Flex Options for Week 1 (Fantasy Football)
“IT’S FOOTBALL TIME,” folks! We made it!
With a new season comes the 2026 FLEX options series, where I will offer five names each week who are borderline starters I think you can feel confident starting. These players will be RBs ranked outside the top 24 or WRs ranked outside the top 36 in the Fantasy Footballers rankings. I will lay out the path showing why I think the player can finish higher than their ranking. I initially had Quentin Johnston slated for this article due to lining up against the abysmal Arizona secondary, but his ranking has crept above the threshold. Let’s see who still qualifies…
Here are the names:
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Tony Pollard, RB, Tennessee Titans
Pollard is aiming to have a sixth consecutive season of over 1,000 scrimmage yards before hitting free agency. He has accomplished this with the Titans twice already, and the new coaching staff, including OC Brian Daboll, loves the running game. Daboll’s play-calling history shows nearly a 50% run rate in neutral game scripts. When the game is close, Daboll is calling run plays regularly. With Vegas betting lines showing the Week 1 tilt vs the Jets as a pick’em with the Titans as a slight favorite, Pollard should get plenty of work. The Footballers rankings show Pollard as their RB26 this week, but I expect him to start and lead the team in touches, giving him a solid floor week in your flex spot against a decent New York Jets defense.
Kenneth Gainwell, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Gainwell found a new home with Tampa Bay during the offseason, and the offensive scheme fit could not be better for him. Gainwell was the top RB for the Steelers in 2025, with almost half of his total yards coming from passing work. In 2025, Baker Mayfield targeted RBs 16.8% of the time, about one of every six passes, even with a Week 3 injury to his throwing arm. In 2024, that number was 21%, above league average. The healthy Baker Mayfield appears to be very impressed with Gainwell’s skills:
Video: Baker Mayfield says he’s been “overwhelmed” by how much Kenny Gainwell can do to help the Bucs on offense this season. pic.twitter.com/FL9t62JP6X
— Greg Auman (@gregauman) August 18, 2026
Tampa Bay opens the season against the Bengals, who rank in the bottom half of the league in run defense and the bottom third in the league in pass defense. Vegas betting lines have this game as the top-scoring game for all of Week 1, and it is not hard to believe that Gainwell will have a role to play and finish better than his RB33 ranking.
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Chuba Hubbard (or Jonathon Brooks), RB, Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers begin the year against the Chicago Bears. One of these RBs will be in line for success, and if you bear with me (pun intended), I will explain. At the time of the article, Hubbard (hamstring) and Brooks (general soreness) are listed as questionable on the Panthers injury report. In 2025, the Panthers had the fourth-highest rushing rate on 1st downs. The Panthers’ 2025 leading rusher, Rico Dowdle, found a new home in the offseason, leaving behind the majority of the red zone & goal line work. In 2025, the Chicago Bears allowed a league-high 134.5 rushing yards per game. In the offseason, the Bears have made some defensive moves, but not enough to keep them from being ranked above 30th in defensive front seven rankings. The latest buzz is that Chuba will be ready to play Week 1. With Chuba slated to be the lead back, he has all the opportunity to outperform the rank of RB30. If Chuba is ruled out, Brooks (RB34) inherits that opportunity. In the event both RBs are active, signs point to Brooks being eased into work as he returns from injury.
Michael Wilson, WR, Arizona Cardinals
2025 saw Wilson take a Year 3 leap and seize the opportunity to become the WR13 overall. Wilson averaged over 7 targets a game from Jacoby Brissett in the 2025 season. Target consolidation can be attributed to Marvin Harrison Jr’s health issues (appendix, concussion, & foot injury), but in the three games prior to Harrison’s concussion, Wilson averaged five targets per game. The Cardinals open the season against the uber-hyped Los Angeles Chargers. While the Chargers offense is being hyped, the defense, including the secondary, ranks middle of the pack. With Harrison Jr. receiving WR1 coverage and McBride receiving attention of his own, Wilson should have a clear path to beating his WR37 ranking.
Jalen Coker, WR, Carolina Panthers
This pick is from further down the list, with Coker ranked as the WR44, but with a few WR injury statuses still up in the air, you may suddenly need a deeper play. Truthfully, this one is more of a vibes pick, but signs are pointing to Coker being a decent flex play. The 2025 Bears ranked in the bottom 10 in pressure rate, which is exactly what Bryce Young needs to pass the ball downfield and move the offense. The Bears did overhaul the secondary in the offseason, but with Tetairoa McMillan seeing top coverage, Coker will have windows of opportunity. The Carolina staff believes in Coker enough to give him a three-year extension in the offseason. Coker put up big numbers in the Wildcard playoff game against the Rams to the tune of 12 targets for 9 receptions, 134 yards, and 1 TD. With four top-24 WR finishes in 2025, there is a chance Coker can continue his 2025 success in Week 1.