Start Malik Willis or Bryce Young? Week 1

Our Week 1 call

Start Bryce Young over Malik Willis in Week 1.

Bryce Young is priced by the books at 8.3 projected points. Malik Willis has no player market posted for this week, so his side of this call rests on consensus ADP and the news wire only. Drafters take Bryce Young at ADP 216 and Malik Willis at 199. Market coverage on Bryce Young is 45 percent of what his position needs, so the market side of this carries proportionally less weight.

What the books imply

No sportsbook posted a player market for Malik Willis in Week 1.

Player prop markets imply 8.3 fantasy points for Bryce Young, with 45 percent of the markets a QB needs posted.

Week 1 matchups

Malik Willis and MIA visit LV.

LV allowed 17.7 fantasy points to QBs in its one game this season, the 13th most in the league.

Quarterbacks threw for 220 yards and no touchdowns against LV, with an interception.

Bryce Young and CAR host CHI on Sunday at 1:00 PM ET.

CHI allowed 34.8 fantasy points to QBs in its one game this season, the 3rd most in the league.

Quarterbacks threw for 361 yards and 3 touchdowns against CHI, with an interception.

By points allowed to the position, Bryce Young has the softer matchup.

Injury status

Malik Willis was not on the injury report when the call was made.

Bryce Young was not on the injury report when the call was made.

Their 2025 seasons

In 2025, Malik Willis played 4 games for GB and scored 51.2 PPR points, 12.8 a game, finishing QB45.

He completed 30 of 35 passes for 422 yards, 3 touchdowns and 0 interceptions, and ran 22 times for 123 yards and 2 touchdowns.

He was on the field for 10 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

Malik Willis, Week 17 of 2025 against BAL: 39 of 47 snaps, 18 of 21 passes for 288 yards, 1 touchdown and 0 interceptions, 9 carries for 60 yards, 31.5 PPR points.

Malik Willis, Week 16 of 2025 against CHI: 46 of 72 snaps, 9 of 11 passes for 121 yards, 1 touchdown and 0 interceptions, 10 carries for 44 yards, 13.2 PPR points.

In 2025, Bryce Young played 16 games for CAR and scored 229.0 PPR points, 14.3 a game, finishing QB19.

He completed 304 of 478 passes for 3011 yards, 23 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, and ran 54 times for 216 yards and 2 touchdowns.

He was on the field for 96 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

Bryce Young, Week 18 of 2025 against TB: 51 of 51 snaps, 24 of 35 passes for 266 yards, 2 touchdowns and 1 interception, 2 carries for -1 yards, 17.5 PPR points.

Bryce Young, Week 17 of 2025 against SEA: 53 of 53 snaps, 14 of 24 passes for 54 yards, 0 touchdowns and 1 interception, 9 carries for 27 yards, 9.9 PPR points.

Bryce Young, Week 16 of 2025 against TB: 54 of 54 snaps, 21 of 32 passes for 191 yards, 2 touchdowns and 0 interceptions, 4 carries for 20 yards, 17.6 PPR points.

How Week 1 went

Bryce Young scored 32.4 PPR points and Malik Willis scored 17.7.

The call was right: Bryce Young outscored Malik Willis by 14.7.

Bryce Young finished 24.1 points above the 8.3 the props implied.

Bryce Young, Week 1 against CHI: 61 of 68 snaps, 23 of 37 passes for 361 yards, 3 touchdowns and 1 interception, 2 carries for 10 yards, 32.4 PPR points.

Bryce Young finished as the week's QB3 in PPR scoring.

Malik Willis, Week 1 against LV: 56 of 56 snaps, 15 of 27 passes for 220 yards, 0 touchdowns and 1 interception, 6 carries for 39 yards, 17.7 PPR points.

Malik Willis finished as the week's QB13 in PPR scoring.

Their other Week 1 calls

• Start Cam Ward over Malik Willis.
• Start Malik Willis over C.J. Stroud.
• Start Daniel Jones over Malik Willis.
• Start Bryce Young over Aaron Rodgers.
• Start Cam Ward over Bryce Young.
• Start C.J. Stroud over Bryce Young.