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Fantasy football start em, sit em SNF lineups advice for Cowboys vs. Giants on NFL Sunday Night Football in Week 1 (2026). NFL matchups analysis and SNF starts/sits.
The first Sunday slate of the 2026 NFL regular season closes with an intriguing primetime battle between the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants.
Dallas is expected to bring a high-octane offense to the field in 2026, while the divisional-rival G-Men are set to begin the John Harbaugh era.
We will bring you Sunday Night Football analysis all season, focusing on who to start, who is on the fence, and who should find the bench. Let's dive into this SNF matchup for Week 1 of the season. Good luck in 2026 fantasy football, RotoBallers!
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Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants
Sunday September 14, 8:20 PM ET
Notable Fantasy Injuries:
- Malik Nabers - Game-Time Decision
Matchups We Love
QB Jaxson Dart
The Cowboys defense might be a bit upgraded from last season, but that isn't enough for Jaxson Dart to escape the love list this week. Dart scored above 20 fantasy points in seven of his last 10 starts in his rookie campaign. He should be able to sling the ball in this game, while also being a threat on the ground. Dallas gave up the third-most rush yards to opposing QBs last season.
QB Dak Prescott
Dak Prescott has always played well against the Giants in his career. He threw for 361 yards and two touchdowns in his only meeting against them last season and has thrown for multiple touchdown passes in four of his last five starts against New York. Prescott will come in as a strong QB1 option in a game that could feature a lot of points.
Javonte Williams dominated this Giants front seven in Week 2 last season, rushing for 97 yards and one touchdown en route to an RB4 PPR fantasy finish. He'll hope to match that success this time around. Williams will come in as a must-start RB2 in a solid matchup against a New York defense that allowed the second-most rushing yards in 2025.
Javonte Williams is Dallas' bell-cow back, with weekly practice management prioritized over limiting his game-day carries.
Brian Schottenheimer: “Javonte is our bell cow. The other guys are certainly gonna play, but Javonte is one of those guys that the stronger he gets is based… pic.twitter.com/Af3D7ogK4e
— MicNuggets (@micnuggetsnfl) September 7, 2026
WR Malik Nabers
It's truly up in the air whether Malik Nabers will be healthy enough to suit up in Week 1. If he is good to go, you can plug him in as a solid WR2 option in his first game back from a torn ACL. If he is unable to go, Malachi Fields and Darnell Mooney will likely see more chances in the passing game. Both would be flex plays if Nabers can't go.
Malik Nabers Medically Cleared to Play in Week 1, Remains a Game-Time Decision
https://t.co/kcqKSaPB9n— RotoBaller NFL (@RotoBallerNFL) September 12, 2026
Cowboys WRs
Both CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens are must-start wide receivers in Week 1. Both had a solid game against New York early last season, and both could have a big game in Week 1 against a secondary that allowed the 11th-most fantasy points to the position in 2025. Lamb will come in as a must-start WR1, while Pickens will be a high-end WR2.
Matchups We Hate
None
Other Notable Matchups
RB Cam Skattebo
Cam Skattebo will enter Week 1 as a solid RB2 for fantasy managers. He appears to be fully healthy after last year's gruesome ankle injury and is set to lead this New York backfield in 2026. This matchup against Dallas isn't as good since this defense acquired Quinnen Williams late last season, but Skattebo should still find plenty of rushing lanes.
Isaiah Likely was reportedly Dart's favorite target in the passing game all throughout training camp. With Nabers' status for Week 1 currently up in the air, Likely could be in for a big game against the Cowboys. He is finally the top tight end on an offense and has the athleticism to step up in this Giants passing attack. Likely is a low-end TE1 in Week 1.
Art Stapleton says the Giants will be in 12 personnel "a lot" this season.
(2 tight ends on the field)
Isaiah Likely was targeted more than any other playmaker this summer by Jaxson Dart (per Dan Duggan).
It seems as though they will rely heavily on their tight ends. pic.twitter.com/JaodicmlEI
— Big Blue Film Room (@BigBlueFilmRoom) September 8, 2026
Jake Ferguson is worth a potential look as a TE1 in deeper leagues in Week 1. Prescott consistently looks for him in the red zone and has some touchdown upside in this matchup against the Giants. Ferguson ranked as the TE2 in red zone targets, TE9 in red zone target share, and as the TE3 in touchdowns. Being in this Cowboys offense gives him some TE1 appeal.
Dallas Cowboys Start/Sit Matchups
See the full stats in our Fantasy Football Matchup Ratings Projections
| Player | Start/Sit | Matchup Rating ▾ |
Game Matchup |
Pos. |
| CeeDee Lamb | Start | 118.1 | @ NYG | WR |
| George Pickens | Start | 117.6 | @ NYG | WR |
| Javonte Williams | Start | 116.5 | @ NYG | RB |
| Dak Prescott | Start | 112.7 | @ NYG | QB |
| Brandon Aubrey | Start | 111.3 | @ NYG | K |
| Jake Ferguson | Start | 110.9 | @ NYG | TE |
| Jonathan Mingo | Sit | 101.5 | @ NYG | WR |
| Ryan Flournoy | Sit | 100.9 | @ NYG | WR |
| KaVontae Turpin | Sit | 100.1 | @ NYG | WR |
| Luke Schoonmaker | Sit | 99.7 | @ NYG | TE |
| Hunter Luepke | Sit | 99 | @ NYG | RB |
| Emari Demercado | Sit | 98.6 | @ NYG | RB |
| Brevyn Spann-Ford | Sit | 98.4 | @ NYG | TE |
| Dallas Cowboys | Sit | 74.7 | @ NYG | D/ST |
New York Giants Start/Sit Matchups
See the full stats in our Fantasy Football Matchup Ratings Projections
| Player | Start/Sit | Matchup Rating ▾ |
Game Matchup |
Pos. |
| Cam Skattebo | Start | 114.5 | vs. DAL | RB |
| Malik Nabers | Start | 110.1 | vs. DAL | WR |
| Jaxson Dart | Start | 105.8 | vs. DAL | QB |
| Isaiah Likely | Start | 105.8 | vs. DAL | TE |
| Tyrone Tracy Jr. | Sit | 101.9 | vs. DAL | RB |
| Malachi Fields | Sit | 101.5 | vs. DAL | WR |
| Darnell Mooney | Sit | 101.3 | vs. DAL | WR |
| Odell Beckham Jr. | Sit | 100.2 | vs. DAL | WR |
| Darius Slayton | Sit | 100.1 | vs. DAL | WR |
| Najee Harris | Sit | 100 | vs. DAL | RB |
| Theo Johnson | Sit | 99 | vs. DAL | TE |
| Devin Singletary | Sit | 98.7 | vs. DAL | RB |
| Dominic Zvada | Sit | 95 | vs. DAL | K |
| Thomas Fidone II | Sit | 94.5 | vs. DAL | TE |
| New York Giants | Sit | 70.7 | vs. DAL | D/ST |
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 Malik Nabers, Javonte Williams, Jake Ferguson, Cam Skattebo and more. 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:
More Fantasy Football Analysis
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