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Fantasy Football Round-Up: Five lists to help you escape Week 1 with a win

Fantasy Football Round-Up: Five lists to help you escape Week 1 with a win

NFL DraftKings Network Fantasy Football Advice Rail

Published:

By: Dan Johnson

Perhaps it’s a little morbid, but what else do fantasy managers and the football-gaming/-fandom republic fear more than the bottom falling out from under their teams before Week 1 even ends? In the case of Christian McCaffrey owners, the structural integrity of the floor is feeling awfully shaky—and awfully familiar—before the first Sunday of the season. A.J. Brown owners might be scrambling (indeed, I had someone send me a screenshot of a trade they made for AJB in a dynasty league during the lightning delay last night). Even Xavier Worthy didn’t survive the first Chiefs drive. And, of course, there’s always the terrible and seemingly exponentially-greater-than-ever-before shot your star players and early fantasy draft picks might give you reason, during Week 1, to wonder if your roster is sustainable as is. Fear not! Once more, I’m here with the full gamut of my Five Lists of Five: Week 1 edition (2025) to get you set with sleepers, stash players, matchups to exploit, and must-starts. This way you can both win and bulwark your bench for the carnage to come.

You know how it goes. We’re in the business of domination, here. We trade in wins, and wins only. We, like Billy Beane, loathe losing more than we wish for winning. And so, below, I’ve got a mix of analysis that should help you maximize your Week 1 fantasy football lineups, but also shore up your bench with potential cosmic storms waiting to happen.

Find links to all below, and enjoy laying waste to the most beloved of your leaguemates.

Follow my handle @dansby_edits for all of my fantasy football content—as well as plenty of NFL and College Football betting goodies—all season long.

Dan Johnson’s Fantasy Football Five Lists of Five: Week 1 edition (2025)

I’ve gone ahead and added the names of the players included on each list, so as to make this document more useful going forward. Having said that, if you want any of the analysis as to why I consider these players worthy of a particular list, head to the article itself.

Dan Johnson
Dan Johnson has been an editor, writer, and analyst for DraftKings and DraftKings Network since 2024. He’s previously held editorial posts at The Paris Review, Macmillan Publishers, Bedford/St. Martin’s Press, ASSIGNMENT Magazine, and FantasySixPack. You can find his various editorial work & writing (sports-related and non-) at all of the above.
Disclaimer

I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is thegreatdansby9) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skills and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.