Start Brenton Strange over Darren Waller — Week 1 Start/Sit Verdict

Start Strange — the consensus rank and snap share edges are too wide to ignore.

Brenton Strange is the higher consensus play (TE21 to TE26) and plays a 75% snap share to Waller's 47%. Waller's edge is the matchup, 13 of 32 to 9. The gap is comfortable.

Brenton Strange

TE21JAXvs CLE

4.96.58.1 Projected Points

Toss-Up

Darren Waller

TE26CARvs CHI

4.65.87.1 Projected Points

Sit

Why Brenton Strange

Toss-Up

Starting TE and ascending pass-catcher. Athletic seam target with adequate in-line blocking.

Toss-up — TE21 by consensus and projection: CLE is the 9th-toughest matchup vs TEs, 24.0 implied team total.

CLE ranks 9 of 32 against TEs (one of the tougher matchups, 17-game sample).
Vegas implies 24.0 team points as 7.5-point favorites.
Listed TE on the latest depth chart with a 75% snap share in 2025.

Why Darren Waller

Sit

Sit — TE26 consensus, projects TE25 this week: 16% target share in 2025, 7.1 PPR projected vs CHI.

CHI ranks 13 of 32 against TEs (a middle-of-the-road matchup, 17-game sample).
Vegas implies 21.0 team points as 2.5-point underdogs.
Listed TE on the latest depth chart with a 47% snap share in 2025.

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Reported by the sources listed — not independently verified.

Head-to-head stats

Metric	Brenton Strange	Darren Waller
Projected points	4.96.58.1	4.65.87.1
Consensus rank	TE21	TE26
Opponent vs position	CLE · 9 of 3217-game sample	CHI · 13 of 3217-game sample
Receptions	10 of 32	20 of 32
Receiving Yards	15 of 32	13 of 32
Receiving TDs	1 of 32	9 of 32
Targets	13 of 32	16 of 32
Anytime TD	5 of 32	9 of 32
Target share	16%(2025)	16%(2025)
Reception share	19%(2025)	16%(2025)
Implied total · spread	24.0-7.5	21.0+2.5
Depth chart	TE1	TE3
Snap share	75%(2025)	47%(2025)