Last year in Week 1, players like Tyreek Hill, Christian McCaffrey and Brandon Aiyuk were among the top three in Fantasy points. However, your Week 1 Fantasy football strategy shouldn't only consider stars like these, as several overlooked players were Fantasy football breakouts. Jakobi Meyers, Hunter Henry and Mac Jones also ranked in the top three in Fantasy points at their respective positions. Who are underrated options to contemplate inserting into your Week 1 Fantasy football lineups? If you're streaming a tight end as part of your Week 1 Fantasy football picks, then Seattle's Noah Fant could be an option.
Fant will face a Broncos defense that allowed the most receiving yards, most receiving TDs and most Fantasy points to opposing tight ends last season. Fant will also have extra motivation in facing Denver since it drafted him before sending him to the Pacific Northwest in the Russell Wilson trade. Before you lock in your Fantasy football lineups, be sure to check out the Week 1 Fantasy football rankings from the advanced 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 differences in ranking. Over the course of a season, that could literally be the difference between winning your league or going home emptyhanded.
The same model has a proven track record providing Fantasy football tips, including being ahead of the curve on players like A.J. Brown, Jonathan Taylor, Derrick Henry, Christian McCaffrey, Alvin Kamara, and Jahmyr Gibbs. Anybody who banked on players like those made a run at their league title.
Now, the model, which simulates every NFL game 10,000 times, has revealed its Fantasy football rankings for Week 1 of the 2024 NFL season. Head to SportsLine now to see them.
Top Week 1 Fantasy football picks
One surprise in Week 1: The model is fading Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray, even though he's a two-time Pro Bowler who was one of the first 10 quarterbacks drafted on average in 2024. In fact, the model says Murray doesn't even finish in the top 20 at his position.
Murray has been an accurate albeit unspectacular passer throughout his career and he's been one of the more dynamic running threats in the NFL when healthy. However, he draws a tough Week 1 matchup against the Buffalo Bills, who ranked fourth in the NFL in scoring defense and ninth in total defense in 2023. The Buffalo offense is also hard to get off the field -- ranking first in third-down conversion rate (49.85) in 2023 -- and that could mean fewer opportunities for Murray.
A curveball: The model is high on Saints tight end Taysom Hill, despite his role in the New Orleans often changing week-to-week. Last year, Hill was used as a receiver more than ever as he had more targets (40), catches (33) and receiving yards (291) than his three previous seasons combined. That pass-catcher usage should only increase in 2024 after New Orleans didn't bring back veterans Jimmy Graham and Michael Thomas, with Hill possessing the ability to line up at both tight end and receiver.
Even with the receiving skills he brings to the table, Hill is still a threat as a runner, especially where it matters the most. He had 18 carries inside the 10-yard-line in 2023, which were just four fewer than Alvin Kamara's 22. Facing Carolina's 29th-ranked scoring defense on Sunday, Hill should be a factor both in between the 20s and in the redzone. The model has him as a top-five tight end in the Week 1 Fantasy football TE rankings, even slotting him ahead of George Kittle. For more start/sit Fantasy football advice, be sure to check out the rest of the Week 1 Fantasy football rankings.
How to set 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 five of its Week 1 Fantasy football rankings. This pick could be the difference between winning big and going home with nothing. See the model's entire Week 1 Fantasy football rankings for PPR and standard leagues 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 five, all from the model that has outperformed experts big-time.
