- Tetairoa McMillan is set up for Week 1 success: The Carolina Panthers‘ top rookie should be an every-down starter in a good matchup to kick off his NFL career.
- Wait and see on other rookies: Players like Jacory Croskey-Merritt and Colston Loveland are good players to have on your roster, but are risky options in their first NFL games.
- PFF+ gives you the Fantasy blueprint: Test strategies with the No. 1 Mock Draft Simulator, use the Live Draft Assistant for pick suggestions and project next-round availability, and unlock industry-leading rankings.
Estimated Reading Time: 22 minutes
The start/sit article got a makeover for the last few weeks of the 2024 season, and those changes were well-received, leading us to keep the format for 2025.
The New Format: I have asked fantasy managers on the PFF Discord and Bluesky which players they are least sure about this week, and I compiled that list and ranked them against each other. If you have multiple players mentioned, you should start with the player ranked highest. At the bottom of each position are some players you should start over all of the featured players, as well as some players you should sit in favor of the featured players.
If a player isn’t mentioned, that means they are very close to those with blurbs, and factors like injuries on the opposing defenses or weather could influence the rankings. Situations involving injuries are also generally avoided because there is some grey area early in the week and things typically become clearer closer to kickoff. As always, check our weekly fantasy rankings for the most up-to-date information to help you make all start-sit decisions.
Why It's Changing: There are fantasy leagues of all shapes and sizes. At 9:30 a.m. ET on Saturday, I answer start/sit questions on the PFF Discord and often find myself telling some people to start players and others to sit those same players based on the circumstances. The players to start in a 10-team league on a squad with strong depth at running back can be very different from a 12-team squad with a weakness at running back. Very few players can be universally started and universally sat, but it doesn’t help anyone to say, “Start Saquon Barkley,” for example.
RUNNING BACKS
1. Tony Pollard, Tennessee Titans
Pollard finished his first season with the Titans averaging 12.5 PPR points per game, which is right on the borderline of RB2 and RB3. However, Pollard received much more volume when Tyjae Spears was out. He averaged 83.5% of his team's offensive snaps in games that Spears played fewer than 20 snaps and Pollard was healthy, as pictured below. In those games, he averaged 15.0 PPR points per game with 18.8 rushing attempts per game and three receptions per game. Spears is starting the season on injured reserve, making Pollard a safe start for the first month of the season.
The Titans face a tough matchup against the Denver Broncos, who had the fourth-highest team run-defense grade last season. They were above average in preventing fantasy points to running backs. However, their highest graded linebacker in run defense, Cody Barton, is now with the Titans, which could lead to a slight decline in performance. Newcomer Dre Greenlaw didn’t participate in practice on Wednesday due to a quadricep injury, which should also make life a little easier for Pollard. His expected volume also makes up for any downside from the matchup.
Pollard is a relatively safe top-20 option at the position this week and could rank even higher in the next few weeks.
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