Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott didn't get the contract extension he hoped for this offseason, and now he'll enter the 2024 NFL season facing questions about his future. The Cowboys had the No. 1 scoring offense in the NFL last season, but draw a tough opening-week matchup, with the Browns ranking first in the league in total defense in 2023. Prescott was the eighth quarterback off the board on average, so if you selected him and managed to land a viable backup, you may consider sitting him with your Week 1 Fantasy football picks.
Who should you favor as you make difficult Fantasy football start-sit decisions while setting your Week 1 Fantasy football QB rankings and how can you position yourself for season-long success? With a reliable set of Week 1 Fantasy football rankings, you can help ensure you're getting maximum value out of every position. Before you lock in your Week 1 Fantasy football picks, be sure to check out the Week 1 Fantasy football position rankings from the proven computer model at SportsLine.
When it comes to ranking players, SportsLine's model beat human experts in Fantasy football for the past several seasons, especially when there were big differences in ranking. Over the course of a season, that could literally be the difference between winning your league or going home emptyhanded.
The same model has a proven track record providing Fantasy football tips, including being ahead of the curve on players like A.J. Brown, Jonathan Taylor, Derrick Henry, Christian McCaffrey, Alvin Kamara, and Jahmyr Gibbs. Anybody who banked on players like those made a run at their league title.
Now, SportsLine has simulated the entire Week 1 NFL schedule 10,000 times and released its latest Week 1 Fantasy football rankings. Head to SportsLine now to see them.
Top Week 1 Fantasy football QB rankings
Here's a look at SportsLine's top Week 1 Fantasy football QB picks for Sunday and Monday:
1. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills: Allen has finished first in CBS Sports PPR scoring among Fantasy football quarterbacks three times and second once over the last four years. He's accounted for at least two touchdowns in 18 consecutive games now including the postseason and that's a trend the model sees continuing against a Cardinals defense that ranked 31st in points allowed last season.
2. C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans: In two games against the Colts last season, Stroud threw for 648 yards and four touchdowns. He also averaged 8.9 yards per pass attempt and threw 17 of his 23 touchdown passes as a rookie at home. He'll open the season at home against Indianapolis.
3. Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: The former No. 1 overall pick revived his career in Tampa Bay last season, throwing for 4,044 yards and 28 touchdowns with only 10 interceptions. Then in the postseason, he was even better, throwing for 686 yards and six touchdowns while nearly leading the Bucs to the NFC championship game. He'll begin his season against last year's worst pass defense (Washington). See more top QBs here.
Top Week 1 Fantasy football RB rankings
Here's a look at SportsLine's top Week 1 Fantasy football RB picks:
1. Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers: McCaffrey missed most of training camp due to a calf injury, but he returned to practice earlier this week and is getting back to game speed. He finished as the RB1 in all Fantasy formats last season, showing no signs of slowing down heading into his age 28 campaign. The Jets don't offer the easiest matchup in Week 1, but McCaffrey has proven he can feast against even the best defenses in the league.
2. Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts: He missed the first four games last season due to a contract dispute and an injury before missing three games from Weeks 13-15 with another injury. However, he is still one of the best running backs in the league when he is healthy, and he finally gets to play at the same time as quarterback Anthony Richardson. Taylor is playing in what should be a shootout against the Texans in Week 1, making him the second running back atop the model's rankings.
3. Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Falcons: Robinson rushed for 976 yards and four touchdowns during his rookie season, as Tyler Allgeier took away many goal-line opportunities and suppressed Robinson's Fantasy ceiling. However, Robinson has expressed his excitement about the changes made by offensive coordinator Zac Robinson this offseason. He is facing a Pittsburgh defense that finished in the bottom half of the NFL in rushing yards allowed per game last season, so the model has him rounding out its top three running backs this week. See more top RBs here.
Top Week 1 Fantasy football WR rankings
Here's a look at SportsLine's top Week 1 Fantasy football WR picks:
1. Tyreek Hill, Miami Dolphins: Hill finished tied for second in the NFL last season in receptions (119) and led the league in receiving yards (1,799) and receiving touchdowns (13). He's topped 1,700 yards in both of his season in Miami now and during last year's season opener, he had 11 catches for 215 yards and two touchdowns.
2. Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit Lions: Brown's 119 catches for 1,515 yards and 10 touchdowns were all career-highs in 2023 and he also earned first-team All-Pro honors. He caught a touchdown pass in a Week 1 win over Kansas City last year and had seven catches for 110 yards in a playoff matchup against the Rams -- Detroit's Week 1 opponent.
3. Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings: Jefferson battled hamstring injuries in 2023 and the Vikings let Kirk Cousins walk this offseason but concerns about Jefferson are likely overblown. In four starts without Cousins last season, he had 30 catches for 476 yards and two touchdowns. See more top WRs here.
Top Week 1 Fantasy football TE rankings
Here's a look at SportsLine's top Week 1 Fantasy football TE picks:
1. Sam LaPorta, Detroit Lions: After setting the rookie tight end record receptions (86) and tying the rookie TE record for touchdowns in the Super Bowl era (10), LaPorta took his game to another level in the postseason. He had 21 catches for 176 yards in the playoffs and also scored a touchdown in the Wild Card Round versus the Rams, who are the Lions' opponent in Week 1.
2. Taysom Hill, New Orleans Saints: Hill's week-to-week usage can vary, but the Saints should deploy him liberally considering his success against Carolina last season. In his one game against the Panthers, Hill had 10 touches for 74 total yards while also completing an eight-yard pass. He's a big threat to find the endzone this week facing a Panthers defense that allowed the fourth-most points last year.
3. Dalton Kincaid, Buffalo Bills: With the mass exodus of pass catchers from Buffalo, Kincaid becomes one of Josh Allen's favorite targets by default. His matchup also warrants him as a top Week 1 Fantasy football TE pick as Buffalo takes on an Arizona team which allowed the second-most touchdowns to opposing TEs last season. See more top TEs here.
Top Week 1 Fantasy football defense rankings
Here's a look at SportsLine's top three Week 1 Fantasy football D/ST picks:
1.Giants D/ST: Justin Jefferson will inevitably get his (see above) but the Giants are a tough matchup for a turnover-prone journeyman quarterback like Darnold. The Giants forced a league-leading 31 turnovers in 2023 and Darnold has 56 interceptions and 38 fumbles in 66 career games.
2. 49ers D/ST: Aaron Rodgers is back but this 49ers defense is healthy again and absolutely loaded. They ranked third in the NFL in scoring defense and fifth in takeaways. The front seven should pose issues for a Jets offensive line that allowed 64 sacks last year.
3. Vikings D/ST: Saquon Barkley left in free agency and the Giants weren't able to address their quarterback situation this offseason. Daniel Jones had two passing touchdowns and threw six interceptions in six starts last year and that makes Minnesota a strong streaming candidate in Week 1. See more top defenses here.
How to get Week 1 Fantasy football rankings
Now that you know who the top three at each position are, you'll want to see the full Week 1 Fantasy football rankings from SportsLine. The model has identified a stunner in the top five at quarterback, and knowing who it is can give you a huge edge in your league. Head to SportsLine now to get Week 1 Fantasy football rankings.
So who should you target in your Week 1 Fantasy football rankings, and which surprising QB could lead you to victory? Visit SportsLine now to get Week 1 Fantasy Football rankings for every single position, all from the model that has a history of making league-winning calls, and find out.
