Team of the Week
QB: Tua Tagovailoa, MIA
Tagovailoa got into a full-blown shootout with the Chargers yesterday, but he was more than up to the challenge—throwing for 466 yards and three touchdowns (one interception) in a 36-34 victory. While the Patriots will be a tough matchup in Week 2, it’s possible Tagovailoa is on another level in Year 2 under Mike McDaniel.
RB: Aaron Jones, GB
Jones only needed 11 touches to finish as the overall RB1 heading into Monday night, as he rushed nine times for 41 yards and a score with a 2/86/1 receiving line. The highlight was a 35-yard touchdown grab after which he left the game with a hamstring injury, so hopefully Jones is good to go next week in Atlanta.
RB: Christian McCaffrey, SF
Facing a stingy Pittsburgh defense, McCaffrey went off with 25 touches for 169 yards, including a highlight 65-yard run that was helped by some great blocking by the San Francisco wideouts. Basically, fantasy owners couldn’t ask for much more from McCaffrey to begin 2023, and he’ll be the top play of the week against the Rams next Sunday.
WR: Tyreek Hill, MIA
A full offseason to prepare gave the Dolphins plenty of time to find out how to best attack the Chargers through the air, and Hill was unstoppable with a 11/215/2 line on 15 targets. Overall, the 39.0 fantasy points easily topped the position and will probably be one of the season’s best scores.
WR: Brandon Aiyuk, SF
The connection between Brock Purdy and Aiyuk was on point yesterday—with the two connecting on all eight targets for 129 yards and two touchdowns. There will be games where George Kittle and others are featured and Aiyuk is quieter, but his upside in Kyle Shanahan’s offense should make him a weekly WR2 option.
TE: Hunter Henry, NE
If the first 15 games of the year are any indication, tight end will be a wasteland in 2023, as Henry was one of two players at the position to reach double-digit fantasy points. The 5/56/1 line came on six targets, and Mac Jones clearly has trust in Henry near the end zone and in big moments.
FLEX: Austin Ekeler, LAC
A track meet breaking out in Los Angeles allowed Ekeler to start the year hot—rushing 16 times for 117 yards and a touchdown with 47 yards (on four receptions) through the air. Interestingly, Joshua Kelley had an even split on the ground with 16 carries for 91 yards and a score, but Ekeler can retain high-end RB1 value based on his efficiency and touchdown upside.
D/ST: Cowboys
The Cowboys absolutely destroyed the Giants last night—sacking Daniel Jones seven times, picking him off twice, recovering one fumble, blocking a kick, and scoring two touchdowns in a shutout victory. Next up for Dallas is a shaky Jets offensive line.
K: Jake Elliott, PHI
He missed an extra point, but Elliott was still perhaps the MVP for the Eagles in the opener by hitting all four of his field goals, with two of them coming from 50+ yards. Elliott might be an elite option at kicker if Philadelphia’s offense stalls out more than anticipated as they figure things out under new offensive coordinator Brian Johnson.
Surprise of the Week: Rams offense
Rams-Seahawks was probably the most surprising game of the week in general, and that included for fantasy purposes with Kyren Williams (17.4 fantasy points), Puka Nacua (16.9), and Tutu Atwell (14.9) leading the way in an upset win. Nacua should be a start-worthy option for as long as Cooper Kupp (hamstring) is out, and Williams converting goal-line opportunities makes him a must-add.
Disappointment of the Week: Top quarterbacks
Tee Higgins and Dallas Goedert not catching a pass gives them a case for going here, and there are plenty of other candidates at the skill positions. However, the quiet days for Joe Burrow (3.18 fantasy points) and Lamar Jackson (6.56) were tougher to overcome, and Jalen Hurts (12.5) also started slow. Hopefully we can chalk up the struggles to a lack of preseason action, but Philadelphia plays on Thursday night, and the Ravens and Bengals face off in Week 2.
Rookie of the Week: Bijan Robinson
Robinson was limited to ten carries (for 56 yards), but he was able to bring in all six of his targets for 27 yards—including a burst through three would-be tacklers to score his first career touchdown. It’s extremely encouraging that the performance of 17.3 fantasy points came on a day where Tyler Allgeier scored twice, and Robinson should be able to keep it going next week against Green Bay.
Week 1 MVP: Cowboys D/ST
Tyreek Hill was the top scorer of Week 1, but the Dallas defense put up an insane 35.0 fantasy points, and the timing to close out Sunday surely resulted in plenty of comeback wins for fantasy owners thinking they didn’t have a shot. The combination of playmakers and aggressiveness from Dan Quinn makes the Cowboys a very scary opponent.