We are back! Here for QB List to share a few Start/Sit suggestions for each week of the fantasy season. Let’s jump right into who I foresee being in your lineup and who can be left on the bench.
A reminder that I judge my “start” or “sit” against a full-PPR format.
Start ‘Em
Parker Washington, WR – Jacksonville Jaguars
Week 1 Matchup: vs Cleveland Browns
The summer of Parker Washington has commenced, and now it’s time to see him potentially turn in a full season as ‘the guy’ in Duval – and that’s with Brian Thomas Jr., Jakobi Meyers, and I suppose Travis Hunter also firmly in the mix for targets. It’s simply hard to ignore the training camp connection Washington and Trevor Lawrence put in, and even just refer back to his production last season post-Meyers trade. I am purposely ignoring BTJ because he had a down season to begin with.
In Weeks 10 through 18, Washington had 33 receptions, 550 yards, and 4 TDs, and in the span of the final three regular-season games, he was targeted 29 times, amassing 347 yards on 19 receptions and two touchdowns. Even in the playoff loss to the Bills, he had seven catches for 107 yards and a touchdown. Fire up Washington everywhere you have him for your Week 1 matchups.
Christian Watson, WR – Green Bay Packers
Week 1 Matchup: @ Minnesota Vikings
Paid like a WR1 in June, we should brace for Christian Watson‘s usage to mirror that value. This also feels like a ‘start him while he’s healthy’ recommendation, as history has shown us Watson can struggle with staying on the field for a full year. Last season, he made his debut in Week 8, and finished 2025 with 35 receptions for 611 yards and six touchdowns. Extrapolated to a full season, Watson would have finished with 54 catches, 944 yards, and nine touchdowns.
We know about his big-play ability, and he’s shown to be a favorite of Jordan Love despite Jayden Reed and Matthew Golden working into the target share.
David Montgomery, RB – Houston Texans
Week 1 Matchup: vs Buffalo Bills
Volume is king for fantasy backs, and David Montgomery is no doubt the lead man in Houston to begin the season. Montgomery was dealt to the Texans this offseason from the Lions, and later inked a 2-year, $16.5M deal post-trade. Known for his ability to work well alongside Jahmyr Gibbs the last few seasons, ‘Knuckles’ can be leaned on for his downhill, tackle-breaking abilities, giving fantasy managers scoring opportunities with not much of a threat behind him. Enter Woody Marks, who last year in his rookie year, rushed for 703 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, adding in 24 receptions for 208 yards and two scores in the pass game.
Last season, the Bills ranked eighth in fantasy points allowed to the RB position, allowing 25.4 per game according to FantasyData. That makes for a great matchup for Monty in a game where he should have plenty of opportunities.
Sit ‘Em
Jonathan Brooks, RB – Carolina Panthers
Week 1 Matchup: vs Chicago Bears
Is this the season we finally get to see Jonathan Brooks put together what we all had hoped for of him prior to his December 2024 ACL tear that kept him out of the entire 2025 season? As of writing in Monday’s practice, Brooks was ‘off to the side’ with a trainer due to soreness. There is no word indicating he’s in jeopardy of missing Week 1, but Brooks no doubt should be left on your bench on a true wait-and-see approach. He’s going to bring good value late in drafts, but he needs to show a string of game consistency paired with production before being trusted as a start option.
Stefon Diggs, WR – Washington Commanders
Week 1 Matchup: @ Philadelphia Eagles
After a strong 2025 with the Patriots, Stefon Diggs now finds himself with the Commanders, having signed with Washington only on August 7th. In a new offense, with QB Jayden Daniels looking to bounce back from a disappointing second year, you’ll want to see how Diggs fares before having him in your lineup, but it’s clear he has a real pathway to a steady target share behind Terry McLaurin. Considering he’s facing the Eagles on the road, Diggs can be left out of your lineup this first week.
Courtland Sutton, WR – Denver Broncos
Week 1 Matchup: @ Kansas City Chiefs (MNF)
Courtland Sutton no doubt has been one of the more underrated receivers over the years. He’s posted back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons entering 2026, and over the course of seven full seasons played, he’s averaging 60+ receptions and over 900 yards per year. On tap in Week 1 is a road date in Kansas City on Monday Night Football. Historically against the Chiefs, he’s had 48 catches for 709 yards with four touchdowns in 13 games, per StatMuse.
All that said, there is a bit of hesitancy starting him this week. I’m mostly curious how the addition of Jaylen Waddle to the Broncos WR room affects not only Sutton, but the other mouths to feed in Troy Franklin and Pat Bryant. For context, FantasyData is projecting Sutton to finish as the WR34 on the week, compared to Waddle, who they have landing as the WR22.
– Matthew Cava (@cavaM_ Twitter & Reddit)
Adapted by Kurt Wasemiller (@kurt_player02 on Instagram & Threads | @kuwasemiller.bksy.social on BlueSky)