Quarterback
Biggest Winner: Caleb Williams (Bears)
The Bears offense kicked off the 2026 campaign by absolutely obliterating the Panthers defense in Charlotte and Williams did his fair share to contribute to this highly productive day with the best dual threat outing of his career so far (269 YDS and 2 TD's through the air, 65 YDS and 2 TD's on the ground). Williams and the Bears should be in line for a much tougher test when they face off against Brian Flores' unpredictable Vikings defense on Sunday.
Honorable Mentions: Josh Allen (Bills), Jaxson Dart (Giants), Trevor Lawrence (Jaguars)
Biggest Loser: Bo Nix (Broncos)
While new Broncos OC Davis Webb didn't exactly cover himself in glory during his first game as an NFL playcaller, it would've been hard for any coach to have a good day with this version of Nix playing under center. The 3rd year QB looked completely overwhelmed by Steve Spaguolo's defense and comically out of rhythm with all of his pass-catchers in his first game action since breaking his ankle in the Broncos Divisional Round victory over the Bills in January as the Chiefs absolutely rolled over the defending AFC West champs last night. Nix will look to get back on track against the Jaguars at home in Week 2.
Dishonorable Mentions: Matthew Stafford (Rams), Drake Maye (Patriots), Justin Herbert (Chargers)
Running Back
Biggest Winner: Derrick Henry (Ravens)
Henry kicked off his age 32 season in style by lighting up the Colts defense for 144 YDS and 3 TD's on 24 carries. He also added a 19-YD reception on his sole target of the day. There's absolutely no reason to believe right now that Henry is in line to slow down in 2026 and it's going to be really fascinating to see how much longer he can continue to produce at this absurd clip.
Honorable Mentions: Kenneth Walker III (Chiefs), D'Andre Swift (Bears), Jahmyr Gibbs (Lions)
Biggest Loser: Quinshon Judkins (Browns)
A suffocating Jaguars defense and horrendous gamescript (the Browns were down 24-0 with 6:18 left in the 2nd quarter) put Judkins in fantasy purgatory to kick off the season as he notched just 50 scrimmage YDS on 14 touches (12 carries, 2 receptions). Judkins will be a shaky FLEX option for the Browns Week 2 showdown with the Buccaneers.
Dishonorable Mentions: James Cook III (Bills), Saquon Barkley (Eagles), Omarion Hampton (Chargers)
Wide Receiver
Biggest Winner: Christian Watson (Packers)
Prior to the Packers 3rd stunning late game collapse in their last 5 games dating back to last December, Watson was in line to be the #1 topic of discussion among Cheeseheads. The talented but erratic veteran receiver who is now officially the uncontested top pass-catcher in Green Bay was pretty much unstoppable for the first 3 quarters against the Vikings, turning 6 catches into 147 YDS and a pair of TD's. The Packers will be looking to redeem themselves in a big way this week when the Jets come into Lambeau. Watson should be viewed as a borderline WR1/2 option in this potential bloodbath game.
Honorable Mentions: Justin Jefferson (Vikings), Amon-Ra St. Brown (Lions), Chris Olave (Saints)
Biggest Loser: Ja'Marr Chase (Bengals)
It's not every day that the Bengals ride their defense and Mike Gesicki to a victory, but that's precisely what happened against the Buccaneers in Week 1. Chase was barely involved at all catching 2-of-4 targets for 12 YDS-which tied him with Andrei Iosivas for seventh most on the team-on a day where Joe Burrow wasn't overly sharp. Chase could be in line to get the ball funneled to him early and often in Week 2 as the Bengals travel down to Houston to take on a Texans team that got torched through the air by the Bills in the season opener.
Dishonorable Mentions: Jaylen Waddle (Broncos), George Pickens (Cowboys), Terry McLaurin (Commanders)
Tight End
Biggest Winner: Isaiah Likely (Giants)
All of the buzz surrounding Likely emerging as a focal point of the Giants offense came to fruition in Week 1. The free agent pickup from the Ravens was who Jaxson Dart looked to whenever he was in a gotta have it situation on Sunday night against the Cowboys and he delivered on every single occasion-catching all 8 of his targets for 78 YDS and 2 TD's. If Likely can further solidify himself as Dart's most trusted option in the passing game, he should be in line to become one of this year's breakout fantasy stars.
Honorable Mentions: Dallas Goedert (Eagles), Trey McBride (Cardinals), Dalton Kincaid (Bills)
Biggest Loser: Colston Loveland (Bears)
The craziest part about Caleb Williams' big day against the Panthers in Week 1 is that his favorite receiver from the second half of last season wasn't involved at all. That's right, Loveland walked away with a goose egg and only got targeted twice as Kalif Raymond and Luther Burden led the way in receptions/receiving YDS and Cole Kmet and Jahdae Walker found the endzone. It should only be a matter of time before the second-year pro returns to his high-end TE1 form and a Vikings defense that struggled in coverage before their pass rush got cooking in the 4th quarter against the Packers could very well provide him with the redemption him and his fantasy owners are seeking.
Dishonorable Mentions: George Kittle (49ers), Kyle Pitts (Falcons), Harold Fannin Jr. (Browns)
Defense/Special Teams
Biggest Winner: Steelers
About the only fireworks that came out of the Week 1 clash between the Steelers and Falcons were from the Steelers defense. Fill-in Falcons starter Cooper Rush proved to be his usual woeful self, getting sacked 4 times and throwing 2 picks including a pick 6 to T.J. Watt as the Steelers glided to a 20-13 victory in the first game of the Mike McCarthy-era. The Steelers could find themselves in a feast-or-famine situation in Week 2 depending on what version of Drake Maye shows up at Gillette Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
Honorable Mentions: Jaguars, Seahawks, Lions
Biggest Loser: Texans
Nearly all of the D/ST's that were first off the board in this year's drafts got off to a rough start in 2026, but none were as bad for fantasy purposes than the Texans. DeMeco Ryans' group was horrendous in coverage for most of the game and struggled to generate much pressure on Josh Allen, which lead them to coming out on the wrong end of a 36-31 shootout with just 2 sacks and 0 takeaways. They'll be aiming to return to the top of the D/ST food chain against the Bengals this Sunday.
Dishonorable Mentions: Chargers, Rams, Broncos
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