5 Fantasy Football Overreactions from Week 1
With Week 1 of the 2022 NFL season in the books, it’s time to look at some wildly absurd hot takes here about the never-changing fantasy football landscape. Also, I will be doing this overreaction article over the course of the 18 weeks of the NFL season, turning it into a series, but it’ll most likely shift into an article about takeaways instead of overreactions.
1. CARSON WENTZ AND JAMEIS WINSTON ARE BOTH QB1s THIS YEAR
Wentz and Winston finished as the QB3 and QB6 respectfully this week, and although they’ve been less than stellar QB2s the past couple of years, maybe this is the season where they go back to being good options in fantasy, and it’s hard to see why they couldn’t be: their supporting casts are amazing. Wentz has the trio of Terry McLaurin, Jahan Dotson, and Curtis Samuel. Winston has the trio of Michael Thomas, Jarvis Landry, and Chris Olave. Both teams have an average defense, which should mean that both QBs will need to throw a lot to stay competitive in games. Of course, Wentz and Winston don’t add much on the ground, but if their volume stays the same like they did in Week 1, there is a clear path to them finishing as top 10 QBs this year.
Oh also, pick up Curtis Samuel and Jarvis Landry from the waiver wire this week. They’re the WR2 for their teams and have acted as a safety blanket for their QBs in Week 1, making their floor relatively safe (Samuel had 11 targets and Landry had 9 targets, both leading their respective teams).
2. SAQUON BARKLEY FINISHES AS THE RB1 IN FANTASY THIS YEAR
If you’re a Saquon Barkley owner, it’s hard not to be smiling after he finished as the RB1 for Week 1, with 33.4 fantasy points. Barkley’s usage was elite, as he played the most snaps out of any skill player, and that turned into 24 opportunities. The even better news is that Saquon looked like the pre-ACL tear version of himself, as he had an explosive 68 yard run that showcased his speed. It’s safe to say that Saquon IS the Giants offense, and as long as he stays healthy, there’s a high chance that he finishes as the RB1 in fantasy this year with his high floor and elite ceiling. Barkley has another enticing matchup against the Panthers in Week 2 who were gashed by Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt for 213 scrimmage yards and two TDs, so another elite performance could elevate him into the Jonathan Taylor and Christian McCaffrey tier for the rest of the year.
3. NONE OF THE PATRIOTS RUNNING BACKS CAN BE STARTED IN FANTASY THIS YEAR
There was a lot of hype surrounding Rhamondre Stevenson this offseason, with reports coming out saying that Belichick planned to utilize him like Alvin Kamara on the New Orleans Saints. However, this was hardly the case as Stevenson had the fewest snaps out of the Patriots running back trio in Week 1, finishing as the RB56 on the week. He was also out snapped by veteran Ty Montgomery. Damien Harris lead the running backs in snaps, but Montgomery had almost as many, and Harris ended up having a subpar performance as well finishing as the RB43. Now, the good news is that Montgomery is on IR now, which should leave some breathing room in the backfield for fantasy points. However, this New England offense is projected to be one of the worst offenses in the NFL, so touchdowns won’t come easy. With that information plus the fact that Belichick loves his running back committee approach, there’s a chance that none of the Patriots running backs baring injury can be started in fantasy.
4. ROBBIE ANDERSON IS THIS YEAR’S BEST WR WAIVER WIRE PICKUP (AGAIN)
Just a couple years ago when his first name was Robby, the-now Robbie Anderson was one of the best waiver wire pickups as he finished as the WR19 in 2020. After a down year, we saw signs of life in Anderson the first week. Him and Baker Mayfield seemed to have nice chemistry, as he corralled five catches on eight targets (most on the team) for 102 yards and a touchdown, most of which was gathered on a 75 yard touchdown play, ultimately resulting in a WR6 finish on the week with 26.2 fantasy points. The even more noticeable thing is that Anderson was on the field for every play like DJ Moore. If Anderson sees consistent target share in the Panthers offense, his high ceiling and locked-in role could make him an absolute steal. Anderson is a must add off the waiver wire this week, and with another easy matchup against the New York Giants in Week 2, don’t be surprised if he finishes as a top 10 WR again and carries this momentum throughout the entire season.
5. CEEDEE LAMB DOESN’T FINISH AS A TOP 24 WR
He was consistently mentioned by many analysts as a “must-have” player during the offseason, but things did not look bright for CeeDee Lamb in Week 1. Although he continued to pave the way as the WR1 for the Cowboys, leading all the WRs in snaps and ending up with 11 targets, he could only bring in two of them for 29 yards, finishing with an atrocious WR75 finish. What’s even worse is that Dak Prescott is expected to miss 1–2 months with a fractured thumb, so Lamb’s fantasy outlook is heading on a downward spiral rapidly. However, it feels like Lamb’s ceiling could be capped just by Prescott himself, as he had a horrible fantasy night as well, completing less than half of his passes, throwing for an interception and only 134 yards, finishing with less than 5 fantasy points. Michael Gallup is coming back, and Dalton Schultz looks like the clear safety blanket for Prescott, so there’s a strong chance that with reduced QB play for at least a month, and declining play from Dak that Lamb ends the season not even as a WR2.
With Cooper Rush at QB, the only player I would feel comfortable with starting on this Cowboys team is Dalton Schultz, who should continue to get peppered with targets as the QB’s safety blanket on this offense.
