On September 6, the NFL season will start with a game between the Atlanta Falcons and Philadelphia Eagles. Both teams feature plenty of passing, and there will undoubtedly be some fantasy relevant wide receivers in Julio Jones and Alshon Jeffery during the Thursday night game.
Let's take a look at the ten best fantasy wide receivers for week 1.
1. WR Antonio Brown (Pittsburgh Steelers)
There is nobody more consistent at the wide receiver position in fantasy Football than Antonio Brown, who has finished in the top five of fantasy wide receivers in the last four seasons.
He draws a matchup in week 1 against the Cleveland Browns, against whom he put up 182 yards on 11 catches last year.
2. WR DeAndre Hopkins (Houston Texans)
Hopkins was one of the top fantasy scorers easily last year, even without DeShaun Watson at the helm. Now that he's back, Hopkins could be the best wide receiver in fantasy football if Watson manages to stay healthy for the duration of 2018.
3. WR Julio Jones (Atlanta Falcons)
The top receiver on the Falcons had a down year last season thanks to just 3 touchdowns in the whole season. If he manages to get just five more touchdowns in 2018, he'll immediately be a top 5 receiver again. In a prime-time game, expect Julio to have a nice game in week 1.
4. WR A.J. Green (Cincinnati Bengals)
To A.J. Green, a 75 catch, 1,078 yard, and 8 touchdown season was not normal. He expects to put up much bigger numbers in 2018 and will now be surrounded by a healthy Bengals offense. He'll get to play against a Colts defense that struggled to stop opposing wide receivers last season.
5. WR Keenan Allen (Los Angeles Chargers)
The third highest scoring wide receiver in fantasy football managed to finally stay healthy for an entire season. In week 1, he'll get a chance to play against a Chiefs defense that allowed the third highest number of points to opposing fantasy wide receivers last year.
6. WR Michael Thomas (New Orleans Saints)
The Saints wide receiver has quickly become Drew Brees' top target in the passing game, finishing in the top 10 for fantasy wide receivers last season. He draws a matchup in week 1 against a Buccaneers defense that allowed the highest number of fantasy points to opposing fantasy receivers in 2017.
7. WR Tyreek Hill (Kansas City Chiefs)
The top receiver on the Chiefs is primed for yet another big season with Patrick Mahomes at the helm. Mahomes has the ability to throw it much farther than Alex Smith could, increasing the big play potential for Hill. The Chargers have a great secondary, but that didn't stop Hill from scoring 14 fantasy points each time he played the Los Angeles Chargers last season.
8. WR Mike Evans (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
Evans struggled against the New Orleans Saints last season, averaging just 3 fantasy points per contest. In week 1, he'll be playing with Ryan Fitzpatrick, as Jameis Winston serves his suspension. It seems likely that Tampa Bay will fall behind in this one, as the Buccaneers are 9.5 point underdogs. That should mean more opportunities for Evans to pick up yardage as Tampa Bay will likely be playing from behind.
9. WR Odell Beckham Jr. (New York Giants)
The New York Giants wide receiver played just four games last season prior to an injury that sidelined him for the rest of the year. Normally a top five wide receiver, Beckham draws a tough matchup in week 1 against a Jacksonville Jaguars defense that allowed the fewest number of points to opposing fantasy wide receivers last season.
10. WR Stefon Diggs (Minnesota Vikings)
So far, it appears that Kirk Cousins and Stefon Diggs are on the same page. Diggs has been the more frequently targeted receiver compared to Adam Thielen in the preseason, suggesting this could be a breakout year for Diggs. Expect a solid performance in week 1 against the 49ers.
