Knowing who to start and sit in your Fantasy football lineups can be difficult. Finalizing your Week 1 Fantasy football rankings is even harder when injuries hit at the last minute. While Fantasy football start-sit decisions are straightforward for players like Lamar Jackson, many owners will need Week 1 Fantasy football advice after the Ravens lost yet another running back, Gus Edwards (knee). An optimal set of Week 1 NFL Fantasy football rankings can help you navigate every injury and every piece of NFL news. 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: Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray. The Cardinals' quarterback takes on a Titans defense that is not equipped to stop him. Murray was productive in Fantasy before his shoulder injury in Week 11. Now, the former No. 1 pick could roast a Tennessee defense that was one of the worst in the league in 2020.
Murray threw for 3,971 yards, 26 touchdowns and 12 seasons a year ago. He's fully healthy against a defense that allowed the fourth-most passing yards in the league in 2020. SportsLine's model ranks Murray as the No. 6 quarterback for Week 1.
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.