Fantasy Football Rankings, Sleepers, Streamers, Model Cheat Sheet for Week 1, 2024 in Standard and PPR Leagues

After signing a four-year, $120 million contract extension just days before the start of the 2024 NFL season, 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk will remain in San Francisco this season. Aiyuk has had at least 70 catches for 1,000 yards and seven touchdowns in back-to-back seasons, but using him in Week 1 in fantasy football can be a challenge in the 49ers' loaded offense. Aiyuk was targeted five times or less in four of his final nine games last season and will compete for targets each week against Deebo Samuel, George Kittle and Christian McCaffrey.

Can you confidently include Aiyuk in your Week 1 fantasy football lineup when you're facing a Jets defense that ranks second in the NFL in passing? With a reliable set of Week 1 fantasy football rankings, you can take advantage of the best Week 1 fantasy football matchups and get a head start to the season. Before you set your fantasy football lineup, be sure to check out the Week 1 fantasy football rankings from the advanced computer model at SportsLine.

When it comes to ranking players, SportsLine's model has beaten human experts in fantasy football over the past few seasons, especially when there was a big difference in rankings. Over the course of a season, that can literally be the difference between winning your league or going home empty-handed.

The same model has worked well in fantasy football picks, staying one step ahead on players like AJ Brown, Jonathan Taylor, Derrick Henry, Christian McCaffrey, Alvin Kamara, and Jahmyr Gibbs, for example. Anyone who bet on such players was able to secure the championship title.

Now, the model that simulates every NFL game 10,000 times has released its fantasy football rankings for Week 1 of the 2024 NFL season. Head over to SportsLine now to see them.

Top tips for fantasy football in week 1

One surprise in the standard leagues: The model ignores Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray, even though he was a two-time Pro Bowler and was, on average, among the first 10 quarterbacks drafted in 2024. In fact, the model says Murray won't even land in the top 20 at his position.

Murray has been an accurate, if unspectacular, passer throughout his career, and when healthy, he's been one of the NFL's most dynamic running backs. However, he has a tough Week 1 matchup against the Buffalo Bills, who rank fourth in the NFL in scoring defense and ninth in total defense in 2023. The Buffalo Bills' offense is also tough to get off the field — it ranks first in third-down conversion rate in 2023 (49.85) — and that could mean fewer opportunities for Murray.

A surprise in PPR leagues: The model is betting on Lions quarterback Jared Goff, predicting he will finish in the top five in the first week of fantasy football QB rankings despite being the 14th quarterback on average in 2024 fantasy football drafts. Goff's productivity dropped off in his final two seasons in Los Angeles, and he had a difficult first season on a three-win team when he arrived in Detroit.

Since the roster was revived, however, he has undergone a makeover, throwing for 9,013 yards and 59 touchdowns to just 19 interceptions over the past two seasons. Now he faces his former team after averaging 10.3 yards per pass attempt against them during NFL Wild Card Weekend. The Lions won that game 24-23, and Goff threw for 277 yards and a touchdown without dropping the ball. For more start/sit fantasy football tips, check out the rest of the Week 1 fantasy football rankings.

How to set your Fantasy Football rankings in Week 1

The model also projects a surprise quarterback you're not even thinking about to finish in the top five of its Week 1 fantasy football rankings. That pick could be the difference between a big win and going home empty-handed. The model's full Week 1 fantasy football rankings for PPR and standard leagues can be found here.

So who should you start and who should you leave on the bench this week? And which surprise quarterback could lead you to victory? Visit SportsLine now to get Week 1 fantasy football rankings for every position, plus which quarterback will come out of nowhere and into the top five – all with the model that far outperformed the experts.