Week One has come and gone. We must focus on the top takeaways now that we have film and statistics to study. No longer can we rest on our offseason takes of who will succeed and who will fail. We now have an entire week of NFL football to study. The fantasy season will move quickly, and in a dynasty, it is essential to acquire players before they break out or unload players before they falter. We can lead our team to a fantasy football title by focusing on weekly top takeaways!
Julio Jones Is Not Dead Yet
Much of the narrative surrounding Jones this offseason revolved around his age and frequent injuries the past few years. Many credited the signing in Tampa Bay as a depth piece who will see limited snaps or even be saved for the post-season run. Chris Godwin leaving the field Sunday night with a hamstring injury changed those plans quickly. Julio looked good again and could easily handle the 52% snap share he saw in Week One. With Godwin potentially sidelined for a week or two, Julio has a chance of being fantasy relevant once again.
Cordarrelle Patterson’s Season Has Returned
Everyone called Patterson a one-hit wonder last season, and he was vastly recommended as a sell. Well, after Week One of the 2022 season, it looks like we might be getting a repeat. Patterson saw most of the team’s carries and racked up 122 yards on the ground, including a touchdown. He was again involved in the receiving game catching three receptions on five targets. The Saints’ defense, on paper, is one of the toughest in the league, and Patterson will have some juicy matchups on his schedule. He will most likely be labeled a sell once again, but at some depth, I would say he is an excellent buy at the running back position.
Welcome Back, Michael Thomas
Thomas is another player that has disappeared over the last two seasons due to injuries. Heading into this season, many fans weren’t convinced he was healthy and that it was a lot of coaches speaking in all of the reports. Well, on Sunday, Thomas showed the world how fit he was. He was on the field for 61% of the team’s offensive snaps. He saw eight targets which he converted into five receptions for 57 yards and two touchdowns. The yardage isn’t as great as we would want, but we have to love seeing him used in the red zone on this new-look Saints offense. The best part is most of this production came during a fourth-quarter comeback when the Saints were trailing 26 – 10.
Baker Mayfield Being Baker Mayfield
Mayfield was set up for a revenge game against his former team, the Cleveland Browns. Instead of getting payback, we got a very stereotypical Mayfield game. He struggled through three quarters to keep the ball moving and sustain any drives. He was under distress for the entirety of the game as his offensive line struggled to provide adequate protection. In the fourth quarter, in typical Baker fashion, we finally see the offense click. However, it simply wasn’t enough as the Panthers fell short. The ups and downs will continue all year for the Panthers, and we will see some extremely volatile fantasy finishes from all players.
Information is the most powerful tool any dynasty fantasy football manager possesses. If you can stay on top of the correct information and takeaways more than your league mates, you will come out on top. Be sure to check back with us, as we will be breaking down takeaways from every division this week. And be sure to come back next week, as we will be doing the same for all 18 weeks of the 2022 NFL season!
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