NFL fans were in store for an amazing slate of football games on Sunday. We watched the 49ers get upset by Sam Darnold in Minnesota, the Cowboys get pummelled by New Orleans, and Aaron Rodgers with his first win as a Packer. And on top of that, the games posed tons of fantasy implications that will impact the rest of the season. Some players had massive breakout games, while others completely let their fantasy owners down with underwhelming performances. In this article, we will go through every game and analyze the biggest takeaway from the matchup, and how it impacts the rest of the season.

49ers vs Vikings: Jordan Mason should start every week until McCaffrey returns

Once Christian McCaffrey went down with injury, it was expected that backup running back Jordan Mason would attempt to fill the void. What wasn’t expected was how well he played.

Despite not being the same all-around threat that McCaffrey is, Mason has rushed at an insanely efficient rate in his two games as the starter. He has averaged over 5 yards a carry in both games, and has a total of 48 carries in those matchups. The kind of volume he is receiving is rare for any player in this league, much less a backup, and I don’t expect the 49ers to limit him anytime soon. Today against Minnesota, he reached 100 rushing yards and added a touchdown. As long as McCaffrey isn’t playing, Jordan Mason is an RB1 for your fantasy team. 

Seahawks vs Patriots: The Seattle passing offense could be a gold mine

Last week, the Seahawks defeated the Broncos at home with 26 points, but this was mostly due to a strong performance by running back Kenneth Walker. The passing offense was underwhelming. This week, quarterback Geno Smith and Seattle completely flipped the script.

Smith’s 327 passing yards were impressive, but the real victory for fantasy managers was hidden in the receiving corps. DK Metcalf and Jaxon-Smith Njigba each hit double-digit receptions and went for a combined 247 receiving yards. Both receivers could continue to be a threat in fantasy as the season goes on. DK Metcalf should continue to be the primary option, but Njigba has the potential to breakout into a fantasy WR2 if he continues to receive this level of volume. On top of that, RB Zach Charbonet has 60 receiving yards in two games, which could hint at a big season for the backup. 

Giants vs Commanders: Malik Nabers is a fantasy stud despite Daniel Jones

If you’ve been following my previous articles, you know I’m not the biggest fan of Daniel Jones. I even went as far to say no receiver in New York is a threat for fantasy as long as Jones is throwing the ball. I was wrong. Malik Nabers dominated Washington with 10 catches and 127 receiving yards in a huge win for the Giants today.

It wasn’t just the volume Malik Nabers received that made this performance so huge, it was the lack of volume for any of his teammates. Every other Giants player combined for just half the catches Nabers did. There’s nothing to discredit about this performance - his 18 targets are the 3rd most ever by a rookie. With those kinds of numbers, a receiver will produce no matter who is throwing the ball. Nabers is easily the main guy on this offense moving forward and is a solid fantasy WR2 all season long. 

Chargers vs Panthers: JK Dobbins is a top 15 running back

Despite being drafted in the late rounds in most leagues, Dobbins opened the season with consecutive performances of over 20 points. He joined a new team after missing dozens of games to injury over the past few seasons, and showed that he’s still a talented rusher and is capable of leading the ground game in these first two matchups.

It is certainly important to note that Dobbins did play the Carolina Panthers, one of the worst teams this league has ever seen. That doesn’t mean we should disregard his performance, and we certainly shouldn’t disregard the fact that he outperformed teammate Gus Edwards despite receiving one less carry. Both running backs were just about equal in carries, but Dobbins rushed for over twice as many yards as Edwards for the second time in two games. Soon, the Los Angeles coaching staff will give Dobbins the starting job and his role in this offense will only get bigger. He’s a top 15 fantasy back going forward. 

Saints vs Cowboys: Alvin Kamara was disrespected in fantasy drafts

What a performance by Derek Carr and the New Orleans offense. To walk into Dallas and dominate with 44 points on offense is not something very many teams are capable of. The Saints have no-one to thank more than Alvin Kamara, who is showing that he should have been a first round pick.

Throughout two games, Kamara is averaging 33 fantasy points. He scored 4 touchdowns today and was a one-man show. And what’s even crazier is that Kamara was being drafted in the 3rd and 4th rounds before the season. Now, it’s looking like he has a legitimate case to be the RB1. 

Kamara possesses a unique pass-catching ability that is treasured by fantasy managers, but he does it at a level that is almost unmatched by other top running backs. His production in the receiving game has waned as he’s gotten older, but the man makes defenders miss like he’s fresh out of college. Today, a Dallas defense that was considered top-tier had no answer for him. Kamara is a RB1 for your team the rest of the season and might win you your league.

Colts vs Packers: Josh Jacobs is a borderline-RB1

Malik Willis played his first game as a Packer today, and beat a strong Indianapolis squad in his debut. While he did a good job of avoiding mistakes and leading drives, this offense was run completely through Josh Jacobs. 

Jacobs didn’t make any mind-blowing rushes, but his 32 carries set him up for a productive day. If you look at the fantasy totals, he only had 13 points, but he easily could have had more. A fumble reduced his totals, but his 32 carries is undeniably a good sign for some big performances in the upcoming weeks. The offense clearly trusts Jacobs to lead the rushing attack, and with an inexperienced passer leading the helm, it looks like Green Bay will be forced to lean on their ground game until Jordan Love is healthy. The situation makes Jacobs an easy starter with potential to put up RB1 numbers.

Browns vs Jaguars: Is Trevor Lawrence on the decline?

NFL fans may remember the massive comeback Trevor Lawrence led against the Los Angeles Chargers in a playoff game in 2023. This was coming off a season where the former Clemson QB had really shined, with 25 touchdowns to 8 interceptions. Unfortunately, he hasn’t returned to that form, and he didn’t even look like the same player today. 

Lawrence completed slightly over half his passes in week 1, and then dipped under that margin today. He has just one touchdown and is averaging under 200 passing yards, which isn’t terrible, but is certainly worse than what Lawrence is capable of. Granted, his offense around him isn’t great, but he’s looking less and less relevant for fantasy purposes. Until further notice, I don’t think Lawrence is startable until we see some major changes. 

Jets vs Titans: Tony Pollard leads this backfield, and it isn’t close

I saw many headlines before the season started suggesting that Tyjae Spears was in line for a big season in 2024 with Derrick Henry now in Baltimore. It seemed as if Pollard and Spears would alternate carries, and the latter could become the clear RB1 in this offense later in the season. That hasn’t happened, and I don’t know if it will. 

In two games, Pollard has 33 carries while Tyjae Spears has just 10. Both backs have rushed at the same level of efficiency, but this coaching staff has a clear preference towards the more experienced rusher. As long as this trend continues, Spears isn’t worth a spot on your fantasy roster unless you play in a deep league.

Buccaneers vs Lions: The Downfall of Rachaad White

This has been coming for a while. We all saw Rachaad White dominate fantasy matchups last year, with his consistent pass-catching usage empowering him to top fantasy finishes. But the main flaw is that that’s not his main job: he’s a RUNNING back. 

I’m not saying White is a bad player by any means, but he won’t last long as a top running back if he continues to struggle on the ground. He averaged a poor 2.1 yards per carry in week 1 and did even worse with 1.8 in week 2. The difference: his 75 receiving yards kept him afloat in the opener, but they weren’t there for him today. If these statistics aren’t bad enough, White owners have bad news: backup running back Bucky Irvine, who I listed as a waiver-wire pickup in my post last week, averaged nearly seven yards a carry and scored the team’s only rushing touchdown. He looks like the more dynamic player and it won’t be long until he starts to consume more touches. Don’t give up on White just yet, but start looking for some more options at running back to prepare for the real possibility that he continues to struggle. 

Raiders vs Ravens: Two wide receivers have major bounce-back games

Both teams in this matchup were led by receivers who needed to step up. Davante Adams and Zay Flowers both surpassed 90 yards and scored a touchdown each in this entertaining matchup.

Davante Adams has been losing value after last season, as younger receivers like CeeDee Lamb and Justin Jefferson have out-performed him recently. But Las Vegas relied on the 3-time all pro heavily today, and he certainly delivered with 26 fantasy points. It remains to be seen if he can consistently be a top option in fantasy, but for right now, the connection between him and quarterback Gardner Minshew seems to be heating up.

Zay Flowers, on the other hand, came into the season with high expectations. But after a mediocre performance against Kansas City to kick off the season, he needed to prove that he can compete among the league’s best. Against Las Vegas, he did just that. He was the number one option for quarterback Lamar Jackson time and time again, leading the team in targets, receptions, yards, and touchdowns. He has potential to be an elite fantasy player even while playing a run-based offense, if Lamar can continue to rely on Flowers like he did today.

Rams vs Cardinals: Marvin Harrison Jr. just needed a warm-up

The fantasy world went crazy on wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. after his 1.4 point performance in week 1. There were crazy headlines everywhere I looked. Is Marvin Harrison a bust? Is Greg Dortch the number one receiver in Arizona? Does Kyler Murray have beef with Harrison? It turns out all Harrison needed was to get settled in before he took off on his route to stardom.

If you blinked at the start of Rams vs Cardinals, you would have missed Harrison eclipse 25 points - he scored two elite touchdowns less than 3 minutes apart. Before the Rams knew it, they were down by 21 points and were getting torn apart by a rookie receiver in his second ever NFL game. Fantasy managers may be nervous about the fact that Harrison was quiet in the second half, but the truth is that Arizona had no need to pass the ball with such a large lead. And even with their conservative game plan, Harrison was inches away from hauling in a third touchdown late in the 4th quarter. This huge performance currently holds him as the top-scoring receiver of the week, andHarrison owners shouldn’t be surprised to see this momentum carry on throughout the season. There was never any reason to worry: Harrison is still a top fantasy option and should remain this way throughout the season.

Bengals vs Chiefs: A new elite tight end?

This game was definitely one of the most exciting of the week, with twists and turns throughout the way. The biggest surprise, however, came from the unlikeliest of sources: in the absence of WR Tee Higgins, tight end Mike Gesicki had a major breakout game with 7 catches for 91 yards. He’s currently the TE4 for the week.

Everyone thought that Ja’Marr Chase would dominate the Bengals receiving corps, considering he has a long connection with QB Joe Burrow and has been one of the top players in the league for several years. However, the Bengals game plan actually landed Gesicki in a position to succeed, as he surpassed Chase in both yards and receptions: Whether Gesicki’s success is a fluke or a sign of big things for the tight end, I don’t know. But with a lack of consistency from so many top tight ends in the league, you could consider taking a shot at him to repeat his performance next week.

Steelers vs Broncos: Justin Fields could become a starter

On the surface, the statline for Fields seems unimpressive. He barely passed double digit fantasy points and only had 117 passing yards. But you need to trust me when I say that he showed some very nice signs in the game that the metrics don’t show. 

Practically all of Fields’ fantasy output came from the first half. Before the offense stalled out in the third quarter, Fields looked sharp and poised in the pocket. He was able to consistently scan downfield before taking off, something he struggled with in Chicago, and made many nice throws under the face of pressure. He also seemed to be building a nice connection with George Pickens: multiple big plays, including a touchdown, were taken away from the duo through penalties. If Fields starts over Russell Wilson later in the season, which could definitely happen, he remains a fantasy option if you don’t have a top quarterback.