Starting and Benching Quarterback Picks for Week 1 of Fantasy Football

Start ’em, sit ’em is the definitive analysis of the best and worst matchups of a given week in fantasy football. This column will not cover elite players like Josh Allen, Jalen Hurts, or Patrick Mahomes. Instead, I’ll be looking at quarterbacks you have doubts about who might exceed or fall short of expectations.

For your final lineup decisions, be sure to also check out my weekly fantasy player rankings which will be updated daily!

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1. Josh Allen vs. the Cardinals
2. Jalen Hurts vs. Packers (Friday)
3. Patrick Mahomes vs. Ravens (Thursday)
4. Anthony Richardson vs. the Texans
5. Lamar Jackson at the Chiefs (Thursday)
6. CJ Stroud on the Colts
7. Joe Burrow vs. the Patriots
8. Kyler Murray on the Bills
9. Jordan Love at Eagles (Friday)
10. Jared Goff vs. the Rams

The complete Week 1 quarterback rankings can be found here.

Be sure to check out the starter and backup picks at other positions as well: Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | Kicker and defensive back

Start of the week

Anthony Richardson vs. Texans (1:00 p.m. ET, CBS): This may seem easy, but it’s Week 1, folks! The players we pick get to start! And it turns out this is a big matchup for Richardson. The Texans allowed the fourth-most points to visiting quarterbacks last season, at 19.4 points per game. In total, five opposing field generals outscored them by at least 17.7 points, including three who scored more than 21.

Get them going

Jordan Love vs. Eagles (Friday, 8:15 p.m. ET, Peacock): Love was one of the best field generals in fantasy last season, and he has a great matchup to open the 2024 campaign. In a rare Friday game, he faces an Eagles defense that was crushed by quarterbacks last year. In fact, only the Washington Commanders allowed more points. With a lofty over/under of 48.5, Vegas figures to make this a high-scoring matchup. I tend to agree, so start Love.

Jared Goff vs. the Rams (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC): Payback! Goff is a solid option this week as he faces the team that traded him a few years ago, the Rams. In 2023, Los Angeles gave up the ninth-most points per game (19.9) to home-field quarterbacks. Speaking of playing at home, Goff has averaged 19.4 points in his 25 regular-season games as a Lion at Ford Field.

Tua Tagovailoa vs. Jaguars (1 p.m. ET, CBS): Tagovailoa wasn’t very reliable last season, but he did average 17 points per game at home. Fortunately, he’ll start in South Florida in a home game against the Jaguars. In 2023, no visiting defense has allowed more points to opposing quarterbacks than Jacksonville (22.3 points per game). That’s good news for Tagovailoa, assuming his top wide receivers are healthy, in a game that has a total over/under of 49.5 points.

Baker Mayfield vs. Commanders (4:25 p.m. ET, Fox): Surprisingly, Mayfield finished in the top 10 in fantasy points among quarterbacks last season, and a home opener against the Commanders makes him a low-end QB1. Washington’s defense will have a new look under head coach Dan Quinn, but this unit allowed 19 touchdown passes and an average of more than 20 fantasy points per game to home quarterbacks last season.

QB with good matchups

Situation of the week

Justin Herbert vs. Raiders (4:05 p.m. ET, CBS): Herbert’s fantasy prospects are already in doubt due to a new run-based offense and no high-end options in the passing game. Couple that with a poor matchup against the Raiders, and Herbert is a risk this week. Las Vegas was quietly tough on quarterbacks last season, allowing an average of 14.6 points per game to the position. Las Vegas has an over/under of 41.5 points, which is also concerning.

Sit with them

Kirk Cousins ​​vs. Steelers (1 p.m. ET, Fox): Cousins ​​is playing his first game since tearing his Achilles tendon midway through last season, and he has a new offense and a new cast of characters around him. That stat line could mean a slow start for the veteran, not to mention a poor matchup against the Steelers. Their defense allowed an average of fewer than 15 fantasy points per game to quarterbacks last season, so you might want to bench Cousins.

Brock Purdy vs. Jets (Monday 8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN): Brock was “Purdy” good last season, finishing sixth in points among quarterbacks. He was also strong at home, averaging 19.5 points. The concern this week, though, is the matchup against the Jets and their tough defense. No team allowed fewer fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks last season, and home quarterbacks averaged the fourth-fewest points (14.5 points per game) against them.

Deshaun Watson vs. Cowboys (4:25 p.m. ET, Fox): Watson hasn’t been a reliable option for fantasy managers since his days in Houston, and this week’s game against Dallas is a tough one. Last season, their defense gave up the seventh-fewest fantasy points to opposing home quarterbacks. This could also be a defensive battle, as Vegas has the over/under at 42, so I’d be wary of starting Watson in any league other than Superflex.

Aaron Rodgers at the 49ers (Monday 8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN): Rodgers is playing his first game since tearing his Achilles in Game 4 of last season, and the matchup is brutal (at least on paper). In 2023, the 49ers defense has allowed an average of just 206.9 passing yards and 290.1 ​​yards of total offense at home. This could be more of a defensive battle than a high-scoring affair, so I’d be cautious with Rodgers (and Purdy) as a result.

QB with bad matchups

Don’t forget to check out the top picks for starters and backups at other positions as you make your Week 1 fantasy football lineup decisions, too! Running Back | Wide Receiver | Tight End | Kicker & Defense