🚀 5 Elite WRs Dominate Week 1

by Peter Overzet

2 years ago

The year is 2031. Taysom Hill lines up in the backfield...

In today’s Fantasy Life Newsletter presented by The Motley Fool:

Elite WRs rule the world
Pete's six pack: Fantasy takeaways from Week 1
Don't panic on Kyle Pitts
Kendall's First Look. Early bets for the week.
MNF Football: Our Top Picks & Plays
It’s 9/12. Take it away, Peter Overzet…

The offseason was dominated by star WRs changing teams and getting paid.

And so far, the 2022 NFL season is being dominated by those same alpha wideouts.

Cooper Kupp (31.8 PPR points) and Stefon Diggs (26.2 PPR points) kicked things off on Thursday and it didn't stop yesterday:

Justin Jefferson: 39.4 PPR points; 9-184-2 on 11 targets
Davante Adams: 30.10 PPR points; 10-141-1 on 17 targets
Ja'Marr Chase: 28.90 PPR points; 10-129-1 on 16 targets

If you spent a first-round pick on a WR, you're feeling pretty pretty good right about now.

Keep reading for six other fantasy takeaways from Week 1, as well as an MNF preview from both a betting and fantasy perspective.

If you didn't draft Gabe Davis when we suggested it, you aren't going to want to miss out on this.

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That's like taking Justin Jefferson in the 15th round of a keeper draft in 2020.

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Every Monday, Pete will share his 6 big takeaways from the week's action compliments of our friends over at Bud Light. Let's crack open that six pack, Pete...

We called the Chiefs the skeleton key to the 2022 season a few weeks back and the team looks arguably more explosive than they did last year with Tyreek Hill in the fold. Patrick Mahomes tattooed the Cardinals (30-for-39 for 350 yards and 5 TDs) and just about everyone got in on the fun. Is it too soon to look forward to a Chiefs-Bills AFC Championship game??

We wondered all season what the Eagles offense would look like if they shifted more pass-happy and that's exactly what we witnessed. A.J. Brown went full grown ass man (10-155), and Jalen Hurts flashed the Konami code dual skill set (18-243 through the air, 17-90-1 on the ground). The team put up 38 points in a win over the Lions, and there are plenty more shootouts on the horizon if they keep their feet on the gas.

The same movie plays out every year. We hype up rookies to absurd levels (because they are fun and sexy), but then get triggered when they don't have massive Week 1 roles. We've been spoiled over the years by breakout rooks, but historically rookies take time to ramp up to speed. Sure, it's slightly concerning that Rex Burkhead outsnapped and outproduced Dameon Pierce after the team told us he was the lead back, but we always knew Burkhead was going to be involved. Things looked disappointing for Breece Hall on paper too (5 carries, 2 catches), but the 8 targets were very encouraging. Send out some trade offers if your leaguemates are panicking.

Sep 11, 2022; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley (26) is stopped after a short gain during the first half against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

The fact that Barkley was going in the third round of drafts at certain points during the summer is looking laughable now. Barkley looked fully back (18-164-1; 6-30) on his way to a monster day, including a game-winning 2-point conversion. I'd still take Jonathan Taylor over him if we redrafted tomorrow, but I think he would be the next RB off the board after that. Sorry, CMC (it's Baker, not you).

Plenty of stars stuffed the stat sheet yesterday, but the week wasn't without its fair share of surprises, too. Ravens WR Devin Duvernay popped up for 2 TDs. Journeyman TE O.J. Howard scored two of his own for the Texans, much to the chagrin of Brevin Jordan drafters. Dontrell Hilliard outproduced Derrick Henry with 2 receiving TDs. And yes, let's not forget Taysom Hill who ripped a 57 yard run followed by an 11 yard TD. I wouldn't count on a repeat of any of these performances next week, though.

The weather wasn't the only ugly thing in Chicago as Lance looked lost under center for most of the day. He finished 13-of-28 through the air with an INT and a 50.3 QBR. He did get going a bit on the ground (13-54), but it was certainly not the start to put the Jimmy Garoppolo whispers away for good. Next week's warm weather home game vs. the Seahawks will be a more telling test.

😭 Brutal break for the Cowboys. They are screwed.

🙌 Don't panic on Kyle Pitts. Here's why.

😥 Do you think Aaron Rodgers misses Davante Adams? Lmao.

🪂 Week 1 Air Yards leaders. A couple of surprises near the top.

🚑 The highs and lows of returning from injury. James Robinson looked great, but things didn't go so well for Chris Godwin.

⏳ What it's like to play against Justin Jefferson in fantasy. Iykyk.

🌧️ Incredible photo of Justin Fields in the rain. They play a kid's game for a king's ransom.

For each prime-time game, our team comes together to give you our best fantasy & betting picks. Here's what we have for our Monday night matchup between the Broncos and Seahawks.

Timing is crucial when it comes to sports betting. Lines get released late on Sunday night, and every Monday, Kendall drops by to give you her first look at the betting markets.

Week 1 is in the books, so congratulations on making it through a chaotic (but incredible) day of football. Week 2 lines have dropped on BetMGM and the best time to bet them is early, so let’s get into it.

We all saw what the Minnesota Vikings did to the Green Bay Packers, right? Right. WR Justin Jefferson tallied 184 yards and two touchdowns. It’s no question that the Eagles looked dominant as well. WR A.J. Brown put up 155 receiving yards with his new team. We are going to be in for a treat during this Week 2 matchup, but I think the Vikings pull through.

Philadelphia almost allowed the Detroit Lions to come back during Week 1 — and simply surviving against the Lions while expecting to take down a trending Vikings team is a tough proposition.

Minnesota’s defense sacked QB Aaron Rodgers four times on Sunday, and while there is much to improve, the Eagles didn’t showcase a juggernaut defensive unit either. Philadelphia’s league-leading rush offense from last year didn't miss a beat, and Minnesota’s offense was a sight to behold. We are getting an incredible matchup here and I think the Vikings pull off a close victory against an incredibly talented Eagles team next Sunday night.

Now this one is spicy. The Miami Dolphins are traveling to M&T Bank Stadium to take on the Baltimore Ravens this Sunday. If you’re into storylines (or just need a really crazy stat) do I have the one for you. The Dolphins haven’t defeated the Ravens in Baltimore since 1997. The Motorola StarTAC was the most popular cell phone at the time, and the Tamagotchi was the best-selling toy. So yeah, it’s been a while.

Both teams walked away with wins in Week 1. During their matchup last season, the Dolphins defeated the Ravens 22-10 but we can all remember how injured Baltimore was last season. There is no question with a healthier lineup the Ravens are a tough team to beat, however there are still question marks to monitor at the running back position. The Dolphins also got undeniably better with the acquisition of WR Tyreek Hill and a shiny new offense under Mike McDaniel could be just what they need to break the trend.