Fellow wide receiver Puka Nacua left the game early in the second quarter after aggravating a knee injury that had him on the injury report leading up to the game, paving the way for Kupp to tie a career high in receptions with 14. Before Nacua departed, Kupp slightly edged the second-year receiver in targets at five to four, with each pass-catcher also seeing a carry in the first quarter. Nacua’s injury could force him to miss time in the coming weeks, during which Kupp will serve as the primary cog of the offense through the air. It is unlikely Matthew Stafford is forced to attempt 49 passes in Week 2 against a Cardinals opponent that can be beaten on the ground, but Kupp still carries immense upside for as long as Nacua remains out. Either way, Kupp currently looks like a solid bet for steal of the fantasy draft status this season.

The biggest takeaway from Week 1 for Williams was his continued workhorse status in a Rams backfield that came into the season with some question marks following the selection of Blake Corum in the third round of this year’s draft. Corum was active but did not see a running back opportunity, instead ceding backup work to Ronnie Rivers. Williams saw 21 of a total 23 running back opportunities and should see better fantasy days ahead against opponents not as stout against the run as the Lions. One such occasion occurs in Week 2 when the Rams travel to Arizona to take on the Cardinals.

Stafford lost one of his top pass-catchers early in the second quarter after Puka Nacua aggravated the knee injury that had him on the injury report leading up to Week 1, forcing a heavy dose of Cooper Kupp for the remainder of the game. He fed Kupp an ungodly 21 targets on a ridiculous 49 pass attempts. Unfortunately for the Rams, the Lions got the ball back for a two-minute drill and eventually tied the game with under a minute left to force overtime. They would then win the coin toss and the drive the field for the clinching touchdown and Stafford and the Rams would not touch the ball again. It was a valiant effort considering the stout nature of the Lions run defense, which forced the lofty pass attempt numbers. We’ll have to wait and see how Nacua’s knee responds in the coming week as it could force a similar setup when the Rams travel to Arizona to take on the Cardinals in Week 2, albeit in a much friendlier ground matchup.

The Cowboys were intent on force feeding Lamb in the first half, even designing three carries for the explosive wideout. Lamb was a victim of game script in the second half. A dominant special teams and defensive performance by Dallas left the offense without any urgency to score in the final two frames. Lamb will once again be an elite option in Week 2 against New Orleans.

Nacua tested his knee at the half and was eventually carted to the locker room before being ruled out for the remainder of the game. It is a bit concerning that the injury appears to be an aggravation of the existing knee inury, which could result in some missed time for the second-year pass-catcher. Nacua caught all four targets for 35 yards and added seven yards on his lone carry prior to departing.

Nacua remained on the field following a short reception over the middle of the field in the second quarter. He struggled to the sideline before spending over 10 minutes with trainers in the blue medical tent. He reportedly got his knee re-wrapped before running on the sideline to test the knee. Nacua was present on the team’s injury report all week with the same knee injury. He managed to catch all four targets for 35 yards and added seven yards on his lone carry prior to departing.

No NFL wideout ran more routes (57) than Cooper on Sunday; his ten targets led the team. His inefficiency was par for the course in a Cleveland offense that was dysfunctional from the start. Cooper was open a few times in the second half but a constantly-pressured Deshaun Watson didn’t see him (along with other open pass catchers). Watson hit Cooper’s fingertips in the fourth quarter on what would have been a long touchdown. Cooper will be a top-15 option in Week 2 against the Jaguars.

Rico Dowdle, meanwhile, saw eight carries, with half of those coming in the fourth quarter while the Cowboys bled the clock with a big lead. Zeke ran 13 pass routes and two targets on the day while Dowdle had 11 and had one look. It looks like, for now, Elliott is the preferred option in the red zone, which will matter quite a bit for a high-octane Dallas offense. Elliott should be in play as a flex in Week 2 against the Saints.

No other Cleveland back saw more than two carries on the day. Ford operated as the clear No. 1 backfield option and benefited from four quarters of negative game script as the main pass catcher out of the backfield. Jerry Jeudy and Amari Cooper were the only Browns players who out-targeted Ford on the day. He should regularly be in the 15-20 touch range for as long as Nick Chubb (knee) is on the PUP list. He’ll face a middling Jaguars defense in Week 2.

McConkey barely out-gained Quentin Johnston but the seven targets were meaningful for the rookie receiver. He salvaged his fantasy day with a 10-yard catch-and-run touchdown on a slant with just under four minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. Expect McConkey to lead the team in targets in most weeks this season, although the relative lack of a vertical component in the passing offense could require even more volume to maintain weekly fantasy upside.