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Ricky Pearsall, Courtland Sutton, Calvin Ridley fantasy football start em, sit em picks for Week 1 of 2025. Should I start Ricky Pearsall, Courtland Sutton, Calvin Ridley?
It’s finally Week 1, Rotoballers! It felt like FOREVER, but here we are! The first week can be challenging, but we are here to help. Who should you choose and why? I’m here to break it down with analysis, stats, and some gut feelings.
In the first week, the decisions don’t get much tougher than choosing between breakout potential and proven studs. Every lineup spot matters, and these WR calls could swing your matchup.
In this piece, we’ll look at three wide receivers: Ricky Pearsall, Courtland Sutton, and Calvin Ridley. Let’s see who’s worth starting, when, and why.
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Ricky Pearsall – Week 1 Fantasy Football Outlook
Matchup: 49ers at Seahawks
It's all about volume, Rotoballers. With Deebo Samuel Sr. with the Commanders and Brandon Aiyuk still not 100%, Pearsall is set to open as the 49ers’ WR1. He should go into the first week as the number one receiver and could continue to hold on to that position, barring any setbacks.
Jeremy Fowler was asked which player in the NFL is going to come out of nowhere in Week 1 and make an impact all season:
"I'll go with 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall. The 49ers receiver room has been decimated by injury with Brandon Aiyuk still recovering from last season's… pic.twitter.com/2dygAG1jHN
— Coach Yac 🗣 (@Coach_Yac) September 4, 2025
Seattle’s secondary can be stingy, but volume matters more than matchup here. Pearsall is projected as a top-35 WR this week, with legitimate upside for double-digit targets. Fantasy managers love RBs with opportunity, and Pearsall checks that box in a high-powered offense.
Courtland Sutton – Week 1 Fantasy Football Outlook
Matchup: Broncos at Titans
Sutton is once again the de facto WR1 in Denver. With Jerry Jeudy no longer in town, Sutton will be leaned on heavily by Bo Nix, who looked sharp in preseason action.
Bo Nix and Courtland Sutton connect for 43 yards 🎯
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/9SX1Smr73H
— NFL (@NFL) August 23, 2025
This week, he’ll face the Titans, a defense that struggled against perimeter receivers last season. Sutton will likely see coverage from L'Jarius Sneed, who is coming off an injury and could be exploitable after minimal time in camp.
The floor is safe—he’s averaged at least seven targets per game in his last six starts—and his red-zone presence just begs for touchdowns.
Calvin Ridley – Week 1 Fantasy Football Outlook
Matchup: Titans at Broncos
Ridley's talent is undeniable, but Week 1 presents a tough test. Rookie QB Cam Ward makes his first career start, and Ridley will likely draw Patrick Surtain II, last year’s Defensive Player of the Year. That is a brutal opening matchup.
Calvin Ridley has never finished lower than a WR3. That’s exactly what he’s being drafted as despite a (potentially huge) QB upgrade. I am once again in pic.twitter.com/WzFMDiGRZm
— Michael F. Florio (@MichaelFFlorio) August 7, 2025
Ridley’s target share should be strong—he’s still the No. 1 option in Tennessee’s passing game—but his efficiency is concerning. Think... volume without explosive production. Unless Ward surprises against Denver’s pass rush, Ridley may struggle to deliver WR1 numbers.
Start/Sit Recommendations for Week 1
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✅ Ricky Pearsall — volume-driven upside with WR1/WR2 upside in SF’s offense
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🆗 Courtland Sutton — solid floor with a favorable matchup against a potentially rusty defender
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🤨 Calvin Ridley — talented and involved, but likely constrained by elite Broncos defense
Who Should I Start Tool
Not sure who to start? Check out the Who Should I Start tool:
Compare up to four players and we'll tell you who to start...
Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some common Week 1 fantasy football lineup decisions are regarding players like Ricky Pearsall, Courtland Sutton, Calvin Ridley. But not to worry, we are here to help make these decisions and build winning lineups in Week 1. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups for Week 1 of the 2025 NFL season. Our free Who Should I Start? tool will help make your fantasy football lineup decisions. Compare up to four NFL players, and we tell you who to start... all free! Get your winning lineups set, and make the right decisions.
Week 1 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players - Jaylin Noel, Isaac TeSlaa, Pat Bryant. These are some of the most common searches for fantasy football lineups in Week 1.
Using The Tool. This is a simple tool but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player's name. In the second box, search for the second player's name. Compare up to four NFL players at once, and then click the Who To Start? button to see who the recommended starts are based on weekly fantasy football matchups.
Improvements For Who Should I Start? You may have noticed, our Who Should I Start? tool has gotten an overhaul. We've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win your fantasy football matchups each week. You'll see NFL player tiles with headshots and bye weeks, enhanced search results with data to compare, and a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!
How It Works. Each week, our RotoBaller staff puts together their weekly fantasy football rankings and projections based on their research. That information is the core data that is powering the decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see those players who are ranked. If someone is out for the week, they will not appear in the search results.
Scoring Formats. Fantasy football managers play in various types of leagues, and this tool allows you to choose whether it's PPR scoring, Half-PPR scoring, or Standard (Non-PPR) scoring. The second thing you want to do is to select the scoring format. There are three small radio buttons (small circles), so click on the scoring format you prefer. The results may vary based on the scoring format you select.
Popular Week 1 Searches. Curious to see some tough lineup decisions for Week 1 (2025)? Below you will find a list of some popular Who Should I Start? searches that RotoBaller readers are looking at this week. Click any of the links to see the result and recommendation.
Popular Week 1 Searches - Start/Sit Player Comparisons
Below are some popular Week 1 searches and comparisons from our 'Who To Start' tool for Ricky Pearsall, Courtland Sutton, Calvin Ridley compared to others:
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