Top 10 Fantasy Football Performers From Week 1 Of The NFL Season

Week 1 of the 2025 NFL season is officially in the books, and with it, so is week one of the new fantasy football season.

Whether you got the season starter off with a win, or if you’re trying to turn things around in Week 2, there’s still plenty of season remaining. But that doesn’t mean that there wasn’t plenty to take away from an exhilarating opening week.

A number of surprising faces had standout performances, while other big names disappointed. With that said, we’re counting down the top 10 fantasy football performances from the first week of the new season.

Top Week 1 Fantasy Football Performers

For the purpose of the exercise, we’re using traditional PPR scoring. And while that may seem to favor receivers, with Bengals superstar Ja’Marr Chase the projected No. 1 pick across the board, that wasn’t the case in the opening week!

Instead, it was the quarterbacks who shone brightest. Seven of the top 10 slots this week are held by quarterbacks, including a pair of players who weren’t even sure they’d be starting for their teams in Week 1.

So, without further ado, here is our Week 1 top 10.

10) Keon Coleman – Buffalo Bills (25.2)

When the Buffalo Bills used the 33rd pick in the 2024 NFL Draft on Keon Coleman, it was clear they saw him as a potential No. 1 threat in the pass game for star QB Josh Allen.

Things didn’t really play out that way for Coleman in his rookie season, however, as he caught just 29 passes for 556 yards and four touchdowns.

Year two, however, got off to a fantastic start. Coleman caught eight passes for 112 yards and a touchdown, starring in the Bills’ remarkable comeback against the Baltimore Ravens and establishing himself as a big time breakout candidate.

9) Aaron Rodgers – Pittsburgh Steelers (25.66)

While Coleman is a rising young star, here we have the other end of the spectrum.

If anyone told you they knew what to expect in Aaron Rodgers’ last hurrah with the Pittsburgh Steelers, they’re lying. But at least for one week, against the team that cast him aside, the 41-year-old looked like the former four-time NFL MVP yet again.

Rodgers was sharp, decisive, and accurate against the Jets, racking up 244 yards and four touchdowns on 22-of-30 passing to lead Pittsburgh to an opening-week victory.

8) Patrick Mahomes – Kansas City Chiefs (26.2)

Coleman and Rodgers came as a surprise to start this list. Patrick Mahomes, however, does not. Despite the absence of star receiver Rashee Rice due to suspension, and deep threat Xavier Worthy getting injured in the first quarter, Mahomes looked like every bit of the superstar he is against the Chargers.

The Chiefs’ superstar completed 24-of-39 passes for 258 yards with one touchdown, and added six rushes for 57 yards and another score.

It wasn’t enough to get Kansas City the victory, thanks in large part to the next entry on this list. But Chiefs fans have to feel good about how Mahomes looked in Week 1, even without much in the way of weaponry.

7) Justin Herbert – Los Angeles Chargers (27.92)

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert must have been tired about hearing how he struggles in big games.

The Chargers’ signal-caller was nothing short of excellent in Week 1, outdueling Mahomes and leading his team to victory. Herbert completed 73.5 percent of his passes for 318 yards and three touchdowns and seemingly made a play every time one was needed.

Herbert will have to maintain that level of play throughout the season and into the playoffs if he wants to shift the narrative around his reputation, but he sure got off to a great start.

6) Zay Flowers – Baltimore Ravens (28.1)

Zay Flowers was unavailable for the Ravens’ playoff loss against Buffalo due to injury, but he made up for lost time in Week 1.

Flowers ran roughshod over the Bills’ secondary on Sunday night to the tune of seven receptions for 143 yards and one touchdown. With quarterback Lamar Jackson’s ability to extend plays, Flowers becomes almost unguardable, especially in man coverage.

The Boston College product made his first Pro Bowl a year ago and became the first Ravens wide receiver to ever make the Pro Bowl in the process. If he continues his Week 1 play throughout the season, he’ll undoubtedly find himself back there this time around.

5) Derrick Henry – Baltimore Ravens (29.2)

If you’re beginning to sense a theme here, it’s because the Baltimore Ravens ran roughshod over the Buffalo Bills defense on Sunday night – at least, for about 55 minutes.

Henry, who at 31 years old shows no signs of slowing down, was an absolute force in Week 1. The five-time Pro Bowler needed just 18 carries to rack up 169 yards and two touchdowns.

He did, however, have a late-game fumble that proved pivotal in the Bills’ miraculous comeback and kept Henry from being even higher on this list.

4) Lamar Jackson – Baltimore Ravens (29.36)

The last of three consecutive Baltimore Ravens on this list, Lamar Jackson, was absolutely incredible against the Bills. The two-time league MVP was surgical in the pass game, completing 73.7 percent of his passes for 209 yards and two touchdowns.

As per usual, he was just as dangerous with his legs, rushing for a further 70 yards and a touchdown on just six carries. When healthy, Jackson is one of the safest bets in the fantasy football world.

Which makes it even more baffling that head coach John Harbaugh didn’t trust him to pick up a key 4th-and-3 late in the game.

3) Daniel Jones – Indianapolis Colts (29.48)

Just as we all suspected! One of the best quarterbacks in the entire NFL in Week 1 was…Daniel Jones?

That’s right! After winning the starting job over Anthony Richardson, Jones looked absolutely incredible in Week 1 against the Miami Dolphins. He completed 75.9 percent of his passes for 272 yards and a touchdown, while adding a further 26 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.

Despite claims that Indianapolis is tanking for Arch Manning (which we wouldn’t recommend right now), it appears that nobody told Jones.

Is this a one-week aberration against a horrible team? Possibly! Was it still incredibly fun? Absolutely.

2) Justin Fields – New York Jets (29.52)

Not to be outdone by Jones, first-year New York Jets QB Justin Fields tops the list of young quarterbacks that nobody expected to have an outstanding showing in Week 1.

Fields did a little bit of everything for the Jets in his first game with the organization. He completed 16-of-22 passes for 218 yards and one touchdown to go along with 48 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.

Those numbers translated to real-life success as well, as the Jets offense racked up 32 points. Surprisingly, that wasn’t enough to win on Sunday against the Steelers. But it was an encouraging start for Fields in a new home.

1) Josh Allen – Buffalo Bills (38.76)

While Jones and Fields were surprises at the top of this list, reigning NFL MVP Josh Allen is not. Not only did Allen lead his team to a miraculous comeback victory, he also put up some insane numbers in the process.

Allen completed 71.7 percent of his passes for a jaw-dropping 394 yards and two touchdowns, while adding a further 30 yards and two scores on the ground.

Until either one of them wins in the playoffs, it’ll be tough for anyone to argue that Jackson or Allen can challenge Patrick Mahomes as the league’s best quarterback. But when it comes to regular-season play, it’s undeniable that both have matched or even bettered Mahomes in recent years.