Who should I start in Fantasy Football? NFL week 1 roster recommendations by position

The NFL season officially kicks off tomorrow! That means it’s time to begin your weekly Wednesday tradition of setting your fantasy lineup.

Week 1 is the most difficult to predict, obviously, as most players are just big question marks until later in the season when we get a feel for how they’re doing and if they’re playing consistently. So the best approach for Week 1 of fantasy football is just to go with those you drafted to be your starters.

Still, if you are struggling to choose between players, here are my Week 1 rankings by position based on matchups, injuries, and other potential relevant factors.

NFL Week 1: Fantasy Football roster recommendations by position

Quarterback

There are a few quarterbacks who have concerning matchups in Week 1 - Dak Prescott vs the Browns defense, Brock Purdy vs the Jets defense, and Justin Herbert vs his own right foot. With that in mind, here are the rankings for QB in Week 1. If you do plan to start Herbert, make sure to check on his injury status before game time.

Wide Receiver

A few things to keep in mind when choosing your starting receivers:

Chiefs Marquise Brown is not projected to start, so Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy will be the top WRs in Week 1. Josh Downs is not projected to start for the Colts, so Michael Pittman will be their WR1 and Adonai Mitchell will have a chance to contribute as well.

WRs whose status you’ll need to check on before starting: Tyreek Hill, Puka Nacua, Ja’Marr Chase, Jaylen Waddle, Davante Adams, Christian Kirk, Keenan Allen, Rashid Shaheed, Tyler Lockett, and DeAndre Hopkins.

Running Back

Running backs not projected to start include Browns’ Nick Chubb, Panthers’ Jonathan Brooks, and Chiefs’ Clyde Edwards-Helaire. Until Chubb is back, it will be Jerome Ford at the RB2 spot for the Browns. Chuba Hubbard will be the RB1 for the Panthers, and while Samaje Perine and Carson Steele may see some more reps with Edwards-Helaire out, Isiah Pacheco will be the RB to start for the Chiefs.

RBs whose status you’ll need to check on before starting: Christian McCaffrey, Jahmyr Gibbs, and Zach Charbonnet.

Tight End

Last season, Travis Kelce began a decline for the first time in years. He saw just 8.1 targets in the regular season, his lowest since 2016, and his 10.6 yards per reception was the lowest in his career. Considering he’s about to turn 35, it’s not likely he’s improving on those numbers this season. Still, his postseason stats were a lot more impressive, so take that as you will. The point is, there are some younger guys making it at the top this year, looking to take the crown from Kelce.

Tight ends who are not projected to play in Week 1 are Vikings’ T.J. Hockenson and Rams’ Tyler Higbee. It wouldn’t really be worth it to put in a Vikings’ backup tight end, but for the Rams, Colby Parkinson could be a potential option in deep leagues.

TEs whose status you’ll need to check on before starting: Sam LaPorta, David Njoku, Mark Andrews, Dallas Goedert, Brock Bowers, Hunter Henry, and Noah Fant.

Defense

Kicker

Kickers whose status you’ll need to check on before starting: Dustin Hopkins and Eddy Pineiro.