A quick-hit recap of what really mattered from Thursday through Sunday. We skip the obvious studs and instead focus on usage trends, injuries, and key shifts that actually impact your lineup decisions.
Welcome to the Monday edition of the Daily Dose newsletter, our “Fantasy Fallout” day. In this article, you will get a quick rundown of the relevant things we learned from the week’s games from Thursday through Sunday.
We won’t talk about every single player and we usually won’t spend time on studs who go nuts (no one needs to be told to start Saquon Barkley right now!), but rather, the idea is to update you on usage trends, injuries, and other relevant things to help your decisions with your teams for the coming week and beyond.
Cowboys @ Eagles
- Jahan Dotson led the Eagles in receiving (three catches, 59 yards) on a night that his WR teammates A.J. Brown (one catch, eight yards) and DeVonta Smith (3/16/0) were unusually quiet. TE Dallas Goedert caught all seven of his targets for 44 scoreless yards. The Dallas defense played soft zone coverage and forced the Eagles to march the field. The Philly pass catchers should have better days ahead but will definitely have more duds due to game script.
- Javonte Williams dominated RB snaps and opportunities for the Cowboys and racked up 64 scrimmage yards and a pair of one-yard TDs. Williams’ Week 1 usage was very strong, handling the majority of carries, being targeted three times, and handling goal-line work. Exciting rookie RB Jaydon Blue was a healthy scratch, while Miles Sanders operated as the change-of-pace back and had one long run as well as a red-zone fumble.
- QB Dak Prescott ended with a disappointing fantasy week, passing for 188 scoreless yards, but looked the part with some terrific throws and pocket presence. Both his and CeeDee Lamb’s fantasy lines would have been much bigger if not for several drops by Lamb.
- Offseason acquisition George Pickens (3/30/0) had a quiet Cowboys debut but should have brighter days ahead against weaker secondaries.
Chiefs @ Chargers
- Justin Herbert passed for 318 yards and three TDs while adding 32 rushing yards including a game-clinching 19-yard run down the sideline. This was an impressive performance against a good defense and Herbert should be in consideration as a starter every week.
- Rookie Omarion Hampton was the Chargers’ preferred RB, handling 15 of 16 RB carries and catching both of his targets. The production wasn’t great, but with a role like this, he will have some big games this season.
- The Chargers’ top three WR options, Quentin Johnston (5/79/2), Keenan Allen (7/68/1), Ladd McConkey (6/74/0), each had a solid fantasy performance. All should be in weekly consideration going forward as the Chargers use their RBs and TEs sparingly in the passing game.
- Chiefs’ WR speedster Xavier Worthy left the game with a shoulder injury after a collision with Travis Kelce and was ruled out after imaging/X-Rays. We will wait for news, but it doesn’t look good and Worthy owners should be considering replacements. Hollywood Brown was the primary beneficiary of the depleted WR room, getting targeted a whopping 16 times on his way to a 10-catch, 99-yard performance.
- KC RBs Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt handled five carries and had three targets each in a game that they never led in. This appears to be a backfield to avoid until we get more clarity or someone emerges.
Dolphins @ Colts
- The Dolphins looked completely inept on both sides of the ball, making the dominant performance by the Colts difficult to judge. Are the Colts that good? Are the Dolphins that bad? Likely a combination of the two. Next week should provide some clarity, as the Colts have to play the Broncos elite defense while the Dolphins return home to host the Patriots.
- Daniel Jones played a terrific game and had an instant connection with both WR Michael Pittman and exciting rookie TE Tyler Warren, targeting them eight and nine times, respectively, which accounted for 17 of his 29 pass attempts (59% combined target share). Probably pump the brakes on Jones next week against the Broncos, but Warren should be started every week until further notice.
- As expected, the Dolphins offense was almost entirely run through De’Von Achane, Jaylen Waddle, and Tyreek Hill. No other Miami skill players should be considered for your starting lineup.
Steelers @ Jets
- Just like we all expected, this was the highest-scoring game of the day with 64 points, while quarterbacks Aaron Rodgers and Justin Fields accounted for seven combined touchdowns. Fields should probably be in starting lineups going forward given his rushing ability and performance against a top-tier defense.
- Steelers running backs Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell operated in what amounted to an even split, with rookie Kaleb Johnson playing only two snaps. Warren and Gainwell will amount to iffy Flex plays if the split continues, but the bigger takeaway here might be that Pittsburgh will be more pass-happy than we have seen offensive coordinator Arthur Smith in the past after the Steelers averaged less than three yards per carry and passed on 58% of their plays.
- WRs DK Metcalf and Calvin Austin, along with TE Jonnu Smith, were the only players targeted more than three times for the Steelers.
- Jets RB Breece Hall dominated the backfield work with 21 opportunities compared to only six for Braelon Allen, although Allen stole a goal-line touchdown – which was expected and will likely continue.
- The Jets only threw the ball 18 times and WR Garrett Wilson accounted for eight of those targets for a whopping 44% target share. No other Jets pass catcher should be considered for your starting lineups.
Panthers @ Jaguars
- A late Chuba Hubbard touchdown somewhat masked what was a putrid performance by the Panthers offense. Hubbard and rookie WR Tet McMilan are the only Panthers we should be starting right now.
- Four Jaguars running backs saw the field, but Travis Etienne was the clear leader and appears to be a massive steal for those who drafted him. He played 70% of the offensive snaps, made plays as a receiver, and broke off a 71-yard run. Start him weekly.
- The Jaguars’ passing game didn’t have to open things up thanks to the inept Panthers offense. We will have to wait to see what they are really capable of in a better game script. For what it is worth, rookie WR Travis Hunter played a near every-down offensive role while only playing sparingly on defense.
- Jaguars TE Brenton Strange had a nice game going that was cut short by the poor game script, but he should have some big games ahead and will be a streamer to keep an eye on.
Cardinals @ Saints
- As expected, the Cardinals offensive production stemmed almost entirely from three players – TE Trey McBride, WR Marvin Harrison, and RB James Conner. All three should be started every week.
- Cardinals second-year RB Trey Benson played more snaps than we saw most of 2024 and broke off a 52-yard run. He is a name to watch and would be an immediate starting RB if Conner, who is 30 years old, ever misses any time.
- Saints TE Juwan Johnson was targeted 11 times, catching eight passes for 76 yards. He was the team’s leader in targets and is in the weekly streaming conversation. If your team lost Brock Bowers or George Kittle to injury, Johnson would be near the top of the list as a replacement.
- Saints RB Alvin Kamara touched the ball 13 times and scored a touchdown, but he ceded more work to his backups than we have seen in the past. The days of Kamara as a true workhorse are likely behind us, but he still has value and should be started.
