Kyle Monangai just went off for the Bears in Week 1, dropping a ridiculous 61-yard touchdown run as part of a 100-yard rushing effort, helping his team rack up a massive 59 points against the Panthers. The dude even snagged two passes for 24 yards, which is a huge bump after only 18 receptions all of last year. Yeah, D’Andre Swift is still the main guy, out-snapping and out-rushing him, but Monangai is definitely going to be a big piece of that offense, offering standalone flex value, especially when those dreaded bye weeks hit. If Swift goes down, Monangai could seriously jump into the top-12 RBs. But forget Chicago for a sec, let’s talk about a guy who ran right into the Legion of Zoom, because our defense made a statement.
The Seahawks Defense Is Still That Wall, Just Ask New England
Remember that Week 1 loss for the Patriots? Our boys in green and blue handed it to them, and they did it by absolutely shutting down their run game. TreVeyon Henderson, who’s rostered in a wild 93% of fantasy leagues, missed that game against the Seahawks with an ankle injury, but he’s already practicing and might be back this week. Good for them, because Rhamondre Stevenson looked like he was running in quicksand against our “stout Seahawks defense,” averaging a measly 2.8 yards per carry. Ouch! Henderson might not be the world’s greatest pass-blocker, but he’s a much more explosive rusher than Stevenson. The stats from his rookie season back it up too, with more total yards and yards per carry than Stevenson. When Henderson finally hits the field, the Patriots are gonna get some big-play ability that Stevenson clearly lacked when he faced our defense. Yeah, the Emerald City’s defense made a statement in Week 1, and the league better take notice.
Other Backup Ballers Stepping Up Around the League
Around the league, other guys are trying to make their mark too. Take RJ Harvey for the Broncos. In their Monday night loss to the Chiefs, he actually led the running back room with a 53% snap share. Sure, he only carried the ball three times compared to J.K. Dobbins’ eight, but Harvey still snagged four catches. His role is gonna be super game-script dependent, meaning Dobbins probably gets more run when Denver’s winning, but Harvey’s gonna be involved every single game and could be a low-end flex option in full-PPR leagues.
Down in Arizona, Tyler Allgeier got a heavy workload, leading the Cardinals with 19 touches to Jeremiyah Love’s 13. Neither of them exactly lit it up on the ground, with Allgeier averaging 3.6 YPC and Love just a hair better at 3.7 YPC. And forget the passing game for those two. It sounds like Love’s preseason ankle injury limited him, so don’t be shocked if he takes over soon. For Allgeier, the good news is the Cardinals offense performed well, meaning he’s stuck in a timeshare for Week 2.
Finally, Blake Corum over in LA had a bit of a quiet Week 1 for the Rams. His snap share was only 26.4%, and he saw zero targets. Still, he actually out-ran Kyren Williams, picking up 54 yards on 10 carries compared to Williams’ 41 yards on 11. Despite the lack of pass game work, Corum is someone you should still roster. He’ll get his carries, but his 15 career catches mean his upside is capped as a flex option until the bye weeks really kick in. Jonathan Brooks also flashed, gaining 48 yards on his only catch for the Panthers.
So, as we gear up for Week 2, keep an eye on these guys. Some teams are still figuring out their backfields, and one injury or one big defensive stand, like the one our Seahawks put on the Patriots, can shake things up in a hurry. You never know when one of these backups is gonna break out, so stay ready for whatever comes next!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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