Start 'Em, Sit 'Em, NFL Week 1: Is Terry McLaurin Among Valuable WRs?

There's no shortage of high-level receiver matchups in NFL Week 1. The Giants will host the Cowboys, pitting Dallas WR CeeDee Lamb against New York WR Malik Nabers. Saints vs. Lions also sees stars Chris Olave and Amon-Ra St. Brown take the field in Detroit, and that's just the tip of the iceberg.

Sifting through the Week 1 matchups shows some wideouts can shine in favorable matchups. Others, meanwhile, could struggle to be productive against tough defenses.

Below, we'll dive into some NFL Week 1 Start 'Em, Sit 'Em candidates for the WR spot, including picks to consider on PrizePicks for Terry McLaurin and more. Keep this analysis in mind when making your Week 1 fantasy football lineup calls.

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Start: Buccaneers WR Chris Godwin

Game: Buccaneers vs. Bengals – Sunday, September 13, 1 p.m. ET

Projections via PrizePicks: 41.5 Rec Yards, 3.5 Recs (Goblin), 9.5 Fantasy Score

Things will look different at WR for the Buccaneers with Mike Evans now a member of the 49ers. The club should rely heavily on second-year WR Emeka Egbuka, who showed at times last season that he has the potential to lead the group.

Tampa Bay figures to also focus on getting the ball to WR Chris Godwin, who has seen his career derailed by injuries the last two seasons. When Godwin's been on the field, though, he's remained productive.

Over 16 games across 2024 and 2025, he totaled 83 receptions for 936 yards and 7 TDs. That included 12 receptions of at least 20 yards. Godwin is healthy heading into this year, while Egbuka has dealt with a toe injury during the preseason.

Godwin has the potential for plenty of targets against a Bengals defense that ranked 28th in dropback EPA allowed last season, per RBSDM. That leaves him with significant fantasy appeal.

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Start: Saints WR Devaughn Vele

Game: Saints vs. Lions – Sunday, September 13, 1 p.m. ET

Projections via PrizePicks: 39.5 Rec Yards, 3.5 Recs, 8.5 Fantasy Score

The Saints selected WR Jordyn Tyson with the eighth overall pick in the 2026 Draft, hoping that he can form a game-changing duo with Chris Olave. They'll have to wait for his debut, though, as he begins the season on injured reserve with a hamstring issue.

New Orleans TE Juwan Johnson may be thrust into an expanded role, with WR Devaughn Vele also potentially getting additional targets.

After being used sparingly to begin last season, Vele came on late. Following the Saints’ bye in Week 11, he had a four-game stretch in which he caught 19 of 26 targets for 239 yards and 1 TD. During that span, he was targeted on 20.6% of his routes.

Vele missed the final three games of the season because of injury but is healthy entering 2026. The Saints might be forced to throw a lot to keep up with a Lions team that averaged 28.3 points per game last year, which would in turn benefit Vele.

Add Devaughn Vele to your PrizePicks lineup now.

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Sit: Bills WR DJ Moore

Game: Bills vs. Texans – Sunday, September 13, 1 p.m. ET

Projections via PrizePicks: 47.5 Rec Yards, 3.5 Recs, 9.5 Fantasy Score

The Buffalo Bills are banking on DJ Moore, who is coming off the worst season of his career, rebounding after being acquired via trade. With the Bears last year, he only caught 50 of 85 targets for 682 yards.

Moore should be the Bills’ top wideout, overtaking Khalil Shakir on the depth chart. Moore is a deep threat, having averaged at least 12.4 yards per reception in all but one season. The problem for Week 1 is a difficult matchup against the Texans.

Houston gave up the sixth-fewest passing yards per game last season en route to ranking first in dropback EPA on defense. Moore could be primed for a bounce-back season with QB Josh Allen throwing him passes, but there doesn't appear to be a ton of upside for Week 1.

Add DJ Moore to your PrizePicks lineup now.

Sit: Commanders WR Terry McLaurin

Game: Commanders vs. Eagles – Sunday, September 13, 4:25 p.m. ET

Projections via PrizePicks: 52.5 Rec Yards, 4.0 Recs, 10.5 Fantasy Score

2025 was riddled with injuries for the Commanders. QB Jayden Daniels only appeared in seven games, which basically ended any hope the team had of making the playoffs again. Injuries also plagued WR Terry McLaurin, who played in just 10 games.

WR Stefon Diggs joining the Commanders adds competition for targets for McLaurin. One of the reasons McLaurin has thrived during his tenure with the franchise is that he had a target share of at least 21.6% in five straight seasons prior to 2025. That type of workload might be difficult to replicate now.

Another factor working against him in Week 1 is that the Eagles have a stellar defense that held opposing WRs to a total of 6 TDs last season. McLaurin doesn't have a rosy outlook for Washington's regular-season opener.

Add Terry McLaurin to your PrizePicks lineup now.

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Godwin and Vele are two WRs who could make a big impact in Week 1 because of favorable matchups. Things are trending in the other direction for Moore and McLaurin, who are two veterans with tough opponents.

Don’t wait until Week 1 officially kicks off — make your NFL picks on PrizePicks now and earn real money if you’re right.

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