2026 Season Week 1

Dear Incalescent Members of the Dana Burger Dynasty League,

We're here! We've made it through the offseason, submitted our dues (sort of), and arrived on the eve of the 2026 NFL season. Kickoff begins tomorrow at 8:20pm, and we get to see a rematch of last season's Super Bowl with the Patriots and Seahawks going head to head. It's an exciting game, and with the retooled Pats offense, I think this game will look different than last year's matchup.

Today's update will be a bit short, but do take a look at some of our features on this site! We have an updated 2027 Rookie Prospects page that is doing a pretty good job tracking the top prospects, per week. With week 1 of college football in the books, we already can see some stats accumulating. Additionally, our league site should be more dynamic during the week and as scores come in. So stay tuned for more excitement on our league website!

This week in anticipation of week 1 games, we will dive into "Players to Watch" per matchup. Let's go!

👀 WEEK 1 — PLAYERS TO WATCH

PATRIOTS @ SEAHAWKS

NE — Rhamondre Stevenson, RB
TreVeyon Henderson missed practice with an ankle injury and appears in serious danger of missing the opener. If Henderson sits, watch whether Stevenson returns to a true workhorse role or New England rotates another back behind him. A 70%+ snap game would immediately strengthen Stevenson's short-term value.

SEA — Jadarian Price, RB
Seattle drafted Price in Round 1 after Kenneth Walker's departure, and Zach Charbonnet will miss at least four games on PUP. Week 1 should tell us whether Price is already a genuine lead back or whether George Holani handles enough passing-down work to create a committee.

49ERS @ RAMS

SF — De'Zhaun Stribling, WR
One of the preseason's biggest dynasty risers now gets his first real test. The key isn't necessarily catches or yards — watch his route participation and whether San Francisco uses him consistently alongside its established receivers.

LAR — Terrance Ferguson, TE
Ferguson is one of the more intriguing young TE stashes entering the season. Week 1 should show whether his strong summer has earned him a legitimate route share in a Rams passing offense that can support multiple fantasy options.

BEARS @ PANTHERS

CHI — Colston Loveland, TE
Loveland already emerged as a major receiving weapon late last season, and his preseason involvement suggested that will continue. The question is whether we're looking at a very good TE1 or an offense genuinely capable of funneling No. 1-receiver-level volume through its tight end.

CAR — Jonathon Brooks, RB
Brooks returned from his long injury layoff to meaningful first-team preseason work, but Chuba Hubbard remains part of the equation. Week 1 should give us our first trustworthy look at the split. If Brooks approaches half the backfield touches immediately, his dynasty comeback is officially on.

RAVENS @ COLTS

BAL — Ja'Kobi Lane, WR
Lane turned an excellent camp and preseason into a roster spot and a legitimate place in Baltimore's receiving rotation. Watch whether that translates into regular-season routes. If he's consistently on the field in three-WR sets, the breakout story survives September.

IND — Alec Pierce, WR
Pierce has been activated from PUP and is expected to play despite the ankle issue that cost him much of the summer. Indianapolis now has considerably more receiving competition, making his opening-week route and target share particularly important for his dynasty trajectory.

FALCONS @ STEELERS

ATL — Kyle Pitts, TE
Tua Tagovailoa has officially won the starting job, and Atlanta's preseason repeatedly featured Pitts in the passing game. Watch whether that continues when the entire offense is available. The target share matters more than the box score. ESPN expects Stefanski's scheme to create isolation and intermediate opportunities for Pitts.

PIT — Roman Wilson, WR
Pittsburgh's preseason suggested Wilson enters September with the inside track on a meaningful receiver role. Now we find out whether that's a full-time WR3 job or another rotating piece alongside Germie Bernard. Routes are the stat to watch.

BROWNS @ JAGUARS

CLE — KC Concepcion, WR
Perhaps the rookie to watch in Week 1. Cleveland manufactured touches for Concepcion in preseason and then protected him with established starters. NFL.com's fantasy staff views him as one of 2026's more interesting WR values. If he's already running close to a full route tree, the dynasty hype will accelerate quickly.

JAX — Parker Washington, WR
Washington has become one of the more popular under-the-radar fantasy targets entering 2026. Week 1 should finally clarify exactly where he sits in Jacksonville's revamped receiver rotation and whether his offseason momentum translates into target volume.

BUCCANEERS @ BENGALS

TB — Bucky Irving, RB
Nobody is questioning whether Irving leads the Tampa rushing attack. The question is how much passing-down work Kenneth Gainwell takes. Watch Irving's third-down snaps and route participation; those will determine whether he has a very good RB ceiling or an elite one.

CIN — Colbie Young, WR
Young quietly turned first-team preseason opportunities into a place on the 53. He's still behind Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, but Week 1 will tell us whether Cincinnati considers him merely developmental depth or someone capable of pushing Andrei Iosivas for snaps.

JETS @ TITANS

NYJ — Breece Hall, RB
Hall played 10 of the Jets' first 11 snaps during his meaningful preseason appearance, temporarily quieting the committee talk. Week 1 is where we find out whether that usage was genuine. If he's getting passing downs as well as carries, this remains Breece's backfield.

TEN — Tyjae Spears, RB
Few players changed their outlook more during August. Spears repeatedly played alongside — and at times more than — Tony Pollard with the starting offense. Week 1 should reveal whether the preseason's near-50/50 split was real. This could be the game where Spears moves from handcuff to legitimate weekly starter.

SAINTS @ LIONS

NO — Kendre Miller, RB
New Orleans enters the season with uncertainty throughout its backfield, particularly with Alvin Kamara sidelined. Miller's preseason usage earned him another opportunity, and his Week 1 touches should tell us whether he's simply depth or has worked his way into a meaningful rotation.

DET — Isaac TeSlaa, WR
Detroit spent the preseason treating TeSlaa like its WR3, but heavy route participation didn't produce many targets. That's what we're watching now: can he actually command the football when Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams are on the field?

BILLS @ TEXANS

BUF — DJ Moore, WR
Moore's first live action with Josh Allen produced 3 catches for 61 yards on 4 targets. Now we get the real thing. Buffalo identifies Moore as its new No. 1 receiver, making his target distribution alongside Khalil Shakir and Keon Coleman one of Week 1's more interesting veteran storylines.

HOU — Xavier Hutchinson, WR
Jayden Higgins' season-ending injury changed Houston's receiver hierarchy just before kickoff. Hutchinson now has an opportunity to occupy a much larger outside role. Watch routes first, targets second. If he's an every-down receiver immediately, his dynasty value changes considerably.

CARDINALS @ CHARGERS

ARI — Jeremiyah Love, RB
The No. 3 overall pick looked like Arizona's lead back before suffering a high-ankle sprain. Mike LaFleur says he's optimistic Love can play Sunday. Assuming he's active, how much Arizona actually uses him is more important than whether he scores. A near-normal workload would erase much of the injury concern.

LAC — Oronde Gadsden, TE
One of the more confusing players of the preseason. His usage wasn't always encouraging, yet his receiving upside keeps him firmly on fantasy radars. Week 1 should settle a lot: if he's running meaningful routes, he's an immediate dynasty hold; if he's primarily watching Charlie Kolar and David Njoku, expectations need another reset.

PACKERS @ VIKINGS

GB — Matthew Golden, WR
Golden repeatedly stayed on the field in heavier personnel during preseason and looked capable of becoming an every-down receiver. Week 1 should tell us whether he has actually surpassed Jayden Reed in overall playing time or whether Green Bay's notoriously deep WR rotation remains intact. NFL.com currently ranks Golden right alongside Reed among its fantasy WRs.

MIN — Tai Felton, WR
Felton quietly became one of August's best deep-dynasty stories, including 3 catches for 66 yards during his strongest preseason showing. Now watch where he lines up when Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison are actually playing. If Felton is the clear WR3, he's one injury away from substantial opportunity.

DOLPHINS @ RAIDERS

MIA — Malik Washington, WR
Miami repeatedly protected Washington like an established starter late in preseason. Week 1 will tell us whether he has truly become one of the offense's primary receivers or whether the younger Caleb Douglas eats into that workload immediately.

LV — Tre Tucker, WR
The Raiders treated Tucker like an established starter during the latter part of preseason. With Brock Bowers attracting enormous defensive attention, Tucker has a chance to become considerably more useful than his dynasty price suggests. Watch targets and downfield usage.

COMMANDERS @ EAGLES

WAS — Stefon Diggs, WR
Diggs' tiny preseason sample featured heavy slot alignment, which could be very fantasy friendly at this stage of his career. Week 1 should tell us whether Washington plans to use him as a traditional outside No. 1 or a high-volume interior target.

PHI — Tank Bigsby, RB
Philadelphia gave Bigsby passing-down work in preseason and then protected him with Saquon Barkley. He's already the obvious injury handcuff; now watch for standalone value. If Bigsby gets a regular series or third-down package with Barkley healthy, his dynasty price should rise.

COWBOYS @ GIANTS

DAL — Javonte Williams, RB
Dallas' backup battle ended with Jaydon Blue being waived and Malik Davis surviving. That leaves Williams with a clearer path to the majority of the work than seemed possible early in camp. Week 1 will tell us whether Dallas actually treats him like a feature back or still wants a meaningful Davis rotation.

NYG — Cam Skattebo, RB
Perhaps the week's messiest backfield. New York kept Skattebo, Najee Harris, Devin Singletary and Tyrone Tracy. Forget rushing yards for now — watch who gets the first snap, third downs and goal-line carries. Skattebo's dynasty value could move dramatically based on his place in that pecking order.

BRONCOS @ CHIEFS

DEN — J.K. Dobbins, RB
Denver has RJ Harvey and Jonah Coleman waiting behind him, but Dobbins enters Week 1 as the veteran who should get the first opportunity. Fantasy Life projects double-digit rushing work Monday night. If Dobbins controls goal-line and early-down snaps, the younger backs may require more patience than dynasty managers expected.

KC — Emmett Johnson, RB
Johnson emerged from Kansas City's preseason as one of the young backs worth keeping around. Week 1 is our first chance to see whether that translates into a genuine RB2 role or whether his preseason momentum disappears once the regular-season offense takes over. His snap share matters far more than his rushing total.

Alright, that's all we got leading into week 1. Good luck, enjoy the return of football, and see you all on the other side!

Yours in Football,
Doug