NFL Fantasy Football Week 1 studs and duds

Week 1 of the NFL is coming to an end and we have already learned a lot from the games on Thursday and Sunday, with some of last year’s stars at it again, injuries ruining fantasy hopes early on, and some expected studs who just completely flopped. We will be keeping an eye on D.K. Metcalf, Rashaad Penny, Russell Wilson, Geno Smith, and Javonte Williams tonight, too. So far, here are your fantasy studs and duds from Week 1 in the NFL.

Check it out! Fantasy Football team of the week: NFL 2022 Week 1

Fantasy Football Week 1 Studs

Justin Jefferson, WR Minnesota Vikings

Jefferson scored even more points than Cooper Kupp (who scored 31.8 points on Thursday), and that was just in the first half. He ended the game against the Packers with 39.4 points - nine receptions, 184 yards, and two touchdowns.

Saquon Barkley, RB New York Giants

Barkley led all running backs in points with 33.4 heading into Sunday night. He had a huge night, with 164 rushing yards on 18 carries and a touchdown and caught six of seven targets for 30 yards. Barkley was a bit of a disappointment for fantasy owners last season, but he looked like his old self against the Titans on Sunday.

Davante Adams, WR Las Vegas Raiders

No Rodgers, no problem. Adams has been reunited with his college teammate, QB Derek Carr with the Las Vegas Raiders and they seemed to reconnect easily. Adams caught 10 of 17 targets for 141 yards and a touchdown with a total of 30.1 fantasy points.

Tyreek Hill, WR Miami Dolphins

Tyreek Hill also proved he can still perform despite who’s at quarterback. No longer with Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, Hill had eight catches on 12 targets (a team high) and 94 yards for 18 points. He may not produce quite as many points with Tua as he did with Mahomes this season, but you’re still going to want to start Hill every week, a he proved to be a big focal point of the Dolphins offense.

Patrick Mahomes, QB Kansas City Chiefs

Hill without Mahomes and Mahomes without Hill - neither was a problem. Though to be honest, we didn’t expect it to be a problem for Mahomes. He threw for 360 yards and had five touchdowns to four different receivers. He may not have Tyreek Hill, but he’s got options, and he’s going to use them.

Ja’Marr Chase, WR Cincinnati Bengals

Ja’Marr Chase had an amazing rookie season with college teammate Joe Burrow at quarterback in Cincinnati and he looks like he’ll just keep that momentum going in 2022. He caught 10 of 16 targets for 129 yards and one touchdown to bring the game into overtime. He nearly had another touchdown earlier in the game, but the refs ruled that he only had one foot in bounds. Looking ahead to a Bengals team that’s a lot more pass-happy this year, Chase should be a consistent WR1 on your team.

Fantasy Football Week 1 Duds

Dak Prescott, QB Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys offense really didn’t leave a lot of positive emotions in the first place, but then Prescott left the game early with an injury to his throwing hand. As it turns out, he will need surgery on his right thumb and is expected to miss between six to eight weeks, a huge blow for the Cowboys and fantasy owners alike.

Najee Harris, RB Pittsburgh Steelers

Another story of an injury ruining fantasy dreams here - the Steelers running back was one of the top picks in fantasy heading into the season. After 12 touches and 2.3 yards per rush, Harris left the game with an injured foot. He had suffered a Lisfranc sprain to that foot during camp, but said he was good to go. Clearly, that changed as he was wearing a boot leaving the locker room.

Christian McCaffrey, RB Carolina Panthers

It’s not that McCaffrey played poorly - it’s just that he didn’t see that much action. He rushed 10 times for 33 yards and one touchdown and caught all four of his targets for 24 yards. After being out much of the season last year, McCaffrey had just 14 touches in his first game back and those four targets are the sixth-fewest he’s seen since 2018.

Aaron Rodgers, QB Green Bay Packers

Adams may have done fine without Rodgers, but we certainly can’t say the same for Rodgers without Adams. Rodgers had no touchdowns, but did have one interception, and averaged only 5.7 yards per attempt. That left him with a whopping 3.7 fantasy points. He had a terrible start to the season last year, too and things looked up after that, so maybe this is some kind of curse. Either way, it’s not time to freak out just yet.