Well, Week 1 is almost over, and the pangs of fantasy are already in full effect. A season isn’t won or lost in a week though, save the final one, and there’s a lot to consider in order to prepare for Week 2. Here’s the fallout from Thursday and Sunday’s games along with some answers to some of the questions I posed in my Watchlist piece.

 

Panthers vs. Broncos

 

• Kelvin Benjamin is still the big man on campus in Carolina’s receiving corps. Devin Funchess is still a prime talent, but even Philly Brown got more snaps than him in game 1.

 

• Trevor Siemian is a game manager. The Broncos beat the reigning NFC champs playing small ball, and I don’t see reason for them to deviate from that formula. Not great news for Denver WRs, but CJ Anderson is going to feast this season.

 

• Devontae Booker is only useful as a handcuff for Anderson right now.

 

Buccaneers vs Falcons

 

• Who is the Bucs TE to own? Brate got 4 targets to ASJ’s 1, but ASJ got the one that mattered most, the TD. We’ll call it a wash for now.

 

• Vincent Jackson had a ho-hum game, but he tied Mike Evans for the target lead with 7. He’s someone to consider scooping up, should an unimpressed owner drop him this week.

 

• Mohamed Sanu’s game couldn’t have gone much better than I imagined. I’d be picking him up off every waiver wire in all of my leagues if I didn’t already own him.

 

• I know my RW partners might hate me saying this, but Devonta Freeman is NOT the bellcow in Atlanta. Tevin Coleman is going to have just as much if not more fantasy relevance this season.

 

Bills vs Ravens

 

• The Bills’ offense was anemic on Sunday. Tyrod Taylor is bench material until he proves otherwise.

 

• Sammy Watkins is questionable for Thursday’s matchup with the Jets (although he ‘guaranteed’ reporters he would play at Monday availability), making Robert Woods the next man up should Sammy not play. He may see a lot a Darrelle Revis though, so I wouldn’t be too bullish on starting him – though AJ Green had no trouble yesterday.

 

• Mike Wallace was the big story in B-more on Sunday, and hopefully he can sustain a prominent role. He didn’t lead the Ravens in targets though. That role belonged to Steve Smith Sr. with 9. He didn’t do much with them, but that target line is hard to ignore.

 

• Who is the lead back in B-more? It’s still anybody’s guess as Forsett and West had an almost even split. If neither takes the reigns soon, Kenneth Dixon might take them when he gets healthy.

 

Bears vs Texans

 

• Kevin White led the Bears with 7 targets, but didn’t do much with them. He’s going to be dangerous when he puts it all together.

 

• With White, Jeffery, and Royal in the mix, Zach Miller was the odd man out.

 

• Will Fuller is the real deal. He led the Texans with 11 targets, and at least for this game, DeAndre Hopkins took a backseat. Hopkins is still the 1A, but Fuller is already nipping at his heels.

 

• Osweiler held his own in game 1, but I’d like to see how he fares against the Chiefs before making him anything more than a streaming option.

 

• My preseason prognostication that Lamar Miller would lead the league in rushing has gotten off to a good start, as Miller led all backs on the ground with 106 yds.

 

Packers vs Jaguars

 

• Jordy’s knee held up fine, phew, but it was Davante Adams who caught my eye on Sunday. We’ve seen glimpses of fantasy gold from him before, only to see him fade. Chances are he’s unowned in your league though, so he’s worth a gamble in an offense of GB’s caliber.

 

• Is Eddie Lacy still fat? Yes, very.

 

• TJ Yeldon did very little with his 22 carries, and Chris Ivory is going to eat his lunch when he’s healthy.

 

• Allen Robinson got 15 targets yesterday. Hurns, Lee, and Thomas didn’t have that many combined.

 

Chargers vs Chiefs

 

• Melvin Gordon scored not 1 but 2 TDs in his first contest of the season, besting his 2015 by 2. Surprisingly though, Danny Woodhead actually carried the ball 16 times to Gordon’s 14. Both are strong starts now that Keenan Allen is lost for the season, but Woodhead’s stock will soar.

 

• Travis Benjamin becomes the no.1 WR du jour now that Allen is gone, but watch out for Ty Williams to be the de facto no.1. 

 

• Spencer Ware is the Chiefs backfield while Charles is out. Charcandrick West was an afterthought against the Chargers. The fact that the Chiefs had such a hard time taking out San Diego bodes well for Jamaal Charles returning sooner than later.

 

Raiders vs Saints

 

• I came into the Raiders, Saints matchup wondering whether the most effective back would be Murray or Washington, and it was neither. Jalen Richards erupted on the scene with a 75 yd TD run and key snaps during crunch time. His arrival doesn’t affect Murray as much, but the DeAndre Washington hype train has slowed down to a crawl. With the chance that Marshawn Lynch might be joining the fray, I’m wary of the whole situation. That being said, Richards needs to be added in PPRs and deep standard leagues.

 

• Amari Cooper is  bonafide WR1

 

• I expected a big game from Brandin Cooks, but Willie Snead is just as integral to the Saints’ offense. They both got 9 targets, but Snead caught all of his. He’s a must start next week against the Giants.

 

• Is Fleener the new Graham? If you mean the Seattle version of Graham, then yes.

 

Bengals vs Jets

 

• Brandon LaFell is a must add in all formats as far as I’m concerned. You already own him if you’ve been listening to me.

 

• There is no RBBC in New York. Powell is a handcuff for Forte owners, albeit it one that will be highly efficient should Forte break down, which is likely at some point.

 

• Quincy Enunwa is worth adding in deep leagues. The Jets don’t have a much in the way of a tight end, and Enunwa is filling the role.

 

Browns vs Eagles

 

• And like that, the RG3 experiment is over. A fractured shoulder means Josh McCown is the new QB in Cleveland. Gary Barnidge owners everywhere are letting out a collective sigh of relief.

 

• We’ll have to wait and see how McCown distributes the ball, but Tyrelle Pryor is worth a speculative add in deeper leagues, at least until Gordon gets back.

 

• The Browns offense is predicated on the running game. Crowell warrants RB2 consideration.

 

• Carson Wentz held his own against the Browns, but that’s not saying a whole lot. He does love him some Jordan Matthews though.

 

• Nelson Agholor’s fantasy relevance has been raised from the dead.

 

Vikings vs Titans

 

• Scared of Adrian Peterson and his 31 yd game? Me too. The fact that Tennessee wasn’t intimidated by the passing game and keyed in on AP didn’t help. Sam Bradford under center next week should help. Now’s a prime time to reach out for AP, if you think his owner is spooked.

 

• I had high hopes for Rishard Matthews, but his first outing leaves me with doubts. The same can’t be said for Tajae Sharpe. He likes like the only viable WR option in Tennessee right now.

 

• Neither Tennessee RB did enough to run away with the job. Murray will remain the starter next week.

 

Dolphins vs Seahawks

 

• Arian Foster is going to be a workhorse this season. Kudos to those who took the chance.

 

• Kenny Stills is the third option in Miami behind Landry and Foster.

 

• With Russell Wilson iffy for next week, both Thomas Rawls and Christine Michaels will be strong plays.

 

• Doug Baldwin picked up where he left off last season. Why did we ever worry?

 

Giants vs Cowboys

 

• Sterling Shepard could be the next Randall Cobb y’all.

 

• Is Victor Cruz back? I’m going to wait for him to string together a few good games before I’m convinced.

 

• Dak loves his checkdowns. Cole Beasley and Jason Witten need to be owned, especially in PPR leagues.

 

Lions vs Colts

 

• Marvin Jones is the no.1 in Detroit

 

• Ameer Abdullah does enough in the passing game to mitigate his lack of goal line action. So does Theo Riddick.

 

• Ebron looks no worse for the wear after an injury filled preseason. He steals Boldin’s thunder.

 

• We know Hilton and Moncrief are going to thrive, but will Phillip Dorsett find room to grow in these three wide sets? Yes, yes and yes. He needs to be owned in all formats.

 

Patriots vs Cardinals

 

• Jimmy G was respectable against a stout Arizona defense Sunday night. I’m not afraid of using Pats’ skill players while Brady is out.

 

• Is Martellus Bennett the new Aaron Hernandez? Not likely

 

• You need to pick Blount up if he’s gone undrafted in your leage. He could get 20+ carries every week.

 

• Michael Floyd was a few fingers shy of a big game, and Fitzgerald is still Palmer’s go to when things get tough.

 

• It could be that the Cards are easing John Brown back in, but his first game of the season wasn’t terribly promising. Don’t drop him yet.