2022 Fantasy Football: Week 1 Flex Rankings

The 2022 NFL season is finally here! Let the months of speculation finally cease. Below you will find my Week 1 Flex rankings. As was the case with my pre-draft rankings, these are based on half-PPR scoring. Please keep that in mind when making your lineup decisions. With all 32 NFL teams in action and rosters likely as healthy as they are going to be, I included over 300 total player’s in this week’s rankings. That number may decrease slightly throughout the year once injuries and bye weeks take effect.

We know there are going to be some players who randomly pop off this week. But for the most part, I do not want to get overly cute in Week 1. I’m not downgrading Stefon Diggs because he is facing Jalen Ramsey, for example. If Ramsey shuts Diggs down, I can live with that. But I am not benching my first-round pick in the first game of the year just because he has a difficult matchup. Having said that, here are some players I will be keeping a close eye on this week.

Running Back Notes

The most interesting situation for me at running back this weekend is how Washington uses Antonio Gibson. After finishing last season as an RB1, Gibson was rumored to be in the doghouse throughout the summer. Rumors had him playing with the third-string unit and the punt team. Ron Rivera may or may not have even made Gibson wash his car and paint his house. Fantasy managers avoided Gibson at all costs as the summer wore on. His ADP fell to the seventh round in 12-team leagues. Meanwhile, Brian Robinson’s stock was on the rise. Unfortunately, Robinson was shot recently and will miss at least the first four games of the year. Suddenly, Gibson is likely thrust back into the lead role in what is a solid matchup.

The Jacksonville Jaguars allowed 17 rushing touchdowns to opposing running backs a season ago. Only four NFL teams allowed more. Washington is a slight favorite at home, which may also mean more carries for Gibson. Fantasy managers who drafted Gibson as an RB3 should feel comfortable flexing him this week. I have him as a high-end RB2 in 12-team leagues.

On the flip side, fantasy managers drafted J.K. Dobbins as a consensus RB2 this summer. However, the third-year back is questionable for Week 1. It is a tough break, as Dobbins and the Ravens have an elite matchup against the New York Jets. The Jets allowed a total of 28 touchdowns to enemy running backs last season, most in the NFL. For now, I have Dobbins ranked as a borderline Flex play. Meanwhile, boring vets Kenyan Drake and Mike Davis would be in line to handle the load if Dobbins cannot suit up. They will probably be involved in some capacity even if Dobbins does play. Baltimore will want to manage his workload upon his return. Drake and/or Davis are likely to climb up the rankings between now and Sunday.

Wide Receiver Notes

Like Dobbins, Chris Godwin is coming off an ACL tear suffered last year. Also like Dobbins, Godwin is a question mark for Week 1. Godwin has averaged at least 13 points per game in half-PPR scoring in each of the past three seasons. The only other wideouts to accomplish that feat are Davante Adams, Tyreek Hill, and fellow Buccaneer Mike Evans. But I would expect Tampa Bay to exercise some caution here. They have much loftier goals than winning in Week 1. The Bucs may limit Godwin’s snap count and touches early on in the year as he continues to ramp up his progress. I consider Godwin a borderline Flex play in this week’s matchup against Dallas but it depends on your other options. Russell Gage is likely to fill in for any reps Godwin may miss and is also a potential Week 1 Flex.

With Davante Adams no longer in Green Bay, the Packers will have to fill the void at wide receiver. The primary concern for Week 1 is that the most likely candidate to step in, Allen Lazard, is injured and may not play. I currently have Lazard as a borderline Flex play, so keep up with the news before Sunday. Aaron Rodgers has some interesting options if Lazard cannot go or is limited. Green Bay kept seven wideouts on their 53-man roster, so there is no shortage of options. Randall Cobb is a reliable safety blanket but usually carries a low ceiling. Rookie Romeo Doubs has shown flashes, but the Packers are notoriously slow to bring along their young wide receivers. Remember that Adams fell short of 500 receiving yards in each of his first two seasons in Green Bay. That may leave us with Sammy Watkins.

I know, cue the eye rolls. But Watkins is still a talented wideout who could be relied upon in a solid matchup. The Minnesota Vikings allowed the most receptions and receiving yards to opposing wide receivers last season. Watkins also has a seemingly unexplainable knack for balling out in Week 1 in recent years. That does not exactly seem like the type of split that correlates to this particular matchup. However, stranger things have happened. I currently have Cobb ranked slightly ahead of Watkins, and neither is in the Flex range. But if Lazard is out, I would probably play Watkins over Cobb based on the upside.

Tight End Notes

Note number one when it comes to tight ends – do not put them in your Flex spot. Sure, there are exceptions, like if you consciously drafted two tight ends early with the specific purpose of flexing one. Fantasy managers often employ this strategy in leagues that feature tight-end premium scoring. However, in most other formats, you should not be putting a tight end in at Flex. That is especially true in Week 1 when health is less of an issue than it will be in subsequent weeks. To that point, Zach Ertz is currently my TE10 but is outside my top-100 Flex options for Week 1. Ertz is also dealing with a calf injury suffered last month, which may cause him to sit or see limited reps on Sunday.

Week 1 Flex Rankings