Tom Brady went just 18 of 27 passing for 212 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT in Sunday night's win over the Cowboys. WR Mike Evans led the group in playing time, targets, catches and yards and caught the lone TD. He supplied a solid 5-71-1 receiving line on 5 looks. WR Julio Jones trailed Evans by just 1 route and finished 2nd with 5 targets. WR Russell Gage checked in 3rd among WRs in usage, with Breshad Perriman close by in a game that saw Chris Godwin injure a hamstring. TE Cameron Brate also played a big role, though he drew just 3 targets. We'd bet on more from this passing offense going forward, even if Godwin misses further time. We'd also bet on Gage's role expanding as he moves further away from his hamstring ailment.
Buccaneers RB Leonard Fournette controlled the backfield work in Sunday night's win at Dallas. He handled 21 of 27 RB rushing attempts, gaining 127 yards (6.0 per carry). Five of the 6 carries that rookie Rachaad White did claim came on the team's final 5 rushing attempts of a 13-point victory. Fournette also dominated receiving work out of the backfield, tripling White's routes for the game. This was exactly what you were hoping for if you drafted Fournette in Round 2. And White being the only other RB in the mix points to him being a reserve that should be rostered in nearly all leagues of 10+ teams.
Insider Jordan Schultz confirms that Steelers RB Najee Harris' injury is not serious. Schultz calls it a foot injury, rather than an ankle. But he reports that the Steelers believe there's a "good chance" Harris will be available for Sunday's game vs. the Patriots. We'll track his practice participation this week.
Seahawks RB Kenneth Walker (hernia) is inactive for tonight's game vs. the Broncos. He was listed as questionable but didn't practice all week. We're not counting on Walker making it back for Week 2 but will monitor his progress. RB Rashaad Penny should handle the vast majority of early-down work tonight. RBs DeeJay Dallas and/or Travis Homer figure to steal pass-catching work.
Broncos WR K.J. Hamler (knee, hip) is active for tonight's game vs. the Seahawks. He'd been listed as questionable after a limited week of practice. There's a chance that Hamler is on some type of snap count tonight, his 1st action since last September's torn ACL and dislocated hip.
Cardinals RB James Conner got just 10 carries in Sunday's blowout loss to the Chiefs, compiling a meager 26 yards. But he scored the team's lone rushing TD and added 5 receptions (for 29 yards) among 6 targets. Conner tied for 2nd on the team in targets and handled 71.4% of the RB rushes. It was a bad game script for RB usage, but Conner still easily led the team in opportunities and heads into Monday night as the #13 PPR scorer at the position for Week 1. Eno Benjamin got the other 4 RB carries and drew 4 targets. Just 1 of those came after QB Trace McSorley relieved Kyler Murray for the final possession.
Cardinals QB Kyler Murray managed just 193 yards on 22-of-34 passing (5.7 yards per attempt) in Sunday's lopsided loss to the Chiefs. Murray did toss a pair of TDs -- to Marquise Brown and Zach Ertz -- but added a just-OK 29 rushing yards on 5 attempts. We still like the upside on Murray going forward. It certainly didn't help that he lost Rondale Moore last week and got a limited Ertz -- on top of missing DeAndre Hopkins (for another 5 games). Murray gets a favorable matchup at the Raiders in Week 2.
Chiefs RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire caught a pair of TD passes in Sunday's win over the Cardinals, scoring from 3 and 4 yards out in the 1st half. CEH handled just 7 carries for the game, but 6 of those came among just 10 RB rushing attempts for the team in the 1st half. Kansas City limited his playing time after the break in a one-sided affair. For the game, Jerick McKinnon matched Edwards-Helaire's snaps and pass routes, according to Pro Football Focus, while rookie Isiah Pacheco led the team in carries. But limiting CEH's 2nd-half exposure only supports his position as backfield leader. It was an undeniably positive start for CEH, who commonly went toward the middle of fantasy football drafts.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports that Cowboys QB Dak Prescott had successful surgery Monday to "stabilize" his fractured right thumb. He's reportedly eyeing a return on either Oct. 30 vs. the Bears or Nov. 13 vs. the Packers. Dallas' bye falls in between those 2 games, which could factor into Prescott's return. We'll keep an eye on his status as the time draws nearer. For now, it's Cooper Rush taking over.
Chiefs TE Travis Kelce edged WR JuJu Smith-Schuster for the Week 1 target lead, 9-8, with WR Mecole Hardman checking in 3rd (with 6). It was WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling, though, playing more snaps than any offensive skill player besides Patrick Mahomes. MVS edged Smith-Schuster by 1 route and Kielce by 2, according to Pro Football Focus. Hardman checked in 4th in that category, with the rest of the team far behind. Valdes-Scantling might well remain behind Kelce and Smith-Schuster in target distribution. But his 5.5-yard Week 1 average depth of target suggests he won't merely be the downfield player he was in Green Bay. (MVS' ADOTs with the Packers went 13.8, 16.6, 18.2, 18.2.) Keep MVS in mind more than you would most WRs who open the year with 4 targets and 2 other significant receiving threats in the lineup.
Saints HC Dennis Allen said RB Alvin Kamara was dealing with a rib issue in Sunday's opener vs. the Falcons. That helps explain Kamara's disappointing usage and production in that one. "I think he’s going to be fine," Allen said. We'll need to keep an eye on Kamara this week, but it sounds like he has a chance to play vs. the Bucs on Sunday. RB Mark Ingram would be the beneficiary if Kamara is out or limited.
Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes delivered 360 yards and 5 TDs on 30-of-39 passing in Sunday's laugher at Arizona. Mahomes largely spread targets around, dealing 9 to TE Travis Kielce, 8 to WR JuJu Smith-Schuster, 6 to WR Mecole Hardman -- with 3 other guys drawing at least 3. RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire snagged 2 of the TD throws, with 1 apiece going to Kielce, Hardman and TE Joe Fortson. It was a soft Cardinals defense, but Mahomes let fantasy football players know we need not worry too much about life after Tyreek Hill.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that 49ers RB Elijah Mitchell is expected to miss "about 2 months" with the MCL sprain he suffered in Sunday's loss at Chicago. Jeff Wilson Jr. stepped in after Mitchell left the game, though WR Deebo Samuel nearly matched his carry total (9-8). We'd bet on Samuel remaining significantly involved in the run game, which isn't great for his chances of staying healthy. We'd also expect rookie Tyrion Davis-Price to be activated for Week 2, after being a healthy scratch in the opener. RB Jordan Mason was active ahead of him but didn't play a snap on offense. Wilson is the only 49ers RB worth considering for Week 2 use. Don't expect him to land high in our Week 2 rankings when they hit the site Tuesday, however.
Bengals HC Zac Taylor confirmed Monday that WR Tee Higgins is in the concussion protocol. Taylor said "the conversations are encouraging" -- whatever that means. Consider Higgins no better than 50/50 to be cleared in time for Sunday's game vs. the Cowboys. His absence would be a boost to WR Tyler Boyd and TE Hayden Hurst.
Texans TE O.J. Howard caught both of QB Davis Mills' TD passes in Sunday's tie with the Colts. He ran well behind the other 2 TEs in playing time, though. Howard spent just 12 snaps in the game, trailing Brevin Jordan's 40 and Pharaoh Brown's 45. Brown ran 16 routes to Howard's 6, with Jordan leading at 24. It was a great Week 1 for anyone who stashed Howard late in a best-ball draft, but don't consider it a reason to go pick him up.
Texans WR Brandin Cooks drew 12 targets in Sunday's season opener, accounting for 32.4% of QB Davis Mills' total pass attempts. He caught 7 of those for 82 yards, including a 42-yarder. RB Rex Burkhead was the only other Texan to see more than 3 targets in the game. Chris Moore and Nico Collins tied for 2nd among wideouts with 3 apiece. Collins ran much closer to Cooks in usage, though, running a route on 78% of Mills' dropbacks. Cooks hit 92.7%, with Moore well behind at 51.2%. Cooks looks like the only usable Houston passing-game piece right now, but there's room for Collins to work his way into deeper-league contention.
QB Matt Ryan racked up 352 yards in his Colts debut. He did so primarily thanks to 50 pass attempts, though (7.0 yards per attempt), completing 32 for 352 yards, with 1 TD and 1 INT (by EDGE Jerry Hughes on an attempted screen pass). It was not a great debut for Ryan, though fantasy drafters didn't hit the season expecting big things.
49ers RB Elijah Mitchell is expected to miss "a few weeks (or more)" with the knee injury he suffered in Sunday's opener vs. the Bears, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Mitchell is undergoing an MRI on Monday to get a full view of the damage to the knee. We should get a more concrete timeline for his return over the next couple days, but fantasy owners need to start making replacement plans. Jeff Wilson is the favorite to take over as San Francisco's lead RB, but Jordan Mason and Ty Davis-Price are also worth stashing.
Patriots QB Mac Jones dealt with back spasms during or after Sunday's loss in Miami, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. It's relatively good news, although Rapoport adds that Jones has a "chance" to play this week. It sounds like we'll need to keep a close eye on him throughout the week. If Jones is unable to play vs. the Steelers on Sunday, New England would turn to QB Brian Hoyer.
Colts WR Michael Pittman drew 13 targets in Sunday's tie with Houston, 6 more than his nearest teammate. Matt Ryan's 50 pass attempts helped enhance that number, but the 26% target share marked a nice start for Indy's clear lead wideout. He proved efficient, too, racking up a 9-121-1 receiving line. RB Jonathan Taylor and TE Kyle Granson tied for 2nd on the team with 7 targets apiece. RB Nyheim Hines and WR Ashton Dulin followed at 6 apiece. No one else drew more than 4. That made Week 1 disappointing for WRs Parris Campbell and Alec Pierce, who drew targets on just 7.7% and 6.3% of routes, respectively, according to Pro Football Focus. (For context: Pittman finished at 27.1%, Dulin at 46.2%.) Campbell and/or Pierce will need things to change before making sense for fantasy football lineups.
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