Week 1 of the 2020 NFL season is in the books. A handful of players impressed while others underachieved in this opening batch of games.
Here are our fantasy football winners and losers at each position for Week 1 of the season.
Quarterback
Winner: Josh Allen (28.18 FPTS)
Allen stood out in the Buffalo Bills’ 27-17 victory over the New York Jets, completing 33 passes for 312 yards and two touchdowns. He also led the team in rushing with 14 carries for 57 yards, finding the end zone once more. Allen did lose two fumbles, so this will be a necessary area of improvement for the third-year signal-caller going forward.
Loser: Carson Wentz (13 FPTS)
Everyone knew Washington had a scary pass-rush, but nobody knew it was going to be strong enough to put Wentz near the bottom of the quarterback list this week. He completed just 24 of 42 passes for 270 yards and two scores, getting picked off twice along the way. He was also sacked eight times, which is a terrifying number that can’t continue into future weeks.
Running Back
Winner: Nyheim Hines (27.3 FPTS)
Hines had an impressive Week 1, leading the Indianapolis Colts in rushing with seven carries for 28 yards and a touchdown. He also caught eight passes for 45 yards, scoring once through the air. While Hines did benefit from the Colts playing from behind, he also showed that he can be relied on in all facets of the offense, as evidenced by him leading the team in rushing and posting a 100 percent completion rate. Now, with Marlon Mack out for the year, Hines gets an opportunity to shine.
Loser: Le’Veon Bell (6.6 FPTS)
Bell finished with two catches for 24 yards plus six carries for just 14 yards. On the ground, he was outproduced by veteran Frank Gore, who had six carries and secured 24 yards. Bell missed some snaps with a hamstring injury, returned to the game, and then exited for good. He’s expected to miss at least a couple weeks, making Sunday’s game against the Bills an incredible disappointment for the former second-round pick.
Wide Receiver
Winner: Robby Anderson (25 FPTS)
The Carolina Panthers lost, but Robby Anderson shone during his debut with the team. Finishing with six catches for 115 yards (including a 75-yard touchdown), the former Jets wideout proved that he can be a reliable pass option during both short plays and long heaves. Expect him to continue to have a great year in an explosive offense centered around big plays.
Loser: Odell Beckham Jr. (5.2 FPTS)
It’s unclear who is to blame here—Baker Mayfield, the Ravens’ defense, Beckham himself?—but one thing is clear: Odell Beckham Jr. is no longer a reliable receiver. He finished with just three catches for 22 yards, putting him behind Jarvis Landry and David Njoku. He’s not quite at the point where he’s unstartable, but he needs to turn his play around soon.
Tight End
Winner: Logan Thomas (13.7 FPTS)
Thomas didn’t shatter any records this week, but he did exceed expectations. Hauling in four catches for 37 yards and a touchdown, Thomas commanded eight targets and proved that he can be a central part of the Washington offense and perhaps even a red zone favorite. Thomas also has two highly favorable matchups coming up over the next couple of weeks and will surely be a waiver wire favorite amidst the Week 2 roster shuffle.
Loser: Rob Gronkowski (3.1 FPTS)
There was a general consensus entering the season that Rob Gronkowski wouldn’t return to pre-retirement form, but nobody expected him finish with just two catches for 11 yards. He might be able to bounce back, but it’s hard to imagine he’ll ever return to the reliable, consistent Gronk that we saw in New England.
Defense
Winner: Washington Football Team (17 FPTS)
Washington’s defense stood out this week with their eight sacks, two interceptions, two forced fumbles, and one recovered fumble. These results came against a Philadelphia offense that is admittedly shaky, but nobody expected such a shutdown game from the Football Team’s defensive unit. With a commanding Week 1 victory, it’s time to see if they can continue at this rate. They take on the Cardinals and Browns over the next two weeks before meeting the Ravens in Week 4.
Loser: Minnesota Vikings (5 FPTS)
Nobody expected the Vikings’ defense to be very good against the Packers, but they still find themselves as the defensive loser of the week after surrendering 43 points. The unit failed to record a sack, interception, or fumble recovery while tallying one tackle for loss and two quarterback hits. This defense needs to reverse their woes and prove they can make stops from time to time if they have any chance of making a deep playoff run later this year.
Check us out on our socials:
Twitter: @PTSTNews and @TalkPrimeTime
Facebook Page: Prime Time Sports Talk
Join our Facebook Group: Prime Time Sports Talk
Instagram: @ptsportstalk
Follow Andersen Pickard on Twitter @AndersenPickard
Main Image Credit:
