Week 1 College Fantasy Football Quarterback Rankings

September 2, 2026

RotoBaller's Week 1 college fantasy football quarterback rankings for 2026. Set winning CFB fantasy lineups with these QB rankings for the top Power 4 players.

After a long wait, it's almost time for a full slate of college football! Over a dozen of these quarterbacks listed begin their seasons on Thursday and Friday, so it's time to set those Week 1 CFB fantasy lineups. We're here to assist with our Week 1 college fantasy football quarterback rankings for 2026. Unlike the other positions, most quarterback depth charts are clear heading into Week 1, so we should have a strong projection of who will produce in the opening slate.

RotoBaller's Week 1 CFB quarterback rankings include all viable Power 4 options. These rankings will be updated throughout the week as injury news rolls in. Below, see where key players such as Arch Manning, Kamario Taylor, Avery Johnson, Marcel Reed, Trinidad Chambliss, Josh Hoover, and Noah Fifita stand, among all others.

Be sure to bookmark our college fantasy football news feed for the latest breaking news, injury updates, and more. CFB alerts are also available in our mobile app.

Week 1 College Fantasy Football Quarterback Rankings

Week 1 College Fantasy Football Quarterback Outlooks

Devon Dampier, Utah

Utah quarterback Devon Dampier opens his season against Idaho on Thursday night, setting him up to shine in the first week of action. A season ago, Dampier completed 63.5% of his passes for 2,490 yards and 24 touchdowns, while throwing just five interceptions.

He added 835 yards and 10 scores on the ground. The dual-threat QB is a highly viewed fantasy asset going into this season and has a great matchup to open things up. Idaho lost to Cal Poly in Week 0, allowing 516 total yards, with Cal Poly QB Anthony Grigsby Jr. throwing for 319 yards, four touchdowns, and no interceptions, while also adding 62 yards and a score on the ground. Expect a monster outing from Dampier in what should be a lopsided game. He has some new offensive talent around him, but Dampier should still excel in his first game of 2026, so fire him up confidently in fantasy leagues.

CJ Carr, Notre Dame

Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr is one of the Heisman favorites entering his second season as the Fighting Irish's starting quarterback. Carr threw for 2,741 yards, 24 touchdowns, and six interceptions in his first season at the helm, and Notre Dame is expected to lean more heavily on the passing game after the departures of Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price. That being said, Carr offers limited rushing upside from a fantasy perspective. Notre Dame opens the season up against Wisconsin in Week 1 in a game with 47.5 projected total points.

That is one of the lower lines this week, as many power conference teams take on lower-conference opponents. While the Fighting Irish's offense is expected to light scoreboards up this season, it may not be firing on all cylinders in Week 1. That being said, Carr should offer a safe floor.

Dante Moore, Oregon

Oregon has one of the more intriguing Week 1 matchups on its hands, as the Ducks play host to Pac-12 favorite Boise State. The last time Oregon played Boise State in 2024, they narrowly escaped with a 37-34 win. That Boise State team went on to make the College Football Playoff.

This year's Boise State team is also a common pick to make the CFP. Moore has a wide variety of outcomes as far as this week's statistics go. It is unlikely that he will do a whole lot of running, but the Ducks may pound the ball on the ground and play it safe. If that happens, Moore's upside could be limited. However, he could also be leaned on to make plays if the game is closer than anticipated. There are better options to start at quarterback this week, but Moore should have a fairly safe floor against Boise State.

Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss

Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss will start his season with a battle against Louisville on Sunday. The Cardinals, ranked 24th, allowed 303.1 yards and 21.2 points per game a season ago, but like many teams, had several changes since then. Chambliss had a wild offseason, but won a legal battle to play a sixth collegiate season with the Rebels. He completed 66.1% of his passes for 3,937 yards and 22 touchdowns, while tossing just three picks.

Chambliss added 527 yards and eight scores on 133 rushing attempts. The dual-threat QB is a good fantasy option against any opponent, even a tougher one like Louisville. Be confident starting him in fantasy leagues in Week 1, and expect bigger outings in the weeks to come. There's some new offensive playmakers around him, but Chambliss will rack up fantasy points in one fashion or another.

Kamario Taylor, Mississippi State

Mississippi State quarterback Kamario Taylor has a Week 1 matchup against the University of Louisiana Monroe, so he's set up to shine right away. In his freshman year in 2025, he completed 43 of his 77 passing attempts for 629 yards and five touchdowns, and he had just one interception.

Taylor added 458 yards and eight scores over 82 rushing attempts, so he's another dual-threat asset, which makes him an intriguing fantasy player. UL Monroe was 3-9 a season ago, while allowing 31.9 points and 384.8 yards per contest. Taylor should shine in Week 1 and deliver a high-end fantasy score, even if the Bulldogs roll to victory. Running back Fluff Bothwell and wide receiver Anthony Evans III provide some familiar faces who Taylor can trust, and in time, other skill players logging the most snaps could be good fantasy assets too. Fire Taylor up confidently in fantasy leagues this week.

Christopher Vizzina, Clemson

Clemson has finally named its starting quarterback, with Christopher Vizzina earning the honor. The move was announced by Dabo Swinney on Tuesday. Vizzina beat out true freshman Tait Reynolds for the starting spot. Vizzina has played two years at Clemson, but has attempted just 105 passes, completing 61% of his throws for 596 yards and four touchdowns, while being picked off once.

Vizzina will have to play well to stick as the team's starter, but is helped by having some proven players around him in running back Gideon Davidson and wide receivers Bryant Wesco Jr. and T.J. Moore. Vizzina is not the best fantasy asset going into Week 1, as Clemson matches up with No. 11 LSU, which allowed 328.7 total yards and just 19.8 points per game a season ago. Vizzina will have to prove his worth before he can be trusted in fantasy leagues, but he's worth tracking in case he takes off as the team's starter.

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