Bills-Ravens And 2 More Week 1 Matchups That Will Deliver Fantasy Football Fireworks

Explore the top Week 1 fantasy football game scripts, including Ravens vs. Bills, to maximize your start/sit decisions.

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) warms up before a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium. | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Sometimes, when you are deciding who to start, you have to look at more than just the players. A word phrase that's thrown around a lot is "game script." There are times when you just need to have a piece of a game because you know it's going to be a barn burner. These are the games that will have the most fireworks in Week 1. 

Cincinnati Bengals @ Cleveland Browns

This is going to be the most explosive shootout of the week. These two teams might legitimately push 1,000 yards from scrimmage in this game. While the Browns may be expected to be a bad offense this season, make no mistake, Joe Flacco is going to sling it, and there is no better team to sling it against than the Cincinnati Bengals. Their defense may end up being historically bad this season.  

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) in action against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

On the other side of the ball, the Bengals offense is going to be one of the best in the league. It is loaded with stars, which they decided to pay instead of making any effort to pay a defense. You need to be starting all your Bengals in this game. Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Chase Brown should all go crazy. The Cleveland Browns players are a bit less predictable, but Flacco is an interesting streamer, while Jerry Jeudy and David Njoku need to be in lineups. Cedric Tillman and whichever running back you believe in are also sleeper flex options. 

Baltimore Ravens @ Buffalo Bills

When you get two dual-threat MVP quarterbacks going head to head, you know the game is going to be wild. The defenses aren't terrible, but there is just no stopping these offenses. Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen are the top two quarterbacks in fantasy football, and they are going to put on a show.

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson gets ready to launch the ball during first half action at the Buffalo Bills divisional game against the Baltimore Ravens at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park on Jan. 19, 2025. | Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

For Baltimore, you should be starting Jackson, Derrick Henry, Mark Andrews, and Zay Flowers. On the Buffalo side, Josh Allen and James Cook are must-starts, while if you like a particular Bills pass-catcher, you can roll the dice on them. We prefer Khalil Shakir.   

Detroit Lions @ Green Bay Packers

We expect both of these passing attacks to be explosive and the rushing games to be even better. While these quarterbacks may not be elite, the weapons around them are. Jordan Love and Jared Goff are both streaming options this week; however, they aren't the stars of the show. 

Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs (26), right, celebrates a touchdown against Minnesota Vikings with wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (14) during the first half at Ford Field in Detroit on Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In the passing game for Detroit, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, and Sam Laporta should all be in your starting lineup. For Green Bay, we are locking in first-round pick Matthew Golden and Tucker Kraft. Romeo Doubs is also a flex option if Jayden Reed doesn't play. On the ground, all the running backs are smash plays. Jahmyr Gibbs, David Montgomery, and Josh Jacobs are all outstanding fantasy options.