Fantasy Football Week 1: Quarterbacks Who Will Thrive in Season Openers

It's never a sure thing that quarterbacks—even the best of the best—will thrive in the opening week of the NFL season.

For some of them, it takes a week or two to ease into things; for others, their first-week opponents are some of the toughest they'll face all season.

And of course, in the case of the rookies, we have no idea how they'll fare early on because we've never seen them perform on the big stage of a regular-season NFL game.

Here's a look at some of the quarterbacks to whom those conditions don't apply and who will start off strong.

Matt Ryan vs. Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs aren't the worst opponent to be facing in the first week of the season. They finished last season in last place in the AFC West, and though they're not as injury-ravaged now as they were for much of last season, they're not going to be the toughest of opponents for Matt Ryan and the Falcons, even on the road.

Last season, Ryan finished eighth in the league in passing yards, and he's never finished with fewer than nine wins in a season. His touchdown totals have steadily improved over his four seasons with the Falcons, and he's had two wins and two losses on opening day.

Plus, Ryan was strong in the all-important third preseason game against Miami, going 18-of-26 for 220 yards and a touchdown. He should be able to build upon that.

Matthew Stafford vs. St. Louis Rams

Even though he had a bit of an injury scare in his last preseason game—he hurt his left hand, but according to ESPN.com's Kevin Seifert, the X-rays were negative—Stafford will be good to go for the opener. He's playing at home, and the Lions are hosting the Rams, who were one of the worst teams in the NFL last year.

In 2011, St. Louis had the 22nd-ranked defense in the league, and the Lions had the fifth-best offense. Stafford had the best year of his career, throwing for 5,038 yards and 41 touchdowns.

Finally, the Lions offense is cruising: They have a star quarterback and a star receiver in Calvin Johnson, and the fact that they are facing such a weak opponent in the opening game bodes well for Stafford's numbers.

Tom Brady vs. Tennessee Titans

Objectively, Brady looks like a little bit of a wild card in Week 1. He finished the 2011 season on such a sour note, and he's no spring chicken anymore.

But he's still Tom Brady, and that's a good enough reason to expect him to put up big numbers in the first week—especially against the Titans, who aren't the strongest of opponents.

In three of the last five years, Brady has put up 38 points in Week 1 (and one of the years he didn't, of course, was the year he went down with a season-ending injury in Week 1).

Brady shows up to play early in the season, and that—coupled with the fact that he led the NFL's second-best offense in 2011—is a good sign for his fantasy owners.