Updated Fantasy Football QB Rankings Week 1 2024: Who to start, best sleepers, injury updates

The evolution of the quarterback position in the NFL has led to much more excitement and twists and turns in fantasy football over the last several years. For the longest times, you either had to reach earlier than you'd want to for a stud QB or just wait until the latter half of the draft to grab one. When the pocket passer reigned supreme in the NFL, aside from the very upper echelon, the next group of quarterbacks were all very similar, and there weren't many differentiating factors. 

But as quarterbacks with rushing upside became more and more prevalent, drafting habits also changed. Because of the added benefit of rushing yards an rushing touchdowns, the running quarterback was often labeled as a "cheat-code" for fantasy football. If you look at these Week 1 rankings, four of the top-5 quarterbacks have significant rushing upside, and the odd man out is Patrick Mahomes, who has shown he can take off on his own when he has to. If you expand it to the top-10, there are six quarterbacks with significant rushing upside. 

On top of the emergence of more rushing quarterbacks, offenses have just become much more pass-heavy in general (unless you're Arthur Smith). That added volume has given the pocket passers a higher ceiling, so it's no longer cut and dry when it comes to drafting quarterbacks. It's no longer draft one early or draft one late. It's become a multiple choice question, which is always more fun and gives you plenty of options if you do miss out on one of your top targets. 

WEEK 1 FANTASY PPR RANKINGS:
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Remember, the rankings below are for Week 1 ONLY. If you still have drafts coming up before the season kicks off, remember to check out all of our Ultimate Cheat Sheet, which includes rankings, positional tiers, sleepers, busts, injury updates, and much more!

Who are the best fantasy QBs for Week 1?

Josh Allen was our top-ranked QB in our season-long draft rankings, so it's not much of a surprise that he comes in at No. 1 in our rankings for Week 1 as well. Buffalo will be hosting the Arizona Cardinals for their opener, and while there are plenty of new faces in the wide receiver room, Allen should be poised for yet another big game. Expect tight end Dalton Kincaid to be one of his primary receiving targets.

The Eagles and Packers will be playing on Friday night in Brazil, but we expect the offensive firepower from both teams to make the long trip. Between his legs and his arm, Hurts should be putting up points week in and week out, but the Packers' offense hit a new gear towards the end of last season, and they could take another step this year. Perhaps the biggest question for Hurts is whether the addition of Saquon Barkley and the departure of Jason Kelce lead to less "Tush Push" touchdowns. 

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Patrick Mahomes is widely considered the best player in the NFL, but he's not always the best player for fantasy football. In fact, he finished as the QB8 last season in fantasy points scored. He was No. 1 in 2022, and we think it's more likely he comes closer to that finish than a repeat of 2023. His arsenal of weapons is much-improved this year. He still has Travis Kelce and Rashee Rice (who appears to have likely avoided a suspension for off-the-field conduct, at least for this season), the team drafted speed demon Xavier Worthy and added Hollywood Brown, giving him a much more talented pair of deep threats than he used to having. Brown will miss Week 1, but we still like Mahomes' chances of kicking off the season in a major way. 

Who are the best fantasy QB waiver pickups Week 1?

If you ended up waiting too long in your draft and aren't happy with your quarterback situation, it's never too early to start monitoring the waiver wire. While there likely aren't many quarterbacks on the waiver wire right now who will make a major impact, there are some who could be difference-makers later in the year, or whenever a major injury pops up with a starter. 

Jacoby Brissett was named the starting QB for the Patriots, but you'll be hard-pressed to find anyone recommended you draft or play him. Instead, it's rookie Drake Maye who's getting the attention and rightfully so. The Patriots aren't equipped to be a realistic contender this year, so starting off with Brissett makes a lot of sense from a real-life perspective. This way they can make sure the offensive line is performing well enough to protect their first-round draft pick and give the new receiving corps some time to get its sea legs. Then they can pick a soft spot in the schedule to let May make his debut. The offense will likely struggle all season, even with Maye, but it's Maye's rushing upside and athletic ability that make him someone worthy of a roster stash. 

WEEK 1 DFS LINEUP STRATEGY
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Jameis Winston is another wide receiver to think about. Deshaun Watson just hasn't looked like the same player he was with the Texans since he joined the Browns. His ludicrous contract aside, despite having talented receiving options in Amari Cooper, David Njoku, and now Jerry Jeudy, Watson can't seem to get into much of a groove. He recently was dealing with arm soreness, causing him to miss the preseason finale. And there was also a report that he was having a hard time emotionally dealing with the fact he had a starting-caliber backup behind him. This may all end up being much ado about nothing, but there are enough red flags here to think about stashing Winston.

Justin Fields is one more name to consider, and this one all comes down to rushing talent. The offensive line in Pittsburgh should be better than last year, but how much better? It's his first year in a new system. Other than George Pickens, there aren't many notable weapons in the passing game. Arthur Smith is running the offense and we saw what he did to the fantasy values of Drake London, Kyle Pitts, and Bijan Robinson. These are all negatives. But Justin Fields also ran for 1,143 yards in his rookie season and still compiled 657 yards in what was considered a disappointing season. Russell Wilson begins the season as the Steelers' QB1, but it wouldn't be a surprise if he struggles and they decide to see what they have with Fields sooner rather than later. 

Who are the best fantasy QB sleepers Week 1?

One quarterback that is going overlooked this year is Bryce Young. It's easy to understand as he had a dreadful rookie season. But the entire team was dreadful last season. Dave Canales enters as the new coach, and he's even been referred to as the QB whisperer as he is often credited with the renaissances of Geno Smith and Baker Mayfield. While those were reclamation projects, Bryce Young is only entering his sophomore season after being selected No. 1 overall in 2023. The Panthers also brought in Diontae Johnson who should really bolster the passing game. Adam Thielen remains, and they also drafted Xavier Leggette. Don't expect Young to have a monster game, but we think there's more upside here than many think. 

WEEK 1 START 'EM AND SIT 'EM
Ravens at Chiefs | Sunday Main Slate

What are the biggest QB injuries Week 1?

There are a few notable names that are dealing with some lingering issues, but the starting QBs for Week 1 appear to be set. Justin Herbert has been dealing with plantar fasciitis since the end of July but is expected to play in Week 1. Kirk Cousins is making his return from a torn Achilles, but he's also expected to play. 

Notable changes in Week 1 Quarterback rankings

The big change following the release of inactives was the mergence of Justin Fields. With Russell Wilson dealing with a late-week calf injury, the dynamic Fields will get the nod. While Fields' value as a real-life NFL QB is up for debate, there's no denying he can be a fantasy stud on any given week given his rushing upside. On a new team, and getting the nod on such short notice, we're still tempering expectations, but we do have him ranked as QB24, which is seven spots higher than we had Wilson. 

Jared Goff, Baker Mayfield, and Matthew Stafford also tick up a spot or two. This is just based on even more confidence those particular offenses will see success in Week 1.  

Fantasy QB Rankings Week 1: Who to start, sit at quarterback

These rankings are based on four-point passing TD scoring and were updated on Sept. 8 following inactives. Players who have already played are in italics.