Fantasy football is back for 2026, and so are the worries about playing time, usage, and roles. After just one week of games, can we know that what we saw on the field this weekend is the same thing we will see for 18 weeks? It’s certainly unlikely, but interesting trends are already emerging after just one game per team.
This weekly piece will look at those trends and make recommendations for players who might be worth rostering or starting in our fantasy lineups. For Week 1, we will dive into some ambiguous situations that developed in the offseason to see how different roles played out.
If you have interesting usage notes, feel free to reach out to me on Twitter/X (@CableBoxScore) and let me know. Let’s dive into the 2026 NFL Week 1 usage!
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NFL Week 1 Usage Trends
ARIZONA CARDINALS
Checking in on Jeremiyah Love and Tyler Allgeier
In the first game of the Love/Allgeier era, there was a lot of work for both running backs. Allgeier won the battle of the snaps, with 59% and 43% for Love. But Love had more targets and scored the rushing touchdown. Allgeier had more yards overall, and this will be something to watch as Love gets healthier after his preseason ankle injury
ATLANTA FALCONS
Are Falcons Pass-Catchers Playable?
Out of 19 total recorded targets from Cooper Rush, 10 of them went to Bijan Robinson while Drake London had four and Kyle Pitts had just one. London had one catch for six yards while Pitts had a goose egg. Bijan Robinson had a massive game, but London and Pitts need Michael Penix Jr. to come back for either of them to be fantasy relevant.
BALTIMORE RAVENS
Zay Flowers Explosion Pre-Injury
Fresh off a $150 million contract this offseason, Zay Flowers exploded for five receptions, 150 yards, and one score in just half a game before leaving with a hamstring injury. All other wide receivers and tight ends on the Ravens combined for just nine receptions, and that number would have been lower if Flowers played the whole game.
BUFFALO BILLS
Dalton Kincaid League Winner?
In a game where Josh Allen developed a strong connection with new wide receiver D.J. Moore (5-100-1), Dalton Kincaid (5-130-0) was the biggest fantasy surprise. He led all tight ends in yards and was fourth in air yards share (28.7%) and sixth in target share (20.7%).
CAROLINA PANTHERS
Running Back Breakdown
In the Chuba Hubbard vs. Jonathan Brooks running back battle, it wasn’t particularly close. Hubbard played 71% of snaps compared to 19% for Brooks, and Hubbard touched the ball 13 times for 87 yards and two touchdowns while Brooks had five touches for 62 yards, although 48 of those came on one catch.
CHICAGO BEARS
59 Points but Pass-Catchers Disappoint?
Somehow, the Chicago Bears scored the second-most points in their team’s long history, but wide receivers Luther Burden III and Rome Odunze combined for just seven receptions and 113 scoreless yards. Colston Loveland didn’t touch the ball in this game, but watched Cole Kmet score a long touchdown. Perhaps more worrisome is the fact that Burden only played on 68% of the team’s snaps and had a 17.2% target share.
CINCINNATI BENGALS
Is Mike Gesicki Worth a Pick-Up?
Despite playing on 46% of the Bengals’ snaps, Mike Gesicki led the team in targets, receptions, yards, and target share. He also had a 71% catch rate because Joe Burrow was much more accurate on his throws to Gesicki than Tee Higgins or Ja’Marr Chase. He is worth a stash on your bench to see if this usage continues.
CLEVELAND BROWNS
Rookie Wide Receivers
Tracking rookies KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston this season will be interesting, especially with the uncertain quarterback play. In Week 1, Concepcion and Boston had identical 18.2% target shares. Boston ran 90% of the routes compared to 73.3% for Concepcion, but Concepcion caught four balls for 43 yards while Boston had two for 59. Boston got the one long touchdown the Browns scored in Week 1.
DALLAS COWBOYS
Concentrated Offense, As Always
In the Nothing Really Actionable File, the Cowboys’ offense centered around three players: CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, and Javonte Williams. Those three players touched the ball 26 times combined, and all other Cowboys (including Jake Ferguson) had 12 touches. Pickens was shut down on the outside, which led to just three receptions for 28 yards.
DENVER BRONCOS
Jaylen Waddle Busts in Debut
Well, that was about as uninspiring of a debut that a star wide receiver can have for a new team. Jaylen Waddle finished his first Denver game with one catch for two receptions on just three targets. Waddle had an 11.1% target share and was out-targeted by players like Pat Bryant, Evan Engram, RJ Harvey, and Courtland Sutton. Yikes.
DETROIT LIONS
Can You Trust Jameson Williams and Sam LaPorta?
After Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jahmyr Gibbs combined for 46% of the Lions’ target share on Sunday. How was the rest distributed? Jameson Williams saw 23.1% of targets while LaPorta finished with 18%. Williams (4-48) and LaPorta (5-48) both did fine on receptions and yards; Williams’ 44.4% catch rate was concerning. His high aDOT (14.2 yards on Sunday) will always lead to more variance here.
GREEN BAY PACKERS
Interesting Wide Receiver Breakdown
In the new wide receiver room for Green Bay, Christian Watson (87% routes, seven targets) and Matthew Golden (80.4% routes, 11 targets) had strong games in Week 1. Jayden Reed had seven targets on just 63% of routes run, and had a higher targets per route run (TPRR) than Watson, but that’s largely because Minnesota neutralized Watson in the second half.
HOUSTON TEXANS
Running Back Distribution with David Montgomery
Even though David Montgomery got all the yards (79) and touchdowns (three), Woody Marks actually outsnapped him 51% to 49%. Will an even split like that continue going forward? It likely depends on the score of the game. Marks will be deployed in fast-paced scenarios or when the Texans are trailing. Montgomery will be the control-the-clock back in games the Texans are in control.
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
Who Played Most Among the Wide Receivers?
With Keenan Allen joining the Colts and Alec Pierce coming back from injury, how did the wide receiver usage look? Downs ran 85.3% of the routes but had just four targets. Allen (73.5%, six targets) and Pierce (64.7%, six targets) both had better games despite playing less. Pierce had 2.77 yards per route run (YPRR), which is a good sign for when he has a full-time role again.
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS
Does Bhayshul Tuten Get Enough Work in 2026?
At first glance, seeing Bhayshul Tuten with just 49% of snaps might give fantasy managers some concern. Chris Rodriguez got 40%, after all. But Tuten touched the Ball 16 times for 88 yards, while Rodriguez has just six touches for 23 yards. The efficiency for Tuten should overcome a lot of playing time concerns. Rodriguez also didn’t have a target in this game.
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
Kenneth Walker III Workhorse
Seattle really can’t complain because they won the Super Bowl, but they should be taking notes about how to use a superstar running back. Kenneth Walker had 26 total touches (23 rush, three receptions) and scored twice with 191 total yards. He had 74% of the running back carries for the Chiefs and got 29 opportunities, something he did only three times in the regular season with Seattle.
LAS VEGAS RAIDERS
Ashton Jeanty Massive Workload
Despite coming off an ankle injury, Ashton Jeanty played 74% of snaps (Mike Washington was just 19%), and handled 23 rush attempts and six targets. He scored twice, and if this is the type of volume Jeanty is going to get all season, he will more than pay off his cost at the draft table from this summer.
Make sure to check out all of our Week 2 Fantasy Football Rankings and Analysis!
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS
Wide Receiver Distribution
If Ladd McConkey can get his rib injury sorted out soon, he looked like he was on his way to a massive day in the first week of the season. Despite playing just 51% of snaps, McConkey had seven targets for 82 yards and a score. He led the wide receivers in target share (26%) and had almost 35% of the team’s air yards. Quentin Johnston and Tre Harris both ran 74.3% of snaps with McConkey missing time.
LOS ANGELES RAMS
Kyren Williams-Blake Corum Breakdown
What about the must-discussed breakdown between Kyren Williams and Blake Corum? Williams out-snapped Corum 64% to 23%. Williams out-touched him 14 to 10, and Williams had three targets in the game while Corum had none. In the red zone, Williams had four opportunities while Corum didn’t see one. So it seems Williams’ strong role is secure for now.
MIAMI DOLPHINS
Which Rookie WR Should You Target?
The Miami Dolphins (like the Browns) started two rookie wide receivers: Caleb Douglas and Chris Bell. Malik Washington also started as the veteran on this team. Washington was in on 97% of the routes while Douglas checked in at 81%. Douglas also had six catches for 94 yards. Bell played sparingly as he is coming off an injury, and was in on 51.4% of routes and caught just one pass for 25 yards. Douglas is a good waiver pickup this week.
MINNESOTA VIKINGS
Backfield Breakdown
It couldn’t get more evenly split than what Aaron Jones Sr. and Jordan Mason did on Sunday. Jones (46% of snaps) and Mason (45%) split time on the field. Each had four touches in the red zone. Jones has 12 rush attempts to 15 for Mason, and both scored a touchdown. Get used to more of this the rest of the season unless there is an injury.
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
Who Steps Up at Wide Receiver?
With A.J. Brown out for more than a month with an ankle injury, who will step up at wide receiver with no Brown and with Kayshon Boutte now shipped off to Houston? Demario Douglas (five catches) and Mack Hollins (four catches) stepped up in his absence, and both played at least 62% of snaps. But free agent acquisition Romeo Doubs (56% snaps, no catches on three targets) will have to make his mark on this offense to bridge the gap.
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
Etienne and Miller Closer Than We Thought
The running back breakdown without Alvin Kamara was supposed to heavily favor Travis Etienne Jr. That’s essentially what happened, with Etienne working 59% of snaps and Miller at 29%. Etienne had 16 touches to nine for Miller, and Miller scored the one rushing touchdown. The usage is nice for Etienne, but his was much more of a committee than we previously thought.
NEW YORK GIANTS
Running Back Carousel
With Cam Skattebo being eased back in from his horrific ankle injury, two running backs played significant snaps for the Giants on Sunday night. Skattebo got 61% of snaps and 18 touches (with a touchdown), while Devin Singletary got 36% of snaps, including 10 touches and a score. Tyrone Tracy also worked in a little bit, so it might be a few weeks before we see Skattebo get 65% or more of the snaps.
NEW YORK JETS
Breece Hall and Garrett Wilson Show
Breece Hall had 24 of the 34 running back touches and Garrett Wilson had six of the 11 wide receiver receptions for the Jets on Sunday. Omar Cooper might have eaten into some of that, but he was injured early on and will miss some time. Watch out for rookie tight end Kenyon Saddiq, who caught three passes and drew a red zone target.
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
Is DeVonta Smith a No-Doubt WR1?
In the post-A.J. Brown era, is DeVonta Smith a new superstar wide receiver? He played 95% of snaps for the Eagles, which was predictable. He received six targets and caught three for 53 yards, but did not see a look in the red zone. Dontayvion Wicks saw a higher percentage of air yards and had a higher YPRR, so it wasn’t the most impressive start for Smith. But better days will be ahead.
PITTSBURGH STEELERS
Running Back Breakdown
The Steelers lost Kenneth Gainwell in the offseason, but gained Rico Dowdle. How did that affect the running back room and Jaylen Warren? Dowdle played way more snaps (58% to 37%), but Warren had five more touches than Dowdle and outgained him 73 yards to 21. Both backs had at least five targets in the game, but Warren was the much more efficient player on far fewer snaps.
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
Interesting Running Back Strategy
Christian McCaffrey was overseas, coming off injury, and dealing with some soreness and cramping, so it’s probably not a surprise that we saw rookie Kaelon Black play on 43% of snaps and match McCaffrey’s 15 touches with 15 of his own. McCaffrey saw eight targets to Black’s one, and Black didn’t touch the ball in the red zone, so we don’t need to panic that McCaffrey got a light load in a blowout game.
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
The Price/Holani Running Back Split
In Jadarian Price’s first career game, the running back split looked like this:
Snaps: Price 48%, George Holani 46%
Touches: Price 12, Holani 8
Targets: Price 2, Holani 1
Red Zone Opportunities: Price 0, Holani 2
Not quite the workhorse role, but hopefully the Seahawks saw how explosive Price can be.
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
How did Bucky Irving and Kenneth Gainwell Split Time?
Tampa Bay incorporated Kenneth Gainwell into their offense in Week 1 after losing Rachaad White in the offseason. Bucky Irving played 61% of snaps to Gainwell’s 46%. Irving outtouched Gainwell by a 15:6 ratio and had 93 yards and a touchdown plus a score to Gainwell’s 18 scoreless yards. For now, Irving looks fully recovered from his shoulder injury and is the back Baker Mayfield trusts the most.
TENNESSEE TITANS
Nothing Here to Write Home About
I guess the story out of Tennessee was that rookie Carnell Tate played 88% of snaps, saw six targets, and caught four of them for 38 yards. He did not see a touch in the red zone, but did lead the team with 42.6% of air yards and an 18.8% target share.
WASHINGTON COMMANDERS
Wide Receivers Not Named McLaurin Produce
Terry McLaurin only had an 11% target share and 8.4% of air yards on Sunday as the team welcomed back Jayden Daniels and incorporated new faces Stefon Diggs and Antonio Williams into the offense. Diggs had the big day with a 26.5% target share, nine receptions, 55 yards, and a touchdown. Antonio Williams had a 4-64-1 line and should be picked up in all leagues. McLaurin was held in check by Philadelphia and only had 0.40 YPRR in this game.
Data Sources: NFL Next Gen Stats, Football Guys Snap Summary, FTN Air Yards, Pro Football Reference, Team Rankings, Fantasy Points Data Suite
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