The NFL is back as Week 1 kicks off this week, and that means stressing over who you should start and sit each week is back, too.
Playbook has all your season-long fantasy football needs covered, including which QBs you should and shouldn't run in your lineup on a week-to-week basis.
Whether it’s a matchup disadvantage, an injured offensive line, or just a feeling, we’ll break down which quarterbacks are worth starting or sitting on the sidelines.
Using PrizePicks projections on pass yards, TDs, and more, let’s see which QBs come into Week 1 with an advantage vs. their opponent.
Make NFL Week 1 picks on PrizePicks — including players, teams, and totals!
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Fantasy Football Week 1 Start 'Em, Sit 'Em: QBs
It's important to get off to a hot start in your fantasy football season. Let’s take a look at some of the top QBs and whether or not they should be in your starting lineup in the all-important Week 1.
Here’s who you should start and who should warm the bench for this week’s edition of Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em QBs, including projections on PrizePicks, where you can win real money with your sports picks.
Patriots QB Drake Maye: Sit 'Em
Game: Patriots vs. Seahawks – Wednesday, September 9, 8:20 p.m. ET
Projections via PrizePicks: 229.5 Pass Yards, 1.5 Pass TDs (Demon), 32.5 Pass Attempts
Drake Maye won't have to wait long for his shot at revenge against vs. the Seattle Seahawks, who defeated the Pats in last year's Super Bowl.
The 24-year-old quarterback has already proven himself as one of the best players at his position at such a young age, though the Seahawks defense got the better of him when it mattered most.
Maye finished the Super Bowl with 295 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs, and a fumble to boot, with both of those TDs coming in the fourth quarter. Seattle also hammered Maye, totaling six sacks across his 43 pass attempts.
Patriots' offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels has spoken about Maye's growth in handling the pressure Seattle brought in the big game and how the Patriots have devised specific plans to counter the blitzes he will face — not only from Seattle but throughout the season.
Even so, the Seahawks will know that simply running the same game plan twice is unlikely to be as effective. Expect head coach Mike Macdonald to vary his looks, disguise blitzes, and deploy new coverages designed to keep Maye second-guessing himself in the pocket.
Macdonald and defensive coordinator Aden Durde have all the tools to come after Maye again, and will have the full force of the 12th Man behind them at Lumen Field. While Maye is could put together another MVP-caliber season, a difficult road opener without time to fully gel with a new-look offense may be too much to overcome in Week 1.
Add Drake Maye to your PrizePicks lineup for Week 1
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Bengals QB Joe Burrow: Start 'Em
Game: Buccaneers vs. Bengals – Sunday, September 13, 1 p.m. ET
Projections via PrizePicks: 267.5 Pass Yards, 1.5 Pass TDs (Goblin), 34.5 Pass Attempts
The Bengals have never recaptured the magic of 2021 and 2022, when they made back-to-back AFC Championship appearances and reached the Super Bowl. Whether it's injuries to Joe Burrow, key free-agent departures, defensive struggles, or slow starts, the Bengals keep finding new ways to squander the prime years of their offensive core.
Heading into Sunday's season opener, the highest-paid wide receiver duo in league history — Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins — both carry injury designations, listed as questionable. While they should play, their availability will naturally play a significant role in how fantasy managers approach starting or sitting Burrow against Tampa Bay.
Head coach Zac Taylor confirmed that both fully participated in Monday's practice and should have no issue suiting up on Sunday afternoon.
If that is the case, Burrow would easily rank among the best quarterback start options of the week, given Bucs coach Todd Bowles' blitz-heavy defense that Chase and Higgins could exploit.
While the Bengals have historically struggled to protect Burrow, leveraging man coverage against these two weapons would go a long way toward neutralizing the Buccaneers' defensive effectiveness.
With Burrow having two of the most dynamic receivers in the league at his disposal and the game projected to be high-scoring — currently the highest total on the week, expect the Bengals' quarterback to quickly remind everyone why he belongs in the conversation among the game's elite players.
Add Joe Burrow to your PrizePicks lineup for Week 1
Ravens QB Lamar Jackson: Start 'Em
Game: Ravens vs. Colts – Sunday, September 13, 1 p.m. ET
Projections via PrizePicks: 221.5 Pass Yards, 1.5 Pass TDs (Demon), 26.5 Pass Attempts
The Ravens' offense draws one of the most favorable fantasy matchups of the week based on what we know about the Indianapolis Colts defense heading into this season.
The Colts finished last year ranked 31st out of 32 teams in opponents' passing yards per game (247.9 yards). Plus, Lamar Jackson has had his way vs. this defense in the past.
The former Louisville quarterback is 2-1 in three career games against the Colts, completing 80.4% of his passes for 814 yards and 4 TDs, while adding another 73.7 yards and 1 TD per game on the ground.
He now faces Indianapolis for the first time since 2023, bringing with him a new-look offense installed by new offensive coordinator Declan Doyle that will feature pre-snap motion and play-action looks that could misdirect defenses.
Add Lamar Jackson to your PrizePicks lineup for Week 1
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Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence: Start 'Em
Game: Browns vs. Jaguars- Sunday, September 13, 1 p.m. ET
Projections via PrizePicks: 234.5 Pass Yards, 1.5 Pass TDs, 32.5 Pass Attempts
Former #1 pick Trevor Lawrence is finally blossoming into the player his college career suggested he could be. Lawrence open his sixth NFL season vs. a Browns defense that suffered the biggest loss of any team in free agency this offseason, trading Myles Garrett to the Rams.
The Browns also saw a change in defensive leadership, with head coach Kevin Stefanski departing and new defensive coordinator Mike Rutenberg taking over defensive play-calling duties.
With Parker Washington, Brian Thomas Jr. Jakobi Meyers, and dual-threat WR Travis Hunter mixing in, Lawrence now has plenty of weapons at his disposal.
That could make it difficult to predict which skill player will emerge week-to-week, though Washington has certainly become the favorite. Fortunately for Lawrence's fantasy managers, he won't have to share touches with anyone else under center.
The 26-year-old is coming off a career-high 29-touchdown season and remains an underrated rushing threat, adding 9 rushing TDs last year as well.
For the first time in his six-year career, Lawrence will also be entering a season running the same system for a second consecutive year under Liam Coen. The two have developed a strong working relationship, and we truly saw the results in the second half of last season when Lawrence threw 20 of his 29 touchdowns over the final nine games. Look for him to pick up right where he left off with a strong Week 1 performance.
Add Trevor Lawrence to your PrizePicks lineup for Week 1
Bills QB Josh Allen: Consider Sitting the QB1?
Game: Bills vs. Texans - Sunday, September 13, 1 p.m. ET
Projections via PrizePicks: 222.5 Pass Yards, 1.5 Pass TDs (Demon), 30.5 Pass Attempts
Josh Allen opens the 2026-27 season against one of the league's best defenses and arguably his biggest nemesis in recent years. DeMeco Ryans and the Houston Texans have consistently given Allen more trouble than any other opponent, and another difficult afternoon looks likely in the season opener.
Allen is just 1-4 in five career games vs. Houston, posting a 72.7 passer rating and a completion rate below 56%. The Texans have found a reliable formula to pressure Allen and disrupt his decision-making — something few teams have been able to do.
The Texans have tallied 15 sacks across those five games, clamping Allen to the tune of a 3:4 pass TD:INT ratio. Allen's struggles have been particularly pronounced in the last two meetings, with a combined 384 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs, and 9 sacks taken.
While the Bills will look to use new offensive weapons like D.J. Moore to take some pressure off Allen, the Texans defense will be one of the league's strongest units again this season. It's their chance to make that clear if they can shut down Allen in Week 1.
Add Josh Allen to your PrizePicks lineup for Week 1
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Turn Your Fantasy Football Takes to NFL Picks on PrizePicks
Visit PrizePicks Playbook every week throughout the NFL season for our Start 'Em, Sit 'Em breakdowns, then make your Week 1 NFL picks on PrizePicks — including players, teams to win, spreads, and more.
Before the NFL begins, get in on the fun with PrizePicks NFLSZN projections. Pick 2-6 players, make predictions on their stats, and lock in your fantasy football squad on PrizePicks. Plus, you can pick game winners to earn real money all season long with PrizePicks!
As we head into the NFL season, stay locked in on Playbook for weekly NFL start/sit advice, waiver wire analysis, and game picks.
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