Carolina Panthers wide receiver Diontae Johnson caught just two his six targets for 19 yards in the team's loss to the New Orleans Saints. Johnson was the second most targeted pass-catcher, but was unable to connect with quarterback Bryce Young as the team struggled to move the ball on offense. Johnson was brought in to be a WR1 for Young, and did see encouraging enough usage to be a viable fantasy option moving forward. While it was a lackluster performance, Johnson can be considered a WR3 option in Week 2 when the Panthers take on the Los Angeles Chargers.

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Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins struggled in his first game with his new team, completing 16-of-26 passes for 155 yards and one touchdown with one rushing attempt for no gain in an 18-10 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Coming off the severe leg injury, it's not a complete shock that Cousins struggled in his first game back from recovery. The newly revamped offensive line was also no help, as he was sacked twice and was under constant pressure throughout the game. It may take some time for Cousins to find that efficiency he had back in Minnesota, especially with a prime-time matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles on deck next week on Sunday Night Football.

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Atlanta Falcons kicker Younghoe Koo converted his lone field goal attempt on Sunday from 24 yards out and tacked on one extra point in an 18-10 loss against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Koo is among the most intriguing kicking options this season, with the newly revamped offense for the Falcons and the fact that he plays half of his game indoors. Unfortunately for Koo, the offense wasn't quite in good shape in this game, as they barely got into field goal range. Once this offense starts clicking on all cylinders, expect more opportunities for Koo moving forward. He should still be a solid start in a matchup that should provide plenty of offense for both sides when the Falcons face the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday Night Football in Week 2.

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Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride had a team-high nine targets in Sunday's loss to the Buffalo Bills. The chances translated to a five-catch day but resulted in just 30 receiving yards. On a day when Arizona's offensive line was doing all that it could to withstand Buffalo's pass rush, quarterback Kyler Murray had to get rid of the ball quickly and McBride proved to be a reliable safety valve even if he didn't have time to get downfield. The second-year pro saw a couple of passes that could have gone for 20 or more yards, though both throws were off the mark. Despite the subpar day, McBride's eight PPR points were still enough for him to rank in the top 12 at his position in the first week of NFL action. He will continue to be a TE1 candidate as the season progresses and should be locked into lineups in Week 2 when the Cardinals play the Rams in their home opener.

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Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray completed 21 of his 31 pass attempts for 162 yards and one touchdown in Sunday's loss to the Buffalo Bills. He gained an additional 57 yards on the ground on 5 rushes, including a 29-yard scamper that ended up being Arizona's longest play from scrimmage. Murray's touchdown pass went to wide receiver Michael Wilson from five yards out in the first quarter. The 27-year-old signal caller had an efficient start to the game with only one incompletion in his first 12 attempts but as the game went on Arizona's offensive line found it harder and harder to keep up with the pass rush, forcing Murray to hurry his throws. While he was never picked off he eventually coughed up a fumble late in the third quarter that gave the Bills the ball on Arizona's 21-yard line, setting them up for the go-ahead score. Despite the lackluster final line, Murray will be a QB1 candidate in Week 2 when Arizona hosts the Los Angeles Rams.

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The hype surrounding Marvin Harrison Jr. pushed his ADP to 15 during the fantasy draft season. He fell well short of expectations in Sunday's loss to the Buffalo Bills, drawing just three targets and making a single catch for four yards. The fourth overall pick from the 2024 NFL Draft may have disappointed fantasy managers in Week 1 but his usage leaves room for optimism. Harrison was on the field for nearly every offensive snap, missing only six plays, all of which were three tight end sets. While Buffalo's secondary seemed at times to be giving the rookie receiver special attention downfield, the defensive pressure on Kyler Murray also lent to Harrison's lack of production. With Harrison running mostly intermediate and long routes, there simply wasn't time for him to complete a route before Murray had to get rid of the ball. The debut was a dud but Harrison should remain in starting lineups in Week 2 when Arizona takes on the Los Angeles Rams.

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Arizona Cardinals offensive coordinator Drew Petzing described running back James Conner as the team's "bell cow" in recent comments to the media. Anyone left wondering how much Petzing's coachspeak could be trusted got their answer on Sunday. Conner handled the ball in each of the Cardinals' first six plays from scrimmage to open the game and paced the team's running backs with 16 rushing attempts. The eighth-year veteran gained 50 rushing yards and caught three passes for another 33 yards through the air. Conner scored his first touchdown of the season in the second quarter, taking the handoff from three yards out and punching it through the line for the score. Conner and the Cardinals next face the Rams, who allowed a combined 131 rushing yards and two touchdowns to David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs of the Lions in Week 1.

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Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Michael Wilson scored the team's first points of 2024 when he caught a five-yard pass from Kyler Murray in the first quarter of Sunday's season opener against the Buffalo Bills. Wilson showed good awareness on the play as he took it upon himself to find some open space in the back of the end zone while Murray did his best to stay on his feet despite a heavy pass rush on the play. The touchdown reception ended up being Wilson's only reception of the day and he drew just one other target in the loss. Wilson did start opposite Marvin Harrison Jr. and had the second-highest snap count among Arizona's wide receiver group. Next week the Cardinals host the Rams, who just gave up 121 receiving yards and a touchdown to the Lions' WR2, Jameson Williams.

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Arizona Cardinals running back DeeJay Dallas took a return 96 yards to the house for the first such score under the NFL's new kickoff rules on Sunday. Dallas can be elusive but he got a little lucky in Week 1 when three would-be tacklers converged on him and essentially took each other out, allowing the returner to easily shake free and continue downfield. Dallas spent his first four professional seasons with the Seahawks and has racked up 1,474 kick return yards since adopting those duties in 2021, the sixth-most in the league over the last three years. As the last running back on the depth chart, Dallas carries almost no fantasy value, though he might be of interest in leagues that account for return yards. In Week 2, Arizona faces the Rams, who registered six touchbacks with no returns for their kickoffs in their season debut.

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Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard carried the ball six times for just 14 yards in the team's blowout loss to the New Orleans Saints. Hubbard was not involved in the receiving game, seeing zero targets. Hubbard saw just one more carry than running back Miles Sanders, but neither were able to provide much of a spark on the ground. Both running backs were gamescripted out of the matchup early on, with the Panthers finding themselves down by 27 at halftime. Hubbard's usage was encouraging enough to keep him in the mix moving forward, and he can be looked at as an RB3/4 option next week when the Panthers take on the Los Angeles Chargers.

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Carolina Panthers wide receiver Adam Thielen caught three of his four targets for 49 yards in the team's loss to the New Orleans Saints on Sunday. Thielen led all Panthers pass-catchers in yards, remaining as a trusted target for quarterback Bryce Young. Carolina's offensive limitations hinder heavily on Thielen's upside, but he could be a name to keep an eye on if he remains the No. 1 option for Young. Fantasy managers can look to Thielen as a WR4/5 option when the Panthers take on the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 2.

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Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young completed thirteen of his 30 passes for 161 yards with two interceptions in the team's 47-10 loss to the New Orleans Saints. Young also carried the ball four times for an additional 12 yards and a touchdown on the ground, helping to salvage his fantasy production. Carolina had no success moving the ball in Sunday's matchup, seeing just barely over 200 yards of total offense. While there was some optimism the Panthers would improve from last year's offense, that was not shown to be the case on Sunday. Young can be left out of lineups in mostly all formats next week when the Panthers take on the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 2.

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Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. caught just four of his eight targets for 31 yards in the team's loss to the Houston Texans. Pittman saw the most targets and snaps out of all Colts pass-catchers, but was unable to turn it into a productive fantasy day. Pittman remains the No. 1 option for Richardson and the Colts passing attack, and fantasy managers can include him as a WR2 in lineups in the team's Week 2 contest against the Green Bay Packers.

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Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson completed nine of his 19 passes for 212 yards in the team's loss against the Houston Texans. Richardson threw for two touchdowns as well as one interception. He also ran the ball six times for 56 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Richardson showed why his low-end passing volume isn't a huge deal for his fantasy production, as he was able to combine his big-play ability with his rushing ability into a very productive fantasy showing. Richardson remains a high-tier QB1 option moving forward, and fantasy managers can start him with confidence next week when the Colts take on the Packers.

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Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce was the surprise name of Sunday afternoon, grabbing all three of his targets for 125 yards and a touchdown in the team's loss to the Houston Texans. QB Anthony Richardson connected with Pierce on some big plays, including a 60-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter and a 57-yard pass in the fourth quarter. Pierce also saw favorable playing time in Josh Downs' (ankle) absence, playing 84% of snaps, only behind Michael Pittman Jr in the WR group. Richardson's big arm makes all Colts pass-catchers a potential homerun option, and Pierce was the beneficiary of that on Sunday. It's unclear how sustainable Pierce's production may be moving forward, but he does make for an interesting waiver wire target this week. Fantasy managers can likely leave Pierce out of lineups in Week 2 in the Colts contest against the Green Bay Packers, but can revisit his status in Week 3 if he can follow up this week's performance.

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Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor ran the ball 16 times for 48 yards and a touchdown in the team's loss to the Houston Texans. Taylor was not involved in the receiving game, getting zero targets through the air. Taylor struggled to breakthrough at just three yards a carry, but did receive the full workload as he was the only running back to see any carries. QB Anthony Richardson led the way on the ground for the Colts, rushing for 56 yards and a touchdown on six attempts. While it is encouraging to see Taylor get high-end usage, his inefficiency and lack of receiving work paired with Richardson's rushing upside did limit him in the contest. Taylor will look to bounce back next week when the Colts take on the Packers, a team that let Saquon Barkley rush for over 100 yards and three touchdowns in their Week 1 matchup. Fantasy managers can start Taylor with confidence in next week's matchup as an RB1 hopeful.

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Indianapolis Colts defensive tackle DeForest Buckner (back) exited Sunday's game against the Houston Texans and did not return. At the time of his departure, he had registered six tackles and 1.5 sacks. Buckner continues to have game-wrecking potential in his age-30 season, so the Colts can only hope he won't miss too much time, if any at all. We can likely expect to receive more info on his diagnosis and timetable this Monday.

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The Denver Broncos didn't win in Week 1 on the road at Lumen Field against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, but there defense certainly played better than their offense. Denver's defense/special teams finished as a top-10 fantasy through Sunday night in the 26-20 defeat. They got to quarterback Geno Smith two times, picked him off once, created two safeties and recovered a fumble on a muffed punt. The Broncos' revamped defensive line allowed 146 rushing yards on 33 attempts for a 4.4 yard-per-carry average. Through the air, they limited Smith to 158 passing yards to allow just over 300 yards total in a tough road game to kick off the regular season. Denver's D/ST will remain on waiver wires in most leagues, but they could be worth streaming consideration in deeper leagues in a Week 2 matchup at home against a Pittsburgh Steelers team that could already have QB controversy.

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The good news for Denver Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton in the team's 26-20 Week 1 loss to the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field on Sunday was that he led the team with 12 targets. However, Sutton could only connect with rookie first-round quarterback Bo Nix four times for just 38 receiving yards in a day in which Nix looked a bit overmatched in his NFL debut against a fired-up defense in a hostile environment. The 28-year-old Sutton is certainly going to have ups and downs in 2024 while working with a rookie signal-caller. It's clear that Nix is going to target Sutton plenty as the WR1 in Denver, but Sutton's fantasy managers couldn't have been thrilled with rookie Devaughn Vele drawing eight targets of his own in his NFL debut. The Pittsburgh Steelers won't pose a much easier matchup in Week 2, where Sutton will set up as a touchdown-dependent WR4/flex.

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Los Angeles Rams left tackle Joe Noteboom (ankle) was carted to the locker room during the first half of Sunday's game against the Detroit Lions. All of a sudden, the Rams are struggling to stay healthy as they deal with injuries throughout their offensive line. Wide receiver Puka Nacua (knee) and cornerback Darious Williams (hamstring) are also banged up. Noteboom has a lengthy injury history as he tore his ACL and MCL in 2019, dealt with a calf issue in 2020, and tore his Achilles in 2022. The Rams will task AJ Arcuri with more reps at left tackle until Noteboom can return.

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