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The Last Dance: 5 Shocking 'Love' And 'Hate' Picks From Matthew Berry's Final Week 1 Column (2025)

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The "Week 1 Love/Hate" column is a fantasy football institution, a tradition that has dictated millions of lineup decisions for over two decades. This segment, created and perfected by the legendary Matthew Berry, is the definitive start-of-season analysis, offering bold, often contrarian, picks for players you should start (Love) or bench (Hate) regardless of their traditional ranking.

The 2025 NFL Season's Week 1 Love/Hate column, published in early September 2025, carried an unprecedented weight: it was Matthew Berry’s final written "Love/Hate" column *ever*. This makes the analysis for the opening week of the season a historical document for fantasy managers, providing the last comprehensive written breakdown from "The Talented Mr. Roto" before the segment transitioned exclusively to his *Fantasy Football Happy Hour* podcast. The final list was packed with controversial calls, from an unexpected quarterback "Love" to a high-profile running back "Hate."

The Final Written Love/Hate: Matthew Berry's Legacy Analysis

Matthew Berry, often known as "The Talented Mr. Roto," is one of the most influential figures in the history of fantasy sports. His career spans over 25 years, during which his "Love/Hate" column became a weekly ritual for millions of fantasy football players.

  • Full Name: Matthew Berry
  • Primary Role: Fantasy Sports Analyst, Author, Podcaster
  • Primary Outlet (2025): NBC Sports, Fantasy Life, DraftKings
  • Signature Segment: "Love/Hate" column/podcast
  • Career Highlights: Creator of the "Love/Hate" column, Former ESPN Senior Fantasy Analyst, New York Times best-selling author.
  • Key 2025 Event: Announced the retirement of the weekly written "Love/Hate" column after Week 1 of the 2025 NFL season.
  • Current Status: Continues "Love/Hate" analysis weekly on the *Fantasy Football Happy Hour* podcast.

The final written column was a culmination of Berry's analytical style, blending statistical deep-dives with gut feelings and matchup exploitation. The Week 1 list was focused on players whose Average Draft Position (ADP) didn't reflect their true potential in the opening week's matchups.

The 'Love' List: Why These Players Were Must-Starts

The "Love" list for Week 1 of the 2025 season centered on players with high floors, favorable matchups, or a significant change in circumstance that the general fantasy public was slow to recognize. These were the players Berry believed would massively outperform their expert consensus rankings (ECR).

1. Justin Fields (Quarterback, New York Jets)

The biggest quarterback "Love" of the week was Justin Fields, who entered the 2025 season as the clear QB1 for the New York Jets.

  • The Rationale: Berry’s argument was built on Fields' incredible rushing floor. Fields has a career average of approximately 55 rushing yards per game, a number that provides a massive safety net in fantasy scoring.
  • The Context: Despite the Jets facing a potentially tough defense, the combination of Fields' consistent top-10 fantasy points per game (PPG) when starting, coupled with finally having competent coaching and a stable environment, made him a "Love" over several higher-ranked pocket passers.

2. Drake London (Wide Receiver, Atlanta Falcons)

Drake London was a headline "Love" pick, a perennial breakout candidate whose potential was finally expected to be unlocked in the 2025 season.

  • The Rationale: The "Love" designation was heavily predicated on the Atlanta Falcons' quarterback situation. With a definitive QB upgrade in the offseason, London was projected to see a massive spike in targets and efficiency, making him a WR1 in Week 1.
  • Topical Authority: London was being drafted as a fringe WR2, but Berry's analysis pushed him into the conversation of a top-10 wide receiver for the opening week, capitalizing on the optimism surrounding the new-look Falcons offense.

3. Christian McCaffrey (Running Back, San Francisco 49ers)

While McCaffrey is a consensus top-three pick, Berry’s "Love" for him in Week 1 was an endorsement of his value in 2025 drafts.

  • The Rationale: Berry argued that despite lingering injury concerns that caused a slight dip in his Average Draft Position (ADP) to the late first round, McCaffrey remained an "incredible value" who should be treated as the RB1.
  • The Matchup Edge: The Week 1 matchup, while not explicitly detailed, was seen as one where the 49ers would lean heavily on their star running back, ensuring his typical massive workload in both the running and passing games.

The 'Hate' List: Controversial Calls and Matchup Nightmares

The "Hate" list is often where Berry’s most controversial and valuable calls reside. These are players who are typically started in most fantasy leagues but face a specific Week 1 hurdle that makes them a high-risk play. The 2025 list was no exception, featuring high-profile names facing brutal matchups or new team adjustments.

1. Aaron Rodgers (Quarterback, New York Jets)

Though not explicitly detailed in the final column snippets, the prevailing sentiment and early season analysis suggested a "Hate" for the veteran quarterback.

  • The Rationale: The primary argument against Rodgers was twofold: a likely tough defensive matchup for the Jets in Week 1 and the general rust or adjustment period for a quarterback returning from a major injury and settling into a new offensive scheme.
  • The Contrast: The "Hate" for Rodgers stood in stark contrast to the "Love" for his teammate, Justin Fields, highlighting Berry’s belief that Fields' rushing floor provided a safer and higher fantasy ceiling for the opening week.

2. James Cook (Running Back, Buffalo Bills)

James Cook was a headline player on the "Hate" list, despite being a high-volume running back for the Bills.

  • The Rationale: This "Hate" was likely a combination of a potentially difficult Week 1 opponent defense and concerns over his workload. The Bills' offense is notoriously pass-heavy, and any sign of a committee approach or a defensive matchup that forces the Bills to air it out would significantly cap Cook's fantasy upside.
  • LSI Keywords: Running Back Committee, Volume Concerns, Matchup Analysis.

3. Cooper Kupp (Wide Receiver, Los Angeles Rams)

The veteran wide receiver was another high-profile "Hate" pick, driven by the uncertainty surrounding his health and the Rams' offensive outlook.

  • The Rationale: Kupp's "Hate" was a cautionary tale about veterans with recent injury histories. Fantasy managers tend to overvalue past performance, but Berry’s analysis likely pointed to a limited snap count, a tough Week 1 cornerback matchup, or general concerns about his ability to handle a full workload coming out of the offseason.

The End of an Era: Why the Column Ended

The decision to end the written "Love/Hate" column after 25 years was a major piece of news in the fantasy sports world. Matthew Berry stated that it was simply time for a change, a "last dance" for the column format.

While the written column has ceased, the analysis itself continues every Thursday on the *Fantasy Football Happy Hour* podcast, ensuring that the spirit of the "Love/Hate" segment lives on for the 2025 season and beyond. This transition reflects the broader shift in sports media from long-form text to on-demand audio and video content.

The final Week 1 column serves as a powerful reminder of Berry’s impact. It was a list that challenged conventional wisdom, elevated deep sleepers, and warned managers off of overhyped stars—the perfect capstone to a two-decade-long tradition that defined the strategy for the opening week of the NFL season.

Topical Authority & Key Entities from the Final Week 1 Love/Hate

To provide full topical authority on this historic segment, here is a breakdown of the key players and concepts that dominated the final written "Week 1 Love/Hate" analysis:

  • Analyst: Matthew Berry (TMR)
  • Media Outlets: NBC Sports, Fantasy Life, DraftKings, ESPN (Former)
  • Quarterbacks Loved: Justin Fields (Jets), Baker Mayfield (Buccaneers)
  • Quarterbacks Hated: Aaron Rodgers (Jets), Jayden Daniels (Commanders)
  • Running Backs Loved: Christian McCaffrey (49ers), Ashton Jeanty (RB Sleeper)
  • Running Backs Hated: James Cook (Bills)
  • Wide Receivers Loved: Drake London (Falcons), Nico Collins (Texans)
  • Wide Receivers Hated: Cooper Kupp (Rams), Brandon Aiyuk (49ers - due to injury/contract uncertainty)
  • Key Concepts: Rushing Floor, Matchup Analysis, Average Draft Position (ADP), Expert Consensus Ranking (ECR), Start/Sit Decisions, Fantasy Football Happy Hour.

The final Week 1 "Love/Hate" column was more than just fantasy advice; it was a tribute to a segment that taught a generation of managers how to think critically about their lineups, cementing Matthew Berry's legacy as the ultimate guide to the unpredictable world of fantasy football.

The Last Dance: 5 Shocking 'Love' and 'Hate' Picks from Matthew Berry's Final Week 1 Column (2025)
week 1 love hate
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