Ten Week 1 Stats

And just like that, week one is almost in the books.

Tonight the Raiders will host the Ravens in an anticipated Monday Night Football game. Before we get to that game, here are ten surprising stats from the week one games thus far.

1. Elijah Mitchell had 19 carries– Who the heck saw this one coming? Headed into week one I was high on both Raheem Mostert and Trey Sermon, but Elijah Mitchell comes away the hottest waiver wire pickup headed into week two. Mostert is already hurt, did not think that would happen so quickly and Sermon was a healthy scratch. Kyle Shanahan is one of the most annoying NFL coaches for fantasy football owners. If Mostert is going to miss time, go get yourself some Elijah Mitchell.
2. Mark Ingram II had 26 carries– This is another one, who saw this coming? Reports kept saying that Phillip Lindsay was going to be the number one running back in Houston. Ingram had 26 carries for 85 yards, adding a touchdown as well. I’m not sure I am riding the Ingram hype yet, though. This is going to be a three-headed monster all season. I also don’t believe the Texans will win many more games.
3. Najee Harris averaged 2.8 yards per carry– The Steelers offensive line is not very good. The rookie Harris was only able to take 16 carries for 45 yards. Yes, this was a tougher matchup against the Bills, but this is cause for a little concern.
4. James Robinson had 5 carries to Carlos Hyde’s 9- This definitely had to do with the fact that the Jags were down for most of this game, but this is still concerning for Robinson owners. I would not be in full panic mode just yet, though. The Jags will have better games ahead which will result in more touches for James Robinson.
5. Mike Williams had 12 targets– Mike Williams looked like an absolute stud in week one. Although Keenan Allen is still the number one option for the Chargers, Williams is a close second. This offense should be high powered all season long, if Williams can remain healthy, he could be in store for a big 2021.
6. Ja’Marr Chase led the Bengals in targets with 7– Chase finished week one with a nice stat line of 5 catches for 101 yards adding a touchdown. Of the Bengal receivers headed into week one, I was lowest on Chase. He had the most targets, I don’t know if this will be an every week occurrence, though. The target leader may change week to week, but the rookie showed signs of superstardom in week one.
7. Aaron Rodgers and the Packers– Who saw that coming? The Saints absolutely destroyed the Packers in week one. The entire Packer offense did nothing for fantasy owners. Don’t be quick to panic, though. The Packers will play next Monday Night against the Lions, points will be scored, points will be scored.
8. Most targeted Saint? Adam Trautman– Jameis Winston only had to throw the ball 20 times to beat down on the Packers, but his most targeted receiver was Adam Trautman with six. This is an encouraging sign for the tight end. Marquez Callaway was the most hyped receiver on this team, he only had two targets. The fortunes will change in closer games, but go snag Trautman if he’s available.
9. Javonte Williams had 14 carries to Melvin Gordon’s 11– This seems to be a 50-50 split to start the season, but it is encouraging to see that the rookie actually had more carries. Gordon was able to break-off for a 70 yard touchdown run, but other than that he did not do anything impressive. Keep an eye on his backfield, but if one of these backs were to go down, the other instantly becomes a top 15 running back.
10. Darrell Henderson Jr. had 16 carries to Sony Michel’s 1– With all this preseason hype that Michel was going to lead the Rams in touches, he barely played on Sunday Night Football. This is the Darrell Henderson Jr. show. If Henderson can stay healthy, he’s in store for a very nice fantasy year.