The NFL is finally back, which means it’s time to analyze the Week 1 Fantasy football rankings. Philadelphia quarterback Jalen Hurts averaged 23 Fantasy points per game as a starter last season, rushing for more than 60 yards in all three full starts. He will now face Atlanta, which allowed the ninth-most rushing yards to quarterbacks in 2020. Where should Hurts be listed in your Week 1 Fantasy football QB rankings? The only way to know for sure is to seek out quality Week 1 Fantasy football advice and strategy. Before you lock in your lineups, be sure to check out the Week 1 Fantasy football rankings from the proven computer model at SportsLine.
When it comes to ranking players, SportsLine’s model beat human experts in Fantasy football for the past several seasons especially when there were big difference in ranking. Over the course of a season, that could literally be the difference between winning your league or going home empty-handed.
Last year, the model accurately predicted that Bills quarterback Josh Allen was being drastically undervalued. His Fantasy football ADP was barely in the top 70, but the model pegged him as a top-five Fantasy quarterback, a QB1 who would finish well ahead of players like Kyler Murray, Tom Brady and Drew Brees. Allen ended up being the No. 2-scoring Fantasy QB, outscoring all three of those other quarterbacks and even surpassing Patrick Mahomes. Fantasy players who followed SportsLine’s advice reaped plenty of value with that pick.
Now, the model, which simulates every NFL game 10,000 times, has revealed its Fantasy football rankings for Week 1 of the 2021 NFL season. Head to SportsLine now to see them.
Top Week 1 Fantasy football picks
One player the model is extremely high on this week: Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence. It’s not always easy to predict success from a quarterback making his first career start, but Lawrence is on another level. He is facing a Houston defense that ranked No. 30 in yards allowed per game last season and No. 27 in scoring defense.
The Texans no longer have J.J. Watt, making their defense much less formidable. Their offense is expected to struggle, which will give Jacksonville more time to put up points. Lawrence has an underrated group of skill players at his disposal, including D.J. Chark, Marvin Jones Jr. and James Robinson. SportsLine has Lawrence listed as the fourth-best quarterback in its Week 1 Fantasy football QB rankings.
A massive shocker: Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert, who threw for 4,336 yards and 31 touchdowns last season, stumbles big-time and barely cracks the top 15 at his position. Herbert had an impressive rookie season, averaging 25.5 Fantasy points per game. However, Herbert could be dealing with rust after not playing in the preseason and a matchup against the Washington Football Team won’t do him any favors.
Washington’s defense gave up just 191.8 passing yards per game last season, which ranked second in the NFL. In addition, Washington recorded 47 total sacks in 2020. With such a tough matchup on Sunday, Herbert is a player to consider putting on the bench in Week 1.
How to set your Week 1 Fantasy football rankings
The model is also calling for a surprising quarterback you aren’t even thinking about to finish in the top 10 of its Fantasy football rankings. This pick could be the difference between winning big and going home with nothing. You can only see who it is here.
So who should you start and sit this week? And which surprising quarterback could lead you to victory? Visit SportsLine now to get Week 1 Fantasy football rankings for every position, plus see which QB is going to come out of nowhere to crack the top 10, all from the model that has out-performed experts big-time.
