Should I start Garrett Wilson, DJ Moore, Marvin Harrison Jr. for Week 1? Fantasy football start 'em, sit 'em picks and recommendations for the 2025 NFL season.
Week 1 is finally here, which means it's time to make those tough lineup decisions. The first week of the fantasy season is always the toughest for these lineup decisions because we don't really know how things will play out. It's a brand new season. Therefore, fantasy managers should almost certainly be starting their studs to open the year.
In this article, we will see if studs Garrett Wilson, DJ Moore, and Marvin Harrison Jr. should be started in fantasy in Week 1. All three wide receivers were taken in the early portion of fantasy drafts and carry immense upside in their respective offenses.
So, should fantasy managers start Wilson, Moore, and Harrison in Week 1? Let's dive in and find out.
Despite subpar quarterback play in his career, Wilson has been one of the most consistent wide receivers over the past few years. He has totaled at least 1,000 receiving yards in each of his three NFL seasons and just finished as the WR10 in PPR formats last year. Even when the former Ohio State star was catching passes from Zach Wilson, he was still a solid WR2 play for fantasy managers.
However, this is a tougher matchup for Wilson in Week 1. The Steelers have one of the better secondaries in the league, and the Jets playmaker will be lined up against either Jalen Ramsey, Darius Slay Jr., or Joey Porter Jr. at all times in this game. That definitely does not bode well for his fantasy value to start the season.
As a result, Wilson will be more of a WR3 in Week 1. RotoBaller has him ranked as the WR30 in PPR formats this week, and let's not forget that the Jets will likely lean on the run in this game with Justin Fields under center. That means opportunities could be limited for the 25-year-old wide receiver on Sunday.
It'll be interesting to see how this Bears offense looks in Week 1 under new head coach Ben Johnson. While there could be some growing pains with Caleb Williams adjusting to a new offensive scheme, Moore could be in for a solid fantasy day against the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings allowed the second-most fantasy points to opposing wideouts last season.
In both games against Minnesota in 2024, Moore put up solid fantasy numbers. He scored 26.9 PPR fantasy points in Week 12 and 15 PPR fantasy points in Week 15. With 15 total catches for 152 yards and one touchdown against this Vikings secondary in 2024, it wouldn't be a surprise to see the Pro Bowler post strong numbers on Monday night.
Therefore, Moore should be in almost all fantasy lineups to begin the 2025 season. He should be Williams' top receiving target and will enter the week as RotoBaller's WR19 in PPR formats. That makes him a solid WR2 play in Week 1.
After a disappointing rookie season, there is a lot of skepticism surrounding Harrison in Year 2. He only caught 62 passes for 885 yards and eight touchdowns in 2024 while finishing as the WR30 in PPR formats. However, the Ohio State product is in a good spot to kick off the 2025 season with a matchup against the New Orleans Saints.
The Saints cornerback room currently consists of Kool-Aid McKinstry, Isaac Yiadom, and Alontae Taylor. With Taylor dealing with a groin injury himself, there's a chance that New Orleans will be starting McKinstry, Yiadom, and rookie Quincy Riley in Week 1. That surely benefits Harrison in Week 1.
So, Harrison should be in most fantasy lineups in Week 1. He has a great matchup on the outside and comes in as the WR22 in RotoBaller's PPR wide receiver rankings this week.