The 2019 NFL season is here and with it comes the gift that keeps on giving. Stats. At the conclusion of each week for the 2019 fantasy football season, I will be sifting through all of the fantasy football stats produced. I will filter out stats that I find noteworthy or valuable to pay attention to moving forward. I hope this list encourages you to stop and assess the possible impact each stat could have on fantasy values. Conversely, stats are fun. Enjoy each one for what they are and don’t overthink everything presented.
12 Fantasy Football Stats from Week 1
All stats listed are based on .5 PPR.
1.) The NFL kickoff between the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears on Thursday Night Football was quite the letdown from a fantasy perspective. Key players such as Aaron Rodgers, Mitchell Trubisky, Aaron Jones, David Montgomery, Davante Adams, Geronimo Allison, and Anthony Miller all totaled just 36.14 fantasy points. That’s an amazingly low average of 5.16 fantasy points per player.
2.) Davante Adams had fewer than 5 receptions just once in 2018. In Week 10, he had 4 receptions for 57 yards and 2 touchdowns. He did not have a single game under 40 yards receiving, however, in his first game of 2019, Davante Adams had just 4 receptions. This time, he totaled just 36 receiving yards and 0 touchdowns. A far cry from his usual production in 2018. Let’s hope this will be his worst game of the season.
3.) There were only 3 players to have double-digit receptions in Week 1. Christian McCaffrey (10), Evan Engram (11). and Jamison Crowder (14). Somehow, Jamison Crowder finished his day under 100 receiving yards.
4.) The tight end position is awful. Los Angeles Rams TE, Tyler Higbee caught 4 balls for just 20 yards and a touchdown. He was the TE12 on the week.
5.) Lamar Jackson and Dak Prescott combined for 9 passing touchdowns. That’s more than Aaron Rodgers, Jameis Winston, Baker Mayfield, Jared Goff, Jimmy Garoppolo, Kirk Cousins, Ben Roethlisberger, Cam Newton, Mitchell Trubisky, Derek Carr, & Sam Darnold COMBINED!
6.) This running back was the only to score 3 total TDs in Week 1. This running back had just 18 total touches (12 carries, 6 receptions). This running back is Austin Ekeler. Sammy Watkins was the only other player (non-QB) to record 3 TDs in Week 1.
7.) There were 19 WRs to have 100 or more receiving yards in Week 1. This is the most WRs to have 100 or more receiving yards in Week 1 in the history of the NFL.
8.) Volume is typically king but you don’t always need it to be productive. Of the 19 WRs with 100 or more yards, 50% of them had fewer than 10 targets.
9.) Last season, DeAndre Hopkins recorded 115 catches and ZERO drops. In Week 1 of 2019, Hopkins dropped the ball 3 times. They all came in the first half. This was the first time he has dropped more than 2 passes in a game in his NFL career.
10.) Deshaun Watson finished Week 1 as the #3 QB for fantasy. He was one of only two QBs in the top 14 to have under 300 passing yards (268). The other QB was Marcus Mariota who had 248 yards.
11.) Points are good for fantasy football! Not a single team was shutout in Week 1. In fact, only two teams scored fewer than 10 points.
12.) Sammy Watkins had more receiving yards than Mike Evans, Julio Jones, Davante Adams, Stefon Diggs, & Adam Thielen COMBINED. Watkins even outscored the group’s TD total 3-2.
Which of these fantasy football stats jumps out at you? For more from Nate, check out his Week 1 DomiNaters.
Nate Hamilton is a regular contributor in the fantasy football industry. He has provided advice & analysis on a daily basis since joining Twitter (@DomiNateFF) in August of 2013. He has written content for many well-known sites including FantasyPros, The Fantasy Footballers, Fantasy Data, and currently, FantraxHQ. He is the co-host of The Fantasy Tilt Podcast with Keaton Denlay. Nate also Co-Authored Amazon’s #1 Best Selling “The Fantasy Football Black Book” with Joe Pisapia & others in 2018. He is a member of the Fantasy Sports Writer’s Association (FSWA).
Fantrax is one of the fastest-growing fantasy sites of 2018 and we’re not stopping anytime soon! With multi-team trades, designated commissioner/league managers, and drag/drop easy click methods, Fantrax is sure to excite the serious fantasy sports fan – sign up now for a free year at Fantrax.com.