We’ve made it! After a long off-season with no football, week one is here in a few days. That means that we finally have to start submitting our lineups and making start/sit decisions. With that in mind, I’m going to share the top 12 quarterback and tight end rankings I constructed through statistical analysis, matchup data, sportsbook data and film.
Week 1 Quarterback Rankings (2024 Fantasy Football)
Tier 1
1. Josh Allen vs ARI
2. Jalen Hurts vs GB
3. Lamar Jackson @ KC
Tier 2
4. Patrick Mahomes vs BAL
5. Anthony Richardson vs HOU
Tier 3
6. Kyler Murray @ BUF
7. C.J. Stroud @ IND
Tier 4
Full Top 24 QB & TE Rankings Here - https://discord.gg/PSMUgWnA
8. Joe Burrow vs NE
9. Dak Prescott @ CLE
10. Jayden Daniels @ TB
11. Jordan Love @ PHI
Tier 5
12. Caleb Williams vs TEN
Must Start: Quarterback
Caleb Williams vs TEN
To establish some ground rules going forward, the player I pick for my start of the week can’t be ranked in the top 12, according to FantasyPros ECR. With that out of the way, I’m not wasting any time, and Caleb Williams should be cracking starting lineups in week one.
The number one overall pick came into the NFL as an NFL-ready prospect on day one, and I’m not expecting too big of a learning curve. Keep in mind he has weapons like D. J. Moore, Keenan Allen, and Rome Odunze to help him out. On top of that, Williams showed rushing upside at USC with 382 and 142 yards (including sacks) to pair with 10 and 11 touchdowns.
Looking at the game script, this game should be decently high scoring. BetMGM has this at a 45.5 over/under which is only 0.5 points fewer than the Chiefs vs Ravens game. Rotocurve also has the Bears implied team total as the 7th highest in the NFL at 24.75 points. With an elite talent profile and above average matchup, I’m making room for Williams even in week one.
Week 1 Tight End Rankings (2024 Fantasy Football)
Tier 1
1. Sam LaPorta vs LAR
2. Travis Kelce vs BAL
Tier 2
3. Dalton Kincaid vs ARI
4. Mark Andrews @ KC
5. Trey McBride @ BUF
Tier 3
6. George Kittle vs NYJ
7. Kyle Pitts vs PIT
Tier 4
8. Evan Engram @ MIA
Tier 5
9. David Njoku vs DAL
10. Jake Ferguson @ CLE
11. Brock Bowers @ LAC
12. Dalton Schultz @ IND
Must Start: Tight End
Dalton Schultz @ IND
Even though Dalton Schultz is his team’s fourth option, I was surprised to see him left out of the FantasyPros top 12 rankings. While I don’t think Schultz is an elite player, he’s been consistently over 9 PPG since 2020, and with how high-powered this Texans offense should be, this is a solid situation.
Heading over to his matchup for the week, Rotcurve has Texas as the 5th highest-scoring offense at 25.75 points. Even with Anthony Richardson at the helm for the Colts, this game should have an over/under of 48.5. With Schultz, he should be going in your lineup when there’s a chance he can score a touchdown on said week. In what should be a high-scoring affair, Schultz sneaks into my top 12 for week one.
