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Rhamondre Stevenson, Woody Marks, Dameon Pierce fantasy football start 'em, sit 'em picks for Week 1 (2025). Should you start or sit Rhamondre Stevenson, Woody Marks, Dameon Pierce in Week 1?
Week 1 of the fantasy season is finally here. At this point, your league has drafted, and you are parsing through all the relevant information to figure out who should be in your lineup for Week 1.
In the opening week, it can be tough to trust aging veterans and emerging sleeper rookies, as neither has their roles on their respective teams truly defined.
That is especially true at the running back position. Can fantasy managers start Rhamondre Stevenson, Woody Marks, and Dameon Pierce in Week 1? Read below to find out.
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Should I Start Rhamondre Stevenson in Week 1?
BALLER MOVE: Start in 12+ team leagues
POSITIONAL VALUE: RB3/FLEX
ANALYSIS: New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson enjoyed a stellar start to the 2024 season as he ran for 120 yards and a touchdown on 25 attempts in Week 1. However, Stevenson would deal with fumbling issues during the remainder of the season and saw his workload decline steadily over the campaign.
Overall, he finished the season posting a career-low 3.9 YPC with 801 rushing yards and seven rushing scores. Through the air, Stevenson added 168 yards and a score. His seven total fumbles (three lost) limited his playing time, which significantly hindered his fantasy output.
As a result, the Patriots opted to bolster their running back position in the 2025 NFL Draft by selecting top prospect TreVeyon Henderson in the second round.
However, while Henderson is the long-term option for the franchise, the Patriots may opt to ease his workload, especially early in the campaign. According to Chad Graff of The Athletic, Stevenson will "likely" lead the team in carries in their opening matchup against the Raiders. Wilhe Henderson could take over the battlefield in any week; for the time being, Stevenson still projects to have a decent role.
As a result, managers in deep 12+ team formats should view Stevenson as a viable RB3/flex option in Week 1. He could have ample opportunities near the goal line as Drake Maye may find great success against a modest Las Vegas secondary.
Despite this, Stevenson is best to keep on the bench in all shallow 10-team formats as his upside will remain capped with Henderson now on the roster.
Rhamondre Stevenson Likely to Lead Patriots in Carries in Week 1? https://t.co/UYS97Cx64I
— RotoBaller NFL (@RotoBallerNFL) September 5, 2025
Should I Start Woody Marks in Week 1?
BALLER MOVE: Sit in all leagues (bench stash)
POSITIONAL VALUE: RB4
ANALYSIS: The Houston Texans selected Woody Marks in the fourth round of this year's NFL Draft out of USC. At the start of training camp, Marks appeared poised to have a depth role in his debut season as the Texans had a workhorse option in Joe Mixon and also brought in veteran Nick Chubb.
However, Mixon has been dealing with a lingering foot and ankle injury and was recently placed on the reserve list, which will keep him sidelined through at least the first four weeks of the season. In addition, given Mixon's current status, this is a strong indication that the injury will linger further into the season.
As a result, Marks could compete for a prominent role much earlier than expected, playing alongside Chubb and Dameon Pierce. Throughout the preseason, Marks consistently spent time with the backups but still flashed upside, as he led the team in rushing in their second game and found the back of the end zone in their final contest.
While Marks could be in a good position to eventually carve out a role as Chubb is coming off the most inefficient season of his career, he projects to be a high-risk option in the season opener. Marks is a strong stash option in all 12+ team leagues, but fantasy managers should not look to start him in any formats as he will likely take the backseat to Chubb and potentially Pierce in their Week 1 matchup against the Los Angeles Rams.
He remains one of the top long-term plays for fantasy football.
Woody Marks Earns Praise From Head Coach https://t.co/KRSOCDuNUO
— RotoBaller NFL (@RotoBallerNFL) August 18, 2025
Should I Start Dameon Pierce in Week 1?
BALLER MOVE: Sit in most leagues/bench stash
POSITIONAL VALUE: High-end RB4
ANALYSIS: The Houston Texans running back room looks much different than it did at the beginning of training camp. Currently, presumed starter Joe Mixon (foot/ankle) is on the reserve list and will miss the first four games of the season. However, reports suggest his injury is quite serious and he could be in danger of missing an extended part of the campaign.
As a result, Nick Chubb, who signed a one-year deal with the club in the offseason, is now slated to open the season as the RB1. However, 25-year-old Dameon Pierce has been pushed up the depth chart and could find himself on the field much sooner than expected.
In 2024, Pierce ran the ball just 40 times for 292 yards and two scores. In 2022, Pierce broke out as a rookie, totaling 929 yards on 220 carries. In 2023, he took a step back, only running the ball 145 times for 416 yards.
While Chubb is slated to lead the backfield, Pierce could eventually see his role grow. Chubb is coming off the most inefficient season of his career and has dealt with numerous injury concerns in the past.
As a result, Pierce is best left on the bench in all standard leagues in Week 1 but remains a sneaky stash option as he could take over the starting job if Chubb were to miss time. While he faces some competition from fourth-round rookie Woody Marks, Pierce would likely be given the first crack, given his NFL experience.
Dameon Pierce Ahead of Schedule, Ready for Seasonhttps://t.co/yzxOvz5SEE
— RotoBaller NFL (@RotoBallerNFL) September 1, 2025
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 Rhamondre Stevenson, Woody Marks, and Dameon Pierce. 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 2025 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 - Rhamondre Stevenson, Woody Marks, Dameon Pierce. 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 (2025)? 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 Rhamondre Stevenson, Woody Marks, Dameon Pierce compared to others:
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