Who doesn’t love a good Top 5 list? No one I know, that’s for sure. Top 5 favorite movies, top 5 favorite songs, top 5 favorite ice cream flavors…hell, we could do a top 5 list of favorite top 5 lists! We won’t, but we could. Instead, to commemorate the start of the 2016 NFL regular season, I’m going to bring you a Top 5 list for each position each and every week. These lists won’t just be an extension of our seasonal or DFS rankings though. These are my top 5 favorite plays for the week using my research and my instincts. Will I be taking Fantasy Alarm weekly rankings into consideration? Of course I will. But I wouldn’t be helping you all to the best of my ability if I didn’t throw a whole lot of me into them too!
So get ready, Fantasy Alarm Nation!
Here’s your Top 5 Quarterbacks for Week 1
Russell Wilson vs MIA
While the Miami defense is far from a pushover, they are extremely far from being a brick wall. Wilson had an impressive 2015 campaign and after going 24-of-38 for 303 yards and two touchdowns through the air in the preseason, Wilson has further solidified his status as an elite QB. He will get it done with his arm and feet in Week 1.
Aaron Rodgers @ JAX
The Jacksonville defense is much improved, but it’s hard to bet against a healthy Aaron Rodgers with his arsenal of healthy weapons. Jordy Nelson is ready to return, Randall Cobb will man the slot and Jared Cook should prove at the very least to be a reliable tight end in 2016. While Jacksonville’s corners are solid, safety Jonathan Cyprien led all safeties with 21 missed tackles last season. Rodgers will hook up at least once for a long score.
Ben Roethlisberger @ WSH
Big Ben is at the helm of a high-octane offense going against about a league average defense. Sure, Josh Norman is in town, but the Redskins don’t have enough to cover all of Pittsburgh’s lethal weapons. Given Pittsburgh’s defensive woes and the fact that Washington gave up the sixth-most passing yards last season, we could have a fantasy shootout on Monday night, which would be huge to Roethlisberger’s fantasy value.
Derek Carr @ NO
Carr is bright-eyed and bushy-tailed for his Week 1 matchup against the Saints, a team whose defense hasn’t changed much at all since allowing a league-high 45 passing touchdowns on the season. With Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree at his disposal, the Saints’ defense offers little resistance to Carr and Co. in the season opener. Also, throw in the fact that it has the highest projected point total and voila, you have yourself a top 5 quarterback with plenty of upside.
Matthew Stafford @ IND
This game is going to be a shootout and given the fact that Indianapolis could be without four good defenders—including two of their top corners—Stafford is in line for a Top-5 week. Stafford averaged over 20 points in his final eight games last season, which is when OC Jim Bob Cooter took over. Antonio Cromartie is Indy’s top corner for Week 1, which definitely means good things in Week 1 for Stafford and the Lions.
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Check out how my Top 5 matches up with Fantasy Alarm's rankings: