No one wants to start their fantasy football season 0-1, though losing your first game does have advantages for the first waiver wire of the season. But that’s a loser’s mentality, with most managers chasing a dominant run all the way to a fantasy championship.
That quest begins with the NFL Week 1 slate, and as usual, managers must solve their Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em debates. Bears WR Luther Burden III and Jaguars WR Parker Washington are two exciting wideouts entering 2026 with clear fantasy football upside, but who has the best matchup on Sunday?
We have an in-depth NFL Week 1 Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em breakdown ahead with Luther Burden III and Parker Washington, including who you should start in your lineup, paired with NFL projections via PrizePicks.
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Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em WRs, Week 1: Luther Burden III or Parker Washington?
Bears WR Luther Burden III takes on the Panthers on Sunday, September 13, at 1:00 p.m. ET on FOX, while Jaguars WR Parker Washington and Jacksonville battle the Browns at 1:00 p.m. ET on CBS.
Burden made our full Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em piece for Week 1, perhaps previewing who could be the better start. However, Washington also carries a promising matchup in his own right.
Which player should make your lineup while the other warms the bench in Week 1?
Why Start Luther Burden III?
Luther Burden III Week 1 PrizePicks Projections: 56.5 Receiving Yards, 6.5 Receiving Targets, 0.5 Player TDs (Demon), 12.5 Fantasy Score
With WR DJ Moore now on the Bills, targets are available in Chicago.
TE Colston Loveland returns as last season’s leading receiver, tallying 713 receiving yards. WR Rome Odunze totaled 74.0 receiving yards per game in his first four 2025 games but posted only 45.6 yards per game over his final eight appearances.
Meanwhile, Burden ended 2025 on an excellent note, amassing 6.5 targets, 5.3 receptions, and 81.0 receiving yards per contest over the final four regular-season games. However, Odunze was absent in those games, yet Burden logged 7.0 targets per game compared to Odunze’s 6.0 over two 2025 playoff games.
He finished his rookie season by racking up 15.2 fantasy points per game in PPR leagues over his final four regular-season games, creating clear hype ahead of 2026. Throughout the offseason, head coach Ben Johnson added fuel to the fire, comparing Burden to Lions All-Pro WR Amon-Ra St. Brown while suggesting the second-year wideout will have a versatile role.
Burden’s chance to take slot snaps could elevate his matchup vs. the Panthers in Week 1. Moore had 259 slot snaps (25th) last season, per PlayerProfiler. With the vet WR now in Buffalo, expect Burden’s slot snaps to rise — especially when he had a healthy 36.1% slot snap rate in 2025.
Carolina has a strong perimeter CB duo in Jaycee Horne and Mike Jackson. With slot snaps, Burden can get more favorable matchups against slot corner Chau Smith-Wade, who allowed 9.9 yards per reception (96th) last season, per Pro Football Focus.
Meanwhile, Oduze will likely solely deal with Horne and Jackson in the secondary, and he was a limited participant in all three practices this week. A calf injury officially has Odunze questionable for Sunday, which may lead to an even larger role for Burden.
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Why Start Parker Washington?
Parker Washington Week 1 PrizePicks Projections: 52.5 Receiving Yards, 6.5 Receiving Targets, 4 Receptions, 11.5 Fantasy Score
Similar to Burden, Parker Washington finished 2025 blistering hot with 9.7 targets, 6.3 receptions, 115.7 receiving yards, and 21.7 fantasy points per game over the final three regular-season games.
After finishing as WR3, WR9, and WR7 in weekly rankings to cap 2025, buzz around Washington was inevitable. Michael DiRocco of ESPN reported in August that Washington seemed in line to be the Jags’ WR1.
Furthermore, PFF gave Washington 2.06 yards per route run compared to WR Jakobi Meyers’ 1.59 and Brian Thomas Jr.’s 1.50 last season. According to Sumer Sports, Washington’s 73.53 total EPA was also the top mark among the receiving corps.
Adding to his chance for big fantasy numbers in 2026, QB Trevor Lawrence had a strong 48.5% success rate (14th), via RBSDM, while finishing as QB4 in fantasy football a season ago.
T-Law helped orchestrate an offense that posted 27.7 PPG (sixth) and a 46.0% success rate (11th), potentially juicing Washington’s ability to score TDs in 2026. The Jaguars hold a 1.49x payout to go over 21.5 points vs. the Browns, per PrizePicks.
Pick Parker Washington and the Jaguars to win for higher payouts on PrizePicks!
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Week 1 Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em Verdict: Start Luther Burden III
Ultimately, Burden could be a worthy start over Washington. While the Jaguars’ WR can avoid tough matchups against Browns CB Denzel Ward thanks to a 39.6% slot snap rate in 2025, more competition for targets hurts Washington’s potential for Week 1.
After tallying 1,282 receiving yards in 2024, Jaguars WR Brian Thomas Jr. was a shell of himself with 707 receiving yards a season ago. Thomas is fully healthy entering 2026, unlike last year, perhaps meaning increased efficiency this season.
Thomas’ 7.8 targets per game from 2024 fell to 5.8 a season ago. That may increase with the third-year WR fully healthy. Burden’s main competitor for targets, Rome Odunze, could be inactive with a questionable status for Sunday.
Furthermore, Bears QB Caleb Williams could enjoy a clean pocket, as the Panthers had a 24% pass rush win rate (24th) while Chicago logged a league-best 74% pass block win rate last season, per ESPN.
Focusing on Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville featured a strong 68% pass block win rate (ninth), but Cleveland had an elite 46% pass rush win rate (second). That will likely dip with EDGE Myles Garrett now with the Los Angeles Rams, but Browns EDGE Jared Verse is also a quality rusher with 20 QB hits (second) and 80 pressures (sixth) a season ago.
Frankly, Cleveland’s pass rush presents a much greater threat compared to the Panthers. That may lead to the Bears comfortably airing the ball out, while the Jaguars struggle to create a clean pocket in the passing game.
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In a Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em duel between Luther Burden III and Parker Washington, Burden seems bound for a strong fantasy football performance with Rome Odunze questionable while the Bears carry a favorable matchup for the passing game.
Don’t wait until kickoff — make your NFL Week 1 picks on PrizePIcks now! You can make picks on the winner, spread, and over/under on PrizePicks Team Picks, now available in 36 states. With PrizePicks, just pick players and predict More or Less on their stats!
Keep it locked in here with the Playbook for continued NFL picks, predictions, and news all season long.
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