Introduction: Welcome back, as I hope you all are doing well! Week 1 has come and gone as this is my first weekly Fantasy Football Reactions post for the 2022 NFL Season. This post will be highlighting all of the top fantasy performers from the opening week as well as "Adam's Takeaways from Week 1." Also, I will be including some of the top priority waiver-wire adds as we prepare our lineups for Week 2. With that being said, I hope you all enjoy reading my article!
The Fantasy Leaders in PPR scoring formats from Week 1:
Quarterbacks:
Patrick Mahomes: KC: 34.90 Points
Josh Allen: BUF: 31.48 Points
Carson Wentz: WAS: 27.72 Points
Jalen Hurts: PHI: 24.72 Points
Justin Herbert: LAC: 23.26 Points
Jameis Winston: NO: 21.7 Points
Kyler Murray: ARI: 20.6 Points
Lamar Jackson: BAL: 20.1 Points
Running Backs:
Saquon Barkley: NYG: 33.4 Points
Jonathan Taylor: IND: 27.5 Points
D'Andre Swift: DET: 26.5 Points
Kareem Hunt: CLE: 23 Points
Cordarrelle Patterson: ATL: 22.6 Points
Clyde Edwards-Helaire: KC: 22.4 Points
Dontrell Hilliard: TEN: 21.9 Points
Joe Mixon: CIN: 21.5 Points
AJ Dillon: GB: 20.1 Points
Antonio Gibson: WAS: 20 Points
Wide Receivers:
Justin Jefferson: MIN: 39.4 Points
Cooper Kupp: LAR: 31.8 Points
Davante Adams: LV: 30.1 Points
Ja'Marr Chase: CIN: 28.9 Points
Michael Pittman Jr.: IND: 27.1 Points
Stefon Diggs: BUF: 26.2 Points
A.J. Brown: PHI: 25.5 Points
Michael Thomas: NO: 22.7 Points
Devin Duvernay: BAL: 21.4 Points
Robbie Anderson: CAR: 21.2 Points
Amon-Ra St. Brown: DET: 20.4 Points
Jerry Jeudy: DEN: 20.2 Points
Tight Ends:
Travis Kelce: KC: 26.1 Points
O.J. Howard: BUF: 17.8 Points
Taysom Hill: NO: 15.3 Points
Gerald Everett: LAC: 14.4 Points
Will Dissley: SEA: 13.3 Points
Dalton Schultz: DAL: 13.2 Points
Pat Freiermuth: PIT: 12.5 Points
Colby Parkinson: SEA: 12.3 Points
Adam's Takeaways from Week 1:
Weekly Projections Mean Nothing: Weekly projections always seem to sway the majority of fantasy players to start one player over another simply because they are projected to score more points for the given week. This method was ineffective last week as millions of fantasy players, including myself, started Rams running back, Cam Akers. Akers, projected to score around 13 points in PPR formats this past Thursday, put up a whopping zero points, or as others might call it, a goose egg, against a stout Buffalo Bills defense.
Now entering Week 2, Akers has taken "the plunge" as he has disappeared in running back rankings across the board. A player who was taken in the 3rd rounds of drafts needs to be benched this week until he proves he can find consistent volume in a Rams offense that only gave Cam three rushing attempts in Week 1.
Saquon Barkley Impresses: Saquon Barkley finally showed what he was made of in Tennessee on Sunday afternoon as he was able to rush for 164 yards on 18 attempts. Having so many shares of Barkley, I about fell off the couch when I saw he was piling up the fantasy points. Having waited about two years for Saquon to regain his potential due to injury, this could be the year he puts it all back together. As a result, if Barkley consistently puts up numbers like he did in Week 1, he will become a first-round pick in drafts next summer. Of course, it is only one game as I have to keep my expectations in order, but ending the opening week as the RB1 in fantasy with 32.4 points is just amazing!!!
AJ Dillon Gives Confidence to Fantasy Owners: AJ Dillon received more rushing attempts than lead-back Aaron Jones on Sunday. On top of that, Dillon scored Green Bay's only touchdown. Moving forward, Dillon should be treated as a weekly top 15 option at the running back position and therefore should give his fantasy owners confidence in playing him for the majority of weeks until further notice.
Philadelphia's Ground Game Looks Amazing: When first glancing at the headline, I get it, the Eagles were playing the Detroit Lions in Week 1. Although an easier matchup, the Eagles run-game really showed out during the contest as all of their scores came via the ground. Keep in mind that newly-acquired receiver AJ Brown still came away with 10 catches for 155 yards. With Jalen Hurts being a mobile quarterback, expect the receiving production from Brown and Devonta Smith to be skewed, as Smith was a "fantasy dud" in the opening week.
CeeDee Lamb's Future Fantasy Outlook is Uncertain: Entering the 2022 NFL season, CeeDee Lamb was a debatable top 5 fantasy WR. Now, after only one week, I see Lamb's production being inconsistent for the next month or so as quarterback Dak Prescott recovers from surgery on his throwing hand after sustaining the injury against Tampa Bay on Sunday night.
This is a blow for fantasy owners who drafted Lamb as their WR1. Hopefully I am wrong with my prediction and he can deliver consistent performances in Prescott's absence. The sooner Dak can return, the better for Lamb's owners.
Kyle Pitts Quiet in Opener: Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts only came away with three fantasy points in Week 1. Rookie Drake London and veteran Cordarrelle Patterson seemed to lead the way in the Atlanta loss. Only pulling in two of his seven targets, I expect a bounce-back game from Pitts as he was the TE3 taken in the majority of fantasy drafts.
Adam's Other Quick Week 1 Reactions:
Trey Lance looked shaky in Chicago.
Tom Brady looks as great as ever.
James Robinson still looks like the RB1 in Jacksonville.
Green Bay's rookie receivers looked lost.
Courtland Sutton and Jerry Jeudy should remain consistent on a weekly basis.
The Rams need to get Allen Robinson more involved.
Waiver Wire Wednesday:
The following is my Waiver Wire Wednesday writeup where I mention a few of the top players to add headed into Week 2.
Jeff Wilson Jr.: RB: San Francisco 49ers
Wilson Jr. is my top waiver-wire pickup for the week as lead-back Elijah Mitchell could miss up to two months due to an MCL sprain. Wilson immediately steps into San Francisco's RB1 role as his fantasy value has just entered the RB2/Flex conversation. Projected to get around 12 points in Week 2, Jeff is a solid bet to get the majority of touches out of the 49ers backfield moving forward.
Rex Burkhead: RB: Houston Texans
The Dameon Pierce hype train has come to a screeching halt as Rex Burkhead led the Texans backfield in rushing attempts last week. While the rookie Pierce had 11 rushing attempts, the veteran Burkhead led the way with 19, while also hauling in five receptions for 30 yards.
Looking ahead to Week 2, I predict the Texans will be trailing most of the game against the Denver Broncos. As a result, Burkhead may get most of the work out of the backfield as Pierce "may need work on passing downs".
Devin Duvernay: WR: Baltimore Ravens:
One of the top receiver waiver wire targets this week, Duvernay was one of Lamar Jackson's deep ball threats in New York this past Sunday. While only being targeted four times, the University of Texas product made them count as he was able to score twice while tallying 54 yards, equivalent to 21.4 fantasy points.
For now, Duvernay is a solid receiving option to have benched as I would like to see how the passing game is distributed in Week 2 among Rashod Bateman, Mark Andrews, and the aforementioned Duvernay.
O.J. Howard: TE: Houston Texans:
O.J. brought the juice in Week 1 against the Indianapolis Colts this past Sunday. Howard seemed to be one of Davis Mills favorite targets particularly when it mattered most as he was able to score twice in the opening week contest. One of the top TE pickups for this week, Howard may be a bit more involved in Week 2 as Houston travels to Denver. Only being targeted twice in Week 1 gives me a bit of concern here as Howard's production was based on his two touchdowns. Lowering your expectations would be wise if you decide to add Howard to rosters this week.
Other Waiver Adds to Consider:
Carson Wentz: QB: Washington Commanders
Jamaal Williams: RB: Detroit Lions
Jaylen Warren: RB: Pittsburgh Steelers
Robbie Anderson: WR: Carolina Panthers
Taysom Hill: TE: New Orleans Saints
Adam's Bold Fantasy Play for TNF: Joshua Palmer: Los Angeles Chargers: WR
For the final paragraph of the post, I have decided to give a sneak peek into the opening game for Week 2.
The Thursday night matchup between the Los Angeles Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs should be a shootout as I predict both teams to go to the air more often than not. With Chargers leading receiver Keenan Allen unlikely to play due to a hamstring issue I believe Mike Williams instantly becomes a must-start for the upcoming week. Other than Williams, Palmer is a receiver with great size who should be Justin Herbert's number two target. Expect tight end Gerald Everett to be involved as well, as he should continue his solid start to the season. Of course, running back Austin Ekeler should improve on his 11.2 fantasy performance from Week 1 as he has a great history against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Final Thoughts: I hope you all have enjoyed reading my Fantasy Football reactions from Week 1 as I love being able to get my ideas and thoughts out by writing. The NFL season is now underway and I could not be anymore excited!!!
See you on the Gridiron,
Adam
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