Key Starters and Tough Calls - Lineup Spotlights for Week 1 Fantasy Football Include Tre Tucker, Jordan Mason & More

September 13, 2026

Frank Ammirante highlights fantasy football lineup starts/sits for Week 1 (2026). He focuses on key NFL players to start when faced with tight Week 1 fantasy football lineup decisions.

Welcome to RotoBaller’s Key Starters and Tough Calls article for Week 1 of the 2026 season. It's time to kick off another year of fantasy football, where Frank Ammirante's Week 1 Lineup Spotlights highlight notable players to start or sit when you face tough lineup calls.

The fantasy football players featured in this Week 1 rundown are based on Frank's rankings, where he's focusing on players where he's above consensus

To make the best Week 1 lineup decisions, consult this analysis, the RotoBaller staff fantasy football rankings, and the free Who Should I Start tool for comparing up to four players. We help you make the decisions to get off to a strong start in Week 1.

Running Backs - Fantasy Football Week 1

Bhayshul Tuten (RB - JAX) - vs. Browns

There are questions about whether to start Bhayshul Tuten because we aren't sure what his role will look like in Week 1. It remains to be seen how much Chris Rodriguez Jr. will factor into this backfield. I'm not concerned with that at all.

The reason for that is Liam Coen runs a high-powered offense where both running backs can have value. As the more explosive runner with pass-catching upside, Tuten is the obvious choice over Rodriguez. If you drafted Tuten, you likely had to use a 5th or 6th round pick for him.

This time last year, the fantasy community was all over Bhayshul Tuten.

Now, Travis Etienne is gone. Tuten is set up to lead this backfield.

Despite this, I'm seeing a lot of "fade Tuten" takes.

So he has the role you wanted all along, and NOW you're fading him? Really?

— Frank Ammirante (@FAmmiranteTFJ) July 21, 2026

To that end, you definitely shouldn't bench him in a home game where the Jaguars are 8.5-point favorites against the Browns. It sets up a favorable game script for both running backs, where the Jags can chew the clock while running the ball as they play with a lead.

Don't be surprised if Tuten gets off to a strong start in his season debut. I currently have him as my RB22 for Week 1.

Rico Dowdle (RB - PIT) - vs. Falcons

Like Tuten, Rico Dowdle comes with question marks because he's splitting the Steelers' backfield with Jaylen Warren. I prefer Dowdle over Warren because he's reuniting with the Steelers' new head coach Mike McCarthy. Remember, Dowdle played for McCarthy while with the Cowboys in 2024.

Look for Dowdle to get more usage on the ground with Warren dominating reps in the passing game. That's why this looks more like a game script suited for Dowdle, as the Steelers are six-point home favorites vs. the Falcons.

There are 8 RBs who averaged 4.6+ YPC in each of the last two seasons:

*minimum 150 carries each year

Bijan Robinson
Jahmyr Gibbs
Jonathan Taylor
James Cook
Derrick Henry
J.K. Dobbins 👀
Jordan Mason 👀
Rico Dowdle 👀

— Frank Ammirante (@FAmmiranteTFJ) August 1, 2026

With Atlanta down to their third-string quarterback, Cooper Rush, this could turn into a blowout.

That puts Dowdle in a spot where he can rack up yardage with touchdown upside as the Steelers likely play with a lead.

Jordan Mason (RB - MIN) - vs. Packers

Wide Receivers - Fantasy Football Week 1

Marvin Harrison Jr. (WR - ARI) - at Chargers

Marvin Harrison Jr. is one of my favorite targets in fantasy football this season. I'm expecting new head coach Mike LaFleur to put him in more favorable spots, moving him around and scheming up layup targets.

The Cardinals are nine-point underdogs vs. the Chargers, so they're likely going to be airing it out all game.

Marvin Harrison Jr. has gotten off to a slow start to his career.

You know who else got off to a slow start?

His dad.

Marvin Harrison didn't have a 1,000+ yard season until Year 4, when he put up 1,663 yards.

PATIENCE!

— Frank Ammirante (@FAmmiranteTFJ) July 24, 2026

With Jesse Minter leaving the Chargers to become the Ravens' head coach, they could see some regression on defense. To that end, this game has the makings of a shootout.

Don't be surprised to see Harrison get loose downfield in this one. He looked great throughout camp. Roll the dice and fire him up in a potential high-scoring game.

Tre Tucker (WR - LV) - vs. Dolphins

Tre Tucker is considered the Raiders' WR1. With Brock Bowers out, Tucker is in line for a bump in targets. I expect the Raiders to take care of business against the Dolphins at home here. It's one of the few games all year where they're likely to be favored.

Reports out of camp indicated that Tucker was showing a terrific rapport with Kirk Cousins. This is a wideout who showed a high ceiling last year, most notably against the Commanders, where he blew up for 145 yards and three touchdowns.

Tre Tucker averaged 48.8 rec yards on 5.8 targets per game last season in five games played w/o Brock Bowers (in a broken offense)

He’s now pass-catcher number one for the Raiders with Bowers out, and profiles “most” similar to JSN in Klint Kubiak’s offense

Must start in Week 1

— Adam Koffler (@AdamKoffler) September 9, 2026

The Dolphins are likely to be one of the worst teams in the NFL, featuring an underwhelming secondary.

There's a reasonable chance that Tucker will find some room downfield in this one, giving him a lot of upside in this spot.

Quarterback And Tight End - Fantasy Football Week 1

Jared Goff (QB - DET) - vs. Saints

Jared Goff was often drafted as a back-end QB1 or a high-end QB2, so there's a good chance that if you have him, he's your backup this week. It's a smash spot at home in a projected shootout against the Saints.

If you have a quarterback like Jayden Daniels, who's in a tough spot on the road against the Eagles, I recommend benching him for Goff. There's a chance that the Commanders/Eagles game could be low-scoring, while we could see some fireworks in Saints/Lions.

The Lions have a lot of question marks on defense, especially in the secondary. Goff will likely have to air it out to keep pace.

That gives him the perfect combination of floor and ceiling for this matchup.

Michael Mayer (TE - LV) vs. Dolphins

With Brock Bowers sidelined, Michael Mayer is going to see a bump in targets. This is a talented tight end who showed he can earn targets at a high rate in the game against the Giants last year. Don't be surprised if that happens again.

The truth is, the Raiders had big plans for Mayer even before the Bowers injury. They had always planned to run a lot of two-tight end sets, with Bowers moving all over the field.

The Raiders immediately signing Michael Mayer to an extension reveals their big plans for him in Klint Kubiak's offense.

Even with Brock Bowers, they were both going to be on the field together quite often.

— Frank Ammirante (@FAmmiranteTFJ) September 12, 2026

Now that Bowers is out for this game, they'll have to rely on Mayer even more than planned. I have him ranked as my TE7 this week, as I think there's a ton of upside given the wide-open target opportunity in this offense.

We all know how Kirk Cousins loves to pepper his tight end with targets. I'm betting that we'll see that happen here as well.

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