The first week of the NFL season has officially ended and many fantasy managers are already putting in waiver claims for Isaiah Likely or sending poorly constructed trade requests to their league mates in pursuit of Rhamondre Stevenson. There is no shortage of differing opinions among the fantasy community, and there may be a bit of panic running rampant among fantasy teams that are looking at a 0-1 start to the season. There’s a lot to process, but don’t overreact. It’s a long season, and getting rid of a player too quickly could result in you handing your league mate a superstar. 

Buy Low

Dalton Kincaid - TE, BUF

Week 1 Stats - 2 targets, 1 Rec, 11 Rec Yards

Week 1 seemed to be an exciting one for all of Buffalo’s main pass-catchers besides Kincaid, who, ironically, was drafted the highest of the group. The Bills 2023 first-rounder only received two targets in his first week of action against Arizona. This was especially disappointing due to Kincaid’s high ADP. 

If you have Kincaid, I would hold onto him for now. His talent as a receiver is undeniable, and more targets will come his way as the Buffalo offense settles into shape. From an opportunity standpoint, Kincaid was still on the field for 84% of the team’s offensive snaps, a significantly higher number than fellow Buffalo tight end Dawson Knox. In a week where many tight ends disappointed, it’s not time to hit the panic button on Dalton Kincaid yet. I believe in the talent, and Bills quarterback Josh Allen will most likely log more passing attempts next week. 

If some of your league mates are panicking about the tight end position after Week 1, it may be a good time to send a trade offer involving Dalton Kincaid to buy the dip on one of Josh Allen’s top targets. 

Marvin Harrison Jr. - WR, ARI

Week 1 Stats - 3 Targets, 1 Rec, 4 Rec Yards

Coming into the NFL as one of the league’s most hyped rookies in fantasy football history, it was a tough week for Marvin Harrison Jr. fantasy managers. The rookie only had one reception against Buffalo in his NFL debut, a mark that definitely let down the fantasy community when compared to his high expectations. 

If you put yourself in the position of a Harrison drafter, it may be a little easier to panic about the wideout who was being regularly selected in the second round. Obviously, he has no history of NFL production, so his fantasy prospects are much easier to worry about after an extremely poor Week 1 fantasy performance. It’s much easier to trade away a highly-drafted rookie with no previous production than a highly-drafted veteran who has performed well in past NFL seasons. This entire situation makes it easier to steal Harrison from a now-worried fantasy manager. 

Marvin Harrison Jr.’s outlook remains positive. He is in an offensive situation where he is still able to step in as the top target immediately, even if it didn’t happen in his debut. Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray threw the ball 31 times in Week 1, paving the way for Harrison to receive more volume. 

The rookie is an elite talent and is a great buy-low option for fantasy managers looking for a potential breakout star at the receiver position. 

Trey McBride - TE, ARI

Week 1 Stats - 9 Targets, 5 Rec, 30 Rec Yards

Trey McBride was one of the highest risers throughout the entire fantasy draft season. Many experts have predicted an overall TE1 finish for the young pass-catcher. Many fantasy managers drafted McBride in pursuit of a high-volume, weekly startable, positional advantage in their fantasy lineups. 

Similarly to Kincaid’s situation, many managers may be in search of a new tight end after many high-upside options at the position disappointed during the first week of the NFL season. While this decision is premature, nothing should stop you from pursuing a trade for a high-volume tight end with a panicking league mate. McBride received nine targets, which led the team during the Cardinals’ Week 1 loss against Buffalo.

Both he and Harrison should see an uptick in targets as Arizona’s offense finds its footing in 2024. One poor week shouldn’t deter you from continuing to start McBride for the rest of the 2024 fantasy season. 

Sell High

Brian Robinson Jr - RB, WAS

Week 1 Stats - 12 Carries, 40 Rush Yards, 1 Rush TD, 4 Targets, 3 Rec, 49 Rec Yards

On the surface, Brian Robinson Jr. had a very positive start to the 2024 NFL season. He was active in the running game and the passing game, received 15 total touches, totaled almost 90 scrimmage yards, and scored a touchdown against Tampa Bay. 

However, the emergence of Washington quarterback Jayden Daniels could spell trouble for Robinson’s fantasy outlook moving forward. The Commanders’ rookie logged 16 rushing attempts, led the team with 88 rushing yards, and even scored two rushing touchdowns in his NFL debut. 

Robinson put together a strong opening fantasy performance and will be on the radar of fantasy managers who believe a solid running back will complete their fantasy lineups. The issue with Robinson is that Daniels will likely handle a high amount of rushing volume in the coming weeks, leaving Robinson to deal with competition from his quarterback for carries and from fellow running back Austin Ekeler for targets out of the backfield. 

The path to sustainable production isn’t a clear one for Robinson, something that makes him an easy sell-high candidate for teams in need of a second or third option at running back. 

Malik Nabers - WR, NYG

Week 1 Stats - 7 Targets, 5 Rec, 66 Rec Yards

Malik Nabers was solid in his NFL debut. However, the downside to the rookie’s offensive situation is clear: Giants quarterback Daniel Jones is not playing up to the team’s standards. His struggles will most likely lead to an up-and-down fantasy season for Nabers and his fantasy managers. 

It’s not a bad idea to cash out on Nabers’ solid Week 1 performance through a trade to add a more reliable wide receiver to your fantasy roster. It wouldn’t be a surprise if Jones is benched soon. This would make a poor offensive situation for Nabers even worse. New York is going to struggle offensively this season and  Nabers’ fantasy outlook will unfortunately not be spared in the process. 

Stefon Diggs - WR, HOU

Week 1 Stats - 6 Targets, 6 Rec, 33 Rec Yards, 2 Rec TDs

Stefon Diggs’ fantasy price wasn’t a high one this draft season, but it may be a good idea to trade Houston’s newest weapon from your fantasy team sooner rather than later. For starters, Diggs was third on the team in terms of targets behind fellow wide receivers Tank Dell and Nico Collins. His fantasy performance was also inflated by two touchdowns. While it’s not exactly fair to consider Diggs’ game against Indianapolis as an outright fluke, it would’ve been more encouraging to see the former Bills wideout to log more than 33 yards in his Texans debut.

Diggs seems to be the third receiving option for C.J. Stroud. I don’t predict a fantasy implosion from Diggs, but I don’t think he will live up to his ADP this year. It’s not too late to trade Diggs to a fantasy manager looking to add a big name to their roster early in the season.