Week 1 Fantasy WR Rankings

Shiner’s Thoughts

1. Puka Nacua

Puka Nacua had an outstanding fantasy season last year, and if he can stay out of his own way he should be able to replicate that and finish as WR1 this year as well. For Week 1, he goes up against the 49ers defense that should have fireworks as it’s a rivalry game. Nacua has been dealing with an injury over the past few weeks (psoas soreness) and was luckily not placed on the Commissioner’s Exempt List. If he is able to suit up for Week 1, he should have a field day against the 49ers secondary and finish the week as the clear WR1.

2. Ja’Marr Chase

In this year’s fantasy drafts, Ja’Marr Chase/Puka Nacua has been interchangeable as the first two WRs taken in fantasy drafts. Chase is currently dealing with a hyperextended knee, and there is currently doubt whether if he will be able to play in Week 1. If he does suit up, he has to go up against a tough Tampa Bay secondary. Chase has to hope that Burrow will be able to shake the rust off and not play the way he has started out the previous couple season openers. Nevertheless, Chase has a clear shot to fight with Nacua to be WR1 in Week 1.

3. Jaxson Smith-Njigba

After a breakout fantasy season last year, JSN starts off the 2026 fantasy season going up against Christian Gonzalez and the New England Patriots. Gonzalez did a great job against JSN in the Super Bowl, but I think he gets a bit of redemption this time. It’s ring ceremony time for the Seahawks, and I think JSN starts off the year by showing that last year was no fluke. The Patriots will have their hands full with JSN, and it may be a good fantasy week for him if he can win the battle against Gonzo.

4. CeeDee Lamb

The Dallas Cowboys WR room is a cage match right now. CeeDee Lamb & George Pickens are fighting over who is the WR1, and in my eyes Lamb is still the top dog in Dallas. Lamb has a good Week 1 ahead of him against the New York Giants. Last year, the Giants allowed 7.1 yards per pass attempt, which was 18th in the league. If the Giants continue to be worse than middle of the pack going into 2026, then CeeDee Lamb should have zero issue racking up some decent fantasy stats (that is if the Cowboys offense doesn’t stutter).

5. Amon-ra St. Brown

The Sun God has a tough matchup in Week 1, as the Detroit Lions are taking on the New Orleans Saints in what will be a gritty fight against their secondary. One of the issues with the Lions is that they need to improve a lot more on the offensive side with Ben Johnson gone. They had trouble getting things going last year and they need to step it up to begin the 2026 season. The Sun God may have a tough battle ahead of him, but I think he’ll be fine and should put up decent numbers for Week 1.

6. Drake London

It may be shocking to see Drake London this high on a WR fantasy ranking, considering that the two QBs he has throwing him the ball weren’t really the best last season. But to me Drake London can make plays with any QB that starts for the Falcons, and that’s what makes wide receivers like him elite. Pittsburgh isn’t exactly an easy matchup, and there may be some offensive struggles, but if there’s a receiver that can break through poor team expectations from fans, its Drake London.

7. George Pickens

As I stated in CeeDee Lamb’s writeup, it’s going to be a fight to the death for him and George Pickens to gain the most targets in that Cowboys WR room. Last year Pickens was a great fantasy WR, putting up 93 receptions, 1,429 yards and 9 touchdowns. If he can replicate that stat line, he’ll definitely be a fantasy steal from where he’s being drafted. The Giant’s defense isn’t exactly the best when it comes to pass defense, and if Lamb gets all the attention, then Pickens could be in line for a nice fantasy performance to start off the year.

8. A.J Brown

After going through last year complaining about the Eagles offense and clearly not wanting to be there, A.J Brown was traded to the New England Patriots. That solidifies him as Drake Maye’s #1 receiver. Whether or not Brown will be happy this year depends entirely on if he gets fed plenty of targets. Going up against the Seattle Seahawks Week 1 may not be the easiest task for the Patriots WRs, but I believe that Drake Maye will feed Brown, and they’ll get some great output from him. I wanted to put Brown higher on my list, but having to go up against Devon Witherspoon makes it difficult for me to do so.

9. Zay Flowers

Zay Flowers got a huge payday this offseason with the Ravens, and a lot of Ravens fans are hoping that it translates to him taking the next step on the field. With no clear-cut WR2 on the Ravens, Flowers is poised for a nice fantasy season with a new coaching staff. Week 1 has Flowers going against Sauce Gardner and the Colts, and if there’s one thing about Sauce, it’s that all he can do is hold on to the receiver. I think Flowers is going to have a solid game against the Colts and put up some decent fantasy numbers.

10. Nico Collins

Rounding out the top 10 for Week 1’s fantasy WR rankings, we have Nico Collins who has to go up against the Buffalo Bills in what I think will be a great game. As of right now Nico Collins is the only solid WR that the Texans have right now. Jayden Higgins is out for the year, and Tank Dell is starting out the year on the IR. While Kayshon Boutte is now on the Texans (and I’m a huge Kayshon Boutte guy) it’ll probably take him a game or two before he settles in. Collins would be higher on the list, but I don’t trust Stroud and he’ll need to prove himself by starting off the 2026 season with a decent start.