π Fantasy Football: Start Bucs, sit Mahomes, more Week 1 decisions β SkimNews
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- Baker Mayfield signed his long-awaited contract extension, and Rank is starting him Week 1 against a Bengals team he calls a 'smash start' because they were vulnerable on the road last season β even after Cincinnati added Dexter Lawrence II
- Patrick Mahomes lands on the sit list against the Broncos, who held him to 6.1 yards per attempt and one TD in their 2025 meeting; Mahomes was also sacked 34 and 36 times the past two seasons, his two highest single-season totals
- Jalen Hurts is a start after new coach Sean Mannion said he wants to reestablish the run including the 'Brotherly Shove' β Hurts averaged 21.7 fantasy PPG in his first eight games of 2025, including 24 in Week 1
- Jacksonville head coach Liam Cohen will deploy a split backfield of Bhayshul Tuten and Chris Rodriguez Jr., and Rank is starting both against the Browns given injuries at the position
- Chris Olave is Rank's potential WR1 of the week against the Lions, having averaged nearly 19 fantasy PPG with Tyler Shough starting last season; Kyle Pitts Sr. was TE4 at 12.4 fantasy PPG with nine top-12 finishes in 2025
- The Jaguars defense (62.0% rostered in ESPN leagues) is the top streaming option, with the Chargers (58.6%) next; Jim Harbaugh is 6-0 in season openers and Nick Sirianni is 5-0 β relevant for NFL Survivor entries
Why it matters: With Mahomes coming off back-to-back career-high sack totals of 34 and 36, Rank's reluctance to start him is rooted in offensive-line concerns rather than quarterback decline β a framing worth watching against the consensus draft position. The Jacksonville backfield pivot from a presumed Tuten-only setup to a Tuten/Rodriguez split under Liam Cohen is the kind of late-breaking depth-chart move that swings Week 1 lineups if roles hold.
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