Week 1 Fantasy Football Rankings: Position-by-Position Outlook for Season Opener

The trial runs are finished, and it's time to get down to business.

The real business of fantasy football, that is.

Thursday night, the 2019 NFL season kicks off when the Green Bay Packers visit the Chicago Bears. The other 30 teams open either on Sunday or during Monday's double-header.

Whether you are readying your roster for a season-long marathon or assembling the best daily fantasy team money can buy, you must get your strongest group on the field.

We're here to help by assembling our top 10 PPR rankings at all four skill positions and providing key details for players at every spot.

Top 10 PPR Rankings for 2019 Week 1

Quarterback

1. Deshaun Watson, HOU (at NO)

2. Patrick Mahomes, KC (at JAC)

3. Drew Brees, NO (vs. HOU)

4. Baker Mayfield, CLE (vs. TEN)

5. Jameis Winston, TB (vs. SF)

6. Russell Wilson, SEA (vs. CIN)

7. Lamar Jackson, BAL (at MIA)

8. Carson Wentz, PHI (vs. WAS)

9. Ben Roethlisberger, PIT (at NE)

10. Aaron Rodgers, GB (at CHI)

Normally, it would be a shock to see anyone other than Patrick Mahomes holding down the top spot. But it's hard not to sense the stars are aligning for Deshaun Watson this week.

He's a fantasy monster in his own right. Through two NFL seasons, his average game has featured 255 passing yards, 35.7 rushing yards, two passing touchdowns and 0.3 rushing scores. All of those numbers have upward mobility given his matchup—New Orleans surrendered the second-most fantasy points to QBs last season, per Yahoo—and bolstered roster (trade for Laremy Tunsil and Kenny Stills).

Looking elsewhere, the consistently inconsistent Jameis Winston should be in line for one of his good games.

He has explosive weapons around him (Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and O.J. Howard), and San Francisco's defense is exploitable. The 49ers allowed the ninth-most fantasy points to this position last season, and their offseason upgrades could be slow out of the gate as injuries kept Nick Bosa and Dee Ford out of the preseason.

Running Back

1. Saquon Barkley, NYG (at DAL)

2. Christian McCaffrey, CAR (vs. LAR)

3. Alvin Kamara, NO (vs. HOU)

4. David Johnson, ARI (vs. DET)

5. Dalvin Cook, MIN (vs. ATL)

6. Chris Carson, SEA (vs. CIN)

7. Le'Veon Bell, NYJ (vs. BUF)

8. James Conner, PIT (at NE)

9. Kerryon Johnson, DET (at ARI)

10. Leonard Fournette, JAC (vs. KC)

If Dalvin Cook makes it inside the lines, he's almost always assured of fantasy relevance. That's especially true in a matchup as favorable as this, since Atlanta allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing backs last season.

Cook is a home-run hitter on the ground or in the passing game. His average touch for his career has been better than a five-yard gain, and he flashed his huge-play ability already in the preseason.

Theoretically, Le'Veon Bell should be a risky play, since he never suited up last season amid a contract holdout. But there's a chance that refreshed he is arguably the most versatile back in fantasy football. The last time we saw him at full strength (2017), he was busy converting an NFL-high 406 touches into 1,946 scrimmage yards and 11 touchdowns.

"Bell is a proven commodity in fantasy football and is one of a handful of running backs who can be trusted to be on the field on nearly every down in a full-time role," SI.com's Frankie Taddeo wrote. "His production in the passing game is an asset all fantasy owners desire."

Wide Receiver

1. DeAndre Hopkins, HOU (at NO)

2. Michael Thomas, NO (vs. HOU)

3. Davante Adams, GB (at CHI)

4. JuJu Smith-Schuster, PIT (at NE)

5. Odell Beckham Jr, CLE (vs. TEN)

6. Mike Evans, TB (vs. SF)

7. Julio Jones, ATL (at MIN)

8. Keenan Allen, LAC (vs. IND)

9. Stefon Diggs, MIN (vs. ATL)

10. Adam Thielen, MIN (vs. ATL)

While some fantasy receivers are poised to feast in Week 1, DeAndre Hopkins will look like he's devouring plate after plate from an all-you-can-eat buffet. Last season, he was the best PPR receiver in fantasy, per Fantasy Pros, and the Saints were the worst fantasy defense against receivers.

This should be Hopkins at his absolute best. The 27-year-old is entering his personal prime, having set career marks in receptions (115) and receiving yards (1,572) last season and receiving touchdowns (13) the year prior. He'll also benefit from suiting up alongside a more experienced Deshaun Watson and a beefed-up Texans offense that should be more reliant on the pass without Lamar Miller (torn ACL).

Out in Minnesota, there should be enough passing volume to go around for both Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen to deliver top-10 performances. Last season, Atlanta allowed the sixth-most passing yards and fourth-most passing touchdowns.

Meanwhile, Diggs and Thielen are the only group of returning teammates to each place in the position's top 10 of fantasy scoring last season. Thielen landed seventh with 113 grabs for 1,373 yards and nine scores, while Diggs was three spots behind with 102 catches for 1,021 yards and nine touchdowns.

Tight End

1. Travis Kelce, KC (at JAC)

2. George Kittle, SF (at TB)

3. O.J. Howard, TB (vs. SF)

4. Zach Ertz, PHI (vs. WAS)

5. Jared Cook, NO (vs. HOU)

6. Hunter Henry, LAC (vs. IND)

7. Evan Engram, NYG (at DAL)

8. Vance McDonald, PIT (at NE)

9. Delanie Walker, TEN (at CLE)

10. David Njoku, CLE (vs. TEN)

If you drafted George Kittle expecting him to build off last season's breakout, starting preparing yourself for disappointment. He had the most receiving yards for an NFL tight end ever. Repeating that feat is almost impossible in a vacuum. In San Francisco, it's even less likely, as improved health of this roster means he's no longer the lone weapon in this aerial arsenal.

That said, he has a great chance to hit the ground sprinting. Tampa's defense is vulnerable against tight ends (ninth-most points allowed to the position), and this contest could be a shootout. The more the Niners air it out, the more likely it is Kittle continues resembling a skyrocketing star—for this week, at least.

Remember Hunter Henry? Maybe not, after his 2018 season was erased by an ACL tear. But the time to familiarize yourself is now, since the Colts struggle to stop tight ends, and Henry—who has 12 touchdowns in 29 career games—could remain fantasy relevant well beyond this juicy matchup.

"The return of Henry will make life easier for [Philip] Rivers and the offensive line," Gilbert Manzano wrote for the Los Angeles Daily News. "Rivers masked the offensive line's struggles in 2018 with his quick release, and now he'll he have a 6'6" target in the middle of the field."

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