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Who Should I Start for Week 1? Fantasy Football outlooks for Texans DST, Rams DST, Bears DST, Jets DST, 49ers DST, Giants DST, Lions DST, Vikings DST, Packers DST, Patriots DST, Commanders DST, Steelers DST.
Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some of the most common Week 1 fantasy football lineup decisions involve defenses like the Texans DST, Rams DST, Bears DST, Jets DST, Giants DST, 49ers DST, Lions DST, Vikings DST, Packers DST, Patriots DST, Commanders DST, Steelers DST. 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.
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Fantasy Football Matchup 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:
Minnesota Vikings, DEF
The Minnesota Vikings defense under Brian Flores was spectacular last year. This unit ranked fifth in points allowed per game (19.5) and tied for fourth in total sacks (49). Now, this Vikings defense gets to go up against second-year quarterback Caleb Williams, who is learning a new playbook with Ben Johnson as his head coach.
In his first game in this new Johnson scheme, the Vikings D/ST is worth starting in Week 1. Minnesota added both Javon Hargrave and Jonathan Allen to this defensive line in free agency, and it could take Williams some time to get into a rhythm with this new playbook.
Even though the Bears did upgrade their offensive line in the offseason, Flores will have his defense ready to dominate.
Los Angeles Rams, DEF
Targeting defenses playing the Texans offense worked wonders for fantasy managers last year. That should be no different to start the year. Joe Mixon is dealing with a foot/ankle injury that will result in him missing this matchup, and the Rams should be all over this Houston offensive line in Week 1.
The Texans traded away two starters this offseason (Laremy Tunsil and Kenyon Green) and replaced them with Cam Robinson and Laken Tomlinson. Robinson and Tomlinson gave up a combined 13 sacks in 2024.
Therefore, it wouldn't be a shock to see this Rams defense tally at least three sacks against this Houston offensive line.
Chicago Bears, DEF
A rookie quarterback making his first career start on the road in a divisional game. Sign me up for this Bears defense in Week 1.
Chicago will face the J.J. McCarthy-led Vikings to open the season in a prime-time game on Monday night. On top of that, WR2 Jordan Addison will miss this contest due to a suspension. So, this Bears D/ST is a top-10 play in Week 1.
Montez Sweat and Grady Jarrett are a great pass-rush duo, and we could see McCarthy struggle a bit in his first start. That makes this defense a sneaky option to start the season.
New York Jets, DEF
This Jets and Steelers game has the chance to be the lowest-scoring matchup of the week. These two teams lack a ton of offensive weapons, and we could be in for plenty of stalled drives.
The biggest reason why fantasy managers should consider this New York D/ST in Week 1 is because of Pittsburgh's subpar offensive line. While Aaron Rodgers does like to get the ball out of his hands quickly, the Jets defense should rack up some sacks against this offensive line.
The Steelers ranked tied for ninth in sacks allowed (49) last season, and Pittsburgh will roll out the same group from a year ago. So, the Jets D/ST is a top-12 play in Week 1.
San Francisco 49ers, DEF
The talk of the offseason has been about the major losses of this 49ers defense. San Francisco lost Talanoa Hufanga, Dre Greenlaw, and Hargrave this offseason and didn't replace them with any notable players in the draft or free agency.
So, many people believe that this unit will not be as good as it was last season. Although that might be true, we should trust it in a Week 1 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks.
There is a strong possibility that quarterback Sam Darnold regresses, and this offensive line isn't exactly elite. Seattle will be running out four of the same five offensive linemen that allowed 54 sacks (tied for third most in the NFL) in 2024.
Who Should I Start Tool
You can also see the Who Should I Start tool here.
Week 1 Defense Decisions. Today's focus is on specific defenses - Texans DST, Rams DST, Bears DST, Jets DST, Giants DST, 49ers DST, Lions DST, Vikings DST, Packers DST, Patriots DST, Commanders DST, Steelers DST. 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, 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 (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 searches and comparisons from our Who To Start tool for Week 1 for Texans DST, Rams DST, Bears DST, Jets DST, 49ers DST, Giants DST, Lions DST, Vikings DST, Packers DST, Patriots DST, Commanders DST, Steelers DST:
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