Week 2 Fantasy Football Game By Game Breakdown

Week 1 of the 2022 NFL season was absolutely crazy, and while we shouldn’t overreact, we do need to react in some capacity. While not everything that happened last week is a sign of what’s to come, there was plenty that needs to be monitored going forward.

As we’ll do every single Thursday here at FTN Fantasy, let’s take an in-depth look at every game, highlighting who to start and sit.

Los Angeles Chargers @ Kansas City Chiefs

Total: 54, KC -3.5
Pace: KC: 31.6 sec/play (15th), LAC: 31.5 sec/play (14th)

What to watch for: Keenan Allen left Sunday’s game with a hamstring injury and did not return. He has already been ruled out for this Thursday night matchup.

Chiefs

Quarterback

Last week, I discussed how much the Cardinals blitz and why blitzing Patrick Mahomes was a terrible, terrible idea. Arizona didn’t listen, as they blitzed Mahomes on 54% of his dropbacks Sunday, only for Mahomes to complete 16-of-23 passes for 145 yards and five touchdowns against the blitz. Mahomes was obviously fantastic in the game, throwing for 360 yards and five touchdowns. The offense looked in rhythm in the Chiefs first game without Tyreek Hill and while we obviously shouldn’t expect that type of production every week, it is pretty clear that Mahomes is going to be just fine going forward. He faces the Chargers on a short week, who forced three interceptions last week against the Raiders, but could still be without top defensive back J.C. Jackson. They just allowed Derek Carr to average 8.0 yards per completion and 7.6 air yards per completion and while they did generate a good amount of pressure, Mahomes wasn’t pressured once against a team that blitzed him over 50% of the time last week. Kansas City’s offensive line is really good, and so is Mahomes.

Running Back

Clyde Edwards-Helaire scored a pair of receiving touchdowns Sunday, which was obviously great to see but not sustainable. I will say, however, that his first touchdown was a designed shovel pass, which is something the Chiefs do a lot. He finished the day with just 10 touches, though Kansas City was ahead by multiple scores all day long. As a result, rookie Isiah Pacheco carried the ball 12 times for 62 yards and a touchdown, but he only played on snap before the fourth quarter. The Chiefs did use Jerick McKinnon a good bit, as he ran 18 pass routes to Edwards-Helaire’s 15, while both running backs played 27 snaps. If you can trade CEH for a more consistent running back, I’d do it, but I also wouldn’t be afraid to start him as an RB2 this week. I expect the Chargers run defense to improve this season, but Josh Jacobs averaged nearly six yards per carry last week and last year, the Chargers allowed 4.6 yards per carry, while 38.5% of the yards surrendered by this defense came via the run, a top-five rate in the league. They also allowed a receiving score to Brandon Bolden last weekend.

Wide Receiver

JuJu Smith-Schuster was plenty involved in his first game with the Chiefs, hauling in 6-of-8 targets for 79 yards. It was just one game, but Smith-Schuster posted an average depth of target of 10.5 yards, which is way higher than what he averaged in Pittsburgh over his final two seasons (6.9, 6.0). That gives him more upside on a per-target basis, on top of being in a much better offense. He was in the slot 57% of the time, which is down a bit from his slot usage in Pittsburgh. This role is a lot more fantasy relevant for Smith-Schuster who is a strong WR2 against the Chargers, who just allowed DeAndre Carter to catch three balls for 64 yards and a touchdown in place of Keenan Allen, who was on pace to have a monster game before leaving with an injury. 

While I wouldn’t start him outside of deep leagues, I was pretty pleased with the involvement of Marquez Valdes-Scantling in Week 1. He led the Chiefs in both snaps (51) and routes run (33), while catching all four of his targets for 44 yards. A huge reason why he caught all of his targets is the fact that he was not used in the vertical passing game, sporting a shockingly low 5.0-yard aDOT. I doubt his aDOT is this low going forward but if he isn’t solely targeted on deep passes, it might provide MVS with a higher floor than he had during his time in Green Bay. Meanwhile, Mecole Hardman was the WR3 for Kansas City Sunday, catching a short touchdown pass. He was used down the field, however, sporting an aDOT of 14.5 yards and seeing two targets 20 yards down the field. 

Tight End

He may be 32 years old, but Travis Kelce continues to dominate. Kelce hauled in 8-of-9 targets for 121 yards and a touchdown Sunday and, as expected, was the focal point of the Chiefs passing game. It was his 30th career 100-yard receiving game and he might reach 40 by the end of the season. 

Chargers

Quarterback

Justin Herbert was awesome Sunday, completing 26-of-34 passes for 279 yards and three scores, despite only having Keenan Allen for about 20 plays. Allen is out Thursday, which definitely isn’t great for Herbert, but you obviously aren’t benching him. He’s now scored multiple touchdowns in 13 of his last 17 games and in four contests against the Chiefs in his career, Herbert is averaging 282.5 passing yards, 2.5 passing touchdowns and 27.2 fantasy points per game. 

Running Back

Austin Ekeler had a disappointing Week 1, and while it is too early to be alarmed, I do think we need to monitor this situation. Ekeler only played 50% of the snaps Sunday, while only running a route on 44% of the Chargers dropbacks. Sony Michel and Joshua Kelley combined for 18 pass routes, 33 snaps and 11 carries. Ekeler did, however, play seven of the nine short-yardage snaps. It will be interesting to see if the Chargers continue to mix in both Michel and Kelley, especially after an offseason where Ekeler said he wanted the team to give him fewer touches. Ekeler is still clearly a must-start running back — let’s remember that in Week 1 of the 2021 season, he failed to see a single target, so we should try not to overreact too much.  No team in football allowed more yards per drive than the Chiefs in 2021 (37.0), while Kansas City also coughed up the fourth-most receptions per game to opposing backfields (6.4). Expect Ekeler to catch plenty of passes this week, especially with Allen sidelined.

Wide Receiver

If Mike Williams disappears again like he did in Week 1, I’ll be alarmed. But as of now, I’m not worried at all. The Raiders tried to take away the deep ball last season, which led to Herbert spreading the ball around. Williams was only targeted four times, catching just two passes, but expect a bounceback performance this week. For starters, more volume should be headed his way with Allen out of the lineup. In three games without Allen since 2020, Williams is averaging nearly eight targets, 5.3 receptions, 74.3 receiving yards and 14.7 PPR points per game. He also gets a bump in matchup, as the Chiefs recently placed rookie defensive back Trent McDuffie on injured reserve. That will force seventh-round rookie Jaylen Watson to defend Williams for much of this game, who actually has decent size but is obviously unproven, and I’d bet the Chargers target him early and often. 

Meanwhile, Joshua Palmer sets up as a viable WR3 in Allen’s absence. He played every snap in two-wide sets after Allen left the game last week, while DeAndre Carter operated as the slot wideout in three-wide sets. We have a sample of Palmer operating as Los Angeles’ number-two receiver, as he played in a game without Allen and a game without Williams last season. In those two contests, Palmer scored a touchdown in each game, while averaging 16.4 PPR points per contest. In a game that should feature plenty of points, Palmer projects as a borderline top-36 wideout for Week 2. Finally, if you are in a really deep league, Carter is worth a look as a temporary flex play in PPR formats. 

Tight End

With Keenan Allen ruled out, Gerald Everett is a fringe top-10 tight end this week. He’s coming off a great game and should remain plenty involved Thursday night, especially if Justin Herbert spreads the ball around again like he did in Week 1. I’d start Everett over Dawson Knox, Cole Kmet and Zach Ertz this week. And given the fact that George Kittle remains questionable, I’d play Everett over him too.

Carolina Panthers @ New York Giants

Total: 43.5, NYG -2.5
Pace: NYG: 37.0 sec/play (31st), CAR: 28.5 sec/play (5th)

What to watch for: Kadarius Toney’s involvement. He only played seven snaps in Week 1, despite Wan’Dale Robinson leaving the game with an injury. 

Giants

Quarterback

It wasn’t a great game from Daniel Jones in Week 1, as he threw an awful red zone interception, while also once again struggling to find a feel for the pocket, leading to a fumble. But he did enough, completing 17-of-21 passes for 195 yards and two touchdowns, while adding 25 rushing yards on six carries, two of which were designed. The Giants called more RPOs in this game, which was expected with both Brian Daboll and Mike Kafka joining the team, which is good for Jones. However, the upside for fantasy isn’t too high, especially if the Giants aren’t going to put the second-best player they have on offense on the field. 

Running Back

Saquon Barkley reminded everyone that when he’s healthy, he’s still one of the elite players in this league. Barkley exploded for 164 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries, while adding six receptions for 30 yards, including the game-winning two-point conversion. The usage was amazing, as Barkley logged 85% of the snaps, handled 24 of the 29 running back touches and ran a route on 25 of 28 dropbacks. Barkley recorded three runs of 15-plus yards, including a 68-yard run where he showed tremendous speed. He had five runs of at least 15 yards all of last year. As expected, Barkley has one of the best roles among any player in all of fantasy football and 22-25 touches might be his weekly floor. Meanwhile, the offense is more fantasy-friendly, too. The Giants used way more 11 personnel (three-wide sets), which leads to less stacked boxes for running backs because defenses are spread out. Last season, Barkley saw stacked boxes on 46-of-165 carries (27.8%). Between that and a poor run-blocking offensive line, Barkley was stuffed at or behind the line of scrimmage on 51% of his rushing attempts, the eighth-highest rate among running backs with at least 70 carries. But in Week 1, the Giants used 11 personnel over 75% of the time, which led to Barkley seeing stacked boxes on just 5.5% of his carries, one of the lowest rates in the league.

In Week 2, he gets a Carolina defense that was just gashed for 141 yards by Nick Chubb and 70 total yards and two scores by Kareem Hunt. I know Cleveland’s offensive line is arguably the best in football, but Chubb averaged over six yards before first contact against the Panthers in this game. Barkley could have an encore performance this weekend.

Wide Receiver

Leading up to the game, there was a report that the Giants would rotate the wide receivers, especially with Sterling Shepard active. And while that did happen, I didn’t expect it to result in just seven total snaps from Kadarius Toney. Daboll stated after the game that the team will continue to use all of the wideouts, which makes Toney a player you simply cannot start in fantasy, though I wouldn’t drop him because the upside is still so tantalizing. Shepard logged 72% of the snaps in his first game since a torn Achilles, catching a 65-yard touchdown. Shepard needs to be added in any leagues he’s available in and is now on the lower-end WR3 radar in PPR formats. The Giants only attempted 21 passes Sunday, but when they are forced to throw more, Shepard could see a healthy target share. In 23 career games alongside Daniel Jones since 2019, Shepard is averaging just over eight targets per game. 

We’ll have to keep an eye on the status of Wan’Dale Robinson, who exited Sunday’s game after just nine snaps. If he doesn’t play this week, you would think Toney would see more playing time, but it honestly isn’t a guarantee. Richie James finished third among Giants wideouts in snaps and second in routes and could be worth a look in really deep leagues if Robinson can’t play. 

Tight End

The Giants used three different tight ends in Week 1, and just like I stated last week, you are in trouble if you are starting any tight ends from this roster.

Panthers

Quarterback

Baker Mayfield is coming off an up-and-down Carolina debut in Week 1, completing 16-of-27 passes for 253 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Mayfield was under pressure on 42.4% of his dropbacks, one of the highest rates among all quarterbacks in Week 1 — playing behind the Panthers offensive line is quite the adjustment from playing behind Cleveland’s elite unit. Mayfield also fumbled four times and while I expect a better performance against the Giants, you still aren’t starting him in most fantasy formats, especially in this matchup. With defensive coordinator Don Martindale in New York, the Giants are going to blitz a lot more. In Week 1, they blitzed 48.6% of the time, the third-highest rate in football. Mayfield, meanwhile, ranked 35th in completion percentage against the blitz last season (54.5%).

Running Back

It definitely wasn’t the game everyone expected from Christian McCaffrey in Week 1, though he did save his day with a touchdown. He finished the day with just 14 touches for just 57 total yards and the score, as the Panthers went pass-heavy for much of the first half. It also doesn’t help when your offense runs just 50 plays, the second fewest of any team, and only possesses the ball for just over 21 minutes. I fully expect a bounceback performance in Week 2, especially against a Giants defense that has plenty of question marks at the linebacker position. They also just allowed Dontrell Hilliard to score two receiving touchdowns against them and in 2021, the Giants coughed up the ninth-most receptions per game to opposing backfields (5.4). It feels like the Panthers realized that McCaffrey should have been the focal point of the offense after the first half on Sunday and coming off a tough loss, I expect Carolina to feed McCaffrey this weekend, especially against a blitz-heavy defense.

Wide Receiver

DJ Moore also struggled with Carolina’s lack of play volume, catching just three passes for 47 yards. He was targeted six times but played every single offensive snap in this game, while running a route on 100% of dropbacks. A 22% target share isn’t as high as we saw from Moore a season ago, but he is still the WR1 on this team and this week’s matchup is more favorable, as outside of Adoree’ Jackson, this Giants secondary isn’t too strong. Jackson lined up on the left side of the field 51% of the time in Week 1, while Moore lined up on the right side on just 13 snaps, which means he’d draw coverage from Aaron Robinson more often in this game. Don’t freak out over one game where Carolina’s offense was hardly on the field. Moore remains a rock solid WR2.

It was nice to see Robbie Anderson get off to a strong start. The veteran wideout caught five balls for 102 yards, including a 75-yard touchdown. His eight targets surprisingly led the team, as Anderson also played 100% of the snaps and ran a route on every single dropback. Just 68% of the passes thrown Anderson’s way were deemed catchable in 2021, the third-lowest rate among receivers with at least 70 targets, so the addition of Mayfield was always going to help. He isn’t going to get a lot of attention during the week, but Anderson should also be added off waivers where he is available. I wouldn’t start him as anything more than a WR4/flex just yet, especially since he’ll see more of Jackson in this contest. However, Anderson’s usage is fantastic, and the efficiency can only go up from last season where he converted his 110 targets into just 53 receptions for 519 yards and five touchdowns and ranked last in yards per target (4.72).

Tight End

Like the Giants, Carolina also uses three tight ends, who often run routes just for fun. Ian Thomas and Tommy Tremble should not be in any fantasy lineups.

New York Jets @ Cleveland Browns

Total: 40.5, CLE -6
Pace: CLE: 32.4 sec/play (20th), NYJ: 29.9 sec/play (8th)

What to watch for: Running back usage for the Jets. Will Michael Carter and Breece Hall continue to see a ton of targets?

Browns

Quarterback

As expected, the Browns relied heavily on the ground attack in Week 1, limiting Jacoby Brissett to just 29 pass attempts before the team’s final drive of the game. He ultimately finished the game with just 147 passing yards and one touchdown on 34 pass attempts, while averaging just 2.5 completed air yards per completion, the 3rd-lowest mark among all quarterbacks in Week 1. With Cleveland’s defense looking strong, it seems unlikely that the Jets will push the Browns to score a lot in this game, which means Brissett likely attempts 25 passes. 

Running Back

Nick Chubb had the most Nick Chubb game of all time. He once again showed that he’s arguably the best pure running back in the NFL, rushing for 141 yards on 22 carries, but he was only the RB19 on the week because he failed to find the end zone and only caught one pass. Kareem Hunt actually outsnapped Chubb 45-42 and scored two touchdowns. The first was from the goal line where he actually lined up at fullback in front of Chubb, leaking out and catching a wide-open pass. Both running backs are top-20 plays as home favorites against a Jets defense that ranked 30th in missed tackles forced last season (63), while no team in football coughed up more rushing scores from inside the 5-yard line (17). Meanwhile, 11% of the runs against the Jets last season went for 10 yards or more, one of the higher rates in the league. Baltimore didn’t do much on the ground against New York in Week 1, but given the state of their backfield, the Ravens abandoned the run and leaned on the passing game. Look for Chubb and Hunt to find plenty of success here. 

Wide Receiver

Per usual, Amari Cooper was consistently creating separation in his Cleveland debut but only finished with three catches for 17 yards. He was wide open for a long touchdown, but Brissett threw the ball late, which set up a pass interference penalty, giving the Browns the ball at the 1-yard line. The ceiling just isn’t very high in this offense and the Jets secondary is much improved this season. In Week 1, the combination of Sauce Gardner and D.J. Reed combined to allow just one reception on nine targets in coverage. 

Tight End

David Njoku disappointed Sunday, catching just one pass for seven yards. He was only targeted once, as he did a lot of run-blocking in Cleveland’s run-centric offense, as no tight end played more run-blocking snaps than Njoku in Week 1 (33). That can be very frustrating for fantasy purposes, especially in games like this where the Browns should be able to play with a lead and set the tone on the ground. Njoku did run a route on 74% of dropbacks and ran 12 more routes than Harrison Bryant, but he saw three fewer targets than his teammate. The overall involvement was solid but like Cooper, the ceiling is limited in this offense. Njoku remains on the TE2 radar, but I’d rather start players that were added off waivers over him, such as Robert Tonyan and Gerald Everett.

Jets

Quarterback

Joe Flacco attempted 59 passes in the year 2022. He’ll continue to start at quarterback for the Jets but should be far, far away from fantasy lineups. I would, however, start the Cleveland defense in as many leagues as humanly possible. Flacco was under pressure on nearly 36% of his dropbacks last week, while averaging just 4.7 intended air yards per pass attempt.

Running Back

The Jets running back usage was very interesting last week. Because Flacco was under duress and didn’t attack the Ravens vertically, Michael Carter and Breece Hall saw a combined 19 targets. Eight of Flacco’s pass attempts were behind the line of scrimmage, while 46% of his pass attempts were between 0-9 yards down the field. Leading up to the game, the Jets stated that Carter was the “heartbeat of the offense,” but the usage was pretty even between him and Hall. Carter played just under 60% of the snaps and saw 18 total opportunities, while Hall logged 45% of the snaps and saw 14 opportunities. While I wouldn’t expect this type of usage in the passing game going forward, Carter continues to see plenty of involvement in the passing game in contests where Zach Wilson is inactive. In 2021, Carter averaged six targets and 44.2 receiving yards per game in four games with Wilson out of the lineup, compared to 3.2 targets and 14.8 receiving yards per game in four games with Wilson. Christian McCaffrey had a quiet day against the Browns last week but that is mostly because the Panthers inexcusably went insanely pass-heavy in the first half. Carter and Hall both set up as solid flex plays this weekend.

Wide Receiver

Elijah Moore’s final stat line of 5-49-0 on seven targets was underwhelming, but he was on the field a ton. He logged 89% of the offensive snaps and ran a route on 89% of Flacco’s dropbacks. He also had a touchdown called back due to offensive pass interference. Moore still projects as a very viable WR3, though a matchup with Cleveland isn’t incredible. Moore will draw plenty of coverage from Denzel Ward and because the Jets played five wideouts Sunday, he only lined up in the slot about 32% of the time. But the Jets did run a ton of three-TE sets last week, with Moore being the lone wide receiver on the field in those formations. Regardless, Moore has a strong target floor going forward.

Corey Davis is coming off a solid game, hauling in six of a team-high nine targets for 77 yards. Davis was second on the team in routes run and is worth a look in deep leagues, especially if the Jets continue to chase points. Garrett Wilson and Braxton Berrios, meanwhile, are both competing for playing time, especially when the Jets run 11 personnel. Wilson played 41 snaps to Berrios’ 39 snaps, with Berrios operating out of the slot 77% of the time. Keep an eye on Wilson’s involvement going forward but I would not start him at the moment. He saw eight targets last game but how many times is Flacco going to attempt 59 passes?

Tight End

While the Jets did run plenty of three tight-end sets, Tyler Conklin operated as the clear top tight end on Sunday. He logged 91.6% of the snaps and ran 50 pass routes, the second-most on the team. For reference, C.J. Uzomah and Lawrence Cager ran a combined 16 pass routes at the tight end position. Conklin scored a late touchdown and faces a Cleveland defense that allowed Ian Thomas to average 26.5 yards per reception last week. Conklin is a viable streaming option this week. 

New England Patriots @ Pittsburgh Steelers

Total: 40.5, NE -1
Pace: PIT: 34.0 sec/play (26th), NE: 37.0 sec/play (30th)

What to watch for: Najee Harris is dealing with a foot — he expects to play, but keep an eye on his status throughout the week. Jaylen Warren played every snap in Harris’ absence last week.

Steelers

Quarterback

Mitch Trubisky had a rough Steelers debut on Sunday, completing just 21-of-38 passes for 194 yards and a touchdown. Despite playing about five quarters, Trubisky failed to reach 200 passing yards on almost 40 attempts. You aren’t starting him in fantasy this week.

Running Back

Najee Harris only logged 58.7% of the snaps in Week 1, as he suffered a foot injury late in the game. The overall usage wasn’t great, with his fantasy day saved by a receiving touchdown. Pittsburgh’s offensive line is still really bad, as Harris averaged just over two yards before contact per rush. Harris said he will play in Week 2, despite the foot injury, but we will obviously need to keep track of practice reports in Pittsburgh. If he’s active, you are starting him, but you’d definitely like to see the targets climb, as he was targeted just twice. We already expected Harris to post underwhelming efficiency in this offense but if the volume does drop, there is no chance he’ll return first round value in fantasy. The Patriots just did a great job of slowing down Miami’s rushing attack last week, but this team did allow the most rushing yards after contact per rush in 2021 (2.81). 

If Harris ultimately doesn’t play, Jaylen Warren would become an RB2. He played every single snap once Harris left the game last week, including the entire overtime period. Warren barely averaged one yard before contact per rush, so I also wouldn’t expect crazy efficiency from him behind this offensive line, but we know the Steelers like to use one running back, so Warren would likely see 80-90% of the snaps if he starts in Week 2. 

Wide Receiver

Diontae Johnson is no longer catching passes from Ben Roethlisberger, but he’s still earning targets at an elite rate. After seeing a 28.5% target share in 2021, Johnson saw over 30% of the Steelers’ targets in Week 1. He was targeted 12 times, giving him double-digit targets in 14 of his last 18 contests dating back to last season. The overall production wasn’t great Sunday, but this week’s matchup is favorable, as the Patriots secondary lacks speed. He’ll see plenty of coverage from both Jalen Mills and Jonathan Jones in this game. Mills allowed a touchdown to Jaylen Waddle last week and so many times will bite on a double move, which is very interesting here considering how smooth of a route-runner Johnson is. And then Jones was targeted every 4.8 coverage snaps last week, one of the worst rates among all defensive backs. This is a good spot for Johnson, who remains a solid WR2.

The usage from Chase Claypool was very interesting in Week 1 — if it continues, he’ll have a very productive season. During the offseason, offensive coordinator Matt Canada talked about moving Claypool into the slot and it absolutely came to fruition in Week 1, as Claypool lined up in the slot just over 95% of the time against the Bengals. Canada also loves to utilize pre-snap motion and we saw that with Claypool, too, as he was in motion five times. Claypool also carried the ball six times, as the Steelers love to give him a handful of jet sweeps, something that will continue going forward, especially if Harris isn’t 100% healthy. One of his carries also came from inside the 5-yard line, giving him some underrated touchdown potential. This role is really fun for fantasy and has Claypool in the WR3 discussion going forward.

George Pickens was on the field plenty in his debut, logging 71% of the snaps, while his 37 pass routes were just behind Johnson (38) and Claypool (39). However, he was only targeted three times and appears to be the fourth option in this offense at the moment. He did see an end zone target in the game and needs to be added in all leagues, though I wouldn’t start him yet. 

Tight End

I did not expect Pat Freiermuth to see 10 targets right out of the gate, but he was heavily involved. He led all tight ends in targets per route run (33%) for the week, ultimately catching five passes for 75 yards. Freiermuth was also targeted in the end zone in this game and if his Week 1 usage is any indication, a top-seven finish at the tight end position is very possible this season. Freiermuth is a top-10 tight end for Week 2 and very likely the rest of the season.

Patriots

Quarterback

Mac Jones is dealing with back spasms — it sounds like he can play this week, but it is something to keep an eye on. The Patriots offense was awful throughout the preseason, and it carried over into Week 1 where Jones threw for just 213 yards, one touchdown and one interception, also losing a fumble. It is tough to feel great about starting anyone from this New England offense right now and even though the Steelers will be without T.J. Watt for this game, Pittsburgh’s defense projects as a strong DST this week.

Running Backs

Yikes.

New England’s backfield is always tough to gauge for fantasy, but Sunday, it looked like a three-way split between Damien Harris, Rhamondre Stevenson and Ty Montgomery. In Week 1, Harris played 22 snaps, Montgomery 20 and Stevenson just 14 (Stevenson also ran the fewest routes). Montgomery was the clear passing downs back, as he played on all but one of the team’s third downs — if the Patriots are suddenly a below-average football team, they will be in fewer positive gamescripts, which is awful for Harris and Stevenson. Montgomery was just placed on injured reserve, opening up an opportunity for Stevenson to finally operate as the pass-catching running back in New England, which would be a huge boost for fantasy purposes. The Steelers run defense isn’t fantastic and they aren’t likely to improve all that much without TJ Watt. 

Wide Receiver

If I can help it, I’m not starting any wide receivers from the Patriots if Mac Jones is healthy, and I’m sure as hell not starting any pass-catchers from this team if he’s out. Jakobi Meyers remains the clear top target in this passing game and despite New England’s offense doing nothing last week, he still hauled in 4-of-6 targets for 55 yards, while adding a seven-yard carry. He’s a decent floor, low-ceiling WR4 right now. DeVante Parker led the Patriots wideouts in snaps and pass routes on Sunday but was only targeted twice, while Kendrick Bourne only ran two pass routes. 

Tight End

Hunter Henry was a low-end TE1 on the back of nine touchdowns last season, but if the Patriots aren’t generating as many red zone trips, he will provide an ugly weekly floor. But New England, who does not have a fullback on their roster, will be running more two-TE sets, which means Jonnu Smith should have a larger role than he did a season ago. In Week 1, Smith logged almost 70% of the snaps and ran 17 pass routes, while seeing four targets to Henry’s two. 

Miami Dolphins @ Baltimore Ravens

Total: 44.5, BAL -3.5
Pace: BAL: 30.2 sec/play (9th), MIA: 34.7 sec/play (27th)

What to watch for: The status of J.K. Dobbins. He was limited in practice last week but was a full participant Wednesday.

Ravens

Quarterback

With question marks in the backfield, the Ravens relied on the pass against the Jets Sunday. Lamar Jackson attempted 30 passes in a game where Baltimore essentially had the game in hand early on, finishing with 213 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. He only rushed for 17 yards on six rush attempts, but we know Jackson is going to have massive rushing totals going forward. This week’s matchup is really, really interesting — these teams met a season ago, and in that game, the Dolphins lined up in Cover-0 on over half of Baltimore’s offensive snaps, while the team sent a ton of corner blitzes. Baltimore really struggled to adjust, so it’ll be interesting to see if Miami uses a similar approach this time around. It gives Miami a free rusher on every single snap, but it does present plenty of opportunities for deep shots down the field, as there are no safeties over the top. Slant routes and screens could be a large part of Baltimore’s playbook this week, while I’m sure they will take some shots down the field, too, especially after Jackson just attempted a league-high eight passes of 20-plus yards in Week 1. Jackson is obviously a must-start quarterback in fantasy, and I think this is one of the most interesting matchups of the week.

Running Back

With J.K. Dobbins sidelined last week, Baltimore relied on Kenyan Drake as the team’s lead back. The veteran logged 59% of the snaps and handled 12 of the 18 running back touches. He didn’t exactly do anything with those touches and the Ravens mostly threw the football, posting the second-highest passing rate in neutral gamescript. If Drake is once again the starting running back, he is a fantasy RB3 with limited upside. We have to once again keep an eye on the status of Dobbins, who could make his return this week. If he is active, I wouldn’t immediately pencil him in as a high-end RB2 in fantasy because he could absolutely be limited.

Wide Receiver

Rashod Bateman was having a very quiet game until connecting with Jackson on a 55-yard touchdown late in the third quarter. He ran a route on about 73% of Baltimore’s dropbacks, though he only played about 66% of the snaps. Baltimore heavily utilized the tight end position, as Isaiah Likely ran 18 routes and played 45% of the snaps, while lining up out of the slot 72% of the time. You’d like a little more playing time from Bateman, and he gets a tough matchup with Xavien Howard in Week 2. Miami plays a ton of man coverage and while Bateman can absolutely win against man coverage, he’s more efficient against zone. He’s a high-end WR3 this weekend.

Meanwhile, Devin Duvernay came out of nowhere to catch two touchdown passes in Week 1. I’m not buying it. He still played just 51% of the snaps and ran just 18 pass routes, while seeing the same number of targets as Demarcus Robinson (4). 

Tight End

Mark Andrews had a floor game Sunday, catching five passes for 52 yards. However, the usage was amazing, as Andrews played 84% of the snaps and ran a route on 94% of the Ravens dropbacks. Andrews also lined up out of the slot nearly 70% of the time and is obviously going to have plenty of awesome games over the course of the season. You are starting him every single week. Meanwhile, Isaiah Likely is becoming more interesting in fantasy. He was targeted four times on 18 pass routes and could very easily emerge, if he hasn’t already, as the No. 3 target in this passing game.

Dolphins

Quarterback

Tua Tagovailoa didn’t have to do much against the Patriots last week, ultimately finishing with 270 passing yards and a touchdown pass. Miami’s offense looked much more dynamic in Mike McDaniel’s first game, as there was more pre-snap motion and schemed targets for the pass-catchers, which is only going to help Tagovailoa. And while it is only one game, Tua did average 4.6 completed air yards per pass attempt, which is up from his 3.7 mark from a season ago. It was also nice to see Miami abandon the run when it wasn’t working last week. For Week 2, Tagovailoa remains in the QB2 territory against a (mostly) healthy Baltimore defense that held the Jets passing game to 2.3 yards per attempt a week ago. It is also possible that starting offensive tackles Austin Jackson and Terron Armstead miss this game, making this a tough spot for Tagovailoa.

Running Back

I was incredibly high on Chase Edmonds last week, but that was a bad call on my part. Edmonds totaled just 65 yards on 16 touches against the Patriots, who shut down the rushing attack of the Dolphins. Edmonds out-touched Raheem Mostert 16-6, while logging 63% of the snaps compared to Mostert’s 41.6% snap rate. He also ran the third-most routes on the team, giving him a strong weekly floor in PPR leagues. I wanted to see who would get the goal-line work in this backfield, but Miami didn’t have any goal line opportunities last week, so we’ll have to wait and see. I’m not sure the Dolphins will check it down as often as Joe Flacco did last week, but the Ravens did just cough up 13 receptions to the combination of Michael Carter and Breece Hall. Edmonds remains a low-end RB2, high-end flex play for me.

Wide Receiver

While it wasn’t on the level of Davante Adams or A.J. Brown, Tyreek Hill had a very nice debut with his new team Sunday. He caught 8-of-12 targets for 94 yards, also rushing for six yards on his lone carry. Miami schemed touches and targets for Hill, which is very exciting going forward, while he saw an awesome 38.7% of the team’s targets. Most of his routes and targets came on the left side of the field, which is obviously notable considering that his quarterback is left-handed and 38.5% of his pass attempts in 2021 were to the short right part of the field, the highest rate in the NFL, per FTN Fantasy’s Passing Direction tool. As for this matchup, Marcus Peters wasn’t quite ready to return last week, while Kyle Fuller suffered a torn ACL, ending his season. If Peters can’t play, Baltimore would be left with Marlon Humphrey as the only trustworthy defensive back. It still seems unlikely that Hill has the same upside that he did in Kansas City, but he remains a clear top-10 wideout going forward.

Source: NFL Next Gen Stats

Jaylen Waddle’s usage wasn’t as promising, as he only saw five targets. However, he is so good at football, allowing him to do a lot with minimal targets. Waddle caught a 42-yard touchdown where he made a catch and flew past defenders to the end zone. It does seem like Hill is clearly the focal point of the offense but Waddle still projects as a solid WR2. He’ll draw coverage from Marlon Humphrey for a lot of this game.

Tight End

You can go ahead and drop Mike Gesicki if you haven’t already. Already question marks regarding his fit in this Miami scheme, Gesicki only played 41.6% of the snaps, while running a route on just 40.5% of dropbacks. And with the addition of Cedrick Wilson, Gesicki only played out of the slot 47.4% of the time, which is well below his rate of 63% from a season ago. 

Indianapolis Colts @ Jacksonville Jaguars

Total: 47, IND -4
Pace: JAC: 29.5 sec/snap (7th), IND: 32.1 sec/snap (17th)

What to watch for: Shaquille Leonard missed Week 1’s contest with a back injury. We’ll see if he can make his season debut in Jacksonville.

Jaguars

Quarterback

Trevor Lawrence’s first start of the season was an up-and-down one. He completed just 57% of his passes, threw for 275 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Jacksonville made improvements to the offensive line during the offseason, but it didn’t show in Week 1, as Lawrence was under pressure on a whopping 46.7% of his dropbacks. We just haven’t seen Lawrence consistently score multiple touchdowns, which makes it really difficult to get excited about him as anything more than a low-end QB2 in superflex formats. In 18 career starts, Lawrence has scored multiple touchdowns just three times. A matchup with the Colts isn’t daunting but it isn’t exactly welcoming either.

Running Back

Apparently no one told James Robinson that he was coming back from a torn Achilles. Robinson looked fantastic in his first game back Sunday, rushing for 66 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries. The Jacksonville backfield was essentially a split in Week 1, as Robinson logged 48.5% of the snaps, while Travis Etienne played just over 51% of the snaps. There were a few plays where the Jaguars had both running backs on the field, something that hopefully continues as the season progresses. Robinson is going to play most of the early downs and see the first crack at goal line work, while Etienne will factor in more in the passing game. It should have been a great game for Etienne, as he dropped a wide-open touchdown in the second half and Lawrence missed him on a wide-open wheel route for a score in the first half. Etienne obviously has upside in PPR formats but with Robinson healthy and looking good, it might be tough for him to live up to his ADP. Both Jaguars running backs are flex plays ahead of a Week 2 matchup against the Colts.

Wide Receiver

The Jaguars paid Christian Kirk a ton of money during the offseason, and they wasted no time feeding him the football in Week 1. Kirk saw a team-high 12 targets against the Commanders, 10 of which came from the slot, where he lined up 85% of the time. Kirk made plays down the field, despite playing out of the slot, sporting an aDOT of 13 yards, while averaging 3.16 yards per route run out of the slot. I like Kirk to keep it going Sunday, facing a zone-heavy Colts defense that is vulnerable to the middle of the field, which is where Kirk will be operating. Kenny Moore is one of the league’s best slot defensive backs, but Kirk’s involvement looks to be fantastic. He’s a low-end WR2, high-end WR3 for the time being.

We also saw Lawrence and Zay Jones develop a strong rapport during the preseason and it continued in Week 1. Jones hauled in six-of-nine targets for 65 yards on Sunday, while seeing three red zone targets and one end zone target that he couldn’t convert into a touchdown. I’m not ready to start Jones in any lineups but he’s an under the radar add off waivers this week. Finally, Marvin Jones should continue to see plenty of opportunities, but a huge part of his production comes off long receptions and touchdowns, which the Colts are very good at limiting. 

Tight End

While Dan Arnold is a good player, Evan Engram is the clear lead tight end in Jacksonville. Engram logged 73% of the snaps and ran 36 pass routes, 29 more than any other tight end on the roster. He posted a modest stat line of four catches for 28 yards, but Engram is a strong streaming option, especially in a matchup against a Colts team that just allowed O.J. Howard to find the end zone twice. The matchup is obviously a lot more favorable if Shaquille Leonard remains sidelined.

Colts

Quarterback

I did not expect Matt Ryan to attempt 50 passes in his first career game with the Colts, but Indianapolis came out flat and Houston got a lead, and that forced the Colts to throw. Ryan was all over the place in his debut, completing 32-of-50 passes for 352 yards, one touchdown and one interception, while also fumbling the football four times. While a total of 50 pass attempts is highly unlikely again, Ryan still makes for a fine streaming quarterback, especially for anyone who lost Dak Prescott this past weekend. Jacksonville’s defense still looks like one we can attack, as they just allowed Carson Wentz to throw for 313 yards and four touchdowns, while also allowing Washington to average 33 yards per drive and go two-for-two inside the red zone. The Jaguars also allowed the fourth-highest completion percentage off play-action passes in 2021 (72.1%).

Running Back

During the offseason, head coach Frank Reich said he didn’t want Jonathan Taylor to have 30 touches a game, and there were some reports that the Colts would scale his volume down a little. 

In Week 1 of the 2022 season, Taylor touched the football 35 times.

We know Taylor is going to see plenty of carries, but the seven targets were really exciting. Ryan is more likely to check the ball down than Carson Wentz and it showed right away. Look for Taylor to once again thrive against the Jaguars, who allowed the fourth-most rushing touchdowns from inside the five-yard line a season ago (14). 

Nyheim Hines, meanwhile, caught all six of his targets for 50 yards, but Taylor played way more snaps. While it didn’t come to fruition last week, the Colts are once again solid favorites, which is not the gamescript you want for Hines. 

Wide Receiver

In 2021, Michael Pittman was responsible for 27% of the Colts receptions, the third-highest rate in all of football. And in his first game of the 2022 season, Pittman accounted for 28% of the Colts receptions. He caught 9-of-13 targets for 121 yards and a touchdown and every reason why I loved Pittman all offseason was evident in this game. No one else at the wide receiver position made an impact, which led to Pittman seeing a 26% target share in this game. Pittman is an easy top-12 wideout going forward, including in Week 2 against a Jaguars defense that just allowed two different passing scores of 20-plus yards, both of which came with Shaquill Griffin in coverage, and he will be covering Pittman for a huge portion of this game. 

Tight End

Mo Alie-Cox was a potential sleeper at the tight end position entering the season, but you can move on if you haven’t already. It was Kylen Granson, not Alie-Cox, who led the Colts tight ends in routes run, while Alie-Cox was mostly used to block in the running game. 

Washington Commanders @ Detroit Lions

Total: 49.5, DET -2.5
Pace: DET: 25.5 sec/snap (1st), WAS: 30.7 sec/snap (12th)

What to watch for: The Lions’ RB goal-line usage. Jamaal Williams scored two short-yardage touchdowns, but I’m not fully convinced he is Detroit’s unquestioned goal-line back.

Commanders

Quarterback

Washington fans got the full Carson Wentz experience in Week 1, as there was some really good and really bad. However, it was mostly good, as Wentz passed for 313 yards and four touchdowns, though he also tossed two interceptions. The Commanders’ philosophy on offense was very interesting in this game and if it continues, they will be a pretty fantasy-friendly offense. Scott Turner went very pass-heavy, calling pass on first down 20 times. Turner has wanted this passing game to be aggressive and now they have the personnel to do it. Wentz completed 42.6% of passes 20 yards or more down the field last season, good for the ninth-highest rate among quarterbacks with at least 100 pass attempts. He also posted an on-target percentage of 47% on deep passes last year. And on Sunday, 14.6% of Wentz’s pass attempts traveled at least 20 yards down the field, one of the highest rates in the league. Now Wentz gets to face a Lions defense that allowed the sixth-highest completion percentage on deep passes a season ago (44.3%), while 12.9% of the dropbacks against Detroit were on deep passes, the fourth-highest rate. They also allowed a league-worst 8.7-yard aDOT, and this past Sunday, the Lions defense just couldn’t get off the field, allowing 7.3 plays per drive. Wentz is a terrific play this weekend. I’d start Wentz over guys like Aaron Rodgers and Trey Lance.

Running Back

Antonio Gibson’s usage was really great Sunday. He played about 64% of the snaps, touching the ball 21 times. The pass game usage was what really stood out, as he caught seven of his eight targets for 72 yards. Gibson ran 27 pass routes in the game, which tied a career high. J.D. McKissic was still the running back in both the two-minute drill and on third downs, but this usage from Gibson is very encouraging. It’ll be interesting to see how long it lasts but for the time being, consider him a rock-solid RB2, but a high-end RB2 for this weekend. Detroit’s defense looks really bad once again and just allowed all three of Philadelphia’s running backs to find the end zone in Week 1. Miles Sanders just averaged over seven yards per carry against the Lions, while ripping off two runs of at least 15 yards.

McKissic still played about 40% of the snaps and remained Washington’s third-down running back. I wouldn’t feel comfortable starting McKissic in anything other than very deep PPR leagues, and that is really only in games where the Commanders are relatively large underdogs. 

Wide Receiver

The usage of the Commanders’ wide receivers was very interesting in Week 1.

Terry McLaurin did not see the target share many were expecting, catching just two of his four targets. He saved his day with a 49-yard touchdown, while sporting an aDOT of 18.3 yards. The vertical passing game is a focal point of Scott Turner’s offense, so I expect McLaurin, who saw the fifth-most deep targets in 2021 (33), to continue seeing a lot of looks deep down the field. This is a very good matchup for McLaurin, as the Lions were terrible at defending the deep ball last season and were just destroyed by A.J. Brown to the tune of 10-155-0. You would like to see more than four targets, for sure, but I’d guess that was the lowest target total we’ll see from McLaurin in a game all season. He remains a solid WR2.

Curtis Samuel is finally healthy, and it’s clear he’ll have a prominent role in this Washington offense. Samuel caught 8-of-11 targets for 55 yards and a touchdown in Week 1, while adding four rushing attempts. Before Turner came to Washington, he was the quarterbacks coach in Carolina 2018-2019. Samuel, who was with Turner in Carolina, saw a lot more downfield work during the 2019 season, which is even more notable when you consider that Turner was promoted to offensive coordinator for a portion of that season. Samuel finished 10th among all receivers with 27 deep targets that season, while sporting the 12th-highest average depth of target (15.3). And while the deep targets went down a bit in 2020, Samuel was insanely efficient, hauling in 77% of his deep targets, which was the highest rate among qualified wide receivers. He didn’t see much work down the field in Week 1, as he posted an aDOT of just 2.0 yards, but Washington also didn’t have Jahan Dotson last season. It looks like Washington will use Samuel all over the field, as he was in motion nine different times before the snap. That usage is very encouraging, and Samuel needs to be added in most leagues. He can also be started as a WR3 ahead of this stellar matchup.

Finally, Jahan Dotson made the most of his opportunities, catching 3-of-5 targets for 40 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He saw two end zone targets in the game and like McLaurin, Dotson saw plenty of work down the field, averaging 13 yards before the catch per reception, the 10th-highest mark among all receivers for Week 1. That will help if he isn’t consistently seeing elite volume and against a Lions team that surrendered the fourth-most completions of 20-plus yards a season ago, Dotson could follow up his debut with a second consecutive great game. 

Tight End

In his first game back from his ACL tear, Logan Thomas played just over 62% of the offensive snaps, catching three passes for 45 yards. He split work with John Bates but as the season rolls on, Thomas is going to get more and more playing time. If you are hurting at tight end, I would definitely look to add Thomas.

Lions

Quarterback

This is a pretty favorable matchup for Jared Goff, but I just don’t see a ton of upside. Goff threw for just 215 yards last week with two scores and an interception, as the Lions really looked to get the ground attack going. Washington allowed the most fantasy points per game to opposing signal callers last season, while edge rusher Chase Young is still recovering from injury, which makes this a strong matchup. Many superflex teams lost Dak Prescott so Goff makes for a very solid replacement, especially for this week.

Running Back

How good was Detroit’s ground game Sunday?

Against a very stout Eagles defensive line, D’Andre Swift was fantastic, rushing for 144 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries, while adding three receptions for 31 yards. Swift’s day started with a 50-yard run in the opening quarter, while he finished the game with three runs of 15-plus yards. He looked great when he got to the second level, which he did very often behind Detroit’s elite offensive line that helped Swift average 4.8 yards before contact per rush. People might be worried that Jamaal Williams, who scored two short-yardage touchdowns, is the team’s goal-line running back, but I’m not convinced. Both of his touchdowns came right after long plays by Swift, and it appeared he was getting a rest. Williams is clearly going to have a role, as he recorded 11 carries, and he will see some goal-line work throughout the season. But I don’t at all believe that he is the unquestioned goal-line running back in Detroit. Swift is an obvious top-10 running back against a Washington team that just allowed James Robinson to rush for 66 yards and a score on 11 carries in his first game back from an Achilles tear, while he also added a receiving touchdown. They honestly should have allowed four touchdowns to Jacksonville running backs, as Travis Etienne dropped a touchdown and Trevor Lawrence missed him for a wide-open touchdown pass. Williams, meanwhile, is a viable flex play for teams that need help at running back.

Wide Receiver

Oh, look. Amon-Ra St. Brown saw 12 targets in a game that both Swift and T.J. Hockenson played in. It’s almost as if really good football players see a lot of targets.

St. Brown saw a 32.4% target share and dating back to last season, he has seen double-digit targets in seven consecutive games. It is time to stop coming up with reasons why St. Brown continues to produce and simply realize that he is a very good wide receiver with elite volume, which means he is a must-start wide receiver, especially against a vulnerable Washington secondary that was just destroyed by Christian Kirk out of the slot. Kirk had six receptions for 117 yards out of the slot last week, which bodes well for St. Brown, who lined up out of the slot over 78% of the time in Week 1. And in 2021, Washington allowed the sixth-most fantasy points per game to opposing wideouts, as well as the most receptions (6.5) and fourth-most fantasy points per game (15.7) to opposing pass-catchers from the slot. 

D.J. Chark, meanwhile, is coming off a strong game, catching four passes for 52 yards and a touchdown. His touchdown catch came against one of the game’s best defensive backs in Darius Slay and until Jameson Williams can return to action, Chark is not only the clear WR2 in this offense, but it is possible he is the number-two target among all pass-catchers. When the Lions do take shots down the field, it will likely be to Chark, who posted an aDOT of 15.5 yards. This is a spot where you can potentially start Chark if you added him during the week, as the Commanders allowed the fourth-most completions of 20-plus yards last season (31), as well as the fourth-most deep receiving touchdowns (10). 

Tight End

I expected a more productive day from T.J. Hockenson against an Eagles team that had struggled to defend opposing tight ends. Hockenson caught just four passes for 38 yards, though he did see a healthy seven targets. This matchup against Washington is solid and could become even more favorable if safety Kam Curl is unable to play. Hockenson isn’t going to be as consistent as he was to start the 2021 campaign, but the tight end position is a wasteland. You’re starting him. 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ New Orleans Saints

Total: 44.5, TB -2.5
Pace: NO: 30.6 sec/play (11th), TB: 32.2 sec/snap (18th)

What to watch for: Alvin Kamara was dealing with a rib issue during last week’s game. It is something to keep an eye on, especially after the Saints signed Latavius Murray to the practice squad.

Saints

Quarterback

It was a slow start for the Saints offense Sunday, but Jameis Winston got going in the second half, ultimately finishing the day with 269 yards and a pair of touchdowns. We saw more downfield usage in the passing game from the Saints, which presents Winston with more upside, especially if the passing rate climbs. Tampa Bay is coming off a dominant showing in Dallas and while this is obviously a strong defense, I think more of that game had to do with the Cowboys’ issues. The Bucs have been a pass funnel for a few years now, as 72.85 of the total yardage, surrendered by this defense last year came via the pass, the third-highest rate in football. Meanwhile, 65.9% of the touchdowns scored against Tampa Bay were through the air, the seventh-highest rate in the league. I really like what I saw from the Saints wideouts Sunday, and with Winston under center, I expect a solid game. He is my QB17 for the week.

Running Back

Alvin Kamara had a rough game Sunday, touching the football just 12 times for 46 yards against the Falcons. He still played about 62% of the snaps, which is right around where he usually is for the Saints, but he only ran a route on 44% of the Saints’ dropbacks. Kamara obviously wasn’t going to see the same usage he saw in 2021. For much of the season, the Saints had no one at running back behind Kamara, which led to six different 20-carry games, while his 240 rush attempts were a career-high. Keep an eye on his status throughout the week, as he apparently picked up a rib injury during the game. It doesn’t sound like he’s in jeopardy of missing the game, however. If the Saints continue to use Taysom Hill (four carries), it could be pretty annoying, especially if Kamara’s usage in the passing game remains middling. He’s still a player you are starting but I have him outside of my top-12 running backs this week.

Wide Receiver

After being shut out in the first half, Michael Thomas helped the Saints win the game, scoring two touchdowns in the second half, both against A.J. Terrell, one of the five best defensive backs in the NFL. Thomas may have been a bit limited in his first game back, playing the third-most snaps among Saints wideouts (60%), which makes me even more excited about him going forward. He was targeted eight times, two of which came in the end zone. A matchup against Carlton Davis and Jamel Dean is middling, but Thomas just produced against Terrell, so I have zero concerns. He is my WR21 for Week 2.

Jarvis Landry’s usage in his Saints debut was very, very interesting. Mostly a short/intermediate target during his time in Miami and Cleveland, Landry actually posted an aDOT of 15 yards Sunday, while his three targets 20 yards or more down the field were tied for the second-most among all players in Week 1. He recorded receptions of 31 and 40 yards, ultimately leading the Saints in receiving with seven catches for 114 yards on nine targets. Of course, Landry continued to play out of the slot, lining up there nearly 83% of the time. Landry averaged over 14 yards before the catch per reception and while I’m not expecting this downfield usage to be a constant theme all season long, it could be more evident in this offense with Winston under center. 

Finally, Chris Olave was only targeted three times, hauling in all three for 41 yards, along with a two-point conversion. Olave isn’t a player I am looking to start just yet unless I need a flex play, but he is going to have plenty of productive days in this offense. 

Tight End

While everyone is talking about Taysom Hill and his four carries and four routes, Juwan Johnson is pretty clearly entrenched as the Saints top tight end. He logged 74% of the snaps and ran 32 pass routes, one behind Landry for the team-lead. Johnson caught two-of-five targets for 43 yards, and while he didn’t score in this game, we did see Winston target him in the end zone a lot last season before tearing his ACL. Do not chase this game from Hill and instead, add Johnson if you need help at the tight end position in deep leagues.

Buccaneers

Quarterback

Tom Brady didn’t have to do much Sunday night against the Cowboys, throwing for just 212 yards, one touchdown and one interception on 27 pass attempts. When Brady dropped back to pass, he looked good — he just didn’t have to do it much, while Micah Parsons single-handedly stalled a handful of Tampa Bay’s red zone trips. While Brady is still a low-end QB1 for me this week, it is worth pointing out that the Bucs look to be relying more on the run this season, which is something head coach Todd Bowles hinted at in the offseason. And while the Saints were just torched by Cordarrelle Patterson on the ground, this is still one of the best run defenses in football over the last few years, so it is possible Brady throws 40 times in this game. The loss of Chris Godwin doesn’t help, while Brady has struggled against the Saints lately. In five games against New Orleans since joining the Bucs, Brady is averaging just 16.5 fantasy points, 247.2 passing yards, 1.6 passing touchdowns and 1.6 interceptions per game. It’ll be tough to find a more viable quarterback off waivers but I’m tempering expectations for Brady this weekend.

Running Back

Leonard Fournette was once again the clear lead back for Tampa Bay last week, carrying the ball 21 times for 127 yards, while adding two receptions for 10 yards. He played all but four snaps leading up to the fourth quarter of the game and is an obvious must-start each and every week. Despite allowing 120 yards and a touchdown to Cordarrelle Patterson last week, I still view the Saints as one of the top run defenses in the NFL and while I expect an improved showing this week, Fournette remains an easy top-10 running back.

Wide Receiver

Chris Godwin suffered a hamstring injury last week and is listed as week-to-week. His absence will obviously lead to more opportunities for Julio Jones and Russell Gage, which we’ll discuss more later. Let’s start with Mike Evans, however, who caught five passes for 71 yards and a touchdown against Dallas. This matchup in Week 2 is one of the most intriguing of the week, as Evans will see shadow coverage from Marshon Lattimore, who has given Evans some issues in the past. In 2021, Lattimore shadowed Evans on 65% of his routes in a Week 9 contest, which is something we can expect this week. It might even be higher with Godwin sidelined. Evans has played in 10 games against Lattimore since 2017. In those contests, he is averaging just 5.3 targets, 2.6 receptions, 43.2 receiving yards and 9.5 PPR fantasy points per game. So yes, the matchup is tough. However, we also have to factor in Evans’ splits without Godwin. Per the FTN Fantasy splits tool, in eight games with Godwin out of the lineup since 2020, Evans is averaging 9.25 targets, 6.38 receptions, 86.7 receiving yards, 1.1 touchdowns and 21.8 PPR points per game. Evans is a back-end WR1 ahead of this NFC South showdown.

With Godwin sidelined, Julio Jones becomes a reliable WR3 in this spot. Jones looked good last week, making an impressive 48-yard catch down the sideline, while coming very close to connecting on a second deep ball. Tampa Bay also gave him two jet sweeps and while he only played 51.6% of the snaps, that had more to do with the game being in hand and the Bucs establishing the run. I expect the playing time to increase in Week 2, and with Evans seeing shadow coverage from Lattimore, perhaps some more targets head Julio’s way here, seeing coverage from Bradley Roby, who allowed six receptions on eight targets in Week 1. 

Russell Gage, meanwhile, can be trusted as a flex play. Gage only played 26 snaps last week but was questionable entering the game with a hamstring injury, so perhaps he was limited a bit. He should be the full-time slot wide receiver for Tampa Bay during Godwin’s absence and although he primarily played out of the slot in Atlanta, he can win on the outside, while ranking 11th among qualified receivers in yards per route run against man coverage last season (2.84). Just keep an eye on his status throughout the week, as he continues to deal with a hamstring issue.

Tight End

If you have to start a tight end from Tampa Bay, it would be Cameron Brate, who ran 22 pass routes Sunday. However, Brate didn’t exactly take advantage of his opportunities with Rob Gronkowski out of the lineup last season, averaging just 3.6 targets, 1.4 receptions, 14.6 receiving yards and 4.06 PPR points in five games without Gronkowski. He is a touchdown-or-bust option.

Seattle Seahawks @ San Francisco 49ers

Total: 41.5, SF -9.5
Pace: SF: 36.1 sec/play (28th), SEA: 32.6 sec/play (21st)

What to watch for: Elijah Mitchell will miss significant time with a sprained MCL. What will the RB usage look like in San Francisco? Meanwhile for Seattle, Jamal Adams will be sidelined. 

49ers

Quarterback

It is very difficult to put a ton of stock into anything we saw from the 49ers and Bears game last week. The game was essentially played in an ocean, making it difficult for passing games to get going. Trey Lance struggled, completing just 13-of-28 passes for 164 yards and an interception, while rushing for 54 yards on 13 carries. Better days are ahead for Lance, especially if George Kittle returns to the lineup, but the massive rushing volume is so appealing. After rushing 13 times in Week 1, Lance is now averaging over 11 rushing attempts per game in the four career contests where he’s played a significant number of snaps. That will present Lance with a solid weekly floor, and I am still fine with him as a low-end QB1 ahead of a matchup with a Seahawks defense that started three rookie defensive backs last week and just lost safety Jamal Adams. And one year after easily averaging the fewest plays per game in football, Seattle’s offense ran just 49 plays in Week 1. 

Running Back

I have zero idea what is in the water in San Francisco, but the running backs just can’t stay healthy. Elijah Mitchell suffered a sprained MCL, which will keep him out for a while. Jeff Wilson projects to lead this backfield, at least for Week 2, and if you picked him up off waivers, I’d start him as a high-end RB3. Wilson has started nine games at running back for San Francisco, averaging over 80 rushing yards per game. And in games where he’s played at least 30 snaps since 2018, Wilson is averaging 16.8 rushing attempts and 15.2 PPR points per game. Of course, San Francisco is giving Deebo Samuel a handful of carries per game, so I’d probably expect around 15 carries from Wilson in this game. The matchup is solid, and Seattle probably should have surrendered two touchdowns to Denver running backs last week. Seattle’s defense also takes a hit without Jamal Adams, who is one of the best defenders in football, especially against the run. Here are the Seahawks splits without Adams in the lineup since 2020:

Wide Receiver

Deebo Samuel is coming off an underwhelming game, though he saved it with a rushing touchdown. Samuel saw eight targets, but only caught two passes in the poor conditions, while seeing eight carries, too. With Mitchell sidelined, Samuel should continue to see a handful of carries, though it’ll be interesting to see how involved Tyrion Davis-Price and/or Jeff Mason are this week. Samuel has a favorable matchup against a vulnerable Seattle secondary and we could see him catch plenty of passes out of the backfield. The Seahawks allowed the most receptions per game to opposing backfields last season (7.5) and just allowed a combined 13 receptions to the Broncos running backs in Week 1. 

Brandon Aiyuk also had a quiet game due to the conditions, catching both of his targets for 40 yards. Still, we saw Lance and Aiyuk develop a strong rapport throughout the preseason and in a friendly matchup, he still projects as a viable WR3.

Tight End

George Kittle missed Week 1 with a groin injury and did not practice Wednesday. If he can get some practice sessions in and is active Sunday, you are obviously starting him. But I would absolutely like to see him get a full practice in by Friday.

Seahawks

Quarterback

Geno Smith looked very solid in Week 1 but it didn’t lead to huge fantasy numbers, as he passed for under 200 yards and two touchdowns. Seattle surprisingly threw the ball quite a bit on first down, which may have just been to troll Russell Wilson on the other side of the field. Seattle still played slow and only ran 49 plays on offense, which was the issue last season. I feel OK if Smith is my No. 3 quarterback in superflex leagues, but I am not starting him.

Running Back

Once again, Rashaad Penny looked great Monday, rushing for 60 yards on 12 carries and having a long run called back due to penalty. Penny did not play on third downs, as they went to Travis Homer, and now rookie Kenneth Walker is expected to play Sunday, which makes Penny more of a flex than a solid RB2. This matchup isn’t very good, as 51.2% of the short-yardage runs against San Francisco last year did not result in a first down or a touchdown, the fourth-highest rate in the league. They also missed just 44 tackles, the fifth fewest in football, while just 7.4% of the runs against San Francisco went for 10 or more yards, the second-lowest rate in the league. 

Wide Receiver

DK Metcalf once again saw plenty of looks from Smith, sporting a 26% target share. The production wasn’t great (7-36) and it doesn’t appear that Metcalf is going to see anywhere close to as much downfield usage as he did with Russell Wilson. Metcalf will be a WR3 for the remainder of the season, though he’s so talented that he’ll still put together a handful of spike weeks. Tyler Lockett, meanwhile, should not be started. He was only targeted four times Monday — dating back to last season, he has struggled in games where Smith has started. His splits alongside Smith were not as favorable, as he averaged just over 11 PPR points per game and 61.5 receiving yards per game, compared to 16.3 points and 77.4 receiving yards per game alongside Wilson.

Tight End

During the offseason, not only did Seattle acquire Noah Fant in the Russell Wilson trade, but they also extended Will Dissly to a large contract. Dissly ended up out-snapping Fant in Week 1, while running just four less routes. Even Colby Parkinson played 35% of the snaps and ran 10 pass routes, seeing two targets. Seattle is clearly comfortable using three tight ends, which makes me want to avoid this situation for fantasy football. 

Atlanta Falcons @ Los Angeles Rams

Total: 46.5, LAR -10.5
Pace: LAR: 32.74 sec/snap (22nd), ATL: 32.2 sec/play (19th)

What to watch for: Damien Williams left Sunday’s game early with a rib injury, which propelled Cordarrelle Patterson to 25 touches. Tyler Allgeier was a healthy scratch in that game.

Rams

Quarterback

Matthew Stafford is coming off a brutal game against the Bills, throwing for 240 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions, while being sacked seven times. The offensive line in Los Angeles is suddenly a gigantic question mark, as left tackle Andrew Whitworth retired, while center Brian Allen will miss 2-4 weeks. Stafford was pressured on 38% of his dropbacks in Week 1, despite Buffalo not even blitzing once. He should be under duress less often against a Falcons team that ranked 32nd in pressure rate a season ago (16.7%) and while Atlanta appears to be a defense on the rise, the Rams should still be able to move the ball here. The Falcons coughed up the third-most points (2.52), second-most yards (36.3) and most plays (6.7) per drive last season. Feel free to trust Stafford as a top-12 QB this weekend.

Running Back

The Rams backfield is going to be one of the most interesting storylines in fantasy going forward. Cam Akers, despite by all accounts being healthy, hardly played in the opener, logging just 12-of-67 snaps. Darrell Henderson, meanwhile, started for the Rams and played 82% of the snaps, touching the football 18 times. After the game, head coach Sean McVay stated that Akers has to do more with the opportunities he is given and play with more urgency. Not exactly words of encouragement for Akers, so I’d expect Henderson to handle most of the work again in Week 2. If Henderson sees a similar role as last week, he will finish as a low-end RB1/high-end RB2. McVay has used one running back his entire tenure in Los Angeles and Henderson was in that role last season where he averaged 15.7 PPR points per game in Weeks 1-12, before his injury. Akers, meanwhile, should absolutely not be started but I wouldn’t dare drop him from my roster either.

Wide Receiver

Start Cooper Kupp. 

He caught 13-of-15 targets for 128 yards and a touchdown last week, picking up right where he left off from his incredible 2021 campaign. With Buffalo playing so much zone coverage and getting so much pressure on Stafford, Kupp saw a ton of targets in the weak points of the zone. While 15 targets may not be repeated, he is as much of a lock to see 10-plus as anyone in the league. 

Allen Robinson, meanwhile, is more interesting. He disappointed in Week 1, catching just one pass for 12 yards. Many were questioning whether Robinson was washed after the game, but if you watch it back, you’ll find that he was getting open, it’s just that Stafford didn’t have much time. And because of all of the pressure Buffalo was generating, Stafford had his sights set on his safety valve in Kupp. After the game, McVay said the Rams lack of rhythm on offense was the reason behind Robinson’s underwhelming usage but wants to get him more involved. He said something similar about Robert Woods early last season, only for Woods to see 14 targets the following game. Robinson played all but two snaps and ran a route on 96% of dropbacks. A matchup against Casey Hayward isn’t the easiest, but I believe Robinson will be more involved this week. He’s a high-end WR3.

Tight End

Tyler Higbee continues to be on the field as much as any tight end in football, logging 94% of the snaps in Week 1, while running a route on 92% of dropbacks. He was targeted 11 times, catching five passes for 39 yards. While I’d be shocked if Higbee saw 11 targets again, his overall involvement is very strong, stronger than most tight ends you will find on the waiver wire.

Falcons

Quarterback

Marcus Mariota threw for just 215 yards and zero touchdowns in Week 1, yet he still scored over 20 fantasy points. The value of rushing yards for quarterbacks is massive, as Mariota rushed 12 times for 72 yards. 36 of his 72 rushing yards came off designed runs, which will remain a part of Arthur Smith’s offense, as Mariota also recorded 17 plays out of RPO, including a league-leading eight rush attempts off the play type. The rushing keeps Mariota in streaming consideration, though it is worth noting that he goes from playing a Saints defense that plays a ton of man coverage to a zone-heavy Rams defense. 

Running Back

Cordarrelle Patterson is coming off an outstanding game, rushing for 120 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries. He became just the second running back to rush for 100 yards against the Saints over the last three seasons, but I wonder if the Falcons really wanted to give him 25 touches. Damien Williams suffered a rib injury after playing just 10 snaps and was actually playing more than Patterson during that stretch. And with rookie Tyler Allgeier a healthy scratch, Atlanta really had no one else to give the football to. Williams is questionable to play this week, and while I wouldn’t expect 25 touches again from Patterson, he does remain a low-end RB2/high-end flex play against the Rams. His upside might be higher if Williams is inactive, however. There could be plenty of receptions, as the Rams play a lot of zone and just allowed the combination of Devin Singletary and Zack Moss to catch eight passes.

Wide Receiver

After missing most of the preseason, Drake London was active for Week 1 and had a solid game, catching five passes for 74 yards on seven targets. London’s volume should remain solidified, especially in games where the Falcons are chasing points, which should be this one as 10-point road underdogs. Because the Rams use Jalen Ramsey in a hybrid zone role, London should avoid coverage from him for much of this game. He’s a strong WR3 play.

Tight End

Kyle Pitts had a disappointing game Sunday, hauling in just two-of-seven targets for 19 yards. Pitts lined up out wide 25% of the time and in the slot just over 31% of the time but the Falcons found success running the ball against the Saints, which is rare. Even the elite players have bad games. Continue to start Pitts with confidence.

Houston Texans @ Denver Broncos

Total: 45, DEN -10
Pace: DEN: 36.79 sec/play (29th), HOU: 27.96 sec/play (4th)

What to watch for: Will Dameon Pierce be more involved in Week 2? And for the Broncos, what will the defense look like with All-Pro safety Justin Simmons on IR?

Broncos 

Quarterback

Russell Wilson’s return to Seattle was ruined by some very, very bizarre game management by head coach Nathaniel Hackett. Wilson played well, however, throwing for 340 yards and a touchdown. We saw Denver utilize a lot of play-action in this game, as 13 of Wilson’s attempts came off play-action, tied for the seventh-most in football. He completed nine passes on those attempts for 102 yards. If that continues, he could have a huge game against a Texans defense that surrendered the third-most yards per pass attempt (9.8) and eighth-highest passing touchdown rate (6.6%) against play-action in 2021. Last week, Matt Ryan’s lone touchdown pass came off play-action. This could also be a good spot for Wilson to connect on some deep shots down the field, as the Texans also struggled to defend the long ball last year. Houston allowed the third-highest completion percentage on deep passes (46.2%), while also coughing up the fourth-highest average depth of target (8.5). Wilson could have a huge outing in his first home game as a member of the Broncos.

Running Back

The usage from the Denver backfield was very interesting Monday. Javonte Williams started the game and ultimately played about 58% of the snaps. He only carried the ball seven times but made up for it by rushing for 43 yards on those carries. The surprising development was his massive role in the passing game, hauling in a whopping 11-of-12 targets for an additional 65 yards. His day could have been huge if he hadn’t fumbled a carry from the 1-yard line. While you should not expect 12 targets again, it is worth pointing out that running backs have been a huge part of the passing game in Hackett’s past offenses. During the 2017 season in Jacksonville, running backs accounted for a whopping 26% of the targets, which was one of the highest rates in the league that year, and we saw how involved Aaron Jones has been in Green Bay. 

Williams forced 53 missed tackles last season, fifth most in football. However, that number is even more impressive when you consider that he was essentially in a full 50/50 split with Melvin Gordon, and the four running backs with more missed tackles forced finished the season with 25, 14, 129 and 104 more rushing attempts than Williams. Williams broke a tackle every 6.5 rush attempts, the best rate in all of football. And in his first game of the 2022 season, Williams forced one missed tackle on the ground and five more in the passing game. Against a Houston defense that missed 10 tackles on Jonathan Taylor last week and the most in all of football last year (74), Williams sets up as a low-end RB1.

Gordon, meanwhile, played 41% of the snaps, handling 14 touches. He saw 12 carries to Williams’ seven, while seeing two goal line carries to Williams’ three. Williams played every snap in the two-minute drill, while Gordon played on most of the third downs. It appears this is going to be pretty close to last year’s 50/50 split, which makes Gordon a very viable flex play most weeks, especially in a matchup where the Broncos are huge home favorites. 

Wide Receiver

Courtland Sutton and Jerry Jeudy are coming off productive contests, with Jeudy having the edge. He caught four passes for 102 yards and a touchdown, which was an underthrown ball down the sidelines where Jeudy made a contested catch and took off for 67 yards. With Tim Patrick out for the season, I was interested to see where Jeudy would line up. He played out of the slot nearly 70% of the time in this game, while K.J. Hamler played out wide. Sutton, meanwhile, played on the outside and saw two deep targets from Wilson, one of which came in the end zone. He caught four passes for 72 yards and if these are more of the floor games compared to last year, Sutton is in store for a huge season. Both Broncos wideouts are very strong WR2 options. 

Tight End

Even with Greg Dulcich sidelined, the Broncos still used four tight ends in Week 1. Andrew Beck, who plays fullback, is essentially a tight end, while Albert Okwuegbunam, Eric Saubert and Eric Tomlinson all saw plenty of run. Okwuegbunam still ran 34 routes compared to just 15 total from Saubert and Tomlinson. When he’s on the field, Okwuegbunam is likely going to be running a route, but given how many tight ends are playing in this offense, he’ll be an inconsistent starter for fantasy.

Texans

Quarterback

Davis Mills put together a solid Week 1 outing against the Colts, completing 23-of-37 passes for 240 yards and a pair of touchdowns. His lone mistake was a lost fumble that got the Colts back in the game. Mills is going to be good enough to keep this Texans offense fantasy relevant but not good enough to consider outside of superflex formats. Denver’s defense did not look good at all Monday, and now All-Pro safety Justin Simmons is on IR. 

Running Back

During the preseason, it really, really looked like Dameon Pierce was the RB1 in Houston. He was operating as the lead back alongside the first team and even sat out Week 2 of the preseason because head coach Lovie Smith already saw all he needed to see. However, in Week 1 of the regular season, it was veteran Rex Burkhead, not Pierce, who led the backfield. Burkhead logged just over 70% of the offensive snaps, while playing every single third down and two-minute drill snap of the game. He touched the ball 19 times and let’s not forget that in Weeks 11-18 last season, Burkhead averaged around 17 carries per game, finishing as a top-20 fantasy running back during that stretch. So it is entirely possible that for as long as he has this role, Burkhead is a solid RB3. Pierce, meanwhile, played just 29.4% of the snaps, while touching the ball 12 times. After the game, Lovie Smith said that Burkhead played more due to his presence in passing situations, but Houston had a 20-3 lead at one point in that game. If Houston feels a lot more comfortable with Burkhead in passing situations, it is tough to not rank him as the top running back in this backfield in a game where the Texans are 10-point road underdogs. The Broncos’ linebackers are terrible in coverage so don’t be surprised if Burkhead has a solid game here. Pierce, meanwhile, should be avoided if possible but he could easily take over this backfield at some point this season.

Wide Receiver

Death, taxes and Brandin Cooks seeing at least 25% of the Texans’ targets.

Cooks saw a 36% target share in Week 1, hauling in seven passes for 82 yards. The floor is so high with Cooks on a weekly basis due to his massive volume. Dating back to last season, Cooks has now seen at least a 25% target share in eight different contests, while recording at least five catches for 50 yards in 10 games. He does have a tough matchup this week, as Pat Surtain is an emerging defensive back in this league, who is expected to follow Cooks in this game. Still, the floor is so high for Cooks, who also saw a 30% target share in games the Texans trailed by at least nine points last season, the fifth-highest rate in the league. He’s a rock-solid, low-end WR2 for me in this spot.

Tight End

Sunday was so tilting.

I’m watching the Red Zone Channel and see a tight end score a touchdown for the Houston Texans. As a huge Brevin Jordan fan, I was quite disappointed to see that it was recently signed O.J. Howard on the receiving end. No worries, Jordan will get the next one. Shortly after, the Texans scored a second touchdown, once again to the tight end. Surely it must be Jordan, right?

It was not.

Howard scored two touchdowns on just 12 snaps and six routes in Week 1, while Jordan, who played nearly 60% of the snaps and ran 24 routes, was targeted just twice. I still think the process is correct, as Pep Hamilton’s offenses have heavily featured the tight end position. In the three seasons Hamilton was in Indianapolis, tight ends accounted for 19, 21 and 25% of the team’s targets. And that was with the team lacking a top-tier tight end, but instead having Coby Fleener, Jack Doyle and Dwayne Allen all involved. Meanwhile, back when he was the offensive coordinator at Stanford in 2011 and 2012, tight ends accounted for 40 and 45% of the team’s receptions. Having said that, I think Jordan is a very intriguing DFS play this week, facing a Broncos defense that just allowed Will Dissly and Colby Parkinson to combine for five catches, 86 yards and two touchdowns. 

Arizona Cardinals @ Las Vegas Raiders

Total: 51.5, LV -5.5
Pace: LV: 30.5 sec/play (10th), ARI: 38.0 sec/play (32nd)

What to watch for: For Arizona, we’ll see if Rondale Moore (hamstring) can return to the lineup. The Cardinals would also love to have JJ Watt back on the defensive line.

Raiders

Quarterback

It is going to be tough to not like Derek Carr this week.

The Raiders face a Cardinals secondary that was just eviscerated by Patrick Mahomes to the tune of 360 passing yards and five touchdowns. We knew this pass defense had some question marks entering the season, but they looked awful in Week 1. They blitzed Mahomes on over 50% of his dropbacks and it did not work, but it won’t stop them from blitzing the Raiders. Because Arizona blitzes so much, you will always have to look at how opposing signal callers fare against the blitz. In 2021, Carr threw for the third-most yards against the blitz (1,244), while averaging a healthy 8.7 yards per attempt, the fifth-best mark in football. He was also fifth in aDOT against the blitz (9.65) and with how quickly Davante Adams gets open, I think Carr could thrive in this spot. Arizona also allowed the sixth-highest passing touchdown rate last season (5.3%), which is great for Carr, whose 3.7% touchdown rate was his lowest since 2018 and the third lowest of his career. Carr is a top-eight signal caller for me in Week 2.

Running Back

Josh Jacobs only carried the ball 10 times Sunday, as the Raiders fell behind against the Chargers. He was effective, rushing for 56 yards and he did run 19 pass routes. We knew he wasn’t likely to play much on third down with Brandon Bolden there, who played most of the third-down snaps, while Ameer Abdullah played a few, too. Bolden is dealing with a hamstring injury and if he is ruled out, Abdullah likely picks up most of the third-down snaps, while rookie Zamir White, who didn’t play an offensive snap on Sunday, could get some run there. I think Jacobs gets closer to 18 carries in this matchup with the Cardinals, who just allowed three running back touchdowns to the Chiefs, while Arizona surrendered the third-most yards after contact per rush in 2021 (2.74). Meanwhile, 13.9% of the carries against the Cardinals went for 10 or more yards, the second-highest rate in the NFL.

Wide Receiver

It turns out that whether he is in Green Bay or Las Vegas, Davante Adams is still really, really good at football. In his first game as a member of the Raiders, Adams dominated, catching 10 balls for 141 yards and a touchdown. He was targeted 17 times for a whopping 48% target share. Adams is clearly going to be the focal point of this offense and while you are obviously starting him every week, I actually have him as my WR1 for Week 2, which is saying something considering how loaded the position is at the top. Arizona’s secondary simply doesn’t stand a chance and Adams will line up against Trayvon Mullen and Marco Wilson. It will go very well, as Wilson allowed 0.30 fantasy points per coverage route last season, one of the worst marks in football. Arizona also played man coverage at one of the highest rates in football last year and that continued in Week 1, as the Cardinals played man coverage over 40% of the time. That bodes well for Adams, who, per PlayerProfiler, sported a 36.7% target rate against man coverage last year, while averaging nearly two fantasy points per target against the defense.

Hunter Renfrow, meanwhile, took a backseat with Adams dominating last week. Renfrow was targeted just six times, hauling in three passes for 21 yards. It is pretty obvious that Renfrow is unlikely to match his 2021 production with Adams in town, but especially since tight end Darren Waller is seeing single coverage far more often now. This is still a really good spot for Renfrow and if I think Carr and the passing game thrive, he should be able to put together a solid game. The Cardinals allowed the fourth-most fantasy points per game to opposing wide receivers last season.

Tight End

Darren Waller had a solid game Sunday, catching 4-of-6 targets for 79 yards. While the ceiling for targets isn’t as high with Adams, the efficiency should climb for Waller, who is going to see way less bracket coverage compared to a season ago. You’re starting Waller and I think he finds the end zone against an Arizona team that allowed over 100 yards and a touchdown to Travis Kelce, as well as a touchdown to backup tight end Jody Fortson.

Cardinals

Quarterback

Garbage time helped Kyler Murray score over 20 fantasy points last week, but he struggled, throwing for under 200 passing yards. He was also under pressure on over 43% of his dropbacks. The lack of pass-catching options in Arizona right now is a bit of a concern, though you aren’t benching Murray, especially in a solid matchup against a weak Raiders secondary. Las Vegas was also the worst red zone defense in the NFL last season, allowing opponents to score touchdowns on 81.4% of red zone trips. 12% of the dropbacks against the Raiders were on passes 20 yards or more down the field, the ninth-highest rate in football, while 14.3% of Murray’s dropbacks led to deep passes, a top-five rate in the league. Continue to start Murray with plenty of confidence.

Running Back

James Conner has one of the best roles in all of fantasy football right now. He played almost 100% of the snaps before Sunday’s game got out of hand, while seeing six targets. We know Conner is getting the goal-line work, as he scored from a few yards out last week, and with Chase Edmonds in Miami, he is also getting the passing downs work. The Raiders actually did a great job of slowing down the Chargers rushing attack last week, but they still allowed the fourth-most fantasy points and seventh-most receptions (5.9) per game to opposing backfields in 2020. Early down carries, passing down work and goal-line touches? Conner isn’t just a top-12 running back, but potentially top seven or eight.

Wide Receiver

Marquise Brown had an underwhelming game against the Chiefs but saved his day with a late touchdown reception. He was targeted six times, a number that could easily double in any game over the course of the next month with DeAndre Hopkins suspended and Rondale Moore still dealing with a hamstring injury. I really, really wish Arizona’s offense would utilize more movement, as Hopkins lined up on the left side of the formation 80% of the time last season. And in Brown’s first game with the Cardinals, he lined up out wide on the left side on 51-of-62 snaps, which really limits a player’s upside. Arizona also continues to hardly use any pre-snap motion, which will force the wideouts to rely more on individual ability to get open and make plays, which Brown can still do, but it would be nice if he moved around more. Still, consider him a low-end WR2 for the time being.

With Moore sidelined last week, Greg Dortch operated as Arizona’s slot wide receiver. He played 90% of the snaps and ran a route on 100% of the Cardinals’ dropbacks, lining up in the slot about 82% of the time. Dortch was plenty involved, catching seven-of-nine targets for 63 yards. If Moore, who didn’t practice Wednesday, can’t return to the lineup, Dortch will remain a solid DFS value play.

Tight End

Zach Ertz has been dealing with a calf injury, and while he did play and score a touchdown Sunday, he was limited a bit, playing just 60% of the snaps. Ertz will likely be limited in practice during the week but hopefully his playing time increases in Week 2. This is a good matchup for Ertz, facing a Raiders team that coughed up the fourth-most fantasy points per game to opposing tight ends in 2021 (12.45), while also allowing the third-most receiving touchdowns per game to the position (0.6). And in Week 1 of the 2022 campaign, they allowed 54 yards and a touchdown to Gerald Everett. 

Cincinnati Bengals @ Dallas Cowboys

Total: 42, CIN -7
Pace: DAL: 25.9 sec/play (2nd), CIN: 31.52 sec/play (13th)

What to watch for: What the hell will the Dallas offense look like without Dak Prescott? And for Cincinnati, Tee Higgins suffered a concussion in Week 1. He is making good progress for Week 2.

Cowboys

Quarterback

Could a season start in a more catastrophic way for the Cowboys?

After already missing Tyron Smith on the offensive line, the Cowboys offense couldn’t do a single thing right Sunday, with the lack of playmakers on offense evident. And then to make things worse, Dak Prescott fractured his thumb, an injury that will reportedly keep him sidelined for the next 6-8 weeks (though Jerry Jones apparently thinks fewer). Cooper Rush will start at quarterback for the foreseeable future, which will impact this entire offense. I don’t think it needs to be said but you are not starting Cooper Rush in fantasy.

Running Back

Ezekiel Elliott looked good against one of the league’s top run defenses last week, rushing for 52 yards on 10 carries. He looked decisive and powerful, but it is interesting that he and Tony Pollard essentially split snaps, with Elliott getting 40 and Pollard 38. There were about 10 snaps where Elliott and Pollard were on the field together, which is a step up from last season where the two were on the field at the same time for just 33 total plays all year long. Back in 2020, Prescott only played four games and the Cowboys offense obviously took a huge step back in his absence, which is the concern for the next few weeks. The Cowboys averaged 10 fewer points and nearly two less touchdowns per game with Prescott out of the lineup. Dallas might look to run the football a lot more, which gives Elliott a solid floor for touches, but the upside is capped in this offense. He’s a low-end RB2, while Pollard isn’t someone I’d look to start right now. I didn’t like that the Cowboys lined him up out wide just once Sunday night, especially given how badly the team needs him to make plays right now.

Wide Receiver

CeeDee Lamb was targeted 11 times in Week 1 but only converted those looks into two receptions. Entering the season, Lamb was viewed as a top-seven wideout in fantasy but with Prescott sidelined, he will fall to the low-end WR2, maybe even WR3 range. If I’m the Bengals here, I’m stacking the box against the run and having Chidobe Awuzie follow Lamb all over the formation and see if the likes of Noah Brown and Dalton Schultz can beat you. It may be tough to sit Lamb, but I truly wouldn’t fault you if you did. 

Tight End

The tight end position is brutal, and even given the current state of the Cowboys offense, you aren’t sitting Dalton Schultz. He should continue to see 7-10 targets every week, while providing a very strong weekly floor. The touchdown upside definitely takes a hit, but he’ll remain as involved as any tight end in all of fantasy. The Bengals also just surrendered five catches for 75 yards to Pat Freiermuth last week.

Bengals

Quarterback

Joe Burrow is coming off a rough Week 1 outing against the Steelers. He turned the ball over five times, including four interceptions and a lost fumble. After an offseason where the Bengals made improvements to the offensive line, Burrow was sacked seven times, as T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith were constantly in Cincinnati’s backfield. I’m not really worried about Burrow going forward and while Dallas has a solid pass rush, the secondary can be had. If we expect the Cowboys offense to struggle going forward, Cincinnati’s offense should be on the field very often this week, though they did just play 100 snaps in essentially a five-quarter game in Week 1. 

Running Back

Volume remained on Joe Mixon’s side last week, as he touched the ball a whopping 34 times against Pittsburgh. The seven catches were great to see but he once again mostly played on first and second downs. Of course, this sets up as a game where Mixon can once again see 25 carries and Dallas was just gashed on the ground by Leonard Fournette last weekend. Fournette averaged almost four yards before contact per attempt in that game, as Tampa Bay’s offensive line just dominated the Dallas defensive line. Dallas allowed a healthy 2.1 yards before contact per rush last season, and I expect Mixon to have a very strong showing in this game.

Wide Receiver

Ja’Marr Chase hauled in 10-of-16 targets for 129 yards and a touchdown on Sunday, as he continues to dominate the league. He could see a huge target share again if Tee Higgins (concussion) can’t play this week, though it does appear that he is trending in the right direction. Chase will see coverage from Anthony Brown in this game, who Brady and company targeted eight times last week, resulting in six completions for 100 yards. Brown also allowed an aDOT of 12.0 yards, which is great for Chase, who is always creating huge plays down the field. If you enjoy when your fantasy team accumulates fantasy points, I would keep Chase in your starting lineup.

If Higgins is active, he is starting for my fantasy team. Trevon Diggs is obviously a talented defensive back but as everyone knows, he allowed the most yards in coverage last season (1,016) to go along with five touchdowns and a 12.4-yard aDOT. Tyler Boyd, meanwhile, is always in play as a viable WR3 in PPR formats but if Higgins can’t play, you feel a lot more confident plugging Boyd into your lineup. Boyd played in two games with Higgins out of the lineup last season and in those contests, he averaged 8.5 targets, 6.5 receptions, 77 receiving yards and 17.2 PPR points per game. Keep an eye on Higgins’ status as the week rolls on.

Tight End

Hayden Hurst was a lot more involved than anyone realized in his Cincinnati debut. He played 75% of the snaps and ran a route on 80% of dropbacks. Hurst caught 5-of-8 targets and is a viable streaming option against a Dallas defense that allowed the 12th-most fantasy points per game to opposing tight ends a year ago. And if Higgins is unable to suit up, Hurst could flirt with top-12 status at the tight end position. 

Chicago Bears @ Green Bay Packers

Total: 42.5, GB -10
Pace: GB: 33.19 sec/play (24th), CHI: 28.87 sec/play (6th)

What to watch for: Green Bay was missing Allen Lazard, Elgton Jenkins and David Bakhtiari in Week 1. Hopefully all three players can play Sunday night.

Packers

Quarterback

Apparently, Aaron Rodgers and the Packers just can’t get it done in Week 1 anymore. To be fair, Rodgers had a surefire 75-yard touchdown dropped by Christian Watson, which would have made his day a lot more serviceable. We knew it would be a transition for Rodgers and Green Bay without Davante Adams, but Rodgers is going to bounce back this week. Green Bay returns home to host a Bears team that Rodgers has dominated as of late. Over his last six meetings with Chicago, Rodgers is averaging 2.67 passing touchdowns and just over 22 fantasy points per game. Hopefully Allen Lazard is back in the lineup, as well as Green Bay’s top two offensive linemen. Chicago’s secondary is one that we can attack, and I simply don’t see Rodgers having consecutive bad outings. 

Running Back

Is AJ Dillon the RB1 in Green Bay?

Perhaps that is a bit of an overreaction, but it sure looked like it in Week 1. Dillon led Green Bay in rushes (10), receptions (5) and receiving yards (46) against the Vikings. He also saw two carries from inside the 5-yard line, converting one into a touchdown, while Aaron Jones didn’t see any short-yardage work. It was interesting that in a game where Green Bay was trailing, Dillon still saw more targets and receptions than Jones. Dillon logged about 51% of the snaps, while Jones played just over 60%, but the two were on the field a little bit, with Jones in motion before the snap. Dating back to last season, Dillon is now averaging a strong 14 PPR points per game over his last seven games alongside Jones. Both running backs are top-20 running backs in a home matchup against the Bears.

Wide Receiver

If Allen Lazard plays Sunday, he is a viable WR3. Over the final five weeks of the year last season, Lazard was the WR8 in PPR leagues, averaging a touchdown per game during that span. He also saw six end zone targets over those final five weeks, tied with Adams for fifth among all receivers. Lazard ultimately finished the season with 11 end zone targets, good for the 12th-most among all wideouts. And that was with Adams. Outside of Jaylon Johnson, the Bears secondary is not very strong, and alongside Rodgers, Lazard has plenty of touchdown upside. 

I’m not considering starting Romeo Doubs or Christian Watson, but I would add them to my roster in deeper leagues. Doubs got going during the second half of the game last week, as Green Bay got him and Watson involved on some end-arounds, too. 

Tight End

Robert Tonyan is one of the more underrated waiver wire additions of the week. In his first game back from a torn ACL, Tonyan was clearly limited, playing just 36% of the snaps, while running a route on just over half of dropbacks. However, he was targeted four times on his 20 routes and once he sees a full allotment of snaps, Tonyan could push top-12 status at the tight end position alongside Rodgers. 

Bears

Quarterback

Justin Fields had to play in awful weather last week, which led to the Bears attempting just 17 passes. Fields tossed a pair of touchdown passes and rushed 11 times for 28 yards. While we still have a long way to go, Chicago’s offense was much more innovative, as Fields handled 21% of the Bears designed rushing attempts, which is a huge step forward from last season. Meanwhile, 34.8% of his dropbacks came off play-action in Week 1, which is way up from his play-action dropback rate of 23.8% from a season ago. Fields also had four rushing attempts off RPO, which is something the Bears didn’t utilize nearly enough last season. Green Bay’s defense was awful last season, as they struggled with miscommunication in zone defense. They are a far better unit than they showed but Fields did score nearly 21 fantasy points against Green Bay in Week 14 of last season. Fields is a very high-end QB2 in this divisional showdown.

Running Back

The Bears had a pretty clear rotation at running back Sunday. David Montgomery would play two drives, followed by one from Khalil Herbert. They repeated that over the course of the game, which ultimately led to Montgomery logging 65% of the snaps and Herbert playing just under 30%. Herbert just so happened to be in the game when the Bears were in the red zone, resulting in a touchdown — while you can’t start Herbert in fantasy, he remains one of the most valuable backups in the league. Montgomery, meanwhile, struggled against San Francisco last week, rushing for just 26 yards on 17 carries. He did, however, see stacked boxes on just over 47% of his rushing attempts, the second-highest rate in Week 1. I expect more running room against a Green Bay defense that can be run on. In 2021, just 12% of carries against the Packers last year were stuffed at the line of scrimmage, the second-lowest rate in football. Montgomery is a viable RB2 this week.

Wide Receiver

Because Chicago only attempted 17 passes, there weren’t many opportunities for Darnell Mooney to get going. He was targeted just three times, catching one pass for eight yards. I expect more targets going forward, starting this week, but the matchup is not favorable, as he’ll draw coverage from Jaire Alexander, who, in my opinion, is the second-best defensive back in all of football. If the game script goes the way many expect, Mooney could see a lot of work. I wouldn’t be afraid to go back to him as a low-end WR3 here but I’m definitely tempering expectations.

Tight End

Like Mooney, Cole Kmet didn’t see many opportunities Sunday. In fact, he was held without a catch, but a combination of a matchup with the league’s best coverage linebacker in Fred Warner and terrible weather doesn’t help. You’d like to see him run a route on more than 70% of the dropbacks, but I don’t think Kmet is suddenly not going to be a huge piece of this passing attack. He’s a high-end TE2 against Green Bay Sunday night.

Tennessee Titans @ Buffalo Bills

Total: 49.5, BUF -9
Pace: BUF: 33.15 sec/play (23rd), TEN: 31.95 sec/play (16th)

What to watch for: Will Devin Singletary have a larger role?

Bills

Quarterback

Josh Allen was almost perfect against the Rams in Week 1, throwing for 297 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions, while adding 56 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries. The Rams played a ton of zone defense against Buffalo and Allen diced them up, completing 18-of-21 passes for 220 yards and a score when facing zone coverage. And after an offseason where Buffalo said they wanted Allen to run less, he rushed 10 times, five of which were designed. Allen converted his carry from inside the 5-yard line into a touchdown, which is nothing new. Last season, Allen averaged almost two red-zone carries per game and since 2018, Allen is averaging nearly seven rushing attempts per game, while recording three 100-carry seasons. And over the past two seasons, Allen has accounted for 35% and 37.5% of Buffalo’s carries inside the five-yard line. Buffalo heads home to host a reeling Tennessee defense that already lost Harold Landry and now defensive back Elijah Molden and defensive end Da’Shawn Hand have been placed on injured reserve. The Titans allowed the 10th-most fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks last season (18.5). Allen should post a huge line yet again.

Running Back

Devin Singletary started the game as Buffalo’s lead running back, but then Zack Moss got some run. It was a clear plan by the Bills to get Moss involved and because the Rams played so much zone coverage, he caught a whopping seven passes. The 10 total touches from Singletary were underwhelming, but I’d hope that Sean McDermott and company realize that he’s far and away the best running back on this team. He should get more work going forward, especially after both Moss and James Cook lost fumbles last week. And while Singletary is not Saquon Barkley, the Titans just allowed Barkley to post three runs of 15 or more yards last week, and Singletary quietly recorded 13 runs of 15-plus yards in 2021. The only players with more such carries? Jonathan Taylor, Nick Chubb and Dalvin Cook. Consider Singletary a solid flex play this week.

Moss, meanwhile, is a player who should be added in more leagues, though I wouldn’t have the guts to start him. 

Wide Receiver

Start Stefon Diggs.

After seeing a 26.4% target share last season, Diggs was responsible for 29% of Buffalo’s targets in Week 1, as he got open against zone coverage, while also winning on the outside against man coverage from Jalen Ramsey. No player in the NFL saw more end zone targets than Diggs last season (23) and he should have a strong Week 2 against a vulnerable Tennessee secondary. Kristian Fulton allowed four receptions for 84 yards on four targets in coverage last week, while a matchup with Caleb Farley is favorable, too. The Titans were also destroyed by opposing perimeter wideouts last season. They allowed the third-most yards (61.5), targets (7.0) and receptions (61.5) per game to opposing receivers on the left side of the formation, while also coughing up the most fantasy points per game (12.8). Diggs lines up on the left around 40% of the time.

Gabe Davis, meanwhile, plays on the left side over 35% of the time, making this a great spot for him, too. Davis’ breakout season kicked off Thursday with four catches for 88 yards and a touchdown on five targets. And sure, the 16% target share isn’t what we want, but he saw five targets in a weird game where the Bills running backs combined for eight targets and Allen only attempted 31 passes. This is a fantastic matchup for Davis to continue to produce, especially since Tennessee surrendered the third-most end zone targets in the NFL last season (44). Davis, meanwhile, saw 12 end zone targets last year, the eighth-most in all of football, while a whopping 19.7% of his targets came in the end zone. And during his rookie campaign, Davis saw 11 end zone looks, which was still good for 16th in football. 

While it appeared that Isaiah McKenzie was going to be Buffalo’s full-time slot receiver, Jamison Crowder actually played a lot more than we expected, logging 31% of the snaps and seeing four targets, all of which coming from the slot. McKenzie still played 13 more snaps than Crowder, but Crowder operated out of the slot just over 91% of the time, compared to a 76.2% slot rate for McKenzie. McKenzie did find the end zone, but I don’t think I’d rely on any Buffalo wideouts for fantasy right now after Diggs and Davis, despite the stellar matchup.

Tight End

Dawson Knox had a very quiet game last week, hauling in one of his two targets for just five yards. Knox was actually pass-blocking a bit in this game, likely in an effort to slow down Aaron Donald. Better days are certainly ahead for Knox, and they could come as soon as Monday against a Tennessee defense that allowed a touchdown to Giants tight end Chris Myarick in Week 1. Knox remains in the TE12-13 range going forward, while possessing massive touchdown potential.

Titans

Quarterback

Ryan Tannehill had a solid outing in Week 1, throwing for 266 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 33 pass attempts. Tennessee’s offensive philosophy didn’t change too much, however, as they called run on first down 18 times, while utilizing play-action in the passing game. Tannehill was top-10 among all quarterbacks in play-action dropbacks (13) and attempts (12) and he was effective passing off it, completing 10-of-12 passes for 126 yards. However, this is a brutal matchup, as Buffalo allowed the lowest completion percentage (48.9%), second-lowest touchdown rate (2.2%) and lowest passer rating (59.6) against play-action last season. Meanwhile, the Bills pass rush is scary this season, as they just sacked Matthew Stafford seven times and pressured him on 38% of his dropbacks, despite not blitzing once. Tannehill is a low-end QB2 for Monday night.

Running Back

Derrick Henry didn’t rip off multiple long runs, didn’t catch any passes and didn’t score a touchdown, which resulted in just 8.2 PPR points. He saw 21 carries, but it was frustrating to see the Titans not involve Henry more in the passing game, especially after he was on pace for a career-high in receiving before his injury last season. Henry only played on one third down in this game — Dontrell Hilliard, who scored a pair of receiving touchdowns, was the clear pass-catching running back. Henry saw stacked boxes on over 38% of his carries, but Tennessee still gave him 21 carries. A matchup against Buffalo isn’t the greatest, though they definitely are more of a run funnel defense, as 53.8% of the touchdowns scored against Buffalo came on the ground, the highest rate in football. They also allowed 2.66 yards after contact per rush, the fifth-worst mark in the league. Hopefully the Titans can keep this game close, so Henry isn’t off the field. He’s a low-end RB1 for me ahead of this matchup.

Hilliard, meanwhile, is worth an add in deep leagues and could be a desperation start in PPR formats, especially if you expect Buffalo, who are 10-point home favorites, to get out to a huge lead in this game.

Wide Receiver

I highly doubt I am starting any Tennessee pass-catchers against one of the league’s top pass defenses. Robert Woods was on the field a ton last week but only saw two targets. Treylon Burks was on the field for about 37% of the snaps and only ran 13 routes, though he was targeted five times and made plays after the catch. We did see Kyle Phillips see a team-high nine targets, lining up in the slot 68% of the time. In all honesty, this matchup might lead to more targets heading his way, as the Bills played zone defense on 84% of snaps in Week 1, and with Tre’Davious White sidelined, they should continue to be a zone-heavy defense. And now that they can generate a ton of pressure, look for Tannehill to look for Phillips on short routes in the middle of the zone. 

Tight End

Austin Hooper was actually outsnapped by Geoff Swaim in Week 1, running eight more routes than him and seeing two fewer targets. Robert Tonyan, Evan Engram, Gerald Everett, Hayden Hurst and Logan Thomas are all more viable tight end streaming options going forward.

Minnesota Vikings @ Philadelphia Eagles

Total: 50.5, PHI -2
Pace: PHI: 26.0 sec/play (3rd), MIN: 33.4 sec/play (25th)

What to watch for: The continued usage of Philadelphia’s running backs, especially at the goal line.

Eagles

Quarterback

Jalen Hurts had an outstanding Week 1, scoring 24.7 fantasy points. And what made it even more impressive is the fact that he only accounted for one touchdown. Hurts rushed for 90 yards on the day on an insane 17 rushing attempts, while handling a whopping 28% of Philadelphia’s designed rushing attempts. Dating back to last season, Hurts has rushed for at least 50 yards in nine different contests, giving him an insane combination of floor and ceiling every week. This offense is clearly going through Hurts, as he either had a designed run, scrambled or dropped back to pass on 19 of the Eagles first 20 plays on offense against the Lions Sunday. He ultimately finished the game with 42 dropbacks. and if the Eagles running backs didn’t convert three short-yardage carries into touchdowns, Hurts could have legitimately scored 40 fantasy points in this game. Hurts returns home for a Monday night Week 2 showdown with the Vikings, who just shut down Aaron Rodgers, but that Green Bay offense looks lost. In 2021, Minnesota coughed up the sixth-most fantasy points (19.1) and ninth-most rushing yards (19.8) per game to opposing signal callers. Minnesota also allowed 254 rushing yards off scrambles last season, tied for the seventh-most in football. Hurts is once again a top-five quarterback. 

Running Back

After struggling to schedule an appointment for over a year, Miles Sanders finally made reservations for six Sunday. Sanders scored a touchdown against the Lions, his first since Week 16 of the 2020 campaign. He carried the ball 13 times for 96 yards and while he did see two carries from inside the 5-yard line, there are still question marks regarding Sanders’ short-yardage role. Hurts scored a rushing touchdown and carried the ball twice from inside the 5-yard line and is already coming off a season where he ranked sixth in the league in such carries (13). Meanwhile, Kenneth Gainwell converted his goal-line carry, as did Boston Scott. Sanders ultimately played 50.6% of the snaps, while Gainwell logged 30.6%. However, Gainwell remained the clear passing downs and two-minute running back, playing 6-of-10 third downs and logging all but one snap in the two-minute drill. Gainwell needs to be added in every single league and if you are in a tight spot at running back, he is in the flex consideration, especially in games where the Eagles are playing from behind. But even still, Philadelphia appears to be closer to the pass-heavy team that we saw to start the 2021 season than the run-centric offense from the second half, which bodes well for Gainwell. 

Sanders, meanwhile, only saw 13 carries in a game where the Eagles played with a lead throughout, but he should consistently see 13-15 touches, which keeps him on the low-end RB2, high-end RB3 radar. Minnesota, meanwhile, stuffed 11% of all runs at or behind the line of scrimmage last year, the lowest rate in football, while they allowed four different runs of 10-plus yards in Week 1. The Eagles offensive line remains elite, as Sanders averaged over seven yards before contact per rush this weekend. He’ll be able to get to the second level in this matchup and per usual, the efficiency will be there. If he manages to find the end zone, Sanders should post RB2 numbers.

Wide Receiver

A.J. Brown’s Eagles debut was amazing, as he was the focal point of the offense, hauling in 10-of-13 targets for 155 yards. He accounted for over 40% of Philadelphia’s targets, ran a route on 40-of-42 dropbacks (95%) and was responsible for over 70% of the team’s air yards. The Eagles used him on crossing routes, which is something they just didn’t have last season, while also drawing up two designed screens for Brown. He moved around the formation, too, lining up in the slot for 27 snaps, tied for the most in a game in his career. There were reports during training camp that Brown was seeing all of the targets in practice, though it was worth noting that DeVonta Smith missed time with an injury. But after watching Week 1, it is pretty clear that the passing game is going to run through A.J. Brown, who is an obvious top-10 wideout for Week 2 against a Minnesota secondary that surrendered the most targets (8.5), yards (71.2) and fantasy points per game (13.6) to receivers on the right side of the formation last year.

DeVonta Smith, meanwhile, was held without a reception Sunday, seeing just two targets. From the start, you could tell that Philadelphia’s game plan revolved around A.J. Brown, but Smith is going to have better days, especially if the Eagles remain as pass-heavy on early downs as we saw in Week 1. Against a vulnerable Minnesota secondary, I’m still willing to trust Smith as a solid WR3.

Tight End

With the day belonging to Brown, Dallas Goedert had a modest outing, catching all three of his targets for 60 yards. Per usual, Goedert was very efficient, and this could easily be a game where the Eagles have to throw the football a lot more in the second half. The matchup against Minnesota isn’t the greatest, as the Vikings allowed the 10th-fewest fantasy points per game to opposing tight ends a season ago, while Eric Kendricks is one of the best coverage linebackers in the NFL. However, Goedert is still a must-start tight end, especially given the landscape of the position in fantasy.

Vikings

Quarterback

Kirk Cousins is coming off a very efficient contest against Green Bay, completing 23-of-32 passes for 277 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Minnesota’s new look offense is off to a great start, featuring more pre-snap motion, movement and schemed targets which isn’t just great for the pass-catchers, but Cousins, too. Minnesota sported a 54% passing play percentage, despite leading throughout the entire game. Play-action remained a key piece of the passing game, as 13 of Cousins’ 32 pass attempts were out of the play type, the seventh-most from the week. His Week 2 opponent, the Eagles, allowed the highest completion percentage in football off play-action last season (73.8%), while also allowing the fifth-highest passing touchdown rate off the play type (7.3%). It was just one game, but you can already see that this Vikings offense is going to have more of an attacking approach, rather than the old approach of running the ball on first and second down, which makes Cousins more appealing in fantasy. During his tenure with the Vikings, Cousins has eclipsed 4,200 passing yards three times, while throwing at least 30 touchdowns in three of those four years. He’s finished as the QB13, QB18, QB11 and QB11 in fantasy since joining the Vikings, presenting a very strong floor each season. But this new, innovative offense could give him a ceiling. Consider him a low-end QB1 for Monday night’s matchup.

Running Back

Dalvin Cook saw a heavy workload in Week 1, even despite ceding eight carries to Alexander Mattison. Cook carried the ball 20 times for 90 yards, while hauling in 3-of-5 targets for an additional 18 yards. He was still the clear lead back, logging 77% of the snaps and running 26 routes to Mattison’s six. The Eagles have been one of the league’s best run defenses for years, but they took a step back last season, and it continued last weekend, as they allowed the combination of D’Andre Swift and Jamaal Williams to combine for 172 rushing yards and three touchdowns. They also surrendered three runs of 15-plus yards in that game. Not that you were sitting Cook anyway, but this matchup might not be as bad as it once was. 

Wide Receiver

Justin Jefferson just keeps setting records.

Already with the most receiving yards in a player’s first two seasons in NFL history, Jefferson wasted no time in year three. He torched Green Bay to the tune of nine receptions, 184 yards and two touchdowns, while his 158 yards in the first half were the most in a first half in franchise history. He accounted for over 70% of Minnesota’s air yards and 35% of the team’s targets. All offseason we heard about how head coach Kevin O’Connell would use Jefferson similarly to how the Rams used Cooper Kupp last season and we saw a lot of it in Week 1. According to ESPN Stats and Info, Jefferson was in pre-snap motion seven times, while being targeted on four of those plays, including his opening touchdown where he was uncovered after running across the formation before the snap. Jefferson was already arguably the best wideout in fantasy but in this offense, getting schemed open targets? He’ll be unstoppable. He lined up out wide for 41 snaps, in the slot for 14, in the backfield for two and even at tight end once. Jefferson was already matchup-proof due to his insane talent but he’s now even more matchup-proof because even if he’s facing a good defensive back, like he is this week against Darius Slay, the Vikings are scheming him open at all times. 

Source: NFL Next Gen Stats

Everyone else in the passing game had a quiet day. Adam Thielen is fairly touchdown dependent at this point, and he didn’t find the end zone in this game, catching just three balls for 36 yards. There is still multi-touchdown upside, however, as Thielen scored 10 touchdowns through the first 11 weeks of the 2021 season. And he did a run a route on 100% of Cousins’ dropbacks in this game. A matchup against James Bradberry is middling but Thielen remains firmly in the WR3 discussion going forward.

Tight End

Irv Smith missed time in the preseason with a thumb injury, which may have led to his underwhelming 31% snap share in Week 1. Johnny Mundt, meanwhile, played about 65% of the snaps and ran one more pass route than Smith, who only ran a route on 45% of Minnesota’s dropbacks. And while part of the mediocre usage could have been due to the thumb, head coach Kevin O’Connell stated that it had more to do with matchups. A popular sleeper at the tight end position, Smith probably can’t be trusted in fantasy lineups until we see more consistent usage, despite how favorable a matchup with the Eagles is.