While it's important not to overreact to Week 1, ignoring it completely would be foolish. Many questions loomed heading into the new season, and we got some of the answers we needed to make big changes to player evaluations.
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For even more risers and fallers, check out the newest episode of The Footballguys Fantasy Football Show, where Bob Harris and I added context to the players below and discussed even more significant movers.
Week 2 Risers
QB Patrick Mahomes II, Kansas City
Any concerns that Mahomes wouldn't look like his old self coming off the ACL tear can be put to rest. He extended plays, welcomed contact, and played without any mental lapses. Mahomes is back to being a fantasy QB1.
WR Matthew Golden, Green Bay
Golden played a full-time role in his Year 2 debut, leading the Packers with 40 routes. He caught six of 12 targets for 95 yards, looking much better than anything we saw from last year. He pushed Jayden Reed into a slot role, seemingly jumping him on the depth chart. Christian Watson had the big plays and touchdowns, but Golden had a 30% target share. Brighter days should come for last year's first-rounder, and he should enter the WR3 conversation heading into Week 2.
TE Dalton Kincaid, Buffalo
Kincaid essentially operated as the Bills' WR2, tying DJ Moore with a team-high five receptions while logging the second-most routes and targets. His 5.65 yards per route led all tight ends, and only Zay Flowers and Antonio Williams averaged more at wide receiver. The biggest question mark surrounding Kincaid throughout his entire career has been health, and he's presumably healthy to start this season. Especially with some other highly-drafted tight ends floundering in Week 1, Kincaid should move into the top half of TE1s.
Week 2 Fallers
RB Travis Etienne Jr., New Orleans
There's no reason to panic about Etienne's Week 1 usage, but we can't completely write it off either. Kendre Miller handled nine carries and CJ Donaldson saw two, leaving Etienne with just 45% of the carries. Etienne's value will come as a pass-catcher, as he led all running backs in routes run and caught seven of nine targets for 32 yards. But with Alvin Kamara expected to return soon, that could cut into Etienne's receiving workload even more, potentially making him a frustrating RB2.
RB Tyrone Tracy Jr., NY Giants
Tracy was reportedly on thin ice after missing a blocking assignment in the preseason that led to a big hit on Jaxson Dart. The team brought in Najee Harris shortly following the incident, although he was a scratch from the Week 1 lineup as he continues to return from an Achilles injury. Tracy started the game as the team's secondary running back, but a fumble essentially got him benched. Devin Singletary came in, locked down the passing-down work, and scored a touchdown while Tracy watched from the sidelines. Tracy's biggest weakness has always been his ball skills, and Week 1's showing did not help him make a good impression with the new coaching staff. It's hard to justify rostering Tracy in shallow leagues after Week 1.
WR A.J. Brown, New England
Brown looked sharp in his Patriots debut, dusting the defense early for what should have been a walk-in touchdown if Drake Maye hadn't underthrown it. But he left the game early with a high-ankle sprain, was placed on IR, and is expected to miss more than the required four weeks. Even when he returns, he may need a ramp-up period and play inconsistently. Brown's rest-of-season value takes a huge hit. Managers with strong rosters and IR spots can keep him stashed for late-season upside. But for managers who sputtered out of the gate in Week 1 and need immediate reinforcements, moving off of Brown quickly via trade is probably the best course of action.
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