Week 1 QB power rankings: Betting the MVP race, rest of season projections, how to treat injuries and full tiers

Quarterback is the most important position in football. I'm not telling you anything you don't already know. The teams left competing for a Super Bowl late in the postseason tend to feature some of the best quarterbacks in the league, with Patrick Mahomes (twice), Jalen Hurts, Matthew Stafford, Joe Burrow and Tom Brady competing in the Super Bowl over the last three years.

Quarterback is so important that it's worth considering the position on its own for all 32 teams when preparing for betting an NFL season. Who's worth betting on in the MVP race, and how much does expected performance over the remainder of the season factor in? When a quarterback gets injured, what will it mean to that team's spread power rating? Will the market correctly adjust for the value of the backup quarterback? The unknown factor of a backup QB replacing a starter allows for value opportunities for those who are prepared.

That's why we're debuting QB Power Rankings for the NFL at SportsLine this season. Each week, veteran sports writer Mike Tierney will rank every starting QB in the league, and you can use those rankings as a de facto snapshot of how Mike thinks the MVP race is playing out as that award will almost certainly go to a QB. We'll also include rest of season Fantasy projections from the SportsLine Projection Model to give you a sense of how each QB is expected to play over the rest of the year. And finally, I'll provide my downgrade rating for times when the QB is not available so that you can take quick advantage of spread developments before it stabilizes.

By thinking of all the ways a QB can affect the line, you'll have the power to find value in the market for every breakout performance, injury and benching. Let's get to our Week 1 QB Power Rankings, with Mike Tierney taking over the analysis.

Which QB offers the best value in the MVP race? And can anybody challenge Patrick Mahomes for the No. 1 spot? ... Join SportsLine right now to see Week 1 QB Power Rankings from veteran writer Mike Tierney, including how to bet when injuries strike and SportsLine projections for all 32 starters!