NFL Week 1 brought some incredible matchups like the Baltimore Ravens vs the Buffalo Bills, or even the New York Jets vs the Pittsburgh Steelers.
It was a strange week for fantasy football; a lot of the top-drafted players did not crack the top five at their respective positions. But that's not what we are here for, who had the best overall performances, that and more below.
Note: We're using FantasyPros data (default PPR scoring) to create these rankings of weekly top fantasy performers.
*This was written pre-MNF and will be updated after the game.*
FANTASY WEEK 2 RANKINGS: QB | RB | WR | TE | D/ST | PK | Non-PPR Cheat Sheet
Top fantasy QB scorers: Week 1
1. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills (38.8)
T-2. Justin Fields, New York Jets (29.5)
T-2. Daniel Jones, Indianapolis Colts (29.5)
4. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens (29.4)
5. Justin Herbert, LA Chargers, (27.9)
There's only one name on here that completely stands out, and it's Daniel Jones. Jones was magnificent against the Dolphins in Week 1, which might be the first time we've been able to say that in his career. He led a scoring drive every time he touched the ball in that game. This is the first time this century for that to happen.
To put it into perspective, Jones did something that Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, and Patrick Mahomes have not done. With all this being said, this is most likely an insane outlier game this year for Jones.
Daniel Jones??? pic.twitter.com/QL2H18ZBHu
— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) September 8, 2025
We should not expect anything close to this, but if he does look this good in Week 2 against Denver, we might have a problem.
Allen, Fields, and Jackson's rushing ability all make them appear on this list, unsurprisingly, to say the least. However, Justin Herbert was fantastic in his Week 1 showing against a good Chiefs defense.
Most of the damage done by Herbert was as a pocket passing QB, which is sort of a lost art. Herbert completed 25 passes for 318 yards and 3 TDs. If the Chargers' offense continues to be this good, Herbert will find himself with great fantasy performances regularly.
Top fantasy RB scorers: Week 1
1. Derrick Henry, Baltimore Ravens (29.2)
2. Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Falcons (24.4)
3. Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers (23.3)
4. James Cook, Buffalo Bills (21.2)
5. Javonte Williams, Dallas Cowboys (20.4)
Much like the QBs, one name stands out: Javonte Williams.
Williams has a great role on this Cowboys offense that can move the ball very well. Much like Rico Dowdle last season, Williams is the primary receiving back; however, Miles Sanders is also not that good.
So, Williams also got the goal-line touches and scored two touchdowns.
Unless the receiving work increases, Williams is a heavily TD-dependent player, but he could still have good weeks as he did in Week 1.
A positive pattern did emerge in the opener:
Route participation rate leaders at RB in Week 1:
— Jacob Gibbs (@jagibbs_23) September 8, 2025
77% - Bijan Robinson
72% - Christian McCaffrey
71% - Javonte Williams
67% - Saquon Barkley
61% - Jahmyr Gibbs
59% - Alvin Kamara
58% - Tyrone Tracy
58% - Jonathan Taylor
57% - Bucky Irving
54% - Omarion Hampton
53% - De'Von…
Derrick Henry finishing above Bijan Robinson and CMC in PPR scoring despite having just 1 reception is mind-blowing. However, Henry was an unstoppable force the entirety of SNF (for the most part).
Robinson and CMC's production in the passing game is a manager's dream come true. Expect them to sit among the top five RBs every week for fantasy football.
MORE: Week 2 fantasy waiver wire
Top fantasy WR scorers: Week 1
1. Zay Flowers, Baltimore Ravens (28.1)
2. Keon Coleman, Buffalo Bills (25.2)
3. Quentin Johnston, LA Chargers (24.9)
4. Emeka Egbuka, Tampa Bay Bucs (23.6)
5. Puka Nacua, Los Angeles Rams (23.1)
The top five WRs for fantasy football in Week 1 were exactly who everyone expected. Don't let the sarcasm fool you; this is a crazy finish for the WR position in the opening week. The guys who are off the list are more notable than the guys on the list (besides Puka).
Instead of just mentioning two guys, here's a thought on four of the names, not including Puka.
Zay Flowers and Keon Coleman both benefited from a shootout on SNF. Both guys had their highest finish in fantasy finish in their careers.
Quentin Johnston and Emeka Egbuka had nearly identical performances in Week 1. Egbuka caught 4 of his 6 targets for 67 yards and two touchdowns.
Johnston caught 5 of his 7 targets for 79 yards and two touchdowns:
Quentin Johnston is the most dangerous WR in the league when the ball is in his hands @NFL @MrJohnston____ #BoltUp pic.twitter.com/ZIPbJnxtA6
— Chargers Country (@ChargersCountry) September 8, 2025
While both had a great game production-wise, and that will stick going forward, you can't bank on two touchdowns.
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Top fantasy TE scorers: Week 1
1. Juwan Johnson, New Orleans Saints (15.6)
2. Brock Bowers, Las Vegas Raiders (15.3)
3. Tyler Warren, Indianapolis Colts (14.9)
4. Dalton Kincaid, Buffalo Bills (14.8)
5. Sam LaPorta, Detroit Lions (13.9)
Unfortunately for Brock Bowers' drafters, Tyler Warren might be a problem for the positional advantage you spent aggressively to acquire with Bowers.
Now, both can coexist, and it's just Week 1, but it has to sting a bit with how late Warren went compared to Bowers. Simply put, Warren got used like Bowers did a year ago.
Juwan Johnson is a fascinating option for those who did not spend high for a TE. Johnson did not have a TD; all 15.6 of those points came from production in the receiving game. Johnson was targeted more times (11) than any other TE in Week 1:
Juwan Johnson with some of the best tight end usage you'll ever see in Week 1:
— Adam Levitan (@adamlevitan) September 8, 2025
* 74-of-75 snaps
* 34 slot, 28 in-line, 9 wide, 2 backfield, 1 OL
* 47 routes on 49 Rattler dropbacks
* 11 targets for a 24% share
* 8-76-0 result
Taysom Hill (knee) and Foster Moreau (knee) both out…
Top fantasy D/ST scorers: Week 1
1. Denver Broncos (14)
2. Indianapolis Colts (13)
T-3. LA Rams (11)
T-3. Jacksonville Jaguars (11)
T-5. Tennessee Titans (10)
T-5. Las Vegas Raiders (10)
T-5. Green Bay Packers (10)
The thing when it comes to defense is that it's solely based on matchups. If the Denver Broncos played the Baltimore Ravens, they would not be the top overall fantasy defense. What we can take away from this is who the opposing teams were.
The biggest takeaway from not just this list, but maybe Week 1 as a whole, is how bad the Miami Dolphins are. The Indianapolis Colts have a solid defensive unit with a lot of good players, but are they a top-five unit in fantasy? Probably not. Depending on how Miami looks against New England in Week 2 could determine whether they should be a target for D/STs that play them.