Week 1 Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em: Start the Matchup, Not the Name
WEEK 1: Who do I start / sit
Every week, fantasy managers are faced with the same question: Who do I start, and who do I sit? It sounds simple, but the answer shouldn’t be based solely on a player’s name, draft position, or what he did last week.
Our Start/Sit process looks beyond the rankings and focuses on the factors that actually matter for the upcoming matchup — expected workload, recent usage, opponent strength, game environment, injuries, and the potential for touchdowns.
And because the obvious answers don’t need much help, we’re going to leave the top players at each position off the board. You don’t need advice on whether to start Josh Allen or Jahmyr Gibbs. Instead, we’re looking for the players where the decision actually matters: the guy ranked 10th who could finish the week as the WR3, or the guy sitting at RB12 who has a matchup that could make him a serious disappointment. In other words, we’re not telling you to start your studs. We’re trying to help you figure out who to start when it isn’t so obvious.
🟢 START ‘EM
Omarion Hampton — RB, Chargers
vs. Cardinals
Hampton is exactly the type of player we’re looking for in this exercise. He’s outside the obvious top-five RB conversation, but the matchup with Arizona is about as inviting as it gets. The Cardinals allowed the third-most fantasy points to opposing running backs last season, and Hampton enters the season with fresh legs and the opportunity to handle a significant workload.
PigSkinFantasy Take: Don’t get cute. Hampton has the talent, the opportunity and the matchup. Start him.
Bucky Irving — RB, Buccaneers
@ Bengals
Irving’s receiving ability makes him particularly attractive in PPR leagues, and Week 1 sets up nicely for Tampa Bay’s young running back. Cincinnati ranked dead last against opposing backs last year, giving up 141.7 rushing yards per game. Irving should remain heavily involved in both the running and passing games.
PigSkinFantasy Take: The floor is solid, and the ceiling is even better. Get Bucky in the lineup.
George Pickens — WR, Cowboys
@ Giants
Pickens doesn’t need to dominate targets to be a fantasy factor. His big-play ability gives him the potential to produce with relatively modest volume, and the matchup against the Giants provides plenty of opportunity. Dallas should be willing to throw, and Pickens has the kind of downfield role that can turn a handful of targets into a very good fantasy afternoon.
PigSkinFantasy Take: Start him.
Wan’Dale Robinson — WR, Titans
vs. Jets
Robinson steps into the slot role in Tennessee and finds himself facing last year’s fifth-worst defense against the slot in the Jets. To make matters even juicier, the Jets’ starting slot corner, D’Angelo Ponds, has been battling a calf strain throughout camp and, if he plays, will be less than 100 percent.
Robinson is also lining up next to a rookie in Carnell Tate and an older, injured Calvin Ridley. That combination should make Robinson a prime candidate to soak up targets.
PigSkinFantasy Take: He’ll be a target vacuum. Start him with confidence.
Dallas Goedert — TE, Eagles
vs. Commanders
The departure of A.J. Brown opens up a lot of targets, and Goedert, as the intermediary crossing option in the middle of the field, should benefit from his absence. The Eagles face the Commanders, who were one of the league’s worst teams defending against tight ends last year. They gave up more than 1,000 yards and 12 touchdowns to the position.
In 2025, Goedert emerged as Jalen Hurts’ security blanket, catching a career-high 11 touchdowns. Expect that connection to continue.
PigSkinFantasy Take: Good player. Good matchup. Good opportunity. Sometimes this really is as easy as it looks. Start Goedert.
Travis Kelce — TE, Chiefs
vs. Broncos
Yes, Travis Kelce is old. Yes, Denver’s defense is very good. But there are other factors to consider.
Last year, the Broncos had a top-three defense, and Kelce put up a season-high nine receptions for 91 yards and a touchdown against them. Mahomes is back and will start, restoring the most dominant QB-TE connection of the last ten years.
Last year, with Mahomes under center, Kelce commanded almost a 20 percent target share, which historically provides high-end TE1 numbers.
PigSkinFantasy Take: Don’t buy the decline-and-old-age talk. Until the numbers drop, trust the player. Ride Kelce to a high-end TE1 finish.
🔴 SIT ‘EM
Drake Maye — QB, Patriots
@ Seahawks
Maye was drafted as a weekly starter by many managers, but Seattle allowed only 14 QB fantasy points per game last season. This is a particularly interesting matchup because Seattle also happens to be the team that beat New England in the Super Bowl.
PigSkinFantasy Take: SIT if you have a reasonable alternative.
Jordan Love — QB, Packers
@ Vikings
Minnesota held visiting quarterbacks to just 12.2 fantasy points per game last season, and Love has thrown for 185 or fewer yards in his last two games against the Vikings.
The Packers’ offense is also going through some changes, with Josh Jacobs out and Dontayvion Wicks and Romeo Doubs moving on to other pastures. There are simply too many questions surrounding the offense for us to trust Love in this matchup.
PigSkinFantasy Take: Better games are ahead for Love, but it is not this one. Sit.
Kenneth Walker — RB, Chiefs
vs. Broncos
Denver allowed the fewest fantasy points to opposing RBs last season and the fourth-fewest rushing yards.
Walker is still getting familiar with the Chiefs’ playbook and his offensive line. He played a total of three game snaps in the preseason, and adjusting to a new line and new system takes time.
Walker is still talented enough that I’d have trouble calling him an absolute bench in every format, but we’re downgrading him considerably.
PigSkinFantasy Take: While he was drafted as an RB1, don’t expect RB1 numbers. Play with caution.
TreVeyon Henderson — RB, Patriots
vs. Seahawks
There is a pretty high probability that TreVeyon sits this week, as he hasn’t practiced since August 24. If he does suit up, he’ll be gimpy and less than 100 percent. And he’ll be facing the No. 1 rush defense from last year — a defense that held him to 19 yards on six carries and three yards on three catches.
That’s a lot of red flags for one player in one game.
PigSkinFantasy Take: Stay away from this one. Must sit.
DK Metcalf — WR, Steelers
vs. Falcons
While pronounced healthy by Mike McCarthy, Metcalf sat out the entirety of the preseason. Missing that much time could require some time to knock off the rust and regain his conditioning.
The Steelers are transitioning to a new offense, and Metcalf and Rodgers have had little time to build a rhythm. He’s also facing stronger competition for targets as Pittsburgh brought in Michael Pittman and drafted Germaine Bernard in the second round.
Finally, he’ll be shadowed by elite cornerback A.J. Terrell on his vertical routes, which could force Rodgers to look elsewhere.
PigSkinFantasy Take: Too many hiccups to ignore. Look elsewhere if you can.
Rashee Rice — WR, Chiefs
vs. Broncos
Denver has one of the league’s toughest secondaries, and Rice scored only 9.8 PPR points in his previous meeting with them.
Rice also missed all of OTAs and mandatory minicamp while recovering from “cleanup” surgery on his knee and dealing with his legal situation. Training camp reports indicate that Rice showed some stiffness and a lack of explosion.
There’s simply too much uncertainty to expect a monster Week 1.
PigSkinFantasy Take: Rice isn’t necessarily a bench, but I wouldn’t expect a monster Week 1. Proceed with caution.
Sam LaPorta — TE, Lions
vs. Saints
LaPorta spent the majority of the offseason dealing with a nagging hip injury. He returned to practice less than two weeks ago and did not take the field in any of the preseason games.
Hip injuries can affect a tight end’s ability to block and make breaks in his routes. Until LaPorta is back to full speed, there’s a risk he’ll be deployed as a decoy or see limited snaps.
PigSkinFantasy Take: Start with caution if you have no other options. He’s a risky play this week.
Dalton Kincaid — TE, Texans
vs. Bills
Over the last few weeks of the draft season, Kincaid saw his stock rise. While he does have seasonal-high upside, that doesn’t necessarily translate to Week 1.
Buffalo was one of the toughest defenses in the league for tight ends to face last year, giving up the second-fewest fantasy points to the position.
And while there was essentially no TE competition for Schultz last year, the Texans brought in veteran Foster Moreau and drafted Max Klare. That suggests Houston could deploy more multiple-TE sets, potentially decreasing the volume available to Schultz.
Vegas has Kincaid at just 3.5 receptions and 38.5 receiving yards — roughly a seven-point PPR game and a four-point standard-league game.
Unless he scores a touchdown, it’s difficult to see a big fantasy day. And Kincaid had a grand total of three touchdowns last year.
PigSkinFantasy Take: The upside is there for the season, but Week 1 isn’t the week we’re chasing it. Sit him if you have a better option.