Fantasy Football Week 1: Philip Rivers down in first batch of in-season rankings
Catch up with our experts' rankings with this roundup of the biggest questions.
By
Chris Towers
•
4 min read
Every week on Tuesday, I'll pick the brains of our trio of experts to figure out their answers to some of the biggest rankings questions of the week.
In an ideal world, your Week 1 lineup should have been set as soon as your draft went final. How much can really happen to change things?
In an ideal world, that would be true.
Of course, we don't live in an ideal world. You may have drafted Ezekiel Elliott without knowing what his status was for Week 1. Or Andrew Luck. Or maybe you took Drew Brees, and might be considering benching him for the matchup against the Vikings.
That's why we have our rankings to help you make those decisions. Here are some of Jamey Eisenberg, Dave Richard, and Heath Cummings' thoughts on the upcoming week.
1. Which quarterback are you benching who was drafted as a starter?
 |  |  | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Answer: | Philip Rivers | Philip Rivers | Philip Rivers |
The good news is, you probably didn't invest too much in Rivers, and you might have even drafted him as a backup at his ADP. You probably shouldn't trust him against this Broncos' defense; he had three touchdowns and three interceptions against them in two games last season.
If you need a replacement, Question 2 has some options.
2. Who is the best quarterback currently owned in less than 50 percent of leagues?
| | | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Answer: | Jay Cutler | Jay Cutler | Sam Bradford |
Cutler is always a risk, because he might just go out and throw three back-footed interceptions on any given week. Week 1 presents a unique risk, as the Dolphins' game against the Buccaneers is very much in doubt at this point. Keep a close eye on the news over the next 24 hours, because you might not have any Dolphins or Bucs available.
Bradford typically represents a low-upside option, but he did have a few big performances last season in shootouts, particularly his Week 16 showing against the Packers. The risk here is, New Orleans' may struggle to put up points of their own against this Vikings' defense.
3. Which is the riskiest RB for Week 1 drafted in the top-12?
| | | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Answer: | Leonard Fournette | Melvin Gordon | Leonard Fournette |
Fournette is an obvious risk, if only because we haven't seen him in this Jacksonville offense. We expect him to be a difference maker, but there's a chance he stumbles through no fault of his own. A tough matchup against the Texans doesn't help, but it might be tough to go away from a running back guaranteed to get 15-plus touches. The same goes for Gordon.
4. Which RB drafted outside of the top-24 is the best starter this week?
| | | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Answer: | Terrance West | Jacquizz Rodgers | Jacquizz Rodgers |
Rodgers is the obvious call here, with the same caveat for him as for Cutler. Keep an eye on the status of that game; it very well may not get played.
West has a great matchup against a Bengals defense that will be without Vontaze Burfict this week. Their run defense should be limited, making West a solid play, especially with Danny Woodhead's hamstring a potential issue that could limit him.
5. Which elite WR has the toughest matchup in Week 1?
| | | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Answer: | Dez Bryant | Dez Bryant | Michael Thomas |
Bryant had just two catches for 18 yards in two games against the Giants in 2016, so this obviously sets up to be a tough matchup for him. I don't think you can even consider sitting him, but considering him more of a WR2 this week makes sense.
Thomas' matchup with Xavier Rhodes also presents some problems, though like Bryant, it's hard to justify sitting him in Week 1 given where you drafted him. Both players are talented enough to break one play that can justify their spot in your lineup. Just consider them riskier than usual.
6. Which WR made the biggest jump from your preseason to Week 1 rankings?
| | | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Answer: | DeSean Jackson | DeSean Jackson | John Brown |
The Dolpins pass defense looked like a mess in the preseason, and Jackson should have no trouble taking the top off them -- if the game gets played. Again. This is a big storyline to follow.
With Brown, there's no questioning his talent. He had 1,000 yards in his second NFL season, and is almost certainly the team's top talent at this point. The question is more about role, as he was limited throughout preseason with a quad injury. If he is healthy -- and he looked it in Week 3 of the preseason -- he's a great play in Fantasy. But he's enough of a question mark to be considered a risk here.
7. Are you considering benching any of the top-10 TE this week?
| | | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Answer: | Tyler Eifert | No | No |
If you invested in a good tight end, you should play him this week. At least, according to Dave and Heath. Jamey rightly has some concerns about Eifert, who is dealing with tendinitis in his knee and has a long history of injuries to deal with. However, he is likely never going to be healthier than he is right now, so stick with him.
8. Who is your favorite TE to stream in Week 1?
| | | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Answer: | Cameron Brate | Coby Fleener or Julius Thomas | Charles Clay |
I won't have much to say about this crew most weeks, because you're just talking about dice rolls. If Clay or Fleener finds the end zone, you win. If not, well... At least your opponent probably doesn't have a good tight end either.
