Fantasy Football Week 1 Rankings: Examining Lineup Options After Injury Reports

The Baltimore Ravens have had horrific injury luck in the lead-up to their 2021 season opener. And if you're a fantasy football manager who was relying on one of their top running backs this year, well, their misfortune has negatively impacted you as well.

Over the past two weeks, three Ravens RBs have suffered season-ending injuries: J.K. Dobbins (torn ACL), Gus Edwards (torn ACL) and Justice Hill (torn Achilles). So Baltimore's running game is going to look much different than initially expected.

However, with injuries come opportunities for others. Somebody has to get touches out of the backfield for the Ravens, and that creates new players who should be on the fantasy radar.

With Week 1 of the season kicking into high gear Sunday, here's a look at the latest flex rankings, followed by several players who should be considered for lineups because of recent injury news.

Top-40 Flex Rankings

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1. Christian McCaffrey, RB, Carolina Panthers

2. Dalvin Cook, RB, Minnesota Vikings

3. Derrick Henry, RB, Tennessee Titans

4. Alvin Kamara, RB, New Orleans Saints

5. Davante Adams, WR, Green Bay Packers

6. Tyreek Hill, WR, Kansas City Chiefs

7. Stefon Diggs, WR, Buffalo Bills

8. Travis Kelce, TE, Kansas City Chiefs

9. Nick Chubb, RB, Cleveland Browns

10. Aaron Jones, RB, Green Bay Packers

11. Saquon Barkley, RB, New York Giants

12. Calvin Ridley, WR, Atlanta Falcons

13. DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Arizona Cardinals

14. Austin Ekeler, RB, Los Angeles Chargers

15. Justin Jefferson, WR, Minnesota Vikings

16. Jonathan Taylor, RB, Indianapolis Colts

17. Joe Mixon, RB, Cincinnati Bengals

18. Najee Harris, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers

19. Antonio Gibson, RB, Washington Football Team

20. Keenan Allen, WR, Los Angeles Chargers

21. DK Metcalf, WR, Seattle Seahawks

22. Allen Robinson II, WR, Chicago Bears

23. Clyde Edwards-Helaire, RB, Kansas City Chiefs

24. A.J. Brown, WR, Tennessee Titans

25. George Kittle, TE, San Francisco 49ers

26. Terry McLaurin, WR, Washington Football Team

27. James Robinson, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars

28. David Montgomery, RB, Chicago Bears

29. Chris Carson, RB, Seattle Seahawks

30. Darren Waller, TE, Las Vegas Raiders

31. D'Andre Swift, RB, Detroit Lions

32. Julio Jones, WR, Tennessee Titans

33. Tyler Lockett, WR, Seattle Seahawks

34. Robert Woods, WR, Los Angeles Rams

35. Raheem Mostert, RB, San Francisco 49ers

36. Darrell Henderson Jr., RB, Los Angeles Rams

37. Miles Sanders, RB, Philadelphia Eagles

38. Brandon Aiyuk, WR, San Francisco 49ers

39. Ty'Son Williams, RB, Baltimore Ravens

40. Robby Anderson, WR, Carolina Panthers

Ty'Son Williams, RB, Baltimore Ravens

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Since the Ravens lost a trio of running backs, they've been busy signing free agents. They've brought in Le'Veon Bell, Devonta Freeman and Latavius Murray to rebuild their depth at the position. However, it's hard to imagine any of the three will have enough time to learn the system and be ready to make a huge impact in Week 1.

That's why Baltimore will have to rely on its one running back who has been there all along: Ty'Son Williams, who signed as an undrafted rookie last year and spent most of 2020 on the team's practice squad. He has no career NFL carries, but that will change Monday night in Las Vegas.

It's a favorable matchup for Williams, too, as the Raiders' run defense is beatable, especially considering how strong the Ravens are up front. And Baltimore's rushing attack is difficult to stop with quarterback Lamar Jackson often in the mix, so the system is set up for Williams to have a great opportunity for success.

In future weeks, perhaps those veteran running backs will take touches away from Williams. But in Week 1, he's a strong flex play who has a good chance to put up solid numbers and get into the end zone for the first time.

Dyami Brown, WR, Washington Football Team

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Curtis Samuel's groin injury has turned out to be a bit more serious than initially expected. The wide receiver's Washington debut has been delayed, as his first season with the team will begin with him on injured reserve, where he was placed Friday.

That means Samuel will miss at least the first three games of the year. But that will give opportunities for several young Washington receivers to get on the field, including the rookie Brown, who is an exciting prospect with a ton of skill and potential.

Brown was selected by Washington in the third round of the 2021 NFL draft out of North Carolina, and the team has had success drafting WRs in the third round before, considering that's when it took No. 1 receiver Terry McLaurin in 2019. Could Brown be the next mid-round success story in Washington?

This week, Brown is a deep fantasy sleeper against the Los Angeles Chargers and could be worth a flex start in bigger leagues. If he gets on the field a good bit, he could put up solid numbers. But it's unclear how much he'll be involved in his NFL debut. At the least, Brown should be a good option to stash on the bench for a few weeks before he potentially breaks out prior to Samuel's return.

Kyle Rudolph, TE, New York Giants

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Evan Engram and Rudolph didn't seem like strong fantasy options this season, considering they'll each be taking potential targets away from the other in the Giants' offense. However, Engram is dealing with a calf injury that will cause him to miss New York's season opener against Denver.

That means Rudolph will be the clear No. 1 tight end in his Giants debut, and it's possible that quarterback Daniel Jones could be looking his way quite often. The Broncos have strong top cornerbacks who will be tough on the Giants' wide receivers, so Rudolph could be a primary option for Jones.

Rudolph's numbers dipped at the end of his 10-year stint with the Vikings, but they also had a lot of playmakers on their offense who took away targets from the tight end. Now 31, Rudolph will be looking to prove that he can still be a strong receiving option for an NFL team.

If you missed out on the top tight ends in your draft, you may be looking for streaming options. There are worse ones out there than Rudolph, who could be worth a flier, especially if he can find a way to get into the end zone.