With the first week of NFL action nearly in the books, it's a good time to take stock of what we saw this past weekend. There's a lot to process, but here are five initial thoughts to help you get a jump on Week 2.
1. Don’t overreact to poor performances
We say this every year, but patience is a virtue in fantasy football. Yet people often forget that if something goes wrong in Week 1. Remember, we’re dealing with the smallest sample size we’ll have all season, and it’s not wise to make any rash decisions.
Sammy Watkins owners, I’m talking to you. Sure, he put up a fantasy goose egg and saw just three targets against the Colts, but there’s so much more to the story than the box score suggests. The Bills defense held Indy’s offense in check, allowing their offense to play conservatively. Tyrod Taylor had no need to force feed Watkins the balls, especially considering the fact that Vontae Davis was on him much of the game. Watkins is very talented, and even with Taylor at quarterback, bigger days are ahead.
This is also true for Greg Olsen, who managed just one catch for 11 yards on three targets. With the Panthers in the lead for much of the game, Cam Newton had no need to pepper Olsen with passes. The good news is the Panthers lackluster wide receiver corps will mean plenty of targets for Olsen in the right game script.
Of course, Peyton Manning owners are also likely pushing the panic button after the veteran posted an ugly fantasy stat line of just 175 passing yards and zero touchdowns. While it’s easy to run with the narrative that Manning is “done,” don’t overlook the impact of that Ravens’ defense. Baltimore has talent at all three levels and game planned effectively to shut down the Broncos offense.
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Jeff Ratcliffe is the Assistant Managing Editor and resident IDP maven and DFS junkie of PFF Fantasy.