7 WRs to start or sit
Ja’Marr Chase is fantasy football’s top wide receiver
USAT’s Joe Rivera and Jacob Camenker discuss why Ja’Marr Chase is in Jacob’s elite tier of fantasy wide receivers.
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Spoiler alert: fantasy managers with Ja’Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson or CeeDee Lamb on their teams should start those players.
But things can get more complicated with sit/start decisions in fantasy football further down the ranks of wideouts.
Obvious starters like those mentioned above should be the easy choices to be included in fantasy lineups ahead of Week 1. Most wide receivers drafted in the first two rounds in fantasy leagues deserve spots as starters for their season-openers.
It’s the later round picks, the borderline FLEX options or No. 2 or No. 3 wide receivers that can be harder to determine which to start and which to stash on the bench for now.
USA TODAY Sports has compiled a list of seven wide receivers for fantasy managers to take a closer look at ahead of Week 1. Four of them earned a “start” designation due to several factors, including opponent, while three others earned a “sit” designation ahead of their first week.
Here’s the Week 1 edition of start/sit fantasy football wide receivers:
Fantasy football start ’em: Week 1 WRs
Xavier Worthy, Kansas City Chiefs
Worthy is going to be the lead receiver in the Chiefs’ passing offense for at least the first six weeks of the season while Rashee Rice serves his suspension. That alone is not reason enough to start him in Week 1, but that is a big positive for the second-year receiver.
The bigger deal here is that his quarterback is going to play behind (what should be) a much-improved offensive line after a 2024 season that saw Patrick Mahomes take more sacks than he ever had in his career. In addition, the first big test for the Chiefs’ offensive line is the Los Angeles Chargers, a team that had a pass-rush win rate of 37% (22nd in the NFL) last year.
Los Angeles also “boasts” four cornerbacks in the bottom 30 of coverage grades in 2024 according to Pro Football Focus.
Deebo Samuel, Washington Commanders
Terry McLaurin? Obvious starter for Week 1, especially given the talented play of his quarterback, Jayden Daniels, last season. Samuel is a bit less obvious as the Commanders‘ No. 2 option, but there are several positive signs.
One of the biggest positives is that he’s playing the New York Giants in the first game of the season, a team that has a definitive lead cornerback, Paulson Adebo, and a much murkier situation behind him. Giants cornerbacks Deonte Banks and Cordale Flott are still competing for a starting spot according to the team’s latest unofficial depth chart.
Banks was one of the worst cover corners in the NFL last year per PFF’s grades, and none of the Giants’ top trio graded out very well in run coverage last year – an added positive for Samuel as a hybrid receiver that can take handoffs and excels in run after the catch situations.
Marvin Harrison Jr., Arizona Cardinals
Harrison’s fantasy outlook for the 2025 season feels incredibly high despite a relatively disappointing rookie showing in Arizona last year. All reports out of training camp have been that Harrison has looked stellar. He is also still the Cardinals’ leading receiver heading into the season without much competition, which is significant – even if tight end Trey McBride was quarterback Kyler Murray‘s favorite target last year.
Harrison is poised to get off to an excellent start in his first game of the season against the New Orleans Saints. The Saints traded away cornerback Marshon Lattimore last season and let Adebo go to the Giants in free agency. They already ranked fourth in fantasy points allowed to receivers in 2024.
Heading into 2025, New Orleans’ starting corners include Alontae Taylor, who was the single worst cover corner by PFF grade in 2024. Unless fellow starter Kool-Aid McKinstry follows Harrison on every play, the second-year wideout from Ohio State could be in line for a massive day.
Travis Hunter, Jacksonville Jaguars
It’s unclear so far whether or how much the Jaguars plan to use Hunter on defense, which may inhibit his ability to be a productive fantasy wide receiver down the line. For now, he’s listed as a starter at wideout on the team’s latest unofficial depth chart and a backup cornerback.
With Thomas being the more obvious “start” on the Jaguars given his breakout rookie season last year, Hunter is also a viable fantasy starter given his Week 1 matchup. The Carolina Panthers ranked near the bottom in several defensive categories last year, including eighth-worst in fantasy points allowed to receivers last year and second-worst in dropback EPA allowed.
Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence has already said he has good chemistry with Hunter, and head coach Liam Coen has repeatedly said he plans to utilize Hunter’s skill set primarily on offense. The rookie and reigning Heisman Trophy winner will be chomping at the bit to go after missing the Jaguars’ last two preseason games and could take advantage of the Panthers’ relatively lackluster passing defense in Week 1.
Fantasy football sit ’em: Week 1 WRs
George Pickens, Dallas Cowboys
Pickens may end up having an excellent year with Dallas, but there’s not much to like about his first game with the Cowboys in 2025.
Few teams were better in pass coverage than the Philadelphia Eagles – Pickens’ and the Cowboys’ Week 1 opponent – in 2024.
Their 174.2 average passing yards allowed per game was the fewest in the NFL. Their -0.024 EPA allowed on dropbacks was the third-fewest. Their 29.71 fantasy points per week allowed to wide receivers was the sixth-fewest. And both starting cornerbacks – Cooper DeJean and Quinyon Mitchell – were among the best coverage cornerbacks in the NFL last year.
That all makes for a very difficult matchup for Pickens, who is the Cowboys’ No. 2 receiver behind Lamb. What’s more, his quarterback, Dak Prescott, will be making his first start back from a season-ending hamstring injury he suffered last year, and his new offensive play-caller, head coach Brian Schottenheimer, hasn’t called plays since his 2020 season with the Seattle Seahawks.
Jameson Williams, Detroit Lions
Amon-Ra St. Brown? Must-start for the Lions in Week 1 as their No. 1 target going into 2025. Williams is a less enticing candidate to start for fantasy teams this week despite his breakout season in 2024.
The Lions’ first matchup of the season is against the Green Bay Packers, a team that ranks right up with Philadelphia in terms of stellar passing defense. The Packers allowed the fifth-fewest fantasy points per week to receivers last year and ranked fourth in dropback EPA allowed.
While Green Bay faces a big test with two new Week 1 starting cornerbacks, they also have an excellent free safety in Xavier McKinney and just added the best pass-rusher in the game with their trade for Micah Parsons.
Given all of that, plus the Lions’ loss of offensive coordinator Ben Johnson to the Bears’ head coaching job, and it is hard to have too much confidence in Williams having an outstanding first game in 2025.
Davante Adams, Los Angeles Rams
The Rams play one of the most staunch defenses in the NFL to begin their season when they host the Houston Texans in Week 1.
Houston’s defensive secondary trio of starting cornerbacks Derek Stingley Jr. and Kamari Lassiter along with newly acquired safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson is one of the best defensive secondaries in the NFL. Add to that the pass-rush attack of Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson Jr., and the Texans’ defense only looks scarier.
What makes matters worse for Adams is that he’s playing with a veteran quarterback – Matthew Stafford – whose health is a giant question mark entering Week 1. It’s probably best to wait and see on Adams, a receiver who will be entering his age-33 season in a new system, catching passes as the No. 2 target of a 37-year-old quarterback with a bad back in a Week 1 matchup against one of the league’s best defenses.
Fantasy football start ’em, sit ’ems, Week 1
Looking for more fantasy football advice? USA TODAY Sports has you covered:
→ Need an edge under center? Here are the best quarterback options to start and to sit in Week 1.
→ A good running back makes all the difference. A bad running back can cost you a lot of points. Here’s who to start and who to sit in Week 1.
→ Kickers are people, too. Here are the most clutch kickers to start, and some to sit, for Week 1.
→ Defense (and special teams) can win you championships – including your fantasy league’s. Here are some of the best D/ST units to start and sit in Week 1.
→ Tight ends can be the perfect X-factor for any fantasy team. Here’s who you should start and sit in Week 1.