Welcome to the 2018 fantasy football season and the weekly flex rankings! Each week in this space, and in ample time for the Thursday night affairs, this file will rank the top-100-plus running backs, wide receivers and tight ends for PPR purposes and place them on one tidy list for your viewing and perhaps to aid in your decisions.
These rankings are a result of myriad factors, but the matchups for that week are certainly critical. Your draft is over, so it does not matter which players went earlier or for more auction money. Anyway, it is Week 1, so let us all flex!
1. Todd Gurley II, RB, Los Angeles Rams: He is not No. 1 because he finished tops in scoring last season. He is No. 1 because he is awesome, healthy, had a full training camp and, frankly, the matchup against an old Raiders team looks good and will for months.
2. David Johnson, RB, Arizona Cardinals: No concerns here. Healthy and motivated.
3. Alvin Kamara, RB, New Orleans Saints: He did not earn a better ranking than normal from last season because of the Mark Ingram II absence. Again, Kamara is awesome and the matchup works. I doubt we see more than 30 touches here.
4. Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Dallas Cowboys: The rest of the offense is good enough for him to lead the league in rushing. It is true.
5. Antonio Brown, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers: Seems worth pointing out we still do not know for sure which of his teammates will be playing in this one, and that his quarterback performs far better in home games. Still, Brown is the top WR.
6. DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Houston Texans: He and Deshaun Watson might not win the game, but they will connect.
7. Julio Jones, WR, Atlanta Falcons: Watch him actually catch a pass in the end zone and shut up the myriad haters.
8. Melvin Gordon, RB, Los Angeles Chargers