Fantasy football strategy, rankings, and podcasts

Week 1 is finally here. Time to stop worry about draft strategies, sleepers and boring-ass preseason games. Real football is here, and it all starts tomorrow night in Foxboro. Here at drinkfive, we'll be delivering our rankings on a weekly basis, so check out everything below, in a convenient Fantasypros box. Also, make sure to check out the sit/start advice on the right side of the page.

But first, let's take a look at a few players this week: Carson Palmer is ranked 13th this week. He's playing the Saints at home and will have a full compliment of receivers. Andrew Luck may be taking a bit hit and landing at #9, but he's still going to start if you drafted him. The Bills just have a really good defense. Mark Ingram has a very tough matchup against the Cardinals defense, don't expect him to shine just yet. Darren Sproles could be a sneaky start, especially in a PPR league.

Anquan Boldin may find his way into the top 20 this week, considering he's the only legitimate target on the team that has a past with Kaepernick. I would be hesitant to start Andre Johnson, who may need a week or two to find his groove in Indy. Starting the season against the Bills won't help any. Charles Clay is a sneaky start, especially if you drafted someone like Antonio Gates, who is out for the first four games. Maybe start him instead of Tyler Eifert.

Good luck in your first week, make sure to check before the games start for last minute injuries.

The time for drafting and sleepers and value picks and auctions have all past, it's now time for real football to be played! Week 1 starts on Thursday night with the matchup between the Panthers and Broncos in the mile-high city. Make sure you also check out our podcast where Dave and Jason break down all the Week 1 matchups.

Listen to the Fantasy Football Podcast, 9/6/16: Week 1 Preview

As far as this week's rankings go, it's Week 1, so it's probably going to be the biggest crapshoot of the year. You are likely going to have very few decisions to make on Sunday - this is a good thing. Go with the guys you drafted high and be patient. If you are interested in a few guys we're high on, look for Kirk Cousins to do well against Pittsburg, Danny Woodhead to get some nice garbage points in KC and Larry Fitzgerald to shine on a team that is 3-deep at wideout.

We finally made it to Week 1! Football starts this week with the Texans @ Chiefs on Thursday night and I will be just one of millions waiting for the kickoff - beer in hand - that signals the start of the fantasy football season. This is going to be a tricky one, with flexible COVID-19 IR slots and constant testing at the forefront of the discussion, but that's all the more reason to be deep in research and statistics as we start the season. Best of luck to you all!

Pay attention to these rankings throughout the season, as they will continue to evolve based on the latest injury updates, news, and player analysis. Have any specific lineup questions? Feel free to tweet us @drinkfive with any of your questions or comments!

By now most of the 2021 fantasy football drafts have already concluded and team managers are looking ahead to Week 1's matchups to find the best plays and how to exploit them. Looking to a team's historical stats to determine how they will fare early on in the season is often times a trap. Offseason changes including new acquisitions and departures to the team can and do impact both the offensive and defensive side of the football greatly. My advice to you is not to pay too much attention to what you think you know from last season as - with a few notable exceptions - the results of Week 1 and 2 of a new season are often quite surprising. 

Good luck, and feel free to reach out to me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with any specific questions or comments that you might have. We are now broadcasting our weekly podcast, The Fantasy Finish Line, LIVE on YouTube every Wednesday at 9pm CT during the regular season. Tune in!