There were a lot of notable performances in the first week of the fantasy football season. We don't know what to think of them. Which ones should I read into? They offered their analysis.
The offense of theBengals failed against theSteelers.
After turning the football over four times in the first half, he was minus 3.14 fantasy points at the half and his team eventually lost on an overtime field goal. The man left midway through the second quarter with a head injury. After the team settled for a 20-20 tie with the Pittsburgh, things picked up for the Cincinnati team, and with 18.22 fantasy points, he was able to finish his day. Ja'Marr Chase, the quarterback's No. 1 receiver, caught 11 of 42 targets and finished the day with a second-best 28.9 fantasy points.
Joe Burrow is still a top 10 fantasy quarterback even though he has two turnovers.
Was the early struggles a sort of mini-Super Bowl bounce back? It doesn't matter, because Burrow-Chase is looking like one of the game's best quarterback-to- receiver connections, and even a longer absence by Higgins shouldn't affect our optimism. Chase is a top star and Burrow is a top 10 quarterback.
After missing all of the year, Michael Thomas found the end zone.
In the Saints' Week 1 win over the Falcons, Thomas caught 5 of 8 targets and scored two times. It was good for 20.7 points. He was set up in the low red zone by New Orleans. The ball was thrown against the Falcons corner. Thomas won both times. The physical plays are happening now. Beat the coverage. Play on the throws. Thomas looked strong in his movements. I will have Thomas on the line in my rankings because of the Week 2 game.
It's not too late to have fun. Leagues that were drafted now start fresh. It's time to get started.
The Packers have no answers for Jefferson.
He was able to carry your fantasy team single-handedly on Sunday. Jefferson finished with 39.4 points, only two-tenths of a point shy of his personal best, after scoring more than 30 points before halftime. He has a position-best 237.06 points since Week 10 of last season. Jefferson's performance against the Packers was a statement game of his ability as a receiver.
Another rough week for the Packers' quarterback.
In his first two games of the season, he had a 3.70 fantasy point stinker that resembled his 1.32 point disaster against the Saints a year ago, and in both games, Jordan Love came on in relief. He didn't seem to find a rhythm with anyone in his group of mostly young players. The Packers were without two of their starting offensive linemen and one of their top wide receivers. Don't let one game change your opinion of Rodgers, he's more of a matchup-driven, borderline top 10 fantasy quarterback than one who will carry your team on his own. Things should get better for him in the second week of the season.
Hurts does it on the ground.
The quarterback passed for 243 yards and ran for 90 yards with a score. The boost that wide receiver A.J. Brown brings to this offense is what Hurts can be more efficient with. The element that was missing in Philadelphia was added by him. With a true No.1 target, who can win at all three levels, plus the dual-threat trait to break down defenses as a runner, Hurts will be a top-5 play for me in Week 2.
Saquon is back in a big win.
Today, he dropped 33.4 points on the defensive side of the ball. The play was fast. Downhill juice was a part of the game. The ability to move quickly. Before the knee injury in 2020, we saw a lot of game-changing qualities. The Giants running back ran for a touchdown and a 2-point conversion in the win over Tennessee. With the amount of volume he saw today, and the fact that he showed off his skills with the ball in his hands, he will jump into my rankings for next week's game.
A.J. Brown is the number one target.
I already said that Brown was the No.1 for Hurts. In his first game, he had 13 targets. He was able to consistently play through contact. The style of jumping is physical play. There is also the catch-and-run juice. There are vertical match-up qualities. In the Eagles offense, Brown will see a target share that puts him in the wide receiver mix.
Eric Moody talks about A.J. Brown's success.
The hot hand is riding in the back field.
As the game went on, it became apparent that they shifted to the hotter hand, Robinson, due to the missed opportunities and the fact that they had watched the game flow. Heading into Week 2, that will cloud fantasy managers' plans regarding this backfield. Robinson's 19.9 fantasy points on 12 touches paled in comparison to Etienne's 8.5 points on six touches, though the two did play exactly 50% of the offensive snaps. Robinson getting the edge on early downs, with Etienne leading on passing plays, but I still think the latter has more standard- league, long-term potential because of his receiving ability.
The Jets were defeated by the Duvernays.
He scored a pair of touchdown on deep throws from Lamar Jackson. Considering the lack of competition on the depth chart and the fact that the Ravens listed Duvernay as their starter, it's understandable why they chose him. I would expect the big fantasy days to be spread among Ravens wide receiver and tight end from week to week, but Duvernay seems to be part of their plans right now.
The author explains why Duvernay is a good addition to deeper fantasy leagues.
In his first game without Tyreek Hill, Patrick Mahomes completed passes to 10 different targets. There were five touchdown tosses. The person is passing for a long period of time. Heading into the Sunday night game, he was the leader in fantasy points. With their current pass-catching personnel, the Chiefs could be even more multiple on the offensive side of the ball, which will allow Patrick Mahomes to attack opposing defenses at all levels of the field.
Adams is a scheme player. He will give you high-level numbers if you put him in any of the systems. Adams caught 10 of 17 targets for 141 yards and a touchdown in his Raiders debut. Production and volume are elite route- running qualities. Adams can be a top-5 wide receiver in Week 2 after posting 30.1 points on Sunday.
All preseason, the Jets' running backs were expected to run away with the ball, but that changed on Thursday when Mike LaFleur said that Michael Carter was the heart of the offense. Carter did dominate work in the game's early stages, finishing his day with 18.0 PPR fantasy points on 10 carries plus 7 of 9 catches, but Hall did see 10 targets to go along with six carries, scoring 10.1 PPR fantasy points. Hall's stat line was another disappointment, and his time-share status is not good. I wouldn't pass judgement on his full-season potential until I saw more.
The New Orleans Saints have a player in the tight end position.
Hill caught his only target in the passing game, a 2-yard reception, but let's focus on how he was utilized on designed rushes from quarterback/wildcat alignments. Hill ran 57 yards to start it. The scheme involves power. Get an extra number by pulling and kicking out. He was able to find the end zone on the sweep call. Don't let the edge get in the way of attacking it. Hill ran for 81 yards on four runs. I want to see if the running-game package grows in the Saints' offense, since Hill's tight end designation makes him an interesting play. Hill is going to be in my rankings.
Stay on Chubb and Hunt in the second week of the season when the Jets come to town. This offense in Cleveland will be schemed around the running game and use of both Chubb and Hunt. Chubb carried the ball 22 times for 141 yards. He is one of the top runners in the league. After the first two games, Hunt was placed as aRB3 with 23.0 PPR points. Hunt will be an easy flex play against New York, as Chubb will once again be near the top of myRB2 rankings.
In the Week 1 win over the Cards, Edwards-Helaire played on only 10 touches. Let's take a closer look at how the running back was targeted with the ball in the red zone. Helaire caught a flat route for a touchdown on a concept designed to get the running back loose versus man coverage, and he also scored on an inside shovel pass. While I would like to see more total volume with Edwards-Helaire, his usage and deployment in the red zone will keep him in my rankings for the Week 2 game.
It was perhaps Week 1's most impressive rookies, and from a 1 p.m. He was the highest scorer among rookies, with two scores, including the game-winner with 1:45 remaining. It's a performance that will put Dotson at the top of the Week 2 pickups list, and it's possible that the big plays will earn him more looks from Wentz. He saw only 5 of 41 targets, fourth on the team, so the direction that number goes next week will have a say in how quickly he can contribute.
The Atlanta Falcons running back scored the fifth-most fantasy points in his career and touched the football a personal-most 25 times. The opportunity was knocked in this one, as buried-on-the-depth-chart rookies Tyler Allgeier and Damien Williams were both scratches. It reminded me that the veteran hybrid player is capable of generating flex-caliber stat when given the chance, which he should again in Week 2.
Perhaps Sunday's most disappointing wide receiver performance came from Williams, who started in 83.2% of ESPN leagues, but only managed 3.0 fantasy points. He only had one target through three quarters, but he was the team's leading receiver with 31 catches and a 92.3% snap count. The quarterback scored 23.26 fantasy points with a spread-it-around approach despite Williams' quiet day. It's not something I would expect most weeks, and certainly not in a need-to-throw Week 2 game against the Chiefs or a great Week 3 game against the Jags.
The starting running back for the Bears, David Montgomery, had 20 touches on Sunday, but he lacked efficiency as a ball carrier. Herbert watched the red zone carry for a touchdown. In the running game, the second year back was more decisive. Let's see if his volume goes up in the second week of the season.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
