What a wild Week 1 that was! So many games came down the wire, and many teams surprised us on the field. Not all of the surprises were good, unfortunately. Let’s look at some players that saw their value change, either rising or falling, so you can begin to plan out your Week 2 lineups.

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Week 1 Risers

Lamar Jackson (QB – BAL)

I had a hard time coming up with a QB to put on this list but decided to go with Lamar Jackson for a few reasons that may not be clear. While he finished as QB8 on the week, I expect him to do better going forward. JK Dobbins is likely to miss a few more weeks, and Jackson will likely pick up that slack. He loves to run the ball when given a chance, and now that he’s playing for a contract. He should have a chip on his shoulder.

In addition, Jackson only threw 30 passes in Week 1, the fewest for any QB in the top 12. Of those, three were touchdowns. He threw two to waiver-wire darling Devin Duvernay and one to Rashod Bateman. Mark Andrews wasn’t all that involved, but I’m sure he will be in the future. When he does, this team might be a passing force to be reckoned with, elevating Jackson to that elite category.

James Robinson (RB – JAX)

Contrary to many fantasy players, Travis Etienne was not the lead back for the Jaguars in Week 1. That job seems to have gone to James Robinson instead. Etienne finished with a meager 47 yards on four attempts, while Robinson got 11 carries for 66 yards and a touchdown. Etienne also fumbled the ball once, which isn’t ideal. On the other hand, Robinson looked pretty good in his first game action returning from the Achilles. Robinson was RB11 in PPR scoring on the week, and I expect him to do well again in Week 2.

Miles Sanders (RB – PHI)

I’m as shocked as you are to find Miles Sanders on my list of risers after Week 1, but here we are. Sanders got 13 carries for 96 yards and a touchdown in Week 1, making him the clear RB1 on the Eagles. Kenneth Gainwell and Boston Scott both got in the end zone, but neither running back was all that impressive with their touches. Sanders finished as the PPR RB13, making him start-worthy in all formats. I don’t expect him to do this every week, but his value has increased.

Gabriel Davis (WR – BUF)

This one feels a little easy, but I think it’s still worth mentioning. Gabriel Davis had a terrific offseason in the fantasy community. He broke out in the playoffs after most fantasy leagues had ended and came into the year with many expectations. In Week 1, Davis lived up to the hype, getting four catches on five targets for 88 yards and a touchdown on Thursday night. Davis is a clear WR2 option with WR1 upside and should be on everyone’s radar heading into Week 2. If he does it again this week, his stock could continue to rise.

Week 1 Fallers

Cam Akers (RB – LAR) & Allen Robinson (WR – LAR)

I know these two have been beaten to death already, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t at least mention them in the fallers section here. Much like Davis, Cam Akers and Allen Robinson came into this year with a lot of hype behind them. However, unlike Davis, neither of them delivered. Akers finished with zero yards on three carries, and Robinson caught one of his two targets for 12 yards. Gross. I don’t know if this is the start of a trend or a one-time thing, but I’m benching both where I can until we know. Don’t drop them or trade them for nothing, just in case the hype comes through and Week 1 was indeed a fluke.

Ezekiel Elliott (RB – DAL)

Ezekiel Elliott had a rough start to his 2022 season. He finished the week as the PPR RB50. As expected, he split carries with Tony Pollard, but neither dominated on the field. Zeke got 10 carries for 52 yards, but none of it felt all that flashy. Now that Dak Prescott expects to miss time, there’s a chance that the team leans on Zeke a little more. Still, defenses will know that and potentially shut him down. I’m not benching Zeke just yet, but I’m nervous.

CeeDee Lamb (WR – DAL)

Zeke’s Dallas teammate is also on my list of players with short leashes. CeeDee Lamb had an abysmal Week 1, catching two of his 11 targets for 29 yards. He finished as WR76 in PPR scoring. Woof. This is unacceptable for someone likely drafted to be a team’s WR1. Prescott missing time sure won’t help either. If I’m deep enough at the position, I might have better options on my bench worthy of Lamb’s spot in my lineup. Still, I’m not pulling him just yet. I want to see how he rebounds with Cooper Rush taking over. Unlike Zeke, Lamb saw the lion’s share of targets, so he had the opportunity. He just didn’t deliver. Here’s hoping that doesn’t keep happening moving forward.

Noah Fant (TE – SEA)

Noah Fant is on this list for a few reasons, beginning with the fact that he looked like the TE3 on his own team. Both Will Dissly and Colby Parkinson performed better than Fant in fantasy on Monday night. Fant got more targets (four) than the other two (three and two, respectively), but barely. Fant’s outlook isn’t good if he can’t be the top dog in his own positional group. I had high hopes for Fant as a sleeper pick this year, but he’s going back to the bench or even getting dropped in leagues where better options are available on the wire. There are too many other tight ends that put up four PPR points per week but have a higher upside than Fant right now.