Trevor Lawrence, Michael Penix and 3 More QBs to Start in Fantasy Football for Week 1
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Week 1 of the fantasy football season always brings more questions than answers.
With months of draft prep behind us, managers are now faced with the reality of setting lineups. For quarterbacks, that means the margin between a solid fantasy week and a disappointing start is often razor-thin.
While a handful of elite passers remain set-and-forget options, the real challenge comes in sorting through the middle tier. Matchups, offensive schemes and surrounding talent can tilt the scales, giving certain quarterbacks a stronger path to production than their draft status might suggest.
This week, several signal-callers find themselves in favorable positions, with defenses that struggled last season or personnel shifts that could be exploited. Whether you waited on a quarterback in your draft or just want an edge at the position, these options deserve serious starting consideration as the new fantasy campaign kicks off.
Brock Purdy vs. Seattle Seahawks
Purdy has a 5-1 record, a passer rating of 112.5 and 1,540 passing yards with 12 touchdowns and three interceptions in six career games against the Seahawks. Seattle’s defense was roughly middle of the pack in terms of fantasy points allowed to QBs in 2024, but Purdy has consistently gotten the better of it. He was a set-and-forget asset in 2023 when he registered a QB6 fantasy finish and finished as QB14 in 2024 despite the offense battling a plethora of injuries. He should start most weeks on fantasy teams in 2025.
Trevor Lawrence vs. Carolina Panthers
Lawrence had a forgettable 2024 season, and he enters 2025 with possibly the most to prove of any starting quarterback in the NFL. This is a make-or-break year as he enters his fifth season, and he starts it off with one of the most favorable defenses to opposing QBs. The Panthers surrendered the second-most fantasy points to the position in 2024, according to Yahoo Sports. Lawrence gets a significant boost in week one because of the matchup.
Trevor Lawrence this preseason:
— SleeperJaguars (@SleeperJaguars) August 17, 2025
🐈82.4% Completion Rate (14/17)
🐈115.4 Passer Rating
🐈119 Passing Yards
🐈1 TD
Dude just has me smiling 😃 pic.twitter.com/RoMYtPSQxO
Tua Tagovailoa vs. Indianapolis Colts
Tagovailoa is 4-0 as a starter in Week 1. He’s also thrown for 466 and 338 yards in his last two season openers. The Colts also allowed the 11th most fantasy points to opposing QBs in 2024. Even with a revamped secondary, they can be susceptible to big plays. The trio of Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle can do severe damage to the Colts in Week 1.
Michael Penix Jr. vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Buccaneers surrendered the fifth-most fantasy points to QBs in 2024, as their secondary gave up frequent explosive plays. Penix flashed his talent, but ultimately struggled in his three starts last season. However, he’s known for his ability to push the ball downfield, and the Buccaneers are a team that is susceptible to the long ball. Surrounded by a strong supporting cast of playmakers, the rookie has a chance to deliver immediate fantasy value as a streaming option with upside.
Buy ALL of the Michael Penix Jr. stock 📈 pic.twitter.com/zOYbCZASkO
— PFF (@PFF) July 30, 2025
Bryce Young vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars were just behind the Buccaneers, as they gave up the fourth-most fantasy points to signal callers last season. Jacksonville also struggled to generate consistent pressure last season, which will give Young plenty of time to operate behind a revamped offensive line. With improved weapons around him and potentially a game script forcing Carolina to throw, Young offers sneaky streaming appeal in deeper leagues and superflex formats.
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Michael Rovetto previously served as the staff writer for University of Maryland Athletics for nearly two years. There, he wrote, edited and managed all editorial content for all 20 of Maryland's varsity sports on umterps.com. Rovetto is recognized as a College Sports Communicators district award-winning writer. Many of his stories have also appeared on NCAA.org, garnering national attention. Before graduating from Maryland's Philip Merrill College of Journalism in December 2023, Rovetto wrote for PressBox and Terrapin Sports Central, covering Maryland men's basketball and football. He also has experience in broadcasting, previously working as an analyst and camera operator for Big State Sports, and communication, interning for Shell Shock TBT as its Director of Communication & Content Development.