They say the only certainties in life are death and taxes, but if you play fantasy football, you know you can add overreactions to NFL Week 1 to the list as well.
The Thursday night kickoff between the Chiefs and the Lions is the perfect example.
The headlines Friday were littered with harsh criticisms and cries of disappointment: The Lions don’t know how to use Jahmyr Gibbs.
Patrick Mahomes can’t play without Travis Kelce.
Neither Kadarius Toney nor Skyy Moore should ever be allowed on a football field again.
It’s a tale as old as time and something you will need to brace yourself for come Sunday night.
The fantasy community is a fickle bunch that demands immediate results.
If Week 1 doesn’t yield them, knee-jerk overreactions occur and rosters get blown up.
Players will be added and dropped at a rapid rate, so it is up to you to keep a level head.
There are a number of situations that bear monitoring, but you cannot allow one game to dictate how you run your team.
The way the Lions used Gibbs on Thursday should at least put those who drafted Bijan Robinson on notice.
That isn’t to say Falcons coach Arthur Smith will hold back his prized rookie running back, but there is certainly a chance we see more of Tyler Allgeier than we are expecting.
The Ferrari isn’t going to sit in the garage, but you also don’t want to blow out the engine during its first run around the track.
Expect Smith to incorporate Allgeier not only to keep fresh legs on the field, but also to also to keep the pressure off Robinson.
Keep a watchful eye on the Denver backfield as well.
The Broncos have already warned you they will be limiting Javonte Williams early on as he eases back in from an ACL injury.
Samaje Perine will see plenty of touches, but is not expected to be the starting running back all year.
Washington’s backfield is also under a microscope.
Though the expectation is for a heavier workload for Antonio Gibson in Eric Bieniemy’s offense, the game-flow will likely favor the more plodding Brian Robinson.
You have to hope for the best, but prepare for the worst and trust that you didn’t make a mistake drafting Kennth Gainwell, Raheem Mostert or even Kenneth Walker, all of whom should see shared touches.
You didn’t draft your team to win Week 1.
You drafted your team to win the championship, and that will still be 17 weeks away.
Be patient. Understand this is just one game, and teams, coaches and players should not be judged yet.
If you are unhappy, monitor the situation. The only people who like panic trades and rage-drops are your competition.
Howard Bender is the head of content at FantasyAlarm.com. Follow him on X @rotobuzzguy and catch him on the award-winning “Fantasy Alarm Radio Show” on the SiriusXM fantasy sports channel weekdays from 6-8 p.m. Go to Fantasy-Alarm.com for all your fantasy football advice.
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