After months of waiting, Week 1 of the 2023 NFL season is finally here. With a full off-season of drafting in the books, it’s time to set your lineups and watch the action unfold. With that said, let’s dive into my top 24 running back and wide receiver rankings and tiers. Along with my must-start at each position.

Week 1 – Running Back Rankings

Tier 1

1. Christian McCaffrey vs Pittsburgh

2. Austin Ekeler @ Los Angeles

Tier 2

3. Saquon Barkley @ New York Giants

4. Bijan Robinson @ Atlanta

5. Tony Pollard vs New York Giants

6. Nick Chubb @ Cleveland

7. Josh Jacobs vs Denver

8. Derrick Henry vs New Orleans

Tier 3

9. Travis Etienne vs Indianapolis

10. Rhamondre Stevenson @ New England

Tier 4

11. J.K. Dobbins @ Baltimore

12. Najee Harris @ Pittsburgh

13. Joe Mixon vs Cleveland

14. Kenneth Walker @ Seattle

15. Jahmyr Gibbs vs Kansas City

Tier 5

16. Aaron Jones vs Chicago

17. Alexander Mattison @ Minnesota

Tier 6

18. Cam Akers vs Seattle

19. James Conner vs Washington

20. Miles Sanders vs Atlanta

21. Dameon Pierce vs Baltimore

Tier 7 

22. Dalvin Cook @ New York Jets

23. Isiah Pacheco @ Kansas City

24. Brian Robinson @ Washington

Start Of The Week

J.K. Dobbins

I’ve been extremely high on J.K. Dobbins this off-season, and I love his week one matchup. Currently, Dobbins is ranked as my RB15 for the season, but he’s my RB11 for week one. The Ravens have the largest spread of the week at -8 against the Texans, according to Odds Shark. 

Dobbins should be operating as a bell-cow in this offense, but he’s most efficient on the ground. So far, Dobbins has posted 6 and 5.7 YPC seasons in his first two seasons, and I expect him to have a big year starting in week one.

The Texans are one of the worst teams in the league, and the Ravens should dominate them. With the Ravens leading most of the game, Dobbins should see a ton of carries, especially in the second half. The Ravens are going to be able to run the ball at will, which is going to result in a monster game for Dobbins.

Week 1 – Wide Receiver Rankings

Tier 1

1. Justin Jefferson @ Minnesota

2. Tyreek Hill vs Los Angeles

3. Ja’Marr Chase vs Cleveland

4. Amon-Ra St. Brown vs Kansas City

Tier 2

5. Davante Adams vs Denver

6. CeeDee Lamb vs New York Giants

7. Stefon Diggs vs New York Jets

8. Garrett Wilson @ New York Jets

Tier 3

9. Jaylen Waddle vs Los Angeles

10. A.J. Brown vs New England

Tier 4

11. Chris Olave @ New Orleans

12. Amari Cooper @ Cleveland

13. Tee Higgins vs Cleveland

14. Keenan Allen @ Los Angeles

Tier 5 

15. Christian Watson vs Chicago

16. DK Metcalf @ Seattle

17. DeVonta Smith vs New England

18. Calvin Ridley vs Indianapolis

Tier 6

19. DJ Moore @ Chicago

20. Mike Williams @ Los Angeles

21. Deebo Samuel vs Pittsburgh

22. Chris Godwin vs Minnesota

23. Mike Evans vs Minnesota

24. DeAndre Hopkins vs New Orleans

Start Of The Week (WR)

Christian Watson

I’ve been drafting Christian Watson everywhere all off-season, as he should have a great 2023 campaign. Going beyond the obvious, Watson is a must-start this week against the Bears. The Bears don’t have an amazing secondary, and I expect the young quarterback Jordan Love to lean on Watson early in the season.

Watson is very talented, and he offers a ton of upside on a week-to-week basis. To give some context on how good Watson is, the only rookies with 2.25 or higher yards per route run were Odell Beckham Jr., Tyreek Hill, A. J. Brown, Justin Jefferson, Ja’Marr Chase, Chris Olave, and Watson.

Watson should command a ton of volume in the first game of the season. Right now, Watson is my WR18 on the year, but I have him as the WR15 this week. If he breaks off a big play like he did so often last year, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him finish as a mid-WR1.

Week 1 — Top 12 QB/TE Fantasy Football Rankings and Tiers

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