Fantasy football rankings shift as Caleb Williams rises and Drake London falls after Week 1

Analyst Eric Karabell updated his weekly fantasy football rankings for the remainder of the 2026 season after the first week of play. He moved Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams higher in the list, citing his four-touchdown performance and dual-threat ability, and suggested the Bears could become a high-scoring team if their defense continues to struggle.

Other quarterbacks saw modest shifts: New England Patriots rookie Drake Maye, Los Angeles Rams starter Matthew Stafford and Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert each slipped slightly, while New York Giants rookie Jaxson Dart, Miami Dolphins runner-oriented Malik Willis and New Orleans Saints’ Tyler Shough rose. Veteran starters such as Joe Burrow, Patrick Mahomes and Bo Nix remained largely unchanged.

At running back, De'Von Achane of the Miami Dolphins stayed near the top of the rankings despite concerns about his offensive situation. Las Vegas Raiders’ Ashton Jeanty and Kansas City Chiefs’ Kenneth Walker III entered the top tier, and Bears’ D’Andre Swift moved into a solid RB2 slot. Additional players highlighted as potential flex options included Houston Texans’ David Montgomery and several younger backs, while others were noted as less favorable.

Wide receiver rankings saw Falcons star Drake London drop out of the top ten, largely due to the team's quarterback instability. The Carolina Panthers’ Jalen Coker advanced to a WR3 position, and Giants’ Malik Nabers, Buffalo Bills’ DJ Moore and San Francisco 49ers’ Mike Evans were placed at WR2 status. New Patriots addition A.J. Brown, who is dealing with an ankle injury, may miss up to six weeks but is recommended to be retained. Rookies De'Zhaun Stribling and Makai Lemon were removed from the rankings, making room for veterans such as Demarcus Robinson and Mack Hollins.

Tight end rankings kept Raiders’ Brock Bowers at No. 2 despite a knee issue, while Bears’ Colston Loveland’s low output was considered an outlier. Emerging tight ends Dallas Goedert and Isaiah Likely each posted over 20 points in Week 1, prompting attention. Deeper formats might also consider Mike Gesicki and Evan Engram.

Defensive and special-teams units were listed in the overall top-100, though specific changes were not detailed in the excerpt.