Welcome to Week 1 of The List! This season, our Rankings Team will be providing a few thoughts on players they are particularly high or low on this week to give some perspective on their FLEX and positional rankings. In this Weekend Update, we’re particularly focused on those players who made the biggest moves in our rankings from Wednesday, whether it be up or down. You can find these thoughts below, followed by our full Top 150 FLEX. Positional rankings are also available to help you make your toughest lineup decisions of the week!
Daniel Jones finds himself eight spots higher on my rankings this week over ECR. The 47.5 point implied total for this game sets Jones and the Colts to score a decent amount. All the while, Daniel now has arguably the best O-Line and receiving core of his career. Don’t forget his rushing floor. –Brian Hartman
There is no such thing as style points in fantasy football, and if there were, nobody would award them to Justin Fields. Fields is clearly a flawed prospect when it comes to his ability as a passer, but his prowess as a rusher not only covers those warts but provides top-5 upside every week. Over his last 3 seasons, Fields is averaging nearly 20 fantasy points per game in his starts and has finished QB8 or better an impressive 16 times. I’ve got Justin Fields as my QB6 in Week 1, 5 spots ahead of the QB11 consensus on the Jets’ signal-caller. –Eric Romoff
Jordan Love finds himself lower in my Week 1 ranks. With Jayden Reed trending to miss this game, Love will have to lean on a tight end, Tucker Kraft, and a rookie, Matthew Golden, to really excel in points. This divisional battle leaves me to think it could be lower scoring and leaning a lot on running back Josh Jacobs. -Brian Hartman
Considering he’s thrown for fewer than 250 yards and a total of four touchdowns over his last four games in Green Bay, I’m avoiding starting Jared Goff at all costs. –Jay Felicio
A player popping up on the injury report mid-week is always an ominous sign, and that is exactly what happened this week as Christian McCaffrey landed on the Thursday report with a calf strain. He followed this by missing practice on Friday and officially carries a “Questionable” designation heading into the Week 1 tilt with Seattle. He moves down 7 positions in my RB rankings, and 10 in my FLEX, in anticipation of the 49ers taking a cautious approach to his workload – if he plays at all.
The immediate beneficiary, in terms of rankings, of the CMC news is Brian Robinson Jr. Robinson Jr. was acquired via trade a few short weeks ago. The trade was followed by a full-throated endorsement by Kyle Shanahan as the backup to McCaffrey, and his opportunity could be knocking sooner than expected. Robinson jumps up more than a dozen spots in anticipation of a healthier share should McCaffrey end up playing, and would vault into RB2 territory should he get the start with CMC sidelined. –Eric Romoff
JK Dobbins is being faded already, and I won’t join that party. I have him as my RB19 this week; the consensus has him at RB30. Head Coach Sean Payton loves to use two backs in his system, and we already know that Dobbins will be starting. Even if rookie RJ Harvey takes the passing game work early down and goal line should give Dobbins enough work to give a steady RB2 results. –Brian Hartman
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before- Christian McCaffrey has a calf injury. He popped up as a DNP on Thursday and remained out on Friday. He’s questionable heading into the weekend, and while CMC has earned “start him if he’s on the field” status, I’m concerned for abbreviated touches or a reaggravation. All things considered, he’s in the RB2 range for me in Week 1–if he suits up. If McCaffrey misses the game, Brian Robinson Jr. would slide right into the back end of the top 20 RBs. Even with CMC active, Robinson should see enough of an increase in touches to jump to FLEX status. –Jay Felicio
On the other side of the field comes my biggest fade at running back, Tony Pollard. I have nine spots lower at RB28, and a lot of this has to do with the matchup. The Titans are rolling out a rookie QB, are paying arguably the best defense in the league, and despite the Titans spending up in free agency on a left tackle, there are still question marks. As eight-point dogs in this game, Pollard’s best chance may be if he sees passing down work. –Brian Hartman
My biggest slide down has to be Christian McCaffrey, after all the rumors swirling over the last two days; he falls outside the top 3 in running back rankings. There is some hope that he will be fine. If you are concerned, you could pivot to a James Conner or Chuba Hubbard as a safer option in week 1. If McCaffrey were to miss Week 1, Brian Robinson Jr. becomes an interesting RB2 this week. –Steve Pintado
One riser after Friday’s practice reports has to be rookie receiver Jaylin Noel. After finding out that Christian Kirk is going to miss Week 1, Noel should slide into the slot role in the offense. He comes as an interesting sleeper option for a fantasy manager, as the slot role has thrived in Houston. –Steve Pintado
DeMario Douglas finds himself significantly higher in my ranks than the consensus, eighteen spots in fact. As my WR39, Douglas should find himself absorbing targets in this offense. There is more hype on once-great Stefon Diggs, but coming off an ACL tear could give Diggs a slower start to the season. –Brian Hartman
Tyreek Hill finds himself as a WR3 for me this week. Zooming out, this might be a bit of an overreaction, but wilder things have happened. The issues with Hill break down to more than just an age or health question. He may have genuinely ruined things with Tua, while Jaylen Waddle and DeVon Achane are more than capable of leading this team. –Brian Hartman
With Christian Kirk ruled out for Week 1, both Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel are rising up my ranks. Both of these talented rookie receivers are in a prime position to have a role from day 1. –Jay Felicio
The fallout of injury news isn’t limited to the running back room. Should CMC miss the game, it will leave nearly 5.5 targets vacated in an offense that is already thin in its receiving corps. Jauan Jennings was buried down at WR44 to start the week, thanks in large part to uncertainty about his availability as he works his way back from a calf injury of his own. Optimism about his status ahead of this game, coupled with an uptick to his target projection, boosts him up to WR34 – 4 spots ahead of teammate Ricky Pearsall. –Eric Romoff
The absence of Jordan Addison, who is serving a 3-game suspension after a DUI arrest in the off-season, leaves the Vikings with 6.6 targets per game up for grabs and without one of their better touchdown-scorers. Enter TJ Hockenson. Hock projects as the reliable safety blanket for JJ McCarthy in his first NFL start. In Michigan’s 2023 title campaign, Colston Loveland accounted for nearly 19% of McCarthy’s receptions as he peppered the short and intermediate parts of the field. I’m projecting Hockenson for 8+ targets, and his scoring upside lands him as the TE2 in my rankings this week. –Eric Romoff
Ja’Tavion Sanders could find himself flirting with the top 12 this season, and I have him six spots higher this week, leading me to believe it begins Week 1. Adam Thielen has been traded, and Jalen Coker will be on IR for the time being. Enter Sanders to be a great compliment to rookie Tet Mcmillan as they enter a game with one of the higher over/unders of the week. Sanders showed flashes last season as well with Bryce Young before landing on his neck in a fall wrapped up his season before we got a full scope of the talented tight end. –Brian Hartman
Sam LaPorta may be disrespected by me here, but it is not meant as an insult at all. He is my TE10 and finds himself in a divisional battle on a team with three other highly capable pass catchers. LaPorta presents a bit more upside than a streaming tight end, but for the most part, he may disappoint unless he finds the end zone. This game brings in so many defensive players who missed last year that the Lions shouldn’t lead the league in points scored and plays per game as a result. –Brian Hartman
And now, our top 150 FLEX rankings for this week!