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Who should I start for Week 1? Fantasy football outlooks for Dak Prescott, Jake Ferguson, Dallas Goedert Outlooks. Our expert fantasy football start 'em, sit 'em picks.
Week 1 of the fantasy season is finally here. That means it's time to make those tough lineup decisions each week. Those lineup decisions will start right away in Thursday's season opener between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys.
There are plenty of must-start fantasy players in this game, including Saquon Barkley, CeeDee Lamb, A.J. Brown, and George Pickens. However, there are a few borderline players that fantasy managers should consider starting in Week 1.
In this article, we will determine whether Dak Prescott, Jake Ferguson, and Dallas Goedert should be started in Thursday's season opener. So, let's dive in and find out.
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Should I Start Dak Prescott for Fantasy Football Week 1?
Prescott's 2024 season was cut short due to a hamstring injury he suffered in Week 9 against the Atlanta Falcons. Even when he was healthy, though, Prescott wasn't necessarily a strong QB1 option for fantasy managers. He scored under 17 fantasy points per game in six of his eight contests last season.
However, this year could be a completely different story for Prescott. The Cowboys bolstered their wide receiver room this offseason by acquiring Pickens, and the loss of Micah Parsons on defense could lead to the team relying more heavily on the pass game in 2025. With the Cowboys being 7.5-point underdogs in Thursday's game, the veteran will come in as a low-end QB1 this week.
Barring injury, Dak Prescott will pass Troy Aikman and Tony Romo in completions, yards, and maybe even touchdown passes this season. However, he'll rank 6th in team history for interceptions.
Dak gets a lot of heat, but people need to remember how good he's been for the Cowboys. pic.twitter.com/KLLP2mJHqG
— Dan Rogers (@DannyPhantom24) June 29, 2025
Prescott has played very well against the Eagles in his career, throwing for 3,402 yards and 24 touchdowns in 13 games. In his last two meetings against this defense, he has scored 17.9 fantasy points and 28.4 fantasy points. The Cowboys are going to need to air the ball out to stay in this game, making the Pro Bowl signal caller worth a shot in most 12-plus team leagues.
Should I Start Jake Ferguson for Fantasy Football Week 1?
There's no doubt that Ferguson had a disappointing 2024 campaign. He caught just 59 passes for 494 yards across 14 games last season and finished as the overall TE25 in PPR formats. However, those subpar numbers weren't all his fault. Let's not forget that Prescott missed the final nine weeks of the season due to that hamstring injury.
Jake Ferguson's third TD + a 2 PT makes this a two-possession game
📺: #GBvsDAL on FOX
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/Ut3BRhC2CE pic.twitter.com/Tlw3IVnLRa— NFL (@NFL) January 15, 2024
Before Prescott's season-ending injury, Ferguson remained a consistent TE1 option for managers. He scored in double figures in PPR formats in four of his first seven games and saw at least seven targets in five of those seven contests. While the addition of Pickens could hurt his target share a little bit, the 26-year-old tight end will still be a key part of this Dallas offense.
However, Ferguson is a riskier TE1 play to begin the season. The Eagles allowed the fewest fantasy points per game to opposing tight ends in 2024, and this isn't an ideal matchup for him in the middle of the field. There are better tight ends to roll with in fantasy in Week 1.
Should I Start Dallas Goedert for Fantasy Football Week 1?
It was a bit shocking to see Goedert go as late as he did in fantasy football drafts this summer. He has finished as a top-14 fantasy tight end in three of the past four seasons, and his 10.4 PPR fantasy points per game last season ranked as the TE10. So, the Eagles' playmaker could have been considered a value pick in the later rounds of drafts.
BEEP BEEP DALLAS GOEDERT COMIN' THROUGH 😤@goedert33 | #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/IPBaiA61Az
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) January 12, 2025
Goedert was actually a solid fantasy option when he was on the field in 2024. He scored in double figures in PPR formats in five of his eight full games played, which included a 10-catch, 170-yard performance in Week 3 against the Saints. Although Brown was out for that contest, the 30-year-old does have a higher floor in this Eagles offense each week.
Therefore, Goedert will come in as a low-end TE1 in Week 1. The Eagles are going to put up a ton of points in this game, and that should help his fantasy production. He'll be a fine start in 12-team leagues and a strong start at the tight end position in 14-plus team leagues to begin the season.
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 Dak Prescott, Jake Ferguson, and Dallas Goedert outlooks. 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 - Dak Prescott, Jake Ferguson, and Dallas Goedert. 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'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, 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 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 (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 Dak Prescott, Jake Ferguson, and Dallas Goedert compared to others:
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