Fantasy Football Week 1 Rankings: Expert Tiers for Every Position This Week

NFL Week 1 fantasy football rankings are always tricky to project early in the season, so there could be quite a bit of movement before kickoff. As always, make sure to check my updated rankings and projections before making any final lineup decisions.

To assist you in making your fantasy start/sit decisions, I’ve organized my Week 1 fantasy rankings into tiers, position-by-position, allowing you to visualize the drop-off in expected production at each position more effectively.

Editor’s note: Our weekly fantasy football rankings, tiers, and expert projections are part of our 2024 fantasy football kit. Click here to get access!

Fantasy Football Rankings Week 1

Quarterback Tiers

These QB tiers were last updated on Saturday, Sept. 7, at 9:15 PM ET.

Tier 1

Josh Allen (vs. ARI)

Jalen Hurts (vs. GB)

Tier 2

Patrick Mahomes (vs. BAL)

Anthony Richardson (vs. HOU)

Tier 3

C.J. Stroud (@ IND)

Lamar Jackson (@ KC)

Tier 4

Jared Goff (vs. LAR)

Trevor Lawrence (@ MIA)

Caleb Williams (vs. TEN)

Jayden Daniels (@ TB)

Kyler Murray (@ BUF)

Joe Burrow (vs. NE)

Tua Tagovailoa (vs. JAX)

Jordan Love (@ PHI)

Matthew Stafford (@ DET)

Justin Fields (@ ATL)*

* if he gets the start

Tier 5

Baker Mayfield (vs. WAS)

Geno Smith (vs. DEN)

Deshaun Watson (vs. DAL)

Tier 6

Dak Prescott (@ CLE)

Justin Herbert (vs. LV)

Daniel Jones (vs. MIN)

Brock Purdy (vs. NYJ)

Sam Darnold (@ NYG)

Kirk Cousins (vs. PIT)

Tier 7

Will Levis (@ CHI)

Derek Carr (vs. CAR)

Aaron Rodgers (@ SF)

Tier 8

Russell Wilson (@ ATL)

Bo Nix (@ SEA)

Gardner Minshew (@ LAC)

Bryce Young (@ NO)

Jacoby Brissett (@ CIN)

Note: The blurbs below were written earlier in the week.

The QB landscape in Week 1 is relatively straightforward, aligning closely with how QBs were drafted throughout the summer.

Dak Prescott is a name that usually goes inside the top 10, but he’s facing a tough Week 1 matchup against the Browns. It doesn’t help that CeeDee Lamb just got back to practice after signing his big extension, so the chemistry may not be in mid-season form right away. Plus, Brandin Cooks has been missing practice with a knee injury. If you have Dak, you’re probably rolling with him, but we need to lower expectations for him right out of the gate.

Deshaun Watson is in the streamer mix for those who completely punted the QB position during drafts. He opens the week as my QB15, the highest among QBs available in at least 40% of Yahoo! leagues. It’s worth taking a one-week flier on him in case he flashes some of that pre-2021 form we saw with the Texans, though I’m still skeptical of the odds at this point.

I’m very curious to see how Justin Herbert looks in the Chargers’ new offense under OC Greg Roman. He’s lost four of his top pass-catching weapons from last season and will be in a more run-heavy scheme. There’s also the question of how his plantar fascia injury might impact his mobility early on. Herbert’s more of a 2QB/Superflex option heading into this year.

Sam Darnold gets a nice Week 1 draw against the Giants. He’s a QB I felt was overlooked after JJ McCarthy’s season-ending injury. Darnold should have a decent leash as the starter, and this is easily the best offensive environment he’s ever been in. At just 27 years old, he still has some sneaky rushing upside. There’s a chance he could have a 2022 Geno Smith-like breakout season.
Daniel Jones isn’t a great real-life QB, but his rushing upside gives him low-end QB1 potential in the right spots. He also has the best weapon of his career now in Malik Nabers. If he regains most of his rushing ability after his 2023 ACL tear, he could become a streaming option to monitor depending on the matchup.

Running Back Tiers

These tiers were updated Saturday night.

Tier 1

Christian McCaffrey (vs. NYJ)

Tier 2

Breece Hall (@ SF)

Bijan Robinson (vs. PIT)

Tier 3

Jonathan Taylor (vs. HOU)

Saquon Barkley (vs. GB)

Tier 4

Travis Etienne (@ MIA)

Josh Jacobs (@ PHI)

Alvin Kamara (vs. CAR)

De’Von Achane (vs. JAX)

Rachaad White (vs. WAS)

Kyren Williams (@ DET)

James Cook (vs. ARI)

Isiah Pacheco (vs. BAL)

Kenneth Walker (vs. DEN)

Jahmyr Gibbs (vs. LAR)

Tier 5

Joe Mixon (@ IND)

Derrick Henry (@ KC)

Aaron Jones (@ NYG)

David Montgomery (vs. LAR)

Tier 6

Devin Singletary (vs. MIN)

James Conner (@ BUF)

Rhamondre Stevenson (@ CIN)

Chuba Hubbard (@ NO)

D’Andre Swift (vs. TEN)

Jerome Ford (vs. DAL)

Raheem Mostert (vs. JAX)

Javonte Williams (@ SEA)

Najee Harris (@ ATL)

Tony Pollard (@ CHI)

Zack Moss (vs. NE)

Zamir White (@ LAC)

Tier 7

Brian Robinson Jr. (@ TB)

Chase Brown (vs. NE)

Austin Ekeler (@ TB)

Tyjae Spears (@ CHI)

Jaylen Warren (@ ATL)

Gus Edwards (vs. LV)

J.K. Dobbins (vs. LV)

Ezekiel Elliott (@ CLE)

Tier 8

Jaleel McLaughlin (@ SEA)

Zach Charbonnet (vs. DEN)

Ty Chandler (@ NYG)

Blake Corum (@ DET)

Antonio Gibson (@ CIN)

Tyler Allgeier (vs. PIT)

Rico Dowdle (@ CLE)

Miles Sanders (@ NO)

Jamaal Williams (vs. CAR)

Tier 9

Trey Benson (@ BUF)

Khalil Herbert (vs. TEN)

Bucky Irving (vs. WAS)

Ray Davis (vs. ARI)

Justice Hill (@ KC)

Pierre Strong Jr. (vs. DAL)

Alexander Mattison (@ LAC)

Roschon Johnson (vs. TEN)

Samaje Perine (vs. BAL)

Kimani Vidal (vs. LV)

Braelon Allen (@ SF)

Kenneth Gainwell (vs. GB)

Note: Again, the blurbs below are from earlier in the week, prior to the tiers being updated.

Sean McVay caused quite a stir last week when he mentioned Kyren Williams would be returning punts. That prompted me to tweet out my blurb from the RB Upside Ratings piece where I highlighted just how unpredictable McVay can be with his backfield. This isn’t to say Kyren will be a bust or Blake Corum will be a league-winner—the point is, we have no clue what McVay’s plan is. In these situations, I prefer drafting the cheapest option, which happens to be Corum. That said, I’m still treating Kyren as a top 10 option to open the season, with Corum outside my top 40. We should have a much better sense of how McVay will deploy his backs after this week, but even then, he’s known to change things on a dime.

Josh Jacobs moved up in my season-long ranks after AJ Dillon was placed on season-ending IR. This significantly raises his floor in terms of projected volume, especially for Week 1, with rookies MarShawn Lloyd (hamstring) and Emanuel Wilson (hip) both questionable. Jacobs should handle the majority of snaps and touches in this backfield to start the season.

De’Von Achane has been a polarizing player when it comes to projections vs. ADP. I felt he was being drafted too early—banking on historic levels of efficiency in a small sample size is usually not ideal. But he’s a perfect fit for the Dolphins’ elite running scheme and even though he might seem a bit low as a mid-range RB2 in my Week 1 projections, I consider him a must-start given his massive weekly ceiling. Achane will have a wide range of outcomes weekly, but if Raheem Mostert were to miss time, Achane could provide consistent top-10 value.

Jerome Ford and Chuba Hubbard are two backs likely to offer most of their value early in the season, with Nick Chubb and Jonathan Brooks set to miss at least the first four games. Even if they suit up in Week 5, they’ll likely be eased back in. Ford and Hubbard are in the RB3/Flex mix, so if you have solid RB depth and don’t need to start them, consider floating a trade to a more RB-needy team looking for early-season production. For backfields like the Commanders, Bengals, and Chargers (featuring Austin Ekeler, Brian Robinson Jr., Zack Moss, Chase Brown, Gus Edwards, and J.K. Dobbins), things are murky heading into Week 1. These look like nearly even RBBCs to open the season, making most backs in these groups RB3/Flex fringe options this week. If one of them is your clear top choice, you might have to play them, but I’d avoid these situations where possible until we have a week of usage data to analyze.

Wide Receiver Tiers

These tiers were updated Saturday night.

Tier 1

Tyreek Hill (vs. JAX)

Tier 2

Amon-Ra St. Brown (vs. LAR)

CeeDee Lamb (@ CLE)

Tier 3

Justin Jefferson (@ NYG)

Puka Nacua (@ DET)

A.J. Brown (vs. GB)

Tier 4

Mike Evans (vs. WAS)

Ja’Marr Chase (vs. NE)

Cooper Kupp (@ DET)

Tier 5

Davante Adams (@ LAC)

Garrett Wilson (@ SF)

Drake London (vs. PIT)

Chris Olave (vs. CAR)

Nico Collins (@ IND)

Marvin Harrison Jr. (@ BUF)

Michael Pittman Jr. (vs. HOU)

Jaylen Waddle (vs. JAX)

Rashee Rice (vs. BAL)

Malik Nabers (vs. MIN)

Deebo Samuel (vs. NYJ)

Stefon Diggs (@ IND)

D.K. Metcalf (vs. DEN)

Tier 6

D.J. Moore (vs. TEN)

DeVonta Smith (vs. GB)

Chris Godwin (vs. WAS)

Christian Kirk (@ MIA)

Tank Dell (@ IND)

Keenan Allen (vs. TEN)

Amari Cooper (vs. DAL)

Brandon Aiyuk (vs. NYJ)

Terry McLaurin (@ TB)

Zay Flowers (@ KC)

Jayden Reed (@ PHI)

George Pickens (@ ATL)

Calvin Ridley (@ CHI)

Diontae Johnson (@ NO)

Josh Palmer (vs. LV)

Tier 7

Brian Thomas Jr. (@ MIA)

Jaxon Smith-Njigba (vs. DEN)

DeAndre Hopkins (@ CHI)

Xavier Worthy (vs. BAL)

Courtland Sutton (@ SEA)

Tyler Lockett (vs. DEN)

Jordan Addison (@ NYG)

Khalil Shakir (vs. ARI)

Rome Odunze (vs. TEN)

Tier 8

Romeo Doubs (@ PHI)

Christian Watson (@ PHI)

Ladd McConkey (vs. LV)

Adam Thielen (@ NO)

Andrei Iosivas (vs. NE)

Jameson Williams (vs. LAR)

Jerry Jeudy (vs. DAL)

The Ja’Marr Chase holdout saga has dragged into Week 1, and there’s a legitimate chance he doesn’t suit up. These situations are always tricky—things can resolve at any moment, and adjusting projections to predict the outcome is usually a fool’s errand. It’s simple: if Chase plays, you start him. If not, you’ll need to find another option. Should Chase sit this week, Andrei Iosivas could enter the WR3 conversation, making him a potential add if that scenario unfolds.

DeAndre Hopkins and Jordan Addison both suffered multi-week injuries during camp, but they’re trending toward playing in Week 1. Still, there’s a chance they won’t be at 100%, and I’ll be adjusting their projections accordingly. Both are on the sit/start fringe, so I’d lean towards a fully healthy WR if they’re close in rank—better to play it safe.

Once you’re into Tier 7, sit/start decisions often come down to whether you’re a favorite or an underdog. If I’m the favorite, I’d prefer WRs with higher floors—guys like Khalil Shakir, Jakobi Meyers, Adam Thielen, and Demario Douglas. The goal here is to get a handful of points from a WR if you’re forced to start one in deeper leagues. If I’m an underdog, I’m looking for a WR with a high ceiling, even if it means risking a dud game. Those would be Xavier Worthy, Jameson Williams, Rashid Shaheed, and Christian Watson.

Tight End Tiers

These tiers were updated Saturday night.

Tier 1

Travis Kelce (vs. BAL)

Tier 2

Sam LaPorta (vs. LAR)

Tier 3

Trey McBride (@ BUF)

Evan Engram (@ MIA)

Dalton Kincaid (vs. ARI)

Mark Andrews (@ KC)

Kyle Pitts (vs. PIT)

Tier 4

George Kittle (vs. NYJ)

David Njoku (vs. DAL)

Tier 5

Jake Ferguson (@ CLE)

Tier 6

Dallas Goedert (vs. GB)

Dalton Schultz (@ IND)

Brock Bowers (@ LAC)

Tier 7

Tyler Conklin (@ SF)

Cade Otton (vs. WAS)

Taysom Hill (vs. CAR)

Chigoziem Okonkwo (@ CHI)

Hunter Henry (@ CIN)

Pat Freiermuth (@ ATL)

Luke Musgrave (@ PHI)

Noah Fant (vs. DEN)

Colby Parkinson (@ DET)

Tier 8

Cole Kmet (vs. TEN)

Zach Ertz (@ TB)

Juwan Johnson (vs. CAR)

Jonnu Smith (vs. JAX)

Mike Gesicki (vs. NE)

Johnny Mundt (@ NYG)

Tier 9

Kylen Granson (vs. HOU)

Hayden Hurst (vs. LV)

Greg Dulcich (@ SEA)

Will Dissly (vs. LV)

Dawson Knox (vs. ARI)

Ja’Tavion Sanders (@ NO)

Isaiah Likely (@ KC)

The TE landscape for Week 1 looks a lot like how we drafted the position heading into the season, much like QBs. As with other positions, we’ll see a significant shake-up in the ranks once we have a week of usage data for skill players and a clearer picture of defensive matchups.

For TEs, Tiers 1 & 2 are guys you’ll likely start all season long when healthy. Tiers 3 & 4 consist of later-round TEs who should have a fairly long leash when it comes to starting them and keeping them on your roster. However, this is a position where we typically see 2-3 TEs emerge as every-week TE1 options in-season.

There was a week last year I dubbed “the greatest waiver wire week for TE of all time,” where I recommended grabbing Trey McBride, Dalton Kincaid, Jake Ferguson, or Taysom Hill, depending on what your team needed. Weeks like that don’t come around every year, but we will see a couple of TEs emerge this season. When that happens, it’s crucial to scoop them up quickly. That’s when I think it’s okay to consider dropping one of your Tier 3 or 4 TEs for a trending option. I’ll typically highlight which TEs are worth dropping in favor of the hot waiver pickup.

It’s important to stay aggressive when managing the TE position in-season, especially if you didn’t land someone from the top 8 or so. Staying on top of these trends can give you a significant edge.

Kicker Tiers

These tiers were updated Saturday night.

Tier 1

Ka’imi Fairbairn (@ IND)

Harrison Butker (vs. BAL)

Younghoe Koo (vs. PIT)

Matt Gay (vs. HOU)*

Justin Tucker (@ KC)

Cairo Santos (vs. TEN)

Evan McPherson (vs. NE)

Chase McLaughlin (vs. WAS)

Jake Bates (vs. LAR)

Jason Sanders (vs. JAX)

*Colts elevated Spencer Shrader which could mean Matt Gay (hernia) will be held out this week

Tier 2

Blake Grupe (vs. CAR)

Chris Boswell (@ ATL)

Tyler Bass (vs. ARI)

Jason Myers (vs. DEN)

Jake Elliott (vs. GB)

Joshua Karty (@ DET)

Will Reichard (@ NYG)

Jake Moody (vs. NYJ)

Dustin Hopkins (vs. DAL)

Eddy Pineiro (@ NO)

Tier 3

Daniel Carlson (@ LAC)

Greg Zuerlein (@ SF)

Graham Gano (vs. MIN)

Cameron Dicker (vs. LV)

Brandon Aubrey (@ CLE)

Brayden Narveson (@ PHI)

Cam Little (@ MIA)

Matt Prater (@ BUF)

Wil Lutz (@ SEA)

Tier 4

Nick Folk (@ CHI)

Joey Slye (@ CIN)

Cade York (@ TB)

Matt Gay is shaping up to be a game-time decision, so make sure you’re prepared with a backup plan at kicker. If Gay misses Week 1, Spencer Shrader is expected to fill in, so keep an eye on his status as a potential replacement.

Defensive Tiers

These tiers were updated Saturday night.

Tier 1

Cincinnati Bengals (vs. NE)

Seattle Seahawks (vs. DEN)

Cleveland Browns (vs. DAL)

Buffalo Bills (vs. ARI)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (vs. WAS)

Tier 2

Minnesota Vikings (@ NYG)

San Francisco 49ers (vs. NYJ)

New Orleans Saints (vs. CAR)

Chicago Bears (vs. TEN)

Los Angeles Chargers (vs. LV)

Atlanta Falcons (vs. PIT)

Philadelphia Eagles (vs. GB)

Dallas Cowboys (@ CLE)

Tier 3

Kansas City Chiefs (vs. BAL)

Houston Texans (@ IND)

Miami Dolphins (vs. JAX)

Washington Commanders (@ TB)

New York Giants (vs. MIN)

Pittsburgh Steelers (@ ATL)

New York Jets (@ SF)

Detroit Lions (vs. LAR)

Tier 4

Denver Broncos (@ SEA)

Carolina Panthers (@ NO)

Tennessee Titans (@ CHI)

Green Bay Packers (@ PHI)

Las Vegas Raiders (@ LAC)

Baltimore Ravens (@ KC)

New England Patriots (@ CIN)

Indianapolis Colts (vs. HOU)

Jacksonville Jaguars (@ MIA)

Arizona Cardinals (@ BUF)

Tier 5

Los Angeles Rams (@ DET)