The 2026-27 NFL season is underway as football Sundays are back up and running. Along with everyone supporting their favorite NFL teams, fans are also focused on their fantasy football teams and their performances. Most players like Justin Jefferson or Jayhmar Gibbs lived up to their expectations. There were also a few unsung heroes who came out of nowhere to help fantasy managers; then, of course, some players underperformed.
With that being said, here are the week 1 NFL Fantasy Football boom or bust players.
Boom
Caleb Williams
Again, it’s week 1, so it’s easy to overreact to performances, but Caleb Williams’s week 1 performance against the Carolina Panthers was so dominant that it opened up the discussion for him being the front-runner for MVP.
Williams went 21/29 (72.4%) for 269 yards and 2 passing touchdowns, along with 65 rushing yards and 2 rushing touchdowns, finishing with a stellar 124.1 quarterback rating and zero interceptions.
The Chicago Bears offense ate in their massive 59-37 blowout win over the Carolina Panthers, with Williams as the main factor in their dominance. His elite arm talent, dangerous mobility, and off-script creativity make him a matchup nightmare. If he keeps it up, he might be the Chicago Bears’ first-ever QB to eclipse 4,000 yards.
Christain Watson
Even though the Green Bay Packers didn’t come away with the win in their Week 1 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings, they have a stud WR in Christian Watson. Now in his fifth season, Watson had a monster start to his season, as he finished Week 1 with 6 receptions for 147 yards and 2 touchdowns in the Packers’ 39-22 loss.
Watson’s biggest highlight was his 81-yard explosive touchdown catch in the first quarter. His second touchdown came on a short red-zone score just before halftime. Despite a quiet second half for the entire Green Bay offense, Watson proved his elite big-play ability when healthy.
Derrick Henry
At 32 years old, Derrick Henry keeps proving why Father Time is on his side after a massive Week 1 performance against the Indianapolis Colts. Henry showed age-defying durability, thriving under a heavy workload at his age. He finished with 144 rushing yards and three touchdowns on the ground, plus one catch for 19 yards. As a result of his three rushing touchdowns, he passed Marcus Allen for third place all-time in NFL history.
Bust
Jamar Chase
Ja’Marr Chase will be dominant for most of the season, but his Week 1 performance against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was not a dominant showing.
Chase finished with 2 receptions for 12 yards on only 4 targets. QB Joe Burrow threw for 254 yards, but rarely prioritized Chase and focused more on getting Tee Higgins, Mike Gesicki, and Chase Brown the ball. Chase missed a crucial Friday practice leading up to the game with a minor knee issue. The Reps clearly disrupted his on-field chemistry with Joe Burrow, as he only had 4 targets.
The Cincinnati Bengals defense forced several turnovers, giving the offense incredibly short fields to work with. As a result, they didn’t need to push the ball deep to Chase to win. Burrow relied heavily on low-risk targets across the middle of the field to his tight ends and running backs.
Matthew Stafford
The Los Angeles Rams’ decision to arrive in Australia roughly 24 to 30 hours before kickoff against the San Francisco 49ers likely played a role in their performance, as they looked sluggish all around and lost in a 27-7 blowout. Matthew Stafford was one of the players who did not play up to his MVP-caliber level.
In Matthew Stafford’s week one matchup, he went 15/25, throwing for 155 yards and 1 INT. with a passing rating of 61.2
Stafford missed open targets near the sidelines and looked out of sync with his receivers. His first-half interception to Puka Nacua inside the 49ers’ 15-yard line snuffed out a key scoring chance and flipped momentum into a San Francisco touchdown. On third down, the offense converted just one third down the entire game. A questionable fourth-and-goal quarterback sneak call failed at the goal line, halting a promising drive and deflating the offense.
Colston Loveland
There were only a few players who didn’t contribute in the Chicago Bears’ 59-37 blowout against the Carolina Panthers, and TE Colston Loveland was one of them. Loveland finished with 0 receptions for 0 yards on just 2 targets.
Loveland will be a factor in the Bears’ offense throughout the season, and it showed in Week 1 as he led the team in 32 pass routes. His teammate Cole Kmet caught a touchdown, overshadowing Loveland’s zero-point output. Chicago leaned heavily on a record-setting ground attack and short passes to other targets like Kalif Raymond, reducing the need to force the ball downfield to Loveland.
