Fantasy: Week 1 Rankings - Analysis
Brace Hemmelgarn / USA TODAY Sports
Over the last two seasons, theScore's Justin Boone has finished in the top 10 in FantasyPros' Most Accurate Expert Competition. Follow the links to see his rankings for Week 1.
A final rankings update will be available on Sunday morning.
Rankings
QB | RB | WR | TE | DST | K
Quarterbacks
| Rank | Player | Matchup |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Peyton Manning - Den | vs. Ind |
| 2 | Drew Brees - NO | at Atl |
| 3 | Nick Foles - Phi | vs. Jac |
| 4 | Matthew Stafford - Det | vs. NYG |
| 5 | Matt Ryan - Atl | vs. NO |
| 6 | Jay Cutler - Chi | vs. Buf |
| 7 | Andrew Luck - Ind | at Den |
| 8 | Colin Kaepernick - SF | at Dal |
| 9 | Tom Brady - NE | at Mia |
| 10 | Aaron Rodgers - GB | at Sea |
| 11 | Russell Wilson - Sea | vs. GB |
| 12 | Tony Romo - Dal | vs. SF |
| 13 | Robert Griffin - Was | at Hou |
| 14 | Cam Newton - Car | at TB |
| 15 | Philip Rivers - SD | at Ari |
| 16 | Carson Palmer - Ari | vs. SD |
| 17 | Ben Roethlisberger - Pit | vs. Cle |
| 18 | Alex Smith - KC | vs. Ten |
| 19 | Jake Locker - Ten | at KC |
| 20 | Ryan Tannehill - Mia | vs. NE |
| 21 | Andy Dalton - Cin | at Bal |
| 22 | Geno Smith - NYJ | vs. Oak |
| 23 | Ryan Fitzpatrick - Hou | vs. Was |
| 24 | Josh McCown - TB | vs. Car |
| 25 | Shaun Hill - StL | vs. Min |
| 26 | Joe Flacco - Bal | vs. Cin |
| 27 | Eli Manning - NYG | at Det |
| 28 | Matt Cassel - Min | at StL |
| 29 | Derek Carr - Oak | at NYJ |
| 30 | Chad Henne - Jac | at Phi |
| 31 | Brian Hoyer - Cle | at Pit |
| 32 | EJ Manuel - Buf | at Chi |
- Peyton Manning and Drew Brees were the top two quarterbacks in my final draft rankings and in Week 1 they remain the best plays at the position. Manning will get a chance for revenge against the Colts, who stunned Denver last season, while Brees plays a porous Falcons defense.
- The Jaguars will be more competitive this year. Unfortunately for them, Chip Kelly has had all offseason to gameplan for this matchup. Nick Foles may not be as good as his 2013 numbers suggest, but he is poised to start strong in 2014.
- Andrew Luck will go up against a restocked Broncos defense that may be even better than some people realize. With the running game unlikely to offer any help, Luck will need to beat Denver himself and that could prove difficult under constant pressure from DeMarcus Ware and Von Miller.
- Quarterbacks facing the Cowboys will get a bump up the rankings all season long and Colin Kaepernick is the beneficiary this week. The only worry for Kaepernick owners is that the 49ers may not need to throw the ball to dominate in Dallas.
- With the Cardinals defense weakened by injuries and the Daryl Washington suspension, Carson Palmer will be asked to win games with his arm. Luckily for him, head coach Bruce Arians loves to air it out and with weapons like Larry Fitzgerald, Michael Floyd, Andre Ellington and the soon-to-be well known John Brown, the Chargers defense will be under fire on Monday night.
- Geno Smith showed signs of improvement last year and carried that over into the preseason. He gets the Raiders in Week 1, making him worth consideration as a spot start. Ryan Fitzpatrick also has a nice matchup at home against the Redskins. With Andre Johnson and DeAndre Hopkins on the outside, Fitzpatrick has the potential for a decent fantasy day.
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