Week 1 Team by Team Notes, Injuries, Recap
Week 2 Injuries
RB
JK Dobbins (Achilles) — OUT for Season
Evan Hull (Knee) — OUT; Getting Placed on IR
Kenneth Gainwell (Ribs) DNP
Austin Ekeler (Ankle) DNP
Aaron Jones (Hamstring) — No status Update yet.
Jonathan Taylor — OUT; On IR
Alvin Kamara — OUT; Suspended
Jeff Wilson — OUT; On IR
WR
Diontae Johnson (Hamstring) — OUT Multiple Weeks
Jakobi Meyers (Concussion) — In Concussion Protocol
TE
Pat Freiermuth (Chest) — No status Update yet.
Greg Dulcich (Leg) — No status Update yet.
QB
Anthony Richardson (Knee) — Expected to Start
Aaron Rodgers (Achilles) — OUT for Season
Week 1 Recap
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Week 1 Team Notes
Chiefs: Isiah Pacheco wasn't on the field to start the game, but he did have more catches through three quarters than he had targets in any game last season.
Lions: David Montgomery carried the ball 21 times on Thursday night and his longest gain was eight yards. Jahmyr Gibbs looked the part on his nine touches ... this might be as cheap as he'll be in a trade all season.
Panthers: Miles Sanders is the only piece of this offense even remotely of interest and even then, he is strictly a volume play. Maybe Hayden Hurst too, actually. Guys like Sanders and James Conner are going to be ugly fantasy assets that offer little upside, but a floor that is enough to be considered a starter. Jake and I are doing the rankings show Monday’s this season, may just have to pencil those two in as RB 23/RB24 every week.
Falcons: Bijan Robinson is pretty clearly the real deal, but Tyler Allgeier isn't going anywhere. The second-year back punched in a touchdown after Robinson ripped off a 21-yard run to set up the possession and he figures to continue to be involved. I don't think Allgeier caps the ceiling of Robinson ... I do think he deserves to be rostered in this run-centric offense though.
Bengals: Was that pathetic? Yes. Does it undo all of the good that this team has done during the Joe Burrow era? Of course not. Use this as an excuse to back one of the best ATS teams in recent memory as the public overreacts or to offer low ball fantasy trade offers ... this is still the team we thought they were this preseason and they are going to be uber-productive sooner than later.
Browns: Nick Chubb was a clear focal point of the pass game early on, but that didn't really last. More impressive was Elijah Moore's ability to earn targets at the same rate as Amari Cooper. Coop is still the WR1 in this offense, but if Deshaun Watson trusts Moore as much as it appeared he did in Week 1, Moore is going to prove to be the more valuable fantasy pick at cost.
Jaguars: Calvin Ridley was targeted in six of Trevor Lawrence's first nine passes, racking up 59 yards and a TD over that stretch.
Colts: I'm not saying Anthony Richardson is Justin Fields, but it is possible that his impact on his pass catchers is similar. The Bears didn't have a single player hit 550 receiving yards last season and in the first half of Richardson's debut, his lone proven NFL talent (Michael Pittman) saw one of 15 targets. The pair connected on a 39-yard TD pass that was hardly thrown beyond the line of scrimmage ... very Bears-y.
Bucs: As expected, the Godwin/Evans tandem saw a 50% target share. Now, it didn't pay off in a big way, but the thought that this triple stack could pay off one week in a HUGE way is still there. Oh, and this team can't run the ball. Sean Tucker is an interesting waiver wire guy, but this isn't an offense that is going to produce much on the ground, so don't get carried away.
Vikings: Jordan Addison scored and is likely to earn this WR2 role, but we still don't know it and that is going to make him a risky short-term fantasy option. He and KJ Osborn both saw a 13.6% target share ... Jefferson and Hockenson combined for 40.9%. Addison is a legit talent in a good spot, but considering him a consistent option is a bit much.
Titans: This was the concern on Nuk Hopkins. The man earned nearly a 40% target share and failed to reach 14 PPR points. Woof. Now what happens if that target share isn't there (Treylon Burks wasn't 100% healthy and this game was close throughout).
Saints: Rashid Shaheed is a legit dude. Is he going to be consistent? Probably not. Can he be what Gabe Davis has been for the Bills over the past three seasons? I don't see why not. Derek Carr may not chuck it downfield a ton, but he is accurate when he does and Shaheed's ability to make the big play is not in question.
49ers: The Brandon Aiyuk production is what jumps off the screen at you, but don't get cocky ... you still have no idea where the limited passes in this offense are going. Even in a game in which it was clear that the Steelers had no answer for Aiyuk, he essentially was in a three-way split with Deebo and Kittle for targets. All three are going to be ranked as fantasy starters weekly, but if you wanted to cash in this chip, I wouldn't blame you.
Steelers: That was ugly. It happens. The 49ers are nothing short of loaded, so be careful in writing them off. They get the Browns, Raiders and Texans over the next three weeks ... better times are ahead, so if you want to buy low on any member of this pass game, you've got a window to do so.
Cardinals: DraftKings had Sam Howell at +125 to throw more touchdowns than Josh Dobbs. My guess is that we don't get a line like that ... but the idea remains. Find exotic ways to bet against this team. They picked up 132 yards on 30 passes and if you remove a fluky Hollywood Brown rush, Arizona ran 24 times for 67 yards.
Commanders: We thought this backfield would feature Antonio Gibson as the receiving back and Brian Robinson as the pounder. Well, in the first half of the first game, Robinson caught a touchdown pass and Gibson lost a red zone fumble. If Robinson can wrestle away the bulk of RB touches in this offense, he'll prove to be an elite value this draft season.
Texans: Nico Collins and Bobby Trees both reached double digits in targets, something that will matter when we get into the bye week portion of the schedule. Volume is value in many regards, but they turned those 21 targets into just 12 catches and 137 yards (0 TDs). If CJ Stroud is going to feed these two like this consistently, there's a world in which they hold value, but the risk is always going to be greater than the projectable reward in an offense that is going to struggle to ever reach 20 points
Ravens: JK Dobbins looked good and got hurt. Did I just copy paste that from a previous newsletter or type it new? Gus Bus averages nearly 90 rush yards per game when getting more than 15 carries in a game for his career and while he doesn't offer much versatility, Todd Monken is going to have this offense in scoring position and that makes Edwards a high priority.
Packers: Romeo Doubs gained some steam as draft season went on this summer and a pair of touchdowns certainly isn't going to slow that momentum. But let's settle down. The target share was modest at best, the big plays weren't there and Christian Watson was sidelined. If you want to pair him with a running back to buy low on a guy like Kenneth Walker, I'd do it!
Bears: This is why the DJ Moore hype was a little much. Is he their best target? Of course he is, but in a low-volume offense like this, the range of outcomes just isn't favorable. The best case still doesn't include a ton of looks and the floor ... well, the floor is low.
Raiders: Jakobi Meyers certainly looked like a part of the game plan and a safety blanket for Garoppolo. But could he be even more than that? The touchdown was a designed clear out and there was another DPI that Meyers drew in the end zone.
Broncos: I thought Javonte Williams looked just fine in his return from the torn ACL but Samaje Perine isn't going anywhere. I'm not sure Perine will ever get enough usage to hold standalone value as long as Williams is healthy, but his presence makes Williams a potential sell-high option following his first big game of the season.
Eagles: I'm not worried about the pass game, Patriot games have a way of being goofy. As for the ground game ... the smoke around Kenneth Gainwell this summer seems to have been on the mark. Rashaad Penny being a healthy scratch is one thing, but this team committing to one back is another. I'm not 100% sold on any back in Philly holding consistent value, but this was an interesting opener: this offense is going to be among the best in the game and a featured role in the backfield would earn a spot in my top-20 on a weekly basis.
Patriots: Rhamondre Stevenson's season debut was as disappointing as anything and, to be honest, I'm not sure it's the last time we see something like this. The Pats aren't going to be in scoring position on any sort of regular basis and without the ability to threaten defenses through the air, I'm not sure how much hope we can have for efficiency. You can't move him after this game ... tough spot to be.
Dolphins: Tyreek Hill said he wants 2,000 yards this season and who am I to say he can't do it? The sage of Durham Smythe was interesting given the state of the TE position ... no need to act just yet, but this offense is going to do its damage through the air and they really don't have a third option.
Chargers: Kind of a weird game for the Bolts with the success on the ground more than through the air. Better days are ahead of this pass game assuming health (never a safe assumption), but I did find it interesting that there really wasn't room for a WR3. Something to watch, but the fantasy industry may have jumped the gun on Quentin Johnston as something more than a handcuff receiver in his rookie season.
Rams: The little mis-direction pitch to Cam Akers on fourth down got him an easy touchdown and saved his afternoon, but man was that ugly. Of course, we know that this is what he does. He'll be valuable ... it'll just come in three months. Kyren Williams is very much a worthwhile add ... but I'm not sure there's a single Ram you want to count on with Kupp out.
Seahawks: Buy the usage. That is the Kenneth Walker approach here. His fantasy numbers were fine, but his usage should have you excited if you roster him or interested in a trade if you don't. This offense struggled ... I don't expect that to be the norm and when they get back to form, KW3 is going to be a strong weekly start.
— PM