Fantasy Football Rankings: Week 1 Matchups to Consider
We finally made it! The 2026 NFL season kicks off with a Super Bowl rematch between the Patriots and the Seahawks, and all I can think of is Michael Scott from The Office saying, “Oh my God! Okay, it’s happening! Everyone stay calm!”
After countless weeks of prepping for the season, we are all ready to sit on our couches, grab a nice beverage and some food, and watch football. After all, we have earned it.
The problem with Week 1 is that, after all the preparation, we still do not really know what’s going to happen.
The Ballers were recently asked a question in the mailbag section that went something like, “How many weeks into the season does it take for you to believe if what we are seeing is real or fake?” Their answers varied from four weeks to 10 weeks. After about a month, I am comfortable making educated decisions about which early-season trends are real and which are just noise.
In Week 1, though, we are mostly flying blind. Until we have enough 2026 data, last year’s performance, injury news, team changes, and matchups are the best we have to work with.
With that in mind, I am going through each position and highlighting players I am higher or lower on than usual in Week 1 based on their matchup, health, and opportunity.
Quarterbacks
Jaxson Dart
QB - NYG
I am all in on Dart this season, especially in Week 1. The biggest reason you should be in on Dart too is that he is playing the Dallas Cowboys. Last season, the Cowboys were a defense that we wanted to target every week because they allowed the most passing yards (4521), second-most passing TDs (35), third-highest completion percentage (68.5%), and the list goes on and on. Dart’s rushing upside and juicy matchup make him an extremely solid player in Week 1, and if Malik Nabers does play, that is just icing on the cake.
Patrick Mahomes
QB - KC
It’s not a sure thing that Mahomes will suit up for the Chiefs in their first game of the season vs. the Denver Broncos. All signs point towards him playing, and I believe he will as well, but that does not necessarily mean you must start him in Week 1. The combination of his injury and a difficult matchup makes a slow start a real possibility.
The Week 1 matchup is thankfully at home, but it is still the Broncos’ dominant defense, which held opponents to the second-lowest completion percentage (57.8%) and allowed the fourth-fewest passing TDs (18) in 2025. Mahomes’ fantasy finishes over his last four contests versus the Broncos: QB14, QB11, QB7, QB30. Not very inspiring from the future Hall of Famer.
Running Backs
Bucky Irving
RB - TB
In 2024, Bucky fans rejoiced after he finished the season as the RB14. His sophomore season had a lot of people wondering what happened, and that has trickled over to the start of the 2026 season. The Bucs signed Kenneth Gainwell in early March following the departure of Rachaad White, but Irving still enters the season atop the depth chart. Bucky seems to be back to full health and has a potential bounce-back in Week 1 vs the Bengals, who gave up the most rushing yards (2500) in 2025.
Rhamondre Stevenson
RB - NE
At this point, all signs point to Rhamondre Stevenson having a lot of opportunities on Wednesday vs the Seahawks. After missing a good deal of practice in training camp with an ankle injury, TreVeyon Henderson is officially OUT for the NFL season opener. While Stevenson will get the workload, the matchup is downright horrible. The Seahawks allowed just the third-fewest rushing yards (1563) and second-fewest rushing TDs (9) in 2025. The matchup limits his upside, but the volume is enough for me to still view Stevenson as a high-end flex with a solid floor.
Jeremiyah Love
RB - ARI
Head Coach Mike LaFleur said, “I feel good,” when asked about Jeremiyah Love’s status for Week 1. That’s a good sign that we may see him in his NFL debut. Regardless of where you drafted Love, most people are going to have to start him if healthy anyway. The Chargers ranked fifth-best against RBs in 2025.
Historically, looking back at RBs drafted in the top half of the first round (Jeanty, Hampton, Bijan Robinson, and Gibbs), all failed to reach 60 rushing yards in their first game. Love as a prospect is right up there with those RBs, but he is entering his NFL debut while nursing an injury. That combination makes it difficult to project his workload. I am viewing Love as a risky low-end RB2 and starting him over Tyler Allgeier if both are active, but if you have another legitimate option, there is nothing wrong with avoiding the uncertainty in Week 1.
Wide Receivers
Chris Godwin Jr.
WR - TB
I view Godwin as a solid Week 1 flex. After seeing Emeka Egbuka and Jalen McMillan miss extensive time in training camp, my confidence in Godwin has grown. Both Egbuka and McMillan practiced on Monday, which is a good sign for them and slightly complicates Godwin’s target projection.
I am not scared if all three suit up, but the good news is that the Buccaneers play in the early set of games, so if you want to pivot to another player, you can. The matchup defensively is not great. Bengals CB DJ Turner II had a sensational breakout season in 2025 and has the ability to really limit a team’s WR1. There is a chance the Bengals view the WR1 as Egbuka, and that could open up more opportunities for Godwin in the highest O/U of the week at 50.5 points.
Malik Nabers
WR - NYG
I’m of the belief that if your elite player is active, you play them. That’s exactly how I am playing Nabers in Week 1. As I mentioned in the Jaxson Dart section, we want to target the Cowboys’ defense, at least for now based on what we know.
Much like Jeremiyah Love, you likely drafted Nabers extremely early in your draft, so if he is cleared to play, I’m not getting cute with it. Nabers is in my lineup. The bigger concern is making sure you have a backup plan if his status is still unclear come game time.
There is speculation that the Giants releasing Darius Slayton means Nabers may be good to go. The Giants play in the second half of the Sunday games, so if you do not have a clear answer before then, make sure you have a late-window pivot option.
Mike Evans
WR - SF
It always makes me a little sad when you see elite, future Hall of Fame players (albeit second-ballot) continue their football journey. It is awesome that they still have the love for the game and want to continue building on their legacy. It’s also sad because their best games are likely in the past.
Consider me a skeptic, but I am not sure I want to bet on a 33-year-old Mike Evans in his first game on a new team after dealing with a quad strain and a pulled groin for the past month against the Rams in Australia. Did I mention the Rams added elite CB Trent McDuffie? Just another reason to fade this matchup.
Tight Ends
Juwan Johnson
TE - NO
I want pieces in this 49.5-point O/U vs the Lions. Specifically with TEs, I look for someone who has the opportunity to be first or second in targets. Jordyn Tyson is on IR, and while the Saints drafted rookie TE Oscar Delp in the third round, he hasn’t shown much in training camp, and he has been dealing with a hamstring injury.
That leaves a huge opportunity for Juwan, who is coming off of a career year. Do not forget to wish Juwanson a happy birthday on Sunday for good luck in your fantasy matchups!
Tucker Kraft
TE - GB
I am treating Kraft’s situation the same as Malik Nabers or any other elite option. If he is active, he is in my lineup. I would feel sick to my stomach if I started Greg Dulcich over Kraft and Kraft goes bonkers on my bench. I do not believe what we saw out of Kraft was fake. He was truly ascending before his season-ending injury. The matchup versus the Vikings is not ideal, but given the depleted WR room and possible lack of a run game, I would take my chances with Kraft even if he is at 70% health.