Fantasy Sports

Sanders “added” a -3 yard reception. As usual, Sanders’ good was all too vividly accompanied by the bad. Third quarter patience and explosiveness allowed him to find then hit a huge hole on the perimeter for a 49-yard gain, but he followed it up five plays later with a soft red zone fumble. The game then went into a lightning delay and Sanders wasn’t heard from upon the contest’s resumption. With Jaydon Blue a “healthy scratch” following an injury-marred training camp, Sanders was getting a looksee as the No. 2 back, but he might not get another opportunity in Week 2 against the Giants if Blue is ready to go.

It was a typically eventful night for Pickens in his Cowboys debut, as he also committed a personal foul and drew a 34-yard DPI. Never a dull moment. Pickens’ four targets were nine fewer than CeeDee Lamb, but you could see how the interplay between the two wideouts might work. Lamb was soaking up short-to-intermediate looks while Pickens went to work deep. Big gains are undoubtedly coming, especially considering how impressively Dak Prescott was spinning the rock this evening. Pickens will remain a top-30 option for Week 2 against the Giants.

Williams capped each of the Cowboys’ first two drives with one-yard scoring plunges. That’s good work if you can get it. If you include passing touchdowns, it was just the third two-score effort of Williams’ checkered career. Williams did not look explosive between the tackles, but he dominated snaps and touches, a trend that will undoubtedly continue for Week 2 after Miles Sanders lost a red zone fumble this evening. That being said, we would expect rookie Jaydon Blue to make his NFL debut against the Giants after he was a “healthy scratch” this evening. Blue missed most of training camp with injury. Despite tonight’s (expected) heavy workload, Williams is still more of a FLEX than RB2 for fantasy purposes.

You are not seeing things. Brown went 58 minutes without a target, finally corralling his lone look at the 1:51 mark of the fourth quarter. As was usual last season, Jalen Hurts attempted only 23 passes, but he managed to look No. 3 Jahan Dotson’s way three times. Saquon Barkley also drew five looks. We’re not film watchers, but Brown didn’t seem to be running free. He was either frustrated by sticky coverage or given to decoy usage this evening. It’s an awful way to start the season for fantasy managers, but players like Brown don’t stay down for long. He gets a Week 2 Super Bowl rematch with the Chiefs.

It’s a strong box score for the WR1, but one that hides 3-4 drops, two of which came on the Cowboys’ futile final series. Although one would have been a difficult diving catch, the other was a long strike that hit him right in the numbers. Brutal. Lamb visited the blue injury tent after the series but appeared no worse for the wear on the sideline, where he was indicating to teammates his displeasure with the drops. These things happen. In addition to the cough-ups, Lamb’s box score would also fail to reveal the end zone DPI he drew to set up a Javonte Williams touchdown plunge. He drew another DPI late in the first half. Fantasy managers and Cowboys fans will lament what might have been, but 7/110 is what first-round drafters were hoping for. The Cowboys now have 10 days to rest up for the Giants in Week 2.

On a night where the Eagles struggled for explosive plays in the passing game — or any plays to No. 1 receiver A.J. Brown — Hurts compensated with his 16th career multi-touchdown effort on the ground. Hurts’ running was the story of the game for the Eagles. After reaching 14 rushes only two times all last season, Hurts looked much freer in the open field. He seems to finally be over the lower-body injuries that have been slowing him down since the second half of the 2023 campaign. As for his passing, it was an unimaginative night for the Eagles’ play-calling. If not for a 51-yard strike to Jahan Dotson, it would have been a truly brutal effort. For whatever reason, Hurts targeted AJB only one time all night. That’s not going to cut it. The Eagles now have 10 days to mull it over before a Week 2 Super Bowl rematch with the Chiefs.

Stupefying. As the players and refs milled about the field following an Eagles special teams injury on the opening kickoff, Carter began jawing with Prescott literally right in front of a ref. He then spit on the quarterback and was instantly ejected. Mortifying, foolish behavior from one of the Eagles’ most important players. The de facto one-game suspension means Carter is unlikely to face further discipline, but the Eagles’ coaching staff figures to be shaking its collective head for weeks.

The 49ers are smartly easing Jennings back into action following an extended absence. Head coach Kyle Shanahan has already said he expects Jennings to play in Week 1 against the Seahawks, and the front office added $3 million in play-time incentives to Jennings’ contract yesterday. He’s a WR4 against Seattle.

Teams often give veteran players, particularly older running backs, days off at the first sign of irritation or discomfort, so it is entirely possible this is simply the 49ers acting out of an abundance of caution. McCaffrey does have a history of calf and Achilles tendon issues dating back to Week 17, 2023, so managing his practice load is prudent. Tomorrow’s injury report should help clarify his Week 1 status. In the meantime, fantasy managers are advised to pickup Brian Robinson if he available in free agency. McCaffrey typically makes himself available to the media on Thursday, after practice, but the veteran running back was reportedly absent this afternoon. He could be undergoing treatment or even imaging. Stay tuned.

Gonzalez is highly unlikely to play at this point, having rehabbed this hamstring injury for more than a month. Raiders WR Jakobi Meyers’ day would be considerably easier if Gonzalez were unable to go. Patriots OT Will Campbell was also added to the injury report with an ankle injury.