Start Joe Burrow or Drake Maye? Week 1

Our Week 1 call

Start Joe Burrow over Drake Maye in Week 1.

Drake Maye is priced by the books at 2.6 projected points and Joe Burrow is not priced at all, so we are leaning on where drafters take them. Drafters take Joe Burrow at ADP 56 and Drake Maye at 51.

What the books imply

Player prop markets imply 2.6 fantasy points for Drake Maye, with 33 percent of the markets a QB needs posted.

No sportsbook posted a player market for Joe Burrow in Week 1.

Week 1 matchups

Drake Maye and NE visit SEA on Wednesday at 8:20 PM ET.

SEA allowed 12.8 fantasy points to QBs in its one game this season, the 9th fewest in the league.

Quarterbacks threw for 178 yards and a touchdown against SEA, with 3 interceptions.

Joe Burrow and CIN host TB.

TB allowed 15.2 fantasy points to QBs in its one game this season, the 13th fewest in the league.

Quarterbacks threw for 254 yards and a touchdown against TB, with an interception.

By points allowed to the position, Joe Burrow has the softer matchup.

Injury status

Drake Maye was not on the injury report when the call was made.

Joe Burrow was not on the injury report when the call was made.

Their 2025 seasons

In 2025, Drake Maye played 17 games for NE and scored 360.0 PPR points, 21.2 a game, finishing QB2.

He completed 354 of 492 passes for 4394 yards, 31 touchdowns and 8 interceptions, and ran 103 times for 450 yards and 4 touchdowns.

He was on the field for 97 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

Drake Maye, Week 18 of 2025 against MIA: 14 of 18 passes for 191 yards, 1 touchdown and 0 interceptions, 5 carries for 41 yards, 15.7 PPR points.

Drake Maye, Week 17 of 2025 against NYJ: 52 of 66 snaps, 19 of 21 passes for 256 yards, 5 touchdowns and 0 interceptions, 3 carries for 22 yards, 32.4 PPR points.

Drake Maye, Week 16 of 2025 against BAL: 74 of 74 snaps, 31 of 44 passes for 380 yards, 2 touchdowns and 1 interception, 10 carries for 25 yards, 24.7 PPR points.

In 2025, Joe Burrow played 8 games for CIN and scored 139.5 PPR points, 17.4 a game, finishing QB29.

He completed 173 of 259 passes for 1809 yards, 17 touchdowns and 5 interceptions, and ran 14 times for 41 yards and 0 touchdowns.

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

Joe Burrow, Week 18 of 2025 against CLE: 29 of 39 passes for 236 yards, 3 touchdowns and 1 interception, 2 carries for 17 yards, 22.1 PPR points.

Joe Burrow, Week 17 of 2025 against ARI: 64 of 77 snaps, 24 of 31 passes for 305 yards, 2 touchdowns and 0 interceptions, 3 carries for 2 yards, 20.4 PPR points.

Joe Burrow, Week 16 of 2025 against MIA: 55 of 61 snaps, 25 of 32 passes for 309 yards, 4 touchdowns and 0 interceptions, 2 carries for 6 yards, 29.0 PPR points.

How Week 1 went

Joe Burrow scored 15.2 PPR points and Drake Maye scored 12.8.

The call was right: Joe Burrow outscored Drake Maye by 2.3.

Joe Burrow, Week 1 against TB: 64 of 64 snaps, 25 of 35 passes for 254 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception, 5 carries for 20 yards, 15.2 PPR points.

Joe Burrow finished as the week's QB20 in PPR scoring.

Drake Maye finished 10.2 points above the 2.6 the props implied.

Drake Maye, Week 1 against SEA: 71 of 71 snaps, 23 of 33 passes for 178 yards, 1 touchdown and 3 interceptions, 7 carries for 47 yards, 12.8 PPR points.

Drake Maye finished as the week's QB23 in PPR scoring.

Their other Week 1 calls

• Start Dak Prescott over Drake Maye.
• Start Drake Maye over Josh Allen.
• Start Lamar Jackson over Drake Maye.
• Start Dak Prescott over Joe Burrow.
• Start Jalen Hurts over Joe Burrow.
• Start Joe Burrow over Jayden Daniels.