Week 1 Fantasy Football Quarterback Rankings
The anticipation has been building all off-season and the wait is finally over. The NFL season is here! Week 1 is in full swing, and fantasy football managers everywhere are already wondering who to start and who to sit. Thankfully, these Week 1 fantasy football quarterback rankings will help you take down your weekly matchup. TJ Zwarych will be breaking down the top fantasy quarterbacks each week throughout the entirety of the NFL season.
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Week 1 Quarterback Rankings
There are 32 quarterbacks playing in Week 1, with each team in the NFL ready for their first game. Without further ado, the Week 1 fantasy football QB rankings:
1. Patrick Mahomes – The top four will likely be the same four quarterbacks throughout the season in slightly different orders. In Week 1, the reigning NFL MVP and Super Bowl champ takes the top spot. A matchup against the Lions is as good as it gets, as their defense is sub-par, but their offense is good enough to keep the game close for Mahomes to rack up points.
Note: Travis Kelce hyperextended his knee in practice this week and is listed as questionable. If he doesn’t play, I would drop Mahomes to 3rd behind Hurts and Jackson this week.
2. Jalen Hurts – The rushing upside and weapons in the passing game will always keep Hurts near the top of the rankings, regardless of the matchup.
3. Lamar Jackson – He’s got fewer weapons than Hurts, but the rushing upside is still among the best.
4. Josh Allen – While he doesn’t have the same upside on the ground as Hurts or Jackson, he’s got more of a passing ceiling and the Bills should continue to be one of the top offenses in the NFL.
5. Justin Fields – There’s a drop off in fantasy football land after the first four QBs, however, Fields’ rushing upside will keep him near the top of the rankings throughout the season and he draws a fantastic matchup against Green Bay.
6. Justin Herbert – The Chargers/Dolphins matchup is my favorite of the week to game stack for DFS purposes. Herbert has a ton of weapons, a cannon arm, and a new offensive coordinator that should have the Chargers playing faster and throwing downfield more this year.
7. Joe Burrow – He’s back practicing in full, and although he’s listed as “day-to-day,” he’s expected to start in Week 1. As long as Burrow plays, get him in your lineup.
8. Trevor Lawrence – The Jags should be electric this year with the addition of Calvin Ridley, Lawrence should benefit greatly.
9. Tua Tagovailoa – I love this game environment against the Chargers, I think it’ll be an absolute shootout.
10. Dak Prescott – The addition of Brandin Cooks should be exciting for this offense, the lack of Zeke should only benefit the passing game volume.
11. Jared Goff – A wonderful game environment against the Chiefs where Goff will likely be throwing a lot while playing catch-up.
12. Geno Smith – With or without Smith-Njigba, Geno has proven he’s a competent fantasy football starter.
13. Kirk Cousins – Justin Jefferson is this year’s consensus top fantasy football option, Hockensen has been extended and saw a ton of targets last year. Kirk should score some points, too, right?
14. Anthony Richardson – These two rookies are back-to-back in the rankings, and I think they’re going to rise throughout the year for different reasons. For Richardson, it’s all about the rushing upside. I want him on my fantasy football team and on my DFS rosters.
15. Sam Howell – These two rookies are back-to-back in the rankings, and I think they’re going to rise throughout the year for different reasons. I think the Commanders are a sneaky fantasy option this year with their multitude of weapons. I want to wait and see how McLaurin looks if he plays before going too crazy on Howell.
16. Russell Wilson – All the signs from camp are that Wilson is fitting in better than last year and is looking more like his old self. Let’s hope so. I like him this year, but I want to wait and see it first.
17. Daniel Jones – He’s got a big new tight-end and underrated rushing upside, he’s always serviceable if you really need someone.
18. Deshaun Watson – I’ve never really understood why he’s getting drafted so highly this year. I want to wait and see before I believe he’s anything close to the Watson from Houston.
19. Derek Carr – I’ve never been a Carr fan, but I love the amount of weaponry he has at his disposal this season. Michael Thomas is poised for a big season if he can stay healthy, Chris Olave is a stud and Juwan Johnson is a great target in the red zone. I don’t think Carr has huge upside, but he should be more than serviceable each week.
20. Aaron Rodgers – Are we sure he’s in THAT much better of a spot than he was last year in Green Bay? Rodgers sure seems happier, but I don’t love the matchup in Week 1.
21. Brock Purdy – The recovery has been incredible, and I’m rooting for Purdy. For now, this is still McCaffrey’s team, and I’m not looking to use Purdy as a fantasy starter. We will see as the year progresses, though.
22. Ryan Tannehill – He fought off all the young guns to keep the starting job and the Titans offense added De’Andre Hopkins. He’s going to be a reasonable backup fantasy QB this year.
23. Desmond Ridder – I’m high on Ridder and the Falcons offense this year, surprisingly. However, I don’t think he’s necessary in Week 1.
24. Jordan Love – I don’t buy the pre-season hype. Let’s see him do it for real first.
25. Kenny Pickett – He’s got strong options in the passing game and some moderate rushing upside, I think he will be useable this year in bye week jams.
26. Bryce Young – There are a few young rookies here that could definitely go up the list as the year goes on, but not in Week 1.
27. C.J. Stroud – Not playing this rookie yet.
28. Mac Jones – I’m interested to see how Mac does with more weapons this year, not this week though.
29. Joshua Dobbs – Let’s wait and see how he does; I’m not expecting anything exciting from the Cardinals’ offense this season.
30. Jimmy Garoppolo – Davante Adams is great, we’re still not playing Jimmy G though.
31. Matthew Stafford – I love Stafford, but he’s nowhere near consideration until Kupp is fully healthy.
32. Baker Mayfield – Ha! No thanks.
Fantasy Football QB Notes
Depending on how deep the fantasy football league you’re playing in is, all of these QBs could be in play each week. While these will definitely fluctuate throughout the year depending on performance and matchup, I feel quite confident about the Week 1 fantasy football quarterback ranking. Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Jalen Hurts and Lamar Jackson are obviously unquestioned start-every-week players, however, I think there are a few more that join that rank this year. Joe Burrow, Justin Herbert, Justin Fields and even Trevor Lawrence also join their ranks as quarterbacks that you can start week-in and week-out regardless of their matchups.
For Week 1, Herbert and Tua are the two that excite me the most in terms of their game environment, with Patrick Mahomes and Jared Goff solidifying themselves in the rankings due to the shootout potential there as well. Throughout the year, I’ll be targeting rushing upside, which will always keep Justin Fields near the top of the list. However, I think it’ll keep Anthony Richardson in play as a 12-team league fantasy football starter throughout the year as well.
These fantasy football quarterback rankings will be back each and every week to make sure you have the best chance at winning your matchups!