The Report: Game-by-Game Breakdown for Week 1

Week 1 fantasy football is finally here, and that’s certainly exciting. But it’s important to not get too excited by what we see this week. Remember, it’s only Week 1. Deep breath.

Hey, it’s easy to overreact at this time of year. We’re all starved for football after weathering the last seven months of this brutal offseason. But a lot of what we see in Week 1 won’t really tell us much about what we can expect for the rest of the season. Patience is key. You draft players for a reason, so give them a few weeks before you make any moves. Panic dropping or trading is almost never the right move.

Each week in The Report, I’m going to go through every game and give you the information you need to make the most informed decisions possible for your fantasy football rosters. I’ll provide some key about matchups, trends and anything else we need to know about each contest.

Note: The Report will be updated as I finish writing up each game, so be sure to check back throughout the end of the week. Games will be periodically added until Friday afternoons.

Baltimore @ Kansas City

The Week 1 Ravens-Chiefs matchup marks the fourth time in NFL history, and the first quarterback duel, featuring the last two NFL MVPs. These two squad last saw each other in the 2023 AFC Championship game where Kansas City prevailed 17-10. The Chiefs enter this season chasing history. Another title would make them the first team since the 2000-02 Lakers to win three consecutive major sports titles. Kansas City also boasts an impressive streak of eight straight division titles, nine straight 10-win seasons, and six consecutive Conference Championship appearances.

Patrick Mahomes is just 84 passing yards away from surpassing Len Dawson (28,507 yards) as the Chiefs’ all-time passing leader. He’s locked in as an elite option even in a tough matchup against the Ravens. Travis Kelce, who had 11 receptions for 116 yards and a touchdown against the Ravens in last season’s playoffs, is also chasing history. He’s just 10 receptions shy of breaking Tony Gonzalez’s franchise record of 916. Sure, he’s up there in age and is coming off his lowest yardage total since 2015 (984), but Kelce remains one of the gold standard fantasy tight ends.

Last season, Isiah Pacheco racked up 1,179 scrimmage yards and nine touchdowns. His role expanded in the passing game, and that should continue with very little on the depth chart behind him. Yes, Kansas City added Samaje Perine, but the veteran doesn’t figure to be heavily involved in the opener. The Chiefs’ wide receivers struggled last season with a league-high 28 drops and a 12.0% drop rate. But the team addressed the position with first-rounder Xavier Worthy, who ran a record-breaking 4.21 40-yard dash at the combine. Worthy offers Week 1 upside, especially with Hollywood Brown sidelined. Meanwhile, Rashee Rice, who tallied 938 receiving yards last season, should pick up right where he left off. Yes, he’s facing eight felony counts, but the legal process has been moving at a snail’s pace.

Lamar Jackson, the youngest quarterback in NFL history to earn a second MVP, boasts an impressive 13-1 record against the spread as an underdog in his career, with 10 outright wins. That won’t help you in fantasy, but his electric upside as a runner and the Ravens’ explosive offense have him locked in the elite fantasy tier. And this year, he gets a new teammate in the backfield with Derrick Henry now in the mix.

Henry has averaged 100.1 rushing yards per game over the last five seasons, the most in any five-year span since LaDainian Tomlinson 2002-06. Henry has been particularly dominant against the Chiefs, averaging 112.0 rushing yards per game, his highest against any team (minimum 3 games). Last season, Henry led the NFL in rush attempts (280) and was second in rushing yards (1,167). He figures to continue to see a hefty workload in the Ravens’ backfield.

Mark Andrews, who missed time in training camp due to a car accident, is set to play and remains a top-tier tight end option. There has been some offseason chatter that we could see more of Isaiah Likely this season, but it remains to be seen if Likely will get enough work to be fantasy viable. He remains a watchlist player for now. Zay Flowers set Ravens rookie records last season with 77 receptions and 858 receiving yards. Baltimore will continue to be a run-heavy offense, but Flowers offers a high weekly ceiling and should be considered a WR3 option.