Week 1 Players I Hate in Fantasy Football

Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills

In a happy coincidence, my example for negative matchups not necessarily being someone to bench happens to be my first callout for Week 1. The Houston Texans finished sixth in pass defense last season and third in fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks. Allen felt the brunt of that last year when he threw for 253 yards with no touchdowns and two picks. He added just 20 yards on the ground and didn’t score. It wasn’t any better in a 2024 matchup between the teams: 131 yards passing, 54 yards rushing, one TD. While you’d be hard-pressed to keep Allen out of your lineup, it’s at least worth considering. Others I don’t like:

• Drake Maye, New England Patriots: Maye put up decent numbers in a Super Bowl loss to the Seattle Seahawks (295 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs). Don’t be fooled. Most of that came in the fourth quarter with the game out of reach.
• Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers: It’s unclear how much Aaron Donald will play for the Los Angeles Rams in Week 1, but this still feels like a tall order. There are some age and lack of familiarity issues on that roster that give me pause.
• Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers: In his two previous games against the Minnesota Vikings, Love averaged 162 yards and 0.5 TDs. I’m high on Love for 2026. I don’t like him here.

Running Backs

Kenneth Walker III, Kansas City Chiefs

After getting little and less out of the running back position in recent years, the Chiefs made a significant investment in Walker, the reigning Super Bowl MVP. He should carry a heavy load for the team. Walker draws a tough assignment right out of the gate, however, as the Denver Broncos featured the No. 2 rush defense in 2025 (No. 4 in fantasy points allowed to RBs). I expect Denver to prioritize stifling Walker and putting the onus on a potentially rusty Patrick Mahomes to move the football on Monday night. Others I don’t like:

• Chase Brown, Cincinnati Bengals: Only five teams allowed fewer than 100 yards per game on the ground last year. One of them was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. With the Bucs ranking 27th against the pass, this feels like a game for Joe Burrow to do the heavy lifting.
• Quinshon Judkins, Cleveland Browns: While Judkins is among the few viable fantasy options on the Browns, a Week 1 matchup against last year’s top-rated run defense is a rough way to start. The Jacksonville Jaguars gave up just 85.6 yards per game on the ground in 2025.

Wide Receivers

Nico Collins, Houston Texans

Although you may not associate the Bills with an elite secondary, no team in the NFL allowed fewer passing yards than Buffalo in 2025 (156.9 yards per game). Collins experienced it firsthand last October when he caught three passes for 55 yards. In 2024, the Michigan product had his season low in receptions (2) versus the Bills, though that did include a 67-yard touchdown grab. Still, I’d view Collins as no more than a midrange WR3 this Sunday. Others I don’t like:

• Terry McLaurin, Washington Commanders: Over the last two seasons, McLaurin has posted 3.3 receptions and 45 yards per game in four meetings with the Philadelphia Eagles. Philly ranked eighth against the pass last year and allowed an NFL-low 14 TDs.
• Christian Watson, Green Bay Packers: I like Green Bay’s streamlined receiver room, and I think Watson is in for a career year. Minnesota ranked first in fantasy points allowed to receivers for a reason, though.
• Marvin Harrison Jr., Arizona Cardinals: Through two seasons, “Maserati Marv” has played more like “Mitsubishi Marv.” While there’s hope he’ll put things together in Year 3, a Week 1 meeting with a fifth-ranked Los Angeles Chargers pass defense doesn’t portend big things.

Tight Ends

Isaiah Likely, New York Giants

Finally freed from the yoke of being TE2 behind Mark Andrews for the Baltimore Ravens, Likely has found his name on many a fantasy breakout column for 2026. So, what better way to start than against the last-ranked Dallas Cowboys pass defense? To quote Lee Corso, “Not so fast, my friend.” For all their struggles, Dallas ranked 11th in fantasy points allowed to tight ends, and this group is expected to be improved. With all the change that happened in New York, I’m apt to take a wait-and-see approach. Others I don’t like:

• George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers: While the expectation is that Kittle (Achilles) will suit up this Thursday, there’s no telling how many snaps he’ll play. Throw in a tough Rams defense and he’s best left on your bench.

Defensive Teams

Houston Texans: Yes, the Texans have a top defense, and they should make life tough on Allen. I still don’t like going against the former MVP on the road, though.

New England Patriots: Although it was New England’s offense that killed the team’s hopes of winning Super Bowl LX, the defense managed one sack and zero takeaways against Seattle.

Minnesota Vikings: Only two teams turned the ball over less than the Packers (13) in 2025, and just six allowed fewer sacks. That’s a tough way to make a living for a fantasy defense.