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Who Should I Start for Week 1? Fantasy Football outlooks for Ladd McConkey, Matthew Golden, Jakobi Meyers, Rachaad White, Zay Flowers, Khalil Shakir, Keenan Allen, Cam Skattebo, Rashee Rice.
Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some of the most common Week 1 fantasy football lineup decisions involve players like Ladd McConkey, Matthew Golden, Jakobi Meyers, Rachaad White, Zay Flowers, Khalil Shakir, Keenan Allen, Cam Skattebo, and Rashee Rice. However, don't worry, we are here to help you make these decisions and build winning lineups in Week 1. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups for Week 1 of the 2026 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.
Compare up to four players and we'll tell you who to start...
2026 Fantasy Football 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:
Matthew Golden, Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers wide receiver Matthew Golden has a much clearer path to playing time entering his second season. Golden was the top breakout choice in a poll of NFL executives and scouts conducted by ESPN's Jeremy Fowler after a quiet rookie year in which he caught 29 passes for 361 yards on 44 targets. One AFC executive questioned why Green Bay didn't use the former first-round pick more and pointed to his speed as a reason for optimism.
The opportunity looks different now. Romeo Doubs left in free agency and Dontayvion Wicks was traded to Philadelphia, while Golden is listed with Christian Watson and Jayden Reed among Green Bay's starting receivers. He also flashed in the playoffs, catching four passes for 84 yards and his first NFL touchdown against Chicago. Golden still has to turn the opportunity into production, but the path to a much larger Year 2 role is there.
Zay Flowers, Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers (hamstring) was a limited participant during Wednesday's practice session. Flowers is still working his way back after missing a couple of weeks due to a lower-body injury.
Flowers still has two more chances to be upgraded to full practice ahead of the Week 1 matchup against the Indianapolis Colts. It sounds like Flowers is trending towards playing on Sunday, but hamstring issues tend to linger. Fantasy managers will need to check back on Thursday and Friday for more updates on Flowers. If he's active, Flowers is a low-end WR1 who is a must-start in all fantasy formats.
Rashee Rice, Kansas City Chiefs
After an encouraging rookie season in 2023, injuries and off-field issues have limited Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice to just 12 games over the last two seasons. After serving a six-game suspension to begin 2025, Rice recorded 53 catches for 571 yards and five touchdowns on 78 targets across eight games.
However, Rice finished the year on Injured Reserve due to a concussion. He hasn't exactly had the greatest offseason leading into 2026, as he spent time in jail due to a failed drug test and also underwent knee surgery. If Rice can stay on the field in 2026, he carries top-12 fantasy wide receiver upside in PPR-scoring formats.
However, Rice's persistent injury concerns and the ever-present risk posed by his off-field issues make him an extremely risky selection for fantasy managers.
Rachaad White, Washington Commanders
Washington Commanders running back Rachaad White drew positive reviews for his performance throughout training camp this summer. A minor hamstring injury sidelined White for the final two preseason games, but even though he didn't touch the ball in a game, he still flashed upside as a ball-carrier and receiver during camp. White is gearing up for his first season in Washington after four years with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
He was the RB4 in PPR leagues in 2023 before falling to RB22 and RB32 over the last two years, respectively. White's exact fantasy outlook depends on how the Commanders distribute the volume. Right now, we'd assume Jacory Croskey-Merritt and White both get involved on early downs, with Croskey-Merritt seeing a slightly larger carry share.
However, White is the far more productive back on receiving downs, so he should get on the field in passing situations and carve out a decent target share. White has logged 40+ receptions in all four NFL seasons and 50+ receptions in three of the four. As a result, managers in PPR leagues should consider snagging him as their RB3/flex this year.
As it stands, he ranks as RotoBaller's RB40 in redraft leagues. He has an ADP of 116.1, which corresponds to the 10th round of fantasy drafts and makes him the 40th running back off the board.
Khalil Shakir, Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills wide receiver Khalil Shakir is sitting on waivers in more leagues than he probably should be, though there is one obvious concern heading into Week 1. Shakir has been out of team drills since Aug. 20 with an undisclosed injury, so this is not a player to pick up and immediately throw into a flex spot. There is still something here for PPR managers.
He caught 72 passes for 719 yards and four touchdowns last season after posting 76 catches for 821 yards the year before, and Josh Allen has consistently looked his way underneath. DJ Moore joining the offense probably keeps Shakir from becoming much more than that, especially with Keon Coleman and Dalton Kincaid also needing targets. That's fine.
Shakir does not need a breakout to have some use in fantasy. If he is available in a 12-team PPR league, he is worth grabbing for the bench while we wait to see where his health stands going into Houston.
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 - Ladd McConkey, Matthew Golden, Jakobi Meyers, Rachaad White, Zay Flowers, Khalil Shakir, Keenan Allen, Cam Skattebo, Rashee Rice. 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 that 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 (2026)? 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 Ladd McConkey, Matthew Golden, Jakobi Meyers, Rachaad White, Zay Flowers, Khalil Shakir, Keenan Allen, Cam Skattebo, Rashee Rice:
More Fantasy Football Analysis
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