Editor's Note: If you are looking for this week's edition of Gary's and Bob's Polarizing Players article, this is it—the same great content, with a different name. Enjoy.
Fantasy Sports Writers Association Hall-of-Fame member Bob Harris and Gary Davenport have well over 40 years of experience as fantasy football analysts and three Football Writer of the Year Awards between them. They know their stuff—or at least that's what they tell themselves.
Each week during the 2025 season, Harris and Davenport are going to come together here at Footballguys to answer five of that week's biggest fantasy questions.
The biggest question for twitchy fantasy managers trying to shake off a Week 1 setback is, "How do I make the icky losing stop?" The answer is simple. Get a win in Week 2.
So, let's get to making that happen.
Nix-ing the Week 1 Worries
There were some big-time performances from quarterbacks in Week 1, although a few came from players who were started exactly nowhere. Conversely, there were also several quarterbacks whose 2025 debut was not good, including some big names.
Of the quarterbacks you saw as values entering the 2025 season, which are you the least concerned about long-term? Is there a signal-caller already giving you buyer's remorse?
That's rhetorical.
Harris: My most-drafted quarterback, Bo Nix, might need to rein himself in.
Fresh off an incredibly encouraging rookie campaign that saw him become the first rookie QB in NFL history with multiple games of 300-plus passing yards and four touchdowns, Nix took the field Sunday with what NFL.com's Nick Shook characterized as "seemingly endless confidence." Unfortunately, as it turned out, that confidence showed in some of the passes he attempted, too. Like last season's opener, he had two interceptions -- including one on a 50/50 ball intended for Courtland Sutton. Shook notes that the other interception came when Nix threw across the field into a tight window while under pressure. He also lost his first fumble as a pro when he was sacked in the first half.
The performance prompted ESPN.com's Jeff Legwold to suggest that if the Titans' work against Nix is any indication, the second-year quarterback can look forward to defenses that are no longer surprised by his running ability and athleticism.
Nonetheless, Nix has a secret weapon to help him get on track: Sean Payton.
The one giving me buyer's remorse is easy: Bryce Young, come on down!
As NFL.com's Kevin Patra understated, "Young couldn't build off his good end to 2024, looking similar to how he started last season, riding the struggle bus." No doubt, the progress Young showed at the end of 2024 was erased by another horrible opening-day performance. He entered Sunday with one touchdown pass and four interceptions in his two career openers. He added two more interceptions and a lost fumble against the Jags, and was saved from a pick-six by a defensive holding penalty.
Perhaps worse than the numbers -- which could be easily dismissed as Week 1 variance by those looking for comfort after the dismal performance, Young looked rattled for stretches and never settled. After watching this one, I too look rattled.
Davenport: Dak Prescott's 21 completions in 34 attempts for 188 yards in Week 1 against the Philadelphia Eagles wasn't great, but there will be no Chicken Little-ing from this analyst about the current QB28 in fantasy points.
The Eagles were a brutal matchup to open the year—Philly led the NFL in pass defense last season. Prescott was actually moving the ball fairly well against Philadelphia until a lengthy weather delay dropped both offenses into cold storage. And just as many expected, outside of one long Miles Sanders run, the Dallas ground game was unimpressive.
Can we just not talk about Bryce Young? Like ever? Flat-out awful in Week 1.
I don't have a ton of shares of Caleb Williams of the Chicago Bears. But I'm nervous about the ones I do have. For a time last week, it appeared that Ben Johnson's arrival had a real impact on the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 draft—he was accurate and played a controlled game. But as soon as things started to go sideways, Playground Caleb came out and started whipping heaters over open receivers' heads.
We saw that movie last year. It's not a fun movie.
All Aboard
It was a similar situation at running back. Derrick Henry of the Ravens did Derrick Henry things, but the second-leading rusher in the NFL is Jacksonville's Travis Etienne Jr.
Who stands out to you as a running back who can turn a hot start this year into glory for fantasy managers? Which slow starter are you most worried is on the Last Train to Bust-ville?
He'll meet you at the station.
Harris: If Breece Hall is even half as good as he looked in Sunday's opener against the Steelers, investors are going to be very happy. The entire Jets offense looked good under first-time offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand, but Hall, in particular, seemed to be at peak form, blasting off for 107 yards on 19 attempts. His 5.6 yards per carry were especially impressive.
It wasn't all fantastic. Hall only saw 51 percent of the carries, losing carries to Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis. He earned just two red-zone attempts compared to three for Allen and four for Justin Fields. His route rate of 32 percent will also be an issue unless it improves.
Still, as NBCSports.com's Kyle Dvorchak noted, Hall looked as good as ever while averaging 4.7 yards after contact per carry. And after falling into the fourth round in drafts just before the season started, Hall could wind up being a glorious value.
Meanwhile, if I wasn't the engineer, I was at least a conductor on the Ken Walker III Hype Train this summer. I was convinced Walker was the guy new coordinator Klint Kubiak would lean into with his wide-zone run scheme. And all signs pointed to a huge Walker season -- right up until the end of August. That's when Walker's least impressive ability -- availability -- became an issue. As he rested most of August, Zach Charbonnet got more work. Now, it's fair to wonder who the Seahawks' No. 1 running back is.
Walker got the start Sunday and had 13 touches for 24 yards. Charbonnet rushed 12 times for 47 yards and a touchdown in the 17-13 loss. He outsnapped Walker 30 to 21.
While Walker's workload could ramp up as he gets more work in -- and once he's healthier, but until that happens, I'm worried the Walker Hype Train might turn out to be your Last Train to Bust-Ville.
Davenport: There was a time early in the summer when I was bullish on Etienne. Thought he was the most talented back on the roster. That Bigsby couldn't catch. That Tuten was a Day 3 rookie who fumbled 37 times in college.
OK, 11—it's still a lot.
My confidence wavered, though—and now my fantasy teams are paying the price. Is Tuten going to have a role in the offense? Yes. But when the Eagles traded Bigsby to the Philadelphia Eagles for a sixer of Twisted Tea, it sent a very clear message. This is Etienne's backfield, and while gashing the Panthers on the ground isn't the most difficult task in the world, Etienne looked light-years better as a runner than he did in last year's mess of a season.
Generally speaking, I try not to "double up" with Harris on answers here—to provide fantasy managers with information on as many players as possible. But where Ken Walker III is concerned, a double-alarm is warranted. Per Gregg Bell of The Tacoma News-Tribune, Walker was dead last in rushing yards over expected in Week 1 and was the league's least efficient back in terms of running north-south.
Charbonnet's running style fits better with Klint Kubiak's offense—and we saw it last week. The Seattle backfield looks headed to a full-blown committee—and that's the last thing fantasy managers who drafted Walker as a higher-end RB2 want to hear.
Wide Receiver Wackiness
There's a bit of a theme this week.
Multiple fantasy afterthoughts at wide receiver blew up on benches in Week 1, while the first overall pick in the majority of drafts put up a clunker in Cleveland.
You know the drill—which of Week 1's surprise stars are the real deal and not just a fluke week? Which higher-end wideout who sputtered out of the gate will never un-sputter?
It's a word. As of just now.