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Donovan Peoples-Jones WR | NO
Browns' Donovan Peoples-Jones: Leads air attack in win
Peoples-Jones secured six of 11 targets for 60 yards in the Browns' 26-24 win over the Panthers on Sunday.
Peoples-Jones was the somewhat surprising leader in receptions, receiving yards and targets for the Browns, accounting for nearly half of Jacoby Brissett's 147-yard tally through the air. The third-year speedster's final catch of the day was his most important, as he recorded a 13-yard grab on what would turn out to be the game-winning drive for Cleveland. Despite the offseason addition of Amari Cooper, Peoples-Jones should retain an important role in the air attack throughout the course of the season, perhaps peaking in upside once Deshaun Watson (suspension) takes over under center later in the season.
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Jalen Tolbert WR | MIA
Cowboys' Jalen Tolbert: Not active Sunday
Tolbert (coach's decision) is inactive for Sunday's game versus the Buccaneers, Michael Gehlken of The Dallas Morning News reports.
With Michael Gallup not yet ready to return from a torn ACL, Tolbert was believed to be a part of the plan at wide receiver as a rookie third-round pick in the early going. Instead, coach Mike McCarthy has made Tolbert a healthy scratch, meaning the Cowboys' active WRs are CeeDee Lamb, Noah Brown, Dennis Houston, Simi Fehoko and KaVontae Turpin in Week 1.
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Terry McLaurin WR | WAS
Commanders' Terry McLaurin: Huge score in victory
McLaurin caught two of four targets for 58 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 28-22 win over the Jaguars.
Fresh off of a much-deserved contract extension, McLaurin did not waste any time proving he was worth the money. The 27-year-old burned his assignment late in the fourth quarter, and new Commanders starting quarterback Carson Wentz hit his man in stride for a 49-yard touchdown. McLaurin has put together some strong fantasy seasons with subpar play under center, so even the flawed Wentz could be a boon to the star wideout's stock in 2022. Washington will take on the Lions next Sunday.
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Russell Gage WR | SF
Buccaneers' Russell Gage: Suiting up Week 1
Gage (hamstring) is active for Sunday's game in Dallas, Scott Smith of the Buccaneers' official site reports.
Gage missed the entire preseason schedule due to a hamstring injury sustained during a joint practice with the Dolphins on Aug. 10. While he put together back-to-back weeks with on-field work, he was limited in all three practices during preparation for the season opener. With his status now clear, he'll operate alongside Mike Evans, the returning Chris Godwin (knee) and Julio Jones.
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Chris Godwin WR | TB
Buccaneers' Chris Godwin: Clear for Week 1 action
Godwin (knee) is listed as active Sunday in Dallas, Scott Smith of the Buccaneers' official site reports.
While Godwin was able to log two full practices (around one DNP) during Week 1 prep, coach Todd Bowles predictably treated the sixth-year pro as a game-time decision as he closed in on his return from the torn ACL and sprained MCL in his right knee that he suffered Week 15 of last season. In the end, both Godwin and the team's medical staff had to sign off on him suiting up, and he'll do just that to kick off the campaign. However, he may operate under a snap count of sorts, meaning he could have fewer opportunities than normal to produce.
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Chris Olave WR | NO
Saints' Chris Olave: Modest showing in Week 1 win
Olave secured all three targets for 41 yards and brought in a two-point conversion pass in the Saints' 27-26 win over the Falcons on Sunday.
The rookie played a clear second fiddle to veterans Jarvis Landry and Michael Thomas on the afternoon, but Olave still found a way to make a modest mark and did have a key two-point grab early in the fourth quarter to bring the Saints within eight points at the time. Given his talent and rookie status, there's plenty of reason to believe his role will grow substantially in short order. Olave's next opportunity to build up his numbers comes in a tough Week 2 home matchup against the Buccaneers next Sunday.
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Elijah Moore WR | PHI
Jets' Elijah Moore: Five catches in season opener
Moore caught five of seven targets for 49 yards in Sunday's 24-9 loss to Baltimore.
Moore posted modest totals despite the Jets utilizing the short passing game consistently, as Joe Flacco threw the ball 59 times. While Moore remains the most appealing fantasy wide receiver in New York after a promising rookie season, the Jets' entire offense may not find much success for the duration of Zach Wilson's (knee) absence, which is expected to linger for another two weeks. The Jets will travel to Cleveland in Week 2, where Moore will likely see a lot of standout cornerback Denzel Ward.
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Jakobi Meyers WR | JAC
Patriots' Jakobi Meyers: Leading receiver in Week 1 loss
Meyers (knee) caught four of six targets for 55 yards in Sunday's 20-7 loss to Miami.
Meyers showed no sign of the knee injury that landed him on the injury report throughout the week, as he led the Patriots in catches, targets and receiving yards. While New England's offense remains run-first, Meyers appears to have retained his role as the top target for game manager Mac Jones despite the offseason addition of DeVante Parker. The Patriots will travel to Pittsburgh in Week 2.
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Chase Claypool WR | BUF
Steelers' Chase Claypool: Odd box score in Week 1
Claypool caught four passes on six targets for 18 yards and ran for 36 yards on six carries against Cincinnati on Sunday.
Claypool's awkward usage was one of the fruits of Mitch Trubisky's mediocre quarterback play, leaving Claypool with a lack of pass-catching opportunities. To get Claypool the ball, the Steelers instead had to give him carries, which yielded better results than Claypool's targets. It's not Claypool's fault, but it's a problem that might persist as long as Trubisky struggles behind center. The Steelers face New England in Week 2.
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DJ Chark WR | ATL
Lions' DJ Chark: Snags touchdown
Chark caught four of eight targets for 52 yards with one touchdown during Sunday's 38-35 loss to the Eagles.
A couple of drops early on wasn't the start he wanted, but Chark ultimately put together a respectable performance in his regular-season debut with the Lions. Only Amon-Ra St. Brown was targeted more, and the highlight of the day for the passing game may have been the touchdown that Chark brought in despite solid coverage from cornerback Darius Slay. The question going forward is whether Chark will continue seeing heavy targets after averaging 6.1 targets per game during his time in Jacksonville. Given the number of weapons that Detroit has on offense, it's possible his fantasy production could be more streaky than reliable.