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Jordan Love, Joe Flacco, C.J. Stroud fantasy football start 'em, sit 'em picks for Week 1 (2025). Should you start or sit Jordan Love, Joe Flacco, C.J. Stroud in Week 1?
Week 1 of the fantasy season is finally here. At this point, your league has drafted, and you are parsing through all the relevant information to figure out who should be in your lineup for Week 1.
In the opening week, several sneaky QBs that are likely available on most waiver wires have excellent matchups that could warrant a spot in your starting lineup.
Can fantasy managers start Jordan Love, Joe Flacco, and C.J. Stroud in Week 1? Read below to find out.
Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:- 2025 fantasy football rankings
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Should I Start Jordan Love in Week 1?
BALLER MOVE: Start in 12+ team leagues
POSITIONAL VALUE: Low-end QB1
ANALYSIS: Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love was viewed as the next emerging superstar in the league in 2023 as he led the Packers to a postseason berth and a playoff victory over the heavily favored Dallas Cowboys. During this season (his first as a full-time starter), Love threw for 4,159 yards with a strong 32:11 TD:INT.
On the ground, Love added four additional touchdowns with 247 yards.
Love entered the 2024 season with high expectations but was unable to find his footing as he battled numerous injuries during the campaign. Love would only eclipse 30.0 PPR points in two games and would average a modest 19.5 PPR points per game over the 15 games in which he logged over 40 offensive snaps.
However, with the Packers adding top wide receiver prospect Matthew Golden to the offense in the NFL Draft, Love appears poised to bounce back. In addition, Love is fully healed and is not expected to face any limitations.
In Week 1, he has a prime matchup to kickstart a strong season, facing the Detroit Lions in what could be a high-scoring affair. This game currently holds a 4.75 O/U point total on DraftKings Sportsbook, one of the highest marks on the slate.
Love is a strong low-end QB1 in all 12+ team leagues in Week 1.
Jordan Love Expected to Run More in 2025 https://t.co/ya0bVtGh2L
— RotoBaller NFL (@RotoBallerNFL) August 7, 2025
Should I Start Joe Flacco in Week 1?
BALLER MOVE: Start in two-QB leagues
POSITIONAL VALUE: High-end QB2
ANALYSIS: 40-year-old quarterback Joe Flacco returned to Cleveland during the offseason and was able to win the starting job. During training camp, Flacco was in a tough competition for the starting job alongside two rookies, Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders, and journeyman Kenny Pickett. However, with Pickett being traded to the Las Vegas Raiders, Flacco was able to edge out both rookies in the competition,
Flacco spent time in Cleveland during the 2023 season and led them to a postseason birth. Once he took over the starting job in Week 13 that season, Flacco would average an impressive 26.6 PPR points per game over the next five weeks to lead the Browns to a playoff berth. Despite losing in their Wild Card match-up against the Houston Texans, Flacco threw over 300 yards in this contest.
During their final preseason contest this season, Flacco showed impressive upside as he went 9-for-10 on his three drives, totaling 71 passing yards with a passing score.
While the veteran may eventually hit the bench in favor of the rookies, for now, Flacco is currently locked in as the starter and carries high streaming appeal in Week 1. Flacco will face the Cincinnati Bengals, who boast one of the sport's top offensive units and worst defensive units.
Given the potential for the Browns to be playing from behind in this game, the former Super Bowl Champion should be viewed as a must-start in all 2-QB leagues and a top streaming option in deeper 1-QB leagues.
Harold Fannin Jr. touchdown on a strike from QB1 Joe Flacco
📹 @Brownspic.twitter.com/l9QEchUnXN
— RotoBaller NFL (@RotoBallerNFL) August 23, 2025
Should I Start C.J. Stroud in Week 1?
BALLER MOVE: Start in 12+ team leagues
POSITIONAL VALUE: High-end QB2
ANALYSIS: Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud took the league by storm during his rookie campaign in 2023. Stroud immediately emerged as one of the game's top rising stars and was one of the first quarterbacks taken in 2024 fantasy drafts.
However, the former second overall pick took a significant step back in his sophomore campaign, throwing for just 3,727 yards with a modest 20:12 TD:INT. During his rookie season, Stroud totaled 4,108 yards with a 23:5 TD:INT.
In the offseason, the Texans prioritized improving the offensive situation to help their franchise quarterback. Notably, the Texans added two wide receivers in the NFL Draft (Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel) and brought in veteran Christian Kirk. Unfortunately, Houston's run game took a major blow as presumed starter Joe Mixon (ankle) hit the reserve list and will be out at least the first four games.
As a result, the Texan will likely lean on Stroud more often as Nick Chubb is slated to lead the backfield. Chubb is coming off those most inefficient seasons of his career and may not have the same success he once enjoyed in Cleveland.
This weekend, Stroud will face a tough Rams defense led by top pass rushers Jared Verse and Kobie Turner. In addition, Kirk is dealing with a hamstring injury and is in danger of missing Week 1. As a result, Stroud is projected to be a risky QB1/high-end QB2 in Week 1.
Texans Pleased with New Squad "Charged" with Protecting C.J. Stroud https://t.co/TZTNHSLYTj
— RotoBaller NFL (@RotoBallerNFL) August 30, 2025
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 Jordan Love, Joe Flacco, and C.J. Stroud. 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 - Jordan Love, Joe Flacco, C.J. Stroud. 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 name. In the second box, search for the second player 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 circle), 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 Jordan Love, Joe Flacco, C.J. Stroud compared to others:
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