Depth Chart Watch: Fallout From Week 1

The first week of NFL action is finally in the books, and it was a wild ride, starting with the Chiefs out-Patriots-ing the Patriots and finishing with Monday night's impressive (but ultimately failed) comeback attempt by the Chargers.

In other news, pending the identification of a permanent replacement, this may be the final Depth Chart Watch of my RotoWire career, as I'll be stepping back into a much-reduced role that will liberate me to pursue other interests. I guess this is a happy day for all those who had complaints about my occasional injection of politically charged opinion.

Well, let's not sit around getting all sentimental. We've got depth charts to watch, after all.

QUARTERBACK

Cincinnati Bengals

I didn't think I'd be writing about Andy Dalton here for quite a while yet, especially in the absence of an injury, but here we are. The Bengals got shut out by Baltimore in Week 1 thanks to Dalton putting together one of the worst passing performances in recent memory -- 16-for-31 for 170 yards, four interceptions and a fumble. It was like watching a train wreck in slow motion. Backup AJ McCarron isn't yet threatening to take his job away, but a change could happen sooner than you'd think if Dalton can't steady the ship in due time.

Cleveland Browns

DeShone Kizer showed us both the good and the bad in his NFL regular-season debut, going 20-for-30 for 222 yards, a touchdown and an interception; he also got sacked seven times because hey, it's the Browns. Despite the strong final line, it was a bit of a spotty performance, but Kizer got it going in crunch time against a decent Steelers defense, so you have to come away relatively impressed -- albeit not for fantasy purposes.

Houston Texans

The latter-day Tom Savage era didn't last long at all -- after completing seven of 13 passes for 62 yards and fumbling twice, he got yanked for rookie Deshaun Watson. Of course, Watson didn't have a great time of it either (12-for-23 for 102 yards, a touchdown, an interception and a fumble of his own), and both quarterbacks can reserve some blame for their offensive line, which allowed a total of 10 sacks. Watson picked up an ankle issue along the way, but he's still expected to play (and start) Thursday.

Indianapolis Colts

I've watched Andrew Luck. I've had Andrew Luck on my fantasy teams. Scott Tolzien, you're no Andrew Luck. Tolzien put together a terrible line in Week 1 -- 9-for-18 for 128 yards and two picks -- and with Luck likely to remain out in Week 2 thanks to his shoulder issue, the Colts will instead try their, um, luck with ex-Patriot Jacoby Brissett, whom they picked up via trade 10 days ago. Brissett is a mobile quarterback who offers a bit of pedigree as a 2016 third-round pick, and he turned in respectable work when he got a few chances with the Pats last year.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Blake Bortles had the fortune of going up against what looks like it's going to be an atrocious Houston team Sunday, and he wasn't asked to do much -- he just played game manager while Leonard Fournette killed it on the ground. No, 11-for-21 for 125 yards and a touchdown isn't very good, but it's also not disastrous, which may give a little boost to Bortles' confidence.

RUNNING BACK

Arizona Cardinals

Catastrophe has struck the Cards in the form of David Johnson's Week 1 wrist dislocation, which is expected to cost him between eight and 12 weeks -- meaning he might not be back 'til the fantasy playoffs. Thus we turn reluctantly to the 26-year-old Kerwynn Williams, who appears to be the early-downs favorite in a committee approach that also includes Andre Ellington, who's somehow stuck around in Arizona despite barely playing at all over the last two seasons.

Baltimore Ravens

Terrance West turned in a sharp start to his season Sunday, running 19 times for 80 yards and a touchdown. Meanwhile, Danny Woodhead left early with a hamstring injury, which seems like par for the course at this point. Javorius Allen got plenty of run too, as he took 21 carries, though he turned them into only 71 yards with no scores. Don't look for the Ravens to run this much every week, as they absolutely stomped what looks to be a miserable Bengals club in this one.

Carolina Panthers

Christian McCaffrey's NFL debut saw him play 47 of 67 offensive snaps, resulting in 13 carries for 47 yards and five catches on seven targets for another 38. It's a respectable debut, but not one that blows the doors off like you'd expect, particularly against a relatively bottom-of-the-barrel team in the Niners. Jonathan Stewart saw more rushing opportunities (18 carries for 65 yards) and ended up finding the end zone on a reception, which strongly suggests that he's going to cut deeply into McCaffrey's workload over the course of this season. That's not entirely promising for either player.

Chicago Bears

If you thought Tarik Cohen was getting himself noticed in the preseason, well, his regular-season debut should have the hype machine running at full capacity. Cohen turned five rushing attempts into 66 yards and added another 47 (with a pretty touchdown) on eight receptions, overshadowing starter Jordan Howard (13 rushes, 52 yards; three catches, 14 yards). It's clear that Cohen's carved himself out a significant role even if that doesn't mean he'll take early-down carries away from Howard, and he's a must-add in leagues where he's available.

Cincinnati Bengals

As you might imagine about a team that got shut out, Week 1 didn't feature very notable rushing performances from the Bengals. The best of the crew, surprisingly enough, was Giovani Bernard -- with game flow (that is to say, being behind the entire time) working in his favor to some degree, he got seven carries and used them efficiently, gaining 40 yards to go with a 39-yard reception. It's surprising that he wasn't targeted more than two times, though. Meanwhile, Joe Mixon (eight carries for nine yards, plus three catches for 15) and Jeremy Hill (six rushes for 26 yards and a catch for a two-yard loss) certainly didn't get the job done. Mixon in particular could be well on his way to marginalizing himself.

Dallas Cowboys

With a court keeping Ezekiel Elliott on the field while things get worked out with the NFL's botched investigation/suspension efforts, the star rusher looks to be a fixture on the field until further notice. He ran 24 times for 104 yards while adding five catches for 36 in Week 1 against the Giants; the lack of TDs is slightly disappointing, but the important thing is that he's on the field.

Denver Broncos

Jamaal Charles managed to carve out 10 carries behind an effective C.J. Anderson (20 for 81 and a seven-yard reception) in Week 1, and the elder statesman was similarly productive on a per-carry basis, netting 40 yards; however, he also lost a fumble, which won't help the cause. Devontae Booker (wrist) was held out and De'Angelo Henderson saw no work.

Indianapolis Colts

Frank Gore actually split the carries with rookie Marlon Mack on Sunday, but Gore was easily more efficient; he gained 42 yards to Mack's 24, though the latter picked up a rushing touchdown and looked good on a 21-yard reception. Mack merits watching and maybe a speculative pickup, considering Gore's advanced age. Meanwhile, Robert Turbin looks to have been pushed to the background.

Kansas City Chiefs

Kareem Hunt. Kareem Hunt all day. Who's that other running back the Chiefs used to have? Spencer something? I've forgotten already.

Minnesota Vikings

Dalvin Cook cut through the Saints like a hot knife through butter in his NFL debut Monday, gashing them for 127 yards on 22 carries and chipping in an extra 10 yards through the air. Latavius Murray and Jerick McKinnon both saw only backup work, though McKinnon at least managed to catch three passes for 32 yards. Cook received some red-zone looks (two carries for minimal yards and two dropped targets), but if he doesn't begin producing with those opportunities it's worth keeping in mind that he could be an entirely yardage-dependent play most of the time this year.

New England Patriots

Mike Gillislee exploded for three touchdowns in his Pats debut despite averaging just 3.0 YPC (15 for 45), which is pretty much what we're looking for from him. James White did pick up 10 carries of his own, which he turned into 38 yards, adding another 30 on three catches; meanwhile, Rex Burkhead and Dion Lewis played bit parts. You never know what the Pats will do, but Gillislee seems like a good bet to absorb a lot of those touchdowns that LeGarrette Blount offered in this same position to fantasy owners last year.

New Orleans Saints

Mark Ingram tied for the team lead in receiving with 54 yards on five catches Monday, which is about the best thing you can say for the Saints' running game. As star-studded as it is, those big names didn't do a whole lot. On the ground, Ingram managed just 17 yards on six rushes; Adrian Peterson also rushed six times, netting 18 yards and arguing on the sidelines with coach Sean Payton. Not the best look. Alvin Kamara actually saw the most rushes of the Saints' backfield trio -- seven, which he turned into just 18 yards; he caught 20 yards worth of passes too. If AP didn't do anything against his old Vikings mates, it seems like a good bet that he won't offer a lot for fantasy owners this year.

New York Giants

Granted, the Giants threw the ball a ton because they trailed the entire game, but Paul Perkins' Week 1 performance -- seven carries for 16 yards and two catches for another nine -- is still a major disappointment. Shane Vereen was much more productive despite getting zero carries; he caught nine of 10 targets for 51 yards. Perkins will still dominate the rushes for the Giants, but expect week-to-week inconsistency.

Philadelphia Eagles

As expected, it was the aforementioned Blount leading the Eagles' backfield in Week 1, but even though they led for a good chunk of the game, he didn't exactly rack up 2016-type numbers; the veteran turned his 14 rushes into 46 yards, but he surprised with a one-yard TD reception. Wendell Smallwood turned his five touches into just nine total yards, while Darren Sproles retained his typical passing-game work (eight targets, five catches, 43 yards). All considered, things are looking up for Blount's fantasy prospects.

Seattle Seahawks

Your most-used ball carrier for Seattle on Sunday? Rookie Chris Carson, who turned just six rushing attempts into 39 yards, adding a 10-yard catch on his only target. Eddie Lacy was brutal in limited work -- three yards on five carries -- and C.J. Prosise didn't do his usual passing-game thing (three carries for 11 yards; not targeted). The momentum is definitely swinging in Carson's direction, but Thomas Rawls (ankle) is expected back for Week 2 against the Niners.

Washington Redskins

Rob Kelley and Chris Thompson handled all the rushing work for the Skins in Week 1, but the former's 10 rushes for 30 yards help make an argument for Samaje Perine to get on the field -- something he didn't do at all in this game. Thompson made an impact through the air, catching four of five balls for 52 yards and a score, though he rushed for just four yards on three carries.

WIDE RECEIVER

Arizona Cardinals

Once their star running back got hurt and then their defense coughed up a bunch of points late in the game, the Cards had no choice but to turn to the pass with great regularity, but Carson Palmer's 48 attempts didn't result in much. Larry Fitzgerald led the team with six catches for 74 yards, while J.J. Nelson managed five for 43 and a score. John Brown picked up nine targets, but he caught just four of them for 32 yards -- though that can be blamed more on Palmer's inaccurate throws than on poor receiving work by Brown. Look for the Cards to continue leaning on the air game, for better or worse, with Johnson out.

Detroit Lions

Kenny Golladay caught a pair of touchdowns in his first regular-season game Sunday, finishing with 69 yards on four catches. He easily out-targeted Marvin Jones (seven to two), though Jones still caught a TD of his own to go with 37 yards. Golden Tate remains the biggest volume guy here, of course; he racked up 107 yards on 10 catches.

Los Angeles Rams

After starring in the preseason, Cooper Kupp showed that it was no fluke by arriving on the scene with four catches for 76 yards and a score in his NFL debut Sunday. Cupp's six targets led all LA wideouts, but Sammy Watkins was reasonably decent on his five looks, catching all of them for 58 yards. That duo could really help elevate the still-flawed Jared Goff in his second NFL season.

New England Patriots

The Pats' leading receiver in Week 1 was Danny Amendola, who racked up 100 yards on six catches in the first half, only to leave with a head injury. The Pats' offense just wasn't the same without him; Brandin Cooks picked up 88 yards on three receptions (seven targets), but no other New England wideout even caught a pass.

Philadelphia Eagles

Welcome to the NFL, Nelson Agholor. We've been waiting. A massive disappointment for his first two seasons after being made a first-round pick, Agholor caught a 58-yard touchdown in the first quarter Sunday, though he was relatively quiet for the rest of the contest, finishing with six catches for 86 yards. Alshon Jeffery had a quiet Eagles debut (three catches for 38 yards on seven targets), while no other Philly wideout saw more than three targets.

Tennessee Titans

So much for Corey Davis being eased into action. He led the Titans with 10 targets in Week 1, reeling in six for 69 yards. Respectable. Rishard Matthews stayed useful with five catches on nine targets for 71 yards; Eric Decker didn't help much, reeling in just three of eight passes thrown his way for only 10 yards. We've got a clear-cut top two here right now, but Decker will have better weeks than this.

Seattle Seahawks

Paul Richardson tied for the team lead in targets Sunday, catching four of seven for 59 yards; he and Doug Baldwin were the only two Seahawks to exceed 10 receiving yards, which is sad for everyone else. Tyler Lockett had just a lonely eight-yard reception on three targets.

TIGHT END

Atlanta Falcons

Austin Hooper made the fantasy world sit up and take notice by catching an 88-yard touchdown as well as a 40-yard pass on his two targets Sunday, but with a lot of mouths to feed in Atlanta, it doesn't seem advisable for fantasy owners to invest heavily in him. He does merit a speculative pickup in the wake of that performance, though.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Week 1 brought with it something of a Jesse James explosion, as he caught both of Ben Roethlisberger's touchdown passes, both of which came from inside the five. He finished with six grabs for 41 yards. The promise of steady red-zone work (not to mention steady receiving work in general) should mean James ends up on fantasy rosters far and wide, especially in PPR formats, after this performance.