Start Lamar Jackson or Jayden Daniels? Week 1

Our Week 1 call

Start Lamar Jackson over Jayden Daniels in Week 1.

De-vigged player props project Lamar Jackson at 12.8 points and Jayden Daniels at 7.9, a gap of 4.9. Drafters take Lamar Jackson at ADP 58 and Jayden Daniels at 83. Market coverage on Lamar Jackson is 65 percent of what his position needs, so the market side of this carries proportionally less weight.

What the books imply

Player prop markets imply 12.8 fantasy points for Lamar Jackson, with 65 percent of the markets a QB needs posted.

Player prop markets imply 7.9 fantasy points for Jayden Daniels, with 45 percent of the markets a QB needs posted.

That puts Lamar Jackson 4.9 points ahead of Jayden Daniels on the books.

Week 1 matchups

Lamar Jackson and BAL visit IND on Sunday at 1:00 PM ET.

IND allowed 25.0 fantasy points to QBs in its one game this season, the 7th most in the league.

Quarterbacks threw for 324 yards and a touchdown against IND, with no interceptions.

Jayden Daniels and WAS visit PHI on Sunday at 4:25 PM ET.

PHI allowed 17.7 fantasy points to QBs in its one game this season, the 14th most in the league.

Quarterbacks threw for 164 yards and 2 touchdowns against PHI, with no interceptions.

By points allowed to the position, Lamar Jackson has the softer matchup.

Injury status

Lamar Jackson was not on the injury report when the call was made.

Jayden Daniels was not on the injury report when the call was made.

Their 2025 seasons

In 2025, Lamar Jackson played 13 games for BAL and scored 221.9 PPR points, 17.1 a game, finishing QB20.

He completed 192 of 302 passes for 2549 yards, 21 touchdowns and 7 interceptions, and ran 67 times for 349 yards and 2 touchdowns.

He was on the field for 92 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

Lamar Jackson, Week 18 of 2025 against PIT: 11 of 18 passes for 238 yards, 3 touchdowns and 1 interception, 4 carries for 9 yards, 21.4 PPR points.

Lamar Jackson, Week 16 of 2025 against NE: 26 of 55 snaps, 7 of 10 passes for 101 yards, 0 touchdowns and 0 interceptions, 2 carries for 7 yards, 4.7 PPR points.

Lamar Jackson, Week 15 of 2025 against CIN: 36 of 41 snaps, 8 of 12 passes for 150 yards, 2 touchdowns and 1 interception, 2 carries for 26 yards, 15.6 PPR points.

In 2025, Jayden Daniels played 7 games for WAS and scored 117.3 PPR points, 16.8 a game, finishing QB34.

He completed 114 of 188 passes for 1262 yards, 8 touchdowns and 3 interceptions, and ran 58 times for 278 yards and 2 touchdowns.

He was on the field for 91 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

How Week 1 went

Lamar Jackson scored 25.0 PPR points and Jayden Daniels scored 17.7.

The call was right: Lamar Jackson outscored Jayden Daniels by 7.3.

Lamar Jackson finished 12.1 points above the 12.8 the props implied.

Lamar Jackson, Week 1 against IND: 68 of 68 snaps, 17 of 25 passes for 324 yards, 1 touchdown and 0 interceptions, 7 carries for 40 yards, 25.0 PPR points.

Lamar Jackson finished as the week's QB7 in PPR scoring.

Jayden Daniels finished 9.7 points above the 7.9 the props implied.

Jayden Daniels, Week 1 against PHI: 70 of 70 snaps, 18 of 34 passes for 164 yards, 2 touchdowns and 0 interceptions, 5 carries for 31 yards, 17.7 PPR points.

Jayden Daniels finished as the week's QB14 in PPR scoring.

Their other Week 1 calls

• Start Lamar Jackson over Dak Prescott.
• Start Lamar Jackson over Drake Maye.
• Start Lamar Jackson over Jalen Hurts.
• Start Brock Purdy over Jayden Daniels.
• Start Caleb Williams over Jayden Daniels.
• Start Dak Prescott over Jayden Daniels.