Week 1 Fantasy Football Rankings: Position-by-Position Breakdown

Week 1 of the 2014 NFL season begins Thursday, but fantasy football owners have been preparing for months, mulling over the latest rankings and positional breakdowns.

Whether you’re in a long-term dynasty league with friends and family or playing on a week-to-week website, it is imperative to start the players in Week 1 with the best chance to yield big points for your team.

Here is a position-by-position fantasy breakdown heading into Week 1.

Quarterbacks

Rank	Player	Opponent	Projections
1	Peyton Manning, DEN	vs. Indianapolis Colts	28 Points
2	Drew Brees, NO	at Atlanta Falcons	25 Points
3	Aaron Rodgers, GB	at Seattle Seahawks	23 Points
4	Matthew Stafford, DET	vs. New York Giants	21 Points
5	Tom Brady, NE	at Miami Dolphins	19 Points
6	Andrew Luck, IND	at Denver Broncos	19 Points
7	Nick Foles, PHI	vs. Jacksonville Jaguars	19 Points
8	Matt Ryan, ATL	vs. New Orleans Saints	18 Points
9	Philip Rivers, SD	at Arizona Cardinals	18 Points
10	Jay Cutler, CHI	vs. Buffalo Bills	17 Points
11	Tony Romo, DAL	vs. San Francisco 49ers	17 Points
12	Cam Newton, CAR	at Tampa Bay Buccaneers	17 Points
13	Colin Kaepernick, SF	at Dallas Cowboys	16 Points
14	Robert Griffin III, WAS	at Houston Texans	15 Points
15	Eli Manning, NYG	at Detroit Lions	15 Points

The top of the quarterback rankings are easy to decipher at the start of the season. Peyton Manning, Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers are all studs and will rack up big points for their respective owners.

After the top three, look for several underrated players to step up early in the season and perform well. Veterans like Tom Brady, Tony Romo and Philip Rivers all have matchups they can exploit for big statistical outcomes.

One player not getting enough attention is Atlanta Falcons QB Matt Ryan. With a favorable matchup against the New Orleans Saints secondary and both Julio Jones and Roddy White healthy, Ryan will be one of the best fantasy players from the first week.

Running Backs

Rank	Player	Opponent	Projection
1	LeSean McCoy, PHI	vs. Jacksonville Jaguars	20 Points
2	Jamaal Charles, KC	vs. Tennessee Titans	20 Points
3	Adrian Peterson, MIN	at St. Louis Rams	18 Points
4	Matt Forte, CHI	vs. Buffalo Bills	17 Points
5	Eddie Lacy, GB	at Seattle Seahawks	16 Points
6	Marshawn Lynch, SEA	vs. Green Bay Packers	16 Points
7	DeMarco Murray, DAL	vs. San Francisco 49ers	15 Points
8	Shane Vereen, NE	at Miami Dolphins	15 Points
9	Reggie Bush, DET	vs. New York Giants	15 Points
10	Zac Stacy, STL	vs. Minnesota Vikings	14 Points
11	Montee Ball, DEN	vs. Indianapolis Colts	14 Points
12	Le'Veon Bell, PIT	vs. Cleveland Browns	14 Points
13	Arian Foster, HOU	vs. Washington	12 Points
14	Frank Gore, SF	at Dallas Cowboys	12 Points
15	Ryan Mathews, SD	at Arizona Cardinals	12 Points
16	Giovani Bernard, CIN	at Baltimore Ravens	11 Points
17	Andre Ellington, ARI	vs. San Diego Chargers	11 Points
18	Rashad Jennings, NYG	at Detroit Lions	11 Points
19	C.J. Spiller, BUF	at Chicago Bears	10 Points
20	Trent Richardson, IND	at Denver Broncos	10 Points
21	Alfred Morris, WAS	at Houston Texans	10 Points
22	Bernard Pierce, BAL	vs. Cincinnati Bengals	10 Points
23	Ben Tate, CLE	at Pittsburgh Steelers	9 Points
24	Toby Gerhart, JAC	at Philadelphia Eagles	9 Points
25	Chris Johnson, NYJ	vs. Oakland Raiders	9 Points

The usual suspects are at the top of the rankings in Week 1. If you have LeSean McCoy, Jamaal Charles, Adrian Peterson or Matt Forte, you are starting them each and every week until injuries or bye weeks force you to make a move. These are the best four running backs in the league.

From there, things get a little cloudy. Eddie Lacy and Marshawn Lynch are top players as well, but they square off on Thursday night in a showcase that may feature more passing than rushing. DeMarco Murray is also facing a tough test against San Francisco this week.

Despite tough matchups, the three previously mentioned backs are worth starts, but that’s not the case for every top player at the position. Montee Ball could struggle against Indianapolis, and Arian Foster could easily falter against Washington.

One player not getting the attention he deserves is Trent Richardson. He has struggled at points over the last year, but with a better understanding of the team’s game plan and more confidence, Richardson is a smart flex play with RB2 potential.

Wide Receivers

Rank	Player	Opponent	Projection
1	Calvin Johnson, DET	vs. New York Giants	18 Points
2	Demaryius Thomas, DEN	vs. Indianapolis Colts	18 Points
3	Dez Bryant, DAL	vs. San Francisco 49ers	16 Points
4	A.J. Green, CIN	at Baltimore Ravens	16 Points
5	Brandon Marshall, CHI	vs. Buffalo Bills	16 Points
6	Julio Jones, ATL	vs. New Orleans Saints	14 Points
7	Antonio Brown, PIT	vs. Cleveland Browns	14 Points
8	Andre Johnson, HOU	vs. Washington	14 Points
9	Jordy Nelson, GB	at Seattle Seahawks	14 Points
10	Larry Fitzgerald, ARI	vs. San Diego Chargers	12 Points
11	Victor Cruz, NYG	at Detroit Lions	12 Points
12	Alshon Jeffery, CHI	vs. Buffalo Bills	12 Points
13	Roddy White, ATL	vs. New Orleans Saints	12 Points
14	Vincent Jackson, TB	vs. Carolina Panthers	11 Points
15	Keenan Allen, SD	at Arizona Cardinals	11 Points
16	Marques Colston, NO	at Atlanta Falcons	10 Points
17	Torrey Smith, BAL	vs. Cincinnati Bengals	10 Points
18	Pierre Garcon, WAS	at Houston Texans	10 Points
19	Julian Edelman, NE	at Miami Dolphins	10 Points
20	Cordarrelle Patterson, MIN	at St. Louis Rams	9 Points
21	Randall Cobb, GB	at Seattle Seahawks	9 Points
22	Mike Wallace, MIA	vs. New England Patriots	8 Points
23	Michael Floyd, ARI	vs. San Diego Chargers	8 Points
24	Percy Harvin, SEA	vs. Green Bay Packers	8 Points
25	Jeremy Maclin, PHI	vs. Jacksonville Jaguars	8 Points
26	Reggie Wayne, IND	at Denver Broncos	8 Points
27	Kendall Wright, TEN	at Kansas City Chiefs	7 Points
28	Michael Crabtree, SF	at Dallas Cowboys	7 Points
29	DeSean Jackson, WAS	at Houston Texans	7 Points
30	Eric Decker, NYJ	vs. Oakland Raiders	7 Points
31	Sammy Watkins, BUF	at Chicago Bears	6 Points
32	Brandin Cooks, NO	at Atlanta Falcons	6 Points
33	Terrance Williams, DAL	vs. San Francisco 49ers	6 Points
34	Emmanuel Sanders, DEN	vs. Indianapolis Colts	6 Points
35	DeAndre Hopkins, HOU	vs. Washington	6 Points
35	Cecil Shorts, JAC	at Philadelphia Eagles	6 Points

Arguably the most important position in fantasy football is wide receiver. Whether your league has three WR slots or a flex spot allowing you to start three, finding the right player at the position could result in blowout victories or heartbreaking losses.

The first tier of wideouts should be considered locks. Calvin Johnson, Demaryius Thomas, Dez Bryant, A.J. Green, Brandon Marshall and Julio Jones are all good for a hefty chunk of points in Week 1 and, honestly, every week they are healthy and on the field.

One player who hasn’t been given any love since the New York Giants struggled throughout the preseason is Victor Cruz. He is still the top receiver on the team and will be the top target for Eli Manning. Consistency in the offense will be an issue, but he could easily rack up over 100 yards and a touchdown against Detroit.

On the other hand, fantasy owners should be staying away from Washington Redskins receiver DeSean Jackson. Robert Griffin III and the entire Washington offense failed to develop any rhythm or chemistry, and that will result in subpar numbers for the former Philadelphia star.

If you are looking for a flex player or a WR3, use the above list and simply start the higher-ranked player.

Tight Ends

Rank	Player	Opponent	Projection
1	Jimmy Graham, NO	at Atlanta Falcons	17 Points
2	Rob Gronkowski, NE	at Miami Dolphins	17 Points
3	Julius Thomas, DEN	vs. Indianapolis Colts	15 Points
4	Jason Witten, DAL	vs. San Francisco 49ers	13 Points
5	Jordan Cameron, CLE	at Pittsburgh Steelers	11 Points
6	Vernon Davis, SF	at Dallas Cowboys	10 Points
7	Greg Olsen, CAR	at Tampa Bay Buccaneers	10 Points
8	Martellus Bennett, CHI	vs. Buffalo Bills	10 Points
9	Dennis Pitta, BAL	vs. Cincinnati Bengals	9 Points
10	Jordan Reed, WAS	at Houston Texans	8 Points
11	Heath Miller, PIT	vs. Cleveland Browns	8 Points
12	Kyle Rudolph, MIN	at St. Louis Rams	8 Points
13	Antonio Gates, SD	at Arizona Cardinals	6 Points
14	Delanie Walker, TEN	at Kansas City Chiefs	6 Points
15	Charles Clay, MIA	vs. New England Patriots	6 Points

New Orleans Saints tight end Jimmy Graham is the best player at his position this year. Hands down. After him, though, the focus shifts to New England Patriots star Rob Gronkowski. With Gronk cleared to play in Week 1, via Mike Reiss of ESPN.com, he is the second-best option until he proves he is the same player he was before the knee injury.

Unlike Gronkowski, a player who is falling down many fantasy boards is San Francisco 49ers tight end Vernon Davis. With quarterback Colin Kaepernick struggling throughout the preseason and Davis drawing coverage from the top defenders, expect Davis to struggle against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 1.

Team Defenses

Rank	Team	Opponent	Projection
1	Cincinnati Bengals	at Baltimore Ravens	14 Points
2	Seattle Seahawks	vs. Green Bay Packers	13 Points
3	Carolina Panthers	at Tampa Bay Buccaneers	13 Points
4	Kansas City Chiefs	vs. Tennessee Titans	12 Points
5	New England Patriots	at Miami Dolphins	11 Points
6	Denver Broncos	vs. Indianapolis Colts	11 Points
7	Philadelphia Eagles	vs. Jacksonville Jaguars	10 Points
8	New England Patriots	at Miami Dolphins	10 Points
9	New York Jets	vs. Oakland Raiders	10 Points
10	St. Louis Rams	vs. Minnesota Vikings	9 Points
11	Chicago Bears	vs. Buffalo Bills	9 Points
12	Pittsburgh Steelers	vs. Cleveland Browns	8 Points

Finding the right team defense to start in Week 1 seems like an afterthought, but it could make a difference early in the season when no players are on bye. If you spent an early-round pick on a defense, here is the time to benefit from your educated risk.

Teams like the Seattle Seahawks, Cincinnati Bengals and the Carolina Panthers have the perfect combination of talent on the roster and favorable matchups to make them a must-start in all fantasy formats.

One team to avoid this week is the San Francisco 49ers. With several injuries and suspensions leaving gaping holes in the pass rush and the run defense, the Dallas Cowboys should be able to rack up yardage and points against San Francisco.

Kickers

Rank	Player	Opponent	Projection
1	Stephen Gostkowski, NE	at Miami Dolphins	11 Points
2	Matt Bryant, ATL	vs. New Orleans Saints	11 Points
3	Phil Dawson, SF	at Dallas Cowboys	10 Points
4	Justin Tucker, BAL	vs. Cincinnati Bengals	10 Points
5	Brandon McManus, DEN	vs. Indianapolis Colts	10 Points
6	Steven Hauschka, SEA	vs. Green Bay Packers	10 Points
7	Blair Walsh, MIN	at St. Louis Rams	9 Points
8	Adam Vinatieri, IND	at Denver Broncos	9 Points
9	Mason Crosby, GB	at Seattle Seahawks	9 Points
10	Nick Novak, SD	at Arizona Cardinals	8 Ponts
11	Dan Bailey, DAL	vs. San Francisco 49ers	8 Points
12	Robbie Gould, CHI	vs. Buffalo Bills	8 Points

There are many differing opinions on when you should draft a kicker in your fantasy league, but the top stars are respected by all fantasy players. Look for perennial juggernauts like Stephen Gostkowski, Matt Bryant, Phil Dawson and Justin Tucker to dominate the position once again in Week 1.

The point difference between the No. 1 kicker each week and the rest of the players at the position is normally small, so fantasy owners should ride with the kicker they drafted until a better option surfaces on the waiver wire.

*Stats via NFL.com.

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