Week 1 standard flex rankings

We break down our Week 1 standard rankings for fantasy football leagues.

By Teddy Ricketson@TeddyRicketson Sep 7, 2022, 4:05am PDT

Diontae Johnson #18 of the Pittsburgh Steelers smiles during the first half of a preseason game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at TIAA Bank Field on August 20, 2022 in Jacksonville, Florida.

The wait is finally over. All of the mock drafts and off-season news have finally come to a head. Your draft has come and gone, and now you are looking into setting your Week 1 lineup. The 2022 NFL season kicks off on Thursday, September 8, as the Buffalo Bills take on the reigning Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams. Here is a Week 1 overview article, and as always, get your Thursday night players out of that flex spot.

Injury news to monitor

JK Dobbins is still banged up for the Baltimore Ravens, and if he is limited or misses time, Kenyan Drake and Mike Davis would see a boost. Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson missed practice on Monday, presumably still healing a shoulder injury from the final preseason game. Kenneth Walker is still dealing with his unusual hernia injury, so Travis Homer would be the fill-in for Rashaad Penny if he misses Monday's game.

Week 3 fantasy football standard rankings

Flex
Quarterback
Running back
Wide receiver
Tight end
D/ST
Kicker

Week 1 streamers

Melvin Gordon III, Denver Broncos vs. Seattle Seahawks (MNF)

The Denver backfield is still split as Gordon shares the backfield with starter Javonte Williams. This doesn’t eliminate Gordon from fantasy relevancy, though. You typically wouldn’t start a backup in the season's first week, but Gordon is primed for a big game. While the Russell Wilson revenge game is in full effect, the Seahawks gave up the second most fantasy points per game to running backs. They didn’t drastically improve their defensive front this offseason, giving Gordon upside in this Week 1 matchup.

George Pickens, Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Cincinnati Bengals

Pickens is the WR3 for the Steelers and is a rookie coming off a national championship win with Georgia. Pittsburgh is known for having three wide receivers on the field, so even if both Diontae Johnson and Chase Claypool are active, Pickens should still see the field in his debut. Johnson is nursing a shoulder injury to start the week, so Pickens’ number could be called early and often. He is an intriguing flex play even against the tough Bengals defense.