Week 1 went well for me, as I went undefeated across my weekly leagues. That’s both a blessing and a curse. The blessing is the 1-0 starts and early dividends being paid. The curse is trying to figure out how well I’m actually positioned for ROS and trying not to overreact after a strong start, while also realizing it’s all downhill from here — just like my life save for the getting fatter part. Indeed, fantasy has become reality. And so it goes (as Kurt Vonnegut would say). Like myself, you’re probably trying to find that happy medium between overreaction and underreaction. Some of our concerns are warranted, but others simply aren’t. At the same time, many of the outstanding Week 1 performances are 100% real and should provide optimism for the remainder of the fantasy season. Here are five of my biggest Hobbservations from Week 1, focusing on the RB and WR positions.
1. I am legitimately concerned about CeeDee Lamb.
Lamb saw 11 targets in Week 1, but that translated to just TWO receptions for 29 yards. Even with Dak Prescott, this new Cowboys O-Line was positioned to cause serious problems for fantasy owners. I’ll be brutally honest, I didn’t think it would have too drastic of an impact on Lamb’s fantasy value, which is why I had no issue using a second-rounder on him during draft season. But so many of those 11 targets were blatantly uncatchable for Lamb, and it’s hard to see the situation getting any better with Cooper Rush under center. The good news is, there should be even more pass-heavy game script in the cards for Dallas moving forward, and I think that should provide the opportunity for multiple WR2 finished. My concern is I’m having trouble seeing top-12 WR status in Lamb’s range of outcomes, and with the degree of draft capital we placed on him in the preseason — that isn’t good.
2. I wish I had drafted a single share of Davante Adams.
As a Las Vegas fan, I have a policy of staying away from Raiders at all costs, unless the value or glaring need on my roster is too large to ignore. With how high Adams went in fantasy drafts, I didn’t draft him a single time this year. Part of that was the aforementioned policy, but the other component was liking so many other players in that range more, such as Ja’Marr Chase and D’Andre Swift. But after seeing Adams warrant 17 targets and converting that into 10 receptions for 141 yards and a touchdown, it’s definitely possible that he finishes as a top-three wide receiver, if not challenge Justin Jefferson, Cooper Kupp, and Chase for WR1 overall. Derek Carr had his typical flashes of brilliance in Week 1, but his decision-making was also uncharacteristic at times, as evidenced by the three interceptions — tied for his career high. I expect the Chargers to be in the AFC Championship Game, and with even marginal improvement in this Raiders offense between now and the middle of the season, then Week 1 is only the beginning and Adams is going to win you a lot of matchups.
3. Michael Pittman Jr. is a ROS top-10 WR and has a chance to lead the league in receptions.
If you got Pittman Jr. in the fourth round of a lot of drafts like I did, you best be moonwalking all over the office. Pittman Jr. saw 13 targets from Matt Ryan, finishing with nine catches for 121 yards and a touchdown — good for 22.6 half-PPR points and a finish of WR5 overall. And that was with the Colts looking like booty for three quarters. We’ve yet to see the ceiling for Pittman Jr. in this offense. Not to mention, he’s one of the most underrated receivers in the NFL talent-wise.
4. We under-ranked Kareem Hunt. Again.
I know, I know. Week 1 overreaction, right? Not so fast. This is the same song and dance. Hunt has done this before. Last year, he finished 21st among running backs in points per game in both half-PPR and PPR. In 2020, Hunt was RB10 in half-PPR and PPR. In 2019, he was top-30 RB in both half-PPR and PPR (RB26). When he’s healthy, Hunt has consistently been an RB2 option in fantasy football. Sure, the offensive outlook for the first half of the Browns’ season isn’t sexy, but he’ll be involved. Should he get moved at any point, he would immediately be in the RB1 conversation and hold status as a potential league winner.Â
5. I’m not pulling the plug just yet on Cam Akers, but ROS expectations should be tempered.
The usage was concerning. Three carries. Zero targets. Zero net yards. Yeah, even Leslie Knope would have trouble finding a positive in that one. There’s only room for improvement, right? What I’m encouraged by is that the usage made absolutely zero sense. Plus, the Rams looked bad, and the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. After last season, you will never be able to convince me that Darrell Henderson can be a starting running back in the NFL. Can he be a useful and efficient back in the league? No doubt. But even post-injury, Akers has to be the guy. My preseason expectations for him may never be met, but I believe he will hold some value and have a place in weekly lineups before long. Sean McVay says he needs “an increased level of urgency,” so we’ll see what the hell that means and how it projects moving forward. I’d stay away from him in the short term, but please, please, don’t drop him yet!
That’s all for this week, Razzball fam! As always, I’m happy to take this conversation into the comments section or on Twitter, where you can find me @WorldOfHobbs.
