With 241 targets vacated between the now-departed Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis, tight end Dalton Kincaid takes the title of Buffalo's top receiver. When Kincaid was given the starting job midway through last season, he secured at least five receptions in every matchup from Weeks 7 through 14. He finished second on the team in targets (91). Rookie Keon Coleman, Khalil Shakir, and Curtis Samuel are his primary target competitors in year two. The sportsbooks are banking on the talented second-year professional improving and adding more offensive responsibility to his plate in 2024. He's the betting favorite to lead the Bills in receptions and yards on Sunday. The breakout candidate was drafted as a TE1 in fantasy football and should be started as such against the Cardinals.

From RotoBaller

When Josh Allen wasn't poaching touchdowns from James Cook in 2023, it was 33-year-old Latavius Murray. The veteran logged 17 carries inside the 10 and 11 inside the five-yard line. That role is now projected to be filled by rookie Ray Davis, a fourth-round pick out of Kentucky. The 24-year-old scored 14 touchdowns in his senior season and has the size to finish runs in the red zone. He'll open the season behind James Cook and Ty Johnson on the depth chart. The backups will split a limited amount of touches in Week 1, depending on the situation. Without a healthy amount of opportunities, Davis will need to find paydirt to turn a respectable fantasy football debut. He's a bench stash until proven otherwise.

From RotoBaller

There's little concern for the top quarterback in fantasy football in Week 1. Josh Allen, who finished as the QB1 in three of the last four seasons, will face off against the Arizona Cardinals at home. While the Cardinals' offense has improved from a year ago, the defense remains a work in progress. The roster is devoid of quality pass rushers. Allen should have all day to throw the football, letting his new receiving corps shake the secondary. He ranked second in clean pocket accuracy rating in 2023. Rookie Keon Coleman, Curtis Samuel, and Khalil Shakir are tasked with replacing Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis. Tight end Dalton Kincaid will also be heavily involved. There's no reason to shy away from Allen in Week 1.

From RotoBaller

Buffalo Bills running back James Cook is again opening the season as the lead back in Buffalo. Despite concerns over touches near the endzone, Cook should be started in all fantasy football leagues. A low touchdown total (six) was the only blemish from Cook's RB12 finish from a season ago. He totaled 1,567 yards and caught 44 passes, despite only playing more than 70% of the team's snaps once. Cook could be even more involved in the passing game in 2024, with two of Buffalo's top target earners (Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis) on other rosters. The Cardinals ranked dead last in rushing yards allowed to running backs in 2023 (2,027) and surrendered eight receiving touchdowns to the position, the most in the NFL. Even if Cook is vultured by Josh Allen or rookie Ray Davis in the red zone, it should still be a productive day for fantasy football.

From RotoBaller

Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews turned in a very quiet game during the 20-27 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday. The veteran only received two targets and he caught both of them for 14 yards. The hot hand at tight end in this game went to Isaiah Likely who received 12 targets compared to Andrews' two. A silver lining for fantasy managers is that Andrews still played more snaps and ran more routes than Likely in this game, so his opportunities will likely remain high as the season progresses. According to PFF, he played 59 snaps and ran 38 routes compared to Likely's 53 snaps and 35 routes. Andrews might not be the target sponge he once was, but that remains to be seen while the Ravens take on the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 2 looking for a bounce-back win.

From RotoBaller

Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers received about as many touches as expected but couldn't turn it into many fantasy points in the 20-27 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Flowers had a lot of manufactured touches in the form of short passes, runs, and catches behind the line of scrimmage. That turned into 10 targets, six receptions, and 37 yards while taking two carries for 14 yards. For the most part, he was bottled up by Trent McDuffie while Lamar Jackson was running more often than not to escape pressure. Flowers will likely find more space to operate as the season progresses, but it remains to be seen if there will be more play calls to send him further down the field.

From RotoBaller

Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry was featured quite a bit on the opening drive of his first game with his new team. Unfortunately, the Ravens strayed away from the run while they played from behind and ultimately took the loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday. King Henry finished the game with 46 yards on 13 carries and a touchdown while only receiving two targets that were ultimately knocked away by the defense. The score in the first quarter saved his fantasy performance in most formats, but if this trend continues, it will become worrisome for fantasy managers who spent one of their top picks on Henry. Their next couple of games are against solid defenses, so Henry has his work cut out for him at the beginning of his Ravens tenure.

From RotoBaller

Baltimore Ravens linebacker Kyle Van Noy (face) left Thursday night's game with an apparent head injury at the time. After receiving some test results, the veteran linebacker was confirmed to have suffered a fractured orbital bone. According to Steve Wyche of NFL Network, Van Noy will undergo further testing to determine how much time he'll have to miss. Normally, it takes at least a few weeks to recover from an orbital fracture, but the extent of the fracture is still unknown at this time. Malik Harrison and Tavius Robinson are the next two on the depth chart, so there will likely be some sort of committee approach to replace Van Noy. Especially since Van Noy was such a big part of the pass-rush last year with 9.0 sacks and 30 combined tackles (20 solo).

From RotoBaller

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson put together some big numbers through the air and on the ground but came up just short of a comeback on Thursday night. The reigning MVP threw 26-for-41 with 273 yards and a touchdown while gathering 122 yards on 16 carries and one fumble. His accuracy left a bit to be desired while he was hurried almost all game, but his running numbers boosted his fantasy performance to be even better than his counterpart Patrick Mahomes. One thing to watch moving forward will be the growth of the offensive line as they replaced three starters this year, which could mean less time for Jackson to throw. As long as his ability to run is still there, Jackson will be a comfortable play for fantasy managers each week.

From RotoBaller

Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts (hamstring) was a limited participant at practice on Wednesday and then practiced in full on Thursday. As reported by D. Orlando Ledbetter, Pitts says that he'll be 100% ready to go on Sunday in their contest against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The 23-year-old is entering a very important season in his career now that he has a quarterback with more throwing ability than any other one he played with so far. Expectations are higher for Pitts and the Falcons offense as a whole, so the fact that he says he should be 100% healthy is encouraging. With this news, fantasy managers should be more comfortable playing him against the Steelers as he tries to get back to big receiving numbers like his rookie season.

From RotoBaller

San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (calf/Achilles) was officially placed on the team's injury report on Thursday, but it seems like he's on track to still play in Week 1. According to Ian Rapoport, the superstar back "should be fine" to suit up against the New York Jets on Monday night. It also helps that he gets one more day to get some rest and work out the calf and Achilles issues. This is huge news for all of the fantasy managers that spent a top-three pick on the RB1 from last season, especially with the 49ers backup, Elijah Mitchell (hamstring), out for the season. With McCaffrey likely in the lineup, fantasy managers will be able to start him with confidence as long as there aren't any setbacks before Monday.

From RotoBaller

Baltimore Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely posted a huge performance in the 20-27 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday and almost became the game's savior. The 24-year-old saw 12 targets in the season opener and caught nine of them for 111 yards and a touchdown. His biggest play of the night came during the first snap of the fourth quarter when Likely caught a pass from a scrambling Lamar Jackson, ran down the sideline with some shifty moves, and walked into the end zone for a 49-yard score. Then, with time running out, Likely hauled in a difficult catch in the back of the end zone for what everyone thought was a touchdown. After a video review, it showed that his toe was on the end line and it was unfortunately waved off. As far as the first game goes, Likely seemed to be the TE1 on the team while Mark Andrews only saw two targets.

From RotoBaller

Dynasty | Ravens tight end Mark Andrews had just two catches for 14 yards in Baltimore's season-opening loss to the Chiefs. Dynasty Analysis: It's not time to panic with Andrews but let's just say we're at DEFCON 3 at the moment. First, Andrews didn't look completely healthy, thought that could be debatable. More importantly, Isaiah Likely looks like a player ready to take on a much bigger role this year, possibly eating into the target share of Andrews. A solid week two will get dynasty managers off the ledge but this was a concerning look on offense for anyone deploying Andrews at tight end.

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice caught seven passes for 103 yards on nine targets in the 27-20 win against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 1. Rice came out and proved what many believed to be the case, he is the WR1 for the Chiefs. The 24-year-old paced the team in targets, receptions, and receiving yards in this contest against a strong Ravens defense. Rice could continuously find soft spots in the secondary and connect with Mahomes to move the chains. While he finished without a touchdown in this contest, fantasy managers should be excited about this strong performance. Rice will build on this performance in Week 2 against the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals allowed the sixth-most receiving yards to opposing wide receivers last year, so Rice is in a good spot. It will be interesting to see how his target share is impacted by the anticipated arrival of Marquise Brown next week, but Rice should still be the top dog in this Mahomes-led offense.

From RotoBaller

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy had two catches for 47 yards and a touchdown in the 27-20 win over the Baltimore Ravens in Week 1. The first-round rookie wasted no time making his mark in this game as he had a 21-yard touchdown rush on the Chiefs first drive. Worthy scored his second touchdown on a 35-yard strike from Patrick Mahomes in the fourth quarter. The rookie with record-breaking speed had 68 total yards and two touchdowns on just three touches in this contest. It was an exciting start to Worthy's career, and fantasy managers should be hopeful for his future in the Kansas City offense. Worthy and the Chiefs will face the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 2. The Bengals allowed the sixth-most receiving yards to opposing wide receivers in 2023, so Worthy could be in for another big game. Worthy will likely have to compete with another receiver, Marquise Brown, in Week 2, but the rookie should see his whole in the offense expand as the season goes on. Worthy should be considered a high-upside flex play moving forward.

From RotoBaller

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce ended the night with three catches for 34 yards on four targets in the Chiefs 27-20 win against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 1. Kelce is a focal point of the Chiefs offense, but he was not a difference-maker in this contest. Kelce did not see a single target until halfway through the second quarter. The star tight end finished the game with four targets, good for second-most on the team, but was fourth in receiving yards. The tough Baltimore defense likely learned from their mistakes in the 2023 AFC Championship game, when Kelce had 11 catches for 116 yards and a touchdown. The 34-year-old may be a declining talent while the rest of the Chiefs offense around him is ascending, but it will take more than one bad game to reach that conclusion. Kelce will get a chance to bounce back in Week 2 against the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals gave up the third-most receiving yards per game to opposing tight ends in 2023. Kelce will still be ranked as a TE1 until proven otherwise.

From RotoBaller

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes completed 20 of 28 passes (71.4%) for 291 yards and a touchdown in the 27-20 win against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 1. Mahomes threw his first touchdown of the season in the fourth quarter of this game. He connected with first-round rookie Xavier Worthy for a 35-yard catch and run for the score. In the second quarter, Mahomes became the Kansas City Chiefs' all-time leader in passing yards on a pass to Travis Kelce. The Chiefs quarterback also threw an interception towards the end of the second quarter on a pass intended for Rashee Rice. Mahomes did enough to edge the Ravens in this contest despite the pedestrian stats. Mahomes will look to continue the Chiefs' winning streak against the Cincinnati Bengals next week. The Bengals allowed the 12th-most points per game to opposing offenses last season and have a high-powered offense, so their Week 2 matchup should be full of scoring. Mahomes will again be a strong QB1 next week despite his mediocre output this week.

From RotoBaller

Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco had 45 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries in the 27-20 win against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 1. The Baltimore defense came to play as they held Pacheco to just 3.0 yards per carry in this contest. Pacheco's longest run of the game gained only five yards, but he still managed to find the endzone on a one-yard run in the third quarter. Despite his low rushing yardage in this one, the Chiefs lead running back still handled 15 of the 20 total carries for the team. Pacheco also corralled two of his three targets for 33 receiving yards in this contest. Pacheco is undoubtedly the lead back on this high-powered Kansas City offense and should be more productive in this role moving forward. The Chiefs take on the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 2. The Bengals gave up the seventh-most rushing yards per game in 2023. Pacheco will have a chance to bounce back on the ground in addition to his contributions in the receiving game.

From RotoBaller

Kansas City Chiefs WR JuJu Smith-Schuster was targeted once and did not have a catch against the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday, Sept. 5.

From TheHuddle

Kansas City Chiefs TE Travis Kelce caught three of his four targeted passes for 34 yards during the team's Week 1 win over the Baltimore Ravens.

From TheHuddle