Intro/Methodology
Every week, I’m going to break down an entire division, focusing on their play on the field that week. Specifically, I’ll go through each team and focus on their dynasty assets, especially anybody who suffered injuries or a massive value change. I won’t look at any player or team in too much detail. This article is more of a summary piece. With that said, let’s jump right in!
Eagles
The Eagles lost in Week 1 to Washington 27-17. Overall, the Eagles’ offense looked relatively poor. They played this game without star running back Miles Sanders, who missed the game with a hamstring injury. I’m not too concerned about Sanders’ injury for his long-term value, but it’s something to continue to watch moving forward.
Carson Wentz completed 24 of his 42 passes for 270 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions. He took a whopping eight sacks from Washington’s strong defensive front, and he didn’t look sharp throughout the game. While the Eagles suffered multiple injuries on the offensive line, I have to put some of the blame on Wentz. I’m mildly concerned, and I’d like to see Wentz perform better in Week 2 against the Rams.
Running backs Boston Scott and Corey Clement made little impact in place of Miles Sanders. If Sanders’ injury persists, I expect the Eagles to sign a veteran running back because they can’t proceed with Scott and Clement for an entire season. Scott also suffered an injury during the game, although he returned to the field. If anyone thinks Scott will be a real asset, now’s the time to sell.
The Eagles’ receiving weapons were a mixed bag in this game. Tight end Dallas Goedert starred with eight receptions for 101 yards and a touchdown, far outperforming teammate Zach Ertz. Ertz only had three receptions for 18 yards and a touchdown. Ertz had a heated argument with the Eagles’ front office before the game concerning a potential contract extension. I believe that the Eagles will move forward with Goedert after 2020, and I think Ertz will find himself on another team.
None of the Eagles’ wide receivers made any significant impact in Week 1. Jalen Reagor played through his shoulder injury, and he caught one pass for 55 yards. Nobody else did much, but J.J. Arcega-Whiteside was a notable no-show. He recorded no offensive stats. Considering that Alshon Jeffery missed this game, Arcega-Whiteside’s failure to do anything is a massive red flag. I think he’s just a bust. Take anything you can get for him in dynasty leagues.
Washington
In the same game, Washington managed to win, although it wasn’t because of strong offensive play. Dwayne Haskins only threw for 178 yards, but he didn’t throw any interceptions. I think it’s clear Haskins has a stranglehold on this starting quarterback job, and he should easily hold off Alex Smith and Kyle Allen. Haskins could be a low-key buy in Superflex leagues as a QB3 option.
Washington’s running game was an ugly split between J.D. McKissic, Peyton Barber, and Antonio Gibson. McKissic was the named starter, but he had only three carries for -2 yards and one reception for one yard. McKissic is an easy cut after his Week 1 performance. Barber received more volume, but he totaled a putrid 29 yards on 17 carries. He did manage to score two touchdowns, but I’m not interested in Barber in any format as more than a back-end bench stash.
Gibson didn’t see the kind of action I hoped for in Week 1, with nine carries for 36 yards and two receptions for eight yards. The hype on Gibson reached epic proportions throughout the preseason after Washington released running backs, Derrius Guice and Adrian Peterson. Gibson is a raw prospect, and it makes sense to ease him into NFL action. If his poor Week 1 opens a buy-low window, I will pounce on that.
Washington’s receivers are very simple. Terry McLaurin is the only player you care about right now. He only had five receptions for 61 yards, but he did have seven targets. McLaurin led all Washington receivers in targets, receptions, and yards, and he’s the clear WR1 in Washington. Other players like Steven Sims and Dontrelle Inman aren’t relevant. Notably, fourth-round rookie Antonio Gandy-Golden didn’t record any offensive stats. Keep an eye on him as a potential sleeper, but he needs to get on the field first.
Even though none of Washington’s wide receivers made an impact outside of McLaurin, Washington seems to have discovered a new tight end. I recently wrote a dynasty profile on Logan Thomas, and he almost immediately paid off in Week 1. Thomas caught four of his eight targets for 37 yards and a touchdown. I’m not saying that Thomas will become a viable fantasy tight end, but he’s worth a roster spot in most dynasty leagues, especially TE premium formats.
Cowboys
I covered a lot of Week 1’s impact on the Cowboys in a Blake Jarwin reaction piece, but I’ll go through some more of the details about the Cowboys’ 20-17 loss to the Rams here. Stars Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott played well in Week 1. Prescott threw for 266 yards and a touchdown, while Elliott ran for 96 yards on 22 carries. Elliott also added two touchdowns, one on the ground and one through the air. I’m holding firm on Prescott and Elliott in dynasty leagues based on Week 1.
As I alluded to earlier, Jarwin suffered an ACL injury in Week 1, ruling him out for the entire 2020 season. I would hold Jarwin in dynasty leagues going into 2021. You won’t get anything for him, and you can slide him into an IR slot for the remainder of this season.
Outside of Jarwin, the Cowboys’ most notable performance came from rookie wide receiver CeeDee Lamb. Lamb caught five of six targets for 59 yards. He looked every bit the part of a first-round receiver, and I think he could eventually challenge Amari Cooper for the WR1 in Dallas. I would be happy to “buy high” on Lamb because I think he’s the definition of a future true alpha wide receiver. Either way, Lamb is an excellent dynasty asset.
Both Cooper and Michael Gallup also produced in Week 1. Cooper had the better game, leading the Cowboys with 14 targets. He caught 10 of those for 81 yards, although he didn’t score. Gallup only had three receptions on five targets for 50 yards, but I’m not concerned about him. I believe the Cowboys’ high-powered offense can support Cooper, Lamb, and Gallup. They’re all strong dynasty holds, and Gallup might even be a buy if other owners have concerns about Lamb’s breakout.
Giants
The Giants picked up where they left off in 2019, struggling in a 26-16 loss to the Steelers. Stunningly, Saquon Barkley did absolutely nothing on the ground throughout the contest. He had 15 carries for a measly six yards against a tough Steelers’ defensive front.
Barkley managed to salvage his fantasy day somewhat with six receptions for 60 yards, but he was still a major disappointment. Don’t panic with Barkley at all. He remains a dynasty stud, and feel free to send trade offers to frustrated Barkley owners.
Daniel Jones looked okay in the game, especially considering the matchup. He threw for 279 yards and two touchdowns, although he added two interceptions. Jones also ran four times for 22 yards, providing a small rushing boost to his stats. However, I wouldn’t make any moves with Jones based on this game, and he remains a borderline QB1 in dynasty leagues.
The Giants’ receiving weapons were likely the most intriguing storyline entering this game. Golden Tate missed this week with a hamstring injury, forcing Darius Slayton, Sterling Shepard, and tight end Evan Engram to step into larger roles. Slayton answered the call, with an impressive six receptions on nine targets for 102 yards and two touchdowns. I had Slayton as the Giants’ WR1 in dynasty formats before this game, and he proved that he belonged there.
Shepard didn’t have a bad game himself. He caught all six of his targets for 47 yards. Unfortunately, I believe that Tate’s return will take more away from Shepard than Slayton, as Shepard and Tate play similar roles. Shepard is a nice depth piece in deeper dynasty leagues, but that’s all he’ll ever be.
Unlike Slayton and Shepard, Engram had a horrible game. He caught two of his seven targets for only nine receiving yards. Engram struggled with drops, and he honestly looked awful and rusty. Engram has always been great when he’s been on the field, with injuries being his primary concern. However, there were some rumors during the offseason that the Giants didn’t want to commit to Engram long-term. I wouldn’t panic sell Engram after one bad game, but I’m concerned. Let’s hope he improves in Week 2.
Thanks for reading this article. You can find me on Twitter at @DFF_Karp. I love to interact with anyone in the community, so reach out at any time! I take fantasy questions and help with all formats, so keep sending those questions my way.
