Justin Fields finishes as Week 1’s QB2: Fields delivered 29.5 fantasy points, powered by 266 total yards and three touchdowns. His 90.4 PFF passing grade and dual-threat usage suggest he could be back in the weekly QB1 mix moving forward.
Denver's backfield could be a headache for fantasy managers: RJ Harvey scored 7.9 PPR points, most coming on a 50-yard run. J.K. Dobbins led the backfield in touches, while Tyler Badie surprisingly handled the receiving work.
Estimated Reading Time: 4 minutes
BOOMS
WR Zay Flowers, Baltimore Ravens
Few anticipated a Week 1 WR1 performance from Flowers.
As the Ravens and Bills went back and forth, Flowers racked up yardage as the focal point of Baltimore's passing attack. He finished with seven receptions, 143 yards and one touchdown.
The advanced numbers were particularly glowing: a 50% adjusted target rate (tied for third), four receptions of 20-plus yards (first) and a 10.7-yard average target depth.
Flowers also saw targets all over the field:
Target Area Targets
Outside 5
Slot 4
Boundary 4
Behind LOS 2
If Flowers' target rate stays high and the Ravens continue to use him all over the field, we could see a big season from the third-year wide receiver.
Temperature Check: High-end WR2
TE Tyler Warren, Indianapolis Colts
Warren looks the part of a must-start tight end after just one NFL game.
Pending final numbers from Monday Night Football, the rookie sits as the PPR TE3 on the week (14.9 points). His usage was even more encouraging than the box score: Warren drew attention from Daniel Jones right away, catching three passes for 43 yards on the opening drive. He finished with seven receptions on nine targets for 76 yards, good for a 39.1% adjusted target rate (second among tight ends in Week 1) and an elite 3.17 yards per route run (third).
The Colts clearly made Warren a focal point, and if Jones continues to funnel targets his way, he’s firmly in the conversation as one of the top tight ends in fantasy football.
Temperature Check: Must-start high-end TE1
QB Justin Fields, New York Jets
Fantasy star Justin Fields is officially back.
Week 1 was a statement game. Fields exploded for 29.5 fantasy points, which currently ranks him as QB2 on the week, fueled by 266 total yards and three touchdowns.
He looked sharp as a passer, recording a 90.4 PFF passing grade (first among quarterbacks in Week 1) with a 9.2-yard average target depth and only one sack taken.
He also delivered the rushing upside that makes him such a valuable fantasy asset. Fields turned 12 carries into 48 yards, five first downs and two touchdowns.
With continued efficient passing and consistent rushing volume, Fields will remain in the weekly QB1 mix and join the conversation as a potential league-winning fantasy quarterback.
Temperature Check: Mid-tier QB1 with high-tier potential
BUSTS
WR Ja'Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals
Chase left a lot to be desired in week 1.
The star saw five targets in the Bengals' Week 1 matchup against the Browns, but only three were deemed catchable targets. He is currently the WR73 on the week after logging just 4.6 PPR points.
Although the Bengals won, we have seen the team's offense start slowly before. Once the group gets going, few defenses are capable of shutting it down.
There is no reason to panic about the 1.01 pick in most fantasy drafts. Let the Bengals get the wheels rolling on offense, and Chase will be back to dropping 25-plus PPR points in no time.
Temperature Check: Still the WR1
WR A.J. Brown, Philadelphia Eagles
Brown did not log a target in the Eagles' Thursday night game until the last few minutes of the game, which kept him from putting up an even more disappointing donut for fantasy managers.
Unfortunately, Brown and Devonta Smith could be boom-or-bust players all season long, depending on the Eagles' game script each week.
Brown's quiet night came while Saquon Barkley and Jalen Hurts took over on the ground against Dallas. Philadelphia's offense logged 38 rushing attempts and only 23 pass attempts (19 completions), which averaged only 4.5 air yards, leaving little opportunity for Brown.
Temperature Check: Boom-or-bust WR1
RB RJ Harvey, Denver Broncos
Harvey is currently the RB31 on the week after posting 7.9 PPR points, most of which came from one 50-yard run.
Harvey had a 31.8% touch rate, whereas backfield mate J.K. Dobbins recorded a team-leading 48.6% clip.
The bigger concern is that neither led the backfield in targets. That honor belonged to Tyler Badie, who logged five targets compared to Harvey and Dobbins' three combined). If Badie continues to dominate receiving snaps, this backfield is going to be a headache.
Temperature Check: Worried. Benching to see how the pecking order shakes out