RADIO
De'Zhaun Stribling start 'em, sit 'em fantasy football picks for Week 1 of 2026. Should you start or sit De'Zhaun Stribling for fantasy football lineups in Week 1?
BALLER MOVE: Start in 12+ team leagues
POSITIONAL VALUE: WR3/FLEX
ANALYSIS: There may not have been a player in the fantasy football world to improve their stock more in training camp than rookie wide receiver De'Zhaun Stribling. The 49ers' second-round pick has not only risen to the top of the depth chart but has looked quite comfortable in a starting role in the preseason.
With Ricky Pearsall (knee) down for the season and Brandon Aiyuk still away from the team, Stribling faces minimal competition to take on a major role in his first taste of NFL action. Additionally, the team's primary TE, George Kittle, is working his way back from an Achilles injury and is not guaranteed to be cleared to play in Week 1.
As a result, Stribling could be one of Brock Purdy's primary pass catchers to begin the regular season.
In his first taste of preseason action, the Ole Miss product did not disappoint, catching 11 of his 13 targets for 109 yards (over two games). While the team brought in Deebo Samuel Sr. to operate as the No. 2/3 option while Mike Evans is slated to be the "lead" alpha, Stribling has a clear path to see consistent targets.
Even if Kittle were to be cleared to play, Stribling could see a high target share in his NFL debut against the Los Angeles Rams. Stribling is a safe WR3/FLEX option in all 12+ team leagues in Week 1.
De'Zhaun Stribling has entered the chat‼️
📺: KPIX pic.twitter.com/DU9vJbUPKR
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) August 14, 2026
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Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some common Week 1 fantasy football lineup decisions are regarding players like De'Zhaun Stribling. 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 - De'Zhaun Stribling. 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 De'Zhaun Stribling compared to others:
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