Week 1 Fantasy Football RANKINGS & Tiers: QB, RB, WR, & TE + Starts & Sits (09/10 Fantasy Football Podcast)

A.J. Brown suffered what appears to be a high ankle sprain during the Wednesday night game. Heath Cummings notes this is a significant concern, as he does not want to trust any Patriots wide receivers or Drake May for the next couple of weeks without Brown in the lineup.

The source highlights Baker Mayfield as a viable week one starter, noting his healthy weapons and offensive line, and the fact that his game has the highest projected total of the week.

The source views Blake Corum as a low-end flex option, warning fantasy managers not to overreact to his performance relative to Kyren Williams.

The source confirms Brock Bowers will miss at least two games due to a meniscus injury and will not be in the week one rankings.

The source advises sitting Purdy against the Rams, describing their defense as potentially the most talented they have ever seen if they stay healthy.

The source suggests avoiding Brock Purdy for fantasy lineups, noting concerns about the Rams' improved pass rush and cornerbacks.

Heath Cummings identifies Bucky Irving as a top sleeper if Sean Tucker is inactive. Irving is preferred for goal-line work, as he had zero carries inside the five last year while Tucker had nine.

The source advises starting Christian McCaffrey while suggesting avoiding other 49ers players in the current lineup.

Watson is viewed as a high-end flex with boom-bust potential; while targets may be concentrated, he has historically struggled against Minnesota and faces a tough zone-heavy defense.

Moore is a sit candidate against the Texans' elite secondary; the matchup is difficult, and Josh Allen has historically struggled against this team.

Dave Richard is starting Swift, viewing him as the clear lead back in Chicago. He expects the team to be cautious with Monongai, preventing a 50/50 split.

The source suggests avoiding Dalton Kincaid this week because the Texans were a top-10 defense against tight ends last year and Josh Allen has a poor history against them.

Metcalf is a must-start against the Falcons, who lack a pass rush; Aaron Rodgers has identified him as his clear number one receiver, and he is projected for eight targets and a touchdown.

The source expresses concern for London because Tua Tagovailoa prefers short-area targets and dislikes challenging downfield, which conflicts with London's role as a deeper target.

Heath Cummings believes Drew Locke performed well in his impersonation of Sam Darnold and should be rostered in all superflex leagues while Darnold deals with a hip injury.

Coming off an Achilles injury, Dave Richard suggests Kittle is a low-end TE1/TE2 (ranked 9th-15th) who is startable if you are comfortable with his upside, though expectations should be tempered.

The source advises sitting George Kittle due to the tough Rams defense, concerns about his role as a blocker, and uncertainty regarding his target share with Mike Evans on the team.

The source likes Greg Dulcich as a sleeper, noting he was second in yards per route run among tight ends last year and has good rapport with Malik Willis in camp.

The source expects Isaiah Likely to be second on the team in targets and a strong start, especially with the Giants likely chasing points against the Cowboys.

Goff is the start of the week against the Saints; he performs well at home and faces a defense that allowed multiple touchdowns to nine different quarterbacks last year.

Daniels is a must-start in four-point-per-pass TD leagues due to his rushing floor, though he is more questionable in six-point leagues due to a difficult matchup and offensive line concerns.

Dave Richard views Jalen Warren as a flex option who is likely to be more effective in games where the team is playing from behind, compared to Rico Dowdle.

Heath Cummings advises sitting Jeremiah Love due to lingering high ankle sprain concerns and a split backfield with Tyler Algier, especially in a game where the team is a heavy underdog.

Dave Richard likes Jordan Mason as a flex play, noting that the Vikings' new outside zone scheme favors his skill set and he is expected to be the lead back.

Despite a poor history against the Texans, the source insists on starting Allen in fantasy leagues, though advises against using him in DFS.

Herbert is a top-tier start against the Cardinals; the source expects the Chargers to score at will, making this a smash-ceiling week for him.

The source expects a better start than last year's finish, but remains slightly cautious; Kyler Murray's tendency to run may limit Jefferson's target volume, preventing him from being truly elite.

The source expects Juwan Johnson to be the number two target for New Orleans and likes his floor, noting he had 10.3+ PPR points in seven of eight games with at least six targets last year.

The source suggests Gainwell is a strong PPR start and flex option because the Bengals are expected to play with a lead, which should result in high target volume for him in the passing game.

The source is excited about Kenneth Gainwell's opportunity, particularly in PPR formats, as he expects the team to utilize him in the passing game if they are chasing points.

Heath Cummings is unconfident in Walker's rushing efficiency due to a tough matchup and offensive line concerns, but expects him to be a start due to increased reception volume via dump-offs.

The source likes Kyler Murray as a sleeper against the Packers, highlighting his rushing floor (7-8 carries) and his weapons, Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, against a weakened Packers defense.

The source projects Kyren Williams as a low-end RB2 for the upcoming game, noting that Blake Corum will also see work.

The source views Malik Willis as a sleeper with 'crazy upside' due to his rushing ability and the expectation that the Dolphins will be trailing, forcing him to throw and run frequently.

Heath Cummings views Lloyd as a low-end RB2 who will lead the Packers in carries, though he expresses concern about the team's willingness to lean on the run if they fall behind.

Dave Richard prefers Michael Mayer over George Kittle for Week 1, citing a better opportunity for Mayer in his matchup against the Dolphins.

The source ranks Michael Mayer as the TE8, noting he is a strong start in full PPR formats. He historically saw a 24% target share without Bowers and is available in nearly 70% of leagues.

Wilson is a flex option who should see high volume in a game where the Cardinals are expected to throw often; he and Marvin Harrison are viewed as having equal footing.

Washington is a confident start based on his strong finish to last season and a four-game stretch where he averaged 10 targets per game; he is expected to remain on the field.

The source recommends sitting Patrick Mahomes against the Broncos, citing poor historical performance against the Sean Payton/Vance Joseph defense and concerns about the Chiefs' offensive line.

Dave Richard prefers Rico Dowdle over Jalen Warren, citing reports that Dowdle is the 1A back and has superior goal-line success rates. He projects Dowdle as an RB20 finish.

Odunze is dealing with a calf injury, and his status is uncertain; fantasy managers should prepare a replacement option for three-receiver leagues.

Heath Cummings notes that Romeo Dobbs was not the player the team hoped he would be, evidenced by a low first-half snap share where the team preferred DeMario Douglas and Matt Collins.

Sam Darnold is dealing with a hip injury. Heath Cummings suggests there may not be a huge drop-off for the defense if Darnold misses time, as Drew Locke performed well in his stead.

Dave Richard advises sitting Tony Pollard, noting that he expects a split backfield with Tyje Spears and skepticism regarding the Titans' offensive scoring potential.

The source is nervous about starting Travis Kelce, expecting a low-scoring game where Kenneth Walker impacts the passing offense, potentially limiting Kelce's target volume.

Tucker is a sleeper boom-bust play who should see increased targets following the Brock Bowers injury; he faces a weak Dolphins defense and has big-play upside.

Lawrence is a recommended start; the Browns' defense is missing Miles Garrett and shifting schemes, which should reduce their aggressiveness and favor Lawrence.

The source highlights Tucker Kraft's massive upside, noting he led all non-running backs in yards after catch per reception (9.1) last year.