Week 1 has lastly arrived. As we search for each benefit this season, the x-factor place is the FLEX. To interrupt all of it down, analyst Joel Smyth goes by 10 gamers in 5 tiers on your flexes, double flexes, and even third WR slots.
Set & Neglect
CHI WR, Luther Burden III
Burden logged a full observe Wednesday forward of Sport 1 of the season, whereas teammate Rome Odunze nonetheless practiced in a restricted style. Though the Panthers had been a tricky matchup in opposition to the place final season, Burden is much less matchup-dependent than his counterpart, getting plenty of straightforward targets beneath and fewer one-on-one matchups on the surface with Jaycee Horn.
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Ben Johnson has had all summer season to prepare dinner one thing up, and I consider we’ll see loads of work early for the second-year WR, with a strong ground by way of the fast passing assault, whereas having the identical explosive potential as the remainder. I wouldn’t consider benching your fourth-to-fifth spherical decide due to a pair missed weeks of observe.
GB WR, Christian Watson
Watson was drafted to be a transparent starter as effectively, and though it’s a tricky Week 1 matchup, the Inexperienced Bay WR ought to have a much less unstable season, which will be showcased versus Minnesota. The Vikings strain the quarterback greater than anybody, which is a matter for Inexperienced Bay's shaky offensive line, because it was within the final Vikings sport they performed in 2025.
Prior to now, Watson can be banking on his deep pictures that may make him a success in a single play. His versatility in 2025, nonetheless, leaped, as he turned rather more of an all-around WR. In an evolving offense that’s going to push the tempo, I anticipate Watson to get some straightforward beneath targets that he could not have gotten in years previous, particularly with the now vacated targets within the WR room.
Matchup Begins
CAR RB, Chuba Hubbard
The perfect time for Chuba Hubbard all season could also be this week. Each Panther RBs are off the damage report, however I totally anticipate Hubbard to be the lead again because the skilled veteran. Final season, Carolina was in a really comparable spot with Rico Dowdle, and Chuba Hubbard logged 21 alternatives in Week 1, for 89 yards and a TD. He continued that quantity over the subsequent three weeks to start the season. Even when there is a little more of a right away break up, the Chicago protection is nothing to be frightened of, and it offers Hubbard a Week 1 spot that makes him extra reliable.
TB WR, Chris Godwin Jr.
In these double-flex/3WR leagues, I consider Godwin can step in for you Week 1. After his grotesque damage in 2024, Godwin had restricted manufacturing in 2025. He’ll begin the 12 months off versus the Cincinnati protection that struggled to cease the inside receivers within the passing sport final season, the place Godwin will get nearly all of his targets out of the slot. With DB D.J. Turner on Emeka Egbuka for a majority of snaps, Godwin can begin robust in a bounce-back 12 months.
Vanilla Tier (~okay)
CLE RB, Quinshon Judkins
It’s tough to bench a Spherical 5 RB in Week 1, which is why Judkins remains to be within the Vanilla Tier for me, as an okay choice, however beneath he’s common. Judkins final season scored underneath 10 fantasy PPG when the Browns misplaced by 14+ factors (six video games), which they’re arrange in an identical sport script as 10-point highway underdogs versus Jacksonville.
The Jaguars had been second-best in opposition to speeding fantasy manufacturing and must be steadily within the lead all through this one, transferring Cleveland into extra passing conditions that take Judkins off the sphere. He’s a high-quality flex due to his quantity, however higher matchups are forward.
GB RB, MarShawn Lloyd
There are two sides to MarShawn Lloyd. One tells you he’s the RB1 on an excellent offense, with little or no competitors for carries. The opposite brings up that he has six carries in two profession years. The mixture of the latter with the Minnesota protection makes him extra of a mean flex play for this week as we determine his long-term function. Nevertheless, I nonetheless suppose if you happen to drafted him earlier than filling out your bench, he’s a worthy begin. In Inexperienced Bay’s preseason, Lloyd was getting 100% of the snaps with the starters. They included him within the passing sport, and with solely Kaleb Johnson as true competitors for early down work, I’d anticipate Lloyd to have that necessary function.
Booby Traps
IND WR, Alec Pierce
In his first sport again from ankle surgical procedure, Alec Pierce will face off in opposition to the Baltimore Ravens. What would have regarded like an excellent matchup in 2025 will possible not be the identical in 2026, particularly for Pierce’s fashion. New Ravens head coach Jesse Minter is understood for his creativity that causes quarterback pressures, which is regarding for a QB off an Achilles damage and Pierce who’s a deep menace WR recovering himself.
It’s not that it may well’t work, simply that there’s additionally a excessive chance Pierce ends his day with out a large play to masks the problems.
TEN WR, Carnell Tate
Carnell Tate was nonetheless being drafted in Spherical 7 after zero preseason receptions. Though New York isn’t a protection to be afraid of, I’d moderately wait on Tate than pressure him into the lineup and pray he doesn’t bust. Typically we get Emeka Egbuka out of the gate, however usually occasions, the primary profession sport isn’t one thing to put in writing residence about, with the one different WR being Xavier Worthy (by some means?) to have 13 fantasy factors in Week 1 the final couple of seasons.
Tate’s state of affairs isn’t as type as Egbuka’s or Worthy’s, and even Puka Nacua’s going again additional, main me to take the affected person route to start the 12 months.
Deep Flyers
JAX RB, Chris Rodriguez Jr.
Chris Rodriguez is both going to attain 7 factors or 13 factors this week, relying on whether or not he can get into the top zone. I don’t thoughts going TD searching on this spot in any respect. No group ran on the objective line at the next charge than Jacksonville final season, and with the Browns coming to city, I’d anticipate them to be within the crimson zone early and sometimes. Week 1 is the very best shot of getting a real RB break up as Bhayshul Tuten good points expertise, giving Rodriguez his greatest shot when paired with the matchup over the primary few video games.
NO TE, Juwan Johnson
With Jordyn Tyson down with damage, all of the discuss has been about Chris Olave’s top-five quantity potential, however what about Juwan Johnson? The Saints TE was the de facto WR2 late final season and is ready as much as be the identical in early 2026. With Tyler Shough within the lineup, Johnson scored because the TE5 in PPR leagues over the second half of the 12 months. His crimson zone work is missing, making him extra of a PPR play, however the quantity must be there for him versus Detroit. With the sport complete at 50 projected factors scored, I’d anticipate Shough to be slinging it lots.
