ChiCitySports Fantasy Review: Week 1 Fantasy Football Rankings

*Due to Hurricane Irma, this week’s Miami-Tampa Bay game has been rescheduled for Week 11. Players in bold and italicized are affected by this change.* 

The most wonderful time of the year is here!

Thursday night marks the beginning of another NFL season, and high hopes for fantasy football team owners everywhere before their teams eventually crumble under the pressure of injuries and mismanagement.

That’s why we are here. So let’s get to the rankings for 2017 kickoff weekend!

Quarterback

There are a few juicy matchups spread across the Week 1 schedule and goes to show just how much deeper this position has become compared to previous seasons.

Matt Ryan should have a field day with a newly constructed Chicago secondary with zero returning starters from a year ago. Following closely behind is Big Ben with his annual trip to Cleveland to take on the rival Browns.

It is very possible Roethlisberger finds himself floating around the top 5 throughout the year. When he has Antonio Brown, Martavis Bryant and Le’Veon Bell all healthy, he averages 300 yards per game and two touchdowns — I expect the same here to start the season.

Intriguing matchups for Kirk Cousins and Derek Carr help make it a deep week at quarterback. Andy Dalton with an expanded repertoire of offensive weapons makes for an intriguing play against Baltimore. Looking for a deep sleeper? Jared Goff is a tempting play in DFL facing a Colts defense without Vontae Davis.

Running Back

Until further notice, expect Le’Veon Bell and David Johnson to be some combination of 1-2 in our weekly rankings.

It’s apparent to anyone just how ahead of the game they are versus everyone else. While Johnson was a consensus #1 overall pick this year, Bell did average more points per game. This week’s juicy matchup with Cleveland has the Steelers running back atop the rankings.

Dalvin Cook and Bilal Powell both have matchups that set them up nicely for potential top 10 weeks. Vikings may lean heavily on their rookie with the limitations of Sam Bradford’s arm — the only question is will they keep the Saints’ high-powered offense from running away. On the opposite end, will Adrian Peterson get his revenge on Minnesota? I wouldn’t bet against it, although I wouldn’t bet on how Sean Payton splits carries.

Deep plays this week include “Not Fat Anymore” Rob Kelley and Jeremy Hill who has managed to reappear as the #1 running back on the Bengals’ depth chart. We’ll get a much clearer view of that backfield following their showdown with Baltimore.

Wide Receiver 

Like his running back counterpart, Antonio Brown is primed to start 2017 off on the right foot against Cleveland. The three wideouts behind him are primed to do the same as we expect from them every season.

Jordy Nelson and Michael Thomas draw the toughest assignments in this week’s top 10 facing off against the likes of Richard Sherman and Xavier Rhodes respectively.

Expect Alshon Jeffery to make an immediate impact in his first game as an Eagle despite having to put up with Josh Norman, while other receivers past this tier, T.Y. Hilton and Allen Robinson, are stay away players this week due to both their quarterbacks and the defenses they’ll face.

DeVante Parker’s long-awaited breakout may come this season and what better time than Week 1? With Jay Cutler, the #1 will be fed, so it wouldn’t surprise me to see a top 20 week from the Dolphin. Same goes for Zay Jones in Buffalo because really, who else are the Bills going to throw to?

Tight End

A few changes here and there among the game’s top options with Gronk ruling above all until his inevitable injury.

On the other sideline, Travis Kelce punished New England in his first game against the defending champs, would not be surprised to see the same on Thursday. If Tyrod Taylor plays on Sunday, Charles Clay may eat up a healthy share of targets en route to a top 10 day for the Bills.

Past the top 12, Kyle Rudolph aka Sam Bradford’s security blanket and Jack Doyle aka Scott Tolzien’s dump off option should be solid PPR options thanks to the limitations of their quarterbacks.

Defense/ST

If the Houston defense stays healthy this season, do not be surprised if they finish as the top D/ST in fantasy football. Their front seven is one of the most menacing in recent history and they gave up the least yards in the league without JJ Watt the majority of the season.

The Rams offer up one of the best streaming options of the year facing an Andrew Luck-less Colts team. The Chargers also offer an intriguing option going up against Denver, especially if Demaryius Thomas is hobbled.

(Rankings based off .5 PPR projections)

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