Nobody has a more stacked lineup of fantasy analysts and NFL team reporters than ESPN. It's the rare "backfield by committee" that is actually a good thing for fantasy football managers.
Every Tuesday, Mike Triplett will ask our NFL Nation reporters a series of burning questions about the weekend's biggest stories in order to help inform your waiver-wire pickups and roster decisions.
Among the biggest questions this week are the usual turbulence surrounding San Francisco's running backs and wide receivers -- and a surprising lack of turbulence in the Rams' backfield.
It's time to begin our trip around the league, so fasten your seat belts and get ready to tour the NFL Nation!
San Francisco 49ers
Are we seriously doing this again with the 49ers' RBs already? How aggressively should fantasy managers pursue Elijah Mitchell as a waiver-wire priority, and do you expect him to remain ahead of Trey Sermon long term?
Is anyone actually surprised by this, though? Since 2018, the 49ers have consistently deployed up to four primary running backs over the course of each season. And, unfortunately, Raheem Mostert has struggled to stay healthy since ascending to the starting role following his dynamic finish to the 2019 season. I have been high on Mitchell since before training camp started -- and that was only strengthened as camp went on. I even made the bold prediction that he would carve out a role in the San Francisco offense. After all, Mitchell's speed was well known when the 49ers used a sixth-round pick on him. However, he proved to be better than expected between the tackles. While he still has work to do, especially in pass protection, he still figures to get the first crack at replacing Mostert.
With that said, let's hope that those aiming to count on only one 49ers running back, week in and week out, have learned an important lesson over the years. Any team coached by any Shanahan will always lean on the hot hand. So, if Mitchell starts slow and someone like JaMycal Hasty gets rolling, then Hasty will get his share of carries. The same goes for Sermon, who appears to be third in the pecking order ... at the moment. -- Nick Wagoner
Are we seriously doing this again with the 49ers WRs already, too? Is Deebo Samuel-Brandon Aiyuk-Trent Sherfield the right pecking order, or will it be impossible to predict on a weekly basis?
One thing that seemed clear in Week 1: Samuel is the 49ers' No. 1 guy at wide receiver. He spent time in the offseason getting leaner and attempting to add the deep-ball element to his game -- something that paid immediate dividends with a 79-yard touchdown against the Lions. Samuel has been more of a gadget guy in the past, but if he's consistently stretching the field like that, he has a chance for a serious breakout season. That is, of course, if he can stay healthy.
The more head-scratching situation concerns Aiyuk, who through the first couple weeks of camp looked poised to assume the No. 1 wideout role. He was slowed by a hamstring injury late in camp and had some "drop issues" in preseason games, but Kyle Shanahan indicated that Aiyuk was also being pushed by Sherfield, who had a strong, consistent camp and earned the right to play more snaps. Sherfield and Aiyuk essentially split second-receiver reps against the Lions, which is a reasonable cause for concern when it comes to Aiyuk -- especially since he got zero targets. Still, Aiyuk is too talented to not eventually assert himself and reclaim a larger role. -- Nick Wagoner
Los Angeles Rams
For a change, there was actually an obvious pecking order among the Rams' running backs in Week 1. Can we trust things to continue this way?
Expect the Rams to continue to turn to Darrell Henderson Jr. A day after their season-opening win over the Bears, coach Sean McVay reiterated his trust in Henderson, while also mentioning that Sony Michel remains an option. "I have confidence in Sony, but the way that Darrell was running, kind of the flow of the game like we talked about, Darrell has definitely established himself as our starting back. He did a great job," McVay said, emphasizing that the flow of the game affected Michel's usage and could continue to do so going forward. -- Lindsey Thiry
Buffalo Bills
Do you expect Zack Moss to work his way back into a timeshare, or will Devin Singletary be used as more of a clear No. 1 for a while?
Moss was a surprise inactive in Week 1 while Singletary received the vast majority of Buffalo's carries, rushing for 72 yards on 11 attempts. Matt Breida was also involved in the offense, but only had four carries for four yards. For now, it seems wise to stay away from Moss. With the Bills willing to have him inactive for Week 1, the clear preference is to put the ball in Singletary's hands and, if possible, take advantage of Breida's speed. That could change as the season goes on, but Singletary's 6.5 YPC should only help him get more opportunities going forward. -- Alaina Getzenberg
New York Giants
With a short week and another tough defense on the docket, is it still too early for fantasy managers to trust Saquon Barkley in their starting lineups this week?
It's a tough proposition to roll with Barkley this week. He plays against another tough defense and, admittedly, the schedule was never ideal with having to play two games in four days to kick off his return from a serious knee injury. Considering his workload will still be limited to some degree, be patient with Barkley. Week 3 against Atlanta after 10 days of rest is the time. -- Jordan Raanan
Houston Texans
Mark Ingram II had 26 carries in Week 1?! Do you expect him to be used consistently as the lead back in Houston?
Going into the season, David Culley said the Texans would use a "running back by committee" approach. On Sunday, it was Ingram leading the way, but I don't get the sense this means he will consistently be Houston's lead back. Culley said after the game that the back usage had more to do with the different personnel groups they have for each player. David Johnson played on two more snaps than Phillip Lindsay, but I expect the workload to be split more evenly between Ingram and Lindsay going forward. -- Sarah Barshop
Jacksonville Jaguars
This obviously wasn't the ideal game script for any RB, but how concerned should James Robinson's fantasy managers be that he had only five carries, compared with nine for Carlos Hyde?
Robinson having only five carries was more a function of early mistakes and the game being out of hand than the team wanting to give Hyde more work. The Jaguars had two illegal formation penalties, several holding penalties, and an illegal substitution penalty in the first half. That put the offense in long-yardage situations and pretty much took the run game out of play. Hyde got more work because Jacksonville didn't self-sabotage on the drives in which he played. But that went out the window in the second half after the team fell behind by 20. Robinson was targeted six times in the passing game (Hyde only twice), so there should be little concern about which back is the priority. -- Michael DiRocco
New England Patriots
Rhamondre Stevenson was a popular fantasy "stash" for managers hoping he might break out later this season. Is that still a good idea after just two touches and a lost fumble in Week 1?
Stevenson played on just five snaps in the game, and it almost certainly would have been more had he not lost a fumble in the first quarter. He also struggled in blitz pickup, getting run over by linebacker Elandon Roberts. These are two things that could quickly lead Stevenson to an inactive status in Week 2, even though the fumble was a close call in which he might have actually been down. As such, fantasy managers should tread lightly with Stevenson in the short-term and, if possible, buy themselves a little more time to let this situation sort itself out. -- Mike Reiss
Philadelphia Eagles
Kenneth Gainwell should be a popular waiver claim this week. Do you expect him to remain this heavily involved in the offense all season?
There will be some games where Boston Scott (zero offensive snaps on Sunday) will be more of a factor, but Gainwell was effective in his rookie debut and should maintain a significant role moving forward. Coach Nick Sirianni particularly likes him in two-minute/four-minute drive situations and on passing downs. As long as he continue to hold up in pass protection, the opportunities will continue to come Gainwell's way. -- Tim McManus
Washington
Whose fantasy value is hurt the most while Ryan Fitzpatrick is sidelined?
That's a really hard question to answer because we don't even know yet whose value was helped the most by Fitzpatrick being here. Washington is still going to run the ball, so it doesn't impact Antonio Gibson. Taylor Heinicke is comfortable with both TE Logan Thomas and WR Terry McLaurin. He's averaged six targets per game to both of them in his three outings with Washington. So, nothing changes with them. Cam Sims has been targeted 17 times by Heinicke in their three games together, but he was behind rookie Dyami Brown in the opener. I'd have to go with Brown for this answer, just because he's a rookie and I wonder if Heinicke might have more chemistry with the others. He did target Brown on his first two throws on Sunday, but both were high and incomplete. -- John Keim
Denver Broncos
What is your outlook for Courtland Sutton, KJ Hamler and Tim Patrick in the wake of Jerry Jeudy's injury?
Essentially, because the Broncos were fairly set on using a four-player rotation at receiver, Jeudy's injury means the touches will now get divided by three. The biggest impact in terms of personnel will be that the Broncos may now move into some 2-TE sets in the times they might have used a 3-WR set prior to Jeudy's injury, especially if there is some fatigue during games. Sutton played on 53 of the Denver's 66 offensive snaps in the opener, while Patrick played on 46 and Hamler on 24. If all three remain healthy, that's likely to be the breakdown for them, assuming the Broncos play with the lead and have the play-action portion of their playbook still at their disposal. -- Jeff Legwold
New York Jets
Corey Davis delivered big on his preseason hype, but Elijah Moore didn't. What do you expect from them both going forward?
I expect Davis to continue to get 7-10 targets per week. Zach Wilson trusts him and the pair have good chemistry. Moore had a disappointing opener, probably due to (at least in part) rookie jitters, but he's still their WR2. He will continue to get a lot of playing time and his production will increase, even with the expected return of slot receiver Jamison Crowder. -- Rich Cimini
Miami Dolphins
How worried should Mike Gesicki's fantasy managers be after his zero-catch opener?
This might be a buy-low candidate if someone else in your league is panicking. The Patriots play Gesicki tough and have actually been the sixth-stingiest defense against tight ends over the past two seasons. Targets won't exactly open up for him moving forward with William Fuller V's arrival and Adam Shaheen's return, but he's still a talented player at a traditionally shallow position. Weather the storm. That being said, if he can't right the ship against a Bills team that gave up the second-most yards per game to opposing tight ends last season, then it might be time to start reaching for the panic button. -- Marcel Louis-Jacques
New Orleans Saints
Will Juwan Johnson be used consistently enough to be trusted for weekly fantasy lineups?
He is a safer bet for deep leagues and DFS lineups since he played on only 12 snaps and had just three targets. Compare that to 51 snaps and six targets for fellow Saints TE Adam Trautman. That said, his two touchdowns and his 4th-and-7 conversion on Sunday were no fluke. The former wide receiver, who switched positions this offseason, was flashing that same big-play ability all summer long, both in practices and preseason games. Plus, he is an enticing red zone target at 6-foot-4, 230 pounds. He has more home run potential in any given week than Trautman, which makes him as enticing of a "lottery ticket option" as any tight end outside of the top 10. -- Mike Triplett