Jaxson Dart and 3 Other Must-Sit Quarterbacks in Week 1 Fantasy Football
Each and every week, there will be a handful of start 'em, sit 'em debates. Many quarterbacks are not a sure thing week to week. Factoring in matchups, injuries, home vs. away, and much more, we come to a conclusion. Unless your quarterback's name is Josh Allen or Lamar Jackson, they qualify to be a sit candidate any given week. This week, I suggest the following four names.
Baker Mayfield
I firmly believe that Mayfield has top-10 status in his season-long range of outcomes. However, it will not showcase itself in week 1. I have Mayfield outside of my top-20 projected quarterbacks, and there is one big reason why I deem his upside limited.
Emeka Egbuka is questionable to play in week 1 with turf toe. Whether he plays or not, Egbuka won't be at 100%. After he got injured (unrelated) in 2025, Egbuka's fantasy output dropped a whopping 60%. I don't know how much you can trust Mayfield with a limited Egbuka, post-Mike Evans, and an ailing Jalen McMillan.
Kyler Murray
Murray is a player who I think has great upside. He is also a player that I would rather see perform well before I bank on it. Murray is projected as my QB19 in Week 1. Check our rankings tab for tomorrow's projections when they go live.
In 2025, Murray did not play well enough for us to invest confidence. He ranked 39th in big-time throws, 38th in pressure-to-sack rate, and 40th in average depth of target. Though missing a great deal of games, it is still near the bottom of the league, which is not impressive to my eyes.
Jaxson Dart
I only have Dart projected as the QB16 in Week 1. He has to go on the road to Dallas under a new play-caller in Matt Nagy, and do so with a Malik Nabers who is probably not 100%. There is so much variance for a quarterback who is not top-12 in raw talent.
I would also worry about Dart's rushing ability. While he wishes to run a lot, there is a focus on avoiding further concussions. He should see a dip from last year's rushing output, although to what extent we cannot know until he takes the field.
Malik Willis
Willis is being labeled as a high-upside sleeper pick. He will definitely run the ball a lot. In Week 1, I do have Willis going for 4 rushing attempts and 23.5 rushing yards. Even if he explodes to double that amount, it lacks much to be desired in fantasy football.
The Dolphins are arguably the worst team in the NFL. Their receiving corps consists of a career WR3-Ish player in Malik Washington, a rookie in Caleb Douglas, a borderline-healthy rookie in Chris Bell, and a low-end tight end in Greg Dulcich. For Willis to be viable any given week, he will have to prove he can rattle off 60+ rushing yards as often as a prime Lamar Jackson or Jayden Daniels.
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Thomas Carelli is a sportswriter based on Northern New Jersey. He is a massive New York Jets and Mets fan, but that is not where is sports fandom stops. He loves to watch and play golf, all things football, baseball, and much more. If he can watch it, he will. Thomas graduated from William Paterson University in 2018 with a Bachelor's Degree in Sport Management. He spent 4 years working at a local golf course, volunteered past PGA events, and spent some part-time experience with the New York Jets events team. His passions for sport runs deep and his articles show for it.