2022 Fantasy Football Target Report: Will Drake London Continue To Excel in Week 2?

Targets are paramount when it comes to evaluating pass-catchers for fantasy football. There are no receiving yards, no receiving touchdowns, and no receptions without a target.

We want the players on our rosters in fantasy football who will earn these targets because targets are the most important thing to look at when trying to separate one pass-catcher from another on a base level. Sure, the player that earned 160 targets may be a better fantasy option than the player who earned 110, but that doesn’t take into account the offenses these players are in, the target share percentages on their particular team, how deep down the field these targets were earned, and so on.

Each week, we’ll take a weekly team-by-team look into these target earners and separate the wheat from the chaff. 

Week 1 is our first data point for tangible, actionable information regarding the passing games and these NFL offenses. Some looked great, some looked downright awful, and two teams played in a monsoon, and we may just have to not take too much into account there. Let's look at these teams!

NFL Week 1 Target Report

Arizona Cardinals

Nothing super shocking with the Cardinals' offense in how they would deploy their weapons during DeAndre Hopkins’ six-game suspension. Marquise Brown saw 95% of routes, A.J. Green was next up, and with Rondale Moore sidelined, Greg Dortch took the slot role and was the most productive member of the Cardinals' passing game.

I'm not buying Dortch long-term at all. His performance actually bodes pretty well for when Moore gets back into the lineup as Dortch tied Brown in routes run per dropback at 95%. If the Cardinals give Moore the routes underneath, that’s what we want in fantasy.

Eno Benjamin was a trendy name during training camp, and that parlayed over to Week 1, to an extent. Benjamin is the clear RB2 in this offense with not much standalone value to plug into a fantasy lineup but valuable if something happens to James Conner. At the very least, keep his name filed away. Arizona was top-10 in high-value touches (red zone carries plus targets) last season for running backs, so the role is highly valuable.

Week 1 Arizona Cardinals Fantasy Takeaways:

• Keep Moore stashed on your fantasy rosters.
• Keep Dortch if Moore misses any more time.
• Trey McBride was a healthy scratch in Week 1, so besides super-deep formats, you can cut bait.

Atlanta Falcons

Both Drake London and Kyle Pitts are going to have some growing pains, but it was very encouraging to see London running routes on 81% of dropbacks in Week 1. 

Pitts had the Saints' Marcus Lattimore on him quite a bit, which explains some of the inefficiency in his final stat line. Still, Pitts is no typical tight end, and his 11.9-yard average depth of target (aDOT) shows that.

Cordarrelle Patterson saw the majority of the rushing work in Week 1 after Damien Williams left the game with a rib injury. Patterson ended up with a career-high in carries (22), earned five targets, and was front and center for the Falcons. Tyler Allgeier was a healthy scratch and with only special teamer and converted cornerback Avery Williams behind Patterson, that's what led to the huge workload. I wouldn't expect 22 carries to be the norm for Patterson going forward, but the Falcons will keep him plenty involved.

Week 1 Atlanta Falcons Fantasy Takeaways:

• Pitts is a must-start each week.
• Patterson is more of an RB2 with some spike-week potential, but look for the Falcons to better manage his workload. They had to run him out a ton in Week 1 out of necessity.
• London is a flex-worthy WR3 going forward with potential for much more.

Baltimore Ravens

What sticks out for Baltimore is the fact that Devin Duvernay was the one who hit paydirt — and he did it twice! Expecting anything close to that in Week 2 is a bit foolish as he did that on just 53% routes run.

I'm quite disappointed in the fact that despite the Ravens trading Marquise Brown to the Cardinals this offseason, Rashod Bateman could only muster 74% of routes. A good number, but not where we want him to be in what we thought was to be a condensed target tree at the top with him and Mark Andrews.

Training camp star Isaiah Likely didn’t catch any of his four targets in Week 1 and only ran 53% of routes himself, so he’s on thin ice from a fantasy perspective.

With J.K. Dobbins out for Week 1, the backfield turned into a committee, but we didn’t know who would be at the front of the pack. Turns out it didn’t really matter, as even when Kenyan Drake assumed the RB1 mantle for the Ravens, he was just #notgood. Drake ran the most routes and snaps in the backfield, but between him, Mike Davis, and Justice Hill, they are just placeholders until Dobbins is ready to assume the RB1 role.

Week 1 Baltimore Ravens Fantasy Takeaways:

• Drake is a desperation flex if Dobbins remains out in Week 2 and you can drop Mike Davis.
• Duvernay is a min-bid waiver add but expecting a jump in routes and production is quite a leap.
• Likely is a drop if you need the roster space.

Buffalo Bills

Stefon Diggs is a stud. Not exactly breaking news.

The fantasy football community was incredibly divided on Gabe Davis for much of the offseason, as his draft-day price reached (admittedly to me, a Davis truther) an astronomical level. The argument was always about price and never about his talent or the offense he plays in. Fast forward to the Week 1 Thursday night opener and the first touchdown of the season was scored by none other than Davis.

Davis ran 100% of routes and all snaps minus the game-ending kneel down. While Davis may not be the target hog of this offense (again, Diggs), Davis will have plenty of boom weeks for fantasy managers thanks to the strength of the offense and the attention defenses must give Diggs.

There’s a divide between Davis and the other options in this offense as while Isaiah McKenzie scored a touchdown and Jamison Crowder was a little involved, none threatened with target volume or running a consistent number of routes.

Devin Singletary had the leg up on the Bills’ backfield in Week 1, and James Cook didn’t help matters with a fumble on his first career NFL touch.

Zack Moss showed he’s still alive by reeling in all six targets thrown to him. He didn’t look all that athletic after the catch, so Moss is a placeholder for Cook once he gets his legs under him.

Week 1 Buffalo Bills Fantasy Takeaways:

• Hold on James Cook for now. He was drafted in the mid-late rounds, so you should stay the course.
• Davis is now a locked-in low-end WR2.
• McKenzie and his 55% routes run in Week 1 seems dicey to hold, but he’s a low-end flex for now based on the strength of the Buffalo offense.

Carolina Panthers

Robbie Anderson was the preferred target for Baker Mayfield in this one, leading the production for the Panthers’ receivers. Both Anderson and DJ Moore ran 100% of routes and snaps, so they’re pretty locked in here. Besides those top-two targets, Shi Smith ran 82% of routes as their slot receiver but didn’t produce much of anything.

In fact, outside of a 50-yard chunk play to Ian Thomas and a 75-yard touchdown to Anderson, the Panthers didn’t really do much of note.

Christian McCaffrey dominated the backfield, as he should. He only put up a “pedestrian” 15.7 fantasy points, but he’s the guy and will be heavily utilized. 

Week 1 Carolina Panthers Fantasy Takeaways:

• Anderson is a low-end WR3 with some spike week potential.
• Besides Anderson, CMC, and Moore, there’s little else to roster in fantasy football outside of a D’Onta Foreman handcuff or contingent play on the end of your bench.

Chicago Bears

The Bears and 49ers played in some of the worst conditions I’ve seen a football game played in, but somehow the Bears might have been worse. And STILL won the game!

The Bears ran the ball quite a bit and were not that good at doing it. At least Justin Fields had more freedom and the coaching behind him to utilize some of his talents, namely running the ball. He did throw two touchdown passes but not to players in the zip code of those we’re considering in fantasy.

Some leeway can be expected here for a run-heavy game script necessitated by the rainy and murky conditions. We should get a better read on the Bears' offense when they travel to Green Bay in Week 2.

Week 1 Chicago Bears Fantasy Takeaways:

• David Montgomery and Darnell Mooney are holds. Mooney dominated usage (96% routes), but it didn't show up in the stat sheet.
• Khalil Herbert scored and looked better than Montgomery did, so perhaps he could earn more work. I'm holding at the end of my bench in fantasy, and frankly, I'm intrigued.

Cincinnati Bengals

In one of the craziest games for not only the Bengals, Joe Burrow, and my blood pressure, Burrow threw four interceptions, was sacked seven times, missed a game-winning extra point to force overtime, and missed a game-winning field goal to win in overtime. And STILL almost won.

Ja’Marr Chase was a one-man wrecking crew for the Bengals (100% routes, 100% snaps) by necessity because Tee Higgins left this game with a concussion and is currently in concussion protocol for Week 2.

If Higgins can’t go, look for the offense to open up a little bit more with personnel. That should make Tyler Boyd (4-33-1, 7 targets) much more attractive as a fantasy start this week against Dallas.

Based on the sheer number of pass attempts and offensive plays, we saw Hayden Hurst earn eight targets on 78% of routes but only put up a modest stat line. The absence of Higgins only bumps him up a little bit but not into any must-start territory.

Joe Mixon saw a whopping 36 opportunities (carries plus targets) thanks to the elongated pass-heavy game script, put up 145 yards from scrimmage, and yet was not that efficient with that work — the calling card of Mixon.

Week 1 Cincinnati Bengals Fantasy Takeaways:

• Start your studs: Chase, Higgins (if healthy), Boyd, and Mixon.
• If you’re still holding onto Chris Evans, you can cut bait. Samaje Perine retains the primary backup duties for the Bengals in case of a Mixon injury.

Cleveland Browns

The Browns did everything they could do to keep Jacoby Brissett from doing something dumb to lose the game, so they just kept the ball in the hands of Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt for as long as they could. Hunt was solid out of the backfield in the passing game catching the only receiving touchdown for the Browns (and one of two total touchdowns for Hunt) while running a robust 68% of routes. This is what keeps Hunt fantasy relevant despite the presence of Chubb.

Amari Cooper was a non-factor despite running routes on 89% of dropbacks but at the expense of Donovan Peoples-Jones, who somehow earned 11 targets, notched 40% of Cleveland’s air yards, and shortened up aDOT to 8.5 yards, down from 2020’s 17.0 and 2021’s 15.6-yard aDOT. An interesting development is if Peoples-Jones can continue to earn targets and not rely on being just a deep threat.

Week 1 Cleveland Browns Fantasy Takeaways:

• If Peoples-Jones isn’t rostered in your league and you have the room, stash him away on your bench. It’s possible a role change in 2022 could unlock something usable in fantasy.
• David Bell ran 21% of routes and didn’t earn a target, but he’s more of a mid-later season play anyway. He’s cuttable.
• Stay the course on Cooper as a WR3 and David Nkoju as a streamable tight end in good matchups.

Dallas Cowboys

CeeDee Lamb earned 11 targets. That’s good.

CeeDee Lamb caught two of those 11 targets. That’s bad.

Dak Prescott is having thumb surgery and will be out for a minimum of four weeks. That’s horrible.

It never ends with the Cowboys, but life goes on, especially in fantasy. I can’t imagine the efficiency of Lamb (who ran 98% of routes!) being any worse than it was in Week 1, but it could be with Cooper Rush at quarterback. Unfortunately, that trickles down and will affect everybody else in this offense. In a nutshell, it makes every other wide receiver or tight end not named Dalton Schultz or a returning Michael Gallup obsolete.

Schultz logged every snap for the Cowboys and 93% of routes, so he remains firmly in TE1 territory in the interim.

Ezekiel Elliott (39% of routes) and Tony Pollard (33%) logged a near split of passing-down duties with Elliott looking better than Pollard did, that busted reverse that Pollard was forced to bite the bullet on notwithstanding. 

Congratulations Coop, you won this round.

Week 1 Dallas Cowboys Fantasy Takeaways:

• You’re obviously holding and starting both Lamb and Schultz. You’re stuck with them, but they should be solid at worst.
• Noah Brown seems like a dicey start to me now despite 85% of routes and solid production in Week 1. Maybe you’re more daring than I.

Denver Broncos

The first thing I said when I turned this game on was the fact that somebody named Andrew Beck was catching multiple passes and then caught one downfield. To which I exclaimed, “it should've been you, Greg Dulcich!”

Denver and Russell Wilson got solid nights from their top-two wide receivers in Courtland Sutton and Jerry Jeudy, who both ran routes on over 90% of dropbacks. Jeudy’s touchdown was great just got the confirmation that he's much faster than given credit for. Even if the ball was underthrown.

Another encouraging sign from Monday night was KJ Hamler running 64% of routes. Granted, he didn’t put up any stats on those routes, but that bodes well for him moving forward when Wilson gets this offense in sync.

Javonte Williams outsnapped and ran more routes than running back counterpart Melvin Gordon, as well as just looking way better from the eye test. Gordon did have more carries than Williams (12 to 7), but Williams had a crazy 12 targets and 11 receptions. Both will have fantasy-friendly roles in this offense.

Week 1 Denver Broncos Fantasy Takeaways:

• Albert Okwuegbunam looked pretty impressive with five receptions and logging a 73% routes share, but there were still too many hands in the cookie jar with Eric Tomlinson and Eric Saubert not to mention Beck all involved too. Still, Okwuegbunam is a mid-range TE2 with plenty of room to maneuver.
• Hamler is a hold on your fantasy bench, but it's justified if you have to cut bait.

Detroit Lions

The Lions always seem to be in these close games, hanging around teams when they shouldn’t be, good teams or bad. Honestly, that’s GREAT for fantasy as that’s when teams get very pass-happy and frenetic, with potential big plays just a moment away.

Luckily for you and your fantasy football teams, if you roster any of the big-name Lions, they all worked out in some form or fashion.

DeAndre Swift scored and had a monster day on the ground with 144 yards rushing and chipped in with 31 receiving yards on three catches and 64% route participation. The “Swift for overall RB1” truthers are already parading in the streets, and once this article is over, I might go join them.

Both DJ Chark and Amon-Ra St. Brown (both 92% routes) earned eight and 12 targets respectively, and both scored as well. Banner days.

T.J. Hockenson didn’t score but was at 77% route participation and earned seven targets. He’ll have his days, but not everybody can eat every week.

Week 1 Detroit Lions Fantasy Takeaways:

• You’re starting everybody you drafted with some degree of draft capital (St. Brown, Hockenson, Swift), including late-rounder D.J. Chark. He’s firmly in low-end WR3 territory.
• Jamaal Williams scored two touchdowns on the ground in Week 1, but I’d be hesitant to start him unless I was desperate.

Green Bay Packers

Maybe all the Packers needed was a WR1 all along? Christian Watson dropped a gimme touchdown that set the tone for the Green Bay debacle on Sunday afternoon. We wanted to know how these routes would shape up between the rookies Watson and Romeo Doubs, plus Sammy Watkins and Randall Cobb. It was pretty flat across the board, and Watson ran one more route to lead the Packers in Week 1. Once Allen Lazard returns, Lazard should handily lead the team in routes run and then it just might be flat for everybody else unless somebody emerges. Needless to say, the Packers need wide receiver talent to step up.

AJ Dillon actually led the Packers in targets on 37% of routes per dropback, so that falls in line with the fact that one of a multitude of players could lead the Packers in targets and receiving this season. The best part is that you can start both Aaron Jones and Dillon comfortably in fantasy.

Week 1 Green Bay Packers Fantasy Takeaways:

• Watson and Doubs are definite holds on your roster at this point and if they’re not rostered, they’re nice adds that could be something more once this Packers receiving room crystalizes.
• Watkins and Cobb are low-floor, low-ceiling options that probably aren’t finding their way into any lineups unless you’re desperate, so I wouldn’t roster them.
• Robert Tonyan clumsily found his way into five targets in Week 1 but on only 44% of routes in a four-way split at tight end. No thanks. You can do better.

Houston Texans

Another year, another brand of Texans football that results in targeting Brandin Cooks (12 targets, 95% of routes) a bunch, maybe an ancillary receiver gets some work behind him.

Like a Rex Burkhead, who earned eight targets and was the lead back over Dameon Pierce, especially from a high-value touch perspective. After that, it’s just bench fodder and unsustainable performances.

That sounds like O.J. Howard, who caught both of his targets en route to two touchdowns on 15% of routes (that’s six routes). 

Fun!

Week 1 Houston Texans Fantasy Takeaways:

• As much as we love tied football games in this economy, we want Nico Collins to be a thing. He ran routes on 80% of dropbacks, but he only earned three targets in what was essentially five quarters of an NFL game. That won’t get it done. He’s a cut candidate, but if you want to give him another week, I won’t fight you.
• Pierce will be fine, but the fact that Burkhead took so much receiving work should be very concerning for Pierce's managers. Houston figures to be losing quite a bit, so that's a pretty healthy role to not have a piece of.

Indianapolis Colts

For Indianapolis, it’s very simple. Michael Pittman is almost always at the head of the table regarding the receiving work breakdown. Besides him, it could be any number of players who get that second-biggest slice of the pie. Usually, the distribution flattens out quite a bit, but since the Colts played five quarters of football, there were more targets to go around. 

Pittman (13 targets, 9-121-1, 98% of routes) is just a monster; perhaps that was a flaw in my game to be as out on him as I was this offseason. I don’t know why he was such a harder click to make than the wide receivers going in his range (Mike Williams, D.J. Moore, etc.) but for what he is and Matt Ryan throwing him the ball, he’s deserving of top-12 status among wide receivers in fantasy. There I said it. Clip it, as the kids say.

I did not expect Jonathan Taylor (63% routes) to have such a sizable role in the receiving game and well over Nyheim Hines (41%) in addition to his 31 carries, so if that’s going to be the case going forward, maybe Taylor was the true 1.01 all along. Very encouraging.

Week 1 Indianapolis Colts Fantasy Takeaways:

• With all the talk on Pittman, who is the number two pass-catcher? Is it Parris Campbell, he of 81% routes but only four targets? Could it be Kylen Granson, who earned seven targets and was the preferred receiving tight end option over Mo Alie-Cox? Is there ever a second pass-catcher? Maybe Alec Pierce has the chops, but he can’t drop touchdowns in the end zone.

Jacksonville Jaguars

What does $96 million get you in this economy? Well so far this season, it’s getting you 21 targets, 12 receptions, 182 yards receiving, and hefty route shares over 90%. That’s the combined stat line of Christian Kirk and Zay Jones from Week 1. I mean, all things considered, it could be worse, right?

The return on investment you got if you took any of Kirk, Jones, and to a lesser extent, Evan Engram (78% routes, 4 targets, 4-28) has you feeling good right now. Engram’s stat line won’t wow you, but the 78% routes share definitely should make you feel very good moving forward as a nice tight end pivot in managed leagues should your starting tight end get hurt.

We’re having a different discussion if Travis Etienne scores that touchdown that he dropped in the end zone, but it’s a bit underwhelming looking at his stat line.

Big props to James Robinson for looking like a stud after tearing his Achilles last December. I was not drafting him and have some regret about that.

Week 1 Jacksonville Jaguars Fantasy Takeaways:

• Robinson is probably more of an RB3 but one of the few I’d start if I needed to. Lord knows we can always use involved running backs in our fantasy lineups.
• I don’t think Kirk is quite “must-start” at this point, but he’s trending that way as somebody that looks to have developed a rapport with Trevor Lawrence.
• Zay Jones is ahead of Marvin Jones in the pecking order, but both are middling flexes at this point. 

Kansas City Chiefs

Who needs Tyreek Hill? 

Patrick Mahomes looked every bit the part of the best quarterback in the league as he roasted the Cardinals in Week 1.

The game was never in doubt as the clock ticked away in the third quarter, so the star players came off the field which skews the route participation percentages. Despite a fumble, JuJu Smith-Schuster looked much closer to 2018 JuJu with the Steelers across from Antonio Brown than he did from 2019-2021 with a 10.8-yard aDOT and eight targets on the day.

As for the rest of the receivers that we were wondering how the target distribution would shake out, well Skyy Moore is a work in progress with just 17% route participation and just one target. Marquez Valdes-Scantling ran 80% of routes but only at a 5.5-yard aDOT. Maybe there is fire with that smoke after offseason reports said that the Chiefs think MVS can be more than a deep threat. It was Mecole Hardman stretching the field with his larger 14.5-yard aDOT this week. We’ll see if these roles hold, but if this reduced aDOT can increase MVS’ target share, it gives him another avenue towards finding fantasy success.

Week 1 Kansas City Chiefs Fantasy Takeaways:

• Start your studs (Travis Kelce and JuJu)
• Clyde Edwards-Helaire caught two touchdowns in Week 1 but Jerick McKinnon ran more routes than CEH did, so I consider that a bit noisy. A bit of a sell-high for me.
• Hold on MVS and Skyy Moore, with Moore being more of a mid-to-late season play as he gets acclimated.
• Hold Hardman as well, who caught a touchdown on 61% of routes and could have had a bigger day with a missed opportunity deep but coming back to catch a touchdown later on.

Las Vegas Raiders

“Can Davante Adams maintain a 48.6% target share in 2022?”

I’m honestly surprised I didn’t see that clickbait headline anywhere, but it would have been good. Maybe next week.

I would say that Adams looked #good en route to 17 targets and even with Darren Waller and Hunter Renfrow in the offense, it didn’t matter. There’s more target competition now in Las Vegas than he ever had in Green Bay, so who are we to doubt Adams?

As for Waller and Renfrow, both saw six targets, and we can’t expect Adams to hog the targets to this degree, can we?

Both had at least 83% route participation, and while Renfrow disappointed fantasy managers with a 3-21-0 stat line, Waller at least put up double-digit points this week at a tight end position where that scoring gets you a top-ten finish at the position (and it did, TE9 in full-PPR).

The other passing-game options are very scarce in this condensed offense for Las Vegas. The ascension of Ameer Abdullah as the new “James White” got off to a rocky start as it was Brandon Bolden who came away with the touchdown and ran almost double the number of routes Abdullah did.

Week 1 Las Vegas Raiders Fantasy Takeaways:

• Start all of your studs (Adams and Waller, plus Renfrow for the time being)
• It’s really difficult to start anybody else in the passing game even if Mack Hollins is running 90% of routes. He’s just a big, clunky split end who matters more in real NFL than in fantasy.

Los Angeles Chargers

I use the term “flat target distribution” quite a bit when I’m talking about offenses that don’t key in on one player and instead spread the ball around to multiple options. There’s no better way to describe the Week 1 Los Angeles Chargers pass-catchers than “flat target distribution.”

A whopping SEVEN players tied for the team-lead in targets with four each, so we must look to the route percentages. Keenan Allen left Week 1 early and has been ruled out for Week 2’s Thursday Night contest against the Chiefs.

Mike Williams ran 91% of routes but was wildly disappointing in Week 1. A combination of Josh Palmer and DeAndre Carter should be able to at least provide a portion of the production Allen leaves behind, and you can start both in fantasy with a lean to Palmer, who ran 74% of routes in Week 1.

Even with plenty of options in the Chargers offense, Gerald Everett was very impressive with a 3-54 line and a touchdown on 68% of routes. If he can improve the route percentage just a bit more, he’ll be a streamable option every single week with those peripherals.

Week 1 Los Angeles Chargers Fantasy Takeaways:

• You’ve gotta start Mike Williams each week; boom or bust is his modus operandi.
• Palmer is a solid start with Allen out and even Carter is a dart-throw flex option.
• I also don’t mind putting in Everett as a streaming tight end, especially if your tight end is injured (Kittle) or ineffective (Gesicki, Knox, Njoku, etc.).

Los Angeles Rams

Cooper Kupp is very #good. 

I don’t think I have to elaborate too much on that, but if the 100% route participation and 15 targets don’t do it for you, not sure what will!

Tyler Higbee was vintage Tyler Higbee in Week 1, earning the brunt of his 11 targets (92% routes) towards the end of the game on dump-offs. Which was Amon-Ra St. Brown before Amon-Ra St. Brown. I’d admit though, St. Brown might ACTUALLY be good. Can’t say the same for Higbee.

Most people talking about these pass-catchers in Week 1 are focusing on the disappointing Rams debut of Allen Robinson, who ran a hefty share of routes (96%) but only earned two targets. I’m willing to give him another couple of weeks, but there’s a non-zero chance that Robinson could be just cooked. It happens sometimes in the NFL, and we want to cling to the hope that Robinson hasn’t crossed the rainbow bridge. If there’s an offense that will revitalize him, it’s this one. And if he can’t produce in THIS high-powered offense, then it’s hard to imagine him having success anywhere else.

Week 1 Los Angeles Rams Fantasy Takeaways:

• I’m still starting Robinson as a low-end WR3 with the hopes that he’s not just fully cooked.
• Ben Skowronek is an intriguing option with Van Jefferson remaining out. Skowronek ran 88% of routes and will benefit from not seeing anything but single coverage, so he’s a dart throw in the Rams’ always hyper-condensed personnel groupings in the passing game.
• We didn’t touch on the run game, but the fact that Darrell Henderson had such a stranglehold in the backfield in Week 1 bodes very well for his future exploits in fantasy. We’ll see what happens to Cam Akers, but for right now, Henderson and his 78% route participation makes him a locked-in RB2.

Miami Dolphins

We’re bound to see some explosive plays with the Miami Dolphins and their abundance of athleticism and team speed this season, but Jaylen Waddle really hammered the point home that the Dolphins are going to be a FUN team to watch this season. It also might be incredibly condensed.

Of course, Tyreek Hill and Waddle both ate in Week 1 with Hill putting up the volume (12 targets, 84% routes) and Waddle (76%) providing the home-run spark with a touchdown and a nice 4-69 line on five targets.

Chase Edmonds looked incredibly dynamic as well even if the rushing line (12 carries, 25 yards) didn’t necessarily reflect it. Edmonds had a 57% route participation and four targets, which put him ahead of Raheem Mostert (35% routes, one target). Hopefully, that gap widens, especially considering the large contract and investment the Dolphins made this offseason.

Mike Gesicki earned one target, ran 43% of routes, and is dust until further notice.

Week 1 Miami Dolphins Fantasy Takeaways:

• Start Hill and Waddle every week.
• Edmonds is a locked-in RB2 with encouraging metrics. The Dolphins were a bit slower-paced but faster-paced than people thought they would be as they did not fully turn into the Kyle Shanahan 49ers overnight.
• You can go ahead and drop Gesicki.

Minnesota Vikings

I hear this Justin Jefferson fellow is good, anybody ever heard of him?

Jefferson was a man among boys in Sunday’s affair with the Packers, putting up 184 yards and two touchdowns with a whopping 72% team share of air yards. That’s what happens when the Packers take Jaire Alexander and put him elsewhere on other receivers. And that’s also how linebacker Preston Smith ends up covering Jefferson.

As for the other Vikings, it was a modest showing by the other fantasy options, like Adam Thielen, who ran 100% of routes but ended up with only four targets. Sometimes, there will be games like this where linebackers cover the best receiver in football and you have to take advantage.

Week 1 Minnesota Vikings Fantasy Takeaways:

• Thielen is still a rock-solid WR3 despite the lackluster performance in Week 1. Better days are ahead.
• Same with K.J. Osborn as he ran 85% of routes. This is definitely a Kevin O'Connell offense. He's a solid flex option in fantasy.
• Irv Smith is still getting over his thumb surgery so his routes should ramp up from the 42% mark he had in Week 1. Johnny Mundt was ahead of him in the tight end pecking order as he played 65% of snaps, so we should see a shift back in Smith’s favor as he gets healthier. That said, Smith is probably droppable for right now.

New England Patriots

Patriots quarterback Mac Jones is dealing with back spasms and “definitely feel[ing] a lot better”. He’s going to need to feel better to prop up these weapons.

DeVante Parker ran every route and played every snap but could only muster two targets and one catch for nine yards.

Jakobi Meyers ran 94% of routes and “led” the team in all receiving categories with a four-catch, 55-yard line. 

Ty Montgomery, now on IR, had the only touchdown in the passing game.

It does look bleak, but this Patriots team might be the most unathletic NFL team in 2022. They play like it, and they’re going to need their quarterback healthy and a run game to support some balance to be able to make it worthwhile to add passing-game pieces in fantasy.

Week 1 New England Patriots Fantasy Takeaways:

• Hold on Meyers and to a lesser extend, Parker.
• With Montgomery on IR, perhaps an expanded role in the passing game for Rhamondre Stevenson is in the works? If so, count me in on the Rhamondre over Damien Harris crowd for the high-value touches alone.
• Hunter Henry should be fine going forward, but he’s a high-end TE2 and streamable.

New Orleans Saints

Is Michael Thomas back? We’ve been waiting since 2019 for the old Thomas and eight targets, two touchdowns, and 83% of routes was a very good start.

With the Saints on the comeback trail and eventually crushing the hopes and dreams of Falcons fans everywhere in Week 1, the passing game was at the forefront, with the offense being very condensed in personnel, something very unlike the Sean Payton version of the Saints. Rookie Chris Olave, Jarvis Landry, and tight end Juwan Johnson all ran at least 80% of routes in this one. Landry had a heck of a debut for the Saints with 114 receiving yards. The debut for Olave wasn’t nearly as productive (3-41 on three targets) but the route share for a rookie in Week 1 was awfully impressive.

Alvin Kamara was not really a factor in the passing game, but he should expand on that in typical Kamara fashion. He only ran 43% of routes so expect that to come up.

This is the most exciting passing game the Saints have had in some time so with Jameis Winston slinging the ball, there are going to be a lot of fantasy-friendly days ahead for the Saints and their weapons.

Week 1 New Orleans Saints Fantasy Takeaways:

• Start your studs (Kamara, Thomas, Landry)
• Olave can be in the flex conversation too with his route share and immense upside. He was a deep threat with a 12.3 aDOT along with Jarvis Landry (15.0-yard aDOT).
• If Johnson can keep up his routes and keep Adam Trautman pushed down on the depth chart, Johnson could be a sneaky streaming option at tight end.
• If you like living dangerously, Taysom Hill is available too.

New York Giants

Most of the interesting notes that involved the New York Giants in Week 1 centered around Saquon Barkley being BACK. So let’s start (and possibly end) there.

Barkley led the team in rushing, receiving, targets, played the most snaps and ran the most routes. I’d say that’s a stranglehold. I’d also say it’s a credit to head coach Brian Daboll for knowing who his best player is and centering a game plan around him. We haven’t seen this juice from Barkley in years, and it’s possible we could have a big-time resurgence here in 2022 with Week 1 being the launch pad.

Besides Barkley, the most talented wide receiver on the Giants ran three total pass routes and had seven snaps. That would be Kadarius Toney. Yikes. Is he getting the Brandon Aiyuk treatment from last season?

Sterling Shepard (four targets, 64% of routes) looked incredible back from an Achilles’ injury to score a touchdown. Routes were pretty flat with Kenny Golladay and Richie James leading the way with 71%. There are not a lot of startable fantasy options here in New York.

Week 1 New York Giants Fantasy Takeaways:

• Start Barkley. Now. Forever.
• Shepard is interesting because the target tree is WIDE open, but quarterback Daniel Jones only threw the ball 21 times in Week 1. Still, I like him as an established option over the JAGs the Giants are currently trotting out.
• We’ll keep you all posted on “Toney-Gate 2022” as it continues, but 11% of routes aren’t going to get it done. If you drafted him, you’ve got to hold him on the talent alone.

New York Jets

Joe Flacco is our generation’s Alex Smith, as I’ve always maintained.

Look, if Flacco is going to hyper-target running backs to this degree, you have to start both guys. No questions asked.

Both Michael Carter and Breece Hall combined for 19 targets as the new “Captain Checkdown” Flacco just peppered them late in Week 1. He ended up with 59 pass attempts which let’s face it — will NOT be the norm every week. But if his proclivity is to check down when things are hairy in the pocket, we can’t turn our noses up from it!

Elijah Moore was front and center in route participation for the Jets and earned seven targets, but you have to figure with the others around him earning targets, like Corey Davis (9 targets, 68% routes), Braxton Berrios (6, 47%), rookie Garrett Wilson (8, 56%), and even tight end Tyler Conklin (7, 81%), it was a bit disappointing for Moore to have such a low volume of targets on the day.

Week 1 New York Jets Fantasy Takeaways:

• Moore is startable in all formats, but Davis and Wilson are mid-range flex plays due to their involvement in the offense. 
• Wilson may not have run the number of routes we like to see, but his targets per route run in Week 1 was incredibly efficient and impressive at 23%, which is a bit deflated because of the volume of dropbacks (62 -— most in Week 1).

Philadelphia Eagles

A true grown man of the highest regard, A.J. Brown was a man among boys in Week 1, with a 13-target, 10-155 performance that showed just why Brown is one of the best wide receivers in the NFL and why the Eagles traded for him. The #bestfriends narrative with Jalen Hurts is in full effect.

On the other side of the coin, it wasn’t as fruitful of a day for DeVonta Smith (98% routes) with four catchless targets on the day, whom many people started and ended up with a big goose egg.

Besides Brown, the only other worthwhile contributor to the passing game was Dallas Goedert, who ran a robust 90% of routes and put up a 3-60 line on four targets.

The Eagles didn’t pass as much in this one as I thought they would, but they did have points in the game where they were up by more than two scores, so that could be excused a bit. That’s something we’ll monitor because clearly, that affects the trio of Brown, Smith, and Goedert — especially the latter two players.

No touchdowns for any of the Eagles pass-catchers as all four touchdowns were scored in the running game by Hurts and all three running backs. That won’t happen every week.

Week 1 Philadelphia Eagles Fantasy Takeaways:

• We’re starting Brown every week, no questions asked.
• Goedert seems pretty locked into mid-range TE1 status even with an average game. You want the tight ends that are running at least an 80% routes share with no competition, especially on an explosive offense like the Eagles have.
• No concerns on Smith, he should bounce right back in Week 2, so plug him into your lineup.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Pittsburgh hit the “struggle bus” very hard in Week 1, being unable to put away a team that was literally giving them the ball almost a half-dozen times. But this is a Mitch Trubisky-led team, so are we truly surprised? 

Diontae Johnson is such a professional wide receiver, and the man can’t get efficient quarterbacking to save his life. Johnson had a team-high 12 targets and pulled in only seven for 55 yards. We’re just out here hoping Kenny Pickett isn’t sitting on that Steelers bench for too long.

Besides that, seeing Chase Claypool run 39 (!) slot routes was pretty fun even though he didn’t produce much. Still, he was targeted six times and ran routes on 93% of snaps. George Pickens ran primarily outside across from Johnson but wasn’t targeted much either, yet still hit 90% of routes.

This offense seems pretty condensed with personnel, including Pat Freiermuth, who was second on the team in Week 1 with 10 targets and a 76% routes share. Nobody else mattered in terms of the ancillary options for the Steelers, but week-to-week consistency hinges on Trubisky. That was the main sticking point with drafting any of the Steelers' options in fantasy. It’s got to get better at the top.

Week 1 Pittsburgh Steelers Fantasy Takeaways:

• Johnson (high-end WR2), Claypool (flex), Pickens (flex), and Freiermuth (low-end TE1) are all fantasy starters to varying degrees.
• Keep Jaylen Warren on your bench or in mind to add since Najee Harris is dealing with a foot injury. He came in to relieve Harris after he left the game and it shows how advanced he is (or how bad Benny Snell is) at this stage as a rookie.

San Francisco 49ers

It’s very hard to judge a team after they played in the murky quagmire that was Week 1 in Chicago. 

Unfortunately, Elijah Mitchell was lost for the next month or two with a knee injury, so that could mean more rushing snaps for Deebo Samuel. He wasn’t much of a factor on the receiving end of today’s game production-wise but he did earn eight targets on 94% of routes. Brandon Aiyuk was out on all routes and virtually all snaps. Jauan Jennings may be the beneficiary of an increased Deebo presence in the backfield as he ran the next-highest amount of routes at 77% and was the most productive pass-catcher with 4-62 on six targets. 

Week 1 San Francisco 49ers Fantasy Takeaways:

• I’m not putting a lot of stock into this game honestly, we should get a much clearer view on what this team is like in Week 2 against Seattle.
• Jeff Wilson is the next man up for the running back position, and I’d start him as a flex option for now until we see how carries and designed runs are distributed while Mitchell is on the shelf.
• I do like Jennings as a deep, deep flex play though. He’s intriguing if Deebo ends up in the backfield more.

Seattle Seahawks

I can think of nothing more fun than rostering a Seattle Seahawk pass-catcher in fantasy football. Especially now one quarterbacked by Geno Smith.

While DK Metcalf (94% of routes) and Tyler Lockett (87%) are running the routes we want, the production isn’t there for high-ceiling games. Especially not in this game from Monday night where the Seahawks only dropped back 31 times.

It’s the same story here, but despite the win, nobody that rostered or even started (can you imagine?) a Seahawk can feel good about their fantasy output in Week 1.

Noah Fant was exiled to Seattle in the Russell Wilson trade, but it’s still the same story for him too at 58% of routes in a tense three-way split at tight end that saw Will Dissly and Colby Parkinson get both touchdowns through the air.

Rough stuff. But the Seahawks got the win! So that counts for something, right?

Week 1 Seattle Seahawks Fantasy Takeaways:

• You’ve gotta hang on to Metcalf and Lockett and hope better days are ahead.
• As for Fant, you can cut bait. A low-volume offense without efficiency and not even getting a 60% share of routes? That won’t cut it.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Pour one out for Chris Godwin, who after coming back from a late-season ACL tear, will now miss about a month’s time with a hamstring ailment. You hate to see it.

Besides that, it wasn’t an exciting game besides an awesome Mike Evans one-handed grab for a touchdown. Evans benefits the most from a Bucs lineup without Godwin, but Julio Jones should get a sizable bump too.

The rumors of Jones’ demise were greatly exaggerated as he ran 76% of routes and looked pretty spry enough to take a couple of RUSHING attempts. He’s back.

Leonard Fournette has the stranglehold on the workload in Tampa and the high-value touches (HVT, red zone carries plus targets) that come with it. Tampa Bay had the most HVT in the NFL last season by a wide margin, so this role will always be great from a fantasy standpoint, even if the player (Fournette) is inefficient while doing so.

Week 1 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Fantasy Takeaways:

• Hold Godwin during this injury. It stinks, but you can’t cut bait.
• Jones is a must-FLEX option for me considering the Week 1 route share and now the target tree tightening up with the Godwin injury.
• Gage is less of a must-flex, but he’s startable.
• Cameron Brate didn’t do much of anything on the stat sheet, but he ran a whopping 79% of routes. If that’s the norm, much better days are ahead. If you’re hurting at tight end, you can do worse than a tight end running most of the pass routes and catching passes from Tom Brady.

Tennessee Titans

The fact that Treylon Burks was efficient in earning targets (five targets, 3-55) on just 37% of routes bodes very well for the future because the present in this passing game is not great.

Robert Woods paced the team with a 74% route share but only earned two targets. Austin Hooper also earned only two targets on 66% of routes. In fact, it was Kyle Philips who paced the team in all receiving categories on 60% of routes. Whether this is a sign of things to come is up in the air, but the current ambiguity of the receiving room in Tennessee seems like a good sign for a player like Burks to take command in the coming weeks.

Derrick Henry was also just kind of there with a sub-4.0 YPC line. Dontrell Hilliard caught both of the touchdowns for the Titans on just 17% of carries, so that seems very fluky and a blip on the radar.

Week 1 Tennessee Titans Fantasy Takeaways:

• HOLD on Burks.
• At this stage of his career, Robert Woods just doesn’t seem like somebody fun to put in your fantasy lineup, and he may not provide much fun back to fantasy managers either. He’s a low-end flex at best.
• I’d take a flier on Kyle Philips in full-PPR formats as he reminds me of an Adam Humphries-type player that could have spotty usefulness.

Washington Commanders

With how things shook out in Week 1, there might be some actual optimism in Washington with this team’s offense! For the first time in a long while, we got a healthy Curtis Samuel bring deployed at the line of scrimmage (1.3-yard aDOT) but hyper-targeted with a team-leading 11 targets at an 80% routes run. Very encouraging usage.

Of course, there’s also the boundary receivers like Terry McLaurin who will always be involved, but add rookie and first-round pick Jahan Dotson to the mix. It’s easy to say that he caught two touchdowns and that might be a bit noisy to project into the next couple of weeks, but he did that on an 89% routes share. That’s elite, folks. A rookie that’s incredibly involved in their team’s offense from the jump and putting up immediate production is a huge indicator of future success. He’s a buy in every fantasy format.

Also, Antonio Gibson? If the team will continue to use him like an actual receiver (which he was in college) instead of ignoring him, then he may finally be “the price who was promised” in fantasy football rather than the court jester that he’s been for the last two seasons. That likely comes to the detriment of J.D. McKissic, however.

Week 1 Washington Commanders Fantasy Takeaways:

• Start Gibson as an RB2.
• Start Jahan Dotson and Curtis Samuel as low-end WR3/flex plays.
• With Gibson’s encouraging usage in Week 1, McKissic bumps down into low-end flex territory.
• Logan Thomas didn’t run all of the routes for the Commanders at only a 58% routes share, but he should bump up a bit making him a mid-range TE2. He earned the third-most targets on the team after Samuel and Gibson in Week 1. 

Related NFL Links:

• Fantasy Football Running Back Handcuff Grid
• Fantasy Football Weekly Rankings
• 2022 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups
• 2022 NFL Injury Report
• 2022 Fantasy Football Stock Watch

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