the preseason.

Sit: Dalton Kincaid, Buffalo Bills

Several unknowns surround Buffalo Bills tight end Dalton Kincaid heading into the regular season. Will he continue splitting targets with Dawson Knox? Will new receiver Joshua Palmer steal even more targets away from the once-promising fantasy star? Will he ever become a go-to red-zone target after scoring just four touchdowns in two seasons?

Kincaid may or may not be a strong streaming option this season, but he can't be trusted in Week 1. We don't have questions to the aforementioned questions yet, and the Baltimore Ravens present a problematic matchup.

Baltimore was average against tight ends in fantasy (tied for 15th-most points allowed) last season, but it got better as the season wore on. The Ravens also added safety Malaki Starks to the mix this offseason, which will further bolster their ability to contain tight ends.

*Fantasy scoring information via FantasyPros