RADIO
Bryce Young's Four Touchdowns Not Enough in Week 1 Loss
Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young completed 23 of his 37 pass attempts for 361 passing yards, three passing touchdowns, and one interception during Sunday's 59-37 loss against the Chicago Bears. He also logged an additional 10 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown, bringing him to a total of four touchdowns in Week 1. Other than the loss, the only real blemish on Young's stat line was the one interception. He did take two sacks, but that's not an alarming number considering he attempted 37 passes, and the Panthers' offense ran 62 plays. It's fair to assume that Young's counting stats will come back down to earth in a lower-scoring game that doesn't require him to pass as much, but at least he showed that he's capable of going toe-to-toe against one of the best teams in football. He should remain in the low-end QB1 tier for next week's very favorable matchup against the Atlanta Falcons.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Caleb Williams Absolutely Spectacular in Shootout Win Over Panthers
Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams completed 21 of his 29 pass attempts for 269 passing yards, two passing touchdowns, and zero interceptions during Sunday's Week 1 win over the Carolina Panthers. He also registered 10 rushing attempts, 65 rushing yards, and two rushing touchdowns. Williams played turnover-free football in the 59-37 win, and he only took two sacks. All in all, it was a remarkable showing from the former No. 1 pick, who could be a sleeper candidate to finish as the overall QB1 in fantasy football this season. He did a great job spreading the ball around to four different wide receivers and tight end Cole Kmet, and things will only get easier for him once he's able to reignite his rapport with tight end Colston Loveland. Williams will get a very tough test next week in the form of the Minnesota Vikings, who are led by one of the best defensive coordinators of this decade, Brian Flores. Still, Williams' four-touchdown explosion on Sunday showed that he's ready for any challenge in his way. He remains firmly entrenched in the QB1 tier for Week 2.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Bucky Irving Makes Huge Impact as a Receiver in Week 1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving totaled eight carries, 45 rushing yards, and one rushing touchdown in Sunday's Week 1 loss against the Cincinnati Bengals. He also caught all seven of his targets for an additional 48 receiving yards. Outside of the Bucs' loss, this was a great game from Irving for many reasons. He scored a touchdown, he was highly efficient on the ground with 5.6 yards per carry, he caught seven passes, and he totaled nearly 100 scrimmage yards. After plenty of speculation that Kenny Gainwell could carve out a substantial role in the backfield, Irving proved that he's still the lead back. The only real blemishes on his game were a first-half fumble and the fact that he only registered eight carries, but at least the latter fact was merely a product of the game script. He has a chance to touch the ball 15-20 times with 100+ yards next week against the Cleveland Browns, who have major question marks on both sides of the ball. Irving ranks as a high-end RB2 going into Week 2.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Ryan Flournoy Catches Just Two Passes in Week 1 Defeat
Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Ryan Flournoy, the subject of some amount of hype in the offseason, was targeted only four times in his team's Week 1 loss to their NFC East rival, the New York Giants. Flournoy was a non-factor in the offense, though that could have been said about everyone except their starting running back, Javonte Williams. Flournoy was third on his team in targets, behind both WRs CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens but leading tight end Jake Ferguson. In future contests, Flournoy will likely flip-flop with Ferguson in involvement in the offense, making him not worth starting in fantasy football leagues. It would likely take an injury to either Lamb or Pickens to propel Flournoy, the clear Cowboys WR3, into a role big enough to make him worth putting in starting lineups. He should be left on the bench or on waivers in redraft fantasy leagues for the Cowboys Week 2 showdown at home with the Washington Commanders.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
David Montgomery Scores Three Times in First Game with Texans
Houston Texans running back David Montgomery had a debut to remember with his new team. The 29-year-old totaled 20 carries, 60 rushing yards, and two rushing touchdowns. He also contributed in the passing game with three catches, 19 receiving yards, and one receiving touchdown. The Texans came up short against the Buffalo Bills in Week 1, but Montgomery certainly isn't to blame. He consistently found ways to get into the end zone when the Texans were in scoring range, allowing the score to stay close throughout the entire second half. Perhaps even more notable is the fact that Woody Marks had just nine carries, which means Montgomery finished with more than two-thirds of the Texans' running back carries in this game. The yardage efficiency numbers weren't great, but none of that matters if he can continue to be a surefire threat to score around the goal line. After proving himself with his new team, Montgomery has jumped to the mid-to-high RB2 tier for Week 2 against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Javonte Williams Scores Two Touchdowns In Week 1 Loss
Dallas Cowboys running back Javonte Williams handled 12 of the 15 carries the Cowboys called for running backs in his team's Week 1 loss. He averaged a lowly 3.4 yards per carry, though he did find the end zone once on the ground. He added five catches on five targets for 31 yards and another touchdown, leading to a very productive day in fantasy football. It wasn't enough to lift the Cowboys over their opponent, bitter divisional rival New York Giants, though. Williams remains the workhorse back for his team and got more receiving work than usual, but didn't find much room to run against what was a poor Giants run defense last season. Another easy defensive matchup on paper is coming in Week 2, when Dallas returns home to play another divisional rival, the Washington Commanders. Look for Williams to be more efficient and log more carries in that game.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Jonathan Taylor Opens the Season with a Two-Touchdown Performance
Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor totaled 19 carries, 98 rushing yards, and two rushing touchdowns during Sunday's Week 1 loss against the Baltimore Ravens. He also caught three of four targets for an additional 23 receiving yards. The Colts came up short in Week 1, but it certainly wasn't Taylor's fault. He picked up right where he left off in the first half of last season with yet another multi-touchdown game. Through the first 10 weeks last year, he scored a whopping 17 touchdowns while ranking as the RB1 in PPR leagues. In fact, during that span, he scored 25.1 points more than the RB2, Christian McCaffrey. He also had a torrid stretch where he recorded five different three-touchdown games within eight weeks. We'll see if 2026 looks anything like 2025 for Taylor, but at the very least, he's off to a super impressive start. It's also worth noting that he continues to have a stronghold on the backfield volume, as none of the Colts' other running backs registered a carry on Sunday. Taylor finds himself in the mid-to-high RB1 range heading into Week 2 against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Jake Ferguson Held Quiet In Week 1 Loss
Dallas Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson was targeted just two times in his team's defeat against the New York Giants in their season opener. The entire offense was mostly quiet, though they did score three touchdowns. Ferguson finished the day with only six receiving yards, making him an irrelevant fantasy option. He didn't do much to help propel his team to victory. In more productive passing games from Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, Ferguson may be a more viable starter, but he's firmly behind both WRs CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens, who have shown enough talent to easily be the top-2 target earners in Dallas. A matchup with the soft Washington Commanders secondary in Week 2 should afford Ferguson more room to get open and snag passes, but the Giants offense was supposed to be weak as well.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
CeeDee Lamb Hauls In Five Passes, Scores Touchdown In Loss
Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb was his team's leading target earner and receiver, catching five of his eight targets for 44 yards and one touchdown in his team's loss to the New York Giants in Week 1. Dallas' passing game was mostly held in check, with just 175 total passing yards to go around between all its receivers. Lamb out-targeted and out-gained fellow wideout George Pickens, who didn't even muster 30 receiving yards. It would appear that he's regained his WR1 role, at least for now, but games with more overall production through the air should be a bit more revealing to that end. Lamb struggled after a high-ankle sprain caused him to miss time early in 2025, but he appears to be fully healthy in his seventh NFL season. Expect plenty of involvement for the veteran in Week 2 against a Washington Commanders defense with a porous secondary. Lamb tends to perform very well against them.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Brandon Aubrey Attempts No Field Goals, Misses Extra Point
Dallas Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey had a miserable night in his team's season debut against their biggest rival, the New York Giants. The divisional opponent held the Cowboys to zero field goal attempts, and the 31-year-old Cowboys place kicker made two of his extra points while missing one. In most fantasy football leagues, that equates to a single fantasy point, making him a non-factor in matchups. Aubrey's accuracy declined markedly after his first season in the league, and it looks like he may be on the decline as a player in general. In his last two seasons before this one, he made 77 of his 78 extra point attempts, good for a nearly 99 percent conversion rate. This should still be a good offense, but there's a chance that Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer's passing and rushing schemes won't age well now that defenses have a full offseason of tape. Aubrey will look to get back on track against the Washington Commanders in Week 2, who have one of the NFL's weaker defenses.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Dak Prescott Held Under 200 Passing Yards, Tosses Pick In Loss
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott had an ugly night in the Cowboys season opener against the New York Giants. He wasn't able to muster up 200 passing yards, and threw an interception while being held scoreless in the first half of play. New York dominated time of possession, which limited Prescott to just 34 pass attempts. He completed only 22 for a paltry 5.1 yards per pass attempt. The abysmal average led Dallas to only muster 244 yards of offense, 150 less than their opponent. Two carries for 14 yards on the ground weren't enough to make up for his low passing production. It was a strangely terrible night for the offense, which did extremely well last year under then first-year head coach Brian Schottenheimer. Perhaps that offense has been solved. We'll learn more to that effect in Week 2, when the Cowboys return home to face another bitter divisional rival, the Washington Commanders.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
George Pickens Flops In Week 1 Loss
Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens entered 2026 with massive expectations, but met none of them in Week 1. He was targeted six times, hauling in three passes for 26 yards. He was quiet even against one of 2025's worst NFL defenses, especially against the pass. Pickens may need some time to get going, but the entire offense looked sluggish in what should have been an easy matchup. A dominant 2025 gave way to a flop for Pickens in Week 1. Nobody really did much, though. Dallas possessed the ball only two times in the second half, and scored touchdowns on both drives. Their defense struggled mightily, though, with Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart effectively able to move the ball and grind the clock down. Pickens' uncharacteristic drop in the first quarter punctuated a night he hopes to forget before Week 2, when Dallas faces another divisional rival in the Washington Commanders.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
David Njoku Sees Five Targets in Week 1 Loss
Los Angeles Chargers tight end David Njoku caught all five of his targets for 58 yards in Sunday's shocking 26-14 loss to the Arizona Cardinals. The 30-year-old tied for the team high in catches and had the second-most receiving yards among Chargers pass-catchers. Additionally, he was the team's most impactful tight end in the passing game, as Oronde Gadsden and Charlie Kolar combined for two catches. Njoku appears to be the Chargers' tight end to roster for fantasy football as of now. However, it remains a murky room and should remain out of fantasy lineups next week. The Chargers will host the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 2 as they try to find their way into the win column.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Ladd McConkey a Bright Spot Before Injuring his Chest
Los Angeles Chargers wideout Ladd McConkey (chest) caught five of his seven targets for 82 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's shocking 26-14 loss to the Arizona Cardinals. McConkey quickly cemented himself as the team's WR1 and became Justin Herbert's favorite target over the middle. Unfortunately, his performance was cut short after taking a big hit late in the third quarter. He was immediately taken back to the locker room and did not return to the field. His status for Week 2 is up in the air, and we will get more information about his availability as the week goes on. If he can play, McConkey will have a favorable matchup at home against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Keaton Mitchell Held Quiet in Week 1 Loss
Los Angeles Chargers running back Keaton Mitchell had four carries for nine yards in Sunday's shocking 26-14 loss to the Arizona Cardinals. The 24-year-old was a non-factor in the passing game and had zero targets out of the backfield. The Cardinals defense kept Mitchell in check all game and held him to 2.25 yards per carry. Mitchell is known for his explosiveness and speed in the open field but could not find space in the home opener. The East Carolina product should be out of fantasy lineups until he shows he can be a consistent fantasy producer. Mitchell and the Chargers will look to bounce back at home against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 2.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
