NFL Player News

Caplan has an insider’s read on the Eagles, and he suggests Hunt could push for 8-10 sacks as the most explosive and underrated pass rusher among Philly’s six defensive ends. Hunt won’t be an every-down player, but he should have a big role in nickel and dime packages. Hunt had two sacks on few snaps last year.

Kolar, listed as the Chargers’ No. 1 tight end in August, ran 13 routes, the second most among LA tight ends behind David Njoku. Kolar’s role as a blocker should limit his pass catching role in the Mike McDaniels offense. He should remain on waiver wires ahead of Week 2.

Njoku logged a pass route on 19 of the team’s 31 drop backs and was third on the Chargers in targets. Oronde Gadsden, meanwhile, ran a grand total of seven routes and caught both of his targets for 32 yards. Charlie Kolar, listed as the team’s No. 1 tight end in August, was not targeted on 13 routes against Arizona. Njoku should have some deep league value as the team’s TE1 in Week 2 against the Raiders.

Chris Brooks drew the start in this game and held a carries advantage of Lloyd for a while. Matt LaFleur eventually came to his senses and got Lloyd more involved, though it didn’t result in much production. He averaged a measly 2.8 yards per carry and didn’t catch his lone target. Lloyd will project for more carries than Brooks in Week 2, but he’s a committee back without a role in the passing game. Lloyd will shuffle to the back of the RB3 ranks versus the Jets next week.

Mayer was seemingly set for a sizable workload, going 3-of-3 for 21 yards on the Raiders’ first drive. He caught his fourth pass on the second drive, which was punched out and recovered by the Dolphins, but the play was overturned. For his part, Mayer looked good on short in-breakers and out routes, and his six receptions tie for a team-high. The Raiders simply got up to a 10-0 lead early in the second quarter and controlled the game thereafter, leaving the passing offense to take a backseat role to the Raiders’ ground game. Mayer can be started as a TE1 again next week against the Chargers.

Goedert found himself on the receiving end of two touchdown passes from Jalen Hurts, with the first coming on a 17-yard strike in the end zone on a third-and-goal from the Commanders’ 17-yard line. In the fourth quarter, Hurts and Goedert took advantage of some defensive miscommunications by the Commanders, which resulted in a 43-yard touchdown after a long catch-and-run by Goedert, who totaled 29 yards after the catch on his way to the end zone. Goedert continues to be a reliable red zone threat and is coming off a season in which he totaled a career-high 11 touchdowns. He’s off to a strong start to this season and will be a boom/bust option in next week’s game against the Titans.

Herbert shredded the Arizona secondary in the Bolts’ first drive of the game. From there he struggled to complete even routine passes and got nothing going downfield. Ladd McConkey’s exit from the ballgame in the third quarter all but ended Herbert’s production for the day. Herbert, to his credit, tried to push the ball downfield, averaging 10.8 intended air yards per attempt, the fourth highest mark of Week 1. The Cards’ time of possession domination limited play volume for LA, however, torpedoing fantasy prospects across the board. Hopefully for Herbert, the Chargers will have McConkey back for Week 2 against the Raiders. Herbert will be a borderline top-12 option.

Kraft, who tore his ACL in Week 9 last year, told reporters he would not be on a snap count in Week 1. He was. Kraft ran 20 routes to Jonnu Smith’s 18. The good news is that Kraft looked as explosive as ever, racking up gains of 30, 23, and 12 yards. Even with the weak route rate, this goes down as a win for a player whose game is built around big plays. His route rate should climb in the coming weeks, keeping him in the TE1 mix versus the Jets next Sunday.

It was a typically dominant McBride performance against a Chargers coverage unit that had no idea how to stop the speedy, big-bodied receiving threat. McBride’s big day included a 27-yard reception and a touchdown in the corner of the end zone that all but put away the ballgame. McBride led the Cardinals with a 33 percent air yards share. His Week 2 matchup against the Seahawks will be much tougher, but McBride remains the best tight end in fantasy. Last year he had 16 receptions for 179 yards and a touchdown in two games against Seattle.

Nailor picked up eight yards on QB Kirk Cousins’ first pass of the day, but Nailor quieted down after that. His next catch came with just two minutes left in the first half. Nailor’s role is too unreliable for serious FLEX consideration in Week 2 against the Chargers.

Per usual, Reed was relegated to three-receiver sets. He ran 27 routes out of 11-personnel and saw three routes from all other looks combined. What wasn’t usual was Matthew Golden’s involvement. Golden struggled to get on the field as a rookie and wasn’t awfully effective when he was out there. In Week 1, Golden led the team in routes (40) and targets (12). Christian Watson also exploded with 147 yards and a pair of touchdowns. If both players are in line for breakout seasons, Reed may be stuck in a low-value role for fantasy managers. He profiles as a WR4 for his Week 2 game against the Jets.