By admin 
Week 1 of the fantasy football season is finally here, and it’s time to set our lineups. We have released our starts and sits for each position, but now we are going to let you know who our must-start player is at each position. These are the players you need to get into your lineup in Week 1.
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QB Malik Willis, Miami Dolphins
There are very few quarterbacks in the NFL who have more upside than Willis. He is an elite runner, and in his lone start last season, he showed significant growth as a passer. In that game, he threw for 288 yards, rushed for 60 yards, and accounted for three touchdowns with no interceptions. That is just scratching the surface of his potential.
Granted, he comes with risk; nevertheless, he can also win you your week. His WR corps could turn out to be much better than the fantasy community is expecting, too, led by talented rookies Chris Bell and Caleb Douglas. Of course, he also has De’Von Achane to get the ball to.
The matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders is also ideal. They are consistently amongst the worst teams in the league, and we see no reason that should change this season. Get him in your lineup.
RB Rhamondre Stevenson, New England Patriots
With TreVeyon Henderson now officially ruled out, we are getting Stevenson into our lineups. Even with a tough matchup against the Seattle Seahawks, we still want to start Stevenson on volume alone.
Specifically, we want to point to his PPR upside. In the Super Bowl against these same Seahawks, he caught five passes for 40 yards and a touchdown, and that’s with Henderson catching three passes of his own. Almost all of that volume will now go to Stevenson on top of the rushing volume. The opportunity outweighs the matchup for us in tonight’s game.
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WR Luther Burden III, Chicago Bears
As of Tuesday, Rome Odunze still hasn’t been able to practice and is considered day-to-day with an unspecified leg or foot injury. We aren’t even sure if he’ll play this week, but even if he does, he could be less than 100%. Last season, Odunze struggled when playing through a foot injury.
That leaves the door open for Burden to have a monster Week 1 performance against the Carolina Panthers. However, he is only ranked as a fringe WR2/WR3 according to the consensus rankings. With the latest news on Odunze, he should be a locked-in WR2 with WR1 upside.
TE Isaiah Likely, New York Giants
Likely should be in every lineup this week. Malik Nabers still isn’t fully healthy, and the team just cut Darius Slayton. There is a real chance that he’s the team’s top target against the Dallas Cowboys. He should be viewed as a top-five option this week, not as a fringe TE1.
More Fantasy Sports On SI News
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- Fantasy Football Quarterback Streamers Week 1: Led By Kyler Murray And A QB With Week-Winning Upside.
- Fantasy Impact: Christian McCaffrey and Mike Evans Get Encouraging Week 1 Injury News
This article was originally published on www.si.com/onsi/fantasy as Fantasy Football Must Starts At Every Position Week 1: Luther Burden III Is Elite With Rome Odunze Injured.
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This story was originally published September 9, 2026 at 5:03 AM.