My four favorite words to type every year: Football is officially back. Welcome back to my weekly fantasy football studs and duds column, where I reflect on the week that was and share the highlights (and lowlights) of player performances.
This season, I wanted to slightly change the format by expanding the number of players covered on both ends of the spectrum. Since top-tier talent often repeats excellent finishes, I thought this would be a convenient way to cover a wider spectrum. Mentioning that Josh Allen or Jahmyr Gibbs somehow finished atop the points leaderboard each week led to redundant commentary, and I wanted to avoid that if possible.
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Fantasy Football Studs & Duds: Week 1
The 2026 season kicked off Wednesday of last week with a rematch of last year’s Super Bowl between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots, followed by the first NFL game ever played in Australia on Thursday, pitting NFC West rivals San Francisco and Los Angeles against each other. Ironically? Those primetime matchups to start the season were among the lowest-scoring and least interesting to watch.
Things picked up dramatically with the early slate on Sunday, and once the dust was settled with New York beating Dallas on Sunday Night Football, fantasy managers were treated to the highest-scoring Week 1 since the 1970 merger. Fingers crossed this is a sign of things to come.
Here are a few of the most noteworthy performances at each position from Week 1.
Quarterback
Stud: Caleb Williams (QB – CHI)
When head coach Ben Johnson mentioned that he’d like to set the all-time NFL scoring record this season, apparently, he was serious. Caleb Williams completed 21-of-29 passes for 269 yards and two touchdowns, adding another 65 rushing yards and two scores when carrying the ball.
Williams not only spread the ball around to his Bears receivers but also showed supreme confidence with his throws and made smart decisions about when to take risks downfield. This success came even on quiet days from Colston Loveland and Rome Odunze, a frightening thought.
Stud: Josh Allen (QB – BUF)
Josh Allen led Buffalo to a 36-31 victory on the road against Houston, finally able to shake the monkey from his back at Reliant Stadium. A 34-yard touchdown pass to Joshua Palmer with 1:36 remaining in the game proved to be the decisive score and the cherry on top of Allen’s four-touchdown masterpiece.
Houston’s typically stingy defense surrendered 334 passing yards and was unable to contain Allen on the ground as a runner, allowing him to score two rushing touchdowns.
Stud: Bryce Young (QB – CAR)
It feels odd writing about Bryce Young as a stud rather than a dud, but I’m hopeful that this is a sign of things to come for him in 2026. During a shootout with Chicago, Young completed 23-of-37 pass attempts for 361 yards and three touchdowns, in an attempt to keep up.
This was an encouraging effort from a player who desperately needed to take a step forward, after three ho-hum seasons since being selected with the first overall pick back in 2023.
Stud: Trevor Lawrence (QB – JAX)
Trevor Lawrence could have very well finished atop the quarterback leaderboard this week, had he played an entire game. With Jacksonville off to a 24-0 lead at halftime over Cleveland, the Jaguars eased off the throttle, before opting to sit Lawrence in the final quarter of play.
Even still, he threw four touchdowns and 245 yards on 18 completions and targeted five players at least twice. Lawrence will look to keep the momentum going next week in a more difficult matchup on the road against Denver.
Stud: Jaxson Dart (QB – NYG)
Jaxson Dart and Co. unveiled the new-look Matt Nagy offense on Sunday Night Football and delivered one of the best performances of his career. Completing nearly 80% of his passes for 230 yards and three touchdowns, Dart added another 54 yards rushing on 11 scrambles.
Big Blue’s offensive line allowed Dart to be comfortable within the pocket all evening, and a strong rushing attack anchored by Cam Skattebo led to deadly play-action opportunities.
Dud: Matthew Stafford (QB – LAR)
The Rams came into the season with plenty of hype and fanfare as the odds-on Super Bowl favorite. Unfortunately, the reigning NFL MVP clearly missed that memo. Matthew Stafford completed just 15 passes for 155 yards, throwing an interception and making several uncharacteristic mistakes against San Francisco.
More concerning were his errant throws to wide-open receivers, especially Puka Nacua and Davante Adams. I’ll chalk this one up to a short rest and a long trip to another country. Hopefully he returns to form next week.
Dud: Baker Mayfield (QB – TB)
Just days after inking a long-term extension with Tampa Bay, Baker Mayfield struggled mightily against Cincinnati on the road, passing for a hollow 216 yards on 23 completions.
Reckless with the ball on account of constantly scrambling for his life, Mayfield fumbled three times and never looked remotely comfortable when dropping back to pass. Bucky Irving led the team in pass targets, and that sums up how things went.
Dud: Drake Maye (QB – NE)
After New England added A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs in the offseason, the hope was that Drake Maye would come out of the gate strong in a revenge game against Seattle. Not so much. Maye threw three interceptions against a stout Seahawks defense and largely dink-and-dunked his way downfield with very conservative play-calling for most of the evening.
Brown left in the second half with an ankle injury that landed him on the injured reserve (IR), so Maye will need to improve without his best asset over the short term. Things don’t get much easier against Pittsburgh next week.
Dud: Daniel Jones (QB – IND)
Looking to return to his MVP-level pace from 2025, Daniel Jones had a season opener to forget against Baltimore, throwing for just 166 yards with a touchdown and an interception amidst a 41-23 loss.
Jones is still recovering from his Achilles tear, but the Colts are hoping he can make significant progress before Week 2’s outing against Kansas City on Sunday Night Football.
Running Back
Stud: Derrick Henry (RB – BAL)
To quote Duke Nukem: Hail to the King, baby. The ageless Derrick Henry rushed for 144 yards and three touchdowns on 24 carries on Sunday, becoming the focal point for the offense after receivers Zay Flowers and Ja’Kobi Lane left with injuries.
The Ravens will look to continue their mantra of ball control and time-of-possession dominance next week at home against New Orleans.
Stud: Ashton Jeanty (RB – LV)
Able to lace up after an injury scare in the preseason, Ashton Jeanty totaled 147 yards and two touchdowns on 29 touches, the first-read in the rushing and passing game for Las Vegas. Jeanty ran confidently and experienced no setbacks, leading the Raiders to a 27-13 victory over Miami’s hapless team.
Vast improvements along the offensive line opened up gaping holes for Jeanty — hopefully that trend continues all season.
Stud: Jahmyr Gibbs (RB – DET)
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before — Jahmyr Gibbs is really, really good. The top selection in fantasy this year, Gibbs rushed for 156 yards and two touchdowns on 29 carries, also hauling in five receptions for 30 yards as a receiver.
The workload increased as the game headed into overtime, but head coach Dan Campbell seems confident that Gibbs can handle this many touches as needed, though it isn’t ideal.
Stud: D’Andre Swift (RB – CHI)
D’Andre Swift ran for 124 yards and three touchdowns on 18 carries, splitting time in the backfield with Kyle Monangai, who had a great day in his own right (10 carries for 100 yards and a score).
Swift found gaping holes all afternoon against Carolina, with head coach Ben Johnson dialing up plays to exploit his quickness in space. Look for this trend to continue as long as he stays healthy this season.
Stud: Bijan Robinson (RB – ATL)
With Atlanta limping into this contest on their third-string quarterback, fantasy managers knew that Bijan Robinson was going to be in-line for a major workload against Pittsburgh. Check that box.
Robinson led Atlanta in both rushing (21 carries for 83 yards) and receiving (eight receptions on 10 targets for 90 yards and a touchdown). No other player was particularly close in either. The Falcons are crossing their fingers that Michael Penix Jr. can return for Week 2, and that they don’t fall into an early 0-2 hole.
Dud: MarShawn Lloyd (RB – GB)
After being handed the keys to Green Bay’s backfield following the Josh Jacobs legal issues, MarShawn Lloyd responded with a rather ho-hum effort, rushing for 37 yards on 13 carries. He technically played ahead of Chris Brooks, but Brooks finished the afternoon as the more successful player in a 39-22 loss to Minnesota.
Perhaps most concerning, Lloyd saw only one target in the passing game, even as Green Bay tried to catch up late. This game didn’t inspire much confidence, and one wonders if he left the door open for Kaleb Johnson to usurp him.
Dud: Omarion Hampton (RB – LAC)
Both sides of the ball were lackluster for Los Angeles against Arizona, but I was certainly expecting more out of their running game. Omarion Hampton did manage to find the end zone during the contest, but also lost a fumble during the game and accomplished little after the first quarter.
Like MarShawn Lloyd above, Hampton didn’t have one catch on the afternoon, even with his team trailing. He will look to rebound against Las Vegas.
Dud: Rico Dowdle (RB – PIT)
To be fair, neither Pittsburgh running back did themselves any favors on Sunday, but I expected more from Rico Dowdle after what we saw last season. In a 20-13 victory over Atlanta, Dowdle managed to rush for just 15 yards on eight carries and secured two receptions for six yards.
Playing clearly behind Jaylen Warren all afternoon, “Uncle Rico” put up a rather uninspiring effort during a game where the Steelers should have leaned more on the run to soak up the clock. He will fall in my weekly fantasy football rankings moving forward.
Dud: Jadarian Price (RB – SEA)
It pains me to list Jadarian Price as a disappointment, considering what sort of expectations I had going into this contest. To give him credit, he averaged 5.2 yards per carry (YPC) when handed the ball — Seattle simply seemed content providing the much less effective George Holani with a ton of work as well.
With Sam Darnold out with a hip injury, I’d expect the Seahawks to give Price more work, leaning on the running game to carry them early in the season.
Wide Receiver
Stud: Jalen Coker (WR – CAR)
A tip of the cap goes out to my former colleague Bob Harris, who predicted Jalen Coker would have a breakout game. Consider that box checked. Coker exploded against Chicago as the featured receiver for the Panthers, reeling in eight receptions on nine targets for 138 yards and two touchdowns.
This effort carries over from how he finished last season, and his managers are crossing their fingers for a true breakout in 2026 on a surging Panthers team.
Stud: Christian Watson (WR – CAR)
Thankfully for fantasy managers, Green Bay seemed content to let multiple receivers walk during the offseason, paving the way for a much clearer picture.
Christian Watson finished second on the team in targets behind Matthew Golden but finished with a 6/147/2 split on the heels of an 81-yard touchdown reception where he broke away from Vikings defenders. With the Packers’ run game being non-existent, expect more pass-heavy scripts from Watson and Co. moving forward.
Stud: Justin Jefferson (WR – MIN)
No Kyler Murray? No problem. It turns out that all Justin Jefferson needed to return to form was a pocket quarterback who isn’t afraid of YOLO throws, like Carson Wentz. Jefferson routinely torched the Green Bay secondary all afternoon, including hailing in an impressive 39-yard score right before the end of the first half to begin Minnesota’s furious comeback.
With Murray now in the league’s concussion protocol, look for Wentz to start again on the road against Chicago, where the Vikings will need to pass frequently to stay competitive.
Stud: Chris Olave (WR – NO)
Coming off a career season in 2025, expectations were high for Chris Olave to continue his epic level of production, especially in the absence of rookie Jordyn Tyson. Consider that mission accomplished.
Olave hauled in 10 receptions for 182 yards on 13 targets, despite visiting the medical tent three separate times for various reasons. Playing with a guardian cap in an effort to stave off concussions that have plagued him in the past, Olave is easily Tyler Shough‘s favorite target and will look to repeat as a mid-range WR1 this season.
Stud: Amon-Ra St. Brown (WR – DET)
Amon-Ra St. Brown got off to a quiet start on Sunday afternoon, but eventually was thrust into the spotlight, with Detroit trying to fend off New Orleans from pulling a massive upset.
The “Sun God” led all Lions receivers with 14 targets, securing 10 receptions for 67 yards and two touchdowns. Even though he operates so close to the line of scrimmage, St. Brown is a volume-based PPR monster who has one of the highest point floors of any receiver each week. He’ll continue his ways against Buffalo’s secondary next week.
Dud: Ja’Marr Chase (WR – CIN)
Week 1 is known for mirage performances, and I’m certainly hoping that this is a statistical line that won’t be repeated anytime soon. Ja’Marr Chase apparently forgot that the season started, as he managed to catch just two passes for 12 yards on four targets all afternoon.
Drafted in many leagues within the top-four selections, Chase fell flat, even with Cincinnati throttling Tampa Bay. Some analysts will excuse the slow start and point out that he was double-covered all afternoon, but let’s be honest — Chase is double-covered most weeks and still produces. Hope for a fresh start next week against Houston.
Dud: DeVonta Smith (WR – PHI)
DeVonta Smith was expected to shift into a featured role following Philadelphia’s decision to deal A.J. Brown to New England, but it appears that the Eagles missed the memo.
Quarterback Jalen Hurts hardly threw all afternoon, completing just 14 passes for 203 yards, primarily deep strikes to Dallas Goedert and Dontayvion Wicks. This continues a concerning trend of mediocrity from the Eagles, one they seem content with as long as they finish with ugly wins.
Hopefully, in the future, when the Eagles play against more competitive offenses, they will remember to call Smith’s number more frequently.
Dud: George Pickens (WR – DAL)
Well, that was certainly an underwhelming debut effort for George Pickens. Held in check all evening by New York’s secondary, Pickens came away with just three receptions for 28 yards on six targets, dropping multiple passes in tight coverage.
The best play Dallas had all night was an underthrown ball that drew a defensive pass interference penalty. Sadly, those don’t count statistically. Dallas will cross their fingers that Pickens (and CeeDee Lamb) revert to their old form, since it appears that the Cowboys’ secondary will force this team into plenty of shootouts.
Dud: Drake London (WR – ATL)
It is hard to fault Drake London for a bad performance with Cooper Rush under center due to injuries ahead of him on the depth chart. Rush struggled to do anything other than checkdowns to Bijan Robinson, resulting in a meager 2/29 finish on four targets for London. The hope is that Michael Penix Jr. will return healthy next week for the Falcons’ home game against Carolina, where Atlanta looks to right the ship.
Tight End
Stud: Isaiah Likely (TE – BAL)
Isaiah Likely was receiving his fair share of hype all offseason, and it turns out that it was completely warranted. Stepping into the Travis Kelce role in Matt Nagy’s offense, Likely caught all eight of his targets for 78 yards and two touchdowns in a dominant 28-20 victory over Dallas.
Likely’s rapport with quarterback Jaxson Dart is evident, and he appears to be the clear 1B read in this offense behind receiver Malik Nabers. He should post solid TE1 numbers each week for his fantasy managers.
Stud: Trey McBride (TE – ARI)
It turns out that as long as Jacoby Brissett is under center in Arizona, Trey McBride’s fantasy managers have little to worry about. The apple of Brissett’s eye all afternoon, McBride led the team in targets with 13, catching nine passes for 95 yards and a score in an upset victory over the Los Angeles Chargers.
McBride will look to keep the train rolling in a tougher home matchup against Seattle next week.
Stud: Dallas Goedert (TE – PHI)
I hope you read my articles this offseason, where I mentioned that Dallas Goedert was a must-target in the middle rounds at the tight end position.
During a game where Philadelphia didn’t have to do much on offense (because Washington simply couldn’t move the ball), Goedert caught two seam-stretching passes for 77 yards and multiple touchdowns. Some worried that negative touchdown regression would force him back to being a high-end TE2, but that won’t be the case as long as he’s healthy.
Dud: Colston Loveland (TE – CHI)
If I managed to mention that Chicago scored the most points during Week 1 of their storied franchise history, you’d have to assume that Colston Loveland was a big part of that, right? Wrong.
Loveland somehow lost targets to Kalif Raymond (8/84 on the afternoon) and came away with fewer targets than backup Cole Kmet. Few envisioned this sort of dud, and fingers crossed that Chicago’s willingness to spread the ball around doesn’t make this a repeatable offense.
Dud: Harold Fannin Jr. (TE – CLE)
I hate to say that I told you so… but… well, technically I don’t hate it at all. I warned managers to be cautious about Harold Fannin Jr. all offseason and got my fair share of ridicule for the take. How do you like them apples?
Fannin caught two passes for 21 yards all afternoon, even though Cleveland was in catch-up mode all game long. As long as Deshaun Watson is under center, it will be difficult to trust anyone on the Browns as a startable asset moving forward.
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