What's this? Every Tuesday through Friday, Chris Towers will catch you up on the previous day's biggest news first thing in the morning. Here's what you missed Monday:
David Johnson's injury could be a long-term issue
Jamey Eisenberg tackled the long-term ramifications Johnson's wrist injury Monday. We're still waiting for full details, but the potential timetable is severe. While it's possible Johnson will be able to play after just a few weeks on the sideline, surgery is on the table, and could cost him months.
Jamey looked at the Cardinals' internal options, and also mentioned some key targets to look at on waivers. There's no good replacement for a player of Johnson's skill set, but the season isn't over after one week. You have to move on.
Sam Bradford and the Vikings looked great
Well, that was sort of unexpected. While we liked Bradford as a sleeper for Week 1 against the Vikings, a 346-yard, three-touchdown game wasn't quite what we were expecting. Bradford was pressured on just six of his 34 dropbacks, per ProFootballFocus.com, so chalk up a win for the rebuilt Vikings' offensive line. That extra time to throw allowed Bradford to take some chances deep, as he completed an NFL-high five passes 20-yards or more downfield.
Bradford was excellent, and he got plenty of help. Here are some other notes on the Vikings' spectacular debut:
- Dalvin Cook got off to a bit of a slow start, but eventually gashed the Saints' defense for 127 yards on 22 carries in his debut. He really doesn't have any competition for touches in the Vikings' backfield, so if they can block for him, he has RB1 upside.
- Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen were both dominant in this one, with Thielen hauling in nine passes for 157 yards, while Diggs totaled 93 yards and a pair of touchdowns. It's hard to see Bradford sustaining two Fantasy relevant wide receivers, given his track record, but this is a talented duo who should be worth starting most weeks.
- Latavius Murray played just three snaps. He might be the handcuff for Cook, but Jerick McKinnon got the passing downs' work Monday.
- Kyle Rudolph was targeted just three times, though he made up for it with a touchdown. He has historically been a touchdown-or-bust TE, and last year may have been an aberration if Thielen and Diggs can keep this up.
The Saints' backfield is a disaster
I don't really care about the production, though that was bad enough, as the Saints' top three rushers combined for just 53 yards on 19 carries between them. Bad games happen, and bad games against a defense like Minnesota's are no reason to panic, necessarily.
However, this looks like a reason to panic, even if they had run the ball well. Alvin Kamara surprisingly led the RB trio with 31 snaps, while Mark Ingram played 26, and Adrian Peterson played a career-low nine snaps. We thought Kamara might get some work this season, but an unexpected game flow really pushed him into heavy duty.
Overall, Ingram was still the most effective of the three, totaling 71 yards thanks to five catches for 54 yards. If you asked me, he's clearly the best player in this backfield, but Sean Payton may not agree. Ingram continues to have to fight for work and, after Week 1, looks like he may be more of a flex option moving forward until things settle down.
Hunter Henry was a total non-factor
Everyone's favorite breakout tight end was just flat out broke in Week 1:
— Nathan Jahnke (@PFF_NateJahnke) September 12, 2017
This could change as we move forward, but at least through the first game, the Chargers haven't changed their tight end usage yet. Antonio Gates may be ancient, but he remains effective. Don't be surprised if Henry overtakes him at some point, but it is worth noting, Gates played eight more snaps than Henry last season, in one fewer game.
Other notes
- Thomas Rawls (ankle) will play in Week 2… Looks like there won't be as much drama this week. Rawls practiced in full all week last week, but was given an extra week to get back to full health. He should be the starting RB, but Chris Carson will push him for work if he continues to look good. You may want to stay away from Seattle's backfield until someone pulls away.
- Corey Davis was a factor in Week 1… We thought it might take some time for him to get worked into the offense, but Davis played 42 of 64 offensive snaps, hauling in six passes for 69 yards, on a team-high 10 targets. He remains a solid stash, and could develop into a star more quickly than expected.
- Keenan Allen is still Philip Rivers' go-to guy…He was mostly held in check, hauling in just five receptions and needing a touchdown to salvage his Fantasy day. However, Rivers didn't shy away from Allen, and that's a good sign. Even against a tough matchup, he received 10 targets. Expect big things from Allen.
- Danny Woodhead (hamstring) could miss 'significant time'… Woodhead may have rushed back from the hamstring injury he suffered in the preseason, and it may end up costing him big. Javorius Allen saw plenty of work after Woodhead's injury, actually leading the team with 21 touches, but he mostly benefited from a blowout. He will be a decent waiver-wire target in PPR, but don't expect him to take much work from Terrance West in the early downs.
- Duke Johnson didn't see one snap as a RB in Week 11… Johnson played 51 snaps in Week 1, and per ProFootballFocus.com, not a single one came in the backfield. He lined up on the outside three times as a wide receiver, and logged 46 snaps in the slot. He even saw one play lined up as an H-back. While his total number of snaps is a good thing, his chances of making a Fantasy impact are likely higher catching passes out of the backfield, where DeShone Kizer might be more willing to pepper him with targets. Still, you should hang on to him in PPR leagues, because this could get interesting. He is clearly a part of their plans.
- Kevin White (shoulder) placed on injured reserve… This is just rotten luck for a player who has never even had the chance to prove his worth as an early pick. White has now likely suffered his thirst straight season-ending broken bone, to three different bones.
- Andrew Luck (shoulder) has already been ruled out for Week 2… That's bad news for the Colts' skill players, obviously, given his disastrous Scott Tolzien was in Week 1. You might rather see Jacoby Brissett get a chance, because he can at least make something happen on the ground. However, it looks like the Colts might be radioactive for Fantasy as long as Luck is out.
- Saints right tackle Zach Strief suffers knee injury… A bad game got even worse for the Saints when their lost their starting right tackle. Things will be easier when they don't have to face the Vikings, but this is a bad sign.
- Tyler Lockett will get more snaps at WR moving forward… Lockett played just 26 snaps in his first game back from a broken leg, but he has big upside even in a low-volume passing offense. He is worth stashing in deeper leagues.
- C.J. Fiedorowicz (concussion) unlikely to play in Week 2… Somehow, every tight end on the Texans' roster is in the concussion protocol right now.