Week 1 Fantasy Football PPR Rankings & Projections: Davante Adams at WR1
Contents
What’s up football fans! The NFL is right around the corner, and I’m unbelievably excited. Week 1 will bring some massive matchups and an exhilarating slate of fantasy-relevant games. If you’re preparing for your season-long draft, make sure you check out our fantasy football rankings. If you’re looking for seasonal profiles, long-form analysis, or positional ranking breakdowns, check out our fantasy football hub. With the industry-standard PPR scoring now the preferred format across the country, we’ll be breaking down rankings in that scoring format. Let’s dive in.
- Fantasy Football Weekly Rankings
- PPR Weekly Fantasy Football Rankings
- Half-PPR Weekly Fantasy Football Rankings
- Quarterback Fantasy Football Rankings
- Wide Receiver Fantasy Football Rankings
- Running Back Fantasy Football Rankings
- Tight End Fantasy Football Rankings
- Kicker Fantasy Football Rankings
- Defensive Player(IDP) Fantasy Football Rankings
- Defense Fantasy Football Rankings
Week 1 Quarterback Rankings
Week 1 Ranking | Player | Week 1 Opponent | Week 1 Projection |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Lamar Jackson | CLE | 23.2 |
2 | Patrick Mahomes | HOU | 21.7 |
3 | Dak Prescott | @LAR | 20.2 |
4 | Josh Allen | NYJ | 19.2 |
5 | Drew Brees | TB | 18.7 |
6 | Jared Goff | DAL | 18.6 |
7 | Russell Wilson | @ATL | 18.2 |
8 | Deshaun Watson | @KC | 18.1 |
9 | Carson Wentz | @WAS | 17.4 |
10 | Derek Carr | @CAR | 17.3 |
11 | Tyrod Taylor | @CIN | 17.2 |
12 | Tom Brady | @NO | 17.2 |
13 | Cam Newton | MIA | 17.2 |
14 | Joe Burrow | LAC | 17.0 |
15 | Kyler Murray | @SF | 16.6 |
16 | Ben Roethlisberger | @NYG | 16.5 |
17 | Matt Ryan | SEA | 16.2 |
18 | Teddy Bridgewater | OAK | 15.8 |
19 | Ryan Fitzpatrick | @NE | 15.7 |
20 | Mitch Trubisky | @DET | 15.4 |
21 | Aaron Rodgers | @MIN | 15.3 |
22 | Philip Rivers | @JAX | 15.3 |
23 | Matthew Stafford | CHI | 15.2 |
24 | Jimmy Garoppolo | ARI | 15.2 |
25 | Gardner Minshew | IND | 14.6 |
26 | Drew Lock | TEN | 14.4 |
27 | Kirk Cousins | GB | 14.3 |
28 | Dwayne Haskins | PHI | 12.9 |
29 | Baker Mayfield | @BAL | 12.5 |
30 | Ryan Tannehill | @DEN | 12.4 |
31 | Daniel Jones | PIT | 12.1 |
32 | Sam Darnold | @BUF | 10.3 |
Lamar Jackson checks in as my QB1 in Week 1 in a plus matchup against the Browns while Patrick Mahomes is unsurprisingly my #2 QB. I’m very excited about Dak Prescott and Jared Goff in what should be a Sunday Night shootout between the Cowboys and Rams. I also see both quarterbacks in the NFC South divisional affair between the Saints and Buccaneers to do well. I have Drew Brees and Tom Brady both making their way into the top 12 for Week 1. Two of my favorite streamers for Week 1 are Derek Carr and Tyrod Taylor, two guys who are likely to go undrafted in your league. I have both ranked inside the top 12 for Week 1 as both guys have matchups against soft defenses in the Panthers and Bengals, respectively. I’m lower on Kyler Murray this week, a guy who I have as a top-five QB for season-long formats, as I’m scared about his matchup with the dominant 49ers defense.
Week 1 Running Backs Rankings
Week 1 Ranking | Player | Week 1 Opponent | Week 1 Projection |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Christian McCaffrey | OAK | 25.6 |
2 | Ezekiel Elliott | @LAR | 22.3 |
3 | Alvin Kamara | TB | 21.5 |
4 | Dalvin Cook | GB | 21.3 |
5 | Joe Mixon | LAC | 20.7 |
6 | Austin Ekeler | @CIN | 20.5 |
7 | Josh Jacobs | @CAR | 20.3 |
8 | Saquon Barkley | PIT | 20.1 |
9 | David Johnson | @KC | 19.5 |
10 | Miles Sanders | @WAS | 19.4 |
11 | James Conner | @NYG | 19.4 |
12 | Clyde Edwards-Helaire | HOU | 19.3 |
13 | Aaron Jones | @MIN | 19.0 |
14 | Nick Chubb | @BAL | 18.5 |
15 | Mark Ingram | CLE | 18.3 |
16 | Todd Gurley | SEA | 17.7 |
17 | Chris Carson | @ATL | 17.5 |
18 | Devin Singletary | NYJ | 17.4 |
19 | Derrick Henry | @DEN | 17.3 |
20 | Kareem Hunt | @BAL | 17.0 |
21 | Kenyan Drake | @SF | 16.8 |
22 | Sony Michel | @MIA | 16.3 |
23 | Le'Veon Bell | @BUF | 15.9 |
24 | David Montgomery | @DET | 15.1 |
25 | Melvin Gordon | TEN | 14.9 |
26 | Ronald Jones II | @NO | 14.4 |
27 | Philip Lindsay | TEN | 14.2 |
28 | Raheem Mostert | ARI | 13.9 |
29 | Leonard Fournette | IND | 13.5 |
30 | Antonio Gibson | PHI | 13.4 |
31 | Jonathan Taylor | @JAX | 13.3 |
32 | Matt Breida | NE | 12.7 |
33 | Tarik Cohen | @DET | 12.5 |
34 | Nyheim Hines | @JAX | 12.3 |
35 | D'Andre Swift | CHI | 12.0 |
36 | Jordan Howard | NE | 11.9 |
37 | Adrian Peterson | PHI | 11.7 |
38 | James White | @MIA | 11.5 |
39 | Darrell Henderson | DAL | 11.2 |
40 | Cam Akers | DAL | 11.1 |
41 | Kerryon Johnson | CHI | 11.0 |
42 | Jerick McKinnon | ARI | 10.8 |
43 | Duke Johnson | @KC | 10.7 |
44 | Marlon Mack | @JAX | 10.6 |
45 | Latavius Murray | TB | 10.5 |
46 | Chris Thompson | IND | 10.4 |
47 | JK Dobbins | CLE | 9.8 |
48 | Zack Moss | NYJ | 8.8 |
49 | Chase Edmonds | @SF | 8.7 |
50 | Boston Scott | @WAS | 8.4 |
51 | Ke'Shawn Vaughn | @NO | 7.9 |
Christian McCaffrey was far and away the best running back in fantasy football last season, and I have him getting right back to that production as my number one guy this week. I have Joe Mixon making his way into the top five this week in a plus matchup at home against the Chargers. For the Chargers, I have Austin Ekeler coming through with a huge Week 1 to place him inside the top six guys. I have Josh Jacobs leading the NFL in carries for Week 1 as he should have plenty of running lanes in Carolina and the Raiders would love to establish the running game early in the year. Saquon Barkley drops to #8 in my rankings this week due to a tough matchup with the Steelers’ dominant front seven. David Johnson sneaks into the top ten due to the receiving work I see him having against the Chiefs. James Conner is likely to be around the top twelve range as long as he’s healthy and Clyde Edwards-Helaire should kick off a season as a top-twelve mainstay with a strong first week. Kenyan Drake, for similar reasons to Kyler Murray, sees a significant drop in my rankings due to the matchup with the 49ers. I’m also nervous about starting Le’Veon Bell against the Bills and Leonard Fournette against the Colts.
Week 1 Wide Receivers Rankings
Week 1 Ranking | Player | Week 1 Opponent | Week 1 Projection |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Davante Adams | @MIN | 22.1 |
2 | Michael Thomas | TB | 20.1 |
3 | Julio Jones | SEA | 19.8 |
4 | Tyreek Hill | HOU | 19.7 |
5 | Chris Godwin | @NO | 18.1 |
6 | Kenny Golladay | CHI | 17.4 |
7 | Cooper Kupp | DAL | 17.3 |
8 | Allen Robinson | @DET | 17.1 |
9 | Robert Woods | DAL | 17.1 |
10 | DJ Moore | LV | 16.9 |
11 | Keenan Allen | @CIN | 16.6 |
12 | DJ Chark | IND | 16.5 |
13 | Amari Cooper | @LAR | 16.4 |
14 | Marquise Brown | CLE | 16.4 |
15 | DeSean Jackson | @WAS | 16.3 |
16 | Terry McLaurin | PHI | 16.3 |
17 | Mike Evans | @NO | 16.2 |
18 | Calvin Ridley | SEA | 16.1 |
19 | Tyler Lockett | @ATL | 16.1 |
20 | JuJu Smith-Schuster | @NYG | 15.8 |
21 | DeAndre Hopkins | @SF | 15.7 |
22 | Odell Beckham Jr. | @BAL | 15.6 |
23 | Courtland Sutton | TEN | 15.6 |
24 | DeVante Parker | NE | 15.4 |
25 | Anthony Miller | @DET | 15.3 |
26 | Adam Thielen | GB | 15.1 |
27 | T.Y. Hilton | @JAX | 15.1 |
28 | A.J. Brown | @DEN | 15.1 |
29 | Michael Gallup | @LAR | 14.9 |
30 | Jarvis Landry | @BAL | 14.9 |
31 | Marvin Jones | CHI | 14.6 |
32 | DK Metcalf | @ATL | 14.4 |
33 | Stefon Diggs | NYJ | 14.2 |
34 | Mecole Hardman | HOU | 13.3 |
35 | Kendrick Bourne | ARI | 13.2 |
36 | John Brown | NYJ | 13.1 |
37 | Diontae Johnson | @NYG | 12.8 |
38 | Emmanuel Sanders | TB | 12.7 |
39 | Curtis Samuel | LV | 12.7 |
40 | Will Fuller | @KC | 12.6 |
41 | Jerry Jeudy | TEN | 12.4 |
42 | Golden Tate | NYG | 12.3 |
43 | Brandin Cooks | @KC | 12.3 |
44 | A.J. Green | LAC | 12.3 |
45 | Jamison Crowder | @BUF | 12.2 |
46 | Preston Williams | NE | 12.2 |
47 | Darius Slayton | PIT | 11.7 |
48 | Tyler Boyd | LAC | 11.6 |
49 | Julian Edelman | @MIA | 11.4 |
50 | Henry Ruggs III | @CAR | 11.3 |
51 | Hunter Renfrow | @CAR | 11.2 |
52 | Allen Lazard | @MIN | 11.1 |
53 | Robby Anderson | LV | 10.1 |
54 | Jalen Reagor | @WAS | 10.0 |
55 | Michael Pittman Jr. | @JAX | 9.9 |
56 | N'Keal Harry | @MIA | 9.8 |
57 | John Ross | LAC | 9.7 |
58 | CeeDee Lamb | LAR | 9.7 |
59 | Randall Cobb | @KC | 9.7 |
60 | Sammy Watkins | HOU | 9.6 |
61 | Dede Westbrook | IND | 9.6 |
62 | Larry Fitzgerald | @SF | 9.1 |
63 | James Washington | @NYG | 9.0 |
64 | Christian Kirk | @SF | 8.9 |
65 | Breshad Perriman | @BUF | 8.8 |
66 | Justin Jefferson | GB | 8.4 |
67 | Sterling Shepard | PIT | 8.0 |
68 | Brandon Aiyuk | ARI | 7.9 |
69 | Corey Davis | @DEN | 7.8 |
70 | Cole Beasley | NYJ | 6.2 |
Davante Adams is set for a massive week as he is facing one of his favorite opponents in the division-rival Vikings. Adams already went over 100 yards twice against Minnesota last year and they are facing the loss of their top three cornerbacks from last season. Kenny Golladay’s matchup with the Bears may scare you, but I’m confident in his ability to perform as a top-ten guy as he had two excellent games against Chicago last season. Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods should kick off this season with strong performances against a transitioning Dallas secondary. I’m fading on Keenan Allen a bit in season-long formats, but for this week at least Mike Williams will be absent, leaving Allen with a ton of pass-catching work. Two speedsters in Marquise Brown and DeSean Jackson round out my top 15. Brown’s numbers against Cleveland last season were not spectacular, but I’m expecting him to have a breakout 2020. Jackson always seems to explode in Week 1 and he’ll be taking on his former team in Washington. DeAndre Hopkins saw a noticeable dip in his stats for this week due to the matchup with San Francisco. Some of my favorite sleepers to return top-36 value this week are Mecole Hardman, Kendrick Bourne, Curtis Samuel, and Will Fuller.
Week 1 Tight Ends Rankings
Week 1 Ranking | Player | Week 1 Opponent | Week 1 Projection |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Travis Kelce | HOU | 18.3 |
2 | George Kittle | ARI | 16.1 |
3 | Zach Ertz | @WAS | 14.9 |
4 | Hayden Hurst | SEA | 14.7 |
5 | Darren Waller | @CAR | 14.0 |
6 | Hunter Henry | @CIN | 13.9 |
7 | Mark Andrews | CLE | 13.8 |
8 | Jonnu Smith | @DEN | 13.4 |
9 | Jared Cook | TB | 13.0 |
10 | Evan Engram | PIT | 12.1 |
11 | Tyler Higbee | DAL | 12.0 |
12 | Greg Olsen | @ATL | 11.7 |
13 | Noah Fant | TEN | 10.8 |
14 | Blake Jarwin | @LAR | 10.7 |
15 | Rob Gronkowski | @NO | 10.6 |
16 | Mike Gisecki | @NE | 10.5 |
17 | Eric Ebron | @NYG | 10.2 |
18 | Jack Doyle | @JAX | 10.1 |
19 | Ian Thomas | LV | 9.5 |
20 | Gerald Everett | DAL | 9.4 |
21 | Irv Smith Jr. | GB | 9.2 |
22 | Dallas Goedert | WAS | 9.1 |
23 | Austin Hooper | @BAL | 8.9 |
24 | T.J. Hockenson | CHI | 8.8 |
25 | Tyler Eifert | IND | 8.6 |
26 | Kyle Rudolph | GB | 8.4 |
27 | Chris Herndon | @BUF | 8.1 |
28 | Jimmy Graham | @DET | 7.8 |
29 | O.J. Howard | @NO | 6.9 |
30 | C.J. Uzomah | LAC | 5.9 |
Travis Kelce and George Kittle are the big names at tight end and neither player has a matchup that’s overly concerning in Week 1. If you drafted Zach Ertz, Darren Waller, or Mark Andrews early you’re obviously starting them, and their matchups should be just fine as well. Hayden Hurst has an awesome opportunity to set the tone for his first season with the Falcons as the Seahawks gave up among the most points to tight ends last year. Hunter Henry should see an uptick in target share, particularly in the red zone, for as long as Mike Williams is out of the lineup. The Tyrod Taylor and Hunter Henry stack is going to be one of my favorites for DFS in Week 1. Some of the tight ends who fell in my rankings for this week due to tough matchups are Evan Engram (#10), Austin Hooper (#23), and T.J. Hockenson (#24). Greg Olsen and Blake Jarwin are two great streaming targets for Week 1 who may still be on your waiver wire.
Week 1 Kicker Rankings
Week 1 Ranking | Player | Week 1 Opponent | Week 1 Projections |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Justin Tucker | CLE | 16 |
2 | Mason Crosby | @MIN | 15 |
3 | Wil Lutz | TB | 14 |
4 | Jake Eliott | @WAS | 12 |
5 | Harrison Butker | HOU | 12 |
6 | Michael Badgley | @CIN | 11 |
7 | Ka'imi Fairbairn | @KC | 11 |
8 | Robbie Gould | ARI | 10 |
9 | Brandon McManus | TEN | 10 |
10 | Joey Slye | LV | 10 |
11 | Dan Bailey | GB | 10 |
12 | Dustin Hopkins | PHI | 9 |
13 | Younghoe Koo | SEA | 9 |
14 | Steven Haushcka | NYJ | 8 |
15 | Chris Boswell | @NYG | 8 |
16 | Nick Folk | MIA | 8 |
17 | Jason Myers | @ATL | 8 |
18 | Greg Zuerlein | @LAR | 8 |
19 | Sam Sloman | DAL | 8 |
20 | Matt Prater | CHI | 7 |
21 | Matt Gay | @NO | 7 |
22 | Randy Bullock | LAC | 7 |
23 | Chase McLaughlin | @JAX | 6 |
24 | Greg Joseph | @DEN | 5 |
25 | Chandler Catanzaro | PIT | 5 |
26 | Daniel Carlson | @CAR | 4 |
27 | Jason Sanders | @NE | 4 |
28 | Austin Seibert | @BAL | 4 |
29 | Josh Lambo | IND | 3 |
30 | Zane Gonzalez | @SF | 3 |
31 | Eddy Pineiro | @DET | 2 |
32 | Sam Ficken | @BUF | 2 |
One of my favorite things to look for when selecting which kicker to use each week in fantasy is the over/under for a particular matchup. For example, Harrison Butker and Ka’imi Fairbairn are two of my projected highest-scoring kickers this week and they play for the two teams who are meeting in the Week 1 contest with the highest projected points total in Las Vegas. Justin Tucker should do plenty of scoring against the Browns, a team that always tends to lead to higher scoring output from Baltimore. Mason Crosby, Wil Lutz, and Jake Elliott all have tremendous opportunities as well to return top five value.
Week 1 Defense Rankings
Week 1 Ranking | Team | Week 1 Opponent | Week 1 Projection |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Buffalo Bills | NYJ | 14.5 |
2 | Pittsburgh Steelers | @NYG | 10.5 |
3 | Philadelphia Eagles | @WAS | 9.0 |
4 | Baltimore Ravens | CLE | 8.6 |
5 | San Francisco 49ers | ARI | 8.5 |
6 | New England Patriots | MIA | 8.2 |
7 | Kansas City Chiefs | HOU | 7.9 |
8 | Indianapolis Colts | @JAX | 7.8 |
9 | Seattle Seahawks | @ATL | 7.3 |
10 | Denver Broncos | TEN | 7.0 |
11 | Los Angeles Chargers | @CIN | 6.9 |
12 | Tennessee Titans | @DEN | 6.8 |
13 | Washington Football Team | PHI | 6.5 |
14 | New Orleans Saints | TB | 6.4 |
15 | Detroit Lions | CHI | 6.3 |
16 | Chicago Bears | @DET | 6.2 |
17 | New York Jets | @BUF | 6.2 |
18 | Carolina Panthers | LV | 6.2 |
19 | Dallas Cowboys | @LAR | 6.1 |
20 | Las Vegas Raiders | @CAR | 5.8 |
21 | Miami Dolphins | @NE | 5.8 |
22 | Minnesota Vikings | GB | 5.5 |
23 | Jacksonville Jaguars | IND | 5.1 |
24 | Green Bay Packers | @MIN | 5.1 |
25 | New York Giants | PIT | 4.9 |
26 | Arizona Cardinals | @SF | 4.8 |
27 | Cleveland Browns | @BAL | 4.8 |
28 | Los Angeles Rams | DAL | 4.7 |
29 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | @NO | 4.7 |
30 | Atlanta Falcons | SEA | 4.6 |
31 | Houston Texans | @KC | 4.4 |
32 | Cincinatti Bengals | LAC | 4.3 |
I have the Bills ranked as the top DST for Week 1 thanks to a perfect matchup against what was an anemic Jets offense last season. The Bills-Jets game has one of the lower over/under totals in the league for the first week and I wouldn’t be shocked if both teams produce fantasy-viable DSTs. The Steelers are not only one of the most elite defenses in the NFL, but they also have a juicy Week 1 matchup against the Giants. The Eagles should be in a good position to pick on the still-developing second-year quarterback Dwayne Haskins. There are plenty of defenses this week, including the Colts, Seahawks, and Broncos, which may not be drafted in your league but can still provide excellent starting value.
- PPR Fantasy Football Rankings Week 1
- Fantasy Football Sleepers Week 1
- Fantasy Football Defense Rankings Week 1
- Defense Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Week 1
- RB Waiver Pickups & Adds Week 1
- WR Rankings & Projections (PPR) Week 1
- RB Start, Sit Week 1
- Waiver Wire Top Pickups & Adds Week 1
- WR Waiver Pickups & Adds Week 1
- Week 1 TE Rankings & Projections (PPR)
- Week 1 TE Waiver Pickups
- Week 1 QB Waiver Pickups & Adds
- Week 1 Kicker Rankings & Pickups
- Week 1 RB Fantasy Rankings PPR
- Week 1 Kicker Waiver Wire Pickups
- Week 1 QB Start, Sit
- Week 1 QB Fantasy Rankings
- Week 1 WR Start, Sit
- Week 1 TE Start, Sit
- Week 1 Top 9 Fantasy Defenses
- Week Top 8 Fantasy Streamers
- Week 1 Top 24 Defensive Players (IDP)
- Week 1 Injury Status