The best day of the year is almost upon us. The fantasy football season starts tomorrow. At this point in time, every team in your league has a chance to win the championship. Which quarterbacks are going to win fantasy football matchups? To find out, take a look at the Week 1 quarterback rankings.
Read More: Week 1 Running Back Rankings
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Week 1 Fantasy Football Quarterback Rankings
Tier 1: Week Winners
- Lamar Jackson
- Patrick Mahomes
- Jalen Hurts
- Josh Allen
Lamar Jackson has the highest weekly ceiling of any quarterback in the league and gets to go up against a Houston defense that is among the worst in the league. He and Mark Andrews should both have huge games. Travis Kelce’s possible absence moves Patrick Mahomes down to number two in the quarterback rankings, but Mahomes is good enough that he should still produce great numbers.
Jalen Hurts provides great value with his legs and has an elite group of receiving targets composed of A.J. Brown, Devonta Smith, and Dallas Goedert. Josh Allen was the QB2 last year and should start the season well against the Jets, even if Sauce Gardner can slow down Stefon Diggs.
Lamar Jackson madness?
Lamar Jackson madness. #RavensFlock pic.twitter.com/xMuiQPlLTS
— Nic Mason (@British_Raven19) September 1, 2023
Tier 2: Solid Starters
- Justin Herbert
- Joe Burrow
- Justin Fields
- Trevor Lawrence
The Chargers should be in a shoot-out against the Dolphins, meaning Justin Herbert will need to throw early and often. It would not be surprising to see a top-three finish from him this week. Joe Burrow may have the best receiving corps in the league between Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Tyler Boyd, but Cleveland’s defense may cause him to start this season slowly.
Justin Fields’ rushing ability should help him be a consistent QB1 this year, but questions remain about his passing. Trevor Lawrence is entering year three and has a bevy of talented skill-position players at his disposal. The arrival of Calvin Ridley to this talented group should help Lawrence improve from his sophomore campaign.
Start your weekend watching Justin Fields being the best athlete on a football field 🐻⬇️ pic.twitter.com/VkjcUZvAKd
— Bears Nation (@BearsNationCHI) September 2, 2023
Tier 3: Back-end QB1s
- Tua Tagovailoa
- Dak Prescott
- Kirk Cousins
- Jared Goff
- Deshaun Watson
Tua Tagovailoa produced well on a per-game basis last season and is healthy right now. He should be able to put up good stats against the Chargers defense, putting him atop this tier of the quarterback rankings. Dak Prescott has consistently been a solid option when healthy. Kirk Cousins has the best receiver in football, but Tampa Bay is a very tough matchup.
Jared Goff is a quarterback who is being undervalued, and he will have to throw a lot to keep Detroit in the game against Kansas City. His weapons are good, and he will surprise a lot of people in week one. Cleveland will probably try to run a lot against Cincinnati, hurting Deshaun Watson’s ceiling in this game.
Tier 4: Streaming Options
- Geno Smith
- Daniel Jones
- Anthony Richardson
- Russell Wilson
- Aaron Rodgers
- Derek Carr
- Sam Howell
- Kenny Pickett
- Matthew Stafford
Geno Smith came out of nowhere to be a very serviceable fantasy quarterback last year. He’s the streaming option with the highest floor, but Seattle will likely run a lot against the Rams, lowering his ceiling. Daniel Jones also has a high floor because of his rushing ability, but a low ceiling as he does not throw for many touchdowns. Anthony Richardson is a wildcard who could have a very high ceiling, but he struggled as a passer in college and is playing his first NFL game.
Russell Wilson disappointed last year, and while Sean Payton is a much better coach than Nathaniel Hackett, Jerry Jeudy is injured, and Wilson is clearly on the decline. However, Las Vegas is a good matchup. Aaron Rodgers has a tough matchup and is coming off a poor season but has much better weapons than last year. New Orleans has sneaky good options at the skill positions, so Derek Carr might be able to pass well against Tennessee.
Sam Howell is hard to predict, but Arizona is a fantastic matchup for the second-year quarterback in his second career start. Pittsburgh is a very run-heavy team, but Diontae Johnson and George Pickens are good receivers that may help Pickett make a sophomore leap. With Kupp’s injury, Matthew Stafford ranks at the very bottom of this tier of quarterback rankings. If healthy, however, he is a solid quarterback who is capable of putting up numbers.
Throwback to last years Florida-Utah game when Anthony Richardson pulled this off🤧
— PFF College (@PFF_College) August 31, 2023
Tier 5: Dart Throws
- Baker Mayfield
- Jordan Love
- Bryce Young
- Brock Purdy
- Desmond Ridder
- Jimmy Garoppolo
- Ryan Tannehill
- Mac Jones
- C.J. Stroud
- Arizona Cardinals Quarterback
Baker Mayfield has struggled in recent years but has two great receivers in Chris Godwin and Mike Evans. Jordan Love is finally getting the chance to start, but it’s hard to say how well he will do. Young is a great talent but is playing in his first game. Brock Purdy has elite weapons but is only a game manager for a run-heavy team.
Desmond Ridder plays for the most run-heavy team in football, but Drake London, Kyle Pitts, and Bijan Robinson should give Atlanta plenty of chances to score. Davante Adams should give Jimmy Garoppolo a floor, but the ceiling is nonexistent.
Ryan Tannehill has been good in the past but has regressed heavily over the last two seasons. Mac Jones has a very tough matchup, and the Patriots do not pass often. C.J. Stroud doesn’t have many pass-catchers to throw the ball to and has yet to play an NFL snap. If you’re starting Joshua Dobbs or Clayton Tune, you’ve already lost your week.
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Main Photo: Sam Greene – USA Today Sports
