Steelers WR Diontae Johnson logged 3 catches on 6 targets for 48 receiving yards in Sunday’s loss vs. the 49ers. He looked to be on his way to leading the team in receiving prior to a third-quarter hamstring injury that saw him exit the contest for good. TE Pat Freiermuth caught a 3-yard TD at the end of the first half (his only catch on 4 targets) before being forced out of the game due to a chest injury. It’ll be vital for fantasy managers to stay on top of the injury reports this week in case either play misses Week 2 vs. the Browns. WRs Calvin Austin III (6 catches, 37 yards) and Allen Robinson (5 catches, 64 yards) both saw a lot of involvement by the end of Week 1, so perhaps they’ll be names to keep an eye on for waiver wire consideration.
Steelers RB Najee Harris recorded 6 attempts for 31 rushing yards in Week 1 vs. the 49ers. He also added a pair of catches for 2 yards as a receiver in the loss. Teammate Jaylen Warren received 3 carries for 6 yards and caught 5 of 6 targets for 12 yards. The Steelers split the backfield touch opportunities fairly evenly (Harris with 8, Warren with 9) on Sunday, though neither player was particularly strong. It’s also worth mentioning that Harris ran 24 receiving routes to Warren’s 19, so the usage still skews a little bit in the direction of the former first-round NFL draft pick. The duo will have an opportunity to rebound against the Browns in Week 2 on Monday night.
Broncos TE Greg Dulcich has been ruled out of Sunday's opener vs. the Raiders with a leg injury. We'll look for further details. His absence leaves Adam Trautman as Denver's clear-cut lead TE.
Titans QB Ryan Tannehill completed just 16 of his 34 passes in Sunday's one-point loss at New Orleans. He tossed 3 INTs and took 3 sacks while throwing for just 198 yards. It's fair to wonder how many similar performances it would take for Tennessee to yank Tannehill and try a younger QB. Malik Willis was the backup for the opener but didn't enter the game. Rookie Will Levis was a healthy scratch. We'll see whether Tannehill can bounce back at home against the Chargers in Week 2. But he's clearly not a fantasy option anywhere you can help it.
Falcons RB Bijan Robinson delivered for fantasy owners in the opener, gaining 83 total yards and tallying 1 score on 16 touches. He caught all 6 of his targets, with one coming on a smooth catch-and-run for 6. On the day, Atlanta fired off only 48 offensive plays. Still, there was enough for Tyler Allgeier to lead the way in rushing (15-75-2). It’s clear Robinson won’t be a workhorse, as long as Allgeier remains efficient and healthy. Still, the rookie will project as an RB1 going forward. He'll get a fine home matchup with Green Bay in Week 2.
Texans WRs Nico Collins and Robert Woods combined to draw nearly half of QB C.J. Stroud's 44 pass attempts in Sunday's loss to the Ravens. Collins led the team with 11 looks, catching 6 passes for 80 yards. Woods drew 10 targets and caught 6 for 57 yards. No other Texan drew more than 4 looks. WR Tank Dell, WR Noah Brown, and RB Mike Boone tied for third with 4 apiece. Target shares in the 22%+ range would make Collins and Woods decent-to-good PPR options going forward. Each is a fine reserve option in leagues of 12+ teams.
Steelers QB Kenny Pickett completed 31 passes on 46 attempts for 232 passing yards with 1 TD and 2 INTs in Sunday’s loss vs. the 49ers. He also added 4 rushing yards in the contest, but there are not many good things to say about the second-year player. The Steelers’ offense logged 1 total yard of offense in the first half until their final drive, which saw Pickett find TE Pat Freiermuth for a 3-yard TD before halftime. The team only sustained a drive over 10 plays once in the second half. The Steelers looked like the same old offense that struggled for much of 2022 under OC Matt Canada. They’ll have a chance to rebound next Monday against the Browns in Week 2, though fantasy managers shouldn’t be in any hurry to throw Pickett into their lineups.
Bucs WR Mike Evans led the team with 10 targets, 6 grabs, and 66 yards in the opener. He scored one of Baker Mayfield’s two TDs on a 28-yard downfield pass. The Vikings matchup looked favorable on paper, and Evans delivered with 18.6 PPR points, a number he hit only three times in 2022. Recent reports indicate Evans will likely play elsewhere in 2024. But for now, fantasy owners should continue treating him as a solid WR3. Next up is another favorable matchup (vs. Chicago).
Bucs RB Rachaad White wasn’t productive in a Week 1 win over Minnesota, totaling only 49 yards. Yet his workload — 19 touches —should have fantasy owners encouraged. Backup Sean Tucker saw only 7 touches, while Chase Edmonds mixed in for just 2. White draws an improved Bears front seven in Week 2, but he'll likely stick on the RB2 radar.
49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk exploded in Week 1 vs. the Steelers, hauling in all 8 targets for 129 receiving yards and 2 TDs. Teammate Deebo Samuel logged 5 catches on 7 targets for 55 of his own, and yards TE George Kittle had a quiet contest with just 3 catches on 6 targets for 19 yards. Despite the best efforts of Steelers CB Patrick Peterson, Aiyuk could not be stopped en route to setting a new career-high in yards in Sunday’s win. As a whole, the 49ers’ offense fired on all cylinders. Next week, the 49ers will face off against the Rams, a division opponent they beat in both of their matchups last season.
49ers RB Christian McCaffrey recorded 22 attempts for 152 rushing yards, including a 65-yard TD in Week 1’s win vs. the Steelers. He also added 3 receptions on 7 targets with 17 receiving yards through the air. The Pittsburgh front struggled to stop McCaffrey for the majority of the contest. His 25.9 PPR points are a strong contender to be the most among RBs in Week 1. Fantasy managers should expect another robust outing in Week 2 vs. the Rams.
49ers QB Brock Purdy completed 19 passes on 29 attempts for 220 passing yards with 2 TDs and zero INTs in Sunday’s win vs. the Steelers. The second-year signal-caller also added a career-best 20 rushing yards on 3 carries in the contest. The 49ers recorded 391 yards of total offense, the highest of any team in the early slate of games. Aside from a strip sack by Steelers LB T.J. Watt, Purdy performed efficiently and should have another solid outing in Week 2 vs. the Rams.
Texans QB C.J. Stroud threw for 242 yards in Sunday's season-opening loss to the Ravens. He took 5 sacks and lost a fumble but avoided INTs while attempting 44 passes. The most notable moment from Stroud's debut might have been when he caught his own first NFL pass attempt. Stroud's throw got batted into the air just short of the line of scrimmage. So Stroud charged ahead, caught the ball, and made it back to the line for no gain. That gave him just 1 catch fewer than TE Dalton Schultz collected for the game. Stroud's not a fantasy option outside of 2-QB and superflex leagues.
The Ravens confirmed a torn Achilles for RB J.K. Dobbins. We’re expecting a committee approach with Justice Hill and Gus Edwards going forward. Next up is a road matchup with Cincinnati.
Ravens QB Lamar Jackson threw for just 169 yards on 17-of-22 passing in Sunday's win over the Texans. He added 38 yards on 6 carries to lead the team in rushing but didn't score via run or pass. Jackson did throw an INT and take 4 sacks. Baltimore RBs accounted for all 3 TDs, with Justice Hill scoring twice after J.K. Dobbins' Achilles' injury. (Dobbins scored the other TD.) It was a disappointing fantasy day for Jackson, but there's no reason for concern on that front going forward.
Colts WR Michael Pittman led the Colts with 11 targets, eight catches, 97 yards, and a score in Sunday's loss to the Colts. Those 11 targets were a big 29.7% of the team total. Pittman's TD came on a 39-yard screen, flashing some impressive speed to beat the angles of a few Jaguars defenders. He's a big fantasy winner of Week 1. Pittman looks like the Colts' clear No. 1 WR -- AND it looks like this passing game will be more aggressive and productive than we initially thought.
Ravens TE Isaiah Likely drew just 1 target in Sunday's win over the Texans, despite TE Mark Andrews being inactive. Likely caught that lone target for 4 yards. TE Charlie Kolar also drew 1 target, which fell incomplete. QB Lamar Jackson attempted just 22 passes. Only WR Zay Flowers (10 targets) drew more than 3 targets. Don't plan to use Likely in Week 2, even if Andrews remains out.
Vikings WR Jordan Addison scored his first career TD in Week 1. Kirk Cousins found the rookie deep for a 39-yard score on 3rd and 11. Addison’s 6 targets matched K.J. Osborn’s total and was predictably behind Justin Jefferson’s tally (12). Still, you have to view Addison’s debut as a success. The 21-year-old should prove useful as a matchup-based WR3 going forward. We expect the Vikings to remain a pass heavy squad in 2023.
Ravens WR Zay Flowers drew 10 targets among QB Lamar Jackson's 22 pass attempts in Sunday's easy victory over the Texans. Flowers caught nine of them for 78 yards (8.7 yards per catch). Rashod Bateman and Odell Beckham Jr. garnered 3 targets apiece, tying RB J.K. Dobbins for second on the team (and Dobbins went down in the third quarter). We'll see whether target distribution continues to look similar. Flowers at least looks like the clear top choice among Baltimore wideouts for Week 2 against Cincinnati, though.
Colts RB Deon Jackson tallied 19 opportunities (13 carries, six targets) in Sunday's opener vs. the Jaguars. He turned them into 28 scoreless yards. Jackson mustered just 14 yards on 13 carries and caught five of six targets for 14 yards. He didn't get much help from the Colts' offensive line, but Jackson is simply a replacement-level talent. Indianapolis lost RB Evan Hull to a knee injury in this one, so we'll see if he or RB Zack Moss (forearm) is available for Week 2. Even if they're not, Jackson would be an unexciting RB3 vs. the Texans.
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