RotoBaller's updated quarterback fantasy football rankings for Week 1 of the 2026 season. Set winning fantasy lineups with our Week 1 QB rankings for fantasy football leagues.
Hey RotoBallers! Week 1 is just around the corner, which means it's time to set some fantasy lineups! In this piece, we will provide you with updated quarterback rankings for your Week 1 fantasy football matchups.
Let's take a look at where the top quarterbacks like Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow, Jayden Daniels, Josh Allen, Drake Maye, Justin Herbert, and Trevor Lawrence sit in our rankings. 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 |
| 1 | 4 | Justin Herbert | QB |
| 1 | 5 | Jalen Hurts | QB |
| 1 | 6 | Trevor Lawrence | QB |
| 1 | 7 | Jayden Daniels | QB |
| 2 | 8 | Baker Mayfield | QB |
| 2 | 9 | Dak Prescott | QB |
| 2 | 10 | Jared Goff | QB |
| 2 | 11 | Drake Maye | QB |
| 2 | 12 | Caleb Williams | QB |
| 2 | 13 | Jaxson Dart | QB |
| 2 | 14 | Matthew Stafford | QB |
| 2 | 15 | Brock Purdy | QB |
| 2 | 16 | Tyler Shough | QB |
| 2 | 17 | Patrick Mahomes II | QB |
| 2 | 18 | Bo Nix | QB |
| 2 | 19 | Kyler Murray | QB |
| 3 | 20 | Malik Willis | QB |
| 3 | 21 | Jordan Love | QB |
| 3 | 22 | C.J. Stroud | QB |
| 3 | 23 | Daniel Jones | QB |
| 3 | 24 | Sam Darnold | QB |
| 3 | 25 | Jacoby Brissett | QB |
| 3 | 26 | Cam Ward | QB |
| 3 | 27 | Kirk Cousins | QB |
| 3 | 28 | Aaron Rodgers | QB |
| 3 | 29 | Geno Smith | QB |
| 3 | 30 | Bryce Young | QB |
| 3 | 31 | Tua Tagovailoa | QB |
| 3 | 32 | Deshaun Watson | QB |
| 4 | 33 | Shedeur Sanders | QB |
| 4 | 34 | Haynes King | QB |
Fantasy Football Quarterback News, Outlooks
Jacoby Brissett, Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett is certainly not a flashy option in fantasy football, but he continues to rank as a mid-range QB2 for the 2026 season. Brissett was the overall QB16 last season despite making just 12 starts, and he averaged 2.0 touchdowns and 0.7 interceptions per game. He ranked as the overall QB6 from Weeks 6-18.
It's hard to envision Brissett replicating that level of production this year, but he certainly has the supporting cast necessary to support him as a top-15 fantasy quarterback. Michael Wilson is coming off a breakout year, Marvin Harrison Jr. still has plenty of untapped potential, and Trey McBride is arguably the best tight end in football. Arizona also has a very deep backfield headlined by No. 3 overall pick Jeremiyah Love.
Brissett has an ADP of 232.6, which means he is going undrafted in most fantasy leagues. Heading into a new season where every quarterback is healthy, Brissett isn't necessarily a must-draft player, but managers looking for a high-upside option should consider drafting him in the last couple of rounds.
Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts has finished as the QB8 in fantasy football each of the last two seasons, but he has top-five upside heading into the 2026 campaign. The Eagles' offense is projected to improve this year under new coordinator Sean Mannion, and Hurts is one of several players who stand to benefit. For starters, the tush push is expected to remain a staple of Mannion's offense, leaving plenty of touchdown opportunities for Hurts.
Meanwhile, he reportedly looks faster and is expected to run more in the new system, giving him additional volume and yardage in the rushing attack. Furthermore, Hurts only has 11 interceptions over his last two seasons, so his lack of turnovers should also help his fantasy stock. Even after five consecutive top-10 fantasy finishes, Hurts finds himself trending upward once again. He ranks as the overall QB3 in RotoBaller's latest redraft rankings for 2026.
Kirk Cousins, Las Vegas Raiders
According to Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports, the Las Vegas Raiders are expected to name veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins their Week 1 starter. Even though Cousins was slated to take the starting job back at the beginning of training camp, newly appointed head coach Klint Kubiak has kept the door open for a competition. However, the veteran earned the starting gig over first-overall pick Fernando Mendoza and Aidan O'Connell.
Cousins has been sharp in the preseason, going 5-for-6 in the opener and 8-for-11 in their preseason finale this past Thursday evening. Last season, Cousins appeared in 10 games for the Falcons and averaged 205.5 passing yards per game with a 10:5 TD:INT in the eight games in which he logged more than 50 offensive snaps. Given that the Raiders lack many proven options in the passing game outside of star tight end Brock Bowers, the 38-year-old carries low-end QB3 appeal in their Week 1 opener against the Miami Dolphins.
Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs starting quarterback Patrick Mahomes (knee) is on track to start in Week 1 against the Denver Broncos on Monday, Sept. 14, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported on Saturday. "Maybe [the Chiefs] will have to adjust to a little more run game, a little more defense; we shall see," Rapoport said of Kansas City's Week 1 scheme. "But Patrick Mahomes is tracking to be on the field when the season begins."
The 30-year-old signal-caller has been a full participant in training camp but has not seen any game action since tearing his ACL and LCL in Week 15 against the Los Angeles Chargers last year. The two-time Pro Bowler has seen dips in his production over the last two seasons, and he ended 2025 with a 62.7% completion rate and a 22:11 TD:INT ratio.
Given the major knee surgery and the fact that the Chiefs' offense lacks the downfield explosiveness it had a few years ago, fantasy managers should consider Mahomes a high-end QB2 heading into the 2026 season.
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: Dak Prescott, Jared Goff, Drake Maye, Caleb Williams, Jaxson Dart, Matthew Stafford, Brock Purdy, Tyler Shough, Patrick Mahomes II, Bo Nix, Kyler Murray, Malik Willis, Jordan Love. 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 Dak Prescott, Jared Goff, Drake Maye, Caleb Williams, Jaxson Dart, Matthew Stafford, Brock Purdy, Tyler Shough, Patrick Mahomes II, Bo Nix, Kyler Murray, Malik Willis, Jordan Love:
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