Good morning.

Week 1 is officially in the books, and unless you had Baker Mayfield or Derek Carr in your lineup, you’re probably ready to sell off your whole team.

It was a brutal week for passing especially, with this year’s net passing yards average being the lowest in an opening week since 2000.

It’s a loooong season, so no need to panic. Besides, you win your league on the waiver wire anyway. So let’s get into this week’s top adds…

AROUND THE LEAGUE 🚨

Nacua to IR

Rams WR Puka Nacua aggravated his knee injury against Detroit on Sunday night and will be placed on IR. He’ll miss at least four weeks. In his absence, Cooper Kupp reminded us all he isn’t washed, finishing with a career high 14 catches for 110 yards and one TD.

Other News

😒 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey was a surprise scratch last night due to his calf/Achilles injury. Hopefully you CMC managers out there had Jordan Mason too.

🤢 Browns QB Deshaun Watson is being sued once again for another alleged sexual assault. Some, like Yahoo’s Charles Robinson, claim this accusation is different than prior suits and therefore the NFL might take action against Watson. It’ll be a situation to monitor.

🚑 Browns TE David Njoku is week-to-week with a high-ankle sprain.

🚑 Cowboys TE Jake Ferguson is out for 1-4 weeks with an MCL sprain.

🚑 Bears rookie WR Rome Odunze is week-to-week with an MCL sprain.

🚑 ICYMI on Sunday’s newsletter: Packers QB Jordan Love is out 3-6 weeks with (you guessed it…) an MCL sprain.

SPONSOR

WAIVER WIRE 🧐

Running Back

Chargers RB J.K. Dobbins converted his 13 touches into 139 yards and one TD. OC Greg Roman plans to go with the “hot hand,” and for now that’s Dobbins, not Gus Edwards.

Raiders RB Alexander Mattison surprisingly out-snapped Zamir White 36 to 23 while also dominating the receiving work out of the backfield, finishing with four receptions on six targets for 43 yards.

49ers RB Jordan Mason showed out in Christian McCaffrey’s absence, rushing for 147 yards and one TD. CMC will likely return next week, but Mason proved he’s a must-roster handcuff.

Bucs RB Bucky Irving looked like the best runner on the team Sunday:

He’s at worst an intriguing handcuff who could earn more of a consistent role with performances like that.

Dolphins RBs Jaylen Wright & Jeff Wilson Jr. could be thrust into duty with Raheem Mostert and De’Von Achane getting banged up in last week’s game. Miami plays Buffalo on Thursday night, so the short week could put Mostert and Achane at risk of missing time.

Wide Receiver

Saints WR Rashid Shaheed “led the league with nine receptions of 30-plus air yards last season, and he scored on his first such target this season. Although he faces a tough Dallas Cowboys secondary in Week 2, Shaheed is worth adding to your roster. His snap count and routes run are similar to what Olave was getting on a regular basis last season.” — ESPN’s Eric Moody

Rams WRs Demarcus Robinson should be the primary Puka Nacua fill-in. He had a strong finish to last season, averaging 6.8 targets, 63.8 receiving yards, and 0.80 touchdowns per game, per Moody.

Cardinals WR Greg Dortch “was the most targeted receiver on the Cardinals, earning eight looks from quarterback Kyler Murray. In PPR leagues, Dortch could be a great FLEX option, someone who might not put up a ton of yards but will have a great floor week-in, week-out.” — USA Today’s Joe Hoefling

QB & TE

Ravens TE Isaiah Likely is clearly the waiver add of the week after posting a 9-111-1 line while playing 53 snaps to Mark Andrews’ 59 (per @AdamLevitan).

“Likely is simply too talented to remain a rotational backup. There may not be five players at his position who can match his skill level. Add aggressively, wherever he’s available — even if you don’t have an obvious need at tight end.” — Yahoo’s Dalton Del Don

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield completed 24 of 30 passes for 289 yards, four TDs and zero picks. He averaged 9.6 yards per attempt and produced a passer-rating of 146.4. Last week, we noted him as an early season streamer based on his soft schedule, and that trend will continue in Week 2 when Tampa faces off against the Lions in Detroit.

Seahawks QB Geno Smith finished as the QB7 last week and has a favorable upcoming schedule (NE, MIA, DET, NYG). He’s a good option for those looking to replace Jordan Love.

You won’t believe it, but over the last five regular season weeks, Saints QB Derek Carr ranks first in the NFL in completion percentage (76.2), passing TDs (15) and passer rating (129.0), per NFL.com’s Dan Parr. He started hot in Week 1, throwing for 200 yards and three TDs, and has a pretty soft schedule this year.

D/ST

The Chargers take on the Panthers in Week 2, and Carolina’s offense produced just 193 total yards (average of 3.5 yards per play), scored only 10 points, and turned the ball over three times against the Saints.

“The Seahawks’ revamped defense managed to produce two sacks, two interceptions, and forced two fumbles in Week 1. Now, they draw a New England Patriots offense devoid of a significant amount of firepower.” — Pro Football Network’s Derek Tate

The Colts take on Green Bay next week, who will be without QB Jordan Love. Presumptive starter Malik Willis has thrown a total of 67 passes in his career, has been sacked 15 times, and has three INTs.

POLL 📊

DEEP DIVES 🤿

Puka’s Placeholder?

Stash these players on your bench before they blow up. Last week, the perfect pickup was Jordan Mason.

Rams WR Tyler Johnson (0%) finished as LA's second-leading receiver against the Lions, recording five catches for 79 yards. Johnson was also targeted seven times, putting him in a tie with Demarcus Robinson for the highest mark on the team outside of Kupp. He could be fantasy relevant with Puka Nacua on IR.

Broncos WRs Josh Reynolds (1.7%) and Devaughn Vele (0.1%) tied for second on the team with eight targets each — ahead of Marvin Mims Jr. and Troy Franklin. Vele caught all eight of his targets, but for just 39 yards, while Reynolds played more snaps (80%).

Packers RB MarShawn Lloyd (22.3%) was inactive in Week 1, but avoided the IR. He may have been dropped in your league, and once active, he should provide a nice lightning to Josh Jacobs‘ thunder.

Browns QB Jameis Winston (0.2%) could be worth a stash in Superflex leagues given Deshaun Watson’s latest legal troubles and terrible performance.

QUICK SLANTS 👀

📖 Read J.J. Zachariason’s weekly data dump thread on X. A must-read every Monday morning. One interesting nugget:

Don’t be afraid to stash Hill in deeper leagues.

📖 Read Michael Safino of The Athletic’s Week 1 Takeaways to fill you in on everything you should know heading into Week 2. 

🎙️Listen to the Fantasy Footballer’s Week 1 Studs & Duds + Reactions & Reality Checks for their early season observations and everyone’s favorite segment: Monday Punday.

📺 Watch the body cam footage of Tyreek Hill’s arrest. This was one of the wildest Sunday morning stories in recent memory, and led to one of the greatest TD celebrations ever.

TWEET OF THE DAY

Before we go, send your well wishes to me and other Browns fans. Cleveland got destroyed on Sunday, Deshaun Watson’s a terrible football player and a terrible person, and now they signed Kadarius Toney. It just gets worse…

See you Thursday.

- Marcus