Fantasy Roundup: Week 1

What a week. What an opening week. Where to begin? We’ll start with the matchups and scoring (you can find the teams in last week’s issue). Listed below are the matchups from Week 1, the final score, and a top performer and underperformer from each team.

Bring it Dome vs The Inn-Zone: 117.46 – 130.22

Top performers: Josh Allen (38.76) | Derrick Henry (29.2)

Underperformers: A.J. Brown (1.8) | Joe Burrow (8.82)

Pfirst Down vs The Ball Currier: 128.28 – 123.92

Top performers: Christian McCaffrey (23.2), Zay Flowers (28.1)

Underperformers: Davante Adams (9.1), Brian Thomas Jr. (9.0)

Unfortunately, Flowers was benched, but he will be starting from here on out.

First and Lowell vs Kirkland Cousins: 104.12 – 102.56

Top performers: Jayden Daniels (20.12) , Lamar Jackson (29.36)

Underperformers: Ravens D/ST (-7.0), Amon Ra St. Brown (8.5)

Standout Games:

Cowboys @ Eagles: 20-24 

What began as a brawl of words ended after a lightning delay and a single field goal in the second half. The Cowboys played well: Dak resumed his decent form, and CeeDee Lamb put up good fantasy stats but had multiple drops that could have changed the game’s trajectory. The Eagles did okay. Offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo won his first game. Wide Receiver A.J. Brown saw a decline in his activity, playing 87% of offensive snaps yet only one recorded target and one reception for 8 yards.

Chiefs vs Chargers: 21-27
This game, played on neutral soil in Brazil, continued to raise concerns about the Chiefs’ run game as the Pacheco and Hunt duo proved underwhelming. To add to Kansas City’s woes, wide receiver Xavier Worthy came down early with an injury after colliding with teammate Travis Kelce. Alongside Rashee Rice’s suspension until Week 7, this loss threatens the potency of Mahomes’ offense throughout the beginning of the season. As far as the Chargers, Justin Herbert played outstandingly: 318 yards, 3 tds, with a 131 RTG. The problem: his team won by only six. Will that be sustainable for LA?

Bengals @ Browns: 17-16

The Bengals did not win this game; the Browns lost it. Joe Burrow had a terrible time on the field, even getting sacked three times in a row on one drive. Ja’Marr Chase, one of, if not the best, receivers in the game, could not get active. On the flipside, Cleveland statistically should have won. More than doubling Cincinnati in total yardage, the Browns had every opportunity to triumph, but their kicker simply let them down, missing a field goal and an extra point. Joe Flacco seemed automatic, but his two interceptions serve as a reminder that it is still Joe Flacco.

Dolphins @ Colts: 8-33

To be blunt: Miami looked awful. Their offense just could not get Tyreek Hill or Jaylen Waddle involved. Tua looked horrendous with his two interceptions and three sacks, one of which ended in a fumble. The Colts, however, were dangerous. It’s too early to say how this team will actually perform, but Daniel Jones put on a masterclass, rushing for two touchdowns and passing for his third. This victory ends Indianapolis’s 11-game opening-week loss streak.

Steelers @ Jets: 34-32

The Steelers-Jets game was memorable, showing offensive talent. What was expected to be a defensive showdown ended in eight touchdowns between both teams. Justin Fields played phenomenally alongside Breece Hall. Similarly, the Steelers with Aaron Rodgers were surprisingly efficient offensively under their newest quarterback. A vintage Rodgers clutch performance set up a field goal giving the Steelers the win.

Giants @ Commanders: 6-21

New York’s woes continue as Russell Wilson was simply not good, hinting at another season of subpar play. Malik Nabers, their star sophomore, had a few drops that still raise concerns. The Giants were unable to score a single touchdown. It might already be time to put Jaxson Dart as quarterback. Jayden Daniels continued his rookie season hype as the sophomore played quite well. Time will tell whether he can continue to compete at a high level.

Lions @ Packers: 13-27

The Lions looked lost on offense. Losing both head coordinators in one offseason is sure to be a drawback, but going from one of the best offenses in the league to whatever this game was is unsettling. Detroit wasn’t able to get things going throughout the game while the Packers dominated on offense and defense. Jordan Love looked strong as he was setting his receivers up for great plays. Defensive end Micah Parsons also had a strong performance in his first game as a Packer. This scoreline is quite deceiving as the Lions scored their only touchdown with under a minute left.

Ravens @ Bills: 40-41

Game of the year contender already! There were strong displays from both offenses. Lamar Jackson came out dominant, showing he is still a threat both passing and rushing. Derrick Henry proved he is definitely a Hall of Fame running back, even at 31 years old. However, during what should have been the secondary unit’s time to get reps, the Ravens collapsed. Henry gave up a fumble, and the Ravens went third and out on what should have sealed the game. Instead, Josh Allen surged in the final quarter to score a touchdown and set up a field goal to steal the game. Buffalo ultimately outscored the Ravens 22 to 6 in the final quarter.

Vikings @ Bears: 27-24

Another stellar game to cap off a very enjoyable opening week. J.J. McCarthy started cold. In fact, he started terribly: his first career touchdown was a pick-six. Luckily, by the fourth quarter there was a shift. McCarthy became the better quarterback as he threw for two touchdowns and ran for a third to give the Vikings the win. On the Bears’ side, we have another offensive collapse. Caleb Williams was the better player for most of the game until the pressure was turned up. He looked poised and confident, but as soon as Minnesota began to respond, he reverted to his less-refined ways.

Overall, week one had some strong matchups that we hope are just the beginning of a great NFL season filled with more historic plays and games.

Tyler Dang ’28 (tylerdang@college.harvard.edu) was disappointed by the Ravens’ loss.