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Fantasy football starts/sits for SNF, expert advice for all Dallas Cowboys vs. New York Giants Week 1 matchups on Sunday Night Football. Our start em, sit em picks for Malik Nabers, Cam Skattebo, Jake Ferguson, and more.
The first Sunday Night Football matchup of the 2026 NFL season pits two longtime rivals, the New York Giants and the Dallas Cowboys, against each other. With several viable fantasy stars in this matchup, let's lock in your lineups with our Week 1 SNF start-sit chart.
In addition to our start/sit recommendation and matchup ratings for each player, you can also read the fantasy football outlooks for key players like George Pickens, CeeDee Lamb, Jake Ferguson, Cam Skattebo, Isaiah Likely, Jaxson Dart, Dak Prescott, Javonte Williams, Malachi Fields and more. Which Giants and Cowboys players should you start or sit in Week 1?
Make sure to set your winning lineups for Week 1, whether you're setting season-long or DFS lineups. We will have our fantasy football start/sit matchup charts available all season long -- focusing on who to start, who is on the fence, and who should find the bench -- so be sure to check back. Good luck in Week 1, RotoBallers!
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Dallas Cowboys Start/Sit Matchups
See the full stats in our Fantasy Football Matchup Ratings Projections
| Player | Start/Sit | Matchup Rating ▾ |
Game Matchup |
Pos. |
| CeeDee Lamb | Start | 118.1 | @ NYG | WR |
| George Pickens | Start | 117.6 | @ NYG | WR |
| Javonte Williams | Start | 116.5 | @ NYG | RB |
| Dak Prescott | Start | 112.7 | @ NYG | QB |
| Brandon Aubrey | Start | 111.3 | @ NYG | K |
| Jake Ferguson | Start | 110.9 | @ NYG | TE |
| Jonathan Mingo | Sit | 101.5 | @ NYG | WR |
| Ryan Flournoy | Sit | 100.9 | @ NYG | WR |
| KaVontae Turpin | Sit | 100.1 | @ NYG | WR |
| Luke Schoonmaker | Sit | 99.7 | @ NYG | TE |
| Hunter Luepke | Sit | 99 | @ NYG | RB |
| Emari Demercado | Sit | 98.6 | @ NYG | RB |
| Brevyn Spann-Ford | Sit | 98.4 | @ NYG | TE |
| Dallas Cowboys | Sit | 74.7 | @ NYG | D/ST |
Jake Ferguson, TE, Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson was one of the best in the NFL last season in the games that his teammate, wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, missed due to injury. This year, Ferguson is the third option, at best, in a passing offense that features two elite wideouts -- Lamb and teammate George Pickens. Those two deserve at least 10 targets a game between them, depending on who you ask.
Additionally, WR Ryan Flournoy has drawn praise from film reviewers, and played quite well last season. He could carve out a bigger role in this offense. Ferguson may be the odd man out, and in fantasy football, upside wins championships. From Week 8 onward in 2025, Ferguson averaged under 7.0 PPR fantasy points per game. The New York Giants tend to allow a lot of fantasy points to opposing pass-catchers, but outside of dynasty TE-premium leagues, Ferguson is a risky player to start.
Javonte Williams, RB, Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys running back Javonte Williams is the unquestioned workhorse RB for his team. Last season, he handled a large workload, with 252 carries and 35 receptions in 16 games played. The strength of the team's offensive line and his success with breaking tackles aided him to an RB12 overall finish despite missing one game. He doesn't have a ton of pass-catching upside, but perhaps that could change.
The Cowboys released their young RB, Jaydon Blue, earlier in the offseason. And Williams' backup, Malik Davis (hip), requires surgery for an injured hip and will head to the injured reserve list to miss at least four games. RB Emari Demercado will back up Williams now. Demercado has served as a pass-catching back in previous seasons, so Williams could remain mostly in a rushing role, which will keep him as a low-end RB1 for Week 1.
The New York Giants have struggled in run defense for many seasons, and while the Cowboys have injuries to starters on the offensive line, Williams' volume should make him a fine start in fantasy leagues at a position of scarcity.
New York Giants Start/Sit Matchups
See the full stats in our Fantasy Football Matchup Ratings Projections
| Player | Start/Sit | Matchup Rating ▾ |
Game Matchup |
Pos. |
| Cam Skattebo | Start | 114.5 | vs. DAL | RB |
| Malik Nabers | Start | 110.1 | vs. DAL | WR |
| Jaxson Dart | Start | 105.8 | vs. DAL | QB |
| Isaiah Likely | Start | 105.8 | vs. DAL | TE |
| Tyrone Tracy Jr. | Sit | 101.9 | vs. DAL | RB |
| Malachi Fields | Sit | 101.5 | vs. DAL | WR |
| Darnell Mooney | Sit | 101.3 | vs. DAL | WR |
| Odell Beckham Jr. | Sit | 100.2 | vs. DAL | WR |
| Darius Slayton | Sit | 100.1 | vs. DAL | WR |
| Najee Harris | Sit | 100 | vs. DAL | RB |
| Theo Johnson | Sit | 99 | vs. DAL | TE |
| Devin Singletary | Sit | 98.7 | vs. DAL | RB |
| Dominic Zvada | Sit | 95 | vs. DAL | K |
| Thomas Fidone II | Sit | 94.5 | vs. DAL | TE |
| New York Giants | Sit | 70.7 | vs. DAL | D/ST |
Malachi Fields, WR, Giants
New York Giants rookie wide receiver Malachi Fields makes his NFL debut on Sunday night against the Dallas Cowboys. Fields was drafted with the 74th pick in the 2026 NFL Draft and has made an impact throughout training camp, including a 15-yard touchdown pass in the opening preseason game from starting quarterback Jaxson Dart. With veteran Darius Slayton released, Fields and Darnell Mooney are expected to rotate as WR2.
However, with Malik Nabers (knee) questionable for Week 1, Fields could have a major role if Nabers is inactive or sees limited snaps. He faces a Cowboys secondary that allowed the most fantasy points to wide receivers in 2025. While he's too deep to start in Week 1, fantasy managers should monitor his usage, as he could be a priority Week 1 waiver add.
Jaxson Dart, QB, Giants
New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart opens his second NFL season in primetime as the Giants face the Dallas Cowboys. In 12 starts last season, Dart completed 216 of 339 passes for 2,272 yards, with 15 touchdowns and five interceptions. He also added 86 carries for 487 yards and nine touchdowns, averaging over 20 fantasy points per game in his starts.
While there are question marks surrounding offensive coordinator Matt Nagy, Dart's rushing ability, the potential return of Malik Nabers, and improvements across the offense could lead to a breakout season for Dart. He faces a Cowboys defense that allowed the most fantasy points to quarterbacks last season.
However, Dallas has a new defensive coordinator in Christian Parker and has made several additions, including Rashan Gary and rookie Caleb Downs. While this Giants' offense could take time to develop, Dart still offers elite upside in an ideal Week 1 matchup.
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 George Pickens, CeeDee Lamb, Jake Ferguson, Cam Skattebo, Isaiah Likely, Jaxson Dart, Dak Prescott, Javonte Williams, Malachi Fields. But not to worry, we are here to help make these decisions and build winning lineups in Week 1.
Week 1 Player Decisions. 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.
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, 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 (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 Week 1 searches and comparisons from our 'Who To Start' tool:
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