Ranking the 10 crucial fantasy football winners and losers from Week 1
Week 1 of the NFL season has nearly come and gone with only Monday Night Football remaining. We waited all summer, and just like that, 30 of 32 teams have taken the field – all except the Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs. With that, there are very important fantasy takeaways that need to be addressed to keep you apprised of all the action.
Every week, I'll be here recapping the big notes from players and teams around the NFL.
Fantasy Football Winners for Week 1
Mack Hollins, WR, New England Patriots
With AJ Brown out for a reported six weeks, Hollins is set for a major workload. Hollins finished Week 1 with five targets, four receptions, and 51 receiving yards. He played on 70% of the offensive snaps, which was a team-high for their wide receivers. Also, considering how lackluster Romeo Doubs looked, Hollins could
be the Patriots' main guy moving forward.
Trevor Lawrence, QB, Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars' offense looks elite! Yes, they got to beat up on the lowly Browns, but TLaw was great with 245/4/0 to open the season. He has a ton of offensive talent around him, and spreading the ball around to multiple different receivers under Liam Coen appears to be their plan. As long as he protects the ball, the sky is the limit for this offense.
Christian Watson, WR, Green Bay Packers
WR1? Yeah, WR1. A massive 6/147/2 stat line for Christian Watson thrusts him into the conversation for best wide receiver of Week 1. With solid route running and a high aDOT (average depth of target), Watson will always possess a massive ceiling of production. The Packers may have some issues on defense, but that should only force their offense to pass the ball more.
Caleb Williams, QB, Chicago Bears
I guess all the offseason quotes from Bears' head coach Ben Johnson about being the highest-scoring NFL team ever are true. A staggering 59 points, led by Caleb Williams going 21-for-29 for 269 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions, along with 10 carries for 65 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. He has league-winning upside, and with a horrible defense on the other side, Williams and the Bears NEED to keep their foot on the gas every game.
Ashton Jeanty, RB, Las Vegas Raiders
Ankle injury be damned! Just a few weeks ago, there was major concern for Jeanty given the reports of an ankle injury, but none of that seemingly matters anymore. He ended with a whopping 23 carries for 102 yards on the ground, and led the team with six catches for 45 yards and two touchdowns. It appears Kirk Cousins likes targeting him coming out of the backfield, which is huge for his PPR upside.
Fantasy Football Losers for Week 1
Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seattle Seahawks
With Sam Darnold out for a few weeks, this is a clear downgrade for Smith-Njigba. We saw Drew Lock enter in relief and get a 46-yard touchdown to JSN, but the overall efficiency of Lock is not something we can count on week in and week out. Seattle has a good group of running backs and a great defense; they could opt for some straightforward, lower-variance games with Lock at quarterback, less passing, more rushing.
Every player on the Browns’ offense
DeShaun Watson is terrible. I know it’s his first start in over a year, and this is a bit of an exaggeration, but the Browns present zero offensive potential with Watson at quarterback. No matter how much talent some of these young players have, they have no path to production in the current situation. A late garbage-time touchdown can happen at any point; it doesn't spell actual offensive competence.
Colston Loveland, TE, Chicago Bears
59 points. That’s what the Bears posted in Week 1 against the Carolina Panthers … and Loveland ended with a donut. He ended with two targets, zero catches, and zero yards. It’s only one game, but for what was the consensus TE3 in fantasy drafts, seeing him not involved in this offensive explosion is discouraging. Yes, the offense looked unbelievable overall, but you'd think he'd play at least a minor role in it, not a nothing role. I'm still confident long-term in Loveland.
Jayden Daniels, QB, Washington Commanders
The Commanders' offense looks terrible overall, specifically, the offensive line. I know Daniels missed a ton of time last year, and there are some new pieces on offense, but they look completely out of sync. Will they be better in a few weeks? Sure, but they don’t have the luxury of time in a tough NFC East. Going 18-for-34 for just 164 yards leaves a lot to be desired.
Kyle Pitts, TE, Atlanta Falcons
Another tight end with a zero in Week 1. Yes, Atlanta was down to their third-string quarterback, Cooper Rush, but the Falcons were big underdogs and essentially in a passing-game script the entire time, and Pitts ended with a zero. Even with Tua Tagovailoa expected to return, the potential upside for Pitts is limited with Bijan Robinson and Drake London in the same offense.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ranking 10 crucial fantasy football winners and losers from Week 1
