This is about a standard Otton statline, though this one came on a day where Baker Mayfield attempted fewer than 30 passes. With Jalen McMillan sidelined, Otton probably would have exceeded five catches had the Bucs not kept killing drives with sacks and turnovers, alas. Otton is always good for a few PPR points on the back end of the TE2 ranks, but that appears to be his ceiling heading in to his age-27 campaign.
Kyler Murray left in the first quarter with a head injury, but even Carson Wentz is good enough to keep the fantasy points flowing for Jefferson. Wentz found his star receiver on a deep end zone shot late in the second quarter and put the final nail in the coffin with a nine-yard strike to Jettas late in the fourth. Jefferson has now matched his 2025 touchdown total. Even with Wentz likely under center for Week 2, Jefferson will remain near the top of the WR1 conversation versus the Bears.
Sadiq’s rushing score came on a first quarter end-around. This was a strong debut for the No. 16 overall pick, especially since Geno Smith attempted only 24 passes in an easy road victory. Awesome stuff, though Pro Football Focus did chart Sadiq as being easily out-snapped by Mason Taylor. It’s obviously promising that getting Sadiq the ball was a point of emphasis when he was on the field, but his No. 2 status in his own position group is going to make him a no-go in the top 12 for the time being.
Concepcion was utilized like the Browns’ top offensive weapon on the day, seeing three carries and five targets. He was used in motion and targeted underneath frequently. Concepcion’s fumble occurred on a screen pass where he attempted to evade multiple defenders downfield in the second quarter. His usage is certainly encouraging for fantasy managers as he led all Browns wide receivers in targets and receptions. In an offense that will likely find itself trailing frequently this season, Concepcion will see heavy usage, though getting high leverage opportunities may be difficult if the Browns continue to face the same offensive issues they did in Week 1. Concepcion is a fantasy WR4 for Week 2 against the Buccaneers.
Tate tied for the team lead in receiving yards, but as you can see, that amounted to 38 in this dismal Titans attack. He also tied for the team lead in targets, though Wan’Dale Robinson edged him 5-4 in receptions. Today was an extremely ominous Cam Ward performance against a far-from-stellar Jets defense, but there is nothing to quibble with in Tate’s usage. He was out there for 44-of-50 snaps and had healthy “shares” of everything from targets to air yards. Now we just need to see if Ward can get his career on track in Year 2 before we commit to Tate as a WR3. The Eagles are a rough Week 2 matchup.
Boston saw a few deep targets from Deshaun Watson against the Jaguars, ultimately capitalizing with a 46-yard score in the fourth quarter. It came with the game out of reach but we got a taste of how Todd Monken would like to utilize the 22-year-old rookie. He started on the outside for Cleveland and led all wide receivers in snaps, though that may have been inflated with much of the offensive volume coming with the Browns down four scores in the second half. Boston looks to be a boom-or-bust WR5 play for Week 2 against the Buccaneers.
Jeudy felt like an afterthought behind the two rookie wideouts in the Browns’ passing game. He tied for second in targets and was a distant third in yards behind Denzel Boston and KC Concepcion. The veteran is still involved as a starter on the outside, but Todd Monken made it a point to make Boston the deep target and Concepcion the primary offensive weapon. In a fantasy-unfriendly offense, Jeudy is best left off the fantasy radar.
Fannin only saw three targets on the day, catching his first pass towards the end of the third quarter. It was a bafflingly low level of usage for the 22-year-old tight end, who was heavily involved last year. Some of it may have to do with Deshaun Watson helming the offense; the Browns struggled to move the ball for much of the day. Fannin is still the primary receiving tight end, but he will have to fight KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston for what little high-leverage targets this offense can muster. We cannot discount his TE1-level rookie season just yet, Fannin is a low-end TE1 for Week 2 against the Buccaneers.
It’s a standard-issue Robinson statline for his Titans debut. Ominous, since this should have been an 8-9 reception Robinson outing with the Titans spending the entire game in comeback mode. Cam Ward and company simply could not sustain drives. In theory, Robinson could form a compelling inside-out duo with Carnell Tate, but Ward did not look like a player ready to break out on Sunday. Things could get worse before they get better with the Titans forced to take on the Eagles’ tough defense in Week 2.
Johnson didn’t catch his first pass of the game until the final minute, when Tyler Shough found him in the end zone for a game-tying score. He then racked up another 45 yards on a catch at the end of the fourth quarter and another in overtime. Johnson only finished fourth on the team in targets, which could be an issue when the team’s passing volume inevitably dips. He will be a mid-range TE2 for another potential shootout with the Ravens next week.
Picking up where he left off for the Jets last season, only this time with hopefully better quarterback and line play, Mitchell caught a 40-yard pass in the third quarter to set the Jets up in the red zone. His receiving slash wasn’t bad considering the fact Geno Smith dropped back only 24 times in a game the Jets controlled start to finish. They didn’t need to open the offense up, and they very much did not. That should change for Week 2 against the Packers, where Mitchell can be fired up as a boom/bust WR4.
Both of Downs’ catches came on the Colts’ opening drive. The fourth-year receiver looked explosive on his first reception when he turned a short catch into a 25-yard gain to move his team into Ravens territory, and he picked up another 12 yards through the air two plays later. Three of Downs’ four targets came on that drive, as he managed just one target the rest of the way. Downs’ drop-off after the opening possession largely stemmed from the Colts’ inability to move the ball. They averaged just 4.2 yards per play after that first drive and totaled only 107 passing yards over that span. The early targets were encouraging. Hopefully Downs will be in line for a better outing in Week 2 against the Chiefs. He shouldn’t be treated as anything more than a WR3 in next week’s game.
In his first regular season action, Brooks played well behind lead back Chuba Hubbard, who finished the day with ten carries and three receptions. The highlight of Brooks’ day came on a sideline throw from Bryce Young that went for 48 yards. Brooks, coming off multiple major knee injuries, showed impressive burst and speed on the catch and run. That Hubbard was the team’s primary option inside the ten yard line is bad news for Brooks’ touchdown upside in the Carolina offense. For now he profiles as a bench stash in case Hubbard misses time this season.
Waller had a short touchdown grab called back on offensive pass interference while rotating snaps and routes with Tommy Tremble. Both Panthers tight ends ran 19 routes on the day and saw two targets from Bryce Young. Waller will continue as a touchdown-reliant TE2 option in Week 2 against the Falcons.
Lance operated as the Saints’ No. 3 receiver in this game, but he was the wideout Kellen Moore subbed off the field for 12-personnel looks. In a game that doesn’t see Tyler Shough drop back over 60 times, Lance likely doesn’t make much of a mark in the box score. The good news for Lance is that the Saints could be in line for another high-scoring outing next week when they take on the Ravens. Lance will be a boom/bust WR5.
Miller operated as Travis Etienne’s backup with Alvin Kamara out this week. He surprisingly drew Etienne to a carries standstill at nine apiece. Etienne, however, saw nine targets. Miller was not targeted. Miller will be a thorn in the side of Etienne backers as long as Kamara is out, but he doesn’t have much standalone value headed into Week 2.
Burden overcame a first quarter fumble on a bubble screen to finish second on the team in targets behind Kalif Raymond, who saw nine looks from Caleb Williams, just as everyone had predicted. While Burden’s 17 percent targets per route run was well below his 2025 rate, he should be more involved going forward in a Bears offense that might be trying to break the NFL’s single season scoring record, as head coach Ben Johnson mentioned in an August interview. Burden will be a top-30 PPR option next week against the Vikings.
McConkey collided with an Arizona defender on an over-the-middle target in the third quarter and stayed down for a while before limping to the blue medical tent. A few minutes later he was being helped to the Chargers locker room. It would seem his day is over after catching five passes for 82 yards and a touchdown in his first regular season game under OC Mike McDaniel. Hopefully the oft-injured McConkey doesn’t miss extended time.
Pollard “added” a -1 yard reception. With the Titans spending the entire game in comeback script, Pollard was played to a snaps standstill by primary third-down back Tyjae Spears, though Pollard won the touches battle 8-5. Rookie Nicholas Singleton did not dress. As feared, this is looking like a near-even committee in an offense that could barely support even a bell-cow back. Pollard will be a barely-there FLEX for next week’s rough Eagles matchup.
Williams posted a semi-usable fantasy score, but the film was hard to watch. He dropped a perfectly thrown deep shot from Jared Goff early in the game and bungled a pitch later, resulting in a loss. Williams has had these types of games in the past and he generally rebounds well. Fantasy managers can keep him in their lineups for a likely shootout with the Bills next week.
Pro Football Focus charted Spears as playing just one fewer snap than Tony Pollard (26-25 for Pollard), though Pollard “won” the “touches battle” 8-5. There were no winners here, of course, as Cam Ward struggled to sustain drives in an ugly loss to a bad Jets team. Now things get much harder for Week 2 against the Eagles. The only good news for Spears and fantasy managers is that rookie Nicholas Singleton was healthy scratched this afternoon. Perhaps that will change seven days from now.
Javonte Williams should see all the volume he can handle with the Cowboys entering Week 1 with a recent signee and a practice squad elevation as depth behind their lead back. There weren’t any other surprises outside of the lack of backfield depth.
He did most of his work on the offense’s final drive, catching back-to-back targets for 26 yards. Schultz managed 52-of-79 snaps. If you were going to pick anyone in this offense besides David Montgomery and Nico Collins to return consistent fantasy value, it’s probably Schultz. It’s just, you know, there are not often three Texans worth starting in fantasy football. He’ll be a high-end TE2 against the Bengals in Week 2.