The appetite for football isn't going away, and fans are about to get more of it with this week's debut of the United Football League.

The UFL is a not-exactly-new spring league resulting from last year's merger between the XFL and the USFL. The eight-team league will continue serving as a developmental ground for NFL hopefuls while providing fans with a different flavor of football.

Rules from both the XFL and USFL will be incorporated into the UFL, including the 4th-and-12 onside-kick alternative and the option to run one-, two- or three-point plays after touchdowns.

Below, you'll find all the info needed to get in on the UFL's Week 1 action, including scheduling information and initial fantasy rankings.

UFL Season Preview

After the USFL and XFL played separately in 2023, the two leagues decided to become one entity for the 2024 season.

"From day one, our mission has been to expand the game of football and be a league of opportunity, culture and innovation," XFL owner Dwayne Johnson said in a statement. "As we come together to create the UFL, we can build something powerful, exciting and very cool for football fans."

The UFL will feature XFL and USFL conferences with teams returning from each league, along with many players and coaches from both.

The USFL conference will feature the Birmingham Stallions, Memphis Showboats, Michigan Panthers and Houston Roughnecks—the Houston Gamblers have essentially rebranded, taking the name of Houston's XFL franchise.

The XFL conference will feature the Arlington Renegades, D.C. Defenders, San Antonio Brahmas and St. Louis Battlehawks—all returning XFL franchises.

The Renegades and Stallions are defending XFL and USFL champions, respectively.

UFL rules will include a mixture of innovations from both spring leagues. For example, offenses will be allowed to throw two forward passes on a given play, and coaches can challenge any ruling once per game.

However, the XFL-style kickoff, which was recently adopted by the NFL, was left behind by a more traditional kickoff. A full list of the UFL rules can be found here.

The 2024 UFL season will run for 10 weeks, followed by conference championships and the UFL Championship in June.

UFL Week 1

Saturday, March 30

Birmingham Stallions at Arlington Renegades

Time: 1 p.m. ET

TV and Live Stream: Fox and FoxSports.com

Line: Birmingham -3.5

Over/Under: 42 Points

St. Louis Battlehawks at Michigan Panthers

Time: 4 p.m. ET

TV and Live Stream: Fox and FoxSports.com

Line: St. Louis -6.5

Over/Under: 42 Points

Sunday, March 31

D.C. Defenders at San Antonio Brahmas

Time: 12 p.m. ET

TV and Live Stream: ESPN and ESPN+

Line: D.C. -6

Over/Under: 44 Points

Memphis Showboats at Houston Roughnecks

Time: 3 p.m. ET

TV and Live Stream: ESPN and ESPN+

Line: Houston -1

Over/Under: 41 Points

*Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

UFL Fantasy Rankings

Quarterback

1. AJ McCarron, St. Louis Battlehawks

2. Jordan Ta'amu, D.C. Defenders

3. Luis Perez, Arlington Renegades

4. Case Cookus, Memphis Showboats

5. Chase Garbers, San Antonio Brahmas

6. E.J. Perry, Michigan Panthers

7. Jarrett Guarantano, Houston Roughnecks

8. J'Mar Smith, Birmingham Stallions

Running Back

1. Mark Thompson, Houston Roughnecks

2. De'Veon Smith, Birmingham Stallions

3. Wes Hills, Michigan Panthers

4. Wayne Gallman, St. Louis Battlehawks

5. C.J. Marable, Birmingham Stallions

6. Darius Victor, Memphis Showboats

7. Anthony McFarland, San Antonio Brahmas

8. Cam'Ron Harris, D.C. Defenders

9. Trey Williams, Memphis Showboats

10. Brycen Alleyne, San Antonio Brahmas

Wide Receiver

1. Hakeem Butler, St. Louis Battlehawks

2. Blake Jackson, St. Louis Battlehawks

3. Jontre Kirklin, San Antonio Brahmas

4. Keke Coutee, D.C. Defenders

5. Amari Rodgers, Birmingham Stallions

6. Isaiah Winstead, Arlington Renegades

7. Deon Cain, Birmingham Stallions

8. Trey Quinn, Michigan Panthers

9. Darrius Shepherd, St. Louis Battlehawks

10. Deontay Burnett, Arlington Renegades

Tight End

1. Cody Latimer, San Antonio Brahmas

2. Jace Sternberger, Birmingham Stallions

3. Sal Cannella, Arlington Renegades

4. Sage Surratt, Memphis Showboats

5. Cole Hikutini, Michigan Panthers

6. Briley Moore, D. C. Defenders

7. Jake Sutherland, St. Louis Battlehawks

8. Alex Ellis, D.C. Defenders

The good news for fans who have found season-long UFL leagues is that last year's XFL and USFL seasons provided plenty of information.

Battlehawks quarterback AJ McCarron, for example, ranked second in the XFL with 2,160 passing yards. Ben DiNucci led the league with 2,671 passing yards but is now with the NFL's Denver Broncos.

McCarron should again lead one of spring football's most potent passing attacks, thanks to the presence of top receivers like Hakeem Butler and Drake Jackson.

Wes Hills, formerly of the New Orleans Breakers, led the USFL with 679 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns in 2023. Abram Smith led the XFL with 788 rushing yards last season but has landed on injured reserve with an ACL injury, opening the door for teammate Cam'Ron Harris.

Brahmas tight end Cody Latimer ranked third in the XFL with 693 receiving yards and is one of the few tight ends worth targeting early.

However, diving into the depth charts and position battles is advisable for fans in season-long leagues. The Stallions, for example, haven't declared whether J'Mar Smith, Matt Corrall or Adrian Martinez will be the Week 1 starter, and they could use a two-quarterback system.

"[Head coach Skip] Holtz said it's likely we see a 2-QB system at times this year with things being so tight between Matt Corral, J'Mar Smith, & Adrian Martinez," James Larsen of UFL Newsroom posted on X on Tuesday.

Two-QB systems are best avoided in most leagues, though they can provide sleeper potential.

It's best to stick with surefire starters early in season-long drafts and altogether in daily fantasy sports (DFS) games. That's especially true at quarterback and tight end, where the UFL is likely to have only a handful of reliable options each week. Running back and receiver are positions that offer far more depth.

Taking one top QB and one top TE while loading up on RBs and WRs should be a viable strategy in all fantasy formats.

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