New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys
Top performers:
Josh Brown, K: 2 PAT made, 4 FG made, 16.00 fantasy points
Giants D/ST: 2 INT, 1 fumble rec, 1 TD, 12.00 fantasy points
Rashad Jennings, RB: 52 rush yards, 1 rush TD, 11.20 fantasy points
Odell Beckham Jr., WR: 5 rec, 44 rec yards, 4.4 fantasy points
Tony Romo, QB: 356 pass yards, 2 rec TD, 22.14 fantay points
Jason Witten, TE: 60 rec yards, 2 rec TD, 18.00 fantasy points
Joseph Randle, RB: 65 rush yards, 42 rec yards 10.70 fantasy points
When you look up and see that the Giants, top fantasy scorers were its kicker and its defense, that gives you an idea of how things went for Big Blue. Eli Manning and the rest of his offensive cohorts did very little to speak of. Rashad Jennings had a rushing touchdown and put together some nice runs late in the game, but the Giants backfield continues to be a mess. The passing game wasn't much better as Odell Beckham, Jr. wasn't a big factor in the contest (5 rec, 44 yards).
Tony Romo moved the Cowboys offense pretty well, but the offense couldn't finish drives for much of the game. He was also let down by his receivers who continually dropped passes. Somehow it all came together late when Romo fired a pair of touchdown passes to Jason Witten (his other scoring strike was to Gavin Escobar). But it wasn't all good news. Dallas lost Dez Bryant for an extended period of time with a broken foot. There was some encouraging play from the running backs with Lance Dunbar leading all players with eight catches and 70 yards while Joseph Randle posted 107 scrimmage yards.
Cincinnati Bengals at Oakland Raiders
Top performers:
Tyler Eifert, TE: 104 rec yards, 2 rec TD, 22.40 fantasy points
Andy Dalton, QB: 269 pass yards, 2 TD, 18.86 fantasy points
Jeremy Hill, RB: 63 rush yards, 2 rush TD, 18.30 fantasy points
Marcel Reece, RB: 26 rec yards, 2 rec TD, 14.60 fantay points
Matt McGloin: 142 pass yards, 2 pass TD, 1 INT 11.68 fantasy points
Latavius Murray: 44 rush yards, 36 rec yards 8.00 fantasy points
Choo chooooo! The Tyler Eifert Hype Train is off and running after a huge start to the season. The Bengals tight end caught nine balls for 104 yards and a pair of touchdowns. If you didn't listen when we hyped him this offseason, you're now going to have a ton of competition to grab him off the waiver wire. It wasn't a great day for A.J. Green, but when your tight end is playing as well as Eifert was, there's no need to force the issue. We're not so worried about Green. But maybe we were too harsh on Andy Dalton. Let's wait a week or two and reevaluate later. Jeremy Hill? It's all good there.
The optimism about the new look Raiders deflated in less time than it takes for the Black Hole to get their makeup done. Derek Carr left the game with a hand injury while Amari Cooper and Latavius Murray were mostly held in check. Were it not for a couple of late scoring throws from Matt McGloin to Marcel Reece (which probably helped about 0.00001 percent of fantasy owners), there would be no Silver & Black linings of which to speak.
Detroit Lions at San Diego Chargers
Top performers:
Matthew Stafford, QB: 246 passing yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs, 13.7 fantasy points
Ameer Abdullah, RB: 94 total yards, 1 TDs 15.4 fantasy points
Joique Bell, RB: 14 rushing yards 4.1 fantasy points
Calvin Johnson, WR: 39 yards, 3.9 fantasy points
Eric Ebron, WR: 53 yards, 1 TD 11.3 fantasy points
Philip Rivers, QB: 404 passing yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs 19.96 fantasy points
Danny Woodhead, RB: 62 total yards, 2 TDs 18.2 fantasy points
Melvin Gordon, RB: 51 rushing yards 4.7 fantasy points
Keenan Allen, WR: 15 catches, 166 yards, 16.6 fantasy points
Steve Johnson, WR: 82 yards, 1 TD 14.2 fantasy points
Ladarius Green, TE: 74 yards, 1 TD 13.4 fantasy points
The Chargers held strong against the visiting Lions, who could not survive two brutal interceptions from their quarterback. Matt Stafford's turnovers really hurt his fantasy day, despite some nice moments. The trouble with relying on Stafford is that these moments are far too frequent. The Lions backfield split favored Ameer Abdullah, as he out-touched Joique Bell 11 to eight. The fantasy point total is even more tilted in the rookies favor. It's clear who the superior option is at this point. The Lions wide receivers had a quiet day, with Calvin Johnson leading the way with 39 yards. Eric Ebron scored a touchdown, and led the team in receiving yards. The Chargers offense exploded, featuring 404 passing yards from Philip Rivers. Keenan Allen paced the team with a franchise record-tying 15 catches and 166 yards. He's back in fantasy good graces. Number-two receiver Steve Johnson established himself as a WR3/FLEX option with 82 yards and a score. In Antonio Gates' absence, Ladarius Green stepped up. He zoomed past the Lions defense on his touchdown. There could be a "can't put the genie back in the bottle" moment happening with Green, and he could hold this job when Gates returns. Danny Woodhead scored two touchdowns, and was the passing down and red zone back just like he was in 2013. Melvin Gordon was the only one who did not get in on the points bonanza, and his owners have to be worried about his usage level going forward.
New Orleans Saints at Arizona Cardinals
Top performers:
Drew Brees, QB: 355 pass yards, 1 pass TD, 1 INT, 3 rush yards, 16.50 fantasy points
Brandin Cooks, WR: 49 rec yards, 4 rush yards. 5.30 fantasy points
Brandon Coleman, WR: 41 rec yards, 1 rec TD, 10.10 fantasy points
Mark Ingram, RB: 24 rush yards, 98 rec yards, 12.20 fantasy points
Khiry Robinson RB: 19 rush yards, 51 rec yards, 7.00 fantasy points
Carson Palmer, QB: 307 pass yards, 14 rush yards 3 pass TD, 25.68 fantasy points
Andre Ellington, RB: 69 rush yards, 1 rush TD, 7 rec yards, 1 fumble lost, 11.60 fantasy points
John Brown, WR: 46 rec yards, 1 TD, 10.60 fantasy points
Larry Fitzgerald, WR: 87 rec yards. 8.70 fantasy points
Michael Floyd, WR: 18 rec yards, 1.80 fantasy points.
Darren Fells, TE: 82 rec yards, 1 rec TD, 14.20 fantasy points
David Johnson, RB: 55 rec yards, 1 rec TD, 11.50 fantasy points
Carson Palmer wasted no time in Week 1, scoring on the Cardinals first drive of the game with a touchdown pass to wideout John Brown. Palmer would go on to toss two additional TDs, one to tight end Darren Fells and one to rookie RB David Johnson to seal the victory late in the game. Larry Fitzgerald also had a decent outing, especially in PPR formats with six catches for 87 yards. Running back Andre Ellington was off to a great start with over 70 total yards and a touchdown but left the game early with a knee injury which may keep him sidelined for weeks to come. Chris and David Johnson would both be interesting waiver-wire pickups in Ellington's stead. For the Saints, QB Drew Brees posted a respectable fantasy day throwing for over 350 yards and a score to wideout Brandon Coleman. Running back Mark Ingram failed to get into the end zone but still managed to post double-digit fantasy points with over 100 scrimmage yards while sharing the workload with Khiry Robinson. Brandin Cooks was smothered all day by Arizona cornerback Patrick Peterson, who held the second-year receiver to just 49 yards on four catches.
Tennessee Titans at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Top performers:
Marcus Mariota, QB: 209 yards, 4 TDs, 0 INT, 6 rush yards, 24.96 fantasy points
Bishop Sankey, RB: 74 rush yards, 1 TD, 12 rec yards, 1 TD, 20.6 fantasy points
Kendall Wright, WR: 4 rec, 101 yards, 1 TD, 16.1 fantasy points
Jameis Winston, QB: 210 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT, 18 rush yards, 14.2 fantasy points
Doug Martin, RB: 11 rushes, 52 yards, 1 rec, 2 yards, 5.4 fantasy points
Vincent Jackson, WR: 4 rec, 51 rec yards, 5.1 fantasy points
Austin Seferian-Jenkins, TE: 5 rec, 110 yards, 2 TD, 23 fantasy points
Well, hello Marcus Mariota! The second overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft had four touchdown passes and 175 yards by halftime, and looks like he could have fringe QB1-upside in the coming weeks. Bishop Sankey, the starting running back by default, looked solid and found the end zone twice. Terrance West saw some run as well (especially near the goal line), but the favorite for the most touches appears to be Sankey moving forward. Kendall Wright appears to be the top wide receiver in this offense once again, and flashed his speed and shiftiest on a long touchdown catch and run. Winston on the other hand, struggled. He took several sacks and made two poor interceptions (though he could have had more). He did get two touchdowns in garbage time (and was without top wide receiver Mike Evans), but is someone to avoid in fantasy for now. Martin looked good once again, but suffered as a result of the game script shifting away from the run early when the team got behind big in a hurry. He'll be fine season-long, have faith. The big surprise was Austin Seferian-Jenkins, who made some splashy plays as the Titans went into auto-pilot mode up by 30ish points. Winston did target him seven times though, so if ASJ is on your waiver-wire you might want to scoop him up for some tight end depth.
Baltimore Ravens at Denver Broncos
Top performers:
Joe Flacco, QB: 117 yards, 0 TD, 2 INT, 0.68 fantasy points
Justin Forsett, RB: 43 rush yards, 4 rec, 13 rec yards, 5.6 fantasy points
Steve Smith Sr., WR: 2 rec, 13 rec yards, 1.3 fantasy points
Peyton Manning, QB: 175 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT, 5 fantasy points
Demaryius Thomas, WR: 7 rec, 60 rec yards, 6 fantasy points
Emmanuel Sanders, WR: 8 rec, 65 rec yards, 6.5 fantasy points
C.J. Anderson, RB: 12 rush, 29 yards, 4 rec, 19 rec yards, 4.8 fantasy points
Man, was this game a disappointment fantasy wise. Neither offense could move the ball, and the only touchdowns in the game came off of pick sixes. It was so rough, that the first play of more than 10 yards for the Ravens was a 22-yard catch by Marlon Brown with roughly 10:30 seconds remaining in the third quarter. Neither quarterback looked sharp, and neither back had much room to run. Those who took a flier on Crockett Gillmore as a sleeper tight end missed out on a touchdown by mere inches at the end. We'll need to dive into the game film more to really diagnose what went wrong here, but for now, if you had a bunch of players in this game take this one on the chin and get ready for Week 2.
Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears
Top performers:
Aaron Rodgers, QB: 189 yards, 3 TD, 35 rush yards, 23.06 fantasy points
Eddie Lacy, RB: 121 rush yards, 35 rec yards, 1 TD, 21.6 fantasy points
James Jones, WR: 4 rec, 59 yards, 2 TDs, 17.9 fantasy points
Randall Cobb, WR: 5 rec, 38 yards, 1 TD, 9.8 fantasy points
Matt Forte, RB: 141 rush yards, 25 rec yards, 22.6 fantasy points
Alshon Jeffery, WR: 78 rec yards, 7.8 fantasy points
Martellus Bennett, TE: 5 rec, 55 yards, 1 TD, 11.5 fantasy points
Rodgers looked sharp after an early three-and-out, showing that he and James Jones still have a connection even after a few years apart. Jones will be a trendy waive-wire pickup, as he still has his quarterback's trust. Randall Cobb hauled in five catches and a touchdown, but it was very clear he was not 100 percent. Eddie Lacy looked like an absolute beast, flashing great hands, vision and power. The Davante Adams breakout game many were expecting (especially in DFS circles) was a little quiet. He looked good though, grabbing four passes for 59 yards. Forte continued gashing the Packers defense, racking up 166 total yards and a touchdown. Adam Gase was committed to using Forte all over, and that was evident early (he had 105 rush yards in the first half). The Bears tried to play clock ball, keeping the Packers off the field, which limited their passing output. However, a hobbled Alshon Jeffery still managed 78 yards, while Martellus Bennett continued his September hot streak by racking up 55 yards and one touchdown. Much of their production came in the waning moments of the fourth quarter, though.
Cleveland Browns at New York Jets
Top performers:
Johnny Manziel, QB: 182 pass yards, 1 pass TD, 35 rush yards, 1 INT, 2 fum, 8.78 fantay points
Isaiah Crowell, RB: 20 rush yards, 13 rec yards, 3.3 fantasy points
Travis Benjamin, WR: 3 rec, 89 yards, 1 TD, 14.9 fantasy points
Chris Ivory, RB: 91 rush yards, 2 TD, 9 rec yards, 22 fantasy points
Eric Decker, WR: 2 rec, 37 yards, 1 TD, 9.7 fantasy points
Brandon Marshall, WR: 6 rec, 62 yards, 1 TD, 12.2 fantasy points
We figured we'd see Johnny Manziel at some point this season, but we didn't think it'd be in Week 1. After Josh McCown went YOLO trying to dive into the end zone (and getting helicoptered as a result), he was ruled out with a head injury. Manziel would have acquitted himself well enough for fantasy purposes, nailing a deep touchdown to Travis Benjamin and looking much more poised in the pocket, but three turnovers sapped his scoring. He looked better in the pocket than last year, though, and is worth a flier add because of his rushing ability. Chris Ivory had a nice afternoon, breaking tackles and scoring two rushing touchdowns, while Ryan Fitzpatrick was able to hook up with Eric Decker and Brandon Marshall for scores. Chan Gailey's offense was humming in this one, and Joe Haden had a rough afternoon trying to lock down Marshall. For the Browns, Travis Benjamin stepped up as a receiver, using his speed to get open a few times, including when he burned Antonio Cromartie for a deep touchdown from Manziel.
Carolina Panthers at Jacksonville Jaguars
Top performers:
Panthers DEF, 5 sacks, 2 INTs, 1 TD, 21 fantasy points
Cam Newton, QB, 175 passing yards, 35 rushing yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 12.5 fantasy points
Jonathan Stewart, RB, 81 total yards, 8.1 fantasy points
Ted Ginn, WR, 54 yards, 5.4 fantasy points
Blake Bortles, QB, 183 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs, 9.9 fantasy points
T.J. Yeldon, RB, 51 rushing yards, 6.7 fantasy points
Allen Hurns, WR, 60 yards, 4 fantasy points
There were not many points to go around in this 20-9 contest, with the Panthers defense being the top scoring entity. Carolina took down the Jaguars offensive line and lived in their backfield on passing down. Top corner Josh Norman shut down Allen Robinson (one catch for 27 yards), and took an interception back for a score. We're going to have to monitor our wide receivers who do battle with Norman. Cam Newton overcame several drops and miscues by his wide receivers to post a passable fantasy day. He needed 14 rushing attempts to get to it. Jonathan Stewart saw a good amount of work in the passing game, which should continue with the state of the receiving corps. Not much of note came from the Jaguars offense, with Robinson rendered ineffective. T.J. Yeldon ran really well, but the game script went out of his hands at the end. Blake Bortles couldn't do much after Luke Joeckel went down with an injury. The PanthersCharles Johnson took their backup to task all day.
Seattle Seahawks at St. Louis Rams
Top performers:
Seahawks DEF, 2 sacks, 2 FFs, 1 TD, 19 fantasy points
Russell Wilson, QB, 251 passing yards, 31 rushing yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 15.1 fantasy points
Marshawn Lynch RB, 101 total yards, 12.4 fantasy points
Jimmy Graham, TE, 51 yards, 1 TD, 11.1 fantasy points
Nick Foles, QB, 297 passing yards, 2 TDs, 18.98 fantasy points
Benny Cunningham, 122 total yards, 12.2 fantasy points
Lance Kendricks, TE, 42 yards, 1 TD 10.2 fantasy points
The Seahawks lost in overtime, but there were still some decent fantasy performances in this game. Russell Wilson scored 15.1 points despite running from St. Louis defenders in his backfield all day. This offensive line will hold this entire offense back when they face quality pass rush units as they did today. This was a largely workman-like performance from Marshawn Lynch. The Jimmy Graham era got off to a good start in Week 1. He caught a number of passes off play action, and scored a touchdown on an end zone target. The Rams offense got off to a better than expected start, despite some turnovers and pass blocking issues. Nick Foles had some gaffes, particularly on a corner blitz sack that led to a Seahawks TD, but still had an 18-point day. Despite a number of running back injuries, the Rams go good production out of their backfield. Benny Cunningham caught four passes and finished with well over 100 yards from scrimmage. If he has to make another start, he's worth flex attention, as the matchup won't be nearly this daunting next week.
Indianapolis Colts at Buffalo Bills
Top performers:
Andrew Luck, QB: 243 pass yards, 20 rush yards 2 pass TD, 2 INTs 17.72 fantasy points
T.Y. Hilton, WR: 7 rec, 88 rec yards 8.80 fantasy points
Donte Moncrief, WR: 6 rec, 46 rec yards, 1 TD 10.60 fantasy points
Frank Gore, RB: 31 rush yards 3.10 fantasy points
Dwayne Allen, TE: 17 rec yards, 1 TD 7.70 fantasy points
Tyrod Taylor, QB: 195 pass yards, 31 rush yards, 1 pass TD 15.9 fantasy points
LeSean McCoy, RB: 41 rush yards, 46 rec yards 8.70 fantasy points
Percy Harvin, WR: 9 rush yards, 79 rec yards, 1 rec TD 14.80 fantasy points
Charles Clay, TE: 43 rec yards 4.3 fantasy points
Karlos Williams, RB: 55 rush yards, 1 rush TD 11.50 fantasy points
Anthony Dixon RB, 1 rush yard, 1 rush TD, 6.10 fantasy points
Andrew Luck struggled to get much going against a stingy Bills defense on Sunday in Buffalo and T.Y. Hilton left the game with a knee injury that could keep him sidelined for the next few weeks. The Bills kept the Colts scoreless in the first half while Tyrod Taylor did some damage in the first NFL start of his career. He connected on a deep 51-yard bomb to Percy Harvin for a score late in the first quarter and didn't throw a pick the entire game. Sammy Watkins was a non-factor in this game putting up a goose egg for his fantasy owners. Despite injury concerns, Bills RB LeSean McCoy looked healthy but didn't manage to get into the end zone, with rookie Karlos Williams putting up more fantasy points than Shady. Luck saved some face with two passing touchdowns in the second half -- one to Donte Moncrief and one to tight end Dwayne Allen. And, like much of the Colts offense, veteran WR Andre Johnson was mostly quiet with just 24 yards on the day.
Kansas City Chiefs at Houston Texans
Top performers:
Travis Kelce, TE: 106 yards, 2 TD, 22.60 fantasy points
Alex Smith, QB: 243 pass yards, 3 TD, 21.72 fantasy points
Jamaal Charles, RB: 57 rush yards, 46 rec yards, 1 rec TD 16.3 fantasy points
DeAndre Hopkins, QB: 243 pass yards, 3 TD, 21.72 fantasy points
Nate Washington, WR: 105 receiving yards, 10.50 fantasy points
Brian Hoyer, QB: 236 passing yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 1 fumble lost, 9.44 fantasy points
Maybe Alex Smith has turned over a new leaf. The Chiefs quarterback was on point to start the season tossing three touchdown passes -- two of them to Travis Kelce. It was such an efficient day that the Chiefs didn't need a whole lot from Jamaal Charles, although the running back did catch Smith's third TD. It might be something, or it might be nothing, but Charles only had 16 carries while Knile Davis picked up six. We're not suggesting that this is turning into a committee, but it's fair to wonder if Charles might not be the workhorse he once was. It's certainly possible that we might have drank the "Hard Knocks" Kool-Aid when it came to some of the Houston Texans. In the case of DeAndre Hopkins, that taste is true. The Texans top wideout was as advertised on Sunday, catching nine passes for 98 yards and two touchdowns. The bigger surprise was Nate Washington posting 105 receiving yards. It's not a stretch to say that's not sustainable. The return of Arian Foster can't come soon enough. Houston's running backs had 20 carries were split among Alfred Blue (9), Jonathan Grimes (6) and Chris Polk (5). Gross.
Miami Dolphins at Washington
Top performers:
Ryan Tannehill, QB: 226 pass yards, 1 TD, 11.74 fantasy points
Rishard Matthews, WR: 34 rec yards, 1 TD, 9.40 fantasy points
Lamar Miller, RB: 53 rush yards, 22 rec yards, 7.50 fantasy points
Jarvis Landry, WR: 53 rec yards, 14 rush yards, 6.70 fantasy points
Jordan Reed, TE: 63 rec yards, 1 rec TD, 12.30 fantasy points
Alfred Morris, RB: 121 rush yards, 12.10 fantasy points
Kirk Cousins, QB: 196 passing yards, 1 TD, 2 INT, 7.74 fantasy points
This wasn't the start we were hoping for from the Dolphins offense. It took the better part of a half for Ryan Tannehill and crew to get going. Even then, it was an uneven performance. The biggest play for Miami came via Jarvis Landry's punt return touchdown. Let's hope this is a product of some early-season jitters and not a harbinger of disappointments to come. We thought Washington's offense was going to be a dumpster fire. That was only partially true. Kirk Cousins was everything we thought he would be ... and that's not good. But the pass-catching duo of Pierre Garcon and Jordan Reed proved to be pretty productive. Hopefully they can stay healthy for the bulk of season -- something that's even more important after DeSean Jackson left the game with a hamstring injury. We'll see if this is the start of big things in the Nation's Capital.
