So that's what Sunday football is.
It's been a while, folks. More than eight months since we've seen a full slate of Sunday games. There's nothing like that rush at 1:05pm (or earlier for you non-East-Coasters) when the first carries or throws are made. And by 1:15pm you're up 23 points on your cousin who couldn't stop ripping on you for drafting Josh Jacobs with the fourth pick.
There's always too much to talk about Monday morning. But as with past seasons, let's try to make sense of what happened, highlighting the most notable fantasy impact of each Sunday game.
Browns -- It was just one game, and against a tough D, but Baker Mayfield simply didn't have it. On the plus side, his interception was on a deflection, and he will find smoother sailing throughout much of the season. He is a terrific buy-low option in two-QB leagues and still has plenty of top-14 upside.
Ravens -- I could write about Lamar Jackson, but there was nothing shocking about the way he carved up Cleveland's D. Instead, most notably, rookie J.K. Dobbins converted two looks inside the 3 and appears as much of a value pick compared to the overrated Ingram as he did on draft day.
Colts -- At the time I'm writing this, there's concern Marlon Mack suffered a torn Achilles', making him the first semi-major casualty of 2020 season. He was never going to repeat his 2019 outburst in a backfield with Nyheim Hines and promising rookie Jonathan Taylor. But nevertheless, he was drafted in essentially every league, and his presumed absence means Taylor's stock has skyrocketed.
Jaguars -- James Robinson was better than expected, but he still wasn't great. Again, sell high.
Raiders -- Josh Jacobs puts all other Josh Jacobs to shame. If Las Vegas (still feels weird to write "Las Vegas") stays competitive most weeks, Jacobs could be a top-4 RB.
Panthers -- A few weeks ago I warned D.J. Moore was overrated and Robby Anderson was underrated. It's only one game, but let's remember this preseason Moore was the expert-consensus 9th-ranked WR, while Anderson was #58. It was an insane misstep before yesterday, and it's even more glaring after yesterday.
Bears -- I hyped Anthony Miller this summer as a terrific bargain. His WR-52 ADP suggested a regression from 2019, which made no sense. While he'll have ups and downs in a sub-par passing attack, he's clearly a must-roster receiver.
Lions -- My Detroit backfield draft fiasco is looking every bit the fiasco that you all (and I, moments later) anticipated. Adrian Peterson took the opportunity and (literally) ran with it. However, always the optimist, I will bide my time with Kerryon Johnson and D'Andre Swift on the off chance the 35-year-old AP can't make it through 16 games.
Eagles -- Despite Boston Scott's injury, he played as I expected he'd play: as someone you don't want to start in fantasy.
Washington -- 17 touches for Peyton Barber and two scores--which makes me look dumb, since I didn't even give him a chance of starting when Derrius Guice was released. So congrats to those who took a leap I never would. That said, he's a very sub-par starting NFL RB and is now one of the biggest sell-high guys.
Dolphins -- As extraordinary as Miami's win over New England was late last year, this loss was pitiful. Nothing went right, and two main pieces got hurt. What needs to happen next is to see Ryan Fitzpatrick get benched (as he seems to every year), and then a couple weeks later return to the starting lineup better than ever (as he seems to every year).
Patriots -- I lamented on Twitter back in March that New England would claim Cam Newton, and the dynasty would continue. While this season there's no indication this is a championship-caliber squad (especially with so many key defensive players opting out), Cam was a steal of a signing, and his presence is bad news for the TD-dependent Sony Michel, whose workload should drop competing for carries alongside a run-friendly QB.
Packers -- If Davante Adams finishes the season with a 200 / 2,000 / 20 line, I would not be surprised.
Vikings -- Dalvin Cook did what was expected of him, and outside of the two touchdowns, Alexander Mattison outplayed him. Trade for Mattison. There's a good chance he'll be an RB1 at least a couple times this year.
Jets -- I'm crying about Le'Veon Bell. Not because I drafted him, but because he gave up a potential Hall-of-Fame career for a huge payday.
Bills -- The Devin Singletary - Zach Moss battle will be something this year. My money's still on Moss.
Seahawks -- Much like with the Chiefs, every key Seattle player played up to or near expectations. The most interesting question coming out of this game is whether Chris Carson can be the bellcow all season.
Falcons -- Down double-digits for much of the day, Matt Ryan let it fly, leading to three 100-yard receivers. This is, of course, an anomaly. Russell Gage should not be added as a WR3 (he's probably no better than a WR5, and that's generous). But I did suggest this summer that it was only a matter of time before Calvin Ridley overtakes Julio Jones. Could be this year. Could be next year. But this is how things often work in the NFL.
Chargers -- Joshua Kelley probably leapfrogged Justin Jackson as the #2 in this backfield. A fourth-round pick this year, Kelley could be a huge pickup in deep leagues this week.
Bengals -- Joe Burrow looked NFL ready. Most notably for fantasy, A.J. Green could've been a WR2 if a penalty hadn't negated his touchdown. His nine targets were easily a team high, which should be pretty comforting to those who drafted him.
Buccaneers -- I'll keep saying this: wish Tom Brady had retired as a Patriot. He left a great team for arguably the league's #1 receiving corps. Give New Orleans credit for containing him. And of course Mike Evans was hurt. But as I've also said repeatedly, there's almost no way Chris Godwin (WR-6) and Evans (WR-8) will meet expectations.
Saints -- Michael Thomas looked human for the first time in forever. Most notably, Emmanuel Sanders tied him in targets with five. It will be interesting to see if Sanders somehow becomes the viable #2 wideout the Saints haven't had in three years.
Cardinals -- An impressive comeback, and my "DeAndre Hopkins is overrated" call fell flat. Still, with Christian Kirk catching only one ball and Larry Fitzgerald reeling in four, it's safe to assume the "DeAndre Hopkins will dominate" narrative is a bit premature.
49ers -- Raheem Mostert did it all, and I honestly didn't expect that. Nice to see Jerick McKinnon getting some run, though. Even without the score, he did enough to be around an RB4, which bodes well going forward as he gets more acclimated to game action after nearly three years away.
Cowboys -- Blake Jarwin's injury aside, I steered clear of Dallas receivers because there was no way to know how they'd shake out. Amari Cooper (WR-12 ADP) carried the most risk in fantasy drafts. He was peppered with targets late. But he remains a question mark.
Rams -- Malcolm Brown is a survivor. How many times has he battled to be a handcuff and earn some spot starts? He remains by and large a pedestrian runner, and I'd be shocked if he gets 80 rushing yards this season. With Darrell Henderson seemingly healthy, this is a three-headed, hot-hand attack.
It's been a while, folks. More than eight months since we've seen a full slate of Sunday games. There's nothing like that rush at 1:05pm (or earlier for you non-East-Coasters) when the first carries or throws are made. And by 1:15pm you're up 23 points on your cousin who couldn't stop ripping on you for drafting Josh Jacobs with the fourth pick.
There's always too much to talk about Monday morning. But as with past seasons, let's try to make sense of what happened, highlighting the most notable fantasy impact of each Sunday game.
Browns -- It was just one game, and against a tough D, but Baker Mayfield simply didn't have it. On the plus side, his interception was on a deflection, and he will find smoother sailing throughout much of the season. He is a terrific buy-low option in two-QB leagues and still has plenty of top-14 upside.
Ravens -- I could write about Lamar Jackson, but there was nothing shocking about the way he carved up Cleveland's D. Instead, most notably, rookie J.K. Dobbins converted two looks inside the 3 and appears as much of a value pick compared to the overrated Ingram as he did on draft day.
Colts -- At the time I'm writing this, there's concern Marlon Mack suffered a torn Achilles', making him the first semi-major casualty of 2020 season. He was never going to repeat his 2019 outburst in a backfield with Nyheim Hines and promising rookie Jonathan Taylor. But nevertheless, he was drafted in essentially every league, and his presumed absence means Taylor's stock has skyrocketed.
Jaguars -- James Robinson was better than expected, but he still wasn't great. Again, sell high.
Raiders -- Josh Jacobs puts all other Josh Jacobs to shame. If Las Vegas (still feels weird to write "Las Vegas") stays competitive most weeks, Jacobs could be a top-4 RB.
Panthers -- A few weeks ago I warned D.J. Moore was overrated and Robby Anderson was underrated. It's only one game, but let's remember this preseason Moore was the expert-consensus 9th-ranked WR, while Anderson was #58. It was an insane misstep before yesterday, and it's even more glaring after yesterday.
Bears -- I hyped Anthony Miller this summer as a terrific bargain. His WR-52 ADP suggested a regression from 2019, which made no sense. While he'll have ups and downs in a sub-par passing attack, he's clearly a must-roster receiver.
Lions -- My Detroit backfield draft fiasco is looking every bit the fiasco that you all (and I, moments later) anticipated. Adrian Peterson took the opportunity and (literally) ran with it. However, always the optimist, I will bide my time with Kerryon Johnson and D'Andre Swift on the off chance the 35-year-old AP can't make it through 16 games.
Eagles -- Despite Boston Scott's injury, he played as I expected he'd play: as someone you don't want to start in fantasy.
Washington -- 17 touches for Peyton Barber and two scores--which makes me look dumb, since I didn't even give him a chance of starting when Derrius Guice was released. So congrats to those who took a leap I never would. That said, he's a very sub-par starting NFL RB and is now one of the biggest sell-high guys.
Dolphins -- As extraordinary as Miami's win over New England was late last year, this loss was pitiful. Nothing went right, and two main pieces got hurt. What needs to happen next is to see Ryan Fitzpatrick get benched (as he seems to every year), and then a couple weeks later return to the starting lineup better than ever (as he seems to every year).
Patriots -- I lamented on Twitter back in March that New England would claim Cam Newton, and the dynasty would continue. While this season there's no indication this is a championship-caliber squad (especially with so many key defensive players opting out), Cam was a steal of a signing, and his presence is bad news for the TD-dependent Sony Michel, whose workload should drop competing for carries alongside a run-friendly QB.
Packers -- If Davante Adams finishes the season with a 200 / 2,000 / 20 line, I would not be surprised.
Vikings -- Dalvin Cook did what was expected of him, and outside of the two touchdowns, Alexander Mattison outplayed him. Trade for Mattison. There's a good chance he'll be an RB1 at least a couple times this year.
Jets -- I'm crying about Le'Veon Bell. Not because I drafted him, but because he gave up a potential Hall-of-Fame career for a huge payday.
Bills -- The Devin Singletary - Zach Moss battle will be something this year. My money's still on Moss.
Seahawks -- Much like with the Chiefs, every key Seattle player played up to or near expectations. The most interesting question coming out of this game is whether Chris Carson can be the bellcow all season.
Falcons -- Down double-digits for much of the day, Matt Ryan let it fly, leading to three 100-yard receivers. This is, of course, an anomaly. Russell Gage should not be added as a WR3 (he's probably no better than a WR5, and that's generous). But I did suggest this summer that it was only a matter of time before Calvin Ridley overtakes Julio Jones. Could be this year. Could be next year. But this is how things often work in the NFL.
Chargers -- Joshua Kelley probably leapfrogged Justin Jackson as the #2 in this backfield. A fourth-round pick this year, Kelley could be a huge pickup in deep leagues this week.
Bengals -- Joe Burrow looked NFL ready. Most notably for fantasy, A.J. Green could've been a WR2 if a penalty hadn't negated his touchdown. His nine targets were easily a team high, which should be pretty comforting to those who drafted him.
Buccaneers -- I'll keep saying this: wish Tom Brady had retired as a Patriot. He left a great team for arguably the league's #1 receiving corps. Give New Orleans credit for containing him. And of course Mike Evans was hurt. But as I've also said repeatedly, there's almost no way Chris Godwin (WR-6) and Evans (WR-8) will meet expectations.
Saints -- Michael Thomas looked human for the first time in forever. Most notably, Emmanuel Sanders tied him in targets with five. It will be interesting to see if Sanders somehow becomes the viable #2 wideout the Saints haven't had in three years.
Cardinals -- An impressive comeback, and my "DeAndre Hopkins is overrated" call fell flat. Still, with Christian Kirk catching only one ball and Larry Fitzgerald reeling in four, it's safe to assume the "DeAndre Hopkins will dominate" narrative is a bit premature.
49ers -- Raheem Mostert did it all, and I honestly didn't expect that. Nice to see Jerick McKinnon getting some run, though. Even without the score, he did enough to be around an RB4, which bodes well going forward as he gets more acclimated to game action after nearly three years away.
Cowboys -- Blake Jarwin's injury aside, I steered clear of Dallas receivers because there was no way to know how they'd shake out. Amari Cooper (WR-12 ADP) carried the most risk in fantasy drafts. He was peppered with targets late. But he remains a question mark.
Rams -- Malcolm Brown is a survivor. How many times has he battled to be a handcuff and earn some spot starts? He remains by and large a pedestrian runner, and I'd be shocked if he gets 80 rushing yards this season. With Darrell Henderson seemingly healthy, this is a three-headed, hot-hand attack.