Who should I start in Fantasy Football? NFL Week 1 roster recommendations by position

Welcome to Week 1 of the NFL! Your fantasy draft has come and gone and now it’s time to set those lineups. You already know you need to start Josh Allen and Ja’Marr Chase. I’m not here to state the obvious for you. But let’s get into some of the players you may not be so sure about, but who deserve a chance in Week 1.

NFL Fantasy Football Week 1 Start ‘Ems

Quarterback

Trevor Lawrence (Jaguars) vs Panthers:

What makes Lawrence really worth it this week is the matchup against the Panthers. Carolina’s defense allowed the third-most fantasy points to opposing QBs in the last half of last season, and they aren’t looking to be much better this season.

Kyler Murray (Cardinals) at Saints:

The same can be said for Murray, who’s dominant as a rusher and who’s facing a New Orleans defense that struggled against the run last season. He’s also got two receiving weapons to count on with Trey McBride and Marvin Harrison Jr.

Drake Maye (Patriots) vs Raiders:

Maxx Crosby could be a threat, but otherwise the Raiders defense doesn’t strike a whole lot of fear. Last year, they gave up almost 18 points per game to quarterbacks. Maye’s got at least one weapon more than he had last year with the addition of Stefon Diggs (assuming he’ll be healthy), and should hopefully add some rushing yards with the help of an improved o-line as well.

Wide Receiver

Tetairoa McMillan (Panthers) at Jaguars:

The Panthers won’t have Adam Thielen anymore and Jalen Coker is still injured. He may be a rookie, but McMillan is worth putting in the WR2 slot as he should make an immediate impact against a weak Jaguars secondary.

Ricky Pearsall (49ers) at Seahawks:

With Brandon Aiyuk out and Jauan Jennings dealing with a calf injury, expect the majority of targets to go to Pearsall (and George Kittle of course). Pearsall made his debut in Week 7 last year and started off strong, but fizzled shortly after. As the current WR1, however, I like him as a sleeper to have another strong start.

Running Back

James Conner (Cardinals) at Saints:

Conner has a spectacular matchup against a New Orleans defense who gave up the fifth-most points to running backs last season. He had one of his best seasons of his career last year and is still set to be the starting back for Arizona. Although he may be hard to trust as the season goes on as far as injuries, in Week 1, he should be a safer bet.

Tony Pollard (Titans) at Broncos:

With Tyjae Spears out, Pollard looks to get all the touches against the Broncos. When he was healthy last season, Pollard was one of the only positives on the Titans offense. With a rookie quarterback and an improved offensive line, Pollard could have a breakout game.

Tight End

David Njoku (Browns) vs Bengals:

Njoku was limited last season with injury, but still saw a good deal of targets. He’s the safe bet as Cleveland’s TE1 and is facing a weak Bengals defense. With Joe Flacco as the QB1, expect a high passing volume and even more targets for Njoku. The chemistry between them is there, on and off the field.

Hunter Henry (Patriots) vs Raiders:

Henry is unlikely to be Drake Maye’s number one target now that Diggs is in the lineup, but Diggs is still questionable after a knee injury in 2024. He’s got a favorable matchup against the Raiders, who gave up the third-most fantasy points per game to tight ends.

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