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Fantasy football start em, sit em MNF lineups advice for Broncos vs. Chiefs on Monday Night Football in Week 1 (2026). NFL matchups analysis and MNF starts/sits.
The first week of the 2026 NFL regular season closes with a Monday Night showdown between AFC West divisional rivals, as the Denver Broncos travel to Arrowhead Stadium to take on the Kansas City Chiefs.
Below, read about the fantasy football outlooks for key players like Patrick Mahomes, Bo Nix, Kenneth Walker III, and more. Which Broncos and Chiefs players should you start or sit in Week 1?
We will bring you Monday Night Football analysis all season, focusing on who to start, who is on the fence, and who should find the bench. Good luck in Week 1, RotoBallers!
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Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs
Monday, September 14th, 8:15 PM ET
Matchups We Love
None
Matchups We Hate
Patrick Mahomes is pushing hard to play in Week 1. But even if he does, he is more of a QB2 play this week in his first game back. The Broncos allowed the ninth-fewest fantasy points, 10th-fewest pass yards, and fifth-fewest passing touchdowns to opposing QBs in 2025. In his one meeting against Denver last year, Mahomes only scored 14.3 fantasy points.
Nine months removed from tearing his ACL and LCL, Patrick Mahomes is set to start Monday night vs. the Broncos, per Chiefs HC Andy Reid. pic.twitter.com/zR2EZ8LP6R
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 8, 2026
QB Bo Nix
Bo Nix will be more of a QB2 option in Superflex formats this week. Nix finished as the QB18 and as the QB11 in his two matchups against Kansas City last season, and could struggle against this Steve Spagnuolo-led defense in Week 1. The Chiefs allowed the fourth-fewest passing touchdowns in 2025.
RB Kenneth Walker III
Kenneth Walker will have his hands full against this Broncos defense in Week 1. Denver allowed the fewest fantasy points and the fourth-fewest rush yards to opposing RBs last season. While you are still starting Walker as an RB2 on Monday night against this defense, expectations should certainly be tempered.
Broncos RBs
It's a smart idea to sit all three Broncos running backs in fantasy this week. RJ Harvey, J.K. Dobbins, and Jonah Coleman don't have much appeal in a three-headed committee in this brutal matchup against the Chiefs. Kansas City gave up the eighth-fewest fantasy points and seventh-fewest rush yards to opposing RBs in 2025. All three RBs are risky flex plays.
WR Rashee Rice
Rashee Rice will not have a great matchup to open the season against the Broncos. Rice only scored 9.8 PPR fantasy points against this secondary back in Week 11 last season, and seeing Patrick Surtain II on the other side on some snaps does not bode well for the Chiefs playmaker. He is still a low-end WR2 in Week 1, but don't expect a big-time performance.
Other Notable Matchups
Broncos WRs
It'll be interesting to see the target distribution between Jaylen Waddle and Courtland Sutton in this game. But with Waddle expected to lead this group throughout the year, he'll come in as a low-end WR2/high-end WR3 in Week 1. Sutton will be more of a mid-tier flex play since he is expected to play second fiddle in this offense.
#Broncos HC Sean Payton’s vision for Jaylen Waddle: slot to Z pic.twitter.com/jygcuHKK0r
— The Coachspeak Index (@CoachspeakIndex) August 5, 2026
TE Travis Kelce
Travis Kelce will enter his 14th NFL season and will remain a solid TE1 play for fantasy managers in Week 1. Kelce scored 24.1 PPR fantasy points and 8.6 PPR fantasy points in his two meetings against the Broncos last season. Considering Denver gave up the 11th-most receptions and 12th-most receiving yards to opposing TEs last season, Kelce should be in most lineups.
Denver Broncos Start/Sit Matchups
See the full stats in our Fantasy Football Matchup Ratings Projections
| Player | Start/Sit | Matchup Rating ▾ |
Game Matchup |
Pos. |
| Jaylen Waddle | Start | 112.8 | @ KC | WR |
| Denver Broncos | Start | 110 | @ KC | D/ST |
| Bo Nix | Start | 109.8 | @ KC | QB |
| J.K. Dobbins | Risky Start | 103.7 | @ KC | RB |
| Wil Lutz | Risky Start | 103.4 | @ KC | K |
| Courtland Sutton | Risky Start | 102.8 | @ KC | WR |
| RJ Harvey | Risky Start | 102.4 | @ KC | RB |
| Pat Bryant | Risky Start | 102.1 | @ KC | WR |
| Marvin Mims Jr. | Sit | 101.8 | @ KC | WR |
| Troy Franklin | Sit | 101.8 | @ KC | WR |
| Jonah Coleman | Sit | 101.6 | @ KC | RB |
| Lil'Jordan Humphrey | Sit | 100.2 | @ KC | WR |
| Evan Engram | Sit | 99.8 | @ KC | TE |
| Adam Trautman | Sit | 96.9 | @ KC | TE |
| Tyler Badie | Sit | 96.3 | @ KC | RB |
Kansas City Chiefs Start/Sit Matchups
See the full stats in our Fantasy Football Matchup Ratings Projections
| Player | Start/Sit | Matchup Rating ▾ |
Game Matchup |
Pos. |
| Rashee Rice | Start | 115 | vs. DEN | WR |
| Patrick Mahomes | Start | 109.8 | vs. DEN | QB |
| Travis Kelce | Start | 106.6 | vs. DEN | TE |
| Kenneth Walker | Start | 105.9 | vs. DEN | RB |
| Harrison Butker | Start | 105.8 | vs. DEN | K |
| Xavier Worthy | Risky Start | 102.9 | vs. DEN | WR |
| Emmett Johnson | Sit | 101 | vs. DEN | RB |
| Cyrus Allen | Sit | 100.5 | vs. DEN | WR |
| Tyquan Thornton | Sit | 99.8 | vs. DEN | WR |
| Noah Gray | Sit | 96.1 | vs. DEN | TE |
| Brashard Smith | Sit | 96 | vs. DEN | RB |
| Kansas City Chiefs | Sit | 95.9 | vs. DEN | D/ST |
| Jalen Royals | Sit | 90.1 | vs. DEN | WR |
Who Should I Start Tool
Not sure who to start? Check out the Who Should I Start tool:
Compare up to four players and we'll tell you who to start...
Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some common Week 1 fantasy football lineup decisions are regarding players like Jaylen Waddle, RJ Harvey, J.K. Dobbins, Xavier Worthy, Bo Nix, Travis Kelce, Patrick Mahomes II. But not to worry, we are here to help make these decisions and build winning lineups in Week 1.
Week 1 Player Decisions. 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.
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, 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:
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