Every Monday of the NFL regular season we showcase exceptional player performances from the weekend and analyze their potential for sustained success in fantasy football. We will rank these performances from 1-5 based on whether we believe they are momentary or long-term options for your fantasy teams.
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Fantasy Football Heat Index
Quarterback
Stats: 24/30, 289 passing yards, 4 TDs
Position Rank (pre-MNF): QB2 (29.66 points)
Analysis: After finishing as the QB10 last season, Baker Mayfield is back under center for Tampa Bay. One game into the 2024 season, Mayfield is the current QB2 (29.66 points) on the week after racking up 289 passing yards and four touchdown passes in Tampa Bay’s 37-20 victory over the Washington Commanders.
Mayfield spread the ball around to seven different receivers, but he mostly targeted Mike Evans (5/61/2), Chris Godwin (8/83/1) and Rachaad White (6/75/0). No other pass-catcher had more than two receptions.
Last season, Mayfield was an inconsistent spike-week quarterback, scoring 19+ points seven times and 15 or fewer points five times. This season, Mayfield has an improved offensive line and added weapons in rookie wide receiver Jalen McMillan and backup running back Bucky Irving. There will be ups and downs along the way, but Mayfield should be ranked as a low-end QB1/high-end QB2 all season.
Heat Index: 2
Running Back
Stats: 10 attempts, 135 rushing yards, 1 TD, 3 receptions, 4 receiving yards
Position Rank (pre-MNF): RB3 (21.4 points)
Analysis: Exactly one year ago, running back J.K. Dobbins suffered a season-ending Achilles injury that effectively ended his career in Baltimore. In Week 1 this season, Dobbins had 135 rushing yards and is the current RB3 on the week.
No matter what happens from here, that’s an incredible turnaround for a player who has recently spent more time in the training room than on the playing field. Staying healthy will always be Dobbins’ biggest obstacle, but he’s earned a role in this Chargers backfield. Despite lacking the long speed he had coming out of Ohio State, Dobbins had two separate 40+ yards runs in Week 1. That’s two more than every other running back in the league combined.
Heat Index: 3
Wide Receiver
Stats: 4 receptions, 47 receiving yards, 1 TD
Position Rank (pre-MNF): WR16 (12.7 points)
Analysis: It didn’t take long for rookie wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. to make an impact in his NFL debut. The former LSU wide receiver finished with 47 receiving yards and found the end zone in Jacksonville’s 20-17 loss to Miami. Thomas Jr. did all of his damage in the first half, but that was enough to lead the team in receptions and target share (21.1%).
Thomas Jr. faces stiff target competition from wide receiver Christian Kirk, running back Travis Etienne and tight end Evan Engram. However, Etienne split running back duties with Tank Bigsby, while Kirk and Engram played fewer offensive snaps than anticipated.
Thomas Jr. is talented enough to become the focal point of Jacksonville’s passing game as early as this season. He won’t be available on any waiver wires, but the rookie can be trusted as a Flex option moving forward. By midseason, he could be viewed as a potential league-winner.
Heat Index: 5
Tight End
Stats: 9 receptions, 111 receiving yards, 1 TD
Position Rank (pre-MNF): TE1 (21.6 points)
Analysis: In Baltimore’s 27-20 defeat to the Kansas City Chiefs, Isaiah Likely was the most productive tight end on the field. While perennial TE1s Travis Kelce and Mark Andrews also played on opening night, that’s quite the statement for the second-year pro out of Coastal Carolina.
Baltimore’s offensive line struggled for much of the game, forcing the Ravens into 12 personnel (one RB, two TEs) on nearly 53% of snaps against Kansas City. With an offensive line learning to play together and two productive tight ends, there’s no reason for Baltimore to go away from that formula.
Although he’s unlikely (see what I did there?) to match his Week 1 usage (111 yards, 9 receptions, 1 TD on a 30% target share) every week, Likely needs to be rostered in all formats. At worst, he’s a high-upside handcuff. At best, he’s a viable TE1, even with Andrews on the field.
Heat Index: 4
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