Start Courtland Sutton or Alec Pierce? Week 1

Our Week 1 call

Start Courtland Sutton over Alec Pierce in Week 1.

Alec Pierce is priced by the books at 4.3 projected points and Courtland Sutton is not priced at all, so we are leaning on where drafters take them. Drafters take Courtland Sutton at ADP 64 and Alec Pierce at 71.

What the books imply

No sportsbook posted a player market for Courtland Sutton in Week 1.

Player prop markets imply 4.3 fantasy points for Alec Pierce, with 40 percent of the markets a WR needs posted.

Week 1 matchups

Courtland Sutton and DEN visit KC.

KC allowed 13.0 fantasy points to WRs in its one game this season, the 2nd fewest in the league.

Receivers caught passes for 55 yards and no touchdowns against KC.

Alec Pierce and IND host BAL on Sunday at 1:00 PM ET.

BAL allowed 25.0 fantasy points to WRs in its one game this season, the 12th fewest in the league.

Receivers caught passes for 130 yards and no touchdowns against BAL.

By points allowed to the position, Alec Pierce has the softer matchup.

Injury status

Courtland Sutton was not on the injury report when the call was made.

Alec Pierce was not on the injury report when the call was made.

Their 2025 seasons

In 2025, Courtland Sutton played 17 games for DEN and scored 219.7 PPR points, 12.9 a game, finishing WR13.

He caught 74 of 124 targets for 1017 yards and 7 touchdowns, with 17 red zone targets and 795 air yards.

He was on the field for 86 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

Courtland Sutton, Week 18 of 2025 against LAC: 2 targets and 1 catch for 5 yards, 1.5 PPR points.

Courtland Sutton, Week 17 of 2025 against KC: 59 of 72 snaps, 10 targets and 4 catches for 40 yards, 8.0 PPR points.

Courtland Sutton, Week 16 of 2025 against JAX: 62 of 66 snaps, 12 targets and 6 catches for 86 yards, 1 touchdown, 20.6 PPR points.

In 2025, Alec Pierce played 15 games for IND and scored 183.3 PPR points, 12.2 a game, finishing WR28.

He caught 47 of 84 targets for 1003 yards and 6 touchdowns, with 8 red zone targets and 829 air yards.

He was on the field for 87 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

Alec Pierce, Week 18 of 2025 against HOU: 7 targets and 4 catches for 132 yards, 2 touchdowns, 29.2 PPR points.

Alec Pierce, Week 17 of 2025 against JAX: 52 of 57 snaps, 5 targets and 0 catches for 0 yards.

Alec Pierce, Week 16 of 2025 against SF: 58 of 60 snaps, 4 targets and 4 catches for 86 yards, 2 touchdowns, 24.6 PPR points.

How Week 1 went

Courtland Sutton scored 3.1 PPR points and Alec Pierce scored 10.1.

The call was wrong: Alec Pierce outscored Courtland Sutton by 7.0.

Courtland Sutton, Week 1 against KC: 39 of 51 snaps, 5 targets and 2 catches for 11 yards, 3.1 PPR points.

Courtland Sutton finished as the week's WR89 in PPR scoring.

Alec Pierce finished 5.9 points above the 4.3 the props implied.

Alec Pierce, Week 1 against BAL: 32 of 54 snaps, 6 targets and 4 catches for 61 yards, 10.1 PPR points.

Alec Pierce finished as the week's WR34 in PPR scoring.

Their other Week 1 calls

• Start Courtland Sutton over Christian Watson.
• Start DK Metcalf over Courtland Sutton.
• Start Luther Burden III over Courtland Sutton.
• Start Alec Pierce over Brian Thomas Jr..
• Start Alec Pierce over Brian Thomas Jr..
• Start Carnell Tate over Alec Pierce.