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NFL Week 1 Recap: Immediate fantasy football takeaways from Sunday’s games
By Nathan Jahnke
  • Zay Flowers dominates before injury: Flowers caught five passes for 150 yards and a touchdown, but saw an early exit due to a hamstring injury.

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PFF's fantasy football recap focuses on player usage and stats, breaking down all the vital information you need to achieve fantasy success in 2026.

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Chicago Bears @ Carolina Panthers

Luther Burden takes a slightly larger role: While Burden set a career high in snap rate, it wasn’t as lofty as some fantasy managers would have liked.

One of the most hyped players in fantasy football these past few months was Burden. Burden excelled as a rookie despite never earning a full-time role, leading all Bears wide receivers with a 77.7 PFF receiving grade while finishing third among NFL wideouts in yards per route run (2.69) behind only Puka Nacua and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. His snap share, below 30% in the first half of the season, regularly exceeded 50% by year's end. He peaked at 71.4% in Week 14. Chicago cleared his path to a starting job by trading DJ Moore and letting Olamide Zaccheaus walk, replacing them with only Kalif Raymond and third-round rookie Zavion Thomas.

Burden played 95.1% of snaps in 11 personnel. He only played 45% of those snaps last season, but at times, his rate was at 100%. He only played in 15 of 23 snaps in two-receiver sets, and only one of 11 in 13 personnel. While the Bears won by 22 points, which could usually suggest a low snap rate in the fourth quarter, his snap rate in that period was the same as the first three.

This led Burden to only run a route on 71.1% of the Bears‘ pass plays, and he was only targeted on 18.5% of those routes. While it wouldn’t be surprising if his targets per route increase, his playing time might not get as high as some fantasy managers would like any time soon.

Raymond notably caught eight passes for 84 yards, leading the Bears in receiving. He consistently played in 11 personnel, but rarely in 12 and never in 13. It’s hard to imagine him keeping that rate up once Odunze is healthier and Thomas starts to become involved, but in deeper leagues, he’s worth considering.

Colston Loveland‘s playing time picks up where he left off: Loveland was held without a catch, but his increase in snaps compared to most of last season makes him a clear buy-low target.

Loveland started last season in a two-man rotation with Cole Kmet, playing a lot in two- and three-wide receiver sets, but only sparingly in 11 personnel. As the season progressed, he eventually played over 50% of 11 personnel snaps on third downs. Loveland broke out at the end of the year, catching 28 passes for 378 yards and two touchdowns over his final four games, including the playoffs. He only played 73% of the Bears‘ offensive snaps in the postseason.

Loveland continued to play in 12 personnel, to no surprise. He was always with Kmet, with rookie Sam Roush seeing nearly all of his playing time out of 13 personnel. On third downs, Loveland played 100% of snaps, which is something he did at the very end of last season. The big difference was normal early-down plays out of 11 personnel, where he played two-thirds of snaps in this game after only seeing 42.2% of those snaps last season.

Loveland ran a route on 92.1% of the Bears‘ pass plays, which was over 20% more than any other Bears player. That was also the best rate for all tight ends over the first 10 games of the season. The Bears have too much talent on offense that not everyone will have a big fantasy week every game, but Loveland should make fantasy managers very happy more weeks than not.

Chuba Hubbard dominates playing time: While Jonathon Brooks was among the most hyped running backs this off-season, Hubbard led the way.

The Panthers moved on from Rico Dowdle this offseason with the knowledge that Brooks would be back. Injuries have dominated the narrative of this backfield in recent months, with Hubbard missing most of training camp and all of the preseason with a hamstring injury. Then Brooks missed some practice after the preseason with a groin issue. Hubbard wasn’t on the injury report this week, while Brooks practiced in full on Friday and wasn’t given an injury designation. This meant we got to see both players relatively healthy for this game.

Hubbard was the clear leader for Carolina in all situations. While AJ Dillon played seven snaps, those all came in garbage time. Hubbard played 78.7% of non-garbage-time snaps compared to 21.3% by Brooks. Hubbard would generally play several plays over a few drives in a row, with Brooks taking two snaps on the third drive, four snaps on the sixth drive, five snaps on the 10th drive and two snaps on the 12th.

While Hubbard dominated playing time and touches, he only beat Brooks in yards, 87-62, thanks to a 48-yard reception by Brooks. It is also understandable that Brooks would be limited in his first regular-season game in nearly 22 months. Brooks is a fine buy-low option, as the Panthers' coaching staff is one of the most willing to change how running back snaps are distributed over the course of the season.

Darren Waller makes his Panthers debut: The veteran was called for pass interference on an otherwise touchdown in his first game in Carolina.

The Panthers spent most of the offseason with the same three tight ends from last year: Tommy Tremble, Mitchell Evans and Ja’Tavion Sanders. Sanders's Hall of Fame Game appearance made it clear the Panthers weren’t happy with their receiving tight end, leading them to sign Waller. However, Waller needed to be eased into action throughout training camp. There was some thought Waller might not be ready for Week 1, but instead, it was Sanders who was a healthy inactive.

The tight end rotation was fairly similar to last season, with Tremble as the leader in 11 personnel on early downs, followed by Evans, then Carolina's receiving tight end. On third downs, Waller played 77.8% of snaps, a very slight increase from the 77.0% by Sanders last season. Tremble and Evans were the primary receivers in 12 personnel, with Waller taking 35.0% of snaps, also slightly higher than Sanders last season at 31.4%.

If Waller remains in this role, it will be impossible to trust him, or any of the Panthers' tight ends in fantasy this season. However, it’s possible Waller will see an increase in snaps over the next few weeks, in which he could become a borderline fantasy starter.

Miscellaneous Notes
  • Bears backup quarterback Tyson Bagent was inactive with a back injury. This made Case Keenum the backup, while Miller Moss was elevated from the practice squad to be the emergency third quarterback.

  • Chicago’s backfield split between D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai is remarkably similar to where the duo left off last season, with Swift playing a slight majority in most situations. At the goal line, they were 50/50, which was true from Weeks 13-17 last season as well.

  • Wide receiver Kaden Davis was elevated from the practice squad for this game. He was insurance for Rome Odunze (calf), who was listed as questionable for this game. Odunze only played 48% of snaps, losing reps to Jahdae Walker. Chances are, Odunze will take more snaps from Walker once he’s healthier. 

  • The Panthers continued their wide receiver rotation from the end of last season. Jalen Coker and Tetairoa McMillan played in 11 and 12 personnel, and Xavier Legette joining them in 11 personnel. McMillan’s slot rate was a common topic of conversation during the preseason, but he only played 21.4% of his snaps out of the slot, which was only up slightly relative to last season.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Cincinnati Bengals

First look at the new Buccaneers‘ running back rotation: Bucky Irving remained the lead running back regardless of the situation despite changes over the offseason.

The Buccaneers made a significant change to their backfield this offseason, opting not to re-sign Rachaad White and instead paying Kenny Gainwell much more after his breakout season with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Coaches' comments throughout the offseason suggested Irving would remain the starter, but Gainwell would see significant playing time, particularly in passing situations.

Irving led the two-man rotation as expected, but the two were used interchangeably rather than having specific roles. There weren’t any clear patterns, like a rotation by drive. Typically, someone would take the first few plays of the drive, but if a possession extended past three plays, we typically saw both running backs at some point.

In general, Irving was the leader. This suggests that the backfield will be fluid, and if one running back starts greatly outperforming the other, it would be easy for the team to adjust the rotation. Until then, it will be hard to trust Gainwell in the smaller role.

Part of the narrative around Irving was his goal-line opportunities after Sean Tucker consistently played at the goal line last season. Tucker was inactive for this game with a hamstring injury. There were no goal-line snaps for Tampa Bay in this game, so it will be difficult to be too optimistic about Irving until we see more goal-line snaps by the team and with Tucker healthy.

Tampa Bay’s straightforward wide receiver rotation: The Buccaneers moved around their wide receivers relative to last season.

Injuries impacted Tampa Bay’s wide receiver room throughout last season, with Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Emeka Egbuka, Tez Johnson, Jalen McMillan and Sterling Shepard all receiving significant playing time. Evans and Shepard are no longer with the team, but Tampa Bay added Ted Hurst III in the draft. McMillan was limited in practice with a knee injury. Egbuka was also dealing with a toe injury, but that didn’t impact his playing time in this game.

While Hurst was the rookie and Johnson wasn’t, Hurst was one of the top three receivers. As expected, Hurst was the X receiver in 11 personnel. Egbuka, who primarily played in the slot and X receiver last season, moved to Z receiver, while Godwin remained in the slot. The three of them played over 80% of snaps in 11 personnel. In 12 personnel, it was a four-man rotation, with all four playing between 4-to-6 snaps out of 10.

Egbuka led the team in receiving, with five receptions for 63 yards. It will be difficult to get too excited about the wide receivers until we know how McMillan impacts the wide receiver rotation, but for now, Egbuka is off to a fine start.

Mike Gesicki shines in Erick All Jr.’s return: While All is the tight end several were excited about heading into the season, Gesicki caught five passes for 78 yards and a touchdown.

The Bengals' biggest addition on offense this offseason was the return of All, who missed half of 2024 and all of 2025 with an ACL tear. While All is a talented tight end, his path to being fantasy-relevant has been blocked by his role in Cincinnati. Drew Sample receives significant playing time for his blocking, while Gesicki plays in the most obvious passing situations.

All was the main receiving tight end on early downs when he was healthy. Noah Fant took that role last season before leaving in free agency. Based on All’s one preseason game, we expected him to have that responsibility again. A tight end needs a receiving role on both early downs and the obvious passing situations to be fantasy-relevant.

The Bengals largely continued their typical rotation, where Sample was the primary tight end in 11 personnel on early downs. Sample also took several of the 11 personnel snaps on third downs for his blocking. Sample was consistently on the field in 12 personnel, while Gesicki and All split snaps in those situations.

If anything, Gesicki received less playing time than his usual game from last season, particularly in 11 personnel, but his target rate skyrocketed to 41.2% targets per route. Last season, his rate was 18%, with a few spike games in the 30s but under 20% in half of his games.

Gesicki will probably be a popular waiver target for those who just look at the box score, but his play is unsustainable in this role. It also means All won’t be fantasy-relevant anytime soon.

Miscellaneous Notes
  • Cincinnati running back Chase Brown received very similar usage to last season, although he played 100% of the two-minute snaps. Brown only reached 100% of two-minute snaps once last season, and that was a game where Samaje Perine was inactive. This suggests a slight increase in playing time for Brown this season.

  • The Bengals elevated Tanner Hudson off the practice squad for this game, while they made backup Jack Endries a healthy inactive.

  • Cincinnati made Ke’Shawn Williams inactive, leaving the team with only five wide receivers. Former Canadian Football League player Dohnte Meyers and fourth-round rookie Colbie Young were the available backups. Meyers was typically a slot receiver while he was on the field, while Young was usually an outside receiver.

  • The Buccaneers elevated running back Josh Williams from the practice squad for this game. He took the place of Sean Tucker, who was inactive with a hamstring injury.

  • Cade Otton remains a favorite to lead all tight ends in offensive snaps, as in recent seasons. He played all but one snap, with Bauer Sharp taking one snap from him.

New Orleans Saints @ Detroit Lions

Saints' surprising running back rotation: Travis Etienne Jr. played less than 60% of snaps despite several running back injuries.

The Saints signed Etienne to a long-term contract in free agency to make him their lead running back. They appeared to have significant depth, with Alvin Kamara, Kendre Miller, Devin Neal, Audric Estime and Ty Chandler all competing for the backup spots. However, Neal and Chandler landed on injured reserve before the season, Estime went on injured reserve on Saturday and Kamara was inactive with a knee injury. This left Miller as the top backup by default, while CJ Donaldson was a practice squad call-up to be third on the depth chart.

Etienne played 59% of early-down snaps, with Miller rotating in heavily. Donaldson took the third-down role, and all three played in short-yardage situations. Etienne and Miller split carries at nine each, and it was Miller who scored the team's one rushing touchdown.

Etienne was the goal-line back, so he will likely see more carries going forward, but this game was supposed to be the ceiling of what Etienne’s usage would be. This was a notable decrease from what Etienne did with the Jacksonville Jaguars last season, with fewer early-down snaps but more snaps in passing situations, leading to fewer touches.

While Etienne appeared to be a solid-RB2 when he was drafted, it’s fair to question if he should be in fantasy starting lineups any given week, particularly once Kamara returns.

Juwan Johnson sees a boost in snaps: Johnson was a popular waiver wire target this past week with the Saints' thin wide receiver room and the matchup.

Johnson slowly but surely transformed from a situational tight end to an every-down tight end during his career. He played 76% of snaps last season, which was a notable increase compared to earlier in his career. He played an exceptionally high rate early last season while Foster Moreau and Taysom Hill were out due to injury. The Saints completely changed their depth at tight end this offseason, moving on from Moreau and Hill, and instead adding Noah Fant in free agency and drafting Oscar Delp. The Saints signed tight end Treyton Welch to the active roster on Saturday. He helped while Delp was out with a hamstring injury.

Johnson played 84.4% of snaps, which was much higher than late last season. He played over 80% of snaps in 11 personnel on early downs, 11 personnel on third downs, 12 personnel and 13 personnel, with Fant joining in 12 personnel and Welch added in 13 personnel. It’s possible that Delp will cut into Johnson’s playing time once he returns, but until then, we can expect a little more out of Johnson.

Johnson should remain a borderline fantasy starter until Jordyn Tyson is back.

Jahmyr Gibbs dominates without David Montgomery: Gibbs ran 29 times for 156 yards and two touchdowns, plus caught five passes for 30 yards.

The Lions traded away Montgomery this offseason, which was good news for Gibbs’ ceiling. Gibbs already saw increased playing time last season after starting his career in a two-man rotation with Montgomery. While Gibbs was likely seeing as much playing time as he could handle last season, Montgomery was still a thorn in Gibbs’ fantasy ceiling, with his eight rushing touchdowns. Detroit signed Isiah Pacheco to be Gibbs’ new backup, but he is starting the season on injured reserve. This leaves Jacob Saylors and Sione Vaki as Detroit’s reserves in the short run.

Gibbs played 74% of snaps, which was very similar to the end of last season. The difference is he played 100% of snaps in short-yardage and goal-line situations, and only 30% of snaps on third downs. It’s rare for running backs to play over 80% of snaps, and third downs are the best situation for a fantasy running back to be off the field, as those plays rarely lead to touches for a running back relative to all other situations.

This ultimately creates to more touches per snap, and a higher percentage of the touchdowns will be going to Gibbs. Anyone who drafted Gibbs 1.01 will be happy after this game.

It is worth noting that Vaki took all of the other snaps, rather than Saylors. If Gibbs were to suffer an injury before Pacheco returns, it appears Vaki would be the running back to pick up.

Miscellaneous Notes
  • Detroit only used three wide receivers on offense, with Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams playing 100% of snaps in 11 and 12 personnel and Isaac TeSlaa joining in 11 personnel. All three received a little bit of playing time out of 13 personnel.

  • The Lions signed wide receiver Tom Kennedy off their own practice squad on Thursday.

  • Sam LaPorta played 80.5% of snaps, which was a slight decrease from his typical game from last season. Brock Wright cut into his playing time in 11 personnel on early downs a little more than last season. LaPorta missed some practice time with a hip injury over the last month, which may have contributed to his snap rate.

Buffalo Bills @ Houston Texans

Bills' new-look wide receiver room: DJ Moore has a great debut for the Bills, catching five passes for 100 yards and a touchdown against an elite defense.

The Bills had an ever-changing wide receiver room last season, with Khalil Shakir, Keon Coleman, Joshua Palmer, Tyrell Shavers, Elijah Moore, Gabe Davis, Brandin Cooks and Curtis Samuel all running over 100 routes. The latter three have not found new homes for 2026. Buffalo aimed for more consistency by trading for DJ Moore to join Shakir, Palmer and Coleman.

Moore stepped right into the X receiver role, playing the clear majority of snaps in 11 and 12 personnel. Most of the time, when he was off the field, it was 13 personnel, which isn’t a big deal for wide receivers. The 13 personnel snaps meant Moore didn’t see as much playing time as he’s used to, but he ran a route on 81.3% of pass plays, which is slightly higher than last season.

Shakir’s role remained unchanged from last season, playing 100% of 11 personnel snaps, and rarely appearing in other personnel groups. Coleman led a two-man rotation with Palmer for the other outside receiving spot, but neither received enough playing time to trust them from a fantasy perspective going forward.

Anyone who drafted Moore can more confidently place him in fantasy starting lineups going forward.

Dalton Kincaid is an early favorite for sleeper of the year: The Bills tight end caught five passes for 130 yards.

Kincaid ranks sixth in PFF receiving grade, first in target rate and second in yards after the catch per reception among tight ends with at least 400 routes over the past two seasons. Only George Kittle slots ahead of him in yards per route run, making him one of the most talented receiving tight ends in the league when healthy. The problem is that Kincaid has played just 12 games at 37.6% of offensive snaps on average over the past two seasons due to a torn PCL. While he has opted against surgery on doctors' advice and says he feels significantly better, the Bills' coaching staff has publicly acknowledged ongoing uncertainty about his week-to-week availability. As the offseason has progressed, there has been more confidence that Kincaid would be able to handle more this season.

Kincaid’s snap rates were up across the board, playing two-thirds of 11 personnel snaps on early downs, over half of the 11 personnel snaps on third downs as well as over half of the 12 personnel snaps. Last season, it was Dawson Knox and Jackson Hawes taking over half of the 12 personnel snaps.

Buffalo also played 21 snaps in 13 personnel after only utilizing 55 of those snaps all of last year, and never a game with double digits. The increase in 13 personnel usage is part of why we can’t trust the Bills' wide receivers outside of Moore.

It’s entirely possible the Bills become more comfortable with his health and give him more playing time. Even if they don’t, Kincaid has the upside to be the top overall fantasy tight end this season.

The Texans' split backfield: David Montgomery led a two-man rotation with Woody Marks.

The Texans had one of the least effective run games last season, averaging 3.9 yards per attempt as a team. They lost Joe Mixon before the season, so they signed Nick Chubb to join fourth-round rookie Marks. Marks slowly but surely took over as the lead back.

To help improve the run game this season, the Texans traded for Montgomery. They also completely reworked their offensive line. There were conflicting reports this offseason about how much Montgomery would be a feature back versus a 50-50 split between Montgomery and Marks, and everything in between. Montgomery didn’t play in the preseason, so this game was our first real sign of how the two would be utilized.

Montgomery started off dominating snaps, taking 13 of the first 15. The two began a rotation by drive in the middle of the game, with Montgomery handling the fourth, sixth and nearly all of the eighth drive, while Marks oversaw the fifth and seventh. The Texans passed the ball on their final two drives, leading Marks to receive 17 of the final 20 snaps of the game.

Montgomery dominated touches at 23 to 10, and a two-to-one touch ratio seems plausible going forward. Montgomery excelled from a fantasy perspective thanks to his three touchdowns. Montgomery is likely a safe start in most matchups going forward, while Marks needs to be left on fantasy benches until he can start cutting into Montgomery’s workload.

The Texans' frustrating wide receiver rotation: Xavier Hutchinson remains the Texans' second wide receiver option.

It was impossible to trust any Texans wide receiver outside of Nico Collins last season. Collins was the X, Hutchinson and Jayden Higgins rotated at Z and Christian Kirk and Jaylin Noel rotated in the slot. Kirk is no longer on the roster, and Higgins is on injured reserve. Houston traded for Kayshon Boutte after Higgins’ injury, but it seems like a four-man rotation could lead to more production by someone rather than a five-man grouping.

Instead, Jared Wayne worked his way up the depth chart to be involved in the rotation. He was the primary wide receiver in 13 personnel, but also played over 25% of snaps in 11 and 12 personnel. Hutchinson was typically the Z receiver in 12 personnel, and then in the slot in 11. Bouute was the Z in 11 personnel, leaving Noel fifth on the depth chart, similar to last season.

Tank Dell, who is currently on injured reserve, could also impact the rotation. For now, it’s best to leave everyone outside of Collins on the waiver wire.

Monitor Dalton Schultz’s usage: While Schultz’s fantasy production was fine in this game, he could see a decrease in routes going forward.

Schultz was a popular waiver wire target once Jayden Higgins landed on injured reserve, as he appeared the second-best receiving option in the Houston offense. The problem is Houston reworked its tight end room this offseason, adding Foster Moreau in free agency and drafting Marlin Klein in the second round.

Schultz consistently played in 11 personnel in this game, but he only played on one of 15 snaps out of 12 personnel, with Moreau and Cade Stover being the typical pair of players. Even in 13 personnel, which the Texans used 12 times after barely deploying it last season, half the time it was Moreau, Stover and Klein as the three on the field.

Schultz’s route participation rate in this game was similar to last season, as was his targets per route. But it wouldn’t be surprising if the Texans use more 12 and 13 personnel in games where they are ahead, which would mean less playing time for Schultz. It’s also likely that Klein sees more playing time as the season progresses, although that could be at the expense of Moreau or Stover instead of Schultz. It will be difficult to trust Schultz in fantasy starting lineups unless the matchup is excellent.

Miscellaneous Notes
  • The Bills activated running back Frank Gore Jr. to be the third running back while Ty Johnson was out with a hamstring injury. Gore took over the third-down duties. James Cook III played 85.4% of snaps on early downs, up from 74.8% from last season, but it’s unclear if Cook will keep that increase or if it was only because Johnson was inactive.

  • Buffalo also activated Greg Dortch off the practice squad, while making Skyler Bell a healthy inactive. Bell missed time during training camp and the preseason, and while he played significantly in the final preseason game, the Bills might feel he’s not ready for the regular season yet.

Baltimore Ravens @ Indianapolis Colts

Monitor Zay Flowers‘ and Ja’Kobi Lane’s health: Flowers' hamstring was bothering him in the first half, while Lane was ruled out by the third quarter with a wrist injury.

Baltimore kept its top two wide receivers from last season in Flowers and Rashod Bateman. The team spent two mid-round picks on rookies, including Lane and Elijah Sarratt. They joined other recent picks Devontez Walker and LaJohntay Wester as the backups. Through the preseason, it became clear Lane was the third option.

The Ravens elevated wide receiver Chris Moore to the practice squad for this game. He was insurance for Walker, who was out with a groin injury. Sarratt was a healthy inactive. Based on Sarratt's preseason usage, he ranked below players like Moore on the depth chart, but Sarratt stayed on the roster because of the investment made in him.

The Ravens started the game with Flowers, Bateman and Lane in 11 personnel; Flowers and Bateman in 12 personnel; and a rotation between Bateman and Lane in 13 personnel. When Flowers left the game, Moore took over in 12 personnel, and Wester in 11. Once Lane exited, Moore also started playing in 11.

While Bateman was held without a catch, he is likely the best waiver target if some of these wide receivers miss time. He is the only one assured of a role, as it’s possible Sarratt or Walker would cut into the playing time of Moore or Wester.

Mark Andrews takes a larger role: The Ravens lost two of their top three tight ends from last season, which is good news for Andrews’ fantasy value.

In 2021, Andrews was the top overall tight end in fantasy football, with 17.7 points per game. Andrews played 75.4% of offensive snaps that season. He was also top-five in 2022, but since then, his playing time has declined while competing for snaps with Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar. Andrews played 62.2% of snaps last season, but was often under 60% when everyone was healthy. Likely and Kolar left for large deals in free agency to be the top tight ends for their new team. They were replaced by run-blocking tight end Durham Smythe and rookies Matt Hibner and Josh Cuevas.

Andrews was used more consistently in single-tight-end sets. On early downs, he played two-thirds of them after seeing 52.7% last season. On third downs, he was at 100% compared to 64% last year. His two-tight-end sets stayed consistent at around 65%. Smythe played all of the 12 personnel snaps and was typically the person to replace him on early downs.

The Ravens also jumped on the 13 personnel bandwagon, using it 12 times after implementing it only 56 times last season. Andrews' total snap rate wasn’t as high as in some other games, but that was partially because the Ravens had a solid lead by halftime. In closer games, Andrews' snap rate will be even higher.

Most importantly, Andrews ran a route on 80% of the Ravens' pass plays, up from 63.5% from last season. His target rate was also elevated a little bit, leading to four receptions for 49 yards. This makes Andrews a potential fantasy starter over the rest of the season. Most of the Ravens' touchdowns were on the ground in this game, but Andrews typically catches a high rate of touchdowns. A high touchdown rate with an elevated floor than other seasons should make anyone who drafted Andrews happy.

Josh Downs takes a full-time role: Downs played 10 of 11 snaps in 12 personnel after rarely playing in two-receiver sets in past seasons.

The talk of the offseason for the Indianapolis Colts was their wide receiver room. Michael Pittman Jr. was traded to the Indianapolis Colts. Alec Pierce signed a new long-term deal, but spent most of the offseason on the PUP list. He was still limited throughout this week with a heel injury, but wasn’t given an injury designation. Downs was expected to have a larger role with Pittman gone, but that came into question when the team added veteran Keenan Allen, who has a history with head coach Shane Steichen.

Pierce split snaps with Laquon Treadwell at X receiver. There were reports before the game that Pierce would be eased into action after missing so much time this summer. Despite this, Pierce led the team in receptions. Downs was the other player in 12 personnel. In 11 personnel, Downs moved to the slot while Allen played the Z receiver role, very similar to what Allen did with the Los Angeles Chargers last season.

Downs only caught two passes for 37 yards, while Allen caught six for 32. Downs should be considered a buy-low candidate. He had a low targets-per-route rate at 12.5%, but that should increase at least a little bit. The Colts will also run more than 54 plays in most games. 

Miscellaneous Notes
  • While the Ravens have a new coaching staff, their running back rotation was very similar to the last two seasons when Justice Hill was healthy. Henry took over two-thirds of the early-down snaps and took the goal-line snaps, while Hill played 100% of the obvious passing situations, including third downs and the two-minute drill.

  • DJ Giddens was a healthy inactive for the Colts. This made Seth McGowan the primary backup. The rookie played six snaps in his debut, with four of them coming during two-minute drills.

  • Tyler Warren played 92.6% of snaps after averaging 84% last season. While part of the reason for his high snap rate may have been the Colts only running 54 plays, this suggests a slight increase in snaps relative to last season.

Cleveland Browns @ Jacksonville Jaguars

Monitor Dylan Sampson’s health: The Browns' backup running back left in the first quarter and was ruled out early in the second.

The Browns had a three-man running back rotation last season, with Quinshon Judkins as the early-down back, Jerome Ford as the third-down back and Sampson as the backup in all situations. Cleveland opted not to re-sign Ford and instead move Raheim Sanders up the depth chart. That presumably meant more opportunities for both Judkins and Sampson.

Sampson was one of the two primary returners and suffered the knee injury on special teams before having an opportunity to play on offense. This left Judkins and Sanders as the two running backs for the entire game.

Judkins played notably more on normal early downs compared to his baseline last season. He averaged 61.1% of early-down snaps last season, and that was up to 83.8% in this game. He rarely played on third downs or in the two-minute drill last season, and that remained true in this game, with Sanders taking those situations. In an ideal world, Judkins would be playing in two-minute drills

While it would have been nice to see Judkins playing more in passing situations, it was good to see his snaps increase relative to last season. However, the Browns offense will continue to hold him back. He received 14 touches, but the game script prevented them from sticking with Judkins as they did early in the game.

Cleveland leans on rookies at wide receiver: Boston and Concepcion finished first and second on the team in receiving yards, respectively.

The Browns' wide receiver room was one of their bigger problems last season, leading the team to draft KC Concepcion Jr. and Denzel Boston in the first and second rounds. The preseason made it clear they were the starters along with Jerry Jeudy, while Isaiah Bond and Tylan Wallace were the top backups.

Boston played over 90% of snaps in both 11 and 12 personnel, making him the clear leader on the team in snaps. Concepcion played 80.6% of 11 personnel snaps, but just under 50% of 12 personnel, as he generally shared those reps with Jeudy. Jeudy played more than Concepcion in 12 personnel, but less in 11. Wallace was Jeudy’s backup in 11 personnel, while Bond was Concepcion’s backup.

This suggests Boston may be the better fantasy option of the two, as Boston was on the field for a lot more pass plays. His target rate was relatively low, but it wouldn’t be surprising if that increases. It also wouldn’t be shocking if Concepcion eventually overtakes Jeudy completely in 12 personnel, but the target rates are more likely to change in a short period of time. As for Jeudy, his snap rate has decreased too much for him to remain on fantasy rosters in most redraft leagues.

The Jaguars' new running back rotation: There was more bad news than good for Bhayshul Tuten.

The Jaguars' backfield was among the most discussed in the offseason. Last season, Travis Etienne Jr. was the early down back, Tuten his backup and LeQuint Allen the third-down and two-minute-drill back. Jacksonville didn’t re-sign Etienne, but instead brought in Chris Rodriguez Jr. Neither Tuten nor Rodriguez has a lot of NFL experience, but both have high yards-after-contact-per-carry and first-down rates. Tuten was drafted well ahead of Rodriguez due to his receiving relative to Rodriguez’s, but it was unclear how snaps would be distributed, both on early downs and at the goal line.

The first piece of good news for Tuten is he played more third-down snaps than anyone else. This might stick, but it’s worth noting Allen didn’t practice on Wednesday and was limited on Thursday and Friday with a hip injury. He was listed as questionable. It was good to see that Ameer Abdullah didn’t take the third-down snaps. Tuten also led the team in rushing production at 15 carries for 66 yards, but it is worth noting that four of those were in the fourth quarter with Nick Mullens at quarterback.

The bad news is that Chris Rodriguez took the only goal-line snap. He also received most of the short-yardage snaps and a very high percentage of the early-down snaps. The Jaguars also won’t be blowing out opponents this much every week, so Trevor Lawrence will be throwing more than 23 times in most games.

Tuten could be a sell-high candidate for anyone who just looked at this total rushing attempts and isn’t taking into account the context for how he got those carries.

The Jaguars' new-look wide receiver room: The Jaguars have a clear top three wide receivers to start the season.

Jacksonville began last year with Brian Thomas Jr., Dyami Brown and Travis Hunter as its top receivers. Parker Washington slowly but surely earned more playing time, and the team traded for Jakobi Meyers after Hunter suffered a season-ending injury. We knew heading into this season that Washington, Thomas and Meyers would be the top wide receivers, but it was unclear how snaps would shake out in 12 personnel and how much the backups would rotate in.

In 11 personnel, the top three receivers all played over 75% of snaps. In 12 personnel, Meyers played 72.7% to 54.5% by Washington. Thomas only played 9.1% in 12 personnel. The Jaguars ran 12 plays out of single-receiver sets, and also deployed seven snaps at the end of the game with only backups. Hunter only played four snaps, all out of 11 personnel.

This rotation left Meyers only running a route on 80% of pass plays, 72% for Washington and 56% for Thomas. This is all notably lower than the end of last season. This shouldn’t be too alarming for Meyers and Washington. The Jaguars had several long drives, including two 14-play series, so it’s understandable the wide receivers would rotate a lot in those situations. The Jaguars also used backups for 20% of their drives. Thomas also left briefly with an injury, which may have impacted his playing time as well. This will be a situation worth monitoring throughout the season.

Miscellaneous Notes
  • Browns tight end Harold Fannin Jr. had a very similar role to the end of last season, playing all of the 12 personnel snaps, 90% of the third-down snaps and a clear majority of single-tight end sets on early downs.

  • Jaguars tight end Brenton Strange’s snap rate decreased slightly after the addition of Nate Boerkircher, as he only played two-thirds of the snaps out of 12 personnel after playing 80.9% of those snaps last season. However, his route participation numbers were identical to last year.

  • The Jaguars elevated quarterback Nick Mullens from the practice squad for this game on Saturday to be the backup quarterback, while Quinn Ewers was inactive despite not appearing on the injury report.

  • Jacksonville wide receiver Jakobi Meyers was limited in practice all week with a thumb injury, but wasn’t given an injury designation.

  • Jaguars fifth-round rookie tight end Tanner Koziol was a healthy inactive. He may not be active this season unless there is an injury.

Atlanta Falcons @ Pittsburgh Steelers

Kyle Pitts is back in a rotation: Similar to the final week of the preseason, Pitts is rotating out more than he was last season.

Pitts broke out in 2025 with a much larger role, finishing fifth among tight ends in fantasy points per game. However, a new coaching staff added competition and quarterback uncertainty cloud his 2026 outlook. In the final week of the preseason, Austin Hooper took some time from Pitts in 12 personnel, for example.

Pitts only played in 54.5% of 12 personnel snaps in this game after appearing on 89.4% of those snaps last season. Charlie Woerner played 100% of snaps, while Hooper and Nick Muse split the rest. Pitts played 85.7% of third-down snaps, which was a slight decrease from last season. He also played less in 11 personnel on early downs at 56%, a drop from 80.6% last season.

That all added up to a 63.3% snap rate, which is very similar to where he was in 2023 and 2024. While Pitts was often off the field for run plays, the constant rotation still left him off the field for more pass plays than last season.

The Falcons' quarterback situation is a concern for all of Atlanta’s receivers, but even if Atlanta has improvement under center at some point, it will still be difficult for Pitts to match last season's numbers if he’s not on the field as much.

The Steelers are the early favorite for the most confusing backfield: Rico Dowdle was the clear leader in snaps, but Jaylen Warren started and had the most carries.

The Steelers lost Kenny Gainwell in free agency and replaced him with Dowdle, who has extensive experience with new head coach Mike McCarthy from their time together with the Dallas Cowboys. Both Dowdle and Warren have played as an early-down back and experience as a third-down back.

Warren started the game, taking the first and third drives while Dowdle handled the second and fourth. Both running backs received snaps on each of the following three possessions.  Dowdle took the eighth drive, Warren the ninth. The Steelers only passed on the 10th and 11th drives, and Dowdle was the running back for both. Dowdle also took most of the snaps on the 12th and 13th sequences, with Eli Heidenreich only joining for kneel-downs.

Given that Dowdle played more on early downs, but Warren ran the ball slightly more, it’s fair to consider this backfield a true toss-up. The two should remain close in rankings going forward, only adjusting up or down based on the matchup until one of the running backs can pull away from the other.

Miscellaneous Notes

  • Bijan Robinson’s playing time was barely different from last season, despite the new coaching staff and change in backup running back from Tyler Allgeier to Brian Robinson. He played slightly more in short-yardage situations and slightly less on normal early downs. That could lead to more touchdowns, but only if the Atlanta offense reaches the goal line.

  • Jahan Dotson was the Falcons' second wide receiver, as expected, but he was rotated out more than most second wideouts. Zachariah Branch played significantly in 12 personnel, while Branch, Zaccheaus and Blair all played far less in 11 personnel.

  • The Falcons activated tight end Nick Muse from the practice squad for this game.

  • Pittsburgh used a completely straightforward wide receiver rotation, with DK Metcalf only leaving the field for kneel-downs, Michael Pittman Jr. playing all of the 11 personnel snaps and all but one of the 12 personnel snaps. Roman Wilson played 36 of 39 snaps in 11 personnel, with second-round rookie Germie Bernard taking the other three. We should not expect Bernard to have fantasy value for Pittsburgh anytime soon.

  • Pat Freiermuth played a tad more than expected, in part because the Steelers found themselves in third-down situations frequently. Darnell Washington outsnapped Freiermuth on early downs out of 11 personnel, as he did last season as well as in the preseason.

New York Jets @ Tennessee Titans

Monitor Omar Cooper’s health: The Jets' rookie wide receiver suffered an ankle injury early in the first quarter and was ruled out by halftime.

The Jets reworked their wide receiver room after having a plan to start 2025, and then pivoting mid-season to Adonai Mitchell and John Metchie III as their primary receivers. Garrett Wilson returned from injury to join Mitchell in the starting lineup. New York spent a first-round pick on Cooper, who won the slot role by the end of training camp. Isaiah Williams was the top backup.

The Jets started the game with Wilson, Mitchell and Cooper taking all five snaps in 11 personnel together, while Wilson and Mitchell were the receivers in 12 personnel throughout the game. Cooper was done after one drive, with Williams taking over in the slot for the rest of the matchup.

There were a few surprises early in the game, including Wilson playing more X and Mitchell more Z than expected. All indications, including past seasons and the preseason, suggested Mitchell would be at X and Wilson Z. The Jets also used three plays out of 13 personnel on the first drive after implementing three snaps out of 13 personnel all of last season, and continued to use it sparingly throughout the game. Williams was the primary receiver out of 13 personnel, which contributed to his high snap rate.

Wilson will remain a must-start option with this usage, while Mitchell, who caught three passes for 60 yards, will remain a fine waiver wire target.

Kenyon Sadiq makes his NFL debut: The first-round rookie missed all of the preseason with a groin injury.

Luckily, he was able to practice in full all week and wasn’t given an injury designation. While most first-round rookie tight ends get notable buzz, Sadiq joined a Jets offense that’s expected to be below average, and on a team that invested in Mason Taylor last season. This was the first chance to see if Sadiq would be used to gauge his odds of breaking out this season.

Sadiq led the Jets' tight ends in receiving, catching three passes for 21 yards. He also ran for a touchdown. However, his playing time wasn’t at a point where he could be in fantasy starting lineups yet. Taylor remained the clear tight end in 11 personnel, and Jeremy Ruckert remained a significant part of the rotation in 12 personnel. Jelani Woods also got involved in 12 personnel, and sometimes, the Jets used 13 personnel with Sadiq off the field.

The Jets joined the league-wide trend of incorporating more 13 personnel. They only used it four times last season and turned to it 11 times in this game alone. New York also ran a play with four tight ends.

Chances are, Sadiq’s playing time will increase as the season progresses. For now, Sadiq shouldn’t be in fantasy starting lineups.

The Titans' backfield inches closer to a 50-50 split: Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears were used a little more interchangeably compared to last season.

From Weeks 6-17 last season, Pollard played 51.7% of snaps to 47.9% by Spears. Pollard played over 70% of early-down snaps, while Spears played 82% of third downs and 77% of two-minute drills. Spears played slightly more in short-yardage situations and Pollard more at the goal line. Typically, that would mean Pollard would have a clear lead in snaps, but the game script drew Spears close to even.

The Titans have a new coaching staff, and they’ve used their running backs more interchangeably. Pollard’s snap rate on early downs fell to 65.7%, while Spears' snaps on third downs dippped to 72.7%. Pollard led the touch battle eight to five.

While Pollard is still the better of the two options from a fantasy perspective, if we reach a point where Spears is playing better as a runner, it wouldn’t be surprising if he took over as the primary early-down back.

First look at the Titans' new wide receiver room: Tennessee has three new starters compared to where it finished last season.

The Titans reworked their starting wide receiver room this offseason. Calvin Ridley returned from injury to be their X receiver, Carnell Tate was drafted fourth overall to be their Z receiver and Wan’Dale Robinson was signed in free agency to their slot in 11 personnel. The Titans used their offensive starters extensively during the preseason, so the starters' roles were clear, but we didn’t get a sense of how much they might rotate out. Last season, Tennessee had Elic Ayomanor and Chimere Dike among its starters, but both remained with the team as the top backups.

Similar to the preseason, Tate was the clear Z receiver, playing 92% of 11 personnel snaps. Robinson also consistently played in 11 personnel, but only took one snap in 12 personnel. This means his playing time will decrease from where it was with the New York Giants last season, as he consistently played in 12 personnel for most of last season. While Ridley had a clear lead over Ayomanor in the preseason, the snap rates of the two were much closer together for this game. Ridley played 23 snaps in 11 personnel to 17 by Atomanor, and the two split 12 personnel with four snaps each.

Ayomanor caught a touchdown, while Ridley was held without a target. It wouldn’t be surprising if Ayomanor overtakes Ridley sooner rather than later as the Titans' X receiver. Based on this game, the Titans are likely playing for the future instead of playing for 2026, so it makes sense to turn to their second-year receiver over the player who turns 32 by the end of the season.

Miscellaneous Notes
  • New York’s running back rotation was somewhat similar to last season, except with Braelon Allen as the backup instead of Isaiah Davis. Davis didn’t receive any snaps. If anything, the snap percentages were closer together than usual, but that was likely because the Jets were running the ball so much.

  • The Jets elevated kicker Jason Sanders off the practice squad to be their primary kicker.

  • Backup wide receiver Tim Patrick was placed on injured reserve on Saturday with a groin injury.

  • Jets backup running back and returner Kene Nwangwu showed up on the injury report on Friday with a back injury, was initially ruled doubtful and then was ruled out on Saturday.

  • Titans rookie running back Nicholas Singleton was a healthy inactive, as the team went with Julius Chestnut as the third running back. This makes it less likely that Singleton will be a factor in fantasy football this season unless there is an injury.

  • Titans wide receiver Chimere Dike left in the second quarter to be evaluated for a concussion, but he was cleared and was able to return.

  • While Gunnar Helm had a high 76% snap rate, he was asked to stay in and pass-protect more than most lead receiving tight ends. This gave him a low 56.4% route participation rate.

Arizona Cardinals @ Los Angeles Chargers

Jeremiyah Love makes his NFL debut: Love spent the day in a heavy rotation with Tyler Allgeier.

The Cardinals reworked their running back room this offseason, drafting Love with the third overall pick and signing Allgeier from the Atlanta Falcons. Love saw extensive action in the first week of the preseason before suffering an ankle injury. He was a limited participant in practice all week and was questionable for this game.

Love was unsurprisingly eased into action. He and Allgeier split the early-down, short-yardage and goal-line work. The surprising part of the rotation was Allgeier playing the majority of third downs and two-minute drill snaps. Throughout his time with the Falcons, he was primarily an early-down back and rarely played in those passing situations.

Arizona dominated time of possession, allowing the offense to run a high number of plays and leading both running backs to double-digit touches. Allgeier is still available in a decent number of fantasy leagues and is worth a short-term pickup. There is a chance the Cardinals rotate their backs more than expected throughout the season. Love might not be a top-15 fantasy running back yet, but it wouldn’t be surprising if he takes on more touches over the next few weeks.

Omarion Hampton leads the Chargers backfield: While Hampton scored a touchdown, there is some cause for concern for the second-year back.

The Chargers drafted Omarion Hampton in the first round last season, but he never settled into a consistent role. Early in the season, he had Najee Harris to contend with. It wasn’t long after Harris went on injured reserve that Hampton also missed time. He was eased back into action, saw his role increase each week, then missed the final game of the regular season and barely played in the playoffs. Now, he has a new offensive coordinator in Mike McDaniel but also more competition for touches, with Keaton Mitchell joining the backfield.

Hampton played 58.2% of the offensive snaps, compared with 30.9% for Mitchell, which is a little concerning. Mitchell was the primary third-down and two-minute drill back, which will limit Hampton’s receiving upside. While Hampton dominated the early-down snaps, it’s worth noting that Kimani Vidal entered the game for the one goal-line opportunity. That could limit Hampton’s touchdown upside this season.

The Chargers lost the time-of-possession battle, and more offensive snaps would naturally lead to more touches for Hampton. Still, his efficiency in this game didn’t suggest he will provide the kind of production fantasy managers expected from a second-round pick.

Monitor Ladd McConkey’s health: McConkey left the game with a chest injury late in the third quarter and didn’t return.

The Chargers moved on from Keenan Allen this offseason, leaving them with a clear top three at wide receiver in McConkey, Quentin Johnston and Tre Harris. Over the first three quarters, all three were consistently on the field together in 11 personnel. McConkey and Johnston played the clear majority of snaps in two-receiver sets. Most of the time McConkey was off the field, the Chargers had only one wide receiver on the field.

Once McConkey left the game, Harris began playing more frequently in two-receiver sets. While Brenen Thompson was the top backup wide receiver over the first three quarters, Derius Davis is the backup slot receiver, so Davis played more in 11 personnel after McConkey's injury.

If McConkey’s injury ends up being serious, Harris becomes a clear waiver-wire target as an every-down wide receiver in an offense that should play better than it did this week.

The Chargers' initial tight end rotation: Los Angeles has three talented tight ends, which unfortunately leaves this as a room to avoid.

Los Angeles made significant changes to its tight end room this offseason, adding Charlie Kolar from the Baltimore Ravens and David Njoku from the Cleveland Browns. They join Oronde Gadsden, who had a great start to last season as a receiver before slowing down as the year progressed. The preseason suggested Kolar would be the lead tight end, with Njoku joining him in two-tight end sets.

Kolar led the group in 11 personnel on early downs and shared two-tight end sets with Njoku, as the preseason suggested. We never saw a third-and-medium or third-and-long situation with the starters in the preseason, so it was unclear who would handle those snaps. It turned out to be Njoku, who played 70% of the third-down snaps. That left Gadsden as the clear third option, playing only 10 total snaps.

However, you wouldn't know that from the box score. Gadsden gained 32 yards, the third most among Chargers players, and was targeted on 40% of his routes, but he remains someone to avoid. If you need to roster a Los Angeles tight end, Njoku appears to be the best option after catching five passes for 58 yards, while Kolar could be the better option in games the Chargers are winning.

Miscellaneous Notes
  • There were injury concerns around running back Keaton Mitchell heading into the season because of a hamstring injury, but he was a limited participant in practice Wednesday and Thursday, practiced in full Friday and wasn’t given an injury designation.
  • Trey McBride played only 80% of the snaps, a slight decrease from his 90.8% rate last season. At least part of that decline was due to garbage time, but he also played a little less in 11 personnel on early downs. His route participation rate declined by less than 2%. This is nothing alarming in a one-game sample, but it’s worth monitoring.

Miami Dolphins @ Las Vegas Raiders

Miami sets its initial wide receiver rotation: The Dolphins opted to use only four wide receivers in this game, and three of them were rookies.

The Dolphins completely reworked their wide receiver room this offseason. They moved on from Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, keeping only Malik Washington from last season’s group. Miami drafted Chris Bell and Caleb Douglas, who were both listed with Washington as starters on the team’s most recent depth chart, even though both played extensively at X during the preseason. Free-agent addition Jalen Tolbert and rookie Kevin Coleman Jr. also appeared set to be part of the rotation. However, Tolbert was a healthy inactive, making it clear Miami would rely on Washington and the three rookies.

Washington played 100% of the snaps in two- and three-receiver sets, matching his usage with the starters during the preseason. This was a significant step forward for him, as he played in only 37.6% of two-receiver sets last season despite all of Miami’s injuries at wide receiver in 2025. Douglas was the other every-down wide receiver, playing more than 90% of the snaps. Bell was the third receiver, often joining the other two in 11 personnel, although Coleman also received significant work in those sets.

While the wide receivers’ playing time was clear, their roles were a little less defined than expected. Each of the top three wide receivers played more than 25% of their snaps in the slot. Coleman primarily played in the slot during the preseason, but he had the highest outside rate among Miami’s wide receivers in this game. Neither Bell nor Douglas lined up at X as often as they did during the preseason.

More than half of Malik Willis’ targets went to Douglas and Washington. They should be two of the top waiver-wire targets this week, as it’s difficult to find wide receivers who rank first or second on an NFL depth chart available on waivers.

Greg Dulcich plays a significantly increased role: Dulcich was the only tight end Miami kept from last season.

Miami used a heavy four-man rotation at tight end last season, making it difficult to trust any of the four players. Dulcich performed well on a per-route basis, posting a high receiving grade and averaging a high number of yards per route run, which led Miami to bring him back.

He was the lead tight end in all situations, playing more than 70% of the snaps in 11 personnel on both early and late downs. He also played 100% of the snaps in 12 personnel. Rookie Will Kacmarek was his backup in 11 personnel and joined him in 12 personnel. That usage led Dulcich to a 78.4% route participation rate, which is around the typical rate for a low-end TE1.

The problem is that Dulcich was targeted on only 6.9% of his routes. There is a better chance his target rate increases than his snap rate decreases, which could give Dulcich fantasy value at some point this season.

Ashton Jeanty puts his injury behind him: Jeanty dominated in Week 1 despite injuries dominating the narrative around him over the past few weeks.

Jeanty was the Raiders‘ feature back last season. The Raiders added a new head coach in Klint Kubiak, who used a frustrating two-man rotation as the Seattle Seahawks‘ offensive coordinator with Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet. The Raiders also drafted Mike Washington Jr. in the fourth round to be Jeanty’s backup. Jeanty suffered an ankle sprain in practice on Aug. 23, which initially appeared potentially season-ending, but he was a full participant in practice all week and didn't receive an injury designation for this game.

Jeanty had a 77.4% snap rate prior to garbage time, only 2.5 percentage points below his average last season. Some expected Washington to have a larger role even before Jeanty’s injury. Instead, Jeanty finished with 23 carries for 102 yards while catching six passes for 45 yards and two touchdowns, accounting for much of the Raiders' offensive production.

However, there is still some reason for concern. Washington has the build of a goal-line back, and Las Vegas never reached a true goal-line situation in this game. The Raiders did have two snaps from inside the 10-yard line, and Washington was on the field for both. Jeanty is still fully capable of scoring on longer runs or receptions, but he might not get as many short touchdowns this season if Washington continues taking snaps near the goal line.

That concern, combined with the fact that Las Vegas won't play Miami every week, makes Jeanty a sell-high candidate.

Miscellaneous Notes
  • Las Vegas used the same wide receiver rotation it showed in the preseason, with Jalen Nailor playing the X role, Tre Tucker at Z and Jack Bech joining them in the slot in 11 personnel. However, Nailor and Tucker rotated out more often in 12 personnel than expected. Las Vegas also played 12 snaps in single-receiver sets, with all six of its wide receivers receiving at least one snap in 22 personnel.
  • Brock Bowers was ruled out for this game with a knee injury. It’s likely he misses more than just this game.
  • Michael Mayer took over as the lead tight end, as expected, playing the clear majority of snaps in all situations. Ian Thomas served as the second tight end in 12 personnel.
  • De’Von Achane played 85.5% of Miami’s offensive snaps. That is notably higher than his average from last season, but the Dolphins ran only 55 offensive plays. Had Miami run more plays, his snap rate likely would have declined.
  • Dolphins rookie backup tight end Justin Joly was a healthy inactive.

Green Bay Packers @ Minnesota Vikings

MarShawn Lloyd leads the Packers' new backfield: While Lloyd led the team in carries, the Packers' run game struggled.

Lloyd spent all offseason moving up draft boards. Green Bay didn’t re-sign Emanuel Wilson, sign a free-agent running back or draft one. Lloyd appeared to be healthy and headed for the top backup spot. Then Josh Jacobs was arrested in May following a domestic dispute, which landed him on the Commissioner’s Exempt List on cutdown day. The Packers traded for Kaleb Johnson, giving them a three-man backfield of Lloyd, Johnson and incumbent backup Chris Brooks.

The Packers used only a two-man rotation in this game between Lloyd and Brooks. It was a classic split between an early-down back and a passing-down back. Lloyd played 24 of 38 snaps on early downs and in short-yardage situations, while Brooks played 24 of 30 snaps on third downs and during two-minute drills.

This means Lloyd has the most fantasy value of the group, as expected, but he gained only 37 yards on 13 carries and didn’t catch a pass. Brooks ran seven times for 29 yards but was also held without a catch. This makes Lloyd a borderline fantasy starter going forward, but he could become a must-start option in this role if his production improves given his opportunities.

The Packers consolidate their wide receiver room: Green Bay went from a five-man rotation last year to a three-man rotation this year.

The Packers‘ wide receivers have often been players to avoid because the team utilized a significant rotation. Last season, they had Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, Dontayvion Wicks and Matthew Golden as outside receivers, with Jayden Reed playing in the slot. The Packers decided to have clear starters this season, moving on from both Doubs and Wicks. The loss of Jacobs also meant the team might pass the ball more often.

The wide receiver room looked normal for the first time in years, with Golden as the X receiver, Watson as the Z and Reed joining them in 11 personnel. Both Golden and Watson played at least 84% of the snaps in both 11 and 12 personnel, while Reed played 90% of the snaps in 11 personnel. Reed was also the primary backup in 12 personnel for the first time in his career. He played five snaps in 12 personnel after playing only four all of last season. Reed even played two snaps in single-receiver sets, something he didn't do last year.

The only problem is the Packers jumped on the trend of using 13 personnel. They used that grouping 10 times after using it only 15 times all of last season. This meant roughly half of the plays Golden and Watson missed were because Green Bay was in 13 personnel. However, any fantasy manager who trusted Watson or Golden didn't care this week, as they combined for 12 receptions, 232 yards and two touchdowns.

Tucker Kraft is limited in his first game back: While Kraft made three big plays throughout the game, his snap share was lower than usual.

Kraft ended last season with a torn ACL. He started the preseason on the PUP list, but it became clear he would be ready for Week 1. The Packers and Kraft gave mixed signals about how limited he might be in his return. Concerns increased somewhat when the team added Jonnu Smith in August. However, Luke Musgrave, the backup tight end, also spent training camp on the PUP list and remains there to start the season.

Kraft played just over half of the snaps in 11 personnel while playing 25 of 31 snaps in two- and three-tight-end sets. While fantasy managers value his receiving ability, the Packers also wanted him on the field for his blocking. That left him running fewer routes than expected, but he also received a much higher target rate than usual, leading to 9.5 PPR points.

As the season progresses, we can expect Kraft's snap rate to increase while his target rate will likely decrease. He should remain in starting lineups going forward, even though he carries a little more risk than he did last season.

Jordan Mason leads the Vikings in touches: He received nearly as much playing time as Aaron Jones Sr.

Jones and Mason were the Vikings' top two running backs last season. While Mason was the more effective runner, Jones led the team in snaps. He played at least 58% of the snaps in six of his final eight games, while Mason's snap rate was below 30% in seven of his final eight games. However, beat writers suggested Mason had a good camp and would see more playing time this season.

The beat writers were correct in this case. Mason played more than 50% of the early-down snaps, while Jones remained the primary passing-down back. Mason ran the ball 15 times compared with Jones' 12 carries, with both scoring touchdowns. Neither running back caught a pass.

This makes Mason the more valuable fantasy asset going forward, as long as the Vikings are winning games or at least keeping them close.

Miscellaneous Notes
  • The Packers did some roster gymnastics with wide receiver Bo Melton, releasing him Friday, signing him to the practice squad Saturday and then elevating him for this game later that day. He and Skyy Moore were the backup wide receivers, while J. Michael Sturdivant was a healthy inactive.
  • Kyler Murray left the game early for Minnesota with a concussion and didn’t return, with Carson Wentz taking over at quarterback.
  • Minnesota used a straightforward wide receiver rotation, with Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison as the top two receivers and Jauan Jennings joining them in 11 personnel. While Addison received some work in the slot during the preseason, Jennings lined up in the slot on 71% of his snaps.
  • The Vikings ran 15 plays out of 21 personnel, with Josh Oliver taking all 15 snaps over T.J. Hockenson. That left Hockenson with a 66.2% snap rate, noticeably lower than his usual rate. If the Vikings continue to make 21 personnel a significant part of their offense, it could impact Hockenson’s fantasy ceiling.
  • The Vikings elevated running back DeeJay Dallas from the practice squad Saturday. He served as the third running back instead of rookie Demond Claiborne, making it clear Claiborne won’t be a factor in the run game anytime soon.
  • Minnesota placed backup tight end Ben Yurosek on injured reserve Tuesday.
  • Vikings former first-round quarterback J.J. McCarthy was inactive as the team’s emergency quarterback.

Washington Commanders @ Philadelphia Eagles

The Commanders' predictable running back rotation: Washington continued to rotate its running backs in a way that doesn’t help fantasy managers.

The Commanders made several changes to their running back room this offseason, losing Chris Rodriguez Jr. and Austin Ekeler and replacing them with Kaytron Allen and Rachaad White. The general expectation heading into the season was that Jacory Croskey-Merritt would play on early downs and White on third downs. However, White has graded well as a runner in the past, while Croskey-Merritt worked on his receiving this offseason. Croskey-Merritt was limited in practice all week with a groin injury but wasn’t given an injury designation Friday.

Croskey-Merritt took the early-down snaps while White handled the third-down snaps, as expected. However, Croskey-Merritt played only 63% of the early-down snaps. That is better than his average from last season, but he typically cleared 77% from Weeks 6-9. The other concern is at the goal line, where Allen and White were both involved. While Croskey-Merritt scored the touchdown in this game, we can expect White and Allen to score some of those touchdowns in other weeks.

This is a backfield to avoid unless we see someone take on a larger role.

The Commanders' crowded wide receiver room: The Commanders had five active wide receivers, and each played more than 25% of the team's offensive snaps.

Washington’s wide receiver room was plagued by injuries last season, so the team made several changes this year. Stefon Diggs was added in free agency, Dyami Brown was brought back after a year away from the team, and Antonio Williams was drafted. The preseason suggested Terry McLaurin and Treylon Burks would be the starters, with Diggs joining them in three-receiver sets and Luke McCaffrey and Jaylin Lane among the backups. However, Burks and McCaffrey were healthy inactives, suggesting notable depth chart movement since the second week of the preseason.

McLaurin was the one clear starting wide receiver, playing at least 85% of the snaps in one-, two-, three- and four-receiver sets. He lined up in the slot on 27.9% of his plays, more than double his rate from last season. McLaurin ran a route on 92.1% of pass plays, while the next-closest receiver was Diggs at 65.8%. However, Diggs was targeted on 36.0% of his routes. Brown received the most snaps in both two- and three-receiver sets.

Williams appeared as low as eighth on the Commanders' depth chart at times during the preseason but has worked his way up to fourth. He led the team with 64 receiving yards on four receptions, but he played fewer than half of the snaps in 11 personnel and rarely played in two-receiver sets. There is plenty of room for his playing time to grow if he can take most of the snaps currently going to Brown and Lane.

Williams is a fine speculative addition if you want to put a lottery ticket on your bench, but he shouldn’t be trusted in fantasy starting lineups in the near future.

Monitor Chig Okonkwo’s health: The Commanders' new tight end suffered a hamstring injury late in the third quarter and didn’t return.

Washington used a three-man tight end room last season, with Zach Ertz as the receiving tight end, John Bates as the second option and Ben Sinnott often joining Bates in 12 personnel. The team didn’t re-sign Ertz, instead opting to upgrade with free-agent addition Chig Okonkwo. While Okonkwo had been the receiving tight end for the Tennessee Titans, his snaps were often limited.

Prior to his injury, Okonkwo played a higher snap rate than usual. He was on the field for 39 of a possible 48 plays and ran a route on 23 of 27 pass plays. He was consistently on the field in two- and three-tight-end sets, losing some snaps in 11 personnel, primarily when Washington wanted a blocker on the field. This makes Okonkwo an intriguing option if the injury isn’t serious.

After his injury, Bates and Sinnott split the receiving role. Bates received more snaps, but their route participation was very similar.  If Okonkwo misses time, this is a situation to avoid.

Dontayvion Wicks makes big plays for the Eagles: A.J. Brown’s replacement caught two passes for 73 yards and a touchdown

The Eagles' wide receiver room looks very different this season. Brown was traded away, while Jahan Dotson left in free agency. In their place, the Eagles traded for Wicks to be their new X receiver, while Makai Lemon was drafted in the first round to play in the slot, joining DeVonta Smith at Z. The Eagles also added Hollywood Brown in free agency.

Wicks and Smith played more than 90% of the snaps, while Lemon played 92.1% of the snaps in 11 personnel. This playing time makes Wicks a fantasy-viable option. Lemon’s usage was a little disappointing for a first-round pick, even though he missed time. He didn’t play a single snap outside of 11 personnel, so Lemon is unlikely to threaten Smith’s playing time in the near future. While Brown was a big-name addition, he didn’t play a single offensive snap. Darius Cooper was the only backup wide receiver to see the field.

Wicks should be a top waiver-wire addition, while Lemon should remain on fantasy rosters in case his role increases later in the season.

Miscellaneous Notes
  • Saquon Barkley played 70.9% of the snaps, which isn’t as much as usual. Part of that was because Will Shipley took the two-minute drill. This will be a minor concern for Barkley if Shipley consistently handles two-minute drills, but this is a situation that can often change from one game to the next.
  • The Eagles placed second-round rookie tight end Eli Stowers (hamstring) on injured reserve Saturday.
  • Wide receiver Britain Covey was elevated from the practice squad for Philadelphia. The Eagles subsequently made Elijah Moore a healthy inactive.

Dallas Cowboys @ New York Giants

Javonte Williams remains the Cowboys’ feature back: The Cowboys have changed their primary backup running back several times over the past month.

Williams remains the clear lead back for the Cowboys, but the situation behind him has changed significantly over the past few weeks. Jaydon Blue was expected to be the top backup after the first week of the preseason, followed by Phil Mafah. Instead, neither made the roster, and Malik Davis won the backup job after serving as the primary backup to end last season. Dallas added Emari Demercado after he was released by the Kansas City Chiefs to serve as its third running back. Davis then suffered a hip injury in practice Thursday and landed on injured reserve. Dallas signed Israel Abanikanda off the practice squad to take Davis’ place, but he was inactive. The Cowboys have often kept only two halfbacks active because Hunter Luepke can also fill that role.

Despite the uncertainty behind him, Williams played slightly less than he typically did last season. Luepke handled the majority of the third-down snaps. While Luepke was used in those situations last season, Williams typically played more than 50% of the snaps. That reduced playing time didn’t stop Williams from dominating the backfield touches. The Cowboys' run game wasn’t particularly effective, but Williams scored two touchdowns and caught five passes.

Williams should remain a must-start fantasy option most weeks this season outside of particularly difficult matchups.

Cam Skattebo leads the Giants' running back rotation: Skattebo scored the Giants' only rushing touchdown and led the team in carries.

The Giants begin the season with a deep running back room. They brought back their top three running backs from the start of last season in Skattebo, Tyrone Tracy Jr. and Devin Singletary. They also added Najee Harris, with Harris and Skattebo both returning from season-ending injuries last season. Many expected Tracy to be inactive, but New York instead opted to keep Harris inactive. Harris was one of the most surprising inactives of the day from a fantasy perspective.

The rotation was largely between Skattebo and Singletary, with Tracy rarely seeing the field. It was a traditional two-man split, with Skattebo handling most early downs and all of the short-yardage and goal-line snaps, while Singletary took the clear passing situations and served as the primary backup on early downs.

This was close to a best-case scenario for Skattebo in Week 1 because, if Harris had been active, he likely would have taken some of the early-down snaps. As long as New York continues to use this running back rotation, Skattebo can safely remain in fantasy starting lineups.

Malik Nabers is active for the Giants: The one fantasy-relevant player who remained truly questionable up until game time was Nabers.

The Giants' wide receiver room looks completely different from last season. Malik Nabers remains their top receiver after missing nearly all of last season. Third-round rookie Malachi Fields won the X receiver role, while free-agent addition Darnell Mooney won the slot role and Odell Beckham Jr. earned the top backup spot. New York signed Dalen Cambre and elevated free-agent addition Braxton Berrios from the practice squad Saturday. While Nabers was a full participant in practice throughout the week, he was still listed as questionable for the game. Once Nabers was ruled active, Cambre was inactive.

While Nabers played, he did so in a rotational role. Fields led the team in snaps, playing the clear majority of two- and three-receiver sets while also seeing significant work in single-receiver sets. Mooney ranked second in snaps, playing nearly all of the 11 personnel snaps while rotating in 12 personnel. He split those 12 personnel snaps with Nabers. Nabers played more than half of the 11 personnel snaps, but his lack of involvement in 13 personnel kept his overall snap rate relatively low.

Berrios primarily served as a rotational player in 11 personnel, while Beckham saw most of his opportunities in 12 and 13 personnel. We can expect Nabers' playing time to increase going forward, which would primarily cut into Berrios' snaps and, to a lesser extent, Mooney's. It will be interesting to see whether Fields also loses playing time or can maintain a snap rate of 75% or higher.

Isaiah Likely shines in his first game with the Giants: Likely caught eight passes for 78 yards and two touchdowns.

New York had Theo Johnson as its lead tight end last season, with Daniel Bellinger and Chris Manhertz serving as the primary backups. Bellinger left in free agency, while New York added Likely from the Baltimore Ravens. Likely has spent his entire career with John Harbaugh as his head coach, and that continues this season. Likely spent the start of his career in a rotation with Mark Andrews and Charlie Kolar, all three of whom are now lead tight ends for their respective teams.

While Likely's box-score production was excellent, he was still regularly rotated out of the game. He played fewer than half of the single-tight-end snaps on early downs and also came off the field at times on third down. In two-tight-end sets, New York used a three-man rotation between Likely, Johnson and Manhertz.

Likely’s route participation was only slightly higher than it was in Baltimore, rather than taking the significant jump many fantasy managers hoped for. The difference was an exceptionally high targets-per-route rate, which is unlikely to be sustainable. Given the underlying usage, Likely profiles as a classic sell-high option after his big Week 1 performance.

Miscellaneous Notes
  • Ryan Flournoy was widely expected to be the Cowboys' clear third wide receiver after rotating at times last season. His snap rate was higher than in a typical game last season, as he left the field less frequently in 11 personnel and rotated in more often in 12 personnel.
  • Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson received a slightly higher snap rate in this game compared to last season. He played slightly less in 11 personnel on early downs but was on the field much more consistently in 12 personnel. As a result, his route participation remained similar to last season.

Table Notes

  • Snaps include plays called back due to penalties, such as offensive holding or defensive pass interference. The other three stats exclude these plays.
  • Targets may differ from official NFL sources. The most likely discrepancy will be from a clear thrown-away pass, where the NFL may assign the target to the nearest receiver while this data will not.
  • Carries are only on designed plays. Quarterback scrambles won’t count for the total number of carries in the game.
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