Now that Week 1 of the NFL Season has come and passed, let’s take a look at some of the players who had their fantasy stocks rise or fall based on their performances.
Stock Up
WR Zay Flowers, Baltimore Ravens
Flowers’ season debut went about as well as you could have hoped for. He led the Ravens in receiving in Week 1, catching nine of his 10 targets for 78 yards while also adding two rush attempts for nine yards. It is clear that Lamar Jackson and Zay Flowers already have chemistry, as no other receiver on the Ravens saw more than three targets on Sunday. While tight end Mark Andrews missing Week 1 was noteworthy, Flowers should maintain a large enough role to remain fantasy-relevant all season long.
WR Puka Nacua, Los Angeles Rams
After Cooper Kupp was placed on IR, the Rams needed someone to step up in his absence. Rookie wide receiver Puka Nacua did just that, catching 10 of his 15 targets for 119 yards against the Seahawks. He will be a popular waiver wire claim this week and should remain a solid option in Week 2, even against a tough 49ers defense.
RB Breece Hall, New York Jets
Coming into the season, the Jets were expected to monitor Hall’s workload in the early weeks. Hall received 11 touches in a Week 1 victory over the Bills, rushing 10 times for 127 yards and catching one pass for 20 yards. If Hall is this productive in a limited role, it is only a matter of time before he reclaims control over the Jets’ backfield. With the Jets’ offense likely becoming more balanced due to Aaron Rodgers’ season-ending injury, expect Hall to receive significant volume moving forward.
WR Kendrick Bourne, New England Patriots
Bourne caught six of his 11 targets for 64 yards and two touchdowns against the Eagles on Sunday. With DeVante Parker sidelined, Bourne was elevated to the WR2 position opposite of JuJu Smith-Schuster, and he took advantage of his opportunity. Bourne showed great chemistry with quarterback Mac Jones, and the duo will look to build on their strong performance this week against the Dolphins.
WR Nico Collins, Houston Texans
Collins was the Texans’ top target in the passing attack on Sunday against the Ravens. He caught six of his 11 targets for 80 yards while showing encouraging chemistry with rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud. Collins is penciled in as Houston’s WR1 and should be in line for a productive season as Stroud’s top target.
Stock Down
RB Antonio Gibson, Washington Commanders
Gibson struggled on Sunday against the Cardinals, resulting in only four total touches for him. He fumbled early in the game, which did not help his case for an expanded role. As a result, Brian Robinson was the lead back and the backfield now appears to be his to lose. Gibson can safely be left on your bench for now.
WR Kadarius Toney, Kansas City Chiefs
After he missed time last season with an injury, there was hope for a bounce-back season for Toney. While he had a solid target share last week, he was only able to catch one pass while struggling with drops. One of his dropped passes led to a pick-six. Naturally, the only way to go from here is up, but it is clear that the Chiefs do not have a go-to target in the passing game outside of tight end Travis Kelce.
WR Drake London, Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons’ passing offense continues to be one of the most frustrating for fantasy players. The Falcons only attempted 18 passes on Sunday, but the lack of targets for London is still concerning, as he was only targeted once for a 5.5% target share. What is also alarming is that half the team’s pass attempts were to running backs. It is clear that the Falcons will lean heavily on the run this season, but London is too talented to be a non-factor. Let’s hope that he has a better showing in Week 2.
QB Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
In Week 1, Allen completed 29 of his 41 pass attempts for 236 yards and one touchdown while also rushing four times for an additional 36 yards. However, Allen struggled with ball security all night as he threw three interceptions and lost a fumble, leading to a 22-16 loss to the Jets on Monday night. Allen has struggled with turnovers throughout his career, and Monday night proved that Allen is still not immune to the occasional bad outing in his sixth year in the league.
WR Christian Kirk, Jacksonville Jaguars
To the surprise of no one, Calvin Ridley immediately became Trevor Lawrence’s favorite target in the Jaguars passing attack. Unfortunately for Kirk, he received just three total targets and caught just one pass for nine yards in the Jaguars’ season opener. Kirk also came off the field in two-WR sets for Zay Jones, mostly playing in the slot when he was on the field. As teams start to focus their defensive schemes around slowing down Ridley, this should leave Kirk with more favorable matchups. He will look to bounce back in a Week 2 matchup against the Chiefs.
