Kyler Murray Looking At A Big Week 1 In Fantasy Football?

Don't worry everyone, all that draft work is about to pay off this week when we have our first taste of NFL action on Wednesday. All the mock drafts, late-night nightmares about missing a pick and countless cheat sheets all come to a head, and while we want to believe all our teams are championship-ready, we know that some players' upside won't come to fruition.

Lucky, we have a bit of a sneak peek at what could be in store for Week 1 of the NFL season with Fantasy Life's updated projections. Let's look at some of the potential highs and lows fantasy managers could go through this week …

Kyler Murray | Vikings

Projection: 18.2 fantasy points (QB8)

The Vikings take on the Packers at home next Sunday and it'll be the debut of Kyler Murray as the QB1. We know the upside with Murray, he's got dual-threat ability with a lot of weapons—seriously, just find Justin Jefferson down there. So let's hope he showcases that and gives us a top-8 fantasy finish in his first game to set the precedent for the rest of the season.

Travis Etienne | Saints

Projection: 15.4 (RB8)

This is not a bad look for Travis Etienne on his new team. Alvin Kamara has remained sidelined at practice, which means we should expect a bigger workload for Etienne to start the year. The Saints take on the Lions on the road, and it'll be the perfect early showcase to see if Kellen Moore can unlock a new efficiency ceiling with Tyler Shough and Co.

Emeka Egbuka | Buccaneers

Projection: 10.9 (WR31)

The bad news is that we have no new news on Emeka Egbuka's toe injury (more on that below), hence why the projections are going to come across cautious. We'll get new information when teams give their official injury reports, but no matter what, it seems like it'll be a slow start for Egbuka.

Drake Maye | Patriots

Projection: 17.2 (QB15)

As Adam Pfeifer pointed out last week, Drake Maye is being drafted as a top-3 quarterback but the early Week 1 projections don't paint the prettiest picture. The Patriots are meeting with the Super Bowl Champion Seahawks, and big questions surround what this team will look like against a tougher 2026 schedule. Last year during the playoffs against the Chargers, Texans, Broncos and Seahawks, Maye completed just 58.3% of his passes.

EMEKA EGBUKA RETURNING TO PRACTICE?

Watch Your Fantasy Team In Action On Fire TV

On football Sundays, isn’t it best when you can watch your fantasy players live? Josh Allen throwing and galloping his way to multiple TDs. Ja’Marr Chase taking the top off the defense on a long bomb. Jahmyr Gibbs blazing past defenders as if they’re standing still. Even better, how about watching without endless scrolling to get to the correct apps? If so, you need Fire TV.

It organizes all your live games from your favorite teams in one place across apps, right on the home screen. No more searching.

Find where the game’s playing and easily subscribe to that streaming service (as needed)—all from one tab on your home screen.

JUST SIT DOWN & TURN ON … FIRE TV

_{Separate subscriptions may be required. Feature and content availability may vary.}

Around the Watercooler

Your favorite football nerds are back and bringing you the latest news, content and memes on the last Sunday with no NFL for this year …

👀 Getting ready for your draft? Here’s Matthew’s rankings.

🇺🇸 Planting some flags for the coming season. Surprise RB1 incoming.

➕ Want a Draft Companion by your side? That and more with FantasyLife+.

💪 This QB has looked good coming off injury. Nice backup option.

🤩 Upside is everything. These WRs are eady for breakouts.

🏈 This rookie RB is getting early hype. Remember him late in your draft.

🍋 Join a league and get a shot to win $25K. Play Harder & it’s Free.

🙌 Last year we had this WR so high up in ADP. Now he’s a bargain?

🌞 Too early to think about the fantasy playoffs? Where will your QB play?

🥵 You know you want the best sweat in fantasy. Sign up for Guillotine Leagues^TM.

🤝 What if your TE is just tight with the QB? Could lead to targets.

🤣 Whatchu Talkin Bout Will Lutz? Different strokes for team names.

🤔 Imagine what we’ll learn Week 1. Backfield split?

🤣 Do you see yourself here? Especially the trade offer.

Are You Ready For Your Fantasy Draft?

It’s here. The last draft weekend of the year! Time to celebrate. Are you done? OK, time to lock in. Do you have everything ready for your draft? Just to make sure, we made a quick checklist of what you need from Fantasy Life:

And when you’re done drafting, make sure to Sync Your League. Good luck!

WHAT YOU NEED TO CRUSH YOUR DRAFT

Matthew Berry’s Top-150 Cheat Sheet

Want to take Matthew with you along for the ride that is your fantasy football draft? You can, sorta. We have compiled a cheat sheet and broken it down by position. All the players appearing on Matthew’s top 150 rankings are right in one spot.

You can prop this article right next to you or even print it out. It’s the next best thing to having Matthew sitting next to you. And if you ever run into him, say thanks for helping you win your league. ⬇️

MEMORIZE THESE RANKS

Breaking Downs Some Wide Receiver Sleepers

Still drafting? Of course you are. It’s only the busiest draft weekend of the year. Lock in and stay there, because that’s how you find those gems late in drafts. Those sleepers who could pop and become starters on your fantasy squad before you know it.

Kody Malstrom ran a go route and found three sleepers you need to target. But he didn’t stop there. He also hit the other positions, so check those out after you read about these WRs:

SLEEP ON A FORMER WR1?

Drafting With Dwain: Stacked WR Room

Can you feel how locked in Dwain is when he enters a high-stakes draft with Kendall? He’s got the cap on backwards and is all business. See how Dwain and Kendall draft this team and look for some pointers for your own drafts. Subscribe to the Fantasy Football Is Life YouTube channel to catch every episode.

WHO’S THE HERO RB?

Published Sep 6, 2026, 6:00 AM ETUpdated Sep 6, 2026, 9:10 AM ET