The NFL season is finally here, and with it comes the highs, lows, and surprises of Week 1. As the dust settles from an action-packed Sunday, it’s time to break down the biggest fantasy takeaways from every game. Whether you’re celebrating a huge win or already looking to make changes, I’ve got you covered with insights on player performances, breakout stars, and key trends to watch moving forward. Let’s dive into what you need to know to get ahead in your fantasy league after the opening weekend of the 2024 season!

Carolina Panthers vs New Orleans Saints

The Carolina Panthers opened the season with an absolute disaster in New Orleans, with Saints QB Derek Carr tossing 3 touchdowns in the 47-10 scoreline. Bryce Young’s beginner struggles continued from his rookie year, and it doesn’t seem like he will be a viable fantasy starter anytime soon. The 2023 first overall pick completed only 13 of his 30 passes, and was intercepted twice. He snuck in a rushing touchdown during garbage time, which slightly inflated his fantasy output, but it’s best to stay away from him until we see some significant changes.

It was hard to gauge the rest of the Panthers offense. The continuous score deficit forced them to keep passing, which didn’t allow these running backs to truly show who they are. From what it seemed, the backfield was mostly rotating between Miles Sanders, Chubba Hubbard, and Mike Boone. For the passing side of the offense, no receiver seems to be much of a threat for fantasy purposes either. Diontae Johnson was underwhelming in his debut, and Adam Thielen failed to surpass 8 fantasy points despite being the team’s WR1 in 2023.

On the other side of the field, the Saints were nothing short of dominant. Derek Carr was remarkably efficient and had only four incomplete passes. Alvin Kamara looks much like his old self, racking up 83 rushing yards and a touchdown, along with five catches. Rashid Shaheed showed how electric of a deep threat he has been, and could potentially be a solid flex option for the rest of the season. The only lowlight for this massive offensive performance was Chris Olave, but his low performance can be more contributed to the game flow than any lack of usage. With such a large lead, New Orleans didn’t have much of a need to play starters or pass the ball, so if you had Olave rostered, don’t fret. He should be back to normal by next week and is still a solidified starter.

Minnesota Vikings vs New York Giants

I’m just gonna say it: Daniel Jones should not be starting. Despite being signed to a 160 million dollar contract, Jones opened the 2024 season with a lackluster 186 yard performance, and twice he saw his pass end up in the hands of a defender. He should be nowhere near fantasy lineups. Despite this, Malik Nabers seemed promising, logging 5 catches, including a nice 25-yard snag at the top of the third quarter. He may be a decent option for your lineup, depending on your league, but his upside will continue to be capped unless some dramatic changes are made to New York’s QB room. 

For Minnesota, Sam Darnold was solid. He protected the ball well and led some nice drives downfield, and did a good job connecting with superstar wideout Justin Jefferson. A good chunk of his production came from one 44-yard reception in the second quarter, but the flow of the game prevented any aggressive passing attack from being needed. Jefferson is still a top WR in fantasy football this year, despite a slightly lower total than we fantasy players are used to (15.9 points). But the big surprise came in the form of new running back Aaron Jones, who made his Minnesota debut after spending his previous years in Green Bay. Jones gave flashbacks to his glory days as a Packer, rushing for nearly 100 yards and a touchdown while averaging over 6 yards a carry. Fantasy managers should keep note of how he continues to be utilized as the season goes on, and he’s looking like he is prepared to exceed his draft value.

New England Patriots at Cincinnati Bengals

In just his rookie season debut, New England head coach Jerod Mayo pulled off a massive upset against Joe Burrow and the Bengals, controlling the game flow nicely in a 16-10 win. While Jacoby Brisset and the receiving corps for the Patriots did not play poorly by any means, the star of the show was Rhamondre Stevenson, who could be the centerpiece for this New England offense going forward. The volume he received was massive for fantasy managers: 28 total touches on the day allowed Stevenson to finish with 21.6 fantasy points in PPR leagues. He should be started each week until proven otherwise.

Cincinnati's offense was very underwhelming for most of the game. Some of this can be attributed to the absence of Tee Higgins, who was sidelined with injury, but QB Joe Burrow was ineffective and only put up 8 fantasy points regardless. Burrow’s partner-in-crime, Ja’Marr Chase, also underperformed slightly, but his performance can be more overlooked considering he had been barely active in training camp and still led the team in receptions and yards by a sizable margin. Continue to start Chase in confidence, but be cautious about how you use Joe Burrow. 

Pittsburgh Steelers vs Atlanta Falcons

How often do you see a team score 18 points solely off field goals? This was the case with Pittsburgh, who hit 3 kicks through the uprights thanks to kicker Chris Boswell. QB Justin Fields started the matchup over Russell Wilson, and while he didn’t excel through the air, Fields showed his fantasy appeal with 14 rushes for 57 yards. He clearly continued to be a frequent scrambler, which gives him a solid floor that should increase his value. Najee Harris commanded the run game with 20 carries for 70 yards, while backup running back Jaylen Warren only rushed the ball twice. This may have been due to Warren missing some time in practice with injury, but it’s still surprising to see Najee control such a high proportion of the ground volume. Wide receiver George Pickens had a solid performance and could morph into an every-week starter later in the season. 

The Falcon’s offense was very hyped up throughout the season, but they didn’t play to expectations in week 1. Bijan Robinson managed to reach 16 fantasy points, and a 2nd-quarter touchdown allowed Kyle Pitts to surpass double-digits, but that’s where the highlights stop. Wideout Drake London massively disappointed with 2 catches, and scored less than 4 fantasy points on the day. Considering he was expected to take the next-step in 2024, London owners must be disappointed. If you started Kirk Cousins by any chance, you’re surely also scratching your head. The veteran passer failed to reach double-digits and was nothing more than mediocre throughout the game. If this offense is to be a threat in fantasy, they will have to be much better than they were today.

Houston Texans vs Indianapolis Colts

This divisional showdown is an early contender for most exciting game of the week. An early 60-yard heave from Anthony Richardson, arguably the best throw of the day, connected with receiver Alec Pierce for the first touchdown after the day. Following this score, NFL fans were treated to a back-and-forth thriller which ended with four straight touchdowns in the final quarter. 

Indianapolis came out on top, thanks to a massive day from their starting QB. Anthony Richardson showed how clutch he can be with his electric 4th-down touchdown run to win the game. From a fantasy perspective, Anthony Richardson finished with 26 fantasy points, showing his ability to excel as both a passer and a runner. Jonathan Taylor was relatively disappointing, and I don’t like that he failed to make an impact in the receiving game. If he wants to be a top running back in fantasy, Taylor needs to either step up his efficiency running the ball or start getting involved in passes and screen plays. If he is unable to take his game to the next level, I don’t see Taylor finishing the season as more than a low-tier RB1. 

If you read my earlier predictions for the highest-scoring lineup of week 1, you’ll know I predicted C.J. Stroud to finish as the QB1 for the week. He didn’t do just that, but his 18 fantasy points aren’t bad by any means. Nico Collins and Stefon Diggs both balled out, with Collins eclipsing the 100 yard mark and Diggs bagging two touchdowns on the day. Both are top fantasy receivers as the season goes on. Joe Mixon had a huge performance, rushing for 160 yards and a touchdown, and this Houston offense is in complete sync. Mixon, Diggs, Stroud, and Collins are all every-week starters until proven otherwise.

Arizona Cardinals vs Buffalo Bills

This was another exciting game, and the Cardinals nearly pulled off a huge upset in Buffalo, falling just short at the end. However, superstar rookie Marvin Harrison Jr. was hugely disappointing. Despite making a huge impact before the draft and in training camp, the former Ohio State Buckeye only managed 1 catch. Harrison owners should hope that this is a fluke and can be attributed to first-game jitters. Kyler Murray performed as expected, and James Connor returned to being an important part of this offense. It will be interesting who stands out in this squad as the season goes on.

Josh Allen had a huge day, and showed that he’s the best quarterback in fantasy football no matter who his receivers are. His 4 total touchdowns were nothing short of magical, and his front-flip to score in the 4th quarter wouldn’t even be attempted by any other passer in this league. No receiver really stood out, but Keon Coleman had some nice catches and could emerge as the WR1 in this offense. James Cook didn’t really exceed expectations or disappoint, and he should continue to be a solid RB2 for fantasy as the season goes on.

Tennessee Titans vs Chicago Bears

This game was so messy yet still managed to entertain audiences. Both quarterbacks had their independent struggles, but the big plays never conceded. Caleb Williams struggled in his first game with just 93 passing yards, but the Bears still managed to take the win thanks to their spectacular defensive performance. Williams will learn as he gains experience, so don’t be too worried about how these Bear’s offensive players struggled. This team will improve as we go through the weeks. 

For Tennessee, Will Levis had his fair share of struggles, but this Tennessee also produced some solid drives. Overall however, the Chicago defense controlled this matchup. Tony Pollard proved that he’s still a capable RB1, receiving significantly more volume than fellow halfback Tykae Spears. DeAndre Hopkins and Calvin Ridley were both disappointing as they only pulled in 4 catches combined, but so was this whole offense, so you can let them slide for today. Will Levis will need to prove his worth as the season goes on for us to judge if anyone on this offense really brings premium fantasy value. 

Jacksonville Jaguars vs Miami Dolphins

The only big surprises in this game were Tank Bigsby and Evan Engram. While his fantasy output seemed standard, Bigsby rushed for more than 30 yards than Travis Etienne with the same amount of carries. It’ll be interesting to see how the Jaguars take this performance into account when they decide how to distribute the rushing volume over the next few weeks. Other than that, Trevor Lawrence was nothing more than decent, and no receiver made a standout impression. Tight end Evan Engram was very disappointing, as he only hauled in 1 of 4 targets. Many fantasy managers (including myself) had very high expectations for Engram this season, so it’s not a good sign to see such a small output in the first week. For the sake of Engram’s owners, hopefully this performance is a dud and he returns back to his normal production in week 2. 

On the other side of the field, Tua Tagovailoa surpassed the 300 yard mark, and had a big day throwing the ball to targets Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill. Both receivers recorded over 100 yards receiving, with Hill hauling in an 80-yard touchdown with 2 minutes left in the third quarter. Devon Achane also had a big day in the receiving game, and last year is looking less and less like a fluke as Achane becomes healthier and more experienced. He has unquestionably Raheem Mostert as the lead back in 

this offense.

Denver Broncos vs Seattle Seahawks

We’ve seen a lot of young quarterbacks struggle so far, and Bo Nix is no exception. The rookie threw two interceptions in his debut and only reached 138 passing yards. On the bright side, he scored his first NFL touchdown in the 4th quarter with a 4-yard rush, though it didn’t mean much. While no offensive playmakers made much of an impact, it is interesting to note that 7th round rookie Devaughn Vele had 8 catches, which led the team. Who knows, maybe he emerges as this year’s Puka Nacua.

After opening the game with an early interception, Geno Smith had a bounceback, passing for a touchdown and then scrambling for a brilliant 34 yard touchdown run. He’s not exactly an ideal player for fantasy, but if he stays consistent he could be worth taking a look at. Kenneth Walker had a productive day on the ground, exceeding 100 rushing yards and adding on a touchdown. Zach Charbonet may steal passes, but as long as Kenneth Walker can stay consistent as a runner he’s a good RB2 for your team in fantasy. Tyler Lockett quietly had a decent day, catching all 6 of his passes for 77 yards, which was more than double that of D.K. Metcalf. While Metcalf is still the clear WR1 for Seattle, Tyler Lockett’s consistency after all these years continues to keep him relevant in fantasy conversations. 

Las Vegas Raiders vs Los Angeles Chargers

The Las Vegas offense struggled in this game, but Gardner Minshew wasn’t bad. He threw for 257 yards with a touchdown despite the run game being mostly ineffective. Davante Adams had an average performance, catching 5 of 6 of his targets for 57 yards. He’s not the receiver he once was, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he falls out of the top 15 fantasy receivers this season. 

J.K. Dobbins absolutely dominated this game for the Chargers. His 135 rushing yards on just 10 carries propelled the offense, even as the passing game stalled at several moments. This team is still very short at the receiver position after losing Keenan Allen and Mike Williams, and no pass-catcher on this team is fantasy relevant at the moment.  

Dallas Cowboys vs Cleveland Browns

No Cowboys offensive player was asked to do much in this game, as the defense absolutely steamrolled Cleveland. Dak Prescott didn’t play badly at all, but due to the gameflow his fantasy output wasn’t very high. Brandin Cooks showed that he is still a very capable receiver with his touchdown, and CeeDee Lamb was efficient despite not being asked to do much. The biggest takeaway is that Ezekiel Elliot looked fresh and made some very nice runs throughout the day.

This Browns offense looked absolutely atrocious throughout the game. The touchdown in garbage time flattered them in the scoreline, but they were a trainwreck in the first half. Not a single player excelled for fantasy purposes except for Jerome Ford, and this was largely due to his touchdown with 30 seconds left in the game against the Cowboys second-string defenders. Deshaun Watson looks very worn-out and it’s hurting the rest of the team. 

Washington Commanders vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers

What a game for Baker Mayfield. He was spectacular from start to finish, throwing 4 touchdowns and making a picture-perfect over the shoulder pass to Mike Evans to start the second quarter. Evans and Chris Godwin also succeeded, combining for 3 touchdowns and 144 total yards. Both can be confidently started in fantasy each week. Rachaad White was the only big-name offensive player to struggle. He averaged just 2 yards a carry on 15 carries, and was saved with his 6 catches for 75 yards. He’s not an effective runner, and relies on pass-catching volume to succeed in fantasy. This doesn’t necessarily mean he’s bad for fantasy, it just means his upside is capped unless he can improve his performances on the ground. 

Jayden Daniels was impressive in his NFL debut. He completed 70% of his passes and avoided any turnovers, and bagged two rushing touchdowns on the side. If he can continue to succeed as the dual-threat option he was in college, he possesses some elite fantasy value. Austin Ekeler, on the other side, is never returning back to those days when he was a first round fantasy pick. He had only six total touches and most of the volume was given to Brian Robinson Jr., so it may be time to realize Ekeler isn’t capable of being a starter anymore.