The 2026 NFL season has begun. We have already seen a pair of games played this week. Fantasy managers watched in horror as both Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold and New England Patriots wide receiver A.J. Brown suffered potentially significant injuries in the opener. Then the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams played a game on Friday morning that was televised (live) on Thursday night.
No idea how they fit all those players into a DeLorean.
In the first week of the fantasy season, most lineup decisions make themselves—or at least they should. The players fantasy managers drafted in the early rounds were selected to be starters. So they should be, you know, started.
But even in Week 1, injuries take a toll on fantasy rosters. And for teams with uncertainty at the back of the roster, or who chose to stream, say, the quarterback or tight end position, difficult decisions are already on the table. Close calls.
That's where this column comes in.
Every week, we're going to look at some of the closest calls. Make the case for both players. And then offer up this analyst's take on which player is the correct play.
For the sake of this exercise, we'll only consider quarterbacks and tight ends outside the top 10, running backs outside the top 20, and wide receivers outside the top 30 in Footballguys' Weekly Rankings. If you have Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs and Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson and can only start one, then—wait, what?
Let's get to it.
Week 1 Close Calls
Jayden Daniels, Washington (QB17) vs. Jaxson Dart, NY Giants (QB18)
The Case for Daniels: The case for Daniels is essentially the same case that got him drafted among the top five quarterbacks in many leagues over the summer—he's healthy again, Daniels brings all kinds of rushing upside to the table, and two years ago he was fifth among all quarterbacks in fantasy points.
Daniels opens the season in Philadelphia against the Eagles, who were stingy to opposing quarterbacks last year (25th in fantasy points per game allowed to the position). However, the Eagles have some significant issues on the edge this year, so Daniels could have some time to find open receivers.
The Case for Dart: Dart showed more than a little promise for fantasy managers when healthy last year. Once he took over as the starting quarterback in New York, Dart was eighth in fantasy points per game among quarterbacks—ahead of the likes of Jalen Hurts and Justin Herbert.
Sunday night at MetLife Stadium, Dart and the Giants will take on the rival Cowboys. Dallas took a buzzsaw to a defense that was among the league's worst a year ago in the offseason, but questions remain at all three levels. Dallas should be better defensively, but that doesn't mean they will be good.
The Verdict: Dart. From all indications, Dart will have top wide receiver Malik Nabers at his disposal in Week 1—Nabers was a full participant in practice Thursday. Given that, the difference in matchup is the dealbreaker here, especially given that cornerback is still a big-time question mark for the Dallas defense.
MarShawn Lloyd, Green Bay (RB27) vs. Bhayshul Tuten, Jacksonville (RB29)
The Case for Lloyd: After spending most of the summer as a fantasy afterthought, Lloyd exploded into relevance after Josh Jacobs landed on the Commissioner's Exempt List. Jacobs fast-tracked his court case in an effort to get back on the field, but for the foreseeable future, Lloyd is the lead back for the Packers.
Green Bay is a team that likes to run the football—the Packers were seventh in the league in rushing attempts in 2025. That would appear to portend a solid workload Sunday for Lloyd against a Minnesota Vikings run defense that struggled a bit last year, ranking outside the top-20 at 124.1 yards per game.
The Case for Tuten: Lloyd had to wait until August to become a fantasy hype darling, but Tuten has generated buzz all season long—with Travis Etienne Jr. now in New Orleans, more than a few fantasy pundits have predicted a breakout for Tuten after he saw limited action for the Jags as a rookie.
Jacksonville kicks off the season at home against the hapless Cleveland Browns, and while the Browns were fourth in total defense, the team was only average against the run, surrendering over 115 yards per contest. This is also a matchup where the Jaguars could easily have a sizable lead and go to a run-heavy game plan to close things out.
The Verdict: Tuten. To be clear, this analyst isn't crazy about either of these backs—we have no real idea how the carry-share will work out in either case, and it's entirely possible it's close to an even split. With that said, Lloyd has carried the ball all of six times for 15 yards in two NFL seasons, and Tuten appears headed toward a more positive game script.
