FantasyPros publishes approximately 7.7 million pieces of weekly fantasy content to help you win your league and eventually take home fantasy gold. It can be difficult to read such a vast amount of content, which is why we’ve rounded up a few of the most actionable, can’t-miss stat nuggets you absolutely need to know each week to aid with fantasy football start sit decisions.
We’ve broken down this weekly TL;DR (Too Long; Didn’t Read) article by each of the four main skill positions in fantasy football (quarterback, running back, wide receiver and tight end), with at least two stats per position. Click on each author’s byline to read the entire article. Good luck this week.
- Waiver Wire Advice
- Weekly Fantasy Football Expert Rankings
- Fantasy Football Start/Sit Advice
- Fantasy Football Trade Tools
TL;DR Fantasy Football Week 1
Must-Know Quarterback Fantasy Football Stats
Joe Flacco (QB – CLE)
Fantasy players know Joe Flacco won’t finish the year as the Browns’ starting quarterback. However, he should be under center for the first several weeks. The veteran is an excellent QB2 option in Week 1 against the Cincinnati Bengals. DraftKings Sportsbook has the over/under for that AFC North matchup at 47.5 points, the second-highest total for Week 1. Furthermore, the Bengals will be a team that fantasy players should stream against this season, especially at the quarterback position.
Last year, Flacco averaged 1.7 passing touchdowns and 14 fantasy points per game in his six starts. Furthermore, he was the QB2 over the final five weeks of the fantasy season in 2023, averaging 2.6 passing touchdowns and 21.8 fantasy points per game. Cleveland has solid weapons in Jerry Jeudy, Cedric Tillman and David Njoku. More importantly, Flacco will have to throw a ton early in the year, facing five talented offenses over the first five weeks.
Trevor Lawrence (QB – JAX)
Trevor Lawrence had a disappointing 2024 season. The former Clemson star finished as the QB27, averaging 14.5 fantasy points per game. He missed seven games because of injury, including the final five with a concussion. However, fantasy players should expect him to get off to a hot start in Week 1. The Jaguars improved their offensive line this offseason. More importantly, they traded up during the 2025 NFL Draft for Travis Hunter to pair with Brian Thomas Jr., giving Lawrence two dynamic weapons to take advantage of Carolina’s questionable secondary.
Last year, the Panthers struggled to slow down opposing passing attacks. They surrendered the 10th-most passing yards (3,820) and the most touchdowns (35). More importantly, Carolina gave up 18.4 fantasy points per game to quarterbacks, the fourth-most in the league. While the team added Tre’von Moehrig this offseason, they still have one of the worst secondaries in the NFL. Furthermore, 2024 sack leader Jadeveon Clowney is no longer with the team. Don’t be surprised if Lawrence has a strong performance in Liam Coen’s first game as a head coach.
Must-Know Running Back Fantasy Football Stats
Austin Ekeler (RB – WSH)
Austin Ekeler was inefficient while playing through a high-ankle sprain in his final season with the Chargers in 2023, but he had a stellar rebound for the Commanders last season. Ekeler’s 6.5 yards per touch on 112 touches in 12 games last season were Ekeler’s most since amassing a career-high 6.9 yards per touch in 2019.
Ekeler is unlikely to go away and could emerge as Washington’s best fantasy option in the backfield in half-PPR and PPR formats if he handles enough rushing work in addition to his pass-catching duties.
Kenneth Walker III (RB – SEA)
After the Seattle Seahawks put Kenneth Walker in bubble wrap all preseason and training camp, he should be ready to rock & roll for Week 1. It will fly under the radar that Walker was the RB12 in fantasy points per game last season. Unfortunately, his season was cut short by injuries. Walker proved last year that not only is he still one of the best pure rushing talents in the league, but he is also a true three-down back with passing-catching chops.
Among 45 qualifying backs, Walker ranked third in first downs per route run, sixth in target per route run rate and sixth in receiving yards per game. In this Klint Kubiak-run scheme, we could see the best football of Walker’s career. Walker could steamroll the 49ers this week. Last year, in Weeks 10-18, the 49ers allowed the fourth-most rushing yards per game, the second-highest missed tackle rate and the sixth-most yards before contact per attempt. The 49ers didn’t add any illustrious run-stopping talent this offseason that leads me to believe these numbers will be that much improved out of the gate.
James Conner (RB – ARI)
James Conner had a fantastic 2024 campaign. According to the data suite at Fantasy Points, among 54 running backs with at least 75 rush attempts in 2024, Conner was 11th in rushing yards per game (68.4), tied for 15th in yards per carry (4.64), tied for sixth in explosive run rate (6.8%), was seventh in team rush rate inside the 5-yard line (75%), was second in missed tackles forced per attempt (0.29) and 16th in expected half-PPR points per game (14.6). In addition to being a superb runner last year, Conner also had 0.22 targets per route run, 47 receptions (2.9 receptions per game), 414 receiving yards (25.9 receiving yards per game), 1.75 yards per route run and one receiving touchdown. Conner is a game-script-proof back.
Yet, the game script should work in Conner’s favor this week. The Cardinals are commanding 6.5-point favorites against the lowly Saints. According to RotoViz’s pace app, when excluding the final two minutes of the first half, the Cardinals had a 50% rush rate when tied or leading in 2024. That rate jumped to 54% on 299 plays when leading by at least three points outside of the final two minutes of the first half. Conner should be busy on the ground if things go according to the betting line.
Conner also has a mouthwatering matchup. The Saints allowed the fifth-most half-PPR points per game (22.9) to running backs last season. Our projections have Conner outside of the top 12 running backs in all scoring types this week, but I’ll flagplant him as this week’s RB1 in all scoring formats.
Must-Know Wide Receiver Fantasy Football Stats
Xavier Worthy (WR – KC)
With Rashee Rice serving his six-game suspension to begin the season, Xavier Worthy should step right back into the “Rice role” until Rice returns. Last year in that role, in Weeks 13-17, he was the WR21 in fantasy points per game, with a 21.3% target share, 57 receiving yards per game, an average depth of target (aDOT) of 6.3 and a designed target rate of 25.6%. In those five games, Worthy had a whopping nine red-zone targets.
Worthy faces a Chargers’ secondary that had the third-highest two-high rate last year (58.6%). Sadly, last year, even in Weeks 13-17, Worthy wasn’t very effective against two high with only an 18% target per route run rate, one yard per route run and 0.016 first downs per route run despite seeing a 20.8% first-read share. It’s tough to get excited about Worthy this week.
Last year, the Bolts allowed the 11th-fewest PPR points per target to perimeter wide receivers. Yes, they have Donte Jackson (2024: 61.3% catch rate and 75.2 passer rating allowed) and Cam Hart (2024: 58.9% catch rate and 90.0 passer rating allowed) on the outside this year, which is a change, so maybe that offers some hope for Worthy. He’s a volume play only this week.
Marvin Mims Jr. (WR – DEN)
Hopefully, fantasy players left their drafts with Marvin Mims Jr., as the former Oklahoma star is my favorite sleeper wide receiver. However, there is still time to trade for him before Week 1. Last year, he was the WR22 from Week 13 through Week 18, averaging 17.5 PPR fantasy points per game, a higher average than A.J. Brown (16.2), Tyreek Hill (14.9) and teammate Courtland Sutton (15.1). More importantly, Mims is primed for a third-year breakout with an increase in volume.
According to Fantasy Points Data, he averaged a higher fantasy points per route run average (1.12) than Puka Nacua (0.75), Nico Collins (0.62), Brian Thomas Jr. (0.57) and Justin Jefferson (0.55) over the final six regular-season contests. Yet, Mims only had a 41.1% route participation rate, 33.5% lower than any of those four superstar wide receivers during those six weeks. He faces a lackluster Tennessee Titans secondary in Week 1. Mims could have a top-10 finish with one or two explosive plays.
Must-Know Tight End Fantasy Football Stats
Brenton Strange (TE – JAX)
Which team was it that surrendered the most touchdowns to opposing tight ends last season? The Carolina Panthers.
Brenton Strange sort of halfway broke out in 2024, catching 40 passes for 411 yards and two scores while playing all 17 games. In nine of those games, he was playing alongside Evan Engram, then the No. 1 TE in Jacksonville. Engram is gone now, leaving Strange as the unquestioned top man on the depth chart.
Trevor Lawrence has always utilized his tight ends in the Jaguars’ passing game, and the favorable matchup has already been pointed out above. Strange caught both of his touchdowns before Lawrence hit the shelf for the final couple of months last season. Strange also gained over 50 yards in four different games, which is a number that should go up in his third NFL season.
Chig Okonkwo (TE – TEN)
The fantasy football community has been waiting for Chig Okonkwo to have a breakout season for years. He was the TE21 in 2024, averaging 6.7 PPR fantasy points per game for the second consecutive season. The former Maryland star flashed significant fantasy upside last year despite awful quarterback production, scoring at least 10.9 fantasy points per game in the three contests with seven or more targets despite not finding the end zone in any of those outings.
Furthermore, Okonkwo was the TE4 during the fantasy playoffs last year, averaging 7.3 receptions on 9.3 targets for 60.7 receiving yards and 14.6 fantasy points per game. More importantly, he should be the favorite to finish second on the team in targets and touchdowns behind Calvin Ridley. After having at least 70 targets in back-to-back seasons, the former Maryland star could total 100 in 2025 with Cam Ward taking over under center behind an improving offensive line.
David Njoku (TE – CLE)
Browns tight end David Njoku is a must-start this week. When Joe Flacco made five starts for Cleveland late in the 2023 season, Njoku had 30 receptions for 390 yards and four touchdowns in those five contests and led all tight ends in half-PPR scoring over that stretch. Njoku is now reunited with Flacco, and the veteran tight end opens with a terrific matchup against the Bengals. Cincinnati allowed 111 catches, 1,114 yards and 10 touchdowns to tight ends in 2024.
Subscribe: YouTube | Spotify | Apple Podcasts | iHeart | Castbox | Amazon Music | Podcast Addict | TuneIn
