Week 1 of the 2025 NFL season is finally here and opening weekend will continue on Sunday with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers visiting the Atlanta Falcons for an NFC South showdown at 1 p.m. ET on FOX.
Michael Penix Jr. start or sit: Week 1 fantasy football advice
We break down the fantasy football outlook of Michael Penix Jr. ahead of the Falcons’ Week 1 opener against the Bucs.
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The Falcons are coming off a 8-9 campaign in 2024 and head into the new season looking to end a seven-year playoff drought. Some experts have pegged the team as a possible NFC darkhorse and that is partly based on a potential breakout season for second-year QB Michael Penix Jr. He enters the year with an ADP (average draft position) of 24 according to FantasyPros, so managers in most leagues opted to select him as a late-round backup.
Below, we’ll go over Penix’s outlook in fantasy football for Week 1.
Fantasy Football analysis: Falcons QB Michael Penix Jr.
Penix spent a a bulk of his rookie season sitting behind veteran Kirk Cousins before the Falcons finally tabbed him as the starter for the final three games of the regular season. The 2024 first-round pick out of Washington didn’t necessarily light the world on fire in those late-season starts, but did flash his potential, completing 58% of his passes for 737 yards with three passing touchdowns, three interceptions, and an additional score on the ground.
Since then, the Falcons have committed to the upstart QB as their full-time starter and he has now had an entire offseason to prep. Weapons like Bijan Robinson and Drake London creates the potential for the Atlanta offense to be dangerous this season and some even believe that former No. 4 overall pick Kyle Pitts can finally live up to expectations with Penix as his QB.
Start or sit in Week 1 standard leagues?
Sit. There are legitimate reasons to be excited about Penix’s potential in Year 2 as he could very well establish himself as one of the NFC’s rising star QB’s by the end of the season. However, fantasy managers drafted him late for a reason and most likely have a more proven commodity ahead of him on their rosters. I’d wait and see how he performs for the first few weeks before giving him a shot as a starter.
