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FFL: Week 1 | NFL: Week 1

Steelers P Cameron Johnston sustains 'serious injury' vs. Falcons

Sun Sep 8 6:35pm ET
Field Level Media

Pittsburgh punter Cameron Johnston sustained a serious right knee injury in Sunday's 18-10 season-opening victory over the host Atlanta Falcons, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said after the game.

Johnston, who will have an MRI on Monday to determine the severity of his injury, was hurt with 3:40 left in the fourth quarter when he was run into by a Falcons defender. A holding penalty on Pittsburgh led to a new fourth down, with kicker Chris Boswell stepping in and booting a 43-yard punt.

"Cam Johnston appears to have a serious injury. I'll have an update for you next time we come together," Tomlin said at a postgame press conference. "It's a shame for him. This guy has been spectacular through team development. He's an absolute stud. Not only in his talents, but his approach to business. My heart goes out to him."

In the season opener, Johnston punted twice for 103 yards, a 51.5-yard average, including one inside the 20.

A native of Australia, Johnston, 32, played 95 games for the Philadelphia Eagles (2018-20) and Houston Texans (2021-23) before signing a three-year, $9 million contract with the Steelers. He totaled 445 punts and averaged 47.3 yards, placing 182 inside the 20.

He led the NFL with 88 punts for 4,108 yards (a 46.7 average) in 2021 while with the Texans.

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Starts/Sits: Week 1

Player Notes
Khalil Shakir Sep 8 7:50pm CT
Khalil Shakir

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Khalil Shakir caught three passes for 42 yards and a touchdown in the team's 34-28 victory over the Arizona Cardinals. His score came on a screen pass from 11 yards out late in the third quarter to give the Bills the lead for good. The touchdown saved what was a low-volume, mediocre stat line. Shakir earned three targets, two fewer than rookie Keon Coleman and the same number as running back James Cook. Nine different receivers recorded a catch on Sunday as Josh Allen spread his 23 completions throughout the offense. The target distribution will prevent Shakir from being much more than a WR4 when the Bills travel to Miami for Thursday Night Football in Week 2.

From RotoBaller

Brandin Cooks Sep 8 7:50pm CT
Brandin Cooks

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Brandin Cooks scored a touchdown in a Week 1 win over the Cleveland Browns. Cooks was targeted seven times, making four catches for 40 yards. His touchdown came in the first quarter on a 21-yard pass from quarterback Dak Prescott. Cooks mostly played a support role in the passing game last season, but he did occasionally play a larger role like he did in this one. He's a tough fantasy asset to roster because of his up-and-down performances, but he could certainly develop into an asset behind alpha WR1 CeeDee Lamb.

From RotoBaller

Baker Mayfield Sep 8 7:50pm CT
Baker Mayfield

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield made easy work of the Washington Commanders defense on Sunday. He was able to escape pressure and looked at ease in the pocket throughout most of the game. He completed 24-of-30 passing attempts for 289 yards and four touchdowns in the 37-20 victory. Mayfield spread around the love with two touchdowns to Mike Evans, one to Chris Godwin, and his final touchdown to Jalen McMillan. This Bucs offense appears to have multiple capable scoring options which is a great thing for this team. To be fair, the Commanders defense is awful, but Mayfield capitalized and did what he was supposed to. Fantasy managers should consider Mayfield a possible low-end QB1 for the Week 2 matchup against the Detroit Lions.

From RotoBaller

Curtis Samuel Sep 8 7:50pm CT
Curtis Samuel

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Curtis Samuel logged two catches on two targets for 15 yards in the team's 34-28 victory over the Arizona Cardinals. Samuel appears to be the odd man out of the Buffalo wide receiver rotation. Keon Coleman, Khalil Shakir, and Mack Hollins were the three receivers on the field the most. Samuel, meanwhile, played a handful of snaps and ran just 9 routes, according to Pro Football Focus. If Samuel continues to be the backup slot receiver to Shakir, he won't be worth a roster spot in standard-sized fantasy football leagues. Fantasy managers should keep him on the bench for another week to confirm his spot in the Buffalo pecking order. The Bills travel to Miami for a divisional tilt on Thursday Night Football in Week 2.

From RotoBaller

Malik Nabers Sep 8 7:41pm CT
Malik Nabers

ynasty | Giants rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers had five catches for 66 yards in his NFL debut. Dynasty Analysis: Based on the way Daniel Jones played, this has to be considered a minor miracle. It's clear Nabers has some next-level talent but this offense already looks putrid. New York plays at Washington next week in a game that feels pretty important in terms of what we can expect in terms of fantasy value for Nabers moving forward. He remains a solid hold in dynasty leagues but he could have some ups and downs this year playing in what looks to be one of the worst offenses in the NFL already.

Tank Bigsby Sep 8 7:41pm CT
Tank Bigsby

Dynasty | Jaguars running back Tank Bigsby had 12 carries for 73 yards in Jacksonville's week one loss to the Dolphins. Dynasty Analysis: More importantly, Bigsby's 12 carries matched those of Travis Etienne. As we heard all off-season, it certainly does seem the Jaguars have no desire to have Etienne simply carry the mail week after week. This is a big development in dynasty leagues as it could vault Bigsby into relevance and knock Etienne down to RB2 territory. We'll see what happens next week but Bigsby's 6.1 yards per carry outshined Etienne's 3.7 on the day, making this a huge dynasty story. Stay tuned.

Adonai Mitchell Sep 8 7:40pm CT
Adonai Mitchell

Dynasty | Colts rookie receiver Adonai Mitchell had just one catch for two yards in the Colts opening day loss to the Texans. Dynasty Analysis: Mitchell clearly didn't do much in terms of points on the day but the big story is the fact Anthony Richardson missed him on what would have been two long touchdowns. While the line is a disappointment, anyone who watched the game can see Mitchell has real talent. It certainly looks like better days are coming, so Mitchell remains a solid hold or even buy low at the moment.

Xavier Legette Sep 8 7:40pm CT
Xavier Legette

Dynasty | Panthers rookie receiver Xavier Legette had four catches for 35 yards in his NFL debut. Dynasty Analysis: Legette did all he could on a day where Bryce Young struggled mightily. For what it's worth, his 7.5 fantasy points look like a win based on how inept the offense looked for the Panthers. Better days should be ahead but Legette should be firmly on benches until we see Bryce Young play at a level much, much higher.

Zach Ertz Sep 8 7:40pm CT
Zach Ertz

Washington Commanders tight end Zach Ertz caught three passes for 28 yards in their Week 1 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Ertz tied a team-high with four targets Sunday afternoon. In his regular-season debut, rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels struggled to find consistency in the passing game, which affected Ertz's fantasy output. Ertz was typically found in short range in the middle of the field as a safety valve. As Daniels gets accustomed to the professional level, Ertz should continue to see an uptick in targets. However, rookie tight end Ben Sinnott did not see a target on Sunday, solidifying Ertz's starting role in the offense. Fantasy managers looking for another value play in DFS next weekend should consider selecting Ertz, as he will face a New York Giants defense that allowed 42 yards to the Minnesota tight ends in Week 1.

From RotoBaller

Keon Coleman Sep 8 7:40pm CT
Keon Coleman

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Keon Coleman secured four out of his five targets for 51 yards in his NFL debut against Arizona. Those marks led all Buffalo receivers. The rookie second-round pick also led the Bills' wideouts in snaps and routes. It's an encouraging first effort from Coleman, who should continue to improve as his rookie season progresses. Still, Josh Allen will spread the ball around without an alpha wide receiver on the roster. Nine different receivers recorded a catch on Sunday. Coleman shouldn't crack fantasy football starting lineups when the Bills face the Miami Dolphins on Thursday Night Football, but his stock is trending in the right direction.

From RotoBaller

Darius Slayton Sep 8 7:40pm CT
Darius Slayton

New York Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton was a non-factor in Sunday's 28-6 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, finishing with 26 receiving yards on three receptions and no touchdowns. Slayton also muffed a punt as a last-minute replacement as the punt returner when Gunner Olszewski was injured in pre-game warmups. Slayton's role as a receiver looks to be diminishing with the limited targets, as Malik Nabers and Wan'Dale Robinson will see the lion's share of the work this season. Fantasy managers are better off leaving Slayton on the bench unless injuries move him up the depth chart.

From RotoBaller

Ezekiel Elliott Sep 8 7:40pm CT
Ezekiel Elliott

Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott led the Cowboys backfield in a Week 1 win over the Cleveland Browns. "Zeke" ran the ball 10 times, gaining 40 yards and scoring a touchdown. He added nine yards on two receptions, catching both of his targets. It was a mostly even split in the backfield between Elliott and Rico Dowdle, who ran eight times. This pattern will likely continue, but will get even more crowded once Dalvin Cook is up to speed and joins the backfield as well. It could be tough to choose what Cowboys running back will be fantasy relevant each week, but Week 2 against the New Orleans Saints could be more illuminating.

From RotoBaller

CeeDee Lamb Sep 8 7:40pm CT
CeeDee Lamb

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb led the team in targets, catches, and yards in a Week 1 win over the Cleveland Browns. Lamb missed the entire preseason while holding out for a contract extension, and at points it was unclear if he'd even play in Week 1. He did, of course, and saw 10 targets, making five catches for 61 yards. Lamb was the top overall fantasy pass catcher last season and has a good chance to do it again this season. He'll only heat up more and once he gets more up to speed he should distance himself from the rest of the Cowboys pass catchers. He'll be a weekly WR1 regardless of matchups.

From RotoBaller

Rome Odunze Sep 8 7:39pm CT
Rome Odunze

Dynasty | Bears rookie receiver Rome Odunze had one catch for11 yards in his NFL debut. Dynasty Analysis: It's hardly an indictment on Odunze as Caleb Williams threw for just 93 yards in his first NFL game. Odunze has obvious talent but currently finds himself in a distant third on the depth chart as his four targets trailed both DJ Moore (8) and Keenan Allen (11) by a large margin on the day. Odunze's future is bright but today illustrated a simple fact we've known all along - any dynasty manager with Odunze is going to have to be very, very patient.

D'Andre Swift Sep 8 7:38pm CT
D'Andre Swift

Dynasty | Bears running back D'Andre Swift had 30 rushing yards and failed to record a catch in Chicago's comeback win against Tennessee. Dynasty Analysis: On the plus front, Swift did have ten carries compared to two for Khalil Herbert. It's not much of a silver lining for anyone who started Swift but it's at least something positive. The Bears offense looked pretty anemic under rookie Caleb Williams and it seems clear it's going to take some time to click here. Swift likely belongs on fantasy benches moving forward until we see some semblance of rhythm to this unit.

Justin Fields Sep 8 7:38pm CT
Justin Fields

Dynasty | Steelers quarterback Justin Fields completed 17-of-23 passes for 156 yards, adding 57 rushing yards in Pittsburgh's opening day win against Atlanta. Dynasty Analysis: It was a decent day for Fields, who quite honestly wasn't asked to do too much. He was able to find George Pickens for a few chunk gains but otherwise took what the defense gave him. Fields didn't do enough to make Russell Wilson irrelevant, so we'll see what this week brings us. At this point, Fields remains a decent hold in dynasty leagues until he can wrestle the job away from Wilson officially.

Drake London Sep 8 7:38pm CT
Drake London

Dynasty | Falcons receiver Drake London had just two catches for 15 yards in Atlanta's season-opening loss against Pittsburgh. Dynasty Analysis: This was one of the most disappointing stat lines of the day as many expected London to have a breakout season with Kirk Cousins at the helm. Instead, London was a non-factor today as Cousins favored the likes of Kyle Pitts and Bijan Robinson more. Even Ray-Ray McCloud ended with more targets (7) than London (3). This shouldn't hold up but London is going to be a tough start next week. He remains a solid hold but his dynasty star is starting to fade a bit.

J.K. Dobbins Sep 8 7:37pm CT
J.K. Dobbins

Dynasty | Chargers running back JK Dobbins had 135 yards rushing and a touchdown in an opening day win against the Raiders. Dynasty Analysis: It's hard not to smile after this performance as the oft-injured Dobbins looked as explosive as ever for the Chargers. He had a 61-yard gain at one point but still had around 70 yards on his other nine carries, making that far from a fluke. He's going to be part of what could be a frustrating timeshare with Gus Edwards but all the talk about Dobbins returning to form seem to be pretty accurate. Dobbins' dynasty arrow is pointing straight up.

Davante Adams Sep 8 7:33pm CT
Davante Adams

Las Vegas Raiders WR Davante Adams caught five of his six targets for 59 yards in a 22-10 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 1.

From TheHuddle

Joey Bosa Sep 8 7:30pm CT
Joey Bosa

The Los Angeles Chargers defense did well in a Week 1 win over the Las Vegas Raiders. They limited the Raiders to just 10 points while recording one interception, two fumble recoveries, and four sacks. That was good for 15 fantasy points in standard scoring leagues. The Chargers looked strong on defense, with Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack wreaking havoc in the Raiders backfield all afternoon long. This defensive unit hasn't gotten much buzz, but a strong performance here plus a fairly good schedule coming up could make them a sneaky good fantasy pick going forward.

From RotoBaller