RADIO
Brian Robinson Could Be One Injury Away From a Huge Role
Atlanta Falcons running back Brian Robinson handled nine carries for 31 yards in Sunday's 20-13 loss to Pittsburgh, giving fantasy managers a clear look at his role behind starter Bijan Robinson. He played 15 offensive snaps and was not targeted, so there is not enough standalone work here to trust him in Week 2 lineups. The handcuff case is much stronger. Atlanta lists Robinson second on the depth chart, and the Falcons kept only two running backs on their initial 53-man roster. He also brings far more lead-back experience than most reserves, topping 700 rushing yards in each of his first three NFL seasons. Sunday's nine carries were already a slight step up from the workload he handled as San Francisco's RB2 last year. Robinson is not going to carry much weekly value while the backfield is intact, but he would be in line for a major increase in touches if that changes. He belongs on benches in deeper leagues and remains one of the stronger contingency backs available.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Kirk Cousins Gets Season Off To Solid Start With Three TDs
Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins completed 21-of-30 passes for 160 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions in the team's Week 1 victory over the Miami Dolphins. Cousins did not light up the scoreboard with his passing yardage but he did find Jack Bech on a touchdown pass and found Ashton Jeanty on two touchdown strikes. The two interceptions are worrisome for fantasy managers as you never like to see that from your quarterback. Cousins should continue to get better as the season progresses and the team welcomes back tight end Brock Bowers to the lineup. He will have to continue to hold off backup Fernando Mendoza as the season progresses, but he could nonetheless be a help to fantasy teams early in the season.
Source: ESPN.com
Source: ESPN.com
Geno Smith Worth Monitoring On The Waiver Wire Early In The Season
New York Jets quarterback Geno Smith completed 19-of-24 passes for 215 yards with no touchdowns and rushed six times for seven yards in the team's Week 1 win over the Tennessee Titans. He showed good accuracy to begin the season but was not able to find a touchdown. Moving forward, Smith has some weapons in Garrett Wilson and Adonai Mitchell and once Omar Cooper, Jr. gets healthy. Smith is worth monitoring on the waiver wire as someone who can be a backup fantasy quarterback with some upside. He didn't have a huge game in Week 1, but he is capable in the Jets offense of producing fantasy relevant stats. Look for him to build off the accuracy he showed in the season opener and produce some more fruitful fantasy lines with more touchdowns up coming.
Source: ESPN.com
Source: ESPN.com
Malik Willis' Rushing Makes Him an Intriguing Week 2 Add
Miami Dolphins quarterback Malik Willis didn't throw a touchdown in Sunday's 27-13 loss to Las Vegas, but he still gave fantasy managers something to work with. Willis completed 15 of 27 passes for 220 yards with one interception, then added 39 yards and a touchdown on six carries. That rushing production is the reason he belongs on the Week 2 waiver radar. Miami committed to Willis as its starter with a three-year deal in March, so there is no short-term job security question hanging over him. The passing side still needs work after a 55.6% completion rate and five sacks in the opener, which keeps Willis from joining the top tier of quarterback pickups this week. His legs give him a different path to fantasy points, though, and that matters in leagues where managers are already questioning their QB1. Willis is worth adding in deeper 12-team formats and 14-team leagues ahead of Sunday's trip to San Francisco, especially as a bench option with rushing upside.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Drew Lock Can Fill In As Backup Fantasy QB
Seattle Seahawks backup quarterback Drew Lock led the team to a Week 1 win over the New England Patriots while filling in for starter Sam Darnold, who suffered a glute injury. Lock was 16-for-22 passing for 187 yards and a touchdown in relief of Darnold. He also rushed two times for 13 yards. Darnold could be looking at a four-to-six week recovery period and Lock looks like a more than capable backup quarterback during that time. Expect the Seahawks to be a run-heavy team while Darnold is out, but with receivers like Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Lock has some potential to put up some decent stat lines. However for fantasy purposes, Lock is more of a backup quarterback and should not put up QB1 numbers during Darnold's time out.
Source: ESPN.com
Source: ESPN.com
T.J. Hockenson Back in Week 2 Streaming Mix
Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson opened 2026 with four catches for 36 yards and a touchdown on five targets in Sunday's 39-22 win over Green Bay. The score came on a 16-yard pass from Carson Wentz, who took over after Kyler Murray left in the first quarter with a concussion. It was a better fantasy line than Hockenson gave managers most weeks last season, when he finished with 51 catches for 438 yards and three touchdowns in 15 games. Five targets still do not suddenly make him an every-week starter, especially in an offense with Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and Jauan Jennings. Murray also remains in the concussion protocol, leaving Minnesota's Week 2 quarterback situation unsettled for now. Hockenson is back in the streaming conversation after finding the end zone, but this is still a deeper-league play rather than a priority claim. Managers looking for help at tight end can consider him for Sunday's trip to Chicago, particularly in 14-team formats.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Cam Ward Best Left On Waiver Wire
Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward is coming off of a disappointing performance in the team's Week 1 loss to the New York Jets. Ward was 19-for-32 passing for 140 yards and a touchdown. On a positive note, Ward didn't turn the ball over, but his passing stats were just not good enough to be useful for fantasy managers. He also rushed four times for 21 yards. Ward could still improve on his passing numbers but the Week 1 start does not give much hope to fantasy managers. He is certainly not in QB1 territory and it seems as if he isn't really in the territory to be a backup quarterback on a fantasy roster at the moment. Give Ward some time to improve but right now it is best to just leave him be on the waiver wire.
Source: ESPN.com
Source: ESPN.com
Tank Bigsby Still an Elite Handcuff After Quiet Opener
Philadelphia Eagles running back Tank Bigsby barely touched the ball in Sunday's 24-22 win over Washington, carrying once for three yards on six offensive snaps. Will Shipley actually saw more work, logging 10 snaps and two carries, but Philadelphia's current depth chart still lists Bigsby directly behind Saquon Barkley. That is where the fantasy case starts. Bigsby showed last season that he can produce when the workload expands, rushing for 104 yards on nine carries against the Giants before finishing the year with 75 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries in Week 18. He added a 31-yard catch in that finale. None of that gives him standalone value while Barkley is healthy, and Week 1 made that clear. Bigsby is still the back positioned to benefit most if Philadelphia suddenly needs someone else to handle meaningful carries. He belongs on benches in deeper leagues and remains one of the stronger pure handcuffs available, but managers in ordinary 10- and 12-team formats do not need to treat him as a priority waiver claim.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Jahdae Walker Not Yet Roster-Worthy
Chicago Bears wide receiver Jahdae Walker made the most of his lone target, hauling in a one-yard touchdown pass from Bears quarterback Caleb Williams. But Walker did not show the involvement in the Bears' offense that warrants a waiver wire addition in most standard leagues. Chicago has plenty of targets at wide receiver in Rome Odunze, Luther Burden, and Kalif Raymond along with tight end Colston Loveland. So Walker is pretty much an afterthought in the offense despite catching a TD in Week 1's route of the Carolina Panthers. Walker made his target count but moving forward it is hard to predict any kind of role in the Bears offense for Walker when he is at best the fourth-string wide receiver and behind Loveland on the usage tree. The touchdown was nice but doesn't predict future involvement.
Source: NFL.com
Source: NFL.com
Omar Cooper Jr. Week-to-Week With Ankle Sprain
New York Jets wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. (ankle) is considered week-to-week after getting some encouraging news from his MRI, according to Ian Rapoport. Cooper left Sunday's win over Tennessee in the first quarter after making his first NFL catch, a 30-yard gain, and did not return. X-rays were negative after the game, and Rapoport said the hope is that the rookie can return within the next four weeks. That still puts his Week 2 availability against Green Bay very much in doubt. New York traded back into the first round to take Cooper 30th overall in April, and he opened the season behind Garrett Wilson on the depth chart. The positive MRI news helps, but fantasy managers may still be without him for multiple games. Cooper remains worth holding in dynasty formats, while redraft managers without an IR spot may have a tougher decision if the absence stretches into October.
Source: Ian Rapoport
Source: Ian Rapoport
Pat Bryant Shows Potential Upside in Week 1 Loss
Denver Broncos wide receiver Pat Bryant led the team in targets against the Chiefs and finished with four catches for 42 yards during Monday Night Football of Week 1. Bryant played 59% of snaps, serving as the team's third receiver behind Jaylen Waddle and Courtland Sutton. His six targets were the most on the team, though, which indicates he could be ready to deliver on all the preseason hype he got as a fantasy sleeper. The Broncos' passing game looked out of sorts in their road loss on Monday, with Bo Nix only managing 131 passing yards. If Nix and the rest of Denver's offense get back on track next week at home against the Jaguars, Bryant could quickly become a wide receiver with enough upside to be a good fantasy addition. He is a good stash for deep leagues at this point, and someone to definitely keep an eye on in all formats as the Broncos find their rhythm.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Samaje Perine Is a Must-Stash Option
Cincinnati Bengals running back Samaje Perine had a strong Week 1 against the Buccaneers, serving as the top backup behind Chase Brown. Perine had five carries for 20 rushing yards and three catches for 30 receiving yards. His eight touches come on just 18 plays (28%), but he clearly would be the next running back to step in if Brown deals with any kind of injury, which would make Perine a must-start in all formats. Even with Brown healthy, Perine gets enough work as a change-of-pace option to be worth considering in a FLEX spot in an emergency situation, a favorable matchup, or a bye-week roster squeeze. Without many depth options at running back emerging in Week 1, Perine is a key stash option from the waiver wire and should be on a roster in almost all leagues due to his potential upside.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Xavier Worthy Should be Rostered in More Leagues
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy was the Chiefs' second receiver in their season-opening victory over the Broncos. He tied for the team lead with six targets and finished second among Chiefs' receivers, playing 77% of snaps. Worthy finished with only three catches for 18 yards, but he has the potential to be even more involved when the Chiefs go to more pass-heavy game scripts. Kansas City played from ahead on Monday night, and they leaned heavily on the ground game as a result. Worthy brings big-play potential in a solid offense and can be a nice addition from the waiver wire in 12-team leagues, based on his Week 1 role and his upside in more favorable matchups.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Sam Darnold Expected to Return to Play In the Near Future
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (glute) is dealing with a unique soft-tissue injury, and the Seahawks expect him back in a few weeks. According to Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network, the injury has a four-week timeline for his return to play, but there is still a possibility that he can get back a little sooner and miss only a couple of games. Drew Lock will start in Darnold's place in Week 2 against the Cardinals after leading Seattle to a 13-10 victory over the Patriots following Darnold's early departure. Darnold's hip joint checked out OK earlier this week, though, so it seems he avoided major injury. Since it is an unusual injury, the timeline is a little unclear, but the Seahawks have not placed him on IR, which indicates they think there is a chance he'll be able to return within four games.
Source: Mike Garafolo
Source: Mike Garafolo
Devin Singletary Emerges as a Deep-League Option
New York Giants running back Devin Singletary took over as the primary backup behind Cam Skattebo after Tyrone Tracy Jr. lost a fumble on one of his two carries. Singletary got 16 rushing yards on six carries and found the end zone while catching all four of his targets for 22 receiving yards. Singletary played 36% of the team's snaps, while Tracy played just two snaps, and Najee Harris was a healthy scratch. While Harris could get some short-yardage work as the season goes on, Singletary has value as the team's primary receiving option out of the backfield and the backup behind Skattebo. If you need RB help in a deep league, especially in PPR formats, Singletary has enough upside to be an option to consider from the waiver wire before Week 2.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
