Start George Pickens or Rashee Rice? Week 1

Our Week 1 call

Start George Pickens over Rashee Rice in Week 1.

De-vigged player props project George Pickens at 12.2 points and Rashee Rice at 2.9, a gap of 9.3. Drafters take George Pickens at ADP 24 and Rashee Rice at 17. Market coverage on George Pickens is 70 percent of what his position needs, so the market side of this carries proportionally less weight.

What the books imply

Player prop markets imply 2.9 fantasy points for Rashee Rice, with 33 percent of the markets a WR needs posted.

Player prop markets imply 12.2 fantasy points for George Pickens, with 70 percent of the markets a WR needs posted.

That puts George Pickens 9.3 points ahead of Rashee Rice on the books.

Week 1 matchups

Rashee Rice and KC host DEN on Monday at 8:15 PM ET.

DEN allowed 14.7 fantasy points to WRs in its one game this season, the 3rd fewest in the league.

Receivers caught passes for 37 yards and a touchdown against DEN.

George Pickens and DAL visit NYG on Sunday at 8:20 PM ET.

NYG allowed 29.2 fantasy points to WRs in its one game this season, the 15th most in the league.

Receivers caught passes for 112 yards and a touchdown against NYG.

By points allowed to the position, George Pickens has the softer matchup.

Injury status

Rashee Rice was not on the injury report when the call was made.

George Pickens was not on the injury report when the call was made.

Their 2025 seasons

In 2025, Rashee Rice played 8 games for KC and scored 150.1 PPR points, 18.8 a game, finishing WR40.

He caught 53 of 78 targets for 571 yards and 5 touchdowns, with 18 red zone targets and 157 air yards.

He was on the field for 73 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

Rashee Rice, Week 15 of 2025 against LAC: 52 of 61 snaps, 11 targets and 7 catches for 51 yards, 12.1 PPR points.

In 2025, George Pickens played 17 games for DAL and scored 291.9 PPR points, 17.2 a game, finishing WR5.

He caught 93 of 137 targets for 1429 yards and 9 touchdowns, with 21 red zone targets and 950 air yards.

He was on the field for 83 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

George Pickens, Week 18 of 2025 against NYG: 3 targets and 1 catch for 9 yards, 1.9 PPR points.

George Pickens, Week 17 of 2025 against WAS: 80 of 92 snaps, 5 targets and 4 catches for 78 yards, 11.8 PPR points.

George Pickens, Week 16 of 2025 against LAC: 51 of 58 snaps, 9 targets and 7 catches for 130 yards, 1 touchdown, 26.0 PPR points.

How Week 1 went

George Pickens scored 5.8 PPR points and Rashee Rice scored 9.9.

The call was wrong: Rashee Rice outscored George Pickens by 4.1.

George Pickens finished 6.4 points below the 12.2 the props implied.

George Pickens, Week 1 against NYG: 49 of 58 snaps, 6 targets and 3 catches for 28 yards, 5.8 PPR points.

George Pickens finished as the week's WR63 in PPR scoring.

Rashee Rice finished 7.0 points above the 2.9 the props implied.

Rashee Rice, Week 1 against DEN: 57 of 69 snaps, 2 targets and 2 catches for 19 yards, 1 touchdown, 9.9 PPR points.

Rashee Rice finished as the week's WR36 in PPR scoring.

Their other Week 1 calls

• Start A.J. Brown over Rashee Rice.
• Start CeeDee Lamb over Rashee Rice.
• Start Rashee Rice over Chris Olave.
• Start George Pickens over A.J. Brown.
• Start George Pickens over Chris Olave.
• Start George Pickens over DeVonta Smith.