By Winsto
As you read the following article, please remember that the fantasy football season is a marathon, not a sprint. It was one game, do not overreact. At the same time, you do want to be aware of what played out, as that is new evidence. That new evidence should then be incorporated into your existing evidence based on pre-draft preparation and knowledge. And from that new overall collection of knowledge, we consider adjusting our expectations regarding fantasy football players.
The Good
Josh Allen, QB (Buf)
Look, this is why you drafted him early when many in the fantasy community advocated waiting for later guys, like Matthew Stafford–we will get to him shortly. Aside from the two interceptions, which really were not his fault, he had a stellar game (297 yards passing, 56 yards rushing, and 4 total touchdowns) against a formidable defense.
Stefon Diggs, WR (Buf)
He had 8 receptions for 122 yards receiving and a touchdown on 9 targets. You should most definitely be satisfied by that performance. (If not, don’t be greedy!)
Gabriel (Gabe) Davis, WR (Buf)
If you were like me and really thought he could break out this season, so far, so good. On 5 targets, he had 4 catches for 88 yards and a score–he could have had 2 scores but for an under-thrown ball from Allen.
Cooper Kupp, WR (LAR)
On 15 targets, he hauled in 13 receptions for 128 yards and a touchdown. At this point, he appears to be their entire offense. The fact that he received so much defensive attention and still performs as he did should suggest that he could be primed for another great season.
Buffalo-DST
It held the reigning champions to 10 points and accumulated 7 sacks and 3 interceptions. And this was done without Tre’Davious White! There is reason to think that this performance was no fluke.
The Not Good
Matthew Stafford, QB (LAR)
Not great! Passing for 240, 1 TD, and 3 INTs is NOT how you want to start off the season. There were some drops and batted balls at the line, which can be a bit fluky. Still, it was a somewhat concerning performance. The biggest issue here (aside from offensive line protection) is that there does not seem to be a viable 2nd pass catcher in this offense. Unless something changes, that may cause problems for Stafford this season, as his ceiling may be limited from a fantasy perspective.
Buffalo running backs
The writing seemed to be on the wall that none of the rushers could really be trusted this season in fantasy, and that held true, at least in this game. Devin Singletary actually looked fine, averaging 6 ypc, but he only ran the ball 8 times. Zack Moss actually out-touched Singletary (14 to 10), but was not very effective and lost a fumble. This may have played out as even more of a committee had James Cook not fumbled his only touch, and then was not heard from again. I fear this is going to be a constant headache for fantasy owners this season.
Dawson Knox, TE (Buf) and Tyler Higbee, TE (LAR)
The hopes that Knox would absorb some of those vacated targets from the departures of Cole Beasley and Emmanuel Sanders were crushed, at least in this game. Knox finished with 1 catch for 5 yards on 2 targets. Higbee actually had 11 targets, but could only haul in 5 for 39 yards. Both could still prove to be useful in fantasy, however. The narrative on Knox would be different if that one reception was a touchdown, and that is something that could still be a common occurrence this season. In deeper leagues, the fact that Higbee saw 11 targets offers “slight” optimism, maybe?
The Terrible
Cam Akers, RB (LAR)
Sooooo… that was unexpected. 3 carries for 0 yards. I will repeat. 3 carries for 0 yards. Meanwhile, Darrell Henderson Jr. had 13 carries for 47 yards and 5 receptions for 26 yards. 18 to 3. I will repeat. 18 to 3. That is how much Henderson outtouched Akers. Sometimes, coaches do not care about the fantasy football community. Sean McVay apparently took that approach Thursday night. At this point, the only thing you can do is just wait and see. Do not cut him. You do not, however, start him until further notice.
Allen Robinson, WR (LAR)
On 2 targets, he had 1 catch for 12 yards. Stafford attempted 41 passes. Two went toward Robinson. Ben Skowronek had 6 targets. Look, there were red flags about Robinson going into this season due to both his age and concern that he lost a step. Thursday night’s game did not alleviate those concerns in the slightest. Do not necessarily overreact to one game and cut him, but I would not start him until I see evidence that he still has the talent of old.