Panthers WR D.J. Chark (hamstring) has been ruled out for this weekend's game vs. the Falcons. He at least returned to a limited practice on Friday, which bodes well for his Week 2 availability.
Packers WR Christian Watson (hamstring) is out for Sunday's opener vs. the Bears. He didn't practice all week, leaving his availability for Week 2 and beyond uncertain. We'll track his status when Green Bay gets back to work next week.
The Giants on Friday added TE Darren Waller to the injury report and list him questionable for Sunday's game against the Cowboys, according to NFL Network's Mike Garafolo. The Sunday night kickoff for that one will make it difficult to wait for Waller's actual game status. Make sure you roster an insurance option before Sunday's games start. If Waller doesn't go, Daniel Bellinger should be New York's lead TE. We'll watch for more on Waller's status.
Commanders WR Terry McLaurin (toe) is not listed on the final Week 1 injury report. He practiced all week, including full practices on Thursday and Friday. So it looks like McLaurin will be ready to play his usual role vs. the Cardinals this weekend.
Chiefs rookie WR Rashee Rice was on the receiving end of QB Patrick Mahomes' first TD of the 2023 season. Rice worked himself free in the back of the end zone for a one-yard score in Thursday night's season opener vs. the Lions. He finished with just three catches for 29 yards, but Rice's five targets tied for the team lead. And he certainly out-played WRs Skyy Moore and Kadarius Toney, who combined to catch one of eight targets. Rice ranked just fifth among Chiefs WRs with a 27% route rate, so he's not a viable Week 2 fantasy option. But his playing time could grow quickly. Rice is worth owning in fantasy leagues of 12+ teams.
Everything was in place for Chiefs WR Skyy Moore to get his 2023 off to a strong start. No Travis Kelce. A plus matchup vs. the Lions. Moore responded by finishing catch-less on three targets. The first two missed connections were slightly misthrown passes by QB Patrick Mahomes. The third was in Moore's hands but knocked loose by a defender. Moore led a heavy WR rotation with a 69% snap rate and ranked second to Marquez Valdes-Scantling with a 64% route rate. Those marks are lower than we'd like to see from a reliable fantasy starter. Kansas City's WR corps figures to evolve throughout the season. Moore is still worth rostering in fantasy football but would be tough to trust in Week 2 starting lineups.
Chiefs WR Kadarius Toney had a nightmare opener vs. the Lions on Thursday night. He played just 16 snaps (25%) but managed to cost the Chiefs the game. Toney let a perfectly thrown pass clang off his hands and into S Brian Branch's for a 50-yard pick-six in the third quarter. Then Toney dropped a deep ball on Kansas City's final drive of the 21-20 loss. He earlier got the ball on a trick play from Detroit's two-yard line but was stopped at the one. We'll see how Toney rebounds from this ugly outing. He remains worth stashing on fantasy rosters but should not be in Week 2 starting lineups.
Chiefs RB Isiah Pacheco struggled to get anything going on the ground vs. the Lions on Thursday night, averaging just 2.9 yards on eight carries. He lost six carries to RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire, who started the game. On the plus side, Pacheco led Chiefs RBs with a 42% route rate. He caught all four of his targets for 31 yards, including a screen that went for 10 yards. Pacheco only reached four catches once all last season -- and that came in the AFC Championship. We'll see how the carry distribution evolves in Kansas City going forward. But more action in the passing game would be excellent news for Pacheco's fantasy value.
Lions TE Sam LaPorta didn't post a huge fantasy score in his debut in Kansas City on Thursday night, but it was an encouraging outing for his rest-of-season value. LaPorta ranked fourth on the Lions with five targets, a decent 14.3% share. And he caught all five of them for 39 yards. Per Pro Football Focus' Nathan Jahnke, LaPorta's five receptions were the most from a rookie TE in Week 1 since T.J. Hockenson's six back in 2019. With plus matchups vs. the Seahawks and Falcons the next two weeks, expect to find LaPorta inside the top 15 TEs in our weekly rankings.
Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown did Amon-Ra St. Brown things in Thursday night's upset win over the Chiefs. He led Detroit with nine targets and six catches, racking up 71 yards and a TD. St. Brown drew 25.7% of the targets, which is actually slightly below his target share in healthy games last year. Perhaps TE Sam LaPorta's emergence keeps St. Brown from broaching a 30% target share this season, but he's still clearly the top dog in this passing game -- and a WR1 in fantasy lineups.
Lions RB Jahmyr Gibbs worked clearly behind RB David Montgomery in Thursday night's opener vs. the Chiefs. The rookie tallied seven carries and two targets to Montgomery's 21 carries. That's the bad news. The good news? Gibbs looked like the most explosive player in the game, ripping off a 17-yard run and an 18-yard catch. “You can almost hear the acceleration,” NBC's Chris Collinsworth said. Montgomery's reliability is certainly valued by the Lions coaching staff, but we fully expect Gibbs' role to grow from here. Consider him a lower-end RB2 in the short term. But Gibbs could still be a difference-maker later this season. Consider sending a trade offer to the Gibbs owner in your league if he or she is disappointed by this first game.
Lions RB David Montgomery started Thursday night's opener vs. the Chiefs and operated as the lead back throughout. He played 79% of the offensive snaps and out-carried RB Jahmyr Gibbs 21 to 7, totaling 74 yards and a score. Montgomery wasn't targeted but led the backfield with a 56% route rate. There's no doubt that Gibbs is the more explosive back, but Montgomery's no-nonsense running style is clearly valued by HC Dan Campbell and the Lions. Expect Gibbs' role to grow over the course of the season. But, for now, Montgomery looks like a rock-solid RB2. He gets plus matchups the next two weeks at home for the Seahawks and Falcons.
NBC's Melissa Stark reported during Thursday night's season opener that the Chiefs are "optimistic" TE Travis Kelce (knee) will be ready for Week 2. Kelce worked out in the pool on Thursday morning but couldn't produce any power off that injured knee, per Stark. We'll track Kelce's progress when Kansas City gets back to work next week.
Jets RB Breece Hall (knee) was limited in Thursday's practice. He's fully expected to play vs. the Bills on Monday night -- but this is a reminder that Hall will likely be on some type of snap count coming off last October's ACL tear.
Seahawks RB Kenneth Walker was added to the injury report on Thursday with a groin issue and limited in practice. Walker, of course, missed about two weeks in early August with a groin injury. His availability for Sunday's opener vs. the Rams is now uncertain. Walker's absence would make rookie RB Zach Charbonnet an exciting fantasy play. Check back tomorrow for an update on Walker.
Dolphins WR Jaylen Waddle (oblique) was upgraded to full participation in Thursday's practice. He's good to go for this weekend's potential shootout vs. the Chargers.
Packers WR Romeo Doubs (hamstring) returned to a limited practice on Thursday. That gives him a shot to suit up for this weekend's opener vs. the Bears. We'll see what Doubs does on Friday and how he's listed on the final injury report.
Packers WR Christian Watson (hamstring) missed practice again on Thursday. At this point, he looks unlikely to play vs. the Bears this weekend. We'll see if Watson is able to get on the field tomorrow.
Commanders WR Terry McLaurin (toe) was upgraded to full participation in Thursday's practice. He'll play vs. the Cardinals this weekend -- and will seemingly be at least close to 100%.
The Bengals and QB Joe Burrow have agreed to a 5-year, $275 million extension with $219 million guaranteed, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports. It makes Burrow the highest-paid player in NFL history. The Bengals will now turn their attention to locking up Burrow's top two WRs. Tee Higgins is entering the final year of his deal, while Ja'Marr Chase becomes eligible for an extension next offseason.
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