Week 1 Fantasy Committee Review: Slow start for Falcons' Freeman
Welcome back to our weekly look at running back and wide receiver committee situations. We'll try not to overreact about anything because of one game, but we do have some data that will help us figure out how to handle certain situations moving forward.
The foundation for this recurring piece will be workload: Snaps and touches for running backs, snaps and targets for wide receivers. As always, we'll look at five situations per week for each position.
Running backs
Atlanta Falcons
Devonta Freeman: 36 snaps, 15 touches; Tevin Coleman: 32 snaps, 13 touches
Uh-oh, Devonta Freeman owners. This wasn't the start you wanted. The Falcons hinted (said, actually) during the offseason that they wanted to use a tandem backfield, and they delivered on their promise against the Bucs. Eleven carries with four receptions isn't bad, but it's probably not what you'd like from Freeman as a second-round fantasy pick. Coleman figures to stay involved at Oakland in Week 2, and for the foreseeable future. He's in the flex conversation now.
Baltimore Ravens
Justin Forsett: 37 snaps, 13 touches; Terrance West: 27 snaps, 14 touches
The Ravens' backs and O-line had trouble with the Bills, rushing 22 times for 73 yards. Buck Allen was inactive, leaving this previously confusing situation as a manageable, two-headed monster. Not a good one, but a manageable one.
Forsett is a solid receiver, and figures to get passing-down reps as long as Allen stays in street clothes. You can consider both these guys as flex options at Cleveland this week, since the Browns are awful and all.
Cincinnati Bengals
Jeremy Hill: 29 snaps, 9 touches; Gio Berrnard: 28 snaps, 7 touches
Same as it ever was, but the slow pace against the Jets didn't help a backfield duo that is usually playable despite its fairly even timeshare. Hey, at least Hill had a 12-yard TD run, right?
In Week 2 the Bengals play at Pittsburgh, against whom Hill had 34 carries to Bernard's 13 in three 2015 matchups. Probably bad news for Gio.
San Diego Chargers
Danny Woodhead: 50 snaps, 21 touches; Melvin Gordon: 23 snaps, 14 touches
Yeah, we know. Gordon's owners were jumping for joy after his two first-half touchdowns versus the Chiefs. So why did the Chargers basically ignore Gordon and rely on shotgun formations while trying (and failing) to protect a big second-half lead? Head coach Mike McCoy offered only unhelpful coachspeak when explaining the situation during postgame comments, so we're left to guess a bit. Maybe Woodhead was needed in the passing game due to the Keenan Allen injury.
Both backs seem likely to get work here, with Woodhead being the preferred option in the passing game. You have to wonder if an Allen-less offense will result in Charger opponents being able to concentrate more on run-stopping, but for now both Gordon and Woodhead are playable RB2s in Week 2 versus the Jags.
Seattle Seahawks
Christine Michael: 52 snaps, 16 carries; Thomas Rawls: 22 snaps, 12 carries
Easing Rawls back into the lineup sure kept him busy when he was on the field, huh? Rawls will get more snaps moving forward, but even when he reaches full health - Field Gulls thinks "we're still a couple of weeks away from getting the ruthless tailback we became accustomed to last season" - this might be a 50/50 split due to Michael's improvement. Both backs look flexy (but not more) in Week 2 at Los Angeles.
Bonus: Philadelphia Eagles
Darren Sproles: 43 snaps, 7 touches; Ryan Mathews: 36 snaps, 22 touches
Gee, they're trying to get Sproles involved in the passing game. He only had five carries and two receptions, but could become Carson Wentz's dump-off binky (if you don't think that's what Zach Ertz is, anyway). Sproles is PPR-playable next Monday at Chicago. As for Mathews, I'll roll with any back who gets 22 carries.
Wide receivers
Carolina Panthers
Kelvin Benjamin: 54 snaps, 12 targets; Ted Ginn Jr.: 47 snaps, 1 target; Devin Funchess: 39 snaps, 4 targets
A week ago, we thought Benjamin would be limited to 35 or so snaps, and thought there was a decent chance that Funchess could out-perform him this season. Week 1 suggested otherwise, as Benjamin was busier than expected and looked good, with six catches for 91 yards and a TD. Funchess should get more looks moving forward, but a healthy Benjamin appears to be Cam Newton's favorite target. You can't play Funchess until he gives you a reason to.
Houston Texans
DeAndre Hopkins: 73 snaps, 8 targets; Will Fuller: 54 snaps, 11 targets; Braxton Miller: 52 snaps, 2 targets
The news here is how heavily Fuller was involved in his NFL debut. The rookie speedster had a 5-107-1 line, and was targeted six times on passes thrown 20-plus yards downfield, per Pro Football Focus. This means that Fuller will be a home-run hitter ... and we know that home-run hitters whiff sometimes (especially when they have shaky hands). I probably underestimated Fuller this summer, but he's not a must start just yet, especially in this week's tough matchup against the Chiefs.
Green Bay Packers
Randall Cobb: 62 snaps, 8 targets; Davante Adams: 59 snaps, 7 targets; Jordy Nelson: 54 snaps, 9 targets
Nelson wasn't his usual deep-threat self, catching six passes for 32 yards on short and intermediate routes. Report suggest that he looked good, so he could get back to normal soon.
Adams was the interesting component in the Pack's receiving game, playing in almost all of the three-wide sets and catching three passes for 50 yards with a touchdown. He's probably just outside the flex conversation for Week 2's visit to Minnesota.
Indianapolis Colts
Donte Moncrief: 68 snaps, 7 targets; T.Y. Hilton: 67 snaps, 12 targets; Phillip Dorsett: 51 snaps, 6 targets
Hilton is Andrew Luck's favorite target, no matter what anyone wants to tell you about Donte Moncrief. Moncrief is a strong WR2, but let's not think he'll surpass Hilton (as some do) unless we see evidence of it.
Sunday's story was Dorsett's emergence. The second-year blazer caught four passes for 94 yards, and grabbed receptions of 51 and 33 yards on his three deep targets. The Colts won't score 35 points or throw 47 passes every week, but if Dorsett can average five targets per game, he'll probably catch 50 passes for 800 yards. That's rosterable, right?
New England Patriots
Julian Edelman: 63 snaps, 7 targets; Chris Hogan: 58 snaps, 4 targets; Malcolm Mitchell: 40 snaps, 5 targets; Danny Amendola: 21 snaps, 4 targets
The Pats' non-Gronk passing game was headlined by Edelman and added modest contributions from his supporting cast. Hogan caught a pretty 37-yard TD in the first quarter against the Cardinals, but targeting the third New England receiving option on the free-agent wire isn't something that generally leads to fantasy football glory. I'll admit to being intrigued by Mitchell, though.
