After months without football, we can finally relax now that football season is here. Week 1 wraps up tonight after the Denver Broncos take on the Kansas City Chiefs. For now, let’s go over the risers and fallers from week 1 after a drama-filled weekend.
Risers
RB Kaelon Black | San Francisco 49ers
While Kaelon Black only finished with 8.00pts (Standard PPR), he surprisingly played 43% of snaps. This clearly signals that the coaching staff wants to avoid using Christian McCaffrey the way they did last year when he had well over 400 touches. Black was very productive, rushing for 4.6 yards per carry. If he maintains 40% playing time, he could be a good flex option in deep leagues.
If you have CMC, buy as many shares as possible of Kaelon Black as you can while you still can. If you don’t have CMC and he’s on your team, hold onto him for now.
WR Christian Watson | Green Bay Packers
Admittedly, I was out on Christian Watson and critiqued the massive extension he received in the offseason mainly because of his injury history. All I can say is that if Watson can remain healthy, he could be the steal of the draft after a performance like that. Watson finished the contest with 32.70 points.
I’m selling high here after a phenomenal week 1 performance. Watson has missed 5 games on average each season since entering the league in 2022, and it’s not worth the risk if you can get a good return.
WR Jalen Coker | Carolina Panthers
Move over, Tet, Jalen Coker has arrived. This was only Coker’s second career 100-yard game but to start the season off like that with 9 targets was nothing short of spectacular. Although the Chicago Bears offense could not be stopped, the Carolina Panthers had many bright spots to be happy about, Coker’s production is one of them as he finishes week 1 with 33.80 points, a clear flex option moving forward if this target volume remains.
Buy every share of Jalen Coker, this could be an overreaction but despite him having a great start to the season, you can easily talk Coker’s value down in your home leagues and get a great deal! Just don’t overpay after one performance, now if he does this again next week, and the week after, his value may be too inflated to make a move so right now is the best time.
TE Isaiah Likely | New York Giants
Finally, someone I was all-in on during the offseason in drafts, Likely exploded in his Giants debut tallying a perfect 8/8 receptions and racking in two TDs. Anyone who saw Likely play anytime while Mark Andrews was out in Baltimore knew this kid had the potential to be TE1, and after Sunday, Likely is likely to finish as TE1 this week with 27.80 points.
Like Coker, buy Isaiah Likely while you can. Yes i’m talking to you Kyle Pitts owners. Likely is the real deal and will be a consistent threat this year. If you need a TE, this is your guy to trade for.
Fallers
RB Jonathon Brooks | Carolina Panthers
While I gave up on Brooks, many players thought this could be the season the former second-round pick would produce now that he’s healthy despite Chuba Hubbard still being in Carolina. Well, unfortunately that’s not the case as Chuba looked great while Brooks only tallied 4 carries for a lackluster 14 yards, leaving many wondering if it’s even worth keeping him on rosters.
Sell Brooks while you can. One of my worst picks in a dynasty rookie draft years ago, Jonathon Brooks had a few believing that with a healthy offseason he was going to run into a bell cow and outshine Chuba Hubbard. Well the cows in the field looked more agile than Brooks against the Bears defense, as Chuba Hubbard averaged 4.9 yards per carry; Brooks only averaged 3.5 in a limited role. Chuba is the clear feature back in Carolina.
RB MarShawn Lloyd | Green Bay Packers
Alright back to reality everyone, MarShawn Lloyd isn’t Josh Jacobs. With Jacobs being placed on the commissioners exempt list just two weeks before week 1 leaving teams that drafted in August scrambling to replace Jacobs via trades, waivers, etc. but the small percentage of league that waited until early September to draft, just a week before the season started had team owners drafting Lloyd like he was going to have Jacobs production. Unfortunately it didn’t pan out after he averaged just 2.85 yards per carry.
Hold, as much as I want to say sell, even with bad production, you simply will not get an offer that gives you a player with better upside/playing time. If you do by all means sell but Lloyd’s snap count alone will warrant value as there’s only a handful of starting RBs in the league.
WR Jordan Addison | Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings first matchup was not what anyone expected, with Carson Wentz leading a miraculous comeback after Kyler Murray went into concussion protocol. Despite the late game heroics, Addison was nowhere to be seen throughout the game, while only getting 2 targets, neither resulting in a catch, which means he finished Sunday’s matchup without a single fantasy point.
Sell, sell, sell; even drop if you have no offers. I was incredibly high on Addison after his first two seasons but it’s been downhill ever since. After catastrophic collapse in 2025 saw Addison finish as WR45 and starting the season with a big fat donut in the point column, it’s time to throw darts at the waiver wire this week if Addison is going to play like he did last year, or even worse.
TE Colston Loveland | Chicago Bears
Easily the biggest/most hyped name on this list, even I had him as TE3 and a fair amount of people were drafting him as such. But 0.00 points is inexcusable in a Ben Johnson offense where you’re expected to not only thrive, but be towards the top of your position group.
Hold Loveland, everyone drafted him way too high to get a reasonable return on him this week. The Bears’ offense completed 21 passes and only 2 were to a TE, just happened to be Kmet, not Loveland, hauling in those grabs so the TE targets are something to watch in these early weeks.
Other Content
Check out all of my previous articles, along with future Buffalo Bills and fantasy content, available here: {Articles}, and make sure to use code DL10 for 10% off all memberships! Also, tune in to YouTube to view our most recent video, where we discuss the Green Bay Packers 4th quarter collapse.
