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RotoBaller's updated quarterback fantasy football rankings for Week 1 (2026). Set winning fantasy lineups with our Week 1 QB rankings for fantasy football leagues.
Week 1 fantasy football lineup decisions will be here before you know it, and whether you have already drafted your team or are just looking ahead to who could produce a spike week to open the year, we have you covered. Below, check out our complete updated Week 1 fantasy football quarterback rankings for 2026. If you don't land a must-start stud, you'll play the "streaming game" immediately.
Where do key QBs like Joe Burrow, Patrick Mahomes II, C.J. Stroud, Jordan Love, Tyler Shough, Cam Ward, Kyler Murray, and more stand, among all others, for Week 1? Dive into the rankings below to find out.
Our QB fantasy football rankings for Week 1 are assembled by Nick Mariano. Below the rankings, you will find a summary of this week's important QB fantasy football news. There are always critical injuries and updates to track, so check back until kickoff.
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Week 1 Fantasy Football Quarterback Rankings
Rankings are updated until kickoff. Be sure to bookmark our weekly PPR rankings, Half-PPR rankings, and Standard rankings.
| Tier | Rank | Player Name | Pos |
| 1 | 1 | Joe Burrow | QB |
| 1 | 2 | Lamar Jackson | QB |
| 1 | 3 | Josh Allen | QB |
| 2 | 4 | Justin Herbert | QB |
| 2 | 5 | Jalen Hurts | QB |
| 2 | 6 | Trevor Lawrence | QB |
| 2 | 7 | Jayden Daniels | QB |
| 3 | 8 | Baker Mayfield | QB |
| 3 | 9 | Dak Prescott | QB |
| 3 | 10 | Jared Goff | QB |
| 3 | 11 | Drake Maye | QB |
| 3 | 12 | Caleb Williams | QB |
| 4 | 13 | Jaxson Dart | QB |
| 4 | 14 | Matthew Stafford | QB |
| 4 | 15 | Brock Purdy | QB |
| 4 | 16 | Tyler Shough | QB |
| 4 | 17 | Patrick Mahomes II | QB |
| 4 | 18 | Bo Nix | QB |
| 5 | 19 | Kyler Murray | QB |
| 5 | 20 | Malik Willis | QB |
| 5 | 21 | Jordan Love | QB |
| 5 | 22 | C.J. Stroud | QB |
| 5 | 23 | Daniel Jones | QB |
| 6 | 24 | Sam Darnold | QB |
| 6 | 25 | Jacoby Brissett | QB |
| 6 | 26 | Cam Ward | QB |
| 6 | 27 | Kirk Cousins | QB |
| 7 | 28 | Aaron Rodgers | QB |
| 7 | 29 | Geno Smith | QB |
| 7 | 30 | Bryce Young | QB |
| 7 | 31 | Tua Tagovailoa | QB |
| 7 | 32 | Deshaun Watson | QB |
Fantasy Football Quarterback News, Outlooks
Malik Willis, Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins kicked off their final week of training camp practices on Monday, and after a summer of focus on fundamentals and technique, the progress made by quarterback Malik Willis was notable, according to team writer Travis Wingfield.
During a short and rainy session, Willis impressed with his ability to get the ball out on time and in rhythm, showing continued development that only adds to his late-round fantasy appeal. On a small sample size of three career starts and some extended relief work with the Packers and Titans, Willis has been among the league's most efficient rushing quarterbacks, and if he can continue to progress as a passer, he possesses one of the highest fantasy ceilings to be found at the end of drafts. Currently coming off the board as the QB21, Willis has the ability to rack up points in a hurry and is a player who should not escape the final rounds of single-quarterback drafts.
Kirk Cousins, Las Vegas Raiders
Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins was listed as the starter on the team's unofficial depth chart ahead of their preseason finale against the San Francisco 49ers. According to head coach Klint Kubiak, Cousins has taken most of the first-team reps in practice and that it is "his job to lose."
The veteran quarterback signed a two-year, $12.6 million deal with the Raiders this offseason and was set to compete with first-overall pick Fernando Mendoza for the starting job. With Cousins and most of the starting offense not playing in the team's second preseason game against the Houston Texans, it points to the 15th-year quarterback starting in Week 1 against the Miami Dolphins. Even if Cousins is named the starting quarterback this season, his lack of weapons and rushing ability leaves him as an irrelevant piece in fantasy this season.
Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
Everything has gone as planned this summer for Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (knee) after recovering from a torn ACL and LCL that he suffered late last season, but head coach Andy Reid was non-committal on Mahomes' status for the Week 1 regular-season opener on Monday night on Sept. 14, according to Pete Sweeney of The Kansas City Star. "He's doing great," Reid said. "We'll just see. I'm literally taking it day by day. There are no predictions here on anything.
But if the doctors and the trainers and everybody who are involved with this give him an OK -- and then most of all, if he feels like he can, then we'll address that when we get there." Mahomes did not see the field in either of the team's first two preseason contests, even though the star signal-caller had been hoping to see some action.
Based on the fact that Mahomes has been full-go for all of the team's training camp practices, it would be a bit surprising if KC held him out in Week 1, especially against a big division rival. With Mahomes' mobility potentially being compromised early in 2026, he has fallen to more of a low-end QB1/high-end QB2 target in 2026 fantasy football drafts as the Chiefs look to bounce back and get back to the playoffs.
C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans
Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud got some needed help Monday after a rough week for the receiver room. New England has agreed to send Kayshon Boutte to Houston for safety Jaylen Reed and a 2028 seventh-round pick. The move comes days after Jayden Higgins tore his ACL and was lost for the season. Boutte is not replacing all of that by himself, but he gives Stroud another receiver who can stretch the field. He caught 33 passes for 551 yards and six touchdowns last season, averaging 16.7 yards per catch with 10 receptions of at least 20 yards.
Houston had already added Zay Jones and Sterling Shepard, so the Texans have clearly been trying to rebuild the depth behind Nico Collins. Stroud threw for 3,041 yards, 19 touchdowns, and eight interceptions in 14 games last year and currently sits at QB23 in RotoBaller's rankings. Boutte does not suddenly fix everything, but the passing-game outlook looks better than it did after Higgins went down.
Who Should I Start Tool
Compare up to four players and we'll tell you who to start...
Week 1 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players: Joe Burrow, Patrick Mahomes II, C.J. Stroud, Jordan Love, Tyler Shough, Cam Ward, Kyler Murray. These are some of the most common searches for fantasy football lineups in Week 1.
Using The Tool. This is a simple tool but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player name. In the second box, search for the second player name. Compare up to four NFL players at once, and then click the Who To Start? button to see who the recommended starts are based on weekly fantasy football matchups.
Improvements For Who Should I Start? You may have noticed that our 'Who Should I Start?' tool has gotten an overhaul. We've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win your fantasy football matchups each week. You'll see NFL player tiles with headshots and bye weeks, stats, projections, strength of schedule, player news, and enhanced search results with data to compare with a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!
How It Works. Each week, our RotoBaller staff puts together their weekly fantasy football rankings and projections based on their research. That information is the core data that is powering the decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see those players who are ranked. If someone is out for the week, they will not appear in the search results.
Scoring Formats. Fantasy football managers play in various types of leagues, and this tool allows you to choose whether it's PPR scoring, Half-PPR scoring, or Standard (Non-PPR) scoring. The second thing you want to do is select the scoring format. There are three small radio buttons (small circle), so click on the scoring format you prefer. The results may vary based on the scoring format you select.
Popular Week 1 Searches. Curious to see some tough lineup decisions for Week 1 (2026)? Below you will find a list of some popular Who Should I Start? searches that RotoBaller readers are looking at this week. Click any of the links to see the result and recommendation.
Popular Week 1 Searches - Start/Sit Player Comparisons
Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our Who To Start tool for Week 1 for Joe Burrow, Patrick Mahomes II, C.J. Stroud, Jordan Love, Tyler Shough, Cam Ward, Kyler Murray:
More Fantasy Football Analysis
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