Fantasy Football Week 1 Who Should I Start? Jaxson Dart, Josh Allen, and More

It's our first NFL Sunday! The fun of fantasy draft season is over, though, and it's time for the grind of making weekly decisions that will determine the outcome of your fantasy season, for better and worse.

Here at FantasySP, we have a start/sit tool that lets you look at the projected outlook of each player on your team and compare guys to put out the best lineup possible. Heading into Sunday, second-year quarterback Jaxson Dart has been showing up all over that tool, proving him as a popular player whom owners are trying to figure out.

Let's look at Dart and three quarterbacks who he is being compared to often. We'll look at each player individually and then give a verdict as to who to start between the two.

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Jaxson Dart, New York Giants vs. Dallas Cowboys

Let's start with the matchup here: Dallas allowed the second-most yards per pass attempt and the most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks last season. Now, last year isn't this year, and the Cowboys could be much better, but we don't have much else to go on, and they would have to make a huge jump to be even average against QBs. I'm ready to target them until we see them show any kind of defensive consistency.

Dart had a successful rookie year from a fantasy perspective, finishing as QB8 from Week 4 on (the time he spent as a starter). That even included two missed games, which could be a recurring issue, but he's healthy for this one. He should improve as a passer, as most quarterbacks do with more time under their belts, but Dart's real value is in what he does with his legs.

In the 12 games he spent as a starter in 2025, Dart averaged 40.6 rushing yards per game and scored nine touchdowns on the ground. That's an average of about 8.5 fantasy points per game from rushing stats, a huge boost toward his consistency. With Dart's upside and Dallas' woeful defense from last year, this has the potential to be a big day for the New York quarterback.

Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills @ Houston Texans

Allen has been one of the most consistent fantasy players in all of football since he entered the league. He is nearly a lock to finish as a top-two QB and is coming off a season in which he topped everyone else by nearly 20 points. Like with Dart, the biggest value is going to come from Allen's legs, as he has averaged nearly 37 rushing yards per game in his career (128 games) with 79 touchdowns. In each of the past three seasons, he has scored at least 12 TDs on the ground.

The problem here is the matchup. Last year, the Texans allowed the seventh-fewest yards per pass attempt and the second-fewest fantasy points to quarterbacks. It was a season of dominance for the Houston D, as they shut down about everyone they faced; the Texans allowed the second-fewest points in 2025, just three more than the first-place Seahawks. Every fantasy player is at a disadvantage facing Houston this season, and there's a low floor no matter who they face.

Verdict: Start Josh Allen over Jaxson Dart. No matter how much I like Dart's outlook today, I can't possibly recommend starting anyone over Allen unless you're feeling extra risky right away. The matchup brings plenty of risk, but Allen has been way too good to ever bench in fantasy.

Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Cleveland Browns

Lawrence had his best season in 2025, throwing for 4,007 yards and 29 touchdowns and rushing for 359 yards and nine scores. That made him QB4 in fantasy and a player that owners are intrigued by heading into this season. His passing was right in line with his career rates, but the real boost came on the ground, as he set career highs in rushing yards and touchdowns. He had never topped five TDs before, so reaching nine could be an outlier that he fails to approach again.

The Browns gave up the ninth-fewest yards per pass attempt and the third-fewest fantasy points to quarterbacks last season. As Cleveland's offense lagged far behind (and their QB situation still keeps them with a low floor), the defense remained stout and still has plenty of talent. The main issue with the Browns keeping up a high level of play is that they traded Myles Garrett to the Rams this offseason. Garrett was one of the most devastating defensive players in football in his time in Cleveland, and his absence brings down the ceiling of this defense substantially.

Verdict: Start Jaxson Dart over Trevor Lawrence. Even though the Browns might be worse defensively, they are still projected to be an average team on D, and Lawrence likely won't find the end zone nearly as often with his legs, leaving Dart the higher ceiling this week.

Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears @ Carolina Panthers

Williams and the Bears found immediate dividends after the hiring of Ben Johnson, winning the NFC North and seeing the QB's stats all increase (other than a drop in rushing yards). Williams was fantasy QB6, and as a former top overall pick who entered the league as one of the best prospects in years, the expectation is that he will keep improving in every facet, especially throwing the ball. There's a big ceiling to Williams' game (though we also shouldn't expect him to become the best quarterback in football overnight).

The Panthers famously made the big trade up the board for their own quarterback (Bryce Young) that gave Chicago the pick that became Williams, a move that altered the course of both franchises and will continue to be a major story for at least a decade.

Carolina's defense gave up the 10th-most yards per pass attempt last season but the sixth-fewest fantasy points to quarterbacks. The big disparity comes from volume, as the Panthers faced the sixth-fewest pass attempts, holding down the raw numbers while still allowing for efficiency. The defense is probably average at best, allowing a chance for opposing teams to find success, especially potential top offenses like Chicago.

Verdict: Start Jaxson Dart over Caleb Williams. I like Williams' outlook here, but this is more about the upside of Dart and his superior matchup. While you can't go wrong with either player, Dart gets the nod.