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Arizona Cardinals
Eno Benjamin played 22 snaps.
Benjamin took the field for 34 percent of Arizona’s offensive plays. He got some run late in the Week 1 blowout, but was the only Cardinals running back beyond James Conner to see the field. Benjamin earned four carries and as many targets. He’s the clear handcuff to Conner.
Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons ran play-action on 51 percent of their passing plays.
That was the highest rate in the league. Matt Ryan ranked 13th in play action rate last year. Marcus Mariota‘s mobility fits perfectly with play-action concepts and Arthur Smith is taking full advantage of that. Throughout his career, Mariota has thrived when using a play-fake to throw defenses off. Add in some rushing production and Mariota could be a solid streaming option at quarterback.
Baltimore Ravens
Lamar Jackson rushed six times for 17 yards.
Removing two kneels at the end of the game, Jackson recorded just four meaningful carries. Pro Football Focus charted him as scrambling on 18 percent of his pressured dropbacks, which was higher than his rate in 2021. He was pressured slightly less, making the two stats a wash. The big issue was his designed run rate. Baltimore called just two run plays for Jackson. This is an obvious concern for Jackson’s fantasy outlook, though the Jets didn’t give the Ravens any reason to unleash their offense. Baltimore’s Week 2 matchup with Miami will be a real test for the offense.
Buffalo Bills
James Cook played three snaps.
His first and only carry of the opening game of the entire NFL season was a fumble. Cook can be dropped in season-long leagues.
Carolina Panthers
Robbie Anderson led the Panthers with eight targets.
Anderson has 10 games with at least 10 targets over the past two seasons. His production is spiky, but in the right game, he can take over. He is a high-upside FLEX option with Baker Mayfield under center.
Chicago Bears
David Montgomery played on 66 percent of the Bears’ snaps.
Montgomery’s snap rate was at 75 percent last year. Khalil Herbert posted a 9/45/1 rushing line in Week 1. Montgomery remains the top option in Chicago, but there could be a minor committee forming here.
Cincinnati Bengals
Ja’Marr Chase led the NFL in red zone targets.
His six looks inside the 20 were double that of the second-most a receiver saw in Week 1. Tee Higgins left Cincy’s opener early because of a concussion. His status for Week 2 is up in the air. If he is out, Chase has a clear path to being the WR1 overall.
Cleveland Browns
Kareem Hunt led the Browns in red zone carries and targets.
Hunt rushed four times in the red zone and saw one target, which was enough to tie him with two other Cleveland players. He surprisingly doubled up Nick Chubb in red zone carries. This was despite Chubb out-carrying Hunt 22-11. Though Chubb is the clear lead-back on the team, a red zone role for Hunt would be brutal for Chubb’s fantasy outlook.
Dallas Cowboys
The only quarterback with a lower EPA per play than Dak Prescott: Cooper Rush
It was a rough night for Prescott on the field and things only got worse when after the game ended. Tests confirmed he would need surgery on his hand, sidelining him for 6-8 weeks. If Rush is the team’s starter for the next two months, the Cowboys will struggle to offer any usable fantasy players.
Denver Broncos
The Broncos ranked third in EPA per play when excluding turnovers.
Denver got rightfully clowned on after losing to Geno Smith, but they were the better team in that game if we’re trying to look forward. Without two comically awful fumbles at the goal line, Denver would have ranked third in the NFL in EPA per play. Russell Wilson was also as elite as ever, finishing third in EPA per dropback and seventh in completion percent over expected. This team is a screaming buy-low.
Detroit Lions
D’Andre Swift is on pace for 2,975 yards from scrimmage.
No, that pace won’t hold, but Swift was elite between the tackles in his 2022 debut. That bodes well for his long-term outlook, as he has primarily been successful through the air after two NFL seasons. Swift can easily be ranked as a top-three dynasty back.
Green Bay Packers
AJ Dillon led the Packers in receptions and receiving yards.
Dillon caught five balls for 46 yards. He also led the team with 10 carries, turning them into 45 yards and a touchdown. The Packers were a broken team in Week 1, but Dillon’s split of the backfield could doom Aaron Jones. The latter still led the Packers’ backs in routes, giving fantasy managers some hope that his target share will balloon in the coming weeks. For now, they’re both RB2s.
Houston Texans
Rex Burkhead saw 48 snaps, 14 carries, and eight targets.
Dameon Pierce earned 11 carries but was a non-factor through the air. After a training camp filled with Pierce hype, it appears to have been for nothing, at least at the start of the season. Burkhead is trusted as a receiver and pass-blocker. Without many goal line opportunities to go around, Pierce will be piling up yards between the 20s and nothing more.
Indianapolis Colts
Michael Pittman earned a 26 percent target share.
Pittman saw 13 targets and posted a 9/121/1 receiving line. His numbers are a bit inflated because the Colts played a full five quarters in a game that ended in a tie. Still, Pittman is the real deal as Indy’s alpha receiver.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Christian Kirk has been targeted 20 times by Trevor Lawrence in their 1.5 games together.
This includes a half of preseason football, but Kirk’s 12 targets in Week 1 confirm what we saw in the exhibition game. He is Lawrence’s favorite target and second place isn’t close. The Jaguars got plenty of hate when they signed Kirk to a four-year, $72 million contract, but it’s clear they intend to use him like any of the other highly-paid wideouts.
Kansas City Chiefs
Clyde Edwards-Helaire saw 60 percent of Kansas City’s backfield touches through two quarters.
Jerick McKinnon was second on the team with four touches. Isiah Pacheco hardly saw the field until the second half. At this point, the Chiefs were ready to be done playing with their food, the Cardinals. Edwards-Helaire is far from a workhorse back, but he’s clearly the top rushing option for the best offense in football.
Las Vegas Raiders
Davante Adams led the NFL in targets and air yards.
Derek Carr looked Adams’ way 17 times and conjured 190 air yards for his favorite receiver. Adams is a baller and his connection with Carr is arguably as strong as it was with Rodgers. His volume dominance could render Hunter Renfrow and even Darren Waller obsolete.
Los Angeles Chargers
No LA player saw more than four targets.
Seven players saw exactly four targets. The team rotated their running backs, receivers, and tight ends. Mike Williams and Josh Palmer should still play large roles in the passing attack with Keenan Allen out for Week 2, but the team could be harder to predict than expected.
Los Angeles Rams
The Rams were in 11-personnel for every one of their offensive snaps.
I can’t bring myself to make this a pro Ben Skowronek stat, but it does bode well for Van Jefferson when he is able to return. If Allen Robinson is indeed washed, Jefferson will be a big part of the Rams’ offense.
Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins led the NFL in pass rate over expected.
Outside of Kyle himself, the Shanahan coaching tree has consistently produced teams that pass at rates higher than expected. Mike McDaniel in Miami is falling in line with that trend. Miami’s 61 percent pass rate doesn’t look overly impressive, but they held a 17-point lead at halftime and never took their foot off the gas. We should have no concerns about Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle getting there every week.
Minnesota Vikings
Justin Jefferson leads the NFL in yards per route run.
After a summer of hype, filled with comparisons to Cooper Kupp and the Rams’ offense, it all came to fruition in Week 1. Jefferson was the focal point of the Vikings’ offense and even got one of those iconic, wide-open targets over the middle of the field that Kupp became famous for last year. Of course, Jefferson scored on it and ended his day with a 9/184/2 line.
New England Patriots
Rhamondre Stevenson ran five routes.
So...I may have some Tweets to delete. Damien Harris and Ty Montgomery split the receiving role, combining for 21 routes. Stevenson shared the team’s carries with Harris, earning eight attempts. He also caught both of his targets. With no receiving role in sight, Stevenson can only be played as an RB3.
New Orleans Saints
Taysom Hill played multiple snaps at four different positions on offense.
Hill got run at quarterback, receiver (slot and wide), and tight end. He earned four carries and a target. His day was made by a 57-yard rushing score. Hill is tight end eligible on most fantasy sites and could be a fill-in option on bye weeks based on his limited role. Should calamity befall the Saints’ quarterback room, Hill will break fantasy football.
New York Giants
Kadarius Toney played seven snaps.
Toney was given two carries. The Giants gave Richie James, who is currently playing for the veteran minimum salary, a full-time role over Toney. This is a textbook Down Bad situation.
New York Jets
Michael Carter saw all three of the Jets’ goal line carries.
Carter and Hall each ran 26 routes. Hall won the target split 10-9. Carter also out-carried Hall 10-6 and ran for 37 more yards. It was not a promising showing from the rookie outside of his target total. The Jets don’t look like an exciting offense to target, so Hall can be left on the bench in most fantasy leagues.
Philadelphia Eagles
A.J. Brown saw 76 percent of Philly’s air yards.
He also earned 45 percent of the team’s targets, netting him a league-high, 1.2 WOPR. Brown caught 10 balls for 155 yards. The Eagles only attempted 32 passes, meaning Brown crowded at Dallas Goedert and DeVonta Smith. If their pass rate doesn’t increase, Brown could be the only usable pass-catcher on the team.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Jaylen Warren played 23 snaps.
Warren was the only running back to see the field while Najee Harris nursed an ankle injury. He ran 11 routes and earned three carries. If Harris misses time, Warren could be close to a direct replacement for Harris. Warren rushed 256 times for 1,216 yards and 11 scores as a senior at Oklahoma State. He also caught 25 passes.
San Francisco 49ers
Deebo Samuel saw a 29 percent target share and eight carries.
Elijah Mitchell lasted six carries before going down with a knee injury, which could explain Deebo’s carry total. The target total can also be explained quite easily. Deebo is an alpha. Through eight weeks of the 2021 season, Deebo led the NFL in target share. That role is on the table for 2022.
...also George Kittle didn’t play.
Seattle Seahawks
Rashaad Penny was targeted three times.
It was just the fifth time in his four-year career that he has seen more than two targets. He was the only Seattle back to earn a target. Backup Travis Homer earned one carry. As long as Kenneth Walker is out, Penny will have an elite role.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Julio Jones saw two carries in a game for the first time since 2011.
Jones finished second on the Bucs with 22 routes and five targets. He averaged 3.1 yards per route run. Julio looked like the Julio of old, and that is going to be crucial in Tampa Bay’s success now that Chris Godwin is dealing with a hamstring injury.
Tennessee Titans
Kyle Phillips was targeted on 42.9 percent of his routes.
The Titans had a rookie lead them in catches and yards, but it wasn’t Treylon Burks. Phillips played a rotational role in his debut and was elite at getting open. He ran 21 routes and was targeted nine times. Phillips posted a 38 percent Dominator Rating in his senior season at UCLA and was productive as early as his second season. He’s a strong Dynasty stash and should be on the redraft radar as well.
Washington Commanders
Jahan Dotson ran a route on 47-of-49 Carson Wentz dropbacks.
Terry McLaurin was on the field for every dropback while Curtis Samuel made 43 appearances. Samuel rushed four times and caught eight passes for a total of 72 yards and a score. Dotson only caught three balls, but he went for 40 yards and two scores. His route rate was promising and his role will only grow with more live reps.