Week 1 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet for Best Values and Top Sleepers

The first week of the 2026 NFL season is underway, and some managers may already find themselves in catch-up mode. Fortunately, there's still time to adjust lineups and seek help on the waiver wire before the bulk of the schedule unfolds on Sunday.

Here, you'll find an updated cheat sheet for the remainder of Week 1, a list of top value plays, and a few sleepers to consider plucking off the wire.

All rankings and analysis are based on point-per-reception (PPR) scoring.

Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers

Chigoziem Okonkwo, Washington Commanders

Sleeper: Tyler Shough, QB, New Orleans Saints

We'd be a tad more bullish on New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough if rookie wide receiver Jordyn Tyson wasn't opening the season on injured reserve. However, Shough showed he can be a dynamic dual-threat down the stretch as a rookie and is a solid streaming option this season.

Shough will also get a favorable matchup out of the gate in 2026. The Detroit Lions will have a strong home-field advantage, but they surrendered the 10th-most fantasy points to opposing QBs a year ago.

Detroit's high-powered offense should also keep the Saints in a pass-heavy mode for much of the game. Shough should have a high floor, and his scrambling ability gives him an incredibly high ceiling.

The Louisville product is rostered in just 22.5 perc ent of season-long fantasy leagues and carries a budget-friendly value of $6.900 at FanDuel.

Sleeper: Mike Washington, Las Vegas Raiders

Las Vegas Raiders rookie running back Mike Washington Jr. would have intriguing sleeper value even if starter Ashton Jeanty wasn't dealing with an ankle sprain.

The Arkansas product showed during the preseason that his breakaway ability will translate to the NFL, and he figures to be a great complement to Jeanty. Remember, new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak used a fairly balanced split between Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet as the Seattle Seahawks' OC.

Of course, Jeanty has been dealing with the ankle injury, and while he's expected to play in Week 1, he may not be close to 100 percent. Washington could have a big debut against a Miami Dolphins defense that surrendered the 12th-most fantasy points to RBs in 2025 before the roster was purged of veteran talent.

Washington is rostered in only 24.3 percent of season-long leagues and carries a FanDuel value of just $4,500.

*Fantasy scoring and roster information from FantasyPros .