Rest Of Season Top-150 Rankings: Players To Buy And Sell Before Week 2 (Episode 1023 with Adam Levitan, John Daigle, Mark Dankenbring, Jack Miller)

Kamara was inactive for Week 1 despite being a franchise legend. The Saints coaching staff does not appear to favor him, though they are keeping him on the roster. His presence adds another mouth to feed in an already crowded Saints backfield.

Referenced as benchmark for elite dual-threat running back usage; had second-highest route share last year, establishing standard for elite pass-catching running back role.

Mark Dankenbring flags Bryce Young's Week 1 performance as potentially outlier-level, noting that the quarterback's strong showing against the Bears defense may not be sustainable. This uncertainty directly impacts the evaluation of his receivers, particularly Jalen Coker, whose breakout performance is partially attributed to Young's play rather than guaranteed role or scheme factors.

Adam Levitan expresses lingering concerns about Bryce Young's talent, which is holding back his conviction on Coker's fantasy ceiling despite the receiver's strong performance. However, Levitan notes the Panthers were plus in pass rate over expectation in Week 1 and showed similar pass-heavy tendencies in the playoff game vs. the Rams, which could be encouraging if the team stops trying to hide Young in run-heavy setups.

Brooks received significant snaps in Week 1 over Marshawn Lloyd due to the Vikings' heavy blitz scheme (80% on early downs), which forced the Packers to use their pass-catching back more frequently. This usage pattern may not be sticky long-term and was likely game-plan specific.

McCaffrey was out-carried by Kalen Black (8-7 in first half, 46% of team's RB carries each) in Week 1 against the Rams in Australia, losing carries between the 20s but retaining goal-line work and pass-catching role. Despite not scoring a touchdown, he finished as a fringe RB1 due to high target volume. Adam Levitan notes this usage pattern keeps him healthy and aligns with his receiving-heavy profile: 10.9 half-PPR points per game from receiving and 10.6 from rushing last season. With Stribbling going down, more targets should flow to McCaffrey. Ranked 10th overall (down from 6th pre-season) in rest-of-season rankings.

Referenced as benchmark for elite dual-threat running back usage; had highest route share last year (implied to be above 65%), establishing standard for elite pass-catching running back role.

Watson had a bullish Week 1 performance against Minnesota, though he received fewer targets than Matthew Golden. He is confirmed as an every-down receiver alongside Golden in the Packers' passing game. The Packers were forced to throw heavily due to the Vikings' weak defense, and Watson should benefit from increased pass attempts.

Donaldson received significant third-down work for the Saints in Week 1, a role typically reserved for pass-catching specialists. This marks a clear preference by the Saints coaching staff to bench Etienne on third down, continuing a pattern from Jacksonville's previous regime.

Adam Levitan projects Swift to have a really strong fantasy season as long as he stays healthy, with an expected workload split that could even be conservative; he's moving Swift up significantly and views him as a really strong pick in the fourth or fifth round.

Jack Miller notes Swift carried Mononga 10-3 in the first half before the Bears got up big and fed Mononga more; Mononga took two-minute drill snaps and out-routed Swift 15-9. However, Miller believes the wider rushing split than last year is temporary game script, and the key differentiator is the Bears looking like a top-five scoring offense. Even at a conservative 55-60% snap/touch split over Mononga (similar to last year), Swift should have a strong fantasy season. Miller is moving Swift up significantly, citing his best offseason of his career and the team's commitment to keeping him healthy and fresh throughout the season.

Despite an unimpressive Week 1 Sunday Night Football performance, Prescott has an extended sample size as a very good NFL quarterback with two of the best wide receivers in the league; pocket passing efficiency is the key driver, and Prescott has been better throughout his career than Jared Goff when healthy; ranked a tier above Goff and well ahead of Tyler Shuck despite Shuck's comeback performance in Week 1.

Adam Levitan and John Daigle maintain Montgomery at RB2 overall (52nd overall rank) after his three-touchdown outburst against Buffalo. Despite only 3.0 yards per carry against one of the worst run defenses in the NFL, the volume thesis holds: Montgomery handled 70% of team backfield touches with high-value red zone work, and the underlying usage remained strong even with Woody Marks playing significant snaps. Levitan's pre-season argument—that Montgomery offered a better profile than Javante Williams, Kyron Williams, and Travis Etienne at a later ADP—has proven out; Montgomery is RB9 in expected fantasy points and has significant touchdown upside this season.

Adam Levitan was a David Montgomery fan before the season, but Week 1 performance was concerning. Faced one of the worst run defenses in the NFL in 2025 and only averaged 3.0 yards per carry. Levitan's take: betting on volume because efficiency is in question.

Levitan views Deebo Samuel as worth rostering due to his touch volume, but expresses hesitation about starting him on a weekly basis, suggesting limited upside despite roster value.

Levitan recommends Marcus Robinson as a free waiver wire pickup over Cleve Raymond, positioning him as an under-the-radar option. When Brandon Aiyuk was injured, Robinson ran 78% of dropbacks, establishing him as the primary replacement option.

Singletary is emerging as the pass-game back for the Giants with 17 routes run compared to Cam Scadaboo's eight, and he received targets while Scadaboo had zero; this role split suggests Singletary will handle the receiving work in the Giants offense under Harbaugh, positioning him as a complementary back with pass-game upside.

Levitan identifies Kittle as an interesting buy despite not looking great in Week 1, reasoning that with Jauan Jennings out, the 49ers will have no choice but to expand Kittle's role significantly, creating opportunity.

Daigle was buying Isaiah Likely as a late-round draft target due to his upside in John Harbaugh's offense with minimal tight end competition. However, post-Week 1, Daigle is no longer buying at the current market price, which has risen to George Kittle and Harold Cobb levels. Daigle notes that if you drafted Likely late, you should be extremely happy to have a TE1, but the post-game price has moved beyond his buy threshold.

Jalen Coker moved up significantly to 86th overall (from a much wider preseason gap versus Ted Arroyo-McMillan) after his monstrous Week 1 performance against the Bears defense. Mark Dankenbring notes the key uncertainty: whether this was an outlier Bryce Young performance and an outlier Bears defense matchup, or whether Coker has genuine season-long upside. The 35-spot gap between Coker (86) and Arroyo-McMillan (51) reflects appropriate caution about sustainability, though the team remains open to ranking Coker even higher pending clarity on Bears defense weakness and Young's consistency.

Coker posted 130+ yards in back-to-back games (Week 1 and playoff game vs. Rams), joining an elite tier of receivers (AJ Brown, Justin Jefferson, Tyreek Hill, Pickens, Lamb, Puka Nacua, DJ Moore, Jamar Chase, Jackson Smith-Njigba) who have achieved this feat multiple times. Despite Ted Roman McMillan receiving more slot snaps (41% slot, 59% out wide), Coker maintained a 14-yard ADOT and remains a vertical slot receiver. Adam Levitan believes the breakout is warranted for a UDFA who earned a contract extension, though he tempers conviction due to concerns about Bryce Young's talent.

Coker has outperformed Ted Roman McMillan over their last eight games together, with nine or 10 more catches than T-Mac during that span, not just a one-game sample. Adam Levitan supports a 35-spot ranking gap between Coker and McMillan as appropriate, though he wishes the Panthers ranked Coker even higher in the offseason.

Williams' Week 1 performance was hampered by drops; if he had caught the football, the game outcome and Jared Goff's efficiency metrics would have looked significantly different, suggesting Williams' role and opportunity are intact despite the poor Week 1 results.

Despite a concerning Week 1 performance, Goff is expected to have a strong 2026 season; the game outcome would have looked significantly different if Jamison Williams had caught the football, which would have improved Goff's efficiency metrics as well; ranked a tier below Dak Prescott but well ahead of Tyler Shuck; has a favorable matchup against the Commanders in Week 2 at home.

Reed ran just 2 routes from two-wide-receiver sets in Week 1, confirming he will not be a regular in those formations. Daigle expected the Packers to play more three-wide-receiver sets this season, but they did not, possibly due to Brian Flores' Vikings blitzing 80% of early downs. This reduced usage for Reed is consistent with the Packers' historical pattern of benching him in two-WR sets.

Mason has been placed on injured reserve as breaking news during the recording of this episode. This opens up additional backfield opportunities for the 49ers.

Jordan Mason placed on injured reserve with a thumb injury sustained in Week 1; will miss at least four games. Was ranked 97th in the rest-of-season top-150 rankings but will drop significantly in updated rankings due to this injury timeline.

Jacobs' legal situation remains unresolved heading into Week 2. His girlfriend wants the case sealed and reportedly does not want a video released, leading to speculation she may have been paid. Regardless of the outcome, Daigle expects Jacobs to return at some point this season, which would negatively impact Marshawn Lloyd's role.

Walker received significant volume in Week 1 as the Chiefs targeted their running backs at the second-highest rate in the league. Daigle notes that if the Chiefs continue to play light boxes and deep safeties, Walker will thrive all season, potentially forcing the offense into more pass-heavy setups that could benefit Rasheed Rice later.

Usage and efficiency unclear after one week; bundled together with other running backs in terms of projection uncertainty. Possibility that Ashton Gentry could outscore Kenneth Walker rest of season depending on whose usage holds, suggesting Walker's role/production is not yet settled.

Adam Levitan and the Establish The Run team moved up Kenneth Walker quite aggressively in their rest-of-season rankings, positioning him as the third overall player right behind B.J. Robinson; in a trade scenario comparing Walker and Nico Collins against B.J. Robinson and Lad McConkey, the team has only a 3% edge to the Robinson-McConkey side, treating it as essentially even.

Adam Levitan notes that Lad McConkey is currently banged up, though he doesn't think it's anything serious; this injury status influenced his slight lean toward the Kenneth Walker and Nico Collins side in a trade scenario over the Robinson-McConkey side.

John Daigle highlights Lad McConkey's massive impact on the Chargers' passing game in Week 1; when McConkey was available, Justin Herbert averaged 10.3 yards per attempt with the highest success rate passing in the entire league, but the moment he left the field, the Chargers' efficiency cratered to 28 yards per attempt with dead last success rate, demonstrating McConkey's critical role in the offense.

Levitan expresses encouragement about Malik Nabers' Week 1 performance despite limited route participation (55-60%), noting he led the team in targets with 9. Ranked 22nd overall, the key question is whether he can reach 100% health. Dankenbring adds that Nabers ran 73% of routes (second on team behind Darnell Mooney), led the team with 31% target share, and posted 6 catches for 69 yards—a stat line that would have been encouraging pre-game. Daigle suggests holding or buying low before Week 2, noting the matchup progression: Cowboys (favorable) followed by Rams (toughest test) will reveal the Giants offense's true ceiling.

Lloyd underperformed his expected fantasy points in Week 1 but had the same expected fantasy points as Kyle Minungai, Quinshot Junkids, and Basial Tootin—suggesting the underperformance was a one-week variance rather than a talent issue. He was limited by the Vikings' heavy blitz scheme (80% on early downs), which led to more Chris Brooks usage. Lloyd can be acquired for pennies after this performance and has favorable matchups in three of the next four games (Jets, Falcons, Bears). Josh Jacobs' legal situation remains uncertain but could impact Lloyd's long-term role. Ranked 96th overall. Daigle calls him a buy-dirt-low.

Lloyd had poor Week 1 fantasy production but the usage and role moving forward should be fine; available at pennies on the dollar after this performance. With Josh Jacobs returning timeline uncertain and three of the next four Packers games against Jets, Falcons, and Bears, Lloyd represents a strong buy-low opportunity before the market corrects.

Golden had a 29% target share in Week 1 against Minnesota, with several targets coming on in-breaking routes that Romeo Dobbs vacated. He was an every-snap player on the outside and ahead of Christian Watson in targets despite some pseudo-throwaway targets when Love was under immediate pressure. Jack Miller calls him one of the big winners of the week. Ranked 72nd overall (up significantly from pre-season). Daigle notes Golden was one of his most drafted players and confirms he and Watson will be the every-down receivers.

Adam Levitan has Matthew Golden ranked rest of season over Jalen Coker, though the transcript cuts off before providing the reasoning or context for this ranking decision.

Adam Levitan identifies Evans as the player he feels best about in the Tampa Bay receiving corps, positioning him as a preferred buy target.

Adam Levitan likes Nico Collins and thought he was a fine pick at the 2-3 turn, but notes that his true ceiling (99th percentile outcome) is not the same as some other wide receivers because the Texans play good defense when not facing Josh Allen, run the ball, and avoid shootouts like some other teams; Collins is solid but his upside is capped relative to peers.

Rice received only 2 targets in Week 1 against Denver, a 7% target share—the lowest he's had for the Chiefs since breaking out in Week 12 of 2023 (previous low was 17%). Mark Dankenbring attributes this to the Chiefs' new offensive philosophy with Kenneth Walker in the backfield; the offense targeted running backs at the second-highest rate in the league and Xavier Worthy at the line of scrimmage 35% of the time, suggesting a game plan built around protecting Patrick Mahomes against Denver's pass rush without starting LT Josh Simmons. Rice is a player who needs high volume to produce and does not perform well on low volume. Ranked 50th overall (down from higher pre-season expectations). Daigle suggests holding and waiting to see if this was Broncos-specific; the knee may also improve through the season.

Adam Levitan suggests that Saquon Barkley can be bought well below his ceiling. The context indicates the Giants offense is still being evaluated after Week 1 against the Cowboys (who allow easy passing to the flats), with a tougher test coming Monday night against the Rams. Levitan's framing suggests Barkley's current market price undervalues his upside potential.

Etienne split carries 46% apiece with Kendrick Miller in Week 1 despite signing a $24M guaranteed deal as a workhorse. He ran only 24 routes on 63 dropbacks (38% route share) and was benched on third down in favor of CJ Donaldson—the second consecutive coaching staff to avoid using him in that role (Jacksonville also benched him on third down). With Alvin Kamara still on the roster, the Saints backfield has three mouths to feed. Jack Miller worries about the three-way split and lack of third-down trust. Ranked 53rd overall (down from early 30s/40s pre-season).

Kelce formed his own route tree in Week 1, running wherever he wants and wherever the defense opens windows, independent of the Chiefs' structured game plan. This reflects his veteran autonomy in the offense.

Woody Marks played significant snaps and ran a ton of routes in Week 1 against Buffalo, but David Montgomery captured the high-value touches and red zone work. This usage split suggests Marks has a role in the Saints backfield but is not the primary target for touchdown opportunities or goal-line carries.

Worthy received 35% of his targets at the line of scrimmage in Week 1, suggesting the Chiefs built their game plan around protecting Mahomes against Denver's pass rush. He was the primary beneficiary of scheme targets alongside Kenneth Walker, with much of the offense's design centered on quick-hitting plays rather than downfield routes.