Week 1 Fantasy Football Expert Picks: Bucky Irving, Jordan Love, and More

It's Week 1, possibly the best time on the NFL calendar. We are back with 18 weeks of regular season football that are sure to make you happy, sad, angry, and fulfilled all at the same time. Everyone watches NFL football; not EVERYONE, but more eyes are drawn to TVs, computer screens, and even small phones during this time than for any other sport/program.

Fantasy football's beginning is just as exciting for those who partake, as Week 1 represents hope. You haven't lost a single game yet, and there's reason to think all your picks will work out exactly how you planned. This is as good as it will get for some.

The decisions start right away, though, and luckily, the experts at FantasySP are here to help you prepare. Morgan Rode, Mark Morales-Smith, and Daniel Hepner got together to answer five questions in anticipation of the start of the fantasy football season.

Use the FantasySP start/sit tool to help answer all your lineup questions each week.

Give us a quarterback who owners might not start every week but who will finish as a top-10 scorer at the position in Week 1.

Morgan: I'll go with Jordan Love. He's starting in less than 20% of leagues synced here as of Monday, but I see him turning in a big fantasy showing against the Lions in Week 1. Don't be scared about his thumb injury - he should put up great fantasy points in this one.

Mark: For me, it's Drake Maye. He has a big arm and is going to rush for a lot more yards than many people realize. He'll be the fantasy quarterback that people want Justin Herbert to be.  

Daniel: I've been talking about Trevor Lawrence in the lead up to the regular season. There's a lot of unknown as we start the year, but Lawrence and the Jaguars get a matchup against Carolina, one of the worst defenses in the league last year. They might be better in 2025, but the Panthers are unlikely to have even an average defense this year.

How about a running back who should stay on the bench for the first week?

Morgan: I'm a bit skeptical of starting Breece Hall in Week 1. I'm not high on the Jets' offense this year, and I don't like this matchup against the Steelers' defense in Week 1. I think Hall could underwhelm with his fantasy score.

Mark: I'm going with a trio of rookies. I'm leaving RJ Harvey, Kaleb Johnson, and Jacory Croskey-Merritt all on my bench until I see them in a defined role, which will probably take at least a few weeks.  

Daniel: D'Andre Swift has intrigue because his head coach, Ben Johnson, orchestrated one of the best running games in the league the past few years in Detroit. Chicago plays against one of the toughest run defenses from 2024 in Week 1, though, as the Vikings allowed the fourth-fewest yards per rush attempt and finished fourth in both run stop win rate and pass rush win rate. Chicago's run game could see a boost, but it might not happen in Week 1.

Is there a wide receiver with a great matchup right away who will open eyes?

Morgan: I like the matchup for Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kupp. I see the Seahawks playing catch-up with the Niners all game, so both wideouts could be in for big-time fantasy showings, especially in PPR leagues.

Mark: Tetairoa McMillan is going to make a huge splash in his NFL debut against the Jags. He'll quickly establish himself as the top receiver in this rookie class. 

Daniel: I haven't been high on Travis Hunter because of the uncertainty over how much he will play on both offense and defense, but it sounds like he will be a starter on offense, and that means facing the same weak defense that I mentioned with Lawrence in the quarterback question. With Carolina likely to be a weak pass defense, I see Hunter with a good chance for a strong first week.

Which tight end is likely to be among the most dropped after the first week and a rough performance?

Morgan: I think Colston Loveland could be a tight end that fits this description by the end of Week 1. Chicago has a ton of pass-catching options around, so I think Loveland's production will be inconsistent all season. He's owned in 87% of leagues now, but that number could plummet if he struggles this week.

Mark: I think we all know who it is. It's Kyle Pitts Sr. It's going to feel even worse when he burns owners this time because now they know they should have known better. 

Daniel: Tyler Warren of the Colts is seen as a potential rookie star, the way Sam LaPorta and Brock Bowers were over the past two seasons. He starts the season against the Miami Dolphins, though, a team that allowed the fifth-fewest yards per pass attempt and was in the middle in fantasy points allowed to tight ends. With Daniel Jones at quarterback, the Colts' pass game is likely to be average at best (and probably below that level).

Who will be the fantasy MVP of Week 1?

Morgan: Let's go with one of my favorite fantasy backs for 2025 and say Bucky Irving. He has a good matchup against the Saints, and I think Irving is going to star and post one of the top fantasy scores of the week.

Mark: The narrative is going to change very quickly on Tyreek Hill. People forget just how good the Dolphins' offense consistently plays when Tua is healthy during the first three months of the season. They are going to torch that Indy defense. 

Daniel: Looking at just the teams that will play on Sunday (because we already saw the first two games), I'm going to go with James Conner. I expect the Saints to be the worst team in the league this year, so the running back going against them would theoretically be in for plenty of work bleeding the clock. Over 100 yards and maybe a couple touchdowns could be in Conner's future.