Fantasy Football Rankings Breakdown Week 1 2018

This article doesn’t need much introduction as the Fantasy Football Rankings are generally one of the more useful tools for a fantasy player so we’ll have rankings every single week!

I hope you enjoyed our first taste of football last night, even though Mother Nature kept us waiting around. Odds are if you clicked into this article, you know full well what the goal here is! These will be my personal Fantasy Football Rankings for Week 1 and will be here every single week. These are my ranks and do not represent a consensus staff rankings and I’ll be tweaking them here and there on Twitter after this is published. In addition, I’ll make little notes throughout as way of explanation as to why I have a player ranked how I do. I’m always here to answer any questions and am far beyond ready for the first Sunday of the NFL season!

Quarterback – Week 1

1. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers vs Chicago Bears – Rodgers at home in primetime.

2. Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers

3. Tom Brady, New England Patriots vs Houston Texans

4. Deshaun Watson, Houston Texans at New England Patriots – These two could finish 1-2 on the week

5. Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers vs Dallas Cowboys – Excited to watch Cam with these weapons

6. Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings vs San Francisco 49ers

7. Philip Rivers, Los Angeles Chargers vs Kansas City Chiefs

8. Jared Goff, Los Angeles Rams at Oakland Raiders – He should feast on Oakland’s weaker defense

9. Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers at Cleveland Browns

10. Andy Dalton, Cincinnati Bengals at Indianapolis Colts

11. Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions vs New York Jets – If the Lions get up in this one, do they try to establish the run?

12. Tyrod Taylor, Cleveland Browns vs Pittsburgh Steelers

13. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys at Carolina Panthers

14. Andrew Luck, Indianapolis Colts vs Cincinnati Bengals – Game script should favor Luck but I kind of want to see him in real action before starting him

15. Marcus Mariota, Tennessee Titans at Miami Dolphins

16. Blake Bortles, Jacksonville Jaguars at New York Giants

17. Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks at Denver Broncos – His only notable receiver faces the toughest slot corner in football

18. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs at Los Angeles Chargers – He would jump to 11-13 range if Joey Bosa is out for the Chargers

19. Sam Bradford, Arizona Cardinals vs Washington Redskins

20. Mitchell Trubisky, Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers

21. Case Keenum, Denver Broncos vs Seattle Seahawks

22. Jimmy Garoppolo, San Francisco 49ers at Minnesota Vikings – Garoppolo is going to have a big year but it’s just not this week.

23. Alex Smith, Washington Redskins at Arizona Cardinals

24. Ryan Tannehill, Miami Dolphins vs Tennessee Titans

25. Derek Carr, Oakland Raiders vs Los Angeles Chargers – The Rams defense looks incredible on paper, and Carr is going to have his hands full.

26. Ryan Fitzpatrick, Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New Orleans Saints

27. Joe Flacco, Baltimore Ravens vs Buffalo Bills

28. Eli Manning, New York Giants vs Jacksonville Jaguars

29. Sam Darnold, New York Jets at Detroit Lions – This is a tough ask for a young rookie to go on the road against

30. Nathan Peterman, Buffalo Bills at Baltimore Ravens

Running Back, Week 1

1. Todd Gurley, Los Angeles Rams at Oakland Raiders

2. Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers

3. David Johnson, Arizona Cardinals vs Washington Redskins – So happy Johnson is back on the field.

4. Christian McCaffrey, Carolina Panthers vs Dallas Cowboys – He should be able to eat against some of the Dallas linebackers in the passing game.

5. Ezekiel Eliott, Dallas Cowboys at Carolina Panthers

6. Melvin Gordon, Los Angeles Chargers vs Kansas City Chiefs

7. Joe Mixon, Cincinnati Bengals at Indianpolis Colts

8. Alex Collins, Baltimore Ravens vs Buffalo Bills – Seems like a lock for 20+ carries in one of the better game scripts of the week

9. Dalvin Cook, Minnesota Vikings vs San Francisco 49ers

10. Kareem Hunt, Kansas City Chiefs at Los Angeles Chargers

11. Leonard Fournette, Jacksonville Jaguars at New York Giants

12. Carlos Hyde, Cleveland Browns vs Pittsburgh Steelers – Don’t sleep on Hyde this week. The Steelers defense might get smoked in this game and the line has dropped from 6 to 3.5 in some places.

13. Kenyan Drake, Miami Dolphins vs Tennessee Titans

14. James Conner, Pittsburgh Steelers at Cleveland Browns

15. Jordan Howard, Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers – Fascinated to see if he’s going to be close to a three down back

16. Saquon Barkley, New York Giants vs Jacksonville Jaguars – He should do enough through dump-offs and quick passes to pay off

17. Lamar Miller, Houston Texans at New England Patriots

18. Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans at Miami Dolphins

19. Jamaal Williams, Green Bay Packers vs Chicago Bears

20. Royce Freeman, Denver Broncos vs Seattle Seahawks – He might not get a ton of passing work but he’s not going to need it this week

21. Dion Lewis, Tennessee Titans at Miami Dolphins

22. Rex Burkhead, New England Patriots vs Houston Texans

23. LeSean McCoy, Buffalo Bills at Baltimore Ravens

24. Bilal Powell, New York Jets at Detroit Lions – If Darnold is scuffling, Powell could see 8+ targets

25. James White, New England Patriots vs Houston Texans

26. Peton Barber, Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New Orleans Saints

27. Matt Breida, San Francisco 49ers at Minnesota Vikings – I like Alfred Morris better overall but Breida should see some targets in this game

28. Chris Thompson, Washington Redskins at Arizona Cardinals

29. Duke Johnson, Cleveland Browns at Pittsburgh Steelers

30. Jordan Wilkins, Indianapolis Colts vs Cincinnati Bengals – It might be a trial by fire for the rookie since the Colts appear to be pretty thin at running back

31. Alfred Morris, San Francisco 49ers at Minnesota Vikings

32. Gio Bernard, Cincinnati Bengals at Indianapolis Colts

33. LeGarrette Blount, Detroit Lions vs New York Jets – This backfield is a mess right now but Blount should slide into the goal line role

34. Marshawn Lynch, Oakland Raiders vs Los Angeles Rams – I really believe the Rams smash in this spot and the Raiders get too far behind for Lynch to stay relevant

35. Adrian Peterson, Washington Redskins at Arizona Cardinals

36. Chris Carson, Seattle Seahawks at Denver Broncos

37. Latavius Murray, Minnesota Vikings vs San Francisco 49ers – It wouldn’t shock me if Murray had 50 yards and a touchdown in this one

38. Mike Gillislee, New Orleans Saints vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Two touchdown game incoming?

39. Ty Montgomery, Green Bay Packers vs Chicago Bears

40. Tarik Cohen, Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers

Wide Receiver, Week 1

1. Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh Steelers at Cleveland Browns

2. Keenan Allen, Los Angeles Chargers vs Kansas City Chiefs

3. DeAndre Hopkins, Houston Texans at New England Patriots

4. Michael Thomas, New Orleans Saints vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers

5. Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals vs Washington Redskins – Larry Legend is in line for a big game this week at home

6. A.J. Green, Cincinnati Bengals at Indianapolis Colts

7. Davante Adams, Green Bay Packers vs Chicago Bears

8. Stefon Diggs, Minnesota Vikings vs San Francisco 49ers – The only reason he isn’t higher is because I don’t know for 100 percent he’ll be the target leader

9. Chris Hogan, New England Patriots vs Houston Texans

10. Odell Beckahm Jr., New York Giants vs Jacksonville Jaguars

11. Golden Tate, Detroit Lions vs New York Jets

12. Jarvis Landry, Cleveland Browns vs Pittsburgh Steelers – Landry is going to get started right with his new team

13. Brandin Cooks, Los Angeles Rams at Oakland Raiders

14. Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New Orleans Saints

15. Adam Thielen, Minnesota Vikings vs San Francisco 49ers

16. JuJu Smith-Schuster, Pittsburgh Steelers at Cleveland Browns – Pittsburgh should pass a few more times with no Le’Veon Bell and Smith-Schuster is going to benefit

17. T.Y. Hilton, Indianpolis Colts vs Cincinnati Bengals

18. Emmanuel Sanders, Denver Broncos vs Seattle Seahawks

19. Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles Rams at Oakland Raiders

20. Tyreek Hill, Kansas City Chiefs at Los Angeles Chargers – Much like his quarterback Patrick Mahomes, this ranking changes a good deal if Joey Bosa is out

21. Marvin Jones, Detroit Lions vs New York Jets

22. Kenny Still, Miami Dolphins vs Tennessee Titans

23. Jamison Crowder, Washington Redskins at Arizona Cardinals

24. Allen Robinson, Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers – He’s be higher if we had seen a little more in the preseason to understand how he fits in the offense

25. Demaryius Thomas, Denver Broncos vs Seattle Seahawks

26. Corey Davis, Tennessee Titans at Miami Dolphins

27. Keelan Cole, Jacksonville Jaguars at New York Giants

28. Doug Baldwin, Seattle Seahawks at Denver Broncos – Having him this low scares me but he draws the worst match in football out of the slot in what I think is a poor offense

29. Amari Cooper, Oakland Raiders vs Los Angeles Rams

30. Devin Funchess, Carolina Panthers vs Dallas Cowboys

31. Josh Gordon, Cleveland Browns vs Pittsburgh Steelers – This is also a scary ranking but I have no choice but to believe coach Hue Jackson when he talks about limited snaps

32. Tyrell Williams, Los Angeles Chargers vs Kansas City Chiefs

33. Randall Cobb, Green Bay Packers vs Chicago Bears

34. Will Fuller, Houston Texans at New England Patriots – He has serious downside but if you don’t play him in a game with the highest over/under on the slate, you shouldn’t have drafted Fuller

35. Jon Ross, Cincinnati Bengals at Indianapolis Colts

36. Michael Crabtree, Baltimore Ravens vs Buffalo Bills – Buffalo had a good secondary and Crabtree is best served as a fly, if at all.

37. Michael Gallup, Dallas Cowboys at Carolina Panthers

38. Pierre Garcon, San Francisco 49ers at Minnesota Vikings – I think Garcon profiles better as a reception heavy player this week

Tight End, Week 1

1. Rob Gronkowski, New England Patriots vs Houston Texans – Gronk SMASH

2. Delanie Walker, Tennessee Titans at Miami Dolphins

3. Trey Burton, Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers

4. Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs at Los Angeles Chargers

5. David Njoku, Cleveland Browns vs Pittsburgh Steelers – One of the biggest breakouts of Week 1 is right here, especially with the Steelers starting a rookie safety

6. Greg Olsen, Carolina Panthers vs Dallas Cowboys

7. Kyle Rudolph, Minnesota Vikings vs San Francisco 49ers

8. Jimmy Graham, Green Bay Packers vs Chicago Bears

9. Evan Engram, New York Giants vs Jacksonville Jaguars – Eli Manning is going to want to get rid of the ball as fast as possible

10. Tyler Eifert, Cincinnati Bengals at Indianapolis Colts – Touchdown equity is just too high

11. Jordan Reed, Washington Redskins at Arizona Cardinals

12. Ricky Seals-Jones, Arizona Cardinals vs Washington Redskins

13. Jack Doyle, Indianapolis Colts vs Cincinnati Bengals – If Eric Ebron wasn’t hovering in the background, Doyle would be top 10 or so

14. Antonio Gates, Los Angeles Chargers vs Kansas City Chiefs

15. Ben Watson, New Orleans Saints vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers

16. Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Jacksonville Jaguars at New York Giants – The core muscle injury keeps him lower on the list than I’d want

17. Mike Gesicki, Miami Dolphins vs Tennessee Titans

18. George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers at Minnesota Vikings

19. OJ Howard, Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New Orleans Saints

20. Jesse James, Pittsburgh Steelers at Cleveland Browns – Otherwise known as the Road Dogg, James is a fine streaming option against the Browns.

Defense/Special Teams, Week 1

1. Baltimore Ravens, vs Buffalo Bills – Nathan Peterman might not be as bad as his five interceptions suggests, but he’s not good either.

2. New Orleans Saints, vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Tampa QB Ryan Fitzpatrick has to be good for at least two turnovers, right?

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3. Los Angeles Rams, at Oakland Raiders – The Raiders have plenty of their own issues and the Rams defense is no joke

4. Jacksonville Jaguars, at New York Giants – New York has just enough upside with Beckham and Barkley to leave the Jaguars just a notch below their normal rank

5. Detroit Lions, vs New York Jets – Rookie quarterback on the road with a knack for turnovers is a great recipe for the Lions

6. Minnesota Vikings, vs San Francisco 49ers – Jimmy Garoppolo could pull out a surprise but I would doubt it

7. Los Angeles Chargers, vs Kansas City – This ranking plummets without Joey Bosa but Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes should still throw a pick or two

8. Denver Broncos, vs Seattle Seahawks – If they shut down Doug Baldwin, who else should hurt them in the pass game?

9. Arizona Cardinals, vs Washignton Redskins – The turnover potential isn’t very high against Alex Smith but they should be able to limit points

10. Cincinnati Bengals, vs Indianapolis Colts – It’s hard to believe that Andrew Luck doesn’t have a little rust in this one

11. Tennessee Titans, at Miami Dolphins – We’re already into the range where things start to get pretty dicey

12. Carolina Panthers, vs Dallas Cowboys – I’m not a big fan but they should be able to limit the points for Dallas if nothing else

13. Green Bay Packers, vs Chicago Bears – We don’t know yet how the Chicago offense has come together when the games count

14. Buffalo Bills, at Baltimore Ravens – Buffalo’s pass defense isn’t half bad so maybe they can control the pass game and keep things close

15. Miami Dolphins, vs Tennessee Titans – It’s hard to find value this low but it’s also hard to put a lot of faith in how the Titans offense has looked through the preseason

Next. Fantasy Football Start/Sit week 1. dark

As always, thanks for reading and hit me up on Twitter @bucn4life with any questions I can help answer!

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