Donte Moncrief was targeted 11 times Week 1
After an exciting Week 1, some fantasy owners may need to look to the waiver wire to make some early changes.
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Ownership totals are in ESPN Leagues as of Tuesday
David Johnson – RB – Arizona Cardinals – 37.1 percent
The explosive rookie Johnson was labeled by many as a possible sleeper prior to the season, but didn’t get much of a chance to showcase his skill set in Arizona’s Week 1 win over the New Orleans Saints. However, that could change after starter Andre Ellington suffered a Grade 1 PCL strain in the fourth quarter.
Ellington is expected to miss two to three weeks with the knee injury. While Chris Johnson will likely be the official starter, David Johnson will get a great opportunity to prove himself and will earn more and more touches as the season goes on if he takes advantage of it.
It’s possible that he could even be the starting running back towards the end of the year, as Chris Johnson is 29 and Ellington has a significant injury history. After David Johnson had a productive career at Northern Iowa and intriguing preseason, that should interest fantasy owners.
In particular, Johnson has some fantasy value due to his big-play ability that the Cardinals offense could really use. Johnson made the most of his one touch on Sunday with a 50-yard touchdown reception.
Donte Moncrief – WR – Indianapolis Colts – 31 percent
Following a promising rookie season, Moncrief appeared ready to break out and become a big part of Indianapolis’ elite passing attack. Based on the Colts’ usage of Moncrief in Week 1, he could exceed even those expectations.
Moncrief was targeted a team-high 11 times on Sunday against the Buffalo Bills, catching six passes for 46 yards and a touchdown. With top receiver T.Y. Hilton out for a few weeks, Moncrief should see his usage rate continue to go up.
At 6-foot-2, 222 pounds with 4.40 speed, Moncrief has plenty of big-play ability and seems like a natural fit with quarterback Andrew Luck. There are some questions about his route running, but the Colts’ coaching staff believes the second-year reciever is improving quickly in that regard.
Moncreif makes plenty of sense for Hilton owners, and should at least be a solid flex play over the next few weeks.
Alex Smith – QB – Kansas City Chiefs – 19.8 percent
While Smith’s lack of big play ability prevents him from being a starting fantasy quarterback in most leagues, he’s producing enough to be a solid backup of fill-in for owners looking for a new signal caller.
Smith’s efficiency and accuracy make him much better than the “game manager” tab that he is consistently labeled with. He was very impressive against a talented Houston Texans defense on Sunday, completing 22-of-33 passes for 243 yards and three touchdowns.
The concern has often been over the weapons Smith has around him, as Kansas City’s receivers have been lacking over recent years and the offense relies heavily on Jamaal Charles. However, Travis Kelce is emerging into a star, while Smith’s connection with free agent addition Jeremy Maclin should only get better as the season progresses.
If Kansas City can get Maclin involved early and go to Kelce often in the red zone, Smith should easily be a top 15 fantasy quarterback most weeks.
Jordan Reed – TE – Washington Redskins – 32 percent
Talent has never been the problem for Reed, who has shown flashes of major ability since being drafted in 2013 out of Florida. Instead, Reed’s career has been held back by injuries, with fantasy owners constantly waiting on a potential breakout.
With Reed healthy and looking strong in Washington’s opener, he may be worth a waiver wire look. Reed caught seven passes for 63 yards and the lone touchdown for the Redskins’ dismal offense in a 17-10 loss to the Miami Dolphins on Sunday.
The big key was that Reed was targeted a team-high 11 times. Don’t expect that to change with DeSean Jackson out for a few weeks, as Reed has developed good chemistry with quarterback Kirk Cousins.
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Nathaniel Reeves is a correspondent at FantasyPros. Follow him @njr3701.