Las Vegas Raiders vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (-5.5 / 48.5)
Two somewhat surprise 1-0 teams battle it out to see who gets to 2-0. The Raiders opened their season and tenure at their brand new stadium with a Monday Night Victory over the visiting Baltimore Ravens. In that game, Derek Carr had an impressive 435 yard game. This Steelers’ defense isn’t anything to mess around about, but I think Carr is still a safe play. Talking about safe plays, Darren Waller had 19 targets (yes you read that right.) He caught 10 of them, but still, this type of volume is a gold mine and if you drafted Waller with an early round selection, you’re grinning ear to ear. When it comes to the Raiders' running game, I’m pumping the brakes. Josh Jacobs had 34 yards on just 10 carries. His two touchdowns saved his day. Kenyan Drake only had six carriers. I’m keeping both of these guys on my bench. Bryan Edwards, pre-season darling, had a decent day, as he was Carr’s favorite target in the final drive that ultimately tied the game and sent it to overtime. This game has an implied point’s total of 49 points, so we can see a good amount of points put on the board. If I’m playing a three wide receiver league or one with multiple flexes, Edwards or even Hunter Renfrow can be a play. As for the Steelers, there wasn’t much fantasy success against the Bills. Big Ben is a decent streaming option for quarterbacks this week (see Will’s stremable quarterbacks of the week https://www.weknowfantasy.com/post/we-know-fantasy-qb-streamers-week-2.) Diontae Johnson had ten targets. He’s a safe play week-to-week. Go ahead and keep playing Chase Claypool and Juju Smith-Schuster. Also, it’s officially buy low season on Najee Harris. Get him now. You’ll never have a better opportunity than right now. Ty’Shon Williams ran nine times for 65 yards and a score. Latavius Murray ran 10 times for 28 yards and a score. There’s production to be had on the ground. Keep Harris in your lineups or go get him on the low!
Prediction: Raiders 34, Steelers 27
San Francisco 49ers vs. Philadelphia Eagles (+3 / 49.5)
You can’t really start either San Francisco QB unless you’re truly devoid of other options. We just don’t know who will get the scoring opportunities. If it’s Lance, they’ll cancel each other out (unless he’s truly taking the job, which did not appear to be the case from Week 1). The RBs, however, offer some good value. I’m willing the roll out Elijah Mitchell as an RB2 this week, and despite the healthy scratch in Week 1, I’m going to play Trey Sermon as a flex. Deebo & Kittle are the only pass catchers I’m comfortable with, as there are reports that Aiyuk is working back from his hamstring injury and may not get the typical workload (as we saw with his 0.0 in last week). I’m taking a wait and see approach with Aiyuk, but definitely looking to buy him if his manager is panicking.
The Eagles are more straightforward. Hurts looked great against Atlanta, and if Jared Goff can put up big numbers against this defense, I fully expect Hurts to look competent passing, and put up his typical rushing numbers. Both Eagles RBs are in play this week, as Miles Sanders dominated snaps early and controlled the rushing work. However, Gainwell was VERY effective as a pass catcher. With both Detroit RBs doing solid work through the air against the 49ers Defense, I expect Gainwell to have a sneaky strong game. Devonta Smith is clearly the best receiver, and I’ll use him as a lower end WR2 or WR3. I also think that Goedert will do fine (especially if Ertz is inactive or limited due to his hamstring).
Expect another 49ers win, so there should be some late game passing for the Eagles as they try to catch up, and some extra rushing work for one of the San Francisco RBs (good luck predicting which one).
Houston Texans vs. Cleveland Browns (-13 / 47.5)
Ah yes, matchup of the year! It’s “The Butt of Every Joke for the Past Twenty Years” vs. “The Butt of Every Joke for the Past Two Years.” That said, we have an intriguing matchup from a fantasy perspective.
Remember Sunday? That weird day where football came back and we thought everything would go back to normal? But then the Cleveland Browns went into halftime with a 22-10 lead over Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs? Because I almost forgot. We all almost forgot.
Folks, the Browns’ defense is legit. With a capital ‘L’. Myles Garrett and Jadeveon Clowney alone are enough to strike fear in the hearts of even the boldest and brightest of Quarterbacks, and Tyrod Taylor is neither of those things. Don’t get me wrong, he’s building a Fitzmagic-esque career going from team to team and being a legit (lowercase l) starter on a series of one-year contracts, and I love the guy for it. But Patrick Mahomes he is not, and I have a feeling he’s going to struggle against these Browns.
To that end, despite inevitably playing from behind, I have a feeling the Texans passing game won’t be as thrilling as it was against the lowly Jaguars, so downgrade Brandin Cooks just a wee bit. He’ll still get work, and he’s the best pass-catching option on the team, but I don’t expect him to get near the 18.2 PPR points he managed last week.
Call me crazy… But this might be a David Johnson game? He’s established himself as the pass-catching back, and the Texans have a history of relying on screen passes to help slow down the pass rush, which they’ll need to do against Mylaveon Clowrett. Jadyles Garney. I’ll find one. A full one-fourth of Tyrod Taylor’s total targets, eight-out-of-32, went to running backs last week. That’s a high target share that may get even higher this week.
Now the Browns’ offense on the other hand - They’re going to be giving me Chubb all day. I know, big surprising analysis right there, but come on, the Texans’ run defense is not as good as the Jags made them seem last week. Despite only giving up 76 rushing yards (11th best in the NFL!), they gave up a whopping 4.8 yards-per-carry (26th best in the NFL…). Chubb will feast. Kareem Hunt will probably end up in the end zone.
Save your shares of Cleveland’s passing game for when Odell decides to suit up. Not necessarily because he’ll be great, but because he’ll at least attract the attention of defenses.
Denver Broncos vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (+5.5 / 44.5)
This is one of the toughest games to try and figure out. On one side, we have the Week 1 overperforming Broncos’ offense and on the other side we have the very much underperforming Jacksonville Jaguars. Teddy Bridgewater had a great Week 1, throwing for 264 yards and two scores. He should be a safe play this week as well. Melvin Gordon surprised a lot of people by rushing for 101 yards on a score on 11 carries. He also caught three passes. Rookie Javonte Williams out carried Gordon with 14 carries. Both can be played this week. We’ll continue to see a near 50/50 split in production by these two backs. Jerry Jeudy is on the IR. Cortland Sutton is a must play week-in-and-week-out without Jeudy. Tim Patrick was the Broncos’ top receiver in Week 1 in terms of fantasy with his four receptions for 39 yards and a touchdown. He is a go in three receiver leagues or leagues with multiple flex positions. Of course, you don’t ever bench Fant. As for the Jaguars, Trevor Lawrence did throw for 332 yards and three touchdowns but also tossed three interceptions against a not-so-great Texans’ defense. This Broncos’ defense is a world better than the Texans. I’m not confident in playing Lawrence this week. Marvin Jones and Laviska Shenault each had nine targets as D.J. Chark had 12 targets. Both Jones and Chark scored a touchdown. Chark seems to be the WR1 in Jacksonville with Jones and Shenault as his running mates. I’m fine with playing Chark this week, but I’m hitting the brakes on the other Jaguars’ receivers. James O'Shaughnessy did see nine targets but he still isn’t a play for me. James Robinson saw just five carries in a poor game script. He did see six targets. Expect more volume out of him, he’s still a play for me.
Prediction: Denver 27, Jacksonville 24
New Orleans Saints vs Carolina Panthers (+3.5 / 44.5)
The New Orleans Saints (1-0) are coming off an improbable whooping of the Green Bay Packers in Week 1 and head to Carolina to take on the 1-0 Panthers. Carolina defeated the New York Jets in a low scoring Week 1 affair.
Famous Jameis – the current league leader in passing touchdowns – was surprisingly accurate and efficient last week. Jameis’ five touchdowns came on just 14 completions for 148 yards. The Saints offense was never challenged in the game, jumping out to a commanding lead early and never looking back. Jameis is a fine play this week against a Carolina defense that ranked mid-pack against the pass last season and allowed a pair of passing touchdowns from rookie Zach Wilson last week. I’d feel comfortable streaming him if I absolutely had to. He is a locked-and-loaded QB2.
Alvin Kamara is obviously a must start, and with how things went for Carolina’s run defense last year, he has a solid chance at being the overall RB1 on the week. Tony Jones saw a nice chunk of work in his NFL debut, running the ball 11 times for 50 yards last week. I’d still be skeptical about starting him, as he was in a very positive game script last week. Hold him on your bench for now, he may be worth a matchup-dependent flex spot start or two down the road.
I’m still not crazy about any New Orleans pass catchers after last weekend, just don’t fall into the Juwan Johnson trap. Though he had a pair of touchdowns, Adam Trautman was actually on the field for more snaps last week. I could easily see Kamara leading the team in targets this week.
For the Panthers, Sam Darnold looked alright in his Carolina debut. He threw for 279 yards and a touchdown while also adding a touchdown with his legs. I have him ranked a little lower than Winston this week as a back-end QB2. The way the Saints defense looked against Green Bay could put Darnold in line for a long day.
We don’t have to talk about Christian McCaffrey here, so let’s move to pass catchers. Robby Anderson scares me in general. Despite being reunited with Darnold, Anderson saw just three targets in Week 1, hauling in one 57-yard score. I’m a bit reluctant to start him this week against a strong Saints’ defense. D.J. Moore and Terrace Marshall Jr. also come with a bit of concern. Moore is a low-end WR2 for me this week. He’s always got the ability to make the big play and score some long touchdowns. One broken coverage is all Moore needs to return decent fantasy value.
I’m interested to see just how good this Saints’ defense is. If they’re truly a legit defense, they should have no problem with Carolina after shutting down Aaron Rodgers and the Packers last week.
Pick: New Orleans 24, Carolina 17
Los Angeles Rams vs. Indianapolis Colts (+3.5 / 48.5)
While both teams have solid playmakers on offense, these defenses should limit the scoring in this game. The Colts, led by Carson Wentz ran a significant chunk of their passing offense through the RB position – Jonathan Taylor and Nyheim Hines combined for 12 receptions on 15 targets. That may be the way to counteract the Rams’ defensive line strength, as a short pass to the RB can nullify Aaron Donald and company as an extension of the running game. As expected, Indianapolis ran a WR rotation, with no WR earning more than 5 targets (Pascal – 5, Pittman – 4, Campbell – 3), so I’d stay away from the WRs in this matchup.
While the Colts only gave up 254 passing yards to the Seahawks, it came on only 23 attempts (11.0 YPA). I expect that the Rams will attack the Colts more aggressively via the pass, which should create plenty of opportunities for Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods. I’d also look for Tyler Higbee to have a solid outing. Darrell Henderson took a bit to get going, and I’m not sold that he’s going to see 94% of the RB carries again as Sony Michel gets up to speed with the playbook. You’re going to have trouble sitting him after his Week 1 performance (70 ru yds, 1 rec – 17 rec yds, 1 TD), but don’t be surprised if his workload drops a bit from Week 1 and he’s more of an RB2 than RB1.
Buffalo Bills vs. Miami Dolphins (+3.5 / 47.5)
It’s only week 2 and the race to take the AFC East is already in midseason form! I’m psyched for this game from a pure football perspective, which makes all the fantasy intrigue just the cherry on top. I know it’s way too early to actually be saying this (there are somehow 16 games left! Impossible!), but with the Dolphins coming fresh off of a tight divisional win over the Patriots, another win this week would make them easy statistical favorites to win the East. They want it bad.
Buffalo’s coming fresh off an embarrassing loss to the Steelers in which they literally lost by a blocked punt. The Bills were arguably the favorite to take the division after their performance last season, and they’ll be looking to right the ship using the right arm of Josh Allen.
Xavien Howard will almost certainly be shadowing Stefon Diggs this game, so we’ll have to downgrade Diggs all the way from a top 5 WR to… Well… Maybe a top 10 wide receiver? Come on, he’s Stefon Diggs, you’re not sitting him, but definitely temper your expectations and don’t start him in DFS lineups. Cole Beasley will be busy on Sunday. Guy had the same number of targets as Diggs in the game against Pittsburgh, and Beasley won’t be shadowed by Howard. Also… Is this a Gabriel Davis breakout game? Probably not. But maybe? Again, Diggs will be shadowed...
I don’t have much to say about the run game period. Despite the fact that both of these teams last week were in low-scoring defensive battles, neither of the lead backs eclipsed 11 carries, and Gaskin couldn’t even make it to double-digit carries. Devin Singletary averaged 6.5 yards per carry with an inactive Zach Moss. Myles Gaskin averaged 5.4 yards per carry. They should be feasting on opportunities, but the coaches seem to want to rely on their gunslingers (Josh Allen had 9 carries himself), and I don’t expect it to be much different this week with the stakes being as high as they are for this game.
Wait what? You want me to say something about Dolphins pass catchers? Hell if I know. Will Fuller isn’t suspended anymore, but he’s as likely to get injured in his first game back as he is to catch a 47 yard touchdown. Avoid Devante Parker and Jaylen Waddle. Waddle showed promise and got the touchdown last week, but with Fuller back and stretching the field, I have a feeling Tua gets Gesicki more involved than he was last week. So honestly, with all of those high-speed options at Wide Receiver spreading out the defense, I have the most faith in Gesicki - the guy who put up a whole goose egg for your fantasy teams last week.4
New England Patriots vs. New York Jets (+5.5 / 42.5)
It’s a rookie QB showdown as the Zach Wilson and the Jets welcome Mac Jones and the Patriots. I fully expect both coaching staffs to work to take pressure off the QBs by establishing the running game. In New England, that means we should see another healthy dose of Damien Harris, with some James White sprinkled in. The Jets will probably try to shorten the game and keep Wilson from facing pressure, which will be a tough task after losing T Mekhi Becton to injury in Week 1. I’m downgrading the entire Jets passing game in this one, as Belichick has a tendency to scheme rookie QBs into disastrous performances. I’m not sitting Corey Davis, but I’m taking a wait and see approach on all the other pass catchers (Elijah Moore included, especially with Keelan Cole and Jamison Crowder reportedly back on track to play). Instead, if I need to flex a Jets RB, I’m willing to use either Ty Johnson or Tevin Coleman, but I’m not expecting a huge game out of either as they’ll each cap the other for fantasy purposes. Michael Carter hasn’t established himself enough in the backfield to warrant consideration outside of the deepest leagues.
I’m much more willing to take a shot on the Patriots passing game. I expect that Mac Jones will find some play action shots to Jakobi Meyers and Nelson Agholor, and monitor the TE room, as Jonnu Smith carries the ‘Questionable’ tag into the game. If he is inactive, it lends more confidence to using Hunter Henry, but I’m expecting the targets to go through Meyers, Agholor, and James White first.
Cincinnati Bengals vs. Chicago Bears (-2.5 / 45.5)
Noooo but I did so poorly on these predictions for Cin-City last week! And you give me them again?! Well. That’s the last time I doubt a healthy Joe Mixon. Get him in your lineups. The guy had 33 touches against the Vikings, and if there’s even a sniff of a positive game script, you better believe that he’ll get that many opportunities again.
And Ja’marr Chase outproducing all of the other Wide Receivers? Granted, Tee Higgins went and got himself dehydrated and needed an IV, but he came back and numbers are numbers. I still think Higgins will be Burrow’s primary target moving forward, but Chase might’ve just passed Boyd, and I doubt Boyd will take it back. Give it another week or two, but Boyd may be a drop candidate soon.
Despite my failures in this segment last week, I still have my doubts about Cincinnati’s defense. The Vikings offensive line seems to be objectively bad, and Dalvin Cook still managed to score 22.4 PPR fantasy points. David Montgomery averaged 6.8 yards per carry against the vaunted Rams defense last week, and Chicago will continue to feed him the rock for as long as Tarik Cohen is out. Roll Montgomery out with confidence.
Now that Allen Robinson won’t be dealing with Jalen Ramsey, he may be able to catch more than 55% of the targets that go his way. With 11 targets last week while being draped by one of the best cornerbacks in the game, I can only imagine how many balls Dalton and/or Fields are going to send his way. The Bengals defensive backs made Adam Thielen look like a superstar again, and a fair amount of that production came from the slot. Guess who spends even more time in the slot than Thielen? That’s right. Allen Freaking Robinson II.
Atlanta Falcons vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-12.5 / 52.5)
There’s a lot of fantasy value to have in this one. There’s just one game with a higher anticipated point total and two with the same as this one. The Falcons did not have a good showing in Week 1, but the Dallas Cowboys and Dak Prescott showed that you can put up a lot of points against this Tampa defense. Mike Davis led the Falcons’ in terms of fantasy points with just 8.9 points. He saw 15 carries in their Week 1 game and even though he only produced 49 yards, that type of volume can’t be ignored. Put Davis in your lineups. I think Matt Ryan has a bounce back week this week and puts up over 300 yards. This will also result in pass catchers such as Calvin Ridley and Kyle Pitts to have big weeks. Those two names should always be in your lineups. I’m in on Atlanta this week. As for the Buccaneers, there isn’t much to say. You’re playing Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski, Mike Evans, Anthonio Brown and Chris Godwin. The big question mark is the backfield. What do you do with Leonard Fournette and Ronald Jones? Jones' early costly fumble set the tone for his game script. I think he’s back involved this week and the nine carries and seven targets will go towards Jones. I’d still play Jones over Fournette this week, as the Falcons allowed the Eagles to run all over them.
Prediction: Buccaneers 37, Falcons 28
Minnesota Vikings vs. Arizona Cardinals (-3.5 / 50.5)
I’m looking forward to this game for fantasy purposes. A 50.5 total should allow both offenses to get the job done for fantasy managers. Kyler Murray started 2021 off hot (remember he was on pace to be QB1 until he was hurt in 2020 and his scoring tailed off playing through injury). He’s always a threat to run, and he’s got several weapons to choose from in De’Andre Hopkins, Christian Kirk and rookie WR Rondale Moore. Chase Edmonds should be fine as an RB2, or better as a flex; but James Conner will need to hope that he earns the TDs rather than watching Kyler Murray scramble in. Conner is going to be a frustrating player for fantasy managers, as there’s always the risk that Kyler snipes the TDs that would typically save his fantasy day.
On the other side of the ball, I fully expect Minnesota to look to get Dalvin Cook going early and often – first and foremost because he’s the centerpiece of their offense, but if they can keep Kyler off the field, he can’t make life difficult for their defense. If they do end up falling behind, the Vikings pair of receivers, Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen, can cause enough problems for Arizona that Minnesota should find themselves in scoring range often enough.
If available (and if your league plays with defenses), the Cardinals defense is in a strong spot. They just had Chandler Jones earn 5 sacks against Ryan Tannehill, and Kirk Cousins is significantly less mobile.
Tennessee Titans vs. Seattle Seahawks (-5.5 / 52.5)
Another high projected scoring game. The Titans really laid an egg in Week 1 against the Cardinals. Everyone on that offense underperformed last week. Can we expect King Henry to only rush 17 times for 58 yards? No. He’ll turn it on this week and go for over 100 yards and a score, and you can take that to the bank. Once Henry gets things going, so will Ryan Tannehill. He threw for just 212 yards with the likes of A.J. Brown and Julio Jones catching footballs. I’m still playing both this week in this game that could post fireworks. As for the Seahawks, keep playing Russell Wilson, D.K. Metcalf, Tyler Lockett and Chris Carson. I’d stay away from Gerald Everett or Will Dissly though. The volume just isn’t there. If Chris Carson wasn’t an RB1 in your mind coming into the season, you better start wising up. This game could see a lot of points, especially in Seattle. Play the offensive shares you have in this game.
Prediction: Seahawks 33, Titans 27
Dallas Cowboys vs. Los Angeles Chargers (-3.5 / 54.5)
Yall ready for a wild west shootout? ‘Cause I tell you what, if’n yall don’t pound the Over on this here Cowboys ‘n Chargers, yall’re gonna regret it.
And yes, while I was born and raised in Houston and rode my horse to and from school every day (not actually, but you believed me didn’t you?), and I generally love seeing the Dallas Cowboys fail, I just can’t help but root for Dak. He’s so fun to watch, and Football is a better sport when he’s on the field. The guy threw for over 400 yards against arguably the best defense in the league last Thursday night, and my money’s on him to do it again this week.
The Cowboys offensive line is struggling to stay healthy and make holes for Zeke to run through, and the Chargers defensive line is no joke. If you take away his one great run of 27 yards, Antonio Gibson only averaged only 3.3 yards per carry last week on 19 carries against that Chargers Defense. The Chargers stopped Gibson for no gain or negative yardage on 5 of his 20 total rushes. Combine that defensive success with the Cowboys struggles running the ball, and I don’t think this is going to be a get-right game for Zeke. You gotta start him, but you don’t feel good about it.
Michael Gallup is out for a while. Get Ceedee Lamb and Amari Cooper in all of your lineups. In fact, trade away Zeke for them. I’m only half kidding about that last statement.
Dalton Schultz is also an intriguing option at Tight End. There was a ton of hype for Blake Jarwin a year ago before he got injured because we know Dak likes his Tight Ends near the end zone. Schultz was the one with 6 targets last week, and he could step up even more this week in Gallup’s absence.
Bad News - Demarcus Lawrence is out with a broken foot. He can’t get sacks if he’s not on the field. Justin Herbert will have plenty of time to throw the ball, and to me that means a big Mike Williams game. We know Keenan Allen always gets his, but Williams was only one target shy of Allen’s share last week, plus he tends to get more end zone looks due to his size. He’s also always been the deep ball guy, and when Herbert has time to throw, he loves the deep ball. Did I mention we’re looking at a wild west shootout?
Austin Ekeler will get his targets. He has to, and I think it starts this weekend. That’s all I have for him here. He’s a top-6 play for me this week, especially since they may not need as much help from their RBs for protection with Demarcus Lawrence out.
Kansas City Chiefs vs. Baltimore Ravens (+3.5 / 55)
With Kansas City coming off an exciting victory and the Ravens coming off a devastating loss, there are plenty of storylines headed into this week’s Sunday Night game.
On Monday night the Ravens lost one of the wildest football games to take place over the last few seasons and look to bounce back for a primetime win in Week 2. Kansas City stands in the way following a nearly equally as exciting victory over Baker Mayfield and the Browns to get off to a 1-0 start.
Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson don’t really need to be discussed here. You’re starting both of these guys hands down.
In the run game, Ty’Son Williams looked semi-impressive for Baltimore, toting the ball nine times for 61 yards and a score while adding 29 yards on three receptions through the air. Latavius Murray also had 10 carries in the game and a rushing touchdown, but only averaged 2.8 yards-per-carry. I’d expect to see Williams continue to lead the team with Murray picking up some short yardage and goal line work. If you’re going to shoot your shot, shoot it on Williams this week as a flex option. For Kansas City, Clyde Edwards-Helaire struggled to just 3.1 yards-per-carry last week, but no other Kansas City running back saw more than one carry. Plug him in as a locked and loaded RB2 with RB1 upside this week.
Baltimore’s wide receiver situation is interesting. Hollywood Brown scored for the team last week and led in receptions, but Sammy Watkins led the team in yardage with his 4-96-0 night. Brown is worth a flex in desperation situations where you need someone to have an explosive night. Stay away from Watkins. He’s shown in the past that Week 1 is usually his most productive week. Tyreek Hill is also good at football. Play him.
At tight end, Mark Andrews has to be played. I think he posts a better performance than his 3-20-0 line against the Raiders Monday night. As for Travis Kelce, he falls into the Tyreek Hill category (see above.)
In all, I think it's going to be tough for the Ravens to keep up in this one. Baltimore just has too many injuries holding them back at the moment. Losing Marcus Peters was a big blow to this defense and certainly will not help them slow down a Kansas City offense that already looks to be in midseason form.
Pick: Kansas City 31, Baltimore 13
Detroit Lions vs. Green Bay Packers (-11 / 48.5)
This has potential to be a complete stinker of a Monday night game for many reasons. Jared Goff and the Detroit Lions are not a good football team despite the fantasy numbers accrued by Goff, Jamaal Williams, D’Andre Swift and T.J. Hockenson last week. Aaron Rodgers and the Packers look to bounce back from what can only be described as an embarrassment last Sunday in a throttling from the Saints.
Goff was the QB3 last week and after seeing what Jameis Winston did to the Green Bay defense, it’s hard to say to sit Goff. However, I believe these were two fluke performances that just so happen to meet up against each other in the second week of the season. Vegas agrees with me, having the Packers currently listed as 11-point favorites. Goff’s lack of wide receiver usage last week should throw up some red flags. Detroit took advantage of a lot of turnovers last week. If Rodgers takes care of the ball, Goff won’t have as many good chances. I’m sitting him this week. Rodgers on the other hand is an interesting predicament. Was he playing poorly on purpose? I’d hate to say that about him, but it sure looked like he didn’t care much at all about his team’s horrible outcome. I’d be scared to play him this week, but the Detroit matchup is just too good. Jimmy Garoppolo just carved these guys up for crying out loud. Play Rodgers if you’ve got him.
D’Andre Swift was “limited” last week to 19 touches and made the most of it. Both he and teammate Jamaal Williams were top-four running backs in PPR scoring. Expectations are lower this week, but not so low that these guys should be out of your lineups. Swift should be a solid RB2 while Williams still offers flex value. Aaron Jones looks to bounce back from a nine-yard performance on the ground. Once again, a bit of a fluke because New Orleans had gotten ahead so early that the Packers never had a chance to establish the run. I’m expecting a big bounce back from Jones this week. He should post RB1 numbers in this one.
I mentioned the Lions wide receivers earlier… Just don’t. As for the Packers, it's Davante Adams and nobody else. At least not until someone truly emerges as a WR2 on this team (and Rodgers gets his head out of his you-know-where).
Hockenson is a must-start. He will be all season with Goff throwing the rock and a lack of receiving weapons. Tonyan on the other hand worries me. He had a tough Week 1 (as did all Packers) and I’m expecting him to regress this season. If you’ve got nobody else, take a shot, but if he puts up another stinker, it may be time to cut ties and find someone else.
Packers ought to roll in this one.
Pick: Green Bay 41, Detroit 9
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