NFL Week 1: Biggest Overperformers

What a crazy first week of the NFL that was. So many games soared over the total, and there were some crazy touchdowns to go along with an overtime game, and a crazy upset in Los Angeles. Let's talk about some of the biggest overperformers from Week 1. Anyone can sit here and tell you that the Cardinals winning outright against the Chargers is crazy, or the Jaguars' beatdown against the Browns was impressive, but let's dig into the weeds a little bit for some of this weeks biggest overperformers. 

DJ Moore was one of the biggest overperformers in the first week of the season. Did anyone expect anything from Moore after an abysmal 2025 season with the Bears? No, and everyone was afraid to draft him in fantasy this year, too. Nobody ever believes in Bills wide receivers, and for good reason! They haven't had a true WR1 since Stefon Diggs was lacing them up in Buffalo. Could the Bills have just found their answer at wide receiver? I think so...

Moore not only shined in his Bills' debut, he came down with an insane 50 yard touchdown catch. If his 5 catches for 100 yards and a TD performance didn't impress you, let's see what he does against the Lions in Week 2; they just gave up 182 yards to Chris Olave last week. 

The Bears did exactly what the sharps thought they wouldn't do in the first week of the NFL season. They put up 59 points and covered with ease in the biggest trap game of the week on Sunday. That certainly qualifies them for one of the biggest overperformers of the first week of the season, but it was the way they did it that was so impressive. 

Ben Johnson saw what was working against a struggling Panthers front seven, and kept running the same plays over and over again. He ran the ball down the Panthers' throats, with four different players getting nearly forty carries. Ben Johnson didn't get cute, he saw what was working and leaned into it. That is what impressed me most about the Bears big win on Sunday.

I never would've thought I'd be writing an article with the "Bengals' defense" and "biggest overperformers" in the same sentence, but we're here! The Bengals' defense impressed me last week, forcing Baker Mayfield into fumbling three times. Their defense only gave up 7 points in the second half (Joe Burrow threw a pick-six as well), an impressive feat against a really good Bucs offense. 

The Bengals also had an interception on Baker, but it was called back due to a penalty. It was impressive to witness the Bengals holding the Bucs to 20 offensive points on Sunday, especially considering how much this defensive unit has struggled over the years. They impressed me a ton in Week 1, especially without Trey Hendrickson. Maybe their new duo of Dexter Lawrence and Jonathan Allen will be better than people expect in 2026...