Justin Jefferson Headlines Week 1 Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Projections

Dominate your Week 1 fantasy football matchup with these fantasy football wide receiver projections to help you optimize your start-sit decisions.

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) against the Los Angeles Rams during an NFC wild card game at State Farm Stadium. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Week 1 of the NFL season is here and you know what that means... It's time to release our Week 1 rankings and projections. You might be surprised not to see Ja’Marr Chase leading our wide receiver rankings, but if anyone is going to take the top spot, it makes perfect sense for it to be Justin Jefferson. Jefferson firmly sits in the elite tier of this season’s wide receivers, alongside Chase and CeeDee Lamb.

Each week, I’ll release my projections on Wednesday (this week I released them a day early), with a neutral eye that is dictated by hinting stats from previous results or in-season injuries. These statistics represent baseline outlooks, with their potential already factored in. Touchdowns create impact scores and winning fantasy days, especially in non-PPR formats. Who scores them each week is the Holy Grail that the fantasy market searches for weekly.

The spreadsheet I've compiled offers a comprehensive analysis of Week 1 wide receiver projections for the 2025 NFL season, tailored for both PPR and non-PPR fantasy formats. This data-driven resource is invaluable for fantasy managers seeking to make informed lineup decisions based on projected performance metrics. Not only do I include the pass-catching projected statistics, but receivers who tend to see carries will see rushing projections included as well.

Click the image to view the full Week 1 WR fantasy football projections. | Shawn Childs

My projections come ranked in a way that rarely mirrors the weekly consensus, giving you an edge over the masses. Matt Brandon is at the helm, blending my player insights with the public perception to strike the perfect balance for each week’s rankings. Those positional rankings will be released tomorrow. In the meantime, let's take a look at a couple of intriguing players that stick out in these Week 1 Wide Receiver Projections.

Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings

The star power of Jefferson gives J.J. McCarthy the tools to carve up Chicago’s defense, leading to him ranking at the top of the Week 1 wide receiver rankings. With Jordan Addison out of action, the Vikings should look for Jefferson early and often in this game.

Nico Collins, Houston Texans

Last year, Collins kicked in the wide receiver door in three (6/117, 8/135/1, and 12/151/1). I expect him to be active again while making plenty of big plays and reaching pay dirt at least once.

Puka Nacua, Los Angeles Rams

With Matthew Stafford looking likely to suit up for Week 1, our top-ranked wide receiver for the 2025 NFL season is ready to dominate his matchup against the Houston Texans. Although the Rams upgraded from Cooper Kupp to Davante Adams, Nacua will still serve as the primary chain mover. And if the Rams fall behind, expect Stafford to sling it to his All-Pro wideout.

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CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE FULL WEEK 1 WIDE RECEIVER FANTASY FOOTBALL PROJECTIONS!

Here's the latests wide receiver updates on 9/5:

• Darnell Mooney will be a game-time decision on Sunday. I have him rated as out in Week 1. I’m taking the same stance with my late-week update, and I’ll update before kickoff on Sunday if the Falcons give a better update on his status.

• The Packers’ wide receivers are incredibly challenging to rate in Week 1 due to the lack of clarity with Jayden Reed and Dontayvion Wicks battling injuries most of August and early September. I have Reed listed as not playing after turning in only limited practices this week. Romeo Doubs should be rewarded with more targets, and Malik Health has enough experience in this offense to surprise. I made no changes to Green Bay’s receiving projections.

• The Texans have ruled out Christian Kirk on Sunday after picking up a hamstring injury this week. Jayden Higgins picks up a catch while Xavier Hutchenson secures a WR3 opportunity.

• The Vikings removed Justin Jefferson, Jalen Nailor, and Tai Felton from the injury report. I expected Jalen Nailor to miss this week’s game. I gave him minimal stats in Week 1, costing Jefferson some of his ceiling.

• San Francisco took Jauan Jennings off their injury report late in the week, leading to me reshuffling the 49ers’ projections and upgrading Brock Purdy’s passing attempts and a half of a touchdown. Jennings goes from unrated to WR2 while Ricky Pearsall is downgraded slightly.

• Chris Godwin was ruled out in Week 1 after trending in a positive direction. His targets and stats were shifted to Cade Otton and Emeka Egbuka.