Week 1 Fantasy QB Rankings

Billy Heyen

Week 1 Fantasy QB Rankings image

Fantasy football owners have all been waiting for the day that they can hit 'submit lineup' and get Week 1 underway. Well, it's that time again, and it all starts with the quarterback slot on your roster. Maybe you employed the wait-on-QB strategy and took someone in the mid tier of the rankings; maybe you decided to go for broke and take Patrick Mahomes II in an early round. Either way, as Week 1 approaches, it's tempting to get cute and make some interesting choices with start 'em, sit 'em decisions.

For the most part, we'd advise against that. You drafted your starting quarterback for a reason. There's no sitting guys like Mahomes (@ Jacksonville) or Baker Mayfield (vs. Tennessee). There are a few tough choices coming for you, though, especially if you drafted Aaron Rodgers (@ Chicago) ahead of his road meeting to open the NFL season at Soldier Field. Or maybe you snagged Kyler Murray (vs. Detroit) early in draft season and are looking to take advantage of a tantalizing opener for the most recent No. 1 overall pick.

Week 1 Non-PPR Rankings:
Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker

There are also potential shootouts this week, like Tampa Bay against San Francisco, that probably bode well for both quarterbacks. As tempting as it can be to play Jameis Winston or Jimmy Garoppolo, odds are you have a higher-floor QB on your team. You'll be more angry with yourself if you sit your stud and he goes off than if you sit your backup and he does. 

Whatever you do, be sure to sit back and enjoy the games on Sunday. Like it or not, you're very well stuck with the quarterback you drafted for much of the fantasy season. You might as well get invested and enjoy the return of football.

Week 1 DFS Lineups:
FD Cash | DK Cash | FD GPP | DK GPP | Y! GPP | Y! Cash

Reminder: These rankings will be adjusted throughout week, so check back often for the latest updates and analysis! 

WEEK 1 PPR RANKINGS: Running back |  Wide receiver | Tight end

LISTEN TO THE SN FANTASY WEEK 1 PREVIEW PODCAST BELOW

Week 1 Fantasy QB Rankings

These rankings are for standard leagues with 4-point passing TDs.

1 Patrick Mahomes II, KC @ JAX.  The Jaguars were fantasy's No. 1 defense in 2017 on the back of sacks and takeaways, but they came crashing down to earth in 2018. Even on the road to open the season, there shouldn't be any worries about Mahomes' production.
2 Deshaun Watson, HOU @ NO.  As the Texans look to find a replacement for Lamar Miller they're confident in, Watson should air it out a ton. A Monday night road game in the Superdome should lead to lots of points and each team fighting to keep up with the other. Watson should have a huge opener.
3 Russell Wilson, SEA vs. CIN.  Cincinnati allowed the most passing yards in 2018. Doug Baldwin's retirement leaves some doubting Wilson, but not us. He still has Tyler Lockett, who he had a perfect passer rating when throwing to last season. And Wilson has always made good things happen despite underwhelming pass catchers. This is the perfect matchup to prove Baldwin's absence doesn't mean much.
4 Kirk Cousins, MIN vs. ATL.  Atlanta allowed the sixth-most passing yards in football in 2018, and frankly, nothing has changed. Cousins should get plenty of opportunity to throw to Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs to light up the Falcons' defense. Minnesota wants to become a team centered around Dalvin Cook in 2019, but for one week, Cousins should shine.
5 Baker Mayfield, CLE vs TEN.  The only Week 1 fear with Mayfield and the Browns is that they get an early lead and run more than usual. Mayfield seems like the type who will want to make a statement with new WR Odell Beckham Jr., though. You should be able to count on a few early TDs in a game that Cleveland should control from start to finish.
6 Jared Goff, LAR @ CAR.  The Rams have probably the best trio of wide receivers in football, so each week, Goff should have a mismatch in at least one spot on the field. Considering the Panthers' aging defense isn't likely to slow too many offenses down this season, Goff is a great Week 1 start.
7 Carson Wentz, PHI vs. WAS.  Washington was in the bottom half of the NFL in yards allowed per pass attempt in 2018. Two of Wentz's best targets are Alshon Jeffery and DeSean Jackson, who should find their way behind the Redskins defense a few times. A couple big plays will be all it takes to start Wentz's season off right.
8 Kyler Murray, ARZ vs. DET.  This is exactly the type of matchup that'll allow Murray to open his NFL career at home and look like a star. The Lions don't pose an intimidating pass rush or secondary, so Kliff Kingsbury's offense should get off to a good start. There might be rougher waters ahead for the 2019 No. 1 overall pick, but for at least a week, Murray will look like a future star.
9 Drew Brees, NO vs. HOU.  Brees was mightily inconsistent last year, but Monday Night Football in the Superdome to open the season provides him the stage to get off on the right foot. Houston's defense does cause some worry, though, as J.J. Watt and company can cause problems for even the best of passers.
10 Matt Ryan, ATL @ MIN.  Minnesota had the third-best pass defense (by yards) in football in 2018. It's not a great opening matchup for Ryan, but he has an improved Calvin Ridley and superstar Julio Jones to ensure that doesn't matter all that much.
 

TEAMRANKINGS WEEK 1 NFL POOL ADVICE:
General strategy | Pick 'em picks | Survivor tipsFREE Trial

11 Philip Rivers, LAC vs. IND.  The Chargers will inevitably get slept on in the early going and then prove to be an AFC contender by the second half. Expect Rivers and co. to get off to a fast start against an Indy team still reeling from Andrew Luck's retirement. 
12 Tom Brady, NE vs. PIT.  As long as Josh Gordon is around, Brady will have better week-to-week upside than without the former Baylor wideout. But the Steelers bring a solid defense to town, and New England should rely on its running game, so Brady's more of a "safe, high-floor" than a big upside play, like Jameis Winston.
13 Aaron Rodgers, GB @ CHI.  Chicago was our No. 1 preseason defense, with Khalil Mack and co. presenting a fearsome test for any quarterback. Rodgers isn't just any QB, though, and he'll have a pretty full stable of weapons around him to combat the Bears. There can be a tendency to overthink playing stud QBs against top defenses, but in Week 1, don't overthink it with Rodgers. 
14 Jameis Winston, TB vs. SF.  Winston is interception prone, but the 49ers intercepted a league-worst two passes in 2018. That's the type of statistic that should trend upward in 2019, but there's obviously not a ball-hawking secondary in San Francisco. Expect a few more of Winston's risky, down-field throws to pay off than normal, leading to a solid start to the season.
15 Josh Allen, BUF @ NYJ.  Neither of these defenses are anything to write home about, so expect Josh Allen and Sam Darnold to play a shootout that could foreshadow the future of the AFC East. Allen showed even in the preseason that rushing should be a part of his game in 2019, so in two-QB or superflex leagues, start Allen with confidence.
16 Ben Roethlisberger, PIT @ NE.  Antonio Brown's departure shouldn't change the sheer amount of times Roethlisberger will need to throw for Pittsburgh to keep up its winning ways. While there might be a few growing pains working through his newer receiving options and Sunday night in Foxboro isn't super appealing, Roethlisberger is worthy of a Week 1 start in a game that could turn into a back-and-forth between two future Hall of Famers.
17 Dak Prescott, DAL vs. NYG.  If Ezekiel Elliott isn't playing, Prescott should be asked to throw more and put up good numbers against a shaky New York secondary. With Zeke, Prescott would have less upside and be called upon as more of a game manager in Week 1.
18 Lamar Jackson, BAL @ MIA.  The Ravens hope to throw more in 2019, but that might not happen here. Against a putrid Miami team, Baltimore should take an early lead and have Jackson hand off to his tailbacks for much of the second half. There probably won't be a ton of volume accumulation in this one for Jackson.
19 Matthew Stafford, DET @ ARZ.  With new offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell in town, running will be the name of the game for Detroit. Stafford should still have success throwing to Kenny Golladay and co., but he's not likely to have a ton of big games in 2019.
20 Jimmy Garoppolo, SF @ TB.  This game could turn into a shootout where Garoppolo stars against a porous Tampa Bay defense. It could also prove that Garoppolo still has rust to shake off and that San Francisco hasn't nailed down its receiving depth chart yet. Nothing on the defensive side of the field should stop Garoppolo from having a chance at a big game, but whether he and his teammates will help that become reality is a lot less certain.
21 Mitchell Trubisky, CHI vs. GB.  It feels like there are two ways the Thursday night season opener can go: Either both offenses come out firing and combine for 70 points, or it looks like they still out of sync and it turns into a defensive struggle. Trubisky looked strong early last season in Matt Nagy's offense, so there's upside here, but it's tough to start Trubisky over most of the names ahead of him.
22 Cam Newton, CAR vs. LAR.  We'll keep an eye on Newton's health heading into Week 1 after he sprained his mid-foot in Week 3 of the preseason. On the bright side, Newton's shoulder has looked healthy in the preseason. On the down side, the Rams have one of the league's top defenses, and their Aaron Donald-led pass rush could keep Newton on the move and at risk of re-injury. Newton always has a high ceiling, but we're taking a wait-and-see approach for now.
23 Derek Carr, OAK vs. DEN.  As long as Antonio Brown hasn't done anything crazy and is lining up outside for Carr come gametime, there are plenty of reasons to think Carr will have a solid game. The Broncos' combined pass rush of Von Miller and Bradley Chubb is a bit scary, though, so don't go out of your way to start Carr.
24 Nick Foles, JAX vs KC.  If you're facing the prospect of starting Foles in a deeper league, the bright side of this matchup is that Jacksonville should be playing catch-up all game. The downside is that it's Foles and the Jaguars. Avoid if you can.
25 Jacoby Brissett, IND @ LAC.  There will be a lot of pressure on Brissett's shoulders in his first start since Andrew Luck's retirement. You can talk yourself into Brissett as a season-long sleeper, but against the Chargers' defense, it might be wise to put that belief on hold. Brissett could have trouble getting anything going down the field against the dynamic pass rush of Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram.
26 Joe Flacco, DEN @ OAK.  The Raiders generated nearly no pass rush in 2018, averaging fewer than a sack per game. Flacco should have plenty of time to throw, and with Emmanuel Sanders looking healthy, his weapons aren't bad, either. Flacco could get off to a surprisingly good start in 2019, but he's still not someone you want to start in single-QB leagues.
27 Sam Darnold, NYJ vs. BUF.  Super Sam has looked great in the preseason, and the Bills' defense won't leave anyone worried for Week 1. He has a solid deep threat in Robby Anderson (though he's banged up) and a good slot target in Jamison Crowder. Darnold could be limited by Le'Veon Bell's workload on the ground, but if nothing else, Darnold should start the season efficiently and effectively.
28 Marcus Mariota, TEN @ CLE.  The Titans offense, so hesitant to let Mariota throw frequently, should have to play catch-up in Cleveland. Week 1 could see one of Mariota's highest pass-attempt totals in 2019, although the Browns' pass rush looks too dangerous to utilize Mariota against, anyway.
29 Eli Manning, NYG @ DAL.
30 Case Keenum, WAS @ PHI.
31 Andy Dalton, CIN @ SEA.  In Seattle for the season opener with no A.J. Green? No thanks.
32 Ryan Fitzpatrick, MIA vs. BAL.

Billy Heyen