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Should I start Mike Evans, De'Zhaun Stribling, Deebo Samuel Sr for Week 1? Fantasy football start 'em, sit 'em picks and recommendations for the 2026 NFL season.
Week 1 has arrived and it will feature the San Francisco 49ers taking on the Los Angeles Rams in Australia. All the excitement of the offseason has built up to this week. NFL fans are ready for action.
Of course, fantasy football managers are equally as ready for the season to start. Months of strategizing, weeks of drafting, and days of refining have all come down to these final moments. We can finally roll the dice with our lineup and kick off the season.
With the 49ers rolling out a new trio of wideouts in Week 1, we need to dive in and see how each one may fare. Mike Evans, De'Zhaun Stribling, and Deebo Samuel Sr. all seemingly have a wide range of outcomes. As such, we need to make our best guess as to who we should start in Week 1 because one of these guys will have value. Let's dive in.
Should I Start Mike Evans for Fantasy Football?
Evans' soft tissue issues have already begun to pop up throughout the preseason. However, it appears that he will be ready to go for Week 1. Evans figures to lead the 49ers' receiving corps initially this season. Target volume should be solid with Ricky Pearsall out for the year and George Kittle coming off a torn Achilles.
MIKE EVANS IS A 49ER 😱@MikeEvans13_ | @49ers pic.twitter.com/8gUampChMz
— NFL (@NFL) March 9, 2026
Week 1 presents a tough matchup with a Rams defense that looks like it could be unstoppable. Although this team was generous to opposing wide receivers in fantasy in 2025, the additions of Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson at cornerback are significant. Watson may not play in Week 1, which would open up opportunities for Evans to shine.
Given that Evans likely did not cost you much in drafts, he can be safely deployed as a flex option in Week 1. He certainly has WR2 upside while the 49ers figure themselves out as an offense. No matter what, Evans will be active around the goal line, and he is definitely a touchdown candidate in Week 1.
Should I Start De'Zhaun Stribling for Fantasy Football?
Stribling has the widest range of outcomes of these three players. He was a preseason darling, displaying great talent for a team that is going to need him to step up. Stribling is currently listed as the No. 3 wide receiver on the depth chart, but he feels like a player that could push for five-plus targets early.
An impressive preseason debut for @49ers' second-round pick De'Zhaun Stribling:
7 catches
63 yardsAll in the first half 🙌
TENvsSF on @nflnetwork
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/VxhMoyrhFb— NFL (@NFL) August 14, 2026
Given that Stribling was a late-round flier, leave him on your bench for Week 1 and monitor his usage. If the 49ers treat him as a more-or-less every-down player, it will be wheels up. However, there is a chance you could get burned with some rough fantasy outings during the first couple of weeks of the season if San Francisco chooses to bring him along slowly.
Should I Start Deebo Samuel Sr. for Fantasy Football?
Samuel was a late-Summer addition to the 49ers' roster, but his days of fantasy excellence are behind him. As fantasy managers, we all remember Samuel's WR3 finish in 2021. However, he has not come close to replicating that success since then. Now at age 30, he will play a role for the 49ers as a veteran, but consistent fantasy success may be hard to come by.
Deebo 👏 does 👏 it 👏 all
📺 #ATLvsSF on CBS pic.twitter.com/suJjBqeiWf
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) December 19, 2021
Like Stribling, Samuel was another late-round pick. He does still have some ability, hence a WR25 finish in Washington in 2025, but it is difficult to trust his volume heading into Week 1. Samuel should be on your bench while you monitor his usage against Stribling's.
If Samuel receives a smattering of targets, you may be able to consider him a flex option. However, it seems more likely that Samuel may be used as a gadget player in 2026. Either way, he should be out of your lineup for Week 1.
Who Should I Start Tool
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Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some common Week 1 fantasy football lineup decisions are regarding players like Mike Evans, De'Zhaun Stribling, Deebo Samuel Sr.. 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 - Mike Evans, De'Zhaun Stribling, Deebo Samuel Sr.. 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 name. In the second box, search for the second player 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 circle), 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 Mike Evans, De'Zhaun Stribling, Deebo Samuel Sr. compared to others:
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