Who Should I Start for Fantasy Football Week 1? Calvin Ridley, Jameson Williams, Tyrone Tracy Jr., Jerome Ford, Marvin Harrison Jr., Jakobi Meyers, Davante Adams, Zay Flowers, Adam Thielen

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September 7, 2025

Who Should I Start for Week 1? Fantasy Football outlooks for Calvin Ridley, Jameson Williams, Tyrone Tracy Jr., Jerome Ford, Marvin Harrison Jr., Jakobi Meyers, Davante Adams, Zay Flowers, Adam Thielen.

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Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some of the most common Week 1 fantasy football lineup decisions involve players like Calvin Ridley, Jameson Williams, Tyrone Tracy Jr., Jerome Ford, Marvin Harrison Jr., Jakobi Meyers, Davante Adams, Zay Flowers, Adam Thielen. 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.

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Fantasy Football Matchup Outlooks

Below are some fantasy football outlooks written by our NFL team here at RotoBaller, bringing you their fantasy football analysis and advice on which players to consider starting in Week 1:

Calvin Ridley, WR, Tennessee Titans

Tennessee Titans wide receiver Calvin Ridley is expected to have a strong season, but it could start off on a relatively sour note. Ridley faces the Denver Broncos on Sunday, which means he'll spend most of his time being covered by elite cornerback Patrick Surtain II.

Last season, Surtain allowed just 1.15 fantasy points per target to opposing receivers, which ranked second-lowest in the NFL. As a team, the Broncos allowed the fifth-fewest fantasy points to the position, as well as the fewest touchdowns.

While Ward will surely throw Ridley's way often, especially if the Titans are trailing, the odds of Ridley breaking off numerous big plays are severely reduced. For this week only, you can probably find a better WR3/FLEX option than Ridley.

Jameson Williams, WR, Detroit Lions

The Detroit Lions and wide receiver Jameson Williams have agreed to terms on a three-year, $83 million extension, according to multiple sources. NFL Insider Jordan Schultz reported the news. Per Schultz, the deal includes $67 million in guaranteed money.

It's an excellent move by Detroit, who picked up the wideout's fifth-year option back in April. The deal will tie the University of Alabama product to the organization through 2029. Williams is fresh off his best professional season, and the team has indicated he'll be more involved during the 2025 campaign.

There was no doubt heading into this year that he'd operate as Detroit's clear-cut No. 2 option, though the extension should quell any lingering fears surrounding him in dynasty.

Jerome Ford, RB, Cleveland Browns

Cleveland Browns running back Jerome Ford will take on the Cincinnati Bengals at home in Week 1 of the 2025 NFL season. Ford is expected to operate as the team's workhorse back early in the season with Quinshon Judkins still unsigned and rookie Dylan Sampson ticketed for a change-of-pace role.

The veteran Ford operated as the team's lead back for much of the 2024 season but only managed 565 rushing yards. Ford will take on a Bengals defense that allowed the 15th-most fantasy points per game to opposing running backs last season in Week 1, but the Browns could be playing from behind for the majority of the game against a high-powered Cincy offense.

Jerome Ford checks in as a low-end RB3/flex option in most fantasy football scoring formats this weekend.

Jakobi Meyers, WR, Las Vegas Raiders

Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Jakobi Meyers returns in 2025 after a career-best season in which he topped 1,000 yards for the first time. Despite offseason contract uncertainty, he remains a vital piece of the Raiders' passing attack, working as a trusted complement to tight end Brock Bowers.

With rookies Dont'e Thornton Jr. and Jack Bech still acclimating to the NFL, Meyers' veteran presence will be leaned on heavily to stabilize the offense early in the year.

The Raiders are expected to emphasize the run in Week 1, but Meyers' ability to create separation and operate effectively out of the slot makes him a strong flex option with steady volume potential.

Davante Adams, WR, Los Angeles Rams

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Davante Adams will make his team debut against the Houston Texans on Sunday, and he carries significant value as a mid-to-low WR2 option. While Puka Nacua is expected to be the No. 1 receiver in Los Angeles, Adams will step in as an immediate contributor alongside him.

Splitting last year between the Raiders and Jets, the veteran averaged 6.1 catches, 75.9 receiving yards, and 0.6 touchdowns per game. Now, with the Rams, he gets a quarterback upgrade while playing in an offense that should find the end zone far more often.

Plus, he opens the year with a favorable matchup; the Texans allowed the eighth-most fantasy points and second-most touchdowns to wide receivers in 2024.

Who Should I Start Tool

You can also see the Who Should I Start tool here.

Week 1 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players - Calvin Ridley, Jameson Williams, Tyrone Tracy Jr., Jerome Ford, Marvin Harrison Jr., Jakobi Meyers, Davante Adams, Zay Flowers, Adam Thielen. 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, stats, projections, strength of schedule, players news, and enhanced search results with data to compare with 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 searches and comparisons from our Who To Start tool for Week 1 for Calvin Ridley, Jameson Williams, Tyrone Tracy Jr., Jerome Ford, Marvin Harrison Jr., Jakobi Meyers, Davante Adams, Zay Flowers, Adam Thielen: