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Week 1 Heat Index (2020 Fantasy Football)

Week 1 Heat Index (2020 Fantasy Football)

Oh, baby! Are you still buzzing? Week 1 of the NFL season is in the books, and boy, was it electric.

We saw comebacks. We saw blowouts. Even better, we saw breakouts. And that’s what we’re here for.

In this weekly Heat Index article, we’ll take a look at some “non-elite” players who are coming off of monster fantasy days. These are guys who blew up on your bench or were buried on the waiver wire. Nevertheless, they caught fire in Week 1.

Let’s find out which of these Week 1 flames will blaze on or fizzle out as the season rages on.

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Dallas Goedert (TE – PHI)

I told you he was on the rise in March. I sang his good praises in June. I begged you to draft him in August. It’s finally September, and guess what? I’m screaming from the top of my lungs: Dallas Goedert is the real deal! I’m not taking a victory lap, but I am stretching my legs.

In Week 1, the target-getting, football-catching Philadelphia phenomenon hauled in eight of his nine targets for 101 yards and a touchdown. Count ’em. Nine targets. That was more than any other wide receiver on his team, and it was the most among all tight ends in Week 1. Sure, the season is young, and the Eagles offense will find ways to utilize their receivers in time — and yes, Zach Ertz is still a force to be reckoned with — but head coach Doug Pederson goes with what works, and right now, that’s Dallas Goedert. Don’t be surprised to see the trend continue from week to week.

Week 1 Heat Index: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Rest-of-Season Heat Index: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

Benny Snell Jr. (RB – PIT)

Uh oh. There might be a changing of the guard in Pittsburgh, as the Steelers’ “bell cow” back, James Conner, tweaked his ankle and was subsequently benched early on Monday Night Football in Week 1. Early in the first half, second-year rusher Benny Snell Jr. got an opportunity to show why he should be the RB1 in Steel Town. Snell shined in Conner’s absence, rushing the rock 19 times for 113 yards against the New York Giants. While he failed to score, he showed strength and speed between the tackles and around the edges. Conner, who appeared to be in fine health on the sideline, could only look on in frustration.

Hooboy. This one is tough to call. Snell was already off to a hot start in 2020, and after hitting the century mark in Week 1, he will be hard to keep off the field moving forward — even if Conner is fit to play. Sometimes you’ve got to trust your gut, and my gut’s telling me that Snell is in for a big season.

Snell is rostered in just 15 percent of Yahoo leagues, which makes him a tasty waiver wire acquisition in most fantasy leagues.

Week 1 Heat Index: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Rest-of-season Heat Index: 🔥🔥🔥🔥

Nyheim Hines (RB – IND)

We saw some ups and downs out of the Colts’ backfield in Week 1. Sadly, Marlon Mack went down with a season-ending injury to his Achilles tendon. Nyheim Hines, on the other hand, looked like last year’s Austin Ekeler, and he gobbled up eight passes for 45 yards and a touchdown. He also added seven totes for 28 yards and another score, bringing his fantasy output to 23.3 points in half-PPR leagues. Translation: Hines was the fifth-best running back in Week 1.

Whew. That’s a hot start for Hines. Given Rivers’ tendency to swing the ball out to his running backs, it’s possible that Hines will see five to six targets and seven or eight carries per game as the team’s third-down and change-of-pace back. Why not more? Rookie rusher Jonathan Taylor is expected to step into the starting role at running back, which should keep Hines’ opportunities capped to around 12 to 15 per game.

Week 1 Heat Index: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Rest-of-season Heat Index: 🔥🔥🔥

Gardner Minshew (QB – JAC)

Where you gonna be, brother, when Minshew Mania runs wild on you?! Gardner Minshew, who finished Week 1 as the 11th ranked quarterback in fantasy football, completed 19 of 20 passes for 173 yards in a come-from-behind victory against the Colts. He also scampered for 19 more yards on the ground.

The yardage isn’t anything to go crazy about, but the efficiency is. Operating primarily out of the shotgun, Minshew showed good mobility in the pocket, maintained good vision downfield, and stepped up to hit receivers with well-executed strikes. The excellent real-life football game turned into a pretty solid fantasy football game for Minshew.

Expect the Jaguars to play from behind often this season, making Minshew a streamable quarterback option and top-notch bench stash moving forward. He’s currently available in 74 percent of Yahoo leagues.

Week 1 Heat Index: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Rest-of-season Heat Index: 🔥🔥🔥🔥

Russell Gage (WR – ATL)

Russell Gage solidified his position as the Falcons’ third wide receiver in Week 1, as he logged nine receptions on a whopping 12 targets for 114 yards in a home loss to Seattle.

Look, the Falcons are going to throw a ton this year, okay? Sure, Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley will continue to command targets, but as long as Matt Ryan is under center, there will be plenty of love to spread around to pass-catchers in Atlanta. At least 40 pass attempts per game seem likely for this team, which means that Gage could see up to 10 targets per game.

That’s undeniable volume. Rostered in just 2 percent of Yahoo leagues, Russell Gage could fill a huge void on any fantasy team.

Week 1 Heat Index: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Rest-of-season Heat Index: 🔥🔥🔥🔥

Malcolm Brown (RB – LAR)

Malcolm Brown saw his fair share of opportunities in Week 1, and he made the most of them — he carried the ball 18 times for 79 yards and two touchdowns in the team’s win against the Dallas Cowboys. He also caught three of four targets for 34 yards in the contest, which brought his total fantasy output to 24.5 points — the fourth-best mark among running backs in Week 1. You love to see the touches and targets for Brown, but can we anticipate similar usage in the future?

Yes, Brown looked sharp and decisive on Sunday Night Football, but don’t forget that the Rams selected Cam Akers with their first selection in last year’s NFL Draft. Akers, whom the Rams eased into the offense in Week 1, should see more usage as the season wears on. While Brown could stay hot through the next week or two, he’ll likely cool down as Akers warms up.

Week 1 Heat Index: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Rest-of-season Heat Index: 🔥🔥🔥

Robby Anderson (WR – CAR)

Welp, here’s one I didn’t see coming — but will we see it again? Robby Anderson “exploded” in Week 1, and he caught six of eight targets for 115 yards and one score at home against the Raiders. While these numbers look good on paper, there are at least two things to consider:

  1. Carolina found themselves down early, so the game script favored the passing game.
  2. Anderson tallied 75 yards on one long touchdown reception.

Still, the performance is hard to ignore, and Anderson is rostered in just 31 percent of Yahoo leagues, so there’s a chance that you can scoop him up. If you’ve got space to spare, he’s worth a look, but don’t expect 100-yard consistency every week.

Week 1 Heat Index: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Rest-of-season Heat Index: 🔥🔥

Mitch Trubisky (QB – CHI)

Chicago Bears quarterback Mitch Trubisky finished Week 1 as fantasy football’s seventh-ranked quarterback — but the majority of his 24.28 fantasy points came in the fourth quarter of an insane game in Detroit. Trubisky mounted the Bears to an incredulous comeback victory against the Lions on the road, completing 20 of 36 passes for 242 yards and three touchdowns along the way.

Trubisky turned it on when he needed to, but his gameplay looked downright grim for the majority of the Week 1 contest. If you’re one of the 3 percent of Trubisky owners in Yahoo leagues, you’ll take the points for now, but you can’t rely on him as a fantasy asset in Week 2 or beyond.

Week 1 Heat Index: 🔥🔥🔥
Rest-of-season Heat Index: 🔥

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If you want to dive deeper into fantasy football, be sure to check out our award-winning slate of Fantasy Football Tools as you navigate your season. From our Start/Sit Assistant – which provides your optimal lineup, based on accurate consensus projections – to our Waiver Wire Assistant – that allows you to quickly see which available players will improve your team, and by how much – we’ve got you covered this fantasy football season.

Jim Colombo is a correspondent at FantasyPros. For more from Jim, check out his archive and follow him @WideRightNBlue.

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