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Calvin Ridley fantasy football start 'em, sit 'em picks for Week 1 (2025). Should you start or sit Calvin Ridley for fantasy football lineups in Week 1?
BALLER MOVE: Start in 10+ team leagues
POSITIONAL VALUE: Upside WR3
ANALYSIS: Despite playing with the worst quarterback play in the league last season, Calvin Ridley put together another strong campaign. Ridley posted his second-straight 1,000-yard campaign, totaling 1,017 yards on 64 receptions. He found the back of the end zone four times. In 2023, Ridley posted a similar 1,016 yards on 76 receptions. However, in this season, he scored eight touchdowns.
However, his underlying metrics suggest that the play of Will Levis and Mason Rudolph significantly impacted his upside. Ridley posted an elite 15.3 aDOT and saw 2.23 average air yards per snap. Both of these marks were among the highest marks at the position, but his quarterbacks were unable to deliver him consistent passes.
With the first overall pick, Cam Ward taking over starting duties, Ridley could be poised to see some regression in his play due to opposition. In addition, the Titans do not have any proven options in the passing game outside of Ridley, which should allow him to see another hefty target share in 2025 once again.
Despite the positive QB change, Ridley enters Week 1 as a risky WR3. He will line up against Denver's super-strong defensive back, Patrick Surtain II. While Ridley is still a fine WR3/flex option in 3-WR formats, he is best to keep on the bench in more shallow formats, as his usage will be significantly limited facing Surtain.
He will likely be a lineup lock throughout the season, but he begins the season with one of the toughest matchups for a wide receiver.
Calvin Ridley tonight with Cam Ward 💥
◻️ 100% catch rate
◻️ 37.5% target share
◻️ 74.6% team receiving yardsADP = WR30 pic.twitter.com/VPq0fOtMvY
— RotoBaller NFL (@RotoBallerNFL) August 10, 2025
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Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some common Week 1 fantasy football lineup decisions are regarding players like Calvin Ridley. 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.
Week 1 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players - Calvin Ridley. 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'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, 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 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 (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 Week 1 searches and comparisons from our 'Who To Start' tool for Calvin Ridley compared to others:
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