NFL Player News
-
Deshaun Watson QB | CLE
Browns' Deshaun Watson: Ugly Week 1 showing
Watson completed 24 of 45 passes for 169 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions in Sunday's 33-17 loss to the Cowboys. He added five rushes for 39 yards.
Watson was unable to move the Cleveland offense at any meaningful point in the game and averaged a disastrous 3.8 yards per attempt. Particularly troublesome was Watson's inability to distribute the ball effectively to his top pass catchers, as he was just 2-for-9 when targeting Amari Cooper and 3-for-8 when looking toward Jerry Jeudy. Dallas projects to be an above-average defense this season, but it will be difficult to trust any Browns' skill-position player regularly until Watson shows the ability to improve his level of play.
-
Matthew Stafford QB | LAR
Rams' Matthew Stafford: Loses game and WR on SNF
Stafford completed 34 of 49 pass attempts for 317 yards, one touchdown and one interception in Sunday's 26-20 overtime loss to Detroit.
Stafford fell short to his former club in a tightly contested matchup that needed extra time to complete. Unfortunately for the Rams, the Lions won the coin flip and marched to the end zone without giving Los Angeles' offense a chance to possess the ball in the extra period. Stafford performed well on a personal level despite losing a key member of the offense, Puka Nacua (knee), to an apparent knee injury. The severity of injury to last season's Rookie of the Year is currently unknown, but the Rams' would likely find it difficult to replace that type of talent on the field in the way Nacua did for Cooper Kupp last year. The latter looked healthy in his first 2024 action, which helps soften the fantasy blow from the potential loss of Nacua for Stafford ahead of next Sunday's tilt against Arizona.
-
Jared Goff QB | DET
Lions' Jared Goff: Struggles in OT win
Goff completed 18 of 28 passes for 217 yards, one touchdown and one interception in Sunday's 26-20 overtime win over the Rams. He added one rush attempt for seven yards.
After a quiet first half, Goff gave the Lions a 17-3 lead with a 52-yard touchdown pass to Jameson Williams in the third quarter. The Rams then scored 17 unanswered points, aided by a fourth-quarter Goff interception after the Lions had worked it into field-goal range. Goff bounced back to lead a scoring drive capped by a game-tying 32-yard Jake Bates field goal with 17 seconds left, then Detroit marched down the field on the ground to win it in overtime on a one-yard David Montgomery touchdown. After getting away with a subpar performance in the season opener, Goff will look to sharpen his game in Week 2 against the Buccaneers.
-
Dak Prescott QB | DAL
Cowboys' Dak Prescott: Manages Dallas to win
Prescott completed 19 of 32 passes for 179 yards and one touchdown in Sunday's 33-17 win over Cleveland.
Prescott dominated headlines before kickoff by signing a four-year, $240 million extension, though he was asked to do relatively little in Dallas' dominant Week 1 win. The team was up 27-3 with 13 minutes remaining in the third quarter, so Prescott took to the air only 11 times for 23 yards in the second half. That sample also hurt his efficiency numbers, but Prescott was able to move the ball when needed by completing a long pass of 34 yards to CeeDee Lamb as well as a 21-yard touchdown to Brandin Cooks.
-
Derek Carr QB | NO
Saints' Derek Carr: Nearly perfect in Sunday's rout
Carr completed 19 of 23 passes for 200 yards and three touchdowns in Sunday's 47-10 rout of the Panthers. He added 13 rushing yards on two carries.
The Saints absolutely dismantled the visitors, scoring on their first nine drives of the game before finally being forced to punt midway through the fourth quarter. Carr led the way with one of the most efficient performances of his career, hitting Rashid Shaheed for a 59-yard score on New Orleans' first possession before finding Foster Moreau (head) for a three-yard TD late in the first quarter and Juwan Johnson for a 16-yard touchdown just before halftime. Carr's first season with the team was viewed as a disappointment, but new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak is off to a flying start in reshaping the attack. However, the unit will face a much tougher test in Week 2 against the Cowboys.
-
Kirk Cousins QB | ATL
Falcons' Kirk Cousins: Falls flat in team debut
Cousins completed 16 of 26 passes for 155 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions in Sunday's 18-10 loss to the Steelers.
Cousins did not have a good Falcons debut, as he struggled with both inefficiency and untimely mistakes. Each of his interceptions led directly to a field goal for the Steelers, and Cousins appeared out of sync in the offense as the team lost a fumble due to mistimed motion. Cousins also managed only 6.0 yards per attempt, and his longest completion went for just 20 yards. The considerable rust is understandable given that it's been 10 months since he appeared in game action, though Cousins and the Falcons will face another tough test in Week 2 against the Eagles.
-
Baker Mayfield QB | TB
Buccaneers' Baker Mayfield: Stars in blowout victory
Mayfield completed 24 of 30 pass attempts for 289 yards and four touchdowns while rushing for 21 yards on three attempts in Sunday's 37-20 win over the Commanders.
Mayfield was nearly flawless in the Buccaneers 2024 home opener, missing just six pass attempts and committing no turnovers in a comfortable win. The 2018 first-overall pick looked the part in his second season starting for Tampa Bay, feeding top wideouts Mike Evans (5/61/2) and Chris Godwin (8/83/1) the football early and often. Mayfield looks like a great value pick after being drafted in the mid to late rounds in fantasy drafts. Now we will witness how this offense performs on the road against a tough Detroit defense next Sunday.
-
Jayden Daniels QB | WAS
Commanders' Jayden Daniels: Two rushing TDs in losing debut
Daniels completed 17 of 24 passes for 184 yards while rushing 16 times for 88 yards and two touchdowns in Sunday's 37-20 loss to the Buccaneers.
Daniels scored one-yard rushing touchdowns in the third and fourth quarters, in addition to coming just 12 yards shy of ending Washington's 22-game drought without a 100-yard rusher. The rookie second overall pick was ineffective as a passer, though, with most of his production coming after the game was well out of reach. He also put the ball on the ground three times, but all three fumbles were recovered by the Commanders. Daniels has a nice opportunity to take a step forward throwing the ball in Week 2, when he makes his home debut against a Giants team that's coming off a 28-6 loss to the Vikings.
-
Geno Smith QB | NYJ
Seahawks' Geno Smith: Chips in two TDs in win
Smith completed 18 of 25 pass attempts for 171 yards, one touchdown and one interception while ripping off a 34-yard touchdown run in Sunday's 26-20 win over Denver.
The veteran's other three rushing attempts came in the form of kneel-downs as Seattle wrapped up its first victory of the 2024 campaign. Smith wasn't relied upon heavily in a game that was highlighted by Seattle's running backs and defensive unit. The 33-year-old remains a steady middling fantasy option as the Seahawks prepare to face the Patriots in Week 2.
-
Bo Nix QB | DEN
Broncos' Bo Nix: Runs in first TD
Nix completed 26 of 42 pass attempts for 138 yards and two interceptions while rushing five times for 35 yards and the first touchdown of his NFL career in Sunday's 26-20 loss to Seattle.
Nix was named the Broncos' starter earlier this week and punched in his first score as a pro late in Sunday's comeback attempt against the Seahawks. The 12th overall pick also threw two interceptions while averaging just 3.3 yards per attempt, resulting in a poor fantasy performance. Nix's ability as a runner is what gives him value for those in 2QB formats, but there are likely safer options in standard leagues.