Week 1 action held a lot of positives from a Fantasy Football perspective. We didn’t see the same level or frequency of injury that we did in 2021. Because of that, we don’t have to enter scramble mode quite so early in the year. I don’t expect as many players to be dropped following week 1 action with the lack of clear cut waiver priorities arising. Today, I want to go through a few common topics heading into week 2 and try to give you some points of reflection which may be loosely construed as advice.
Trade Targets
Mike Williams (WR) – Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers saw Keenan Allen leave Sunday’s game with a hamstring injury and be subsequently downgraded to Doubtful for week 2. Williams is now poised for a big day vs Kansas City in a game already projected to hit 54.5 total points. Williams, who was drafted as a mid-low end WR2 could push for a WR1 level finish this week. You might find your a league mate willing to part ways with Williams after he saw only 2 receptions for 10 yards on a mere 4 targets in week 1. Consider offering an RB who outperformed expectations in week 1 such as CEH or Miles Sanders.
DK Metcalf (WR) – Seattle Seahawks
Going into 2022 the murky QB situation for the Seahawks was enough to make most seasoned Fantasy players fade both Metcalf and Lockett. This concern pushed the draft position for Metcalf down to a level which wasn’t in line with his skill set. Right off the bat, Geno Smith addressed some of that concern by looking fantastic vs a stingy Denver pass defense. Metcalf saw a team leading 7 receptions on 7 target for 36 yards. If this yardage total was closer to 100, or Metcalf had scored a TD, we would be looking at a high end WR2. While your league mates are still concerned that Seattle will finish in last place this year, go offer a WR who outperformed expectations in week 1 in exchange.
Christian Kirk (WR) – Jacksonville Jaguars
Hurry up on this one, the window on Kirk is closing rapidly in Jacksonville. We know that Jacksonville will trail in a lot of games this year. That plays to the advantage of Kirk as a pass catcher. He has the trust of QB Trevor Lawrence as the teams WR1 and turned 6 receptions into 117 yards in week 1 on a whopping 12 targets. Christian Kirk is poised to lead the Jaguars in receiving this year and potentially crack the Fantasy WR2 rankings.
Waiver Wire Fades
Jeff Wilson Jr (RB) – San Francisco 49ers
Again in 2022, we saw a San Francisco Running Back get injured early on in the season. Most Fantasy player news blurbs will tell you that Jeff Wilson Jr is now the top rusher for the 49ers but I want to caution you against the potential for disaster should you place too great a bid on this player. The leading rusher for the 49ers looks to be a battle between Trey Lance and Deebo Samuel. The latter showed us what he could do in 2021 rushing for a 6.18 YPC average and finishing the season as the WR3. We have no reason to believe that San Francisco will give Wilson enough volume to necessitate anything greater that a 10% FAAB bid going into week 2 waivers. I only recommend bidding on Wilson should you be in dire straights.
OJ Howard (TE) – Houston Texans
Kudos to OJ Howard catching 2 TD passes in week 1 against Indianapolis. He may prove to be a red zone threat this year for Houston but he is far from a reliable, weekly option for your fantasy roster as things currently stand. In week 1, Howard logged a mere 17% snap share which trailed both Brevin Jordan and Pharoah Brown considerably. Howard serves only as an option for teams looking for droppable depth amidst injury concerns to a player like George Kittle. Far better options exist on waivers this week, like Logan Thomas.
Players to Cut
Mike Davis (RB) – Baltimore Ravens
After appearing to be the only Ravens RB who had a grasp of the playbook and who boasted 2 healthy knee’s Baltimore dispatched any thoughts of Mike Davis having a role in 2022 quickly. Davis saw 2 touches on a dismissible 13% snap share. For perspective, Justice Hill saw the same amount of touches on a 20% snap share. Look no further than Mike Davis for cut candidate #1 early this season.
Jalen Tolbert (WR) – Dallas Cowboys
Tolbert didn’t suit up for Dallas in week 1 against Tampa Bay which caught most Fantasy Managers by surprise. A decent narrative around the rookie WR existed following the departure of Amari Cooper and the road to recovery being travelled by Michael Gallup. Unfortunately, the injury to Dak Prescott makes Tolbert’s chances a fantasy relevance in 2022 minimal. He can safely be dropped and players like Curtis Samuel prioritized.
Injury Strategy
Dak Prescott (QB) – Dallas Cowboys
If you lost Dak Prescott as your Fantasy QB in week 1, this likely comes at the best possible time for you. With a number of quarterbacks available on waivers well in advance of team bye weeks, you likely have the best chance to pivot at the position that you’ll see all year. Don’t be afraid to drop Prescott in standard depth, redraft leagues and pickup a player like Jameis Winston (21.7 FPTS in week 1) or Carson Wentz (29.7 FPTS in week 1). With the ample availability of players in free agency, you don’t even have to begin streaming QBs.
Cam Akers (RB) – Los Angeles Rams
I’m aware that Cam Akers doesn’t carry an injury designation following his 0pt Fantasy performance from week 1. What is dangerous about the situation at hand with Akers, is that he has the potential to send your team to the 0-2 mark before ever contributing a meaningful performance. Managers should prudently be insulating themselves from Akers at all cost this week. Whether you do so by adding Rex Burkhead or trading for Darrel Henderson the key it to take action. My advice is that you leave him on your bench going into week 2 and avoid the consequences that surround his potential inactivity. We want to see a return to meaningful production before putting him back into our rosters at this point.
Thank you for taking the time to read my thoughts following week 1 action. I hope you’ve had the good fortunes of starting the year off 1-0 and are enjoying the return of NFL Football.
David Carey – @87_Carey
Fantasy Marksmen 