The opening week of any NFL season is always the most difficult to handicap. 2022 proved no different as we had crazy second-half comebacks, numerous injuries, and even a tie game. Our Fantasy Football Recap Week 1 reflects back on a wild Sunday.
As unpredictable as Week 1 was, the good news is that things should stabilize a bit. Sure, there will be some Bizarro weeks here and there, but now that we have live action for every team, it will be somewhat easier to predict.
Here are some of the key fantasy football takeaways from a wild Week 1.
Missed Opportunites
Peyton Manning definitely wouldn’t approve of the showing by Sunday’s kickers. A full 14 missed kicks during the afternoon slate had dire consequences in a couple of games. It wasn’t all incompetence. Sloppy fields, blocks, and injuries factored in. Still, it’s frustrating to see kickers continue to have a negative impact on fantasy football outcomes. Props to the commissioners out there who have #bannedkickers.
Beat the Books
It was a challenging Sunday slate. However, we can take some solace in the fact that it was also a bad day for bookmakers. Favorites covered nine of the 15 games between Thursday and Sunday both straight up and against the spread.
The under also hit in 10 of the 15 contests. Over bettors should feel fortunate to even get away with that kind of loss. Points were at a severe premium in the first half of the afternoon games. Only some crazy second-half outcomes salvaged a handful of games for fans seeking points.
Travis Etienne’s First Game
Overall a mixed bag in Travis Etienne’s first NFL game. On one hand, Etienne looked good, averaging 11.8 yards per carry and getting multiple red-zone looks. On the other hand, Etienne dropped a walk-in touchdown and committed a fumble that was brutal from a sports betting perspective.
Travis Etienne’s receiving yard prop: 20.5
Etienne before this play: 24 receiving yards
Etienne after this play and final stats: 18 receiving yards
🤮🤮🤮
pic.twitter.com/y2DALhT85J— Connor Allen (@ConnorAllenNFL) September 11, 2022
He was also outplayed by James Robinson, who out-touched Etienne 12-6. Still, we remain fans of Etienne’s skill set but even we need to lower expectations a bit.
Tale of Two QBs
I couldn’t help but be blown away at the contrast of two All-Pro quarterbacks who were breaking in a new receiving corps this week. Looking at Billy’s vacated targets report, the Chiefs had an NFL-high 345 vacated targets from 2021. Yet, Patrick Mahomes didn’t skip a beat.
Mahomes completed 30-of-39 passes for 360 yards and five touchdowns en route to an overall QB1 finish in Week 1.
Conversely, Aaron Rodgers, who had all 241 of Green Bay’s vacated targets come via the wide receiver group, was abysmal.
Rodgers threw for 195 scoreless yards and tossed a pick as the Packers lost in Minnesota.
Backfield Breakdown
In addition to Jacksonville’s duo, several other teams seem firmly committed to using multiple backs. This puts extra emphasis on the few three-down backs that remain. It also means we have to pay attention to opportunities on a week-to-week basis. Here are the fantasy opportunities from some of Sunday’s backfields. Opportunities means carries plus targets.
Chicago – David Montgomery 21, Khalil Herbert 10
Cleveland – Nick Chubb 23, Kareem Hunt 15
Detroit – D’Andre Swift 18, Jamaal Williams 13
Green Bay – A.J. Dillon 16, Aaron Jones 10
Houston – Rex Burkhead 18, Dameon Pierce 10
Kansas City – Isiah Pacheco 12, Clyde Edwards-Helaire 10, Jerrick McKinnon 8
Las Vegas – Josh Jacobs 11, Brandon Bolden 5 (injured)
New England – Damien Harris 12, Rhamondre Stevenson 10 (Ty Montgomery 36% snap rate)
New York Jets – Michael Carter 19, Breece Hall 16
Philadelphia – Mile Sanders 15, Kenneth Gainwell 9, Boston Scott 4
Key Injuries
Always an unfortunate part of the game. These are some of the fantasy-relevant injuries that occurred Sunday. We’ll have updates as news comes in throughout the week.
Dak Prescott – broken thumb (out 6-8 weeks)
Najee Harris – possible high-ankle sprain
Elijah Mitchell – knee (Possible MCL)
Keenan Allen – hamstring
Mac Jones – back (day-to-day)
Chris Godwin – hamstring
Wan’Dale Robinson – knee
Brandon Bolden – hamstring
T.J. Watt – chest
Week 2 Preview
Chargers at Chiefs (-3)
Dolphins at Ravens (-3.5)
Commanders at Lions (-1)
Colts at Jaguars (+4.5)
Jets at Brown (-6)
Panthers at Giants (-2.5)
Falcons at Rams (-10.5)
Seahawks at 49ers (-9.5)
Texans at Broncos (-10)
Patriots at Steelers
Cardinals at Raiders (-3.5)
Bears at Packers (-9.5)
Titans at Bills (9.5)
Vikings at Eagles (-3)
The 2022 NFL season is well underway but it’s not too late to get access to the best help out there! All FullTime Fantasy members get exclusive access to our 24/7 Chat Room on Discord!
All morning on Sunday, Senior Analyst Jody Smith will be standing by to answer all your crucial start/sit and keep you updated with all the latest news and injury updates.
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