Cooler heads prevail. It's a good life lesson, but especially one in fantasy football.
Every year, Week 1 comes and goes, and people completely lose focus on what matters. On Friday morning, after just two games of NFL action, I hosted an "Ask Me Anything" feature on Reddit's /r/fantasyfootball subreddit. Less than 48 hours removed from news of Brock Bowers' unexpected knee surgery and the morning after Kaelon Black's promising debut, a user asked me a question: "Would you try and flip Kaelon Black to the CMC owner for Bowers or is Black's value high enough to justify holding?" Just 0.7% of the way into the 2026 NFL season, someone was asking about trading a late-round dart throw for someone else's Round 2 pick. Bowers is only expected to miss a week or two, and McCaffrey's workload was reportedly reeled back because he was dealing with cramps. But these are the decisions that fantasy managers weigh after a little taste of action.
The reality is that you shouldn't overreact to Week 1. Last year, the Colts took the league by storm to start the season. The year before that, the Saints did the same. Both teams sputtered down the stretch when games matter most. Of course, the Seahawks looked good at the start of the 2025 season and ended with a Super Bowl. The Commanders surprised early in 2024 and reached the NFC Championship Game. Chasing big games could lead to gold or a trap. Historically, Week 1 surprises are a coin flip when it comes to predicting the rest of the season.
Now that's not to say that nothing matters. We just got a barrage of new information to process. Adjustments are necessary after Week 1, but cooler heads will prevail.
As a reminder, all movers will be noted with a "+" or "-" showing the change from last week's rankings. Significant movers will have a write-up explaining the change. New additions to the rankings will be marked as "NEW." Use these rankings as a guide for waiver wire moves and trade decisions. Target risers, cut fallers, and try to improve your roster where you can.
Rest-Of-Season Fantasy Football Rankings
Rest-Of-Season Quarterback Rankings
There isn't much major movement among the quarterbacks coming out of Week 1. With other positions, we get answers to questions. Running back committees become clear. Receiver pecking orders are shown. Tight ends and coaching personnel help us understand who to anticipate going forward. And while Justin Herbert admittedly looked awful and Bryce Young looked fantastic, it would be irresponsible to make any significant changes off one week, especially one as volatile as Week 1. Players mostly move within tiers. A concussion dictated a big fall for Kyler Murray, but most other moves were insignificant. Let's look at fresh rankings as we head into Week 2.
- QB1 - Josh Allen
- QB2 - Lamar Jackson
- QB3 - Caleb Williams (+3)- There was enough evidence in Week 1 that you should feel comfortable buying into the Bears' offense. They led the league with 0.39 EPA/play while routing the Panthers in a 59-point explosion. Most importantly, Williams took what he was given, something he struggled with greatly in 2025. He also led all quarterbacks with 65 scrambling yards, which resulted in two touchdowns. Williams showed flashes last season and should be an elite plug-and-play QB1 this year.
- QB4 - Joe Burrow
- QB5 - Drake Maye (-2)
- QB6 - Justin Herbert (-1)
- QB7 - Trevor Lawrence (+1)
- QB8 - Jayden Daniels (-1)
- QB9 - Brock Purdy
- QB10 - Jalen Hurts
- QB11 - Jaxson Dart (+3) - No stranger to big fantasy performances, Dart's Week 1 outing was most notable because he did it without a rushing touchdown. He came up shy of 30 fantasy points in every game without a rushing score last year, and amassed 34.9 on Sunday night. He threw for 230 yards and three touchdowns, along with 11 carries for 54 scoreless yards. The game seemed to slow down for Dart, who made good reads throughout. The Cowboys' defense is bad, and Dart will have some tougher sledding ahead. But his poise and athleticism will land him firmly in the QB1 discussion in Week 2.
- QB12 - Patrick Mahomes II (+4) - Any concerns that Mahomes wouldn't look like his old self coming off the ACL tear can be put to rest. He extended plays, he welcomed contact, and he played without any mental lapses. Any concerns about a slow start or limited mobility can be put to rest. Mahomes is back to being a fantasy QB1.
- QB13 - Dak Prescott (-2)
- QB14 - Bo Nix (-1)
- QB15 - Matthew Stafford (+2)
- QB16 - Malik Willis (+2)
- QB17 - Daniel Jones (-2)
- QB18 - Jared Goff (+1)
- QB19 - Tyler Shough (+1)
- QB20 - Jordan Love (+1)
- QB21 - Kyler Murray (-9) - A brutal early-game concussion knocked Murray out, and he couldn't return. He's expected to miss some time on concussion protocol, making him droppable in most formats. Carson Wentz will start in his absence and provide utility in two-quarterback and superflex leagues. Murray will be a high-end QB2 upon return.
- QB22 - Bryce Young (+4)
- QB23 - Baker Mayfield (-1)
- QB24 - Geno Smith (+3)
- QB25 - Cam Ward (-2)
- QB26 - C.J. Stroud (-2)
- QB27 - Sam Darnold (-2)
- QB28 - Aaron Rodgers
- QB29 - Kirk Cousins
- QB30 - Jacoby Brissett
- QB31 - Michael Penix Jr. (+2)
- QB32 - Deshaun Watson (-1)
- QB33 - Drew Lock (New)
- QB34 - Carson Wentz (+2)
- QB35 - Tua Tagovailoa (-3)
- QB36 - Shedeur Sanders (-1)
- QB37 - Fernando Mendoza (-3)
- QB38 - Justin Fields (-1)
- QB39 - Mac Jones (+1)
- QB40 - Ty Simpson (-2)
- QB41 - Cooper Rush (New)
- QB42 - Carson Beck (-1)
- QB43 - Riley Leonard
- QB44 - Tyson Bagent (-2)
- QB45 - Will Howard (-1)
- QB46 - Gardner Minshew II (-1)
- QB47 - J.J. McCarthy (-8)