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Who Should I Start for Week 1? Fantasy Football outlooks for Saquon Barkley, Keenan Allen, Malachi Fields, Jauan Jennings, Jonah Coleman, Calvin Ridley, Adonai Mitchell, Alvin Kamara, Dylan Sampson.
Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some of the most common Week 1 fantasy football lineup decisions involve players like Saquon Barkley, Keenan Allen, Malachi Fields, Jauan Jennings, Jonah Coleman, Calvin Ridley, Adonai Mitchell, Alvin Kamara, and Dylan Sampson. However, don't worry, we are here to help you 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.
Compare up to four players and we'll tell you who to start...
2026 Fantasy Football Outlooks
Below are some fantasy football outlooks written by our NFL team here at RotoBaller, bringing you their fantasy football analysis and advice on which players to consider starting in Week 1:
Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara (knee) practiced fully on Friday and is cleared for the Week 1 season opener on Sunday in Detroit against the Lions, but NewOrleans.Football's Nick Underhill is not expecting a huge role for Kamara, even if he does play.
Even with Audric Estime (thigh) ruled out for Week 1, Underhill believes that the Saints have enough depth behind starter Travis Etienne Jr. with Kendre Miller for the Saints to take it easy on Kamara, who missed most of training camp with an MCL sprain in his knee.
The Saints officially listed Kamara as questionable for the season opener this weekend, but he will likely be active in a limited role, which makes him an easy fade in starting fantasy lineups. The 31-year-old five-time Pro Bowler is no longer the Saints' lead back in 2026 after the addition of Etienne, but once he is fully back, Kamara should handle the primary pass-catching role, which will give him some flex appeal on a weekly basis in PPR leagues.
But in Week 1, fantasy managers should leave Kamara on their bench given the current situation.
Jauan Jennings, Minnesota Vikings
Wide receiver Jauan Jennings' unknown volume should keep him in the background in most formats when he makes his Minnesota Vikings debut against the Green Bay Packers in Week 1. The veteran's fit with the Vikings is an interesting one. Jennings is coming off back-to-back solid fantasy years in which he was PPR WR24 and WR33, respectively, despite playing in the run-heavy system of the San Francisco 49ers.
He's now in a Minnesota offense that has been very friendly to receivers, although he'll be sharing targets with All-Pro Justin Jefferson and another capable receiver in Jordan Addison. At the same time, the 6-foot-3 Jennings is an excellent complement to both Jefferson and Addison, and he gives Minnesota a dangerous third option, another red-zone weapon, and a dynamic run blocker.
From a fantasy perspective, however, Jennings' secondary pass-catching role will be hard to rely upon from week to week. He starts the season as RotoBaller's WR68 and should not be started in any standard formats.
Adonai Mitchell, New York Jets
New York Jets wide receiver Adonai Mitchell opens 2026 with a starting role opposite Garrett Wilson after catching 24 passes for 301 yards and two touchdowns in eight games with New York last season. Wilson's return changes the target hierarchy, but Mitchell has had a full offseason in Frank Reich's offense and now gets Geno Smith at quarterback.
Tennessee allowed 30 passing touchdowns and 8.2 yards per attempt in 2025, giving Mitchell some big-play appeal even with Robert Saleh now leading the Titans. Rookie Omar Cooper Jr. adds another option to the receiver room, and Mitchell still has to show how consistently he can earn targets alongside Wilson. RotoBaller ranks him WR63 for Week 1.
He is a deeper-league FLEX consideration, but standard-league managers can afford to wait for a clearer picture of his role.
Malachi Fields, New York Giants
New York Giants rookie wide receiver Malachi Fields makes his NFL debut on Sunday night against the Dallas Cowboys. Fields was drafted with the 74th pick in the 2026 NFL Draft and has made an impact throughout training camp, including a 15-yard touchdown pass in the opening preseason game from starting quarterback Jaxson Dart. With veteran Darius Slayton released, Fields and Darnell Mooney are expected to rotate as WR2.
However, with Malik Nabers (knee) questionable for Week 1, Fields could have a major role if Nabers is inactive or sees limited snaps. He faces a Cowboys secondary that allowed the most fantasy points to wide receivers in 2025. While he's too deep to start in Week 1, fantasy managers should monitor his usage, as he could be a priority Week 1 waiver add. Managers with an open roster spot should consider stashing Fields ahead of Sunday night.
Who Should I Start Tool
You can also see the Who Should I Start tool here.
Week 1 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players - Saquon Barkley, Keenan Allen, Malachi Fields, Jauan Jennings, Jonah Coleman, Calvin Ridley, Adonai Mitchell, Alvin Kamara, Dylan Sampson. 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 that 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, stats, projections, strength of schedule, players news, and enhanced search results with data to compare with 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 searches and comparisons from our Who To Start tool for Week 1 for Saquon Barkley, Keenan Allen, Malachi Fields, Jauan Jennings, Jonah Coleman, Calvin Ridley, Adonai Mitchell, Alvin Kamara, Dylan Sampson:
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