RADIO
DK Metcalf start 'em, sit 'em fantasy football picks for Week 1 of 2026. Should you start or sit DK Metcalf for fantasy football lineups in Week 1?
BALLER MOVE: Start in 12-team leagues
POSITIONAL VALUE: WR3/FLEX
ANALYSIS: DK Metcalf was listed on preseason injury reports due to an undisclosed issue, but he was removed on Wednesday and appears to be 100 percent healthy heading into the Pittsburgh Steelers’ home opener versus the Atlanta Falcons.
Metcalf is a strong starter coming out of the gate. He scored five of his six touchdowns last year during the first seven games of the season. He also scored five of his touchdowns at home in 2025, so he obviously plays well at Acrisure Stadium. Both of these notes bode well for his Week 1 contest.
Metcalf remains Aaron Rodgers’ top target despite Pittsburgh trading for WR Michael Pittman Jr. in the offseason. While Pittman will see his fair share of targets, he is a possession receiver with a career yards per catch of only 10.8, so he will not be battling Metcalf for passes over 20 yards. Metcalf is the unquestioned deep threat and should receive the most targets, as WR3 Roman Wilson and tight ends Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington are not target threats.
Steelers Looking to Get the Football to DK Metcalf https://t.co/4WzIzZtkpK
— RotoBaller NFL (@RotoBallerNFL) September 2, 2026
Metcalf will be facing an Atlanta defense that will be without the two promising pass rushers who dominated during their rookie campaigns last year, James Pearce Jr. (suspended) and Jalon Walker (IR). This should give Rodgers additional time to find Metcalf deep downfield against Atlanta’s average secondary.
Metcalf had the worst year of his seven-year career last season and will be looking to bounce back in a big way. He definitely has the Week 1 matchup to get the ball rolling on a fantasy comeback season. Even with Pittman getting six-to-eight targets, Metcalf will be the main man in Pittsburgh’s passing attack on Sunday.
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Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some common Week 1 fantasy football lineup decisions are regarding players like DK Metcalf. 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 - DK Metcalf. 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 (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 DK Metcalf compared to others:
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