Early Week 1 Fantasy Football QB Rankings (2025) - Jayden Daniels, Kyler Murray, Bo Nix, Baker Mayfield, Justin Fields, Bryce Young, Michael Penix Jr., more

RotoBaller's quarterback fantasy football rankings for Week 1 (2025). Set winning fantasy lineups with our Week 1 QB rankings for fantasy football leagues.

If you're ready for the start of the new fantasy football season and are seeking an early look at the opening-week slate, we have you covered with our fantasy football quarterback rankings for Week 1. Starting fast is key for fantasy football, so check our pecking order to ensure you are setting optimal lineups.

In our Week 1 quarterback rankings for fantasy football below, you'll see where key signal-callers such as Jayden Daniels, Kyler Murray, Bo Nix, Baker Mayfield, Justin Fields, Bryce Young, Michael Penix Jr., and more stand for the initial slate of the 2025 NFL season.

Our QB fantasy football rankings for Week 1 are assembled by Nick Mariano. In addition to our rankings, below you will find a summary of this week's important fantasy football injury news. There are always critical injuries to track, so check back until kickoff.

Editor's Note: Stay on top of your draft prep with RotoBaller’s fantasy football rankings, featuring expert analysis, ADPs, and draft insights for both PPR and non-PPR leagues.

Fantasy Football QB News and Injuries

• Baker Mayfield Reworks Contract
• No Timetable for Kenny Pickett's Return from Hamstring Injury
• Justin Fields Back at Practice
• Shedeur Sanders Yet to Take First-Team Reps
• Drake Maye Trying Not to Run as Much?
• Daniel Jones Gets Second-Team Work on Saturday
• Matthew Stafford Dealing with Back Injury
• Trevor Lawrence Says He's 100 Percent Healthy
• Jameis Winston, Jackson Dart Splitting Second-Team Reps
• Cam Ward Takes All the First-Team Reps in First Practice

Week 1 Fantasy Football Quarterback Rankings

Rankings are updated until kick-off. Be sure to bookmark our weekly PPR rankings, Half-PPR rankings, and Standard rankings.

Fantasy Football Quarterback Draft Outlooks

Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders

Washington Commanders' second-year quarterback Jayden Daniels had a dazzling rookie season, winning the Offensive Rookie of the Year and leading his team to the NFC Championship game. Daniels played himself into the top tier of fantasy quarterbacks and is now routinely going as QB3 overall, slotting in around the early third round of drafts. At his current ADP, drafters are expecting him to avoid a sophomore slump and to continue to improve. Offensive improvements are in place in the form of wide receiver Deebo Samuel and first-round tackle Josh Conerly Jr.

With a year of film, can Daniels continue to carve up opposing defenses both on the ground and through the air? His 891 rushing yards trailed only Lamar Jackson in 2024, and fantasy managers are expecting more elite rushing ability to help pad his third-round ADP.

- Brant Henson

Bo Nix, Denver Broncos

Not even quarterback Bo Nix's biggest supporters could have predicted the extent of success that he'd have in his first year with the Denver Broncos after they selected him 12th overall in the 2024 NFL draft. The Oregon product got off to a slow start early on before coming on strong in head coach Sean Payton's offense to finish with 3,775 passing yards, 29 touchdowns (second-most all time by a rookie QB), and 12 interceptions in 17 regular-season games to lead the Broncos to their first playoff appearance since 2016.

He added 92 rushing attempts for 430 yards and four TDs to finish as the QB8 in fantasy. What's even more impressive is that Nix was able to accomplish all of that with a lackluster ground game. Nix will need to be more efficient in Year 2 to take the next step, but his rushing upside gives him a safer floor at the position as at least a low-end fantasy QB1, and he should be even more comfortable in Payton's offense.

The Broncos added veteran tight end Evan Engram, who could be a reliable No. 2 target behind WR1 Courtland Sutton. If Denver's rushing attack improves on the shoulders of rookie RJ Harvey and J.K. Dobbins, Nix could be even more dangerous. RotoBaller has Nix ranked as the No. 8 fantasy QB.

- Keith Hernandez

Justin Fields, New York Jets

Justin Fields began the 2024 season as the Pittsburgh Steelers' starting quarterback. Despite having a 4-2 record to open the season, Pittsburgh opted to bench Fields in favor of veteran Russell Wilson. Not surprisingly, Fields spurned Pittsburgh in free agency and opted to sign a two-year, $40 million deal with the New York Jets. Whether he is the team's long-term quarterback solution is very much up in the air. For now, Fields is set to begin the 2025 season as New York's QB1.

He showed last year that he still carries plenty of upside for fantasy football purposes. Fields averaged 19.5 fantasy points per game in his six starts and finished as a QB1 three times during that span. This was in large part due to his ability as a rusher. The new Jets regime has made it clear they want to fully incorporate Fields' legs into its offense. One thing working against Fields is that it's unclear how long a leash he'll have if the team starts losing games. One thing is for certain. As long as Fields is starting, he's a viable fantasy football QB1.

- Dave Ventresaca

Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers

Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young will play in head coach Dave Canales' offense for the second season. Perhaps if rookie wideout Tetairoa McMillan, selected with the 8th overall pick, and second-year WR Xavier Legette live up to their expectations, Young can prove that his stretch of solid games to end the 2024 season wasn't a fluke. After being benched for Andy Dalton due to two dreadful games to start 2024, Young returned and put up much better numbers.

At times, the Panthers' passing offense actually looked decently functional. Still, Young didn't eclipse 300 passing yards a single time, and only threw two or more passing touchdowns four times in 14 games. The hope is that McMillan and Legette will give the team a pair of wideouts that actually stress opposing defenses. Young isn't playing behind a very good pass-protecting offensive line, though, and his early-season tape was incredibly alarming. It remains to be seen if he can break out, but it helps that the Panthers play in a very easy division, the NFC South.

- John Johnson

Michael Penix Jr., Atlanta Falcons

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. started the team's final three games of 2024 following the benching of starter Kirk Cousins. Penix saw action sooner than expected due to Cousins' struggles returning from a torn Achilles tendon. The 2024 NFL Draft's eighth overall pick now enters the 2025 season as the team's unquestioned QB1. Penix did not light up the scoreboard statistically in his three starts last year, but he showcased a cannon arm and flashed upside as a passer.

He now gets the benefit of entering an entire offseason as the team's confirmed starter and will have plenty of time to forge a connection with WR1 Drake London and Atlanta's other weapons. If Penix hits the ground running, Atlanta's offense could surprise. For fantasy football purposes, Penix probably doesn't offer elite QB1 upside.

Atlanta figures to be a run-first offense behind third-year back Bijan Robinson. Penix also only had 11 rushing yards last year and was never a prolific rusher at the collegiate level. This likely relegates him to a weekly streaming option in single quarterback leagues and QB2 duties in superflex leagues.

- Dave Ventresca

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