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Who Should I Start for Week 1? Fantasy Football outlooks for T.J. Hockenson, Colston Loveland, Pat Freiermuth, Trey McBride, Darren Waller, Kenyon Sadiq, Gunnar Helm, David Njoku, Oronde Gadsden II.
Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some of the most common Week 1 fantasy football lineup decisions involve players like T.J. Hockenson, Colston Loveland, Pat Freiermuth, Trey McBride, Darren Waller, Kenyon Sadiq, Gunnar Helm, David Njoku, and Oronde Gadsden II. 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.
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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:
T.J. Hockenson, Minnesota Vikings
Tight end T.J. Hockenson of the Minnesota Vikings should be considered a mid-range TE2 when his team opens the season by playing host to the Green Bay Packers on Sunday. The veteran has had quite the roller coaster since being traded to the Vikings, posting top-five fantasy seasons in 2022 and 2023 before a major knee injury changed his outlook.
Hockenson played only 10 games in 2024, and the Vikings' quarterback limitations held Hockenson to just 438 receiving yards and a career-worst 8.6 yards per catch in 15 contests last year. Now healthy and still just 29 years old, Hockenson could be one of the beneficiaries of Minnesota signing quarterback Kyler Murray.
The Packers ranked 21st against PPR tight ends last year, but Hockenson's volume is unpredictable with receivers Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and now Jauan Jennings all candidates to draw key targets. Rated RotoBaller's No. 20 tight end for Week 1, Hockenson is a depth piece in standard formats for now, but he could become a significant riser if the Vikings' offense takes off behind Murray.
Colston Loveland, Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears second-year tight end Colston Loveland is primed for a strong outing this Sunday against the Carolina Panthers on the road. Loveland's rookie campaign may have started slowly, but he made an impact on an offense loaded with talent and erupted down the stretch.
From Week 17 through the divisional round, the former Michigan Wolverine racked up 28 receptions, 378 yards, and two touchdowns on a ludicrous 48 targets (29.1%), notching no fewer than 10 looks in any appearance. Now, heading into his second year, Loveland is the clear leader of Chicago's tight end room and poised to handle a heavy workload in an ascending offense.
Even in a unit brimming with capable playmakers, the 22-year-old is a locked-in, high-end asset at his position. Additionally, he could see a bump in volume with several of his teammates dealing with preseason injuries. He's RotoBaller's PPR TE2 for Sunday's opening bout and should not be relied on in most standard leagues.
Darren Waller, Carolina Panthers
Carolina Panthers tight end Darren Waller signed a one-year contract with the Panthers this offseason and is expected to be the team's starting tight end. Waller practiced all week and recently worked with the first-team offense, with the plan to play in Week 1 against the Chicago Bears. According to Steve Reed of the Associated Press, Waller is not on the injury report for Week 1, but continues to ramp up his conditioning after joining the team in mid-August.
The 33-year-old caught 24 passes for 283 yards and six touchdowns in nine games for the Dolphins last season. He gives quarterback Bryce Young a red zone weapon, but the Bears were stingy against tight ends last year, allowing the second-fewest fantasy points to the position.
Waller ranks 31st in our tight end rankings and is mainly an option in deep-league TE premium leagues heading into Week 1. Even if Waller is active, he should be left on the bench and is a dart throw at best for the regular season opener.
Trey McBride, Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride's success in 2025 made him not only the most productive player at his position, but one of the top receivers overall. McBride's 1,239 receiving yards ranked sixth in the NFL, and his 126 receptions trailed only league-leader Puka Nacua's 129.
With Michael Wilson's rise in 2025 and Marvin Harrison Jr. healthy to start 2026, McBride might not reach the same season-long heights that he did last year, but he will still operate as Arizona's primary receiver and be a top option at tight end every week. His first game to make a mark is coming on Sunday against the Chargers. Los Angeles gave up the fifth-fewest fantasy points to tight ends in 2025, but McBride's role in the Cardinals' offense makes him a must-start in Week 1.
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 - T.J. Hockenson, Colston Loveland, Pat Freiermuth, Trey McBride, Darren Waller, Kenyon Sadiq, Gunnar Helm, David Njoku, Oronde Gadsden II. 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 T.J. Hockenson, Colston Loveland, Pat Freiermuth, Trey McBride, Darren Waller, Kenyon Sadiq, Gunnar Helm, David Njoku, Oronde Gadsden II:
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