When Kliff Kingsbury went out and made a huge splash by acquiring DeAndre Hopkins, it was clear the head coach was looking to give his franchise quarterback, Kyler Murray, a true alpha WR1 that would unlock Murray’s true potential. Although some thought Hopkins would be a piece of an offense that likes to spread the ball around, it was evident right away in Week 1 that he will be a bonafide fantasy football WR1 in the Arizona Air Raid.
So, how did Hopkins fare in his first game, you ask? Just hauled in a career-high 14 receptions on 16 targets that went for 151 yards and an overturned touchdown. It was nothing short of spectacular to see Hopkins go out in his first game and dominate the defending NFC champion, San Francisco 49ers. His 16 targets more than tripled Murray’s next-highest targeted pass-catchers, Larry Fitzgerald, Christian Kirk, and Chase Edmonds.
Hopkins has always been quarterback-proof, as evidenced by his time in Houston during the pre-Deshaun Watson era. He was always paired with disgusting QBs, but he still put up WR1 numbers and successful fantasy seasons. When Watson entered and the QB play rose drastically, Hopkins became an elite WR1.
Now, he finds himself in an offense that can send his potential to the moon. Kingsbury clearly has big things in mind for the Murray-Hopkins duo, and if the two of them can go into San Francisco and put on that kind of show, I’m fairly confident in what they can do against any team on their schedule. One other thing to keep in mind, Hopkins seems to be relishing the fact that he gets a fresh start in an organization and most importantly, is finally away from Bill O’Brien.
A happy Hopkins, paired with a pass-happy Air Raid offense will do wonders for the former Texan. If Week 1 is any indicator, he’ll be in an arms race with Davante Adams for the overall WR1 in fantasy 2020, with plenty more offensive explosions to come.
