Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports
There were too many fantasy headlines from Week 1. I have to write.
Sure, I’m currently battling a cold. Sure, I’m tired. But it’s fantasy football, which means I’m at my computer for countless hours of the day. And now that the season is underway, those hours could turn into days.
Week 1 was a blast, as fans saw multiple overtime games, a few last-second victories, and, unfortunately, too many injuries to keep track of. For those fantasy owners who couldn’t sit around and watch every snap of every game, I’ve got you covered. And no, I am not a loser, and do in fact have a life.
Sort of.
Week 1 Takeaways-
Crowded Backfields
-The Buffalo Bills were one of the most talked-about backfields in fantasy football during the offseason. An exciting, explosive back in C.J. Spiller and the old, reliable, logic-defying Fred Jackson, this backfield has two terrific backs. Many questioned the offensive playcalling of the Bills, tending to play Jackson more than the more exciting Spiller. Despite many (including myself), thinking Jackson would be the busiest, it was Spiller who led the tandem in snaps, seeing 33, compared to Jackson’s 24. He also led the team in carries (15). Jackson did play a lot on third downs, as expected, as well as the red zone. Spiller looked pretty good, but this was a Bears defense that allowed 10 100-yard rushers last year. Still, he’s certainly not dead after all.
-I ignored it all week, as the St. Louis Rams hinted toward a hot hand approach at running back. You know that Zac Stacy is my guy, and I wasn’t too concerned with the emergence of Benny Cunningham. It’s now Monday, and I’m not freaking out by any means, but it’s worth monitoring, at the least. During Sunday’s rout, the Rams offense as a whole looked horrendous. Stacy led the team in carries (11-6), while Cunningham mainly played on third downs, hauling in four passes. And while Cunningham actually finished playing two more snaps than Stacy, that’s because the Rams were playing from behind the entire game. If you own Stacy, get Cunningham now, but don’t panic, either.
- We all knew that the New Orleans Saints would feature a committee approach. Nothing changed on Sunday, as Pierre Thomas led the team with 35 snaps, but was followed closely by Mark Ingram (20), Khiry Robinson (12) and Travaris Cadet (12). Ingram converted two carries from inside the 10-yard line into touchdowns, while Thomas made his usual impact in the passing game, hauling in a healthy six balls for 58 yards.
-I laugh at those who were worried about Giovani Bernard. Though the numbers looked awful in a tough, defensive matchup, Gio still dominated the snaps, seeing 57, compared to just 10 for rookie Jeremy Hill.
-Finally, the Miami Dolphins and New England Patriots both featured mixed backfields, and it was fitting that they faced each other. For the Pats, Shane Vereen was awesome, carrying the ball seven times for 36 yards and a score, while catching five balls, too. Stevan Ridley had eight carries for New England, while James White was a healthy scratch. Vereen dominated the snaps, though, playing 61 compared to Ridley’s 22. He’s going to be very, very busy. Meanwhile, the Dolphins had a great game on the ground, as Knowshon Moreno looked awesome, rushing for 134 yards on 24 carries. He found the end zone, as well as Lamar Miller, but Moreno is the one you want to own.
Foster’s Fortune
It looks like head coach Bill O’Brien wasn’t kidding when he said running back Arian Foster was in for a big workload. Foster had a whopping 27 carries in Week 1, rushing for 103 yards. He also caught two balls during the victory. Many people avoided Foster in drafts due to health concerns, but he may have the most guaranteed look at carries out of any running back in the NFL. If he can stay healthy, there’s no reason he can’t be a top-five running back in fantasy land.
Gronk Smashed
The long awaited return of Rob Gronkowski wasn’t as exciting as many fantasy owners would have wanted, but he still made his impact, catching four balls for 44 yards and, of course, a touchdown. He only played 44 percent of the Patriots snaps, and we saw this coming. Still, he made his presence felt by scoring, and as New England continues to ease him back, he’s still a must-start because of his touchdown potential. 43 touchdowns in 51 career regular season contests.
Injuries
There were so, so many injuries to monitor for Week 1, and some of the most relevant ones weren’t even skill position players.
-After rushing nine times for nine yards, Doug Martin suffered a knee injury when a big lineman landed on it. He couldn’t finish the game and the Bucs are waiting to see the severity of the injury.
-Alshon Jeffery came in and out of Sunday’s game, dealing with a nagging hamstring. He eventually went to the locker room, but the Bears don’t see it as a serious injury.
-The Browns suffered two big injuries, as their two best offensive players went down. Ben Tate suffered a knee injury and exited the game, while tight end Jordan Cameron aggravated his shoulder. It was an aggravation of the sprained AC joint he suffered in camp. The Browns are unsure of the severity of both injuries at the moment.
-Tight end Jordan Reed suffered a hamstring injury, and was very frustrated as he left the game. He is scheduled to have an MRI . I’d make other plans for Week 2 and maybe the foreseeable future.
Adam Pfeifer is a lead fantasy sports writer for Rant Sports. You can follow him on Twitter @aPfeiferRS.
