While there are still two more games remaining on the Week 1 slate, we already have a good idea of how the first week of fantasy football will end.
There were a ton of surprises up and down the game on Sunday. From Derek Anderson putting up QB1 numbers to both Jamaal Charles and Doug Martin struggling, our preseason expectations of what we thought was real came crumbling down when the day came to an end.
Let's check in on some pretty interesting takes from the first week of fantasy football.
Some 'Elite' Running Back Options Failed Miserably
If you were relying on Jamaal Charles or Doug Martin to put up some top-tier RB1 numbers on Sunday, you were sorely disappointed. The two combined for 28 yards on 16 rush attempts for a total of five fantasy points. That's not necessarily a way to win the opening week, now is it?
In moves that will anger fantasy football players the world over, the likes of Andy Reid in Philadelphia and the Lovie Smith-led Buccaneers coaching staff completely ignored their star running backs in games that weren't out of hand until more than halfway in.
Here are some other running backs who struggled putting up fantasy points in Week 1.
Toby Gerhart, Jacksonville Jaguars: 42 rushing yards, 5.70 points
Zac Stacy, St. Louis Rams: 43 rushing yards, 5.10 points
Eddie Lacy, Green Bay Packers: 34 rushing yards, 4.50 points
Ben Tate, Cleveland Browns: 41 rushing yards, 4.10 points
Jamaal Charles, Kansas City Chiefs: 19 rushing yards, 3.40 points
Maurice Jones-Drew, Oakland Raiders: 11 rushing yards, 2.30 points
Darren McFadden, Oakland Raiders: 15 rushing yards, 2.10 points
Doug Martin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 9 rushing yards, 1.60 points
Stream Them Running Backs
Isaiah Crowell's performance stands out. Going up against a usually stout Pittsburgh Steelers front seven, the rookie scored two touchdowns on just five rushes. Interestingly enough, fellow Browns rookie Terrance West gained 100 yards on 16 attempts. However, he finished as a bottom-tier RB2 simply due to the fact that Crowell notched the rushing touchdowns. These two are going to be an interesting tandem to watch in the coming weeks, especially if Ben Tate's touches continue to be limited.
Another tandem to watch is Frank Gore and Carlos Hyde in San Francisco. They might have only attempted a combined 23 rushes, but were able to put up 116 yards and a score. Considering how the early part of the game went with Dallas turning the ball over a ton and the 49ers offense not seeing the field too much, these are relatively low-end numbers compared to what we will see as the season progresses. They are also a tandem to keep an eye on if you're looking to to stream.
Here are how some two-headed running back monsters looked on Sunday.
Isaiah Crowell and Terrance West, Cleveland Browns: 21 attempts, 132 yards and two touchdowns (25.20 fantasy points)
Frank Gore and Carlos Hyde, San Francisco 49ers: 23 attempts, 116 yards and one touchdown (17.30 fantasy points)
Chris Johnson and Chris Ivory, New York Jets: 23 attempts, 170 yards, five receptions, 23 yards and two total touchdowns (31.30 fantasy points)
LeSean McCoy and Darren Sproles, Philadelphia Eagles: 32 attempts, 145 yards, 10 receptions, 55 yards and one total touchdown (26.0 fantasy points)
C.J. Spiller and Fred Jackson, Buffalo Bills: 22 attempts, 114 yards, six receptions, 24 yards and one total touchdown (19.80 fantasy points)
If you decided to stream one of these options in Week 1, it was probably a good idea at the end of the day. As to where the tandems in Buffalo and San Francisco might not have put up huge numbers, there are indicators that they will have more fantasy success moving forward. In terms of the Jets duo, that's a mighty fine option for potential success in daily leagues moving forward.
PPR be Damned, Cordarrelle Patterson is a Stud.
While Patteson racked up just three receptions on five targets against St. Louis, he was able to put up the third-best fantasy day among wide receivers by tallying 128 total yards and a score on just six touches. In reality, he is what the Vikings had hoped Percy Harvin would be with them and currently is with the Seattle Seahawks.
The likes of Kendall Wright and Andre Johnson may provide you with some solid PPR numbers, but Patterson is the better overall option because of his electric play-making ability.
Colin Kaepernick and Russell Wilson are Legit Top-Tier QB1 options
While not given a ton of opportunities in Week 1 blowout wins, Kaepernick and Wilson proved their fantasy football worth. The two combined for 432 total yards and four scores on the week. All said, Wilson fifth-ranked fantasy quarterback with Kaepernick coming in 11th prior to Monday Night Football this evening.
Once San Francisco and Seattle play closer games that aren't decided midway through the third quarter, these quarterbacks are going to be given more opportunities to succeed. If you're in a 2QB league and decided to go with Kaepernick and Wilson (as I have done), you can go ahead and rely on them (when they don't play one another) without worrying about sitting one in lieu of a third option.
Quick Notes
* Derek Anderson ranked ahead of Colin Kaepernick, Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady and Tony Romo in fantasy points Week 1.
* Knowshon Moreno proved that his 2013 success wasn't all about Peyton Manning. The new Miami Dolphins running back put up 134 rushing yards and a score in his debut with the team. This is good enough to rank him third among running backs in fantasy points heading into Monday Night Football.
* Dez Bryant pulled up lame both from an injury and fantasy standpoint. Apparently suffering from dehydration, the Pro Bowl receiver wasn't himself in the second half of the Cowboys blowout loss to San Francisco. In total, he recorded just four receptions for 55 yards and finished the day as the 47th-ranked fantasy receiver. This is surprising considering that both of San Francisco's starting cornerbacks missed a majority of the game with injuries.
* Julius Thomas nearly doubled the next closest tight end in fantasy points on Sunday. After tallying three touchdowns on seven receptions, the Denver Broncos tight end finished 12 points ahead of Vernon Davis. To put that into perspective, only five tight ends (Thomas not included) put up more than 12 fantasy points. Just think about that for a second.
* Jake Locker, who is already on the verge of breaking out big time from a fantasy perspective, finished Sunday with the fourth-most points among quarterbacks. He did so against a previously stout Kansas City Chiefs defense on the road. With a solid offensive line and a ton of consistent weapons in the passing game, Locker should finish the season as a top-10 fantasy quarterback. It's all now about him staying healthy over the course of a full 16-game schedule.
* In somewhat of a shock, a few pedestrian fantasy defenses from a season ago stepped up big time on Sunday. In addition to the 49ers, who are always among the top fantasy defenses, the likes of the Tennessee Titans, Minnesota Vikings and Philadelphia Eagles finished in the top-five in this category. This is yet another example of refusing to buy into the idea that you have to spend a higher-round pick on elite defenses. Then again, you've already made that mistake...so I am not sure what the point is here.
* Tom Brady threw for 249 yards on 56 pass attempts against a Miami Dolphins defense that ranked in the middle of the pack against the pass last season. This is not an indicator for future fantasy success, especially after Brady performed ridiculously bad in this category last season. If you have a decent QB2, it might be time to bench the future Hall of Fame.
* New Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Steve Smith may have put up the fourth-most fantasy points among players at his position on Sunday, but don't read too much into that. He was targeted a ridiculous 15 times in the Ravens loss. Unless the coaching staff in Baltimore has completely lost its mind, Joe Flacco won't be putting the ball up 62 times in a game again this season. In short, Smith's Week 1 performance was an exception to the rule.