Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Rankings Week 1: Tet McMillan Is A WR1 And A Rookie Finishes 42 Spots Ahead Of ECR

Our fantasy football wide receiver rankings for Week 1.

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan (4) during the first quarter of the preseason game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

We have finally reached Week 1, and it is time to rank the wide receivers. This is undoubtedly the deepest position, so a ton of work and research goes into the wide receivers. That's all, so you know you can rely on our rankings to win your week every week.

This is the position we were probably closest on ECR this week, but there are definitely some significant differences. We have one rookie wide receiver more than 40 spots above ECR. Be sure to scroll down to check out our Week 1 wide receiver rankings.

AJ Brown, New England Patriots

We expect Brown to be one of the best fantasy wide receivers in the league this season. He has been near the top of our draft rankings all offseason. However, he has a brutal matchup in Week 1 against the reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks.

That hasn't stopped us from ranking him five spots above ECR, and that is still lower than where we ranked him all season. It's reasonable to be worried about the matchup, but he's still a locked-in WR1 this week.

Tetairoa McMillan, Carolina Panthers

Even we were a bit surprised as we were doing our rankings, and the numbers showed that he belongs amongst the WR1s in the opening week. We expect him to play well against the Chicago Bears in a game that the Panthers are projected to be trailing in.

The concerns about Bryce Young are valid, but they didn't stop McMillan from being named the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2025 despite getting off to a slow start to the season. He will pick up where he left off last season.

In his first 10 games of 2025, he caught just two touchdowns, which both came in the same game. McMillan caught five touchdowns in his next five games, making him a valuable asset in the fantasy playoffs.

Chris Bell, Miami Dolphins

Bell is only ranked as our WR42, but that is 42 spots ahead of ECR. That's because we believe he is going to be the Dolphins' WR1, and we love the matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders.

If not for a torn ACL in December, Bell would have been a first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft; instead, the Dolphins got him at a tremendous discount. While we did temper our expectations about his early-season production because of that injury, his ability to get on the field in Miami's final preseason game has us excited to see what he can do right out of the gate in Week 1.

Week 1 Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Rankings

More Fantasy Sports On SI News