Week 1 Recap: Immediate fantasy football takeaways from Chiefs-Lions Thursday Night Football | Fantasy Football News, Rankings and Projections

• The Kansas Metropolis Chiefs use all seven huge receivers: Patrick Mahomes unfold the ball round with Travis Kelce out of the lineup. No receiver gained greater than 50 receiving yards.

• Jahmyr Gibbs shines on his few alternatives: Gibbs was a transparent second on the Detroit Lions depth chart, however he was probably the most spectacular working again within the recreation.

• Sam LaPorta is the actual deal: LaPorta caught extra passes tonight than the entire rookie tight ends mixed caught in Week 1 of the 2022 season.

Estimated studying time: 6 minutes

PFF’s fantasy football recap focuses on participant utilization and stats, breaking down all of the very important data it is advisable obtain fantasy success in 2023.

Detroit Lions @ Kansas Metropolis Chiefs

Kansas Metropolis’s nightmare huge receiver rotation: The Chiefs used all seven of their huge receivers all through the sport.

• Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Skyy Moore had been the clear prime two huge receivers within the rotation, as anticipated. Many anticipated Moore to be the fantasy star of the evening with Travis Kelce out, however he didn’t see a single goal till the third quarter.
• Whereas MVS and Moore had been the highest two choices, they performed a lot lower than beginning huge receivers sometimes do as a result of seven-man rotation. If something, their taking part in time would possibly lower moderately than improve.
• Kadarius Toney began the sport however was manner down the rotation. He was restricted in observe a lot of the week with a knee harm, so his taking part in time ought to improve over time.
• Toney may have been the best receiver of the evening, however he dropped a number of passes.
• Within the first half, Rashee Rice was much more concerned within the offense than initially anticipated. He didn’t play a snap with the starters in Kansas Metropolis’s final preseason recreation, and there have been experiences that he can be a package deal participant.
• Rice was focused usually on his routes and scored the primary landing for Kansas Metropolis.
• He didn’t play as many snaps within the second half, principally coming in as a run-blocker regardless of the early success.
• Rice is value a waiver wire declare. Don’t begin him anytime quickly, however there’s a likelihood he can work his manner up the rotation.
• He and Moore had been the primary slot receivers all evening, though all seven huge receivers lined up within the slot on a number of snaps.
• The one optimistic level for the fantasy worth of the receivers is that Justin Watson was sixth on the depth chart. Watson was top-four on the depth chart final season and constantly performed with the starters all through the preseason.
• Watson is a deep risk, so we knew he wouldn’t be a constant fantasy choice, so fewer snaps for him means extra snaps for different gamers.

Kansas Metropolis is again to a three-man working again committee: Kansas Metropolis used the identical three working backs as final season, albeit in a barely totally different manner.

• Clyde Edwards-Helaire began the sport, though it was clear that Isiah Pacheco stays the first early-down working again. That begin might need come as a result of he’s the extra skilled participant or as a result of he was the first working again all through coaching camp whereas Pacheco was injured.
• Whereas it was odd for Pacheco to not begin, his function was usually the identical because it was late final season. The Chiefs simply didn’t have a giant lead late, which might have allowed him to pad his stats.
• Kansas Metropolis constantly fielded a major early-down again and a secondary early-down again final season. Jerick McKinnon was usually the secondary participant, however on this recreation, it was Edwards-Helaire.
• This might clearly harm McKinnon’s fantasy worth if it continues, and it will probably even make him dropable in some leagues.
• McKinnon remained the third-down again, to nobody’s shock. He additionally got here in for the goal-line state of affairs, which he did over 60% of the time final season. And that’s as a result of Kansas Metropolis loves throwing on the aim line.
• A wholesome Edwards-Helaire would possibly harm Pacheco’s upside, however on this recreation, he principally reduce into snaps that will have gone to McKinnon.

(*1*)

The Detroit Lions ease Jahmyr Gibbs into motion: David Montgomery began for Detroit and acquired an even bigger function than most anticipated.

• Montgomery began the sport and was the first rusher, much like Jamaal Williams final 12 months.
• In contrast to Williams, Montgomery was additionally the first working again on the sphere in passing conditions, significantly the two-minute drill.
• Gibbs would usually are available for one play at a time, or late in a drive when Montgomery wanted a break.
• The odd factor is that we anticipated Gibbs to be the receiving again, however he noticed extra work on early downs than in passing conditions.
• Gibbs performed properly when given the chance, working seven occasions for 42 yards and catching two passes for 18 yards.
• If there’s one piece of excellent information, it is that they aren’t simply placing Gibbs within the D’Andre Swift function and Montgomery within the Jamaal Williams function.
• It ought to be simpler to place Montgomery in your beginning lineup within the quick time period, significantly when the staff isn’t taking part in the defending Tremendous Bowl Champions and can ideally run extra.
• Gibbs fantasy managers will must be affected person, nevertheless it’s far too early to panic.

Begin Sam LaPorta: LaPorta performed roughly as a lot as we anticipated and, extra importantly, acquired loads of targets.

• The rookie tight finish was constantly on the sphere in 11 and 12 personnel with the starters. He left the sphere for 21 personnel with the starters within the preseason.
• Whereas Gibbs was substituted out of 11 and 12 each every so often, he acquired a slight majority of snaps in 21 personnel, which is probably going a internet optimistic.
• This implies there’s a likelihood he may play 90% or extra of snaps sooner or later.
• LaPorta caught 5 passes for 39 yards. That’s the most receptions for a rookie tight finish in Week 1 since 2019 when T.J. Hockenson caught six passes.
• He ought to be as dependable as different gamers who sometimes rank within the prime 12, however he has extra upside.

Miscellaneous Notes

• Noah Grey took the snaps Travis Kelce would have, simply with out the goal share. Kelce is predicted again by subsequent week, so anybody who had picked Grey up for this recreation can drop him.
• With Kelce out, Kansas Metropolis didn’t use as a lot 12 personnel within the first half of the sport. They sometimes used 12 personnel for 25% of first-half performs final season, however that was all the way down to 10.3% tonight. The Chiefs had been extra snug utilizing 12 personnel within the second half.
• The Detroit Lions allowed probably the most deep receiving yards final season, so it shouldn’t be shocking the 2 Kansas Metropolis Chiefs deep threats in Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Justin Watson led the staff in receiving yards with 48 and 45, respectively.
• The Lions’ huge receivers outdoors of Amon-Ra St. Brown can proceed to be ignored. Josh Reynolds was the clear second huge receiver on this recreation, catching 4 passes for 80 yards, with most of his work coming within the fourth quarter. He’s a positive waiver-wire goal in very deep leagues, however we shouldn’t count on him to succeed in 80 yards with a lot consistency.

Desk Notes

• Snaps embrace performs referred to as again attributable to penalties, together with offensive holding or defensive move interference. The opposite three stats have these performs eliminated.