Fantasy Football Week 1 Opening Rankings, Projections, Early Waiver-Wire Tips

Week 1 of the 2025 NFL season is here.

Who's ready to get their fantasy football journey started?

Hopefully everyone, because otherwise that means things went awry at your draft. If they somehow did, you shouldn't abandon hope already, since the waiver wire is always capable of correcting some draft-day mistakes.

To help make the most of your roster—regardless if it's one you absolutely love or one you can't figure out how and why you put it together—we're dropping our early Week 1 positional rankings with projections and then spotlighting a pair of players worth targeting on the waiver wire.

Week 1 Rankings, Projections

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QB

1. Jalen Hurts, PHI (vs. DAL): 221 passing yards, 1 passing touchdown, 57 rushing yards, 1 rushing touchdown
2. Josh Allen, BUF (vs. BAL): 242 passing yards, 2 passing touchdowns, 48 rushing yards
3. Lamar Jackson, BAL (at BUF): 227 passing yards, 2 passing touchdowns, 44 rushing yards
4. Jayden Daniels, WAS (vs. NYG): 202 passing yards, 2 passing touchdown, 53 rushing yards
5. Joe Burrow, CIN (at CLE): 267 passing yards, 2 passing touchdowns, 8 rushing yards
6. Baker Mayfield, TB (at ATL): 235 passing yards, 2 passing touchdowns, 18 rushing yards
7. Bo Nix, DEN (vs. TEN): 212 passing yards, 2 passing touchdowns, 24 rushing yards
8. Kyler Murray, ARI (at NO): 189 passing yards, 2 passing touchdowns, 34 rushing yards
9. Patrick Mahomes, KC (at LAC): 209 passing yards, 2 passing touchdowns, 19 rushing yards
10. Drake Maye, NE (vs. LV): 217 passing yards, 1 passing touchdown, 32 rushing yards

RB

1. Saquon Barkley, PHI (vs. DAL): 134 rushing yards, 1 rushing touchdown, 3 receptions for 26 yards
2. Bijan Robinson, ATL (vs. TB): 101 rushing yards, 1 rushing touchdown, 4 receptions for 18 yards
3. Jahmyr Gibbs, DET (at GB): 75 rushing yards, 1 rushing touchdown, 4 receptions for 34 yards
4. Christian McCaffrey, SF (at SEA): 71 rushing yards, 1 rushing touchdown, 5 receptions for 26 yards
5. Jonathan Taylor, IND (vs. MIA): 101 rushing yards, 1 rushing touchdown, 2 receptions for 12 yards
6. Chase Brown, CIN (at CLE): 61 rushing yards, 1 rushing touchdown, 3 receptions for 22 yards
7. De'Von Achane, MIA (at IND): 65 rushing yards, 3 receptions for 18 yards and 1 touchdown
8. Ashton Jeanty, LV (at NE): 82 rushing yards, 1 rushing touchdown, 1 receptions for 10 yards
9. Derrick Henry, BAL (at BUF): 93 rushing yards, 1 rushing touchdown
10. Bucky Irving, TB (at ATL): 67 rushing yards, 3 receptions for 41 yards

WR

1. Ja'Marr Chase, CIN (at CLE): 8 receptions for 113 yards, 2 touchdowns
2. Justin Jefferson, MIN (at CHI): 7 receptions for 92 yards, 2 touchdowns
3. CeeDee Lamb, DAL (at PHI): 9 receptions for 117 yards, 1 touchdown
4. Malik Nabers, NG (at WAS): 8 receptions for 96 yards, 1 touchdown
5. Amon-Ra St. Brown, DET (at GB): 7 receptions for 72 yards, 1 touchdown
6. Nico Collins, HOU (at LAR): 6 receptions for 75 yards, 1 touchdown
7. Puka Nacua, LAR (vs. HOU): 6 receptions for 67 yards, 1 touchdown
8. Drake London, ATL (vs. TB): 9 receptions for 89 yards
9. Mike Evans, TB (at ATL): 5 receptions for 68 yards, 1 touchdown
10. Brian Thomas Jr., JAX (vs. CAR): 5 receptions for 53 yards, 1 touchdown

Waiver-Wire Target: Rachaad White, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (43% Rostered)

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Tampa Bay's backfield might belong to Bucky Irving now, but it's not like White has suddenly disappeared from the equation.

Even amid Irving's ascension last season, White still found ways to tally 1,006 scrimmage yards and nine scores.

He'll cede more carries to Irving this time around, but White should still factor into this passing attack, especially with Chris Godwin, Jalen McMillan and Cade Otton all battling the injury bug. Those medical maladies may have (rightfully) steered a lot of folks toward dynamic rookie receiver Emeka Egbuka, but White's opportunity outlook undoubtedly brightened, too.

When Irving is healthy, White has a plausible path toward providing useful RB2/Flex numbers. And if Irving should happen to go down, White would immediately offer RB1 upside.

DeMario Douglas, WR, New England Patriots (16% Rostered)

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Despite all of the buzz building around Patriots' sophomore quarterback Drake Maye, there hasn't been a ton of talk about the players who will be on the receiving end of his passes.

Look, maybe there just isn't much to see with this receiving group. Stefon Diggs is a 31-year-old coming off of an ACL tear. Kyle Williams is an unproven rookie third-rounder. Mack Hollins has topped 500 receiving yards once since being drafted in 2017.

Someone will undoubtedly emerge as Maye's preferred target, though, and Douglas could be that player. Good things have typically happened when New England has kept him involved. Over his first two seasons, he turned 166 targets into 115 receptions for 1,182 yards and three scores.

Douglas is good at getting open, has established chemistry with Maye and should be a featured part (if not the featured part) of this passing attack. It's possible that a Week 1 investment in Douglas could pay season-long dividends.