Who has dominated Week 1 in the past?
Earlier this week, while preparing to do research for Week 1 matchups, my colleague Dave Richard slipped me a note about new Ravens wideout Steve Smith's recent early-season performance; since turning 31, Smith has scored 10 or more Fantasy points in four straight Week 1 games, making him a good bet to get his Ravens' career off to a fast start.
That got me thinking of which other players have historically enjoyed Week 1 success. As it turns out, Smith has been a stud during the season's first week throughout his career, ranking among the active leaders in Week 1 receiving yards (845), touchdowns (7), and receptions (59) over the course of his lengthy career.
Below, you'll find the rest of the active Week 1 standouts among active players, courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com's Play Index tool.
Most 300-yard passing games in Week 1: Tony Romo, Drew Brees, Jay Cutler (5)
Most 2-touchdown games in Week 1: Tom Brady (10), Drew Brees, Peyton Manning (9)
Most Week 1's with receiving TD: Anquan Boldin, Steve Smith, Reggie Wayne (6), Larry Fitzgerald (5)
Most Week 1's with multiple receiving TD: Wes Welker (3)
Most 100-yard receiving games in Week 1: Andre Johnson (5), Steve Smith, Reggie Wayne (4)
Most Week 1's with rushing TD: Frank Gore (6), Adrian Peterson (4)
Most Week 1's with multiple rushing TD: Adrian Peterson (3), Arian Foster (2)
Most 100-yard rushing games in Week 1: LeSean McCoy, Adrian Peterson (3), Ray Rice (2)
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