For most people, the answer is no. Unless your starter is Philip Rivers (@ Broncos) or maybe Matthew Stafford (vs. Cardinals), you’re probably fine. Someone like Dak Prescott (vs. Giants) might be ranked below Palmer, but it’s not as if he’s a significant downgrade at all. He could easily outscore him in all formats.
So, why is Palmer getting so much more love than he did in the preseason? Well, for starters, he’s healthy, something you can’t count on all year, but mainly, it’s because of his matchup. The Lions allowed the third-most fantasy points per game (FPPG) to QBs last year (21.4), and while there’s no guarantee that will be the case this year, especially in a Week 1 home game, it’s not a stretch to assume they will once again have a fantasy-friendly defense.
WEEK 1 RANKINGS:Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
But, again, it’s Week 1. Weird things are going to happen. Matchups have to be taken with a grain of salt. Sure, we’re downgrading Drew Brees (@ Vikings) and Aaron Rodgers (vs. Seahawks) slightly because of their opponents, but it’s not as if they can’t put up big numbers against anyone. Heck, Rodgers put up 246 yards and three TDs against Seattle just last year. Similarly, Ben Roethlisberger, who gets a nice bump in our Week 1 rankings because of a matchup against the Browns, mustered only 167 yards and no TDs when he played in Cleveland last season.
There’s no need to freak out too much one way or another. It’s only Week 1 – there will be plenty of chances to freak out throughout the season.
Reminder: We’ll update our rankings throughout the week and add player analysis, so please check back often.
WEEK 1 DFS:DK cash lineup | FD GPP | DK GPP | FD cash | Top values | Top stacks | DFS lineup builder
Week 1 Fantasy Football Rankings: QBs
These rankings are for standard leagues with 6-point passing TDs.
Players analysis by Tony Fortier-Bensen
