Start Juwan Johnson or Jake Ferguson? Week 1

Our Week 1 call

Start Jake Ferguson over Juwan Johnson in Week 1.

Juwan Johnson is priced by the books at 4.3 projected points and Jake Ferguson is not priced at all, so we are leaning on where drafters take them. Drafters take Jake Ferguson at ADP 148 and Juwan Johnson at 161.

What the books imply

No sportsbook posted a player market for Jake Ferguson in Week 1.

Player prop markets imply 4.3 fantasy points for Juwan Johnson, with 40 percent of the markets a TE needs posted.

Week 1 matchups

Jake Ferguson and DAL visit NYG.

NYG allowed 8.2 fantasy points to TEs in its one game this season, the 9th fewest in the league.

Tight ends caught passes for 32 yards and no touchdowns against NYG.

Juwan Johnson and NO visit DET on Sunday at 1:00 PM ET.

DET allowed 27.7 fantasy points to TEs in its one game this season, the 2nd most in the league.

Tight ends caught passes for 87 yards and 2 touchdowns against DET.

By points allowed to the position, Juwan Johnson has the softer matchup.

Injury status

Jake Ferguson was not on the injury report when the call was made.

Juwan Johnson was not on the injury report when the call was made.

Their 2025 seasons

In 2025, Jake Ferguson played 17 games for DAL and scored 188.1 PPR points, 11.1 a game, finishing TE5.

He caught 82 of 102 targets for 600 yards and 8 touchdowns, with 23 red zone targets and 293 air yards.

He was on the field for 67 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

Jake Ferguson, Week 18 of 2025 against NYG: 2 targets and 1 catch for 5 yards, 1.5 PPR points.

Jake Ferguson, Week 17 of 2025 against WAS: 27 of 92 snaps, 2 targets and 1 catch for 6 yards, 1 touchdown, 7.6 PPR points.

Jake Ferguson, Week 16 of 2025 against LAC: 40 of 58 snaps, 4 targets and 3 catches for 19 yards, 4.9 PPR points.

In 2025, Juwan Johnson played 17 games for NO and scored 179.9 PPR points, 10.6 a game, finishing TE8.

He caught 77 of 102 targets for 889 yards and 3 touchdowns, with 8 red zone targets and 527 air yards.

He was on the field for 76 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

Juwan Johnson, Week 18 of 2025 against ATL: 5 targets and 3 catches for 61 yards, 7.1 PPR points.

Juwan Johnson, Week 17 of 2025 against TEN: 39 of 54 snaps, 4 targets and 4 catches for 95 yards, 13.5 PPR points.

Juwan Johnson, Week 16 of 2025 against NYJ: 51 of 78 snaps, 9 targets and 8 catches for 89 yards, 16.9 PPR points.

How Week 1 went

Jake Ferguson scored 2.6 PPR points and Juwan Johnson scored 14.4.

The call was wrong: Juwan Johnson outscored Jake Ferguson by 11.8.

Jake Ferguson, Week 1 against NYG: 44 of 58 snaps, 2 targets and 2 catches for 6 yards, 2.6 PPR points.

Jake Ferguson finished as the week's TE44 in PPR scoring.

Juwan Johnson finished 10.2 points above the 4.3 the props implied.

Juwan Johnson, Week 1 against DET: 76 of 90 snaps, 7 targets and 3 catches for 54 yards, 1 touchdown, 14.4 PPR points.

Juwan Johnson finished as the week's TE7 in PPR scoring.

Their other Week 1 calls

• Start Dallas Goedert over Jake Ferguson.
• Start Dalton Kincaid over Jake Ferguson.
• Start George Kittle over Jake Ferguson.
• Start Juwan Johnson over Brenton Strange.
• Start Juwan Johnson over Dalton Kincaid.
• Start Juwan Johnson over Hunter Henry.