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Should I start Brock Purdy, Matthew Stafford, Blake Corum for Week 1? Fantasy football start 'em, sit 'em picks and recommendations for the 2026 NFL season.
After the Super Bowl rematch on Wednesday kicks off the 2026 NFL season, bitter divisional rivals will take each other on with the San Francisco 49ers clashing with the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday Night Football.
Both of these offense are among the best in the NFL at producing high-end fantasy football scorers year in and year out. This year should be no exception, as both head coaches retained their positions and are considered the architects of their respective offenses.
Each team's quarterback was top-10 in fantasy points per game in 2025, and one of these teams has an intriguing backup running back that could make a push for his team's No. 1 position this year. So should you start them in fantasy football? Let's dive in.
Should I Start Brock Purdy for Fantasy Football?
The No. 1 quarterback in all of fantasy football during Weeks 15-17, the time frame in which most fantasy football leagues have their playoffs, was Purdy. He has underrated mobility, which was on display in Week 17, his best game of the season.
He rushed six times for 28 yards and two touchdowns in that game to add to 303 yards passing and three scores through the air for a total of over 37 PPR fantasy points. That's a monster game. This season, he has WR Mike Evans, one of the best to ever do it, as a new addition to the team.
Tacking on some insurance points at State Farm Stadium!@19problemz @brockpurdy13 #ProBowlVote pic.twitter.com/YPulayTnFN
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) December 17, 2023
San Fran also signed WR Deebo Samuel Sr. to another contract, though he is expected to be a smaller part of the passing offense. Somewhat concerning is the potential for tight end George Kittle (Achilles) to miss the game, as he's still recovering from an Achilles tendon tear from late in the 2025 season.
And the Rams brought in star pass rushers Myles Garrett and Aaron Donald (who will not play on Thursday) to match up against the 49ers poor offensive line. Purdy could be facing a lot of pressure in this matchup. Still, he clocks in as a low-end QB1 to high-end QB2 despite the uncertainty.
He's worth a start in 12-team leagues, though he isn't the best option. In superflex leagues, he's a must-start.
Should I Start Matthew Stafford for Fantasy Football?
Fresh off his first MVP season in the NFL, Stafford returns with mostly the same corps of pass-catchers, though his team did draft a tight end with solid draft capital and signed WR Tutu Atwell after he spent a season with another team.
Stafford has very little rushing upside, but 4,707 passing yards and 46 touchdowns still make for a great fantasy football quarterback. At some point, the wheels will fall off, and he's now 38 years old, but he could have a few more solid seasons in him.
Watching Stafford highlights on loop. 🔁
🎥 more highlights on https://t.co/X7qnNIpNmU pic.twitter.com/pqJdCIl5jy
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) January 6, 2026
He is deserving of a Hall of Fame nod, so he should remain one of the league's best passers. He also plays on an offense with an elite, offense-minded head coach and consistently runs one of the best offenses in the NFL. He has two receivers who were elite last season -- Davante Adams and Puka Nacua.
Nacua was cleared from the team's injury report, so he is ready to go for Week 1. The 49ers have a defense with a lot of key injuries, so Stafford should be started in all leagues as a low-end QB1.
Should I Start Blake Corum for Fantasy Football?
Corum's workload is very questionable for Week 1. In 2025, he typically saw more action when the Rams had a comfortable lead, while their RB1, Kyren Williams, handled the rest of the time. The two split work somewhat while games were closer.
Williams is still listed as the team's RB1, and Corum was acquired in most leagues with a late-round pick. As a result, it makes sense to keep him on the bench for now. While the Rams have a much better roster than the 49ers on paper, San Francisco's offense should keep them in the game.
Blake Corum rumbles 48 yards for the TD!
LARvsAZ on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/aroS7jo0iI
— NFL (@NFL) December 7, 2025
From what we understand right now, it makes more sense to start Corum if Williams gets injured or if the Rams face a very bad team they're likely to lead by a lot. Stash him on the bench for now.
Who Should I Start Tool
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Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some common Week 1 fantasy football lineup decisions are regarding players like Brock Purdy, Matthew Stafford, Blake Corum. 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 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.
Week 1 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players - Brock Purdy, Matthew Stafford, Blake Corum. 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 (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 for Brock Purdy, Matthew Stafford, Blake Corum compared to others:
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