2020 GAME CAPSULES AND PLAYER PROJECTIONS WEEK 1 …€¦ · TEAM DEFENSE 27 27 27.2 31 146.2 14 18...

2 0 2 0 G A M E C AP S U L E SA N D

P L A Y E R P R O J E C T I O N SW E E K 1

S U N D A Y A F T E R N O O NM A T C H U P S

By

Matt WilsonFantasySharks.com Senior Writer

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (0-0)

WASH. FOOTBALL TEAM (0-0)

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 13 TH 1:00 PM ETFEDEX F IELD LANDOVER, MD

L I N E : P H I – 6 . 0 O V E R / U N D E R : 42 .0

2019 TEAM OFFENSIVE & DEFENSIVE MATCHUPS

UNIT RANKSCOR. PTS/ RUSH RUSH RUSH PASS PASS PASSRANK GM RANK YPG TD RANK YPG TD

EAGLES OFFENSE 14 12 24.1 11 121.2 16 11 239.6 27

TEAM DEFENSE 27 27 27.2 31 146.2 14 18 238.9 35

TEAM OFFENSE 31 32 16.6 22 98.9 9 32 175.8 18

EAGLES DEFENSE 10 15 22.1 3 90.1 13 19 241.6 27

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES INJURIES TO MONITOR: Miles Sanders (hamstring), Alshon Jeffery (foot surgery),Jalen Reagor (shoulder)

BYE: Week 9

After battling through key injuries to capture the NFC East crown last season, the Philadelphia Eagles return with essentially the same personnel and coaching staff. Unfortunately, the injury bug is already chomping on the Eagles again. Miles Sanders (hamstring), Alshon Jeffery (foot),Jalen Reagor (shoulder) and Lane Johnson (ankle) are among their walking wounded. Philadelphia already lost Andre Dillard and Brandon Brooks on their offensive line. The Eagles should still challenge for the playoffs since the Dallas Cowboys are the only legit threat inthe NFC East. Battles between Philadelphia and the Washington Football Team are usually high scoring, and this one should be, too.

QUARTERBACK MATCHUPThis past season, Carson Wentz started all 16 games for the first time since his 2016 rookie yearand passed for a career-high 4,039 yards to go along with 27 touchdown strikes even though the Eagles endured a huge number of injuries at wideout. Philadelphia’s receiver corps looks

improved on paper with a healthy DeSean Jackson (core muscle surgery) returning and with rookie first-rounder Jalen Reagor (shoulder) in the mix. Last season, Washington gave up the 12th-fewest quarterback fantasy poimts but the fifth-most touchdown passes to the position. The overhauled Washington secondary is nothing special, and Wentz should have a nice game with monster upside if he and DJax go off (more on that coming up).

RUNNING BACK MATCHUPThanks in large part to Jordan Howard (Dolphins) going down with a shoulder injury, Miles Sanders took command of the backfield during the second half of 2019 and cranked out some stellar every-down runner fantasy performances. Boston Scott also enjoyed some extra playing time alongside Sanders, emerging as the primary third-down/chainge-of-pace guy. Doug Pederson loves his tailback timeshares, but the Eagles backfield belongs to Sanders. He’s a strong start against a Washington defense that coughed up the second-most rushing yards and thefourth-most running back fantasy points in 2019. Scott deserves flex consideration in deep PPR leagues.

WIDE RECEIVER MATCHUPIf DeSean Jackson is on your team, this is as good a week as any to start him. With Jeffery (foot) and Reagor (shoulder) both sidelined, Philadelphia is short-handed at the position. The Wentz-to-Jackson connection has been impressive during the preseason, and Jackson probably wants to score once or twice against Washington, one of his former teams. Yup, the revenge motive is in play. A monster outing from Jackson is possible. J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, coming offa dismal 2019 rookie debut, probably will start on the outside opposite of Jackson. While JJAW isn’t fantasy starter material, keep an eye on him. Arcedga-Whiteside looked good during camp. Greg Ward occasionally impressed during fill-in starts lasts season, but I don’t think he’ll do much while operating out of the slot in this contest. Washingon closed out 2019 ranked 17th in wideout fantasy points allowed, and its reshuffled secondary actually could be worse. UPDATE: Reagor could suit up for Week 1, but he wouldn’t be a safe play.

TIGHT END MATCHUPZach Ertz is obviously a must-start versus a Washingotn defense that yielded the 13th-fewesttight end fantasy points but also the seventh-most scoring grabs to the position in 2019. WhilePhiladelphia was battling wideout injuries during the second half of last season, as noted, DallasGoedert saw more action, averaging 7.9 targets per contest during that stretch With injuries toJeffery and Reagor, Goedert should remain involved, but he’s a risky deep PPR league start.

WEEK 1 PLAYER PROJECTIONS

PLAYER PASSYDS

PASSTD

RUSHYDS

RUSHTD

REC RECYDS

RECTD

QB Carson Wentz 335 2 22 0

RB Miles Sanders 110 1 3 20 0

RB Boston Scott 30 1 5 48 0

RB Corey Clement 10 0 0 0 0

WR Alshon Jeffery -- -- -- -- -- -- --

WR DeSean Jackson 4 89 1

WR Greg Ward 5 57 0

WR Jalen Reagor -- -- -- -- -- -- --

WR J.J. Arcega-Whiteside 2 20 0

WR John Hightower 0 0 0

TE Zach Ertz 6 61 1

TE Dallas Goedert 4 40 0

FGA FGM XPA XPM PTS

PK Jake Elliott 2 2 4 4 10

P/A SK INT FUM TD

DT Eagles 23 5 1 1 0

PREVIOUS MATCHUP:

2019 Regular Season – Week 15

Philadelphia defeated Washington 37-27 at FedEx Field.

Carson Wentz passed for 266 yards and three scores and logged a 3-9-0 rushing line.

Miles Sanders amassed a 19-122-1 rushing line and a 6-50-1 receiving line (6 targets).

Boston Scott compiled a 6-26-0 rushing line and a 7-39-0 receiving line (7 targets).

Alshon Jeffery missed the contest due to a foot injury.

DeSean Jackson missed the game because of a core muscle injury and surgery.

Greg Ward made seven grabs for 61 yards and one touchdown (9 targets).

J.J. Arcega-Whiteside didn’t log any receptions (2 targets).

Zach Ertz caught five passes for 61 yards and one touchdown (10 targets).

Dallas Goedert snagged five balls for 55 yards (6 targets).

WASHINGTON FOOTBALL TEAM INJURIES TO MONITOR: None

BYE: Week 8

The Washington Football Team underwent a massive offseason housecleaning, making changes at general manager, head coach (Ron Rivera), offensive coordinator (Scott Turner) and defensivecoordinator (Jack Del Rio). Even the team name was changed. It’s Year 1 of what looks like a lengthy rebuild for Washington, and the youngsters are going to play. Are there any fantasy gemsbesides Terry McLaurin?

QUARTERBACK MATCHUP

Following a rough start to his 2019 rookie debut, Dwayne Haskins’ play improved dramatically late in the season. During his final one-and-a-half contests (Week 15 and Week 16), Haskins passed for 394-4-0, connecting on 72.1 percent of his throws before going down with a high ankle sprain. On the season, the cannon-armed pocket passer connected on just 58.6 percent of his throws, amassing 1,365 yards and seven touchdowns versus seven picks. By the way, Haskinsthrew for a career-high 261 yards and two touchdowns during his last clash with the Eagles. Haskins is learning his second playbook in as many seasons, and the Washington receiver corps remains very thin behind McLaurin. This past season, the Philadelphia Eagles gave up the seventh-most passing yards, but their upgraded secondary looks improved with the additions of Darius Slay and Nickell Robey-Coleman (slot corner).

RUNNING BACK MATCHUPFollowing the release of Adrian Peterson (Lions), Washington has opted to use a committee. J.D.McKissic is tentatively listed as the starter, but I suspect it’s out of respect to him since the fifth-year pro is the elder statesman of the group. Don’t expect to see McKissic, a smallish passing-down specialist, pounding it between the tackles 15-20 times like Peterson still can. Dynamic rookie Antonio Gibson is obviously the most intriguging one here, and talented Bryce Love is inthe mix after an ACL injury erased his 2019 rookie campaign. Early-down plodder Peyton Barber is likely another veteran safety net. Last season, Philadelphia gave up the fifth-fewest rushing yards to tailbacks, and Washington has kept its committee backfield plans a secret. If youcan, keep them all benched until we get a read on how Turner will use each player. If you need togamble, give Gibson a shot. No promises.

WIDE RECEIVER MATCHUPWashington made few offseason upgrades at this position, so Terry McLaurin, Haskins’ teammate at Ohio State, and Steven Sims are the only two shows in town, so to speak. McLaurin,used mainly as a deep threat in 2019, led Washington with 58-919-7 (15.8 yards per catch) on 93 targets. If he hadn’t missed Week 17 due to a concussion, a 1,000-yard season was realistic for him. Turner plans to use McLaurin in a featured role, so he should be a target monster all season.McLaurin likely will battle Slay most of the afternoon, but keep in mind that Slay, when he’s playing his best, is a very good corner but not a shutdown one. Speedy but smallish Sims came on during the closing weeks of the 2019 regular season (Week 14 through Week 17), amassing receiving lines of 4-40-0 (seven targets), 5-45-1 (11 targets), 6-64-2 (nine targets) and 5-81-1 (eight targets), respectively. I’ve projected a touchdown grab for him with only so-so confidence.This past season, the Eagles gave up the 10th-most wideout fantasy points, but their secondary is improved, as noted.

TIGHT END MATCHUPThe tight end is an important option in Turner’s offense, and he seems to prefer Logan Thomas over Jeremy Sprinkle. There are rumors flying that Thomas could see more action than expectedagainst a Philadelphia defense that yielded the third-fewest fantasy points to the position. I wouldn’t start Thomas, but he deserves a spot on your watch list for now.


PLAYER PASSYDS

PASSTD

RUSHYDS

RUSHTD

REC RECYDS

RECTD

QB Dwayne Haskins 265 2 10 0

RB J.D. McKissic 18 0 4 27 0

RB Antonio Gibson 52 0 4 34 0

RB Bryce Love 24 0 1 12 0

RB Peyton Barber 15 0 0 0 0

WR Terry McLaurin 6 78 1

WR Steven Sims 5 50 1

WR Dontrelle Inman 3 24 0

WR Antonio Gandy-Golden 0 0 0

TE Logan Thomas 3 30 0

TE Jeremy Sprinkle 1 10 0

FGA FGM XPA XPM PTS

PK Dustin Hopkins 3 3 2 2 11

P/A SK INT FUM TD

DT Washington 34 4 1 1 0

PREVIOUS MATCHUP:


Washington lost to Philadelphia 37-27 at FedEx Field.

Dwayne Haskins threw for 261 yards and two touchdowns and logged a 3-26-0 rushing line.

Adrian Peterson (Lions) amassed a 16-66-1 rushing line & a 3-25-0 receiving line (3 targets).

Chris Thompson (Jaguars) compiled a 2-26-0 receiving line (3 targets) but no carries.

Terry McLaurin caught five passes for 130 yards and one touchdown (5 targets).

Steven Sims made five grabs for 45 yards and one touchdown (11 targets).

Jeremy Sprinkle caught two passes for 13 yards (2 targets).

MIAMI DOLPHINS (0-0)

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (0-0)

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 13 TH 1:00 PM ETGILLETTE STADIUM FOXBOROUGH, MA

L I N E : N E – 5 . 5 O V E R / U N D E R : 43 .5



DOLPHINS OFFENSE 27 25 19.1 32 72.3 10 12 237.8 22

PATRIOTS DEFENSE 1 1 14.1 6 95.5 7 2 180.4 13

PATRIOTS OFFENSE 15 7 26.3 18 106.4 17 8 247.6 25

DOLPHINS DEFENSE 30 32 30.9 27 135.4 15 26 264.4 39

MIAMI DOLPHINS INJURIES TO MONITOR: DeVante Parker (hamstring), Preston Williams (knee), Mike Gesicki (hamstring)

BYE: Week 11

During the offseason, the rebuilding Miami Dolphins landed their designated franchise quarterback – rookie fifth overall selection Tua Tagovailoa – but we’re not going to see him until the team thinks he’s 100 percent recovered from hip surgery and ready to take the helm. Looking to simplify their offense and score more points, the Dolphins lured spread attack maestro Chan Gailey out of retirement. With new faces Jordan Howard and Matt Breida in the backfield, don’t count on Ryan Fitzpatrick leading the team in rushing for the second season in a row.

QUARTERBACK MATCHUPRyan Fitzpatrick knows Gailey’s scheme from their time together with the Buffalo Bills and, more recently, the New York Jets. Fitzpatrick isn’t afraid to attack downfield, and the 37-year-old triggerman isn’t afraid to tuck the ball and run when necessary. During his last clash with theNew England Patriots (at Gillette Stadium), Fitzpatrick passed for 320-1-0 and rushed for one

score, which is about what I’m expecting again. Last season, the New England defense gave up the third-fewest quarterback fantasy points, but Fitzpatrick will hold his own as a so-so two-quarterback league play.

RUNNING BACK MATCHUPEarly-down grinder Jordan Howard and change-of-pace guy Matt Breida aren’t saviors for thisoffense, but both guys are solid players. Howard, operating in the Philadelphia Eagles’ famed RBBC this past season, had been running well (4.4 yards per carry) before a shoulder injury essentially ended his campaign in Week 9. He logged a 119-525-6 rushing line, and, flashing limited receiving chops as usual, a 10-69-1 receiving line. Howard had two 1,100-yard campaigns with the Chicago Bears (2016-17). Breida averaged 10.4 touches per game with San Francisco and compiled career best numbers in 2018: 153-814-3 rushing and 27-261-2 receiving. Since the Dolphins usually will find themselves in must-throw situations late in games, Breida will be the guy in the backfield because he can move the chains more effectively as a receiver than Howard. Both guys are weak plays versus a New England defense that yielded the third-fewest running back fantasy points in 2019.

WIDE RECEIVER MATCHUPFitzpatrick had a big hand in helping DeVante Parker resurrect his career last season, and Fitzmagic helped put then-undrafted rookie free agent Preston Williams on the fantasy map, too.Parker topped the Dolphins with career highs of 72 receptions (T-20th at the position) for 1,202 yards (fourth) and nine touchdowns (T-3rd) on 128 targets (8.0 per game; 13th). Williams erupted quickly, cranking out a 32-428-3 receiving line during the first half of the season. Averaging 7.5 targets per contest, he was on pace to compile a 64-856-6 receiving line before he went down in Week 9 with a torn ACL. Last season, the Patriots ceded the fewest wideout fantasy points. Stephon Gilmore is expected to shadow Parker, even though Parker gashed him for 8-137-0 the last time they met. Don’t expect big outings from either Parker or Williams.

TIGHT END MATCHUPGive Fitzpatrick a nod for also getting Mike Gesicki on track last season. Averaging 7.8 targets per contest during the second half of 2019, Gesicki finished with a 51-570-5 receiving line. He didn’t have much success in scoring situations, however, catching just one of six passes inside the 10-yard line, but that’s something that Gailey can fix. Gailey has rarely used tight ends as dominant pass catchers in his scheme, but Gesicki, listed at 6-foot-6, 250 pounds, isn’t a traditional tight end. He often operated out of the slot in a wideout role last season, using his 4.5 wheels to stretch the seam. Even though the Patriots gave up the sixth-fewest tight end fantasy points, I think Gesicki will find the end zone against them for the second game in a row.


PLAYERPASSYDS

PASSTD

RUSHYDS

RUSHTD REC

RECYDS

RECTD

QB Ryan Fitzpatrick 279 1 18 1

QB Tua Tagovailoa -- -- -- -- -- -- --

RB Jordan Howard 62 0 2 12 0

RB Matt Breida 23 0 5 40 0

RB Patrick Laird 4 0 2 14 0

WR DeVante Parker 7 89 0

WR Preston Williams 5 67 0

WR Jakeem Grant 2 10 0

WR Isaiah Ford 0 0 0

TE Mike Gesicki 5 42 1

TE Durham Smythe 1 5 0

FGA FGM XPA XPM PTS

PK Jason Sanders 3 3 2 2 11

P/A SK INT FUM TD

DT Dolphins 24 4 2 1 0

PREVIOUS MATCHUP:


Miami slipped past New England 27-24 at Gillette Stadium.

Ryan Fitzpatrick threw for 320 yards and one touchdown, and amassed a 5-15-1 rushing line.

Patrick Laird compiled an 11-21-0 rushing line and a 4-48-0 receiving line.

DeVante Parker caught eight passes for 137 yards (11 targets).

Preston Williams missed the game because of ACL surgery.

Isaiah Ford caught seven passes for 54 yards (9 targets).

Mike Gesicki logged four receptions for 34 yards and one touchdown (7 targets).

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS INJURIES TO MONITOR: Damien Harris (hand)

BYE: Week 6

We’re in uncharted fantasy territory here. For the first time in 19 seasons, a guy named Tom Brady (Buccaneers) isn’t leading the New England Patriots offense. Cam Newton is now the guyunder center. The backfield looks the same unless Damien Harris (hand) plays himself into the rotation at some point. The receiver corps looks thinner than the group from 2019, and the top-two tight ends are both rookies. What will the Newton Patriots offense look like? Stay tuned.

QUARTERBACK MATCHUPThis past season, Cam Newton suited up for only two contests before suffering a foot injury and had to go under the knife before the rebuilding Carolina Panthers released him. Since the New

England playbook is considered “calculus,” it would make sense for the Patriots to use Newton in a simplified balanced attack from the get-go, featuring short and intermediate throws, to help reduce the number of hits that he takes. Newton will scramble regularly on bootlegs and designedruns (he should crack the top-10 in rushing at the position) because Newton wouldn’t be Newton if he didn’t scramble. The Dolphins have two good cornerbacks – Xavien Howard and Byron Jones – so Newton won’t get much out of his wideouts this week. Consider Newton a so-so play.

RUNNING BACK MATCHUPDuring 2019, Miami allowed the sixth-most rushing yards and the 12th-most running back fantasy points. Even though the Dolphins revamped their front seven during the offseason, I still think New England will have success attacking on the ground with early-down grinder Sony Michel. During Newton’s last couple of seasons in Charlotte, he used Christian McCaffrey as a safety valve target. James White isn’t a dynamic dual threat like McCaffrey, but White is without doubt an excellent receiver out of the backfield. Expect Newton to lean on him in this matchup. Rex Burkhead will backup both Michel and White but won’t receive enough touches to have standalone value.

WIDE RECEIVER MATCHUPWith Mohamed Sanu gone, 34-year-old Julian Edelman and second-year pro N’Keal Harry are the top-two guys at the position – unless Bill Belichick has something up his sleeve. Can Edelman be productive with Brady gone? Can Harry shake off a dismal 2019 rookie debut and play better? The Dolphins have two good cornerbacks in Xavien Howard and Byron Jones, as noted, so it’ll be a long day for New England’s wideouts. Maybe Edelman will make a little noiseagainst rookie 30th overall selection Noah Igbinoghene in the slot. I wouldn’t start any Patriots wideouts until we get a read on their usage.

TIGHT END MATCHUPRookie Devin Asiasi brings good size, nice mobility, solid hands and silky smooth route-runningskills to the table. A dangerous after-the-catch runner, Asiasi averaged 14.6 yards per reception across 44 catches for 641 yards and four touchdown grabs during his 2019 breakout campaign at UCLA. Newton likes to throw to his tight ends – don’t forget about Greg Olsen (Seahawks) – butrookies at the position rarely make a fantasy impact. Asiasi is just a watch-list candidate for now.


PLAYER PASSYDS

PASSTD

RUSHYDS

RUSHTD

REC RECYDS

RECTD

QB Cam Newton 260 1 44 1

RB Sony Michel 78 1 0 0 0

RB James White 16 0 7 62 1

RB Rex Burkhead 40 0 3 28 0

RB J.J. Taylor 0 0 0 0 0

RB Damien Harris -- -- -- -- -- -- --

WR Julian Edelman 6 57 0

WR N’Keal Harry 4 56 0

WR Damiere Byrd 3 20 0

WR Matthew Slater 1 11 0

TE Devin Asiasi 3 26 0

FGA FGM XPA XPM PTS

PK Nick Folk 2 1 3 3 6

P/A SK INT FUM TD

DT Patriots 23 5 1 2 0

PREVIOUS MATCHUP:


New England lost to Miami 27-24 at Gillette Stadium.

Tom Brady (Bucs) passed for 221 yards and two touchdowns.

Sony Michel amassed an 18-74-0 rushing line and wasn’t targeted.

James White compiled a 2-4-0 rushing line and a 3-33-1 receiving line (3 targets).

Rex Burkhead piled up a 6-48-0 rushing line and a 1-6-0 receiving line (1 target).

Julian Edelman made three grabs for 26 yards (7 targets).

N’Keal Harry caught three passes for 29 yards (7 targets).

LB Elandon Roberts hauled in a 38-yard touchdown pass.

GREEN BAY PACKERS (0-0)

MINNESOTA VIKINGS (0-0)

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 13 TH 1:00 PM ETU.S . BANK STADIUM MINNEAPOLIS , MN

L I N E : M I N – 2 . 5 O V E R / U N D E R : 45 .5



PACKERS OFFENSE 18 15 23.5 15 112.2 18 17 233.3 26

VIKINGS DEFENSE 14 5 18.9 13 108.0 8 15 233.6 23

VIKINGS OFFENSE 16 8 25.4 6 133.3 19 23 220.2 26

PACKERS DEFENSE 18 9 19.6 23 120.1 15 14 232.6 19

GREEN BAY PACKERS INJURIES TO MONITOR: None

BYE: Week 5

The Green Bay Packers’ ground-and-pound attack propelled the team to an NFC North division title and a trip to the NFC Conference Championship, While the Packers have become a solid contender again, it looks like the days of steady big passing outings from Aaron Rodgers have gone the way of the dinosaur. The only notable offseason addition to the offense was the addition of rookie second-rounder A.J. Dillon, a power runner (he never misses leg workouts), to provide depth for the injury-prone Aaron Jones. Who is the second option in the passing attack behind Davante Adams? We don’t know yet. Green Bay didn’t need one last season. Stay tuned.

QUARTERBACK MATCHUPTurning 37 in December, Aaron Rodgers is still good enough to light up defenses, but he operates as a…dare I say it…game manager more times than not nowadays. With the Packers emphasizing the run, as noted, the signal caller posted a mortal 4,002-26-4 passing line this past season. Green Bay occasionally let Rodgers open up the offense (three 300-yard outings and a couple of 400-yard games, all with multiple touchdown strikes), but he failed to eclipse 250

passing yards in 11 outings and failed to throw more than one touchdown pass in nine games. TheMinnesota Vikings defense will feature three new starting cornerbacks, but I doubt the Packers will test the overhauled secondary. Minnesota was vulnerable to the run in 2019 and will be againthis season. Expect a pedestrian outing from Rodgers.

RUNNING BACK MATCHUPHey Mike McCarthy – here’s what happens when you give the must-start Aaron Jones the ball in a full-time role. Battling through some nagging injuries, Jones started all 16 games for the first time in his career and cranked out a career-best 1,084 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns on 236 carries. The every-down tailback also logged 49 receptions (ranked second on the team) for 474 yards and three scoring grabs, which were also career-best numbers. Rookie A.J. Dillon, the biggest ball carrier to come out of the draft (6-foot, 247 pounds), likely will cut into Jones’ early-down touches, but Jones will retain his RB1 value. Jamaal Williams is the change-of-pace guy again, but he looks like a risky option. Williams’ usage declined during the second half of 2019. Jones looks like a solid start versus a Minnesota defense that ranked 19th in rushing yards allowed to tailbacks and 16th in fantasy points allowed to the position. Dillon is a candidate for a goal-line score but only modest yardage.

WIDE RECEIVER MATCHUPThe only sure thing here is the must-start Davante Adams. After pacing the team with 111-1,386-13 on 169 targets two seasons ago, Adams’ numbers slipped this past season mainly because he missed four contests due to a toe injury. Leading the team in receiving for the third straight season, Adams wrapped up 2019 with 83-997-5 on 127 targets. Adams should have fun toying with an overhauled Vikings secondary that features three new cornerbacks. Allen Lazard and Marques Valdes-Scantling aren’t starting options, but keep an eye on them. Lazard compiled 35-477-3 on 52 targets last season. The 35 receptions made him the second-most productive Packers wideout, but Lazard eclipsed the 70-yard mark in only one contest. Rodgers has been talking up Valdes-Scantling throughout the preseason, but the deep threat is considered a long shot to move the fantasy needle.

TIGHT END MATCHUPThe Packers dumped the fading Jimmy Graham (Bears) because they think the sticky-handed and speedy Jace Sternberger (4.76 jets) will make a second-year leap. An ankle injury limited him tozero catches in 60 snaps played across six 2019 regular-season games. The Packers' third-round selection in the 2019 draft, however, made a little noise in the playoffs, catching all three of his targets for 15 yards and one touchdown during Green Bay's NFC Championship loss to San Francisco. Rodgers targeted Graham 60 times last season. Sternberger is a bench stash right now, but the opportunity for a breakout is there.


PLAYER PASSYDS

PASSTD

RUSHYDS

RUSHTD

REC RECYDS

RECTD

QB Aaron Rodgers 265 1 10 0

RB Aaron Jones 115 1 4 30 0

RB A.J. Dillon 36 1 0 0 0

RB Jamaal Williams 22 0 3 23 0

WR Davante Adams 9 100 1

WR Allen Lazard 5 52 0

WR M. Valdes-Scantling 2 30 0

WR Equanimeous St. Brown 0 0 0

TE Jace Sternberger 4 30 0

FGA FGM XPA XPM PTS

PK Mason Crosby 1 1 3 3 6

P/A SK INT FUM TD

DT Packers 23 5 1 0 0

PREVIOUS MATCHUP:


Green Bay downed Minnesota 23-10 at U.S. Bank Stadium.

Aaron Rodgers passed for 216 scoreless yards.

Aaron Jones compiled a 23-154-2 rushing line and a 2-6-0 receiving line (3 targets).

Jamaal Williams amassed a 6-33-0 rushing line and a 2-19-0 receiving line (2 targets).

Davante Adams hauled in 13 passes for 116 yards (16 targets).

Allen Lazard caught five balls for 45 yards (9 targets).

Marquez Valdes-Scantling made one grab for six yards (1 target).

MINNESOTA VIKINGS INJURIES TO MONITOR: None

BYE: Week 7

The 2019 NFC North runner-up didn’t make many major changes to its offense during the offseson. Stefon Diggs (Bills) was shipped out of town, replaced by rookie first-rounder Justin Jefferson. Assistant head coach Gary Kubiak, who oversaw the installation of the Minnesota Vikings current offensive scheme, which included his famous zone-blocking ground game, has replaced the departed Kevin Stefanski as offensive coordinator and play caller. With a slightly weaker passing attack, the offense now revolves more around Dalvin Cook. Can the Vikings continue their run-first ways if their overhauled secondary gets torched? We could see more throwing than expected from Kirk Cousins and company.

QUARTERBACK MATCHUP

With the throwback Minnesota offense emphasizing a run-heavy attack, most of Kirk Cousins' passing numbers took some hits last season. He dropped from sixth to 24th in the league in attempts (444; a five-year low) and from 10th to 16th in passing yards (3,603; a five-year low). However, Cousins still finished a respectable eighth in touchdown passes (26), and he has tossed at least 25 scoring strikes in five consecutive campaigns. This past season, the Green Bay Packers defense surrendered the fourth-most rushing yards to enemy tailbacks and the fourth-fewest quarterback fantasy points, so you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure out how theVikings will attack the Packers defense. Cousins’ favorite target, Adam Thielen, could have a rough game (more on that coming up). Cousins is a weak play.

RUNNING BACK MATCHUPSuiting up for a career-high 14 games last season, the must-start Dalvin Cook racked up a personal best 250-1,135-13 rushing line (4.5 yards per carry), but his production as a receiver is what makes the fourth-year pro special. Cook’s 53 receptions for 519 yards on 63 targets were top-10 numbers at the position. It’s a no-brainer that the Vikings will pound Cook early and oftenagainst a Green Bay defense that hemorrhaged the fourth-most rushing yards to the running back position this past season. Cook is in the final year of his contract and has every reason to give hisbest effort. While Cook should have a nice outing, don’t be surprised if he has a good outing but not a great one. The Minnesota offensive line could be down as many three starters due to injuries. I don’t expect Alexander Mattison to receive enough touches to have standalone value.

WIDE RECEIVER MATCHUPWith Stefon Diggs (Bills) gone, Adam Thielen is the unquestioned No. 1 wideout, and that’s fine. Of the two, Cousins has always seemed to have a better rapport with Thielen. Ankle and hamstring ailments limited Thielen to only 30 receptions during an injury-wrecked 2019 campaign after he had compiled 91-1,276-4 and 113-1,373-9 (career best) receiving lines during the two previous seasons, respectively. Despite Thielen’s injury woes, he still had a nose for the end zone. The seventh-year pro hauled in six scoring grabs and tallied one rushing touchdown. Olabisi Johnson played more snaps than expected as a rookie because Thielen battled injuries. Johnson hauled in a nice 69.8 percent of his 45 targets, amassing a 31-294-3 receiving line during a credible rookie NFL debut. With Packers’ No. 1 cornerback Kevin King expected to shutdown Thielen, Johnson, who played very well and earned a starting gig during training camp,has the best chance to score. Rookie first-rounder Justin Jefferson, the designated replacement for Diggs, will start the season on the second team. This past season, Green Bay gave up the 11th-fewest wideout fantasy points.

TIGHT END MATCHUPIt looks like a timeshare again. The Vikings want Irv Smith and his 4.63 wheels to be more involved during his sophomore campaign, but it doesn’t look like they’re ready to phase out red-zone specialist Kyle Rudolph completely. Last season, the Packers allowed the 13th-most tight end fantasy points. Neither Smith nor Rudolph cleared 10 receiving yards or scored in both of his2019 clashes with the Packers. Consider them both weak plays, but monitor Smith.


PLAYER PASSYDS

PASSTD

RUSHYDS

RUSHTD

REC RECYDS

RECTD

QB Kirk Cousins 250 1 10 0

RB Dalvin Cook 90 1 4 38 0

RB Alexander Mattison 28 0 1 11 0

RB Mike Boone 5 0 0 0 0

WR Adam Thielen 5 52 0

WR Bisi Johnson 4 57 1

WR Justin Jefferson 3 34 0

WR Tajae Sharpe 1 11 0

TE Kyle Rudolph 2 20 0

TE Irv Smith 3 27 0

FGA FGM XPA XPM PTS

PK Dan Bailey 3 3 2 2 11

P/A SK INT FUM TD

DT Vikings 24 4 0 1 0

PREVIOUS MATCHUP:


Minnesota lost to Green Bay 23-10 at U.S. Bank Stadium.

Kirk Cousins passed for 122 yards and one touchdown.

Dalvin Cook missed the game because of a chest injury.

Alexander sat out the contest due to an ankle injury.

Mike Boone amassed an 11-28-0 rushing line and a 1-5-0 receiving line (1 target).

Adam Thielen did not play.

Stefon Diggs (Bills) hauled in three passes for 57 yards and one touchdown (5 targets).

Kyle Rudolph made one grab for seven yards (2 targets).

Irv Smith logged two catches for four yards (3 targets).

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (0-0)

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (0-0)

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 13 TH 1:00 PM ETTIAA BANK FIELD JACKSONVILLE, FL

L I N E : I N D – 8 . 0 O V E R / U N D E R : 45 .0



COLTS OFFENSE 25 16 22.6 7 133.1 17 30 194.3 22

JAGUARS DEFENSE 24 21 24.8 28 139.3 23 16 236.1 22

JAGUARS OFFENSE 20 26 18.8 17 106.8 3 16 235.0 24

COLTS DEFENSE 16 18 23.3 7 197.9 8 23 248.9 29

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS INJURIES TO MONITOR: Trey Burton (calf – injured reserve)

BYE: Week 7

An Indianapolis Colts offense that finished 2019 ranked 25th overall and 16th in scoring should improve across the board thanks to some talent additions. Even though some insist that Philip Rivers’ arm is fading fast, he’s still an upgrade over Jacoby Brissett. Rookie second-rounder Jonathan Taylor can do everything that Marlon Mack can, except that Taylor is bigger and faster with far better receiving chops. It probably will take rookie second-round pick Michael Pittman some time to get acclimated to the NFL, but he’s the big-bodied possession wideout type that Rivers loves to target. By the way, Trey Burton (calf), the replacement for Eric Ebron (Steelers), will spend the next three weeks on injured reserve.

QUARTERBACK MATCHUPAfter he led the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers offense for 14 of his 16 seasons with the franchise, Rivers will make his first career start for Indianapolis. Although he'll turn 39 in December and supposedly has lost some yards on his deep ball, Rivers still has the necessary

physical skills, smarts and experience to elevate a talented offensive unit. Rivers squares off against a depleted Jacksonville Jaguars defense that's just a shell of its dominant "Sacksonville" self from previous years. Jacksonville’s two starting cornerbacks have a combined three years of NFL experience, but Indianapolis probably will ease Rivers into the mix with a run-heavy attack against a soft Jaguars front seven. Expect him to crank out just moderate passing yardage with a touchdown pass or two.

RUNNING BACK MATCHUPThe Jonathan Taylor hoopla cooled off after Frank Reich announced that Marlon Mack will draw the Week 1 start, but Reich also said his team will "ride the hot hand" in the backfield. In other words, expect both runners to be heavily involved. The matchup versus a Jaguars defense that ranked 28th versus the run and yielded the eighth-most running back fantasy points last season is clearly a favorable one. During Mack’s two 2019 clashes with the Jaguars, he compiledrushing lines of 14-109-1 and 15-77-2, respectively. Since Taylor's chances of supplanting the lesser talented Mack as the primary ball carrier in just one game seem remote, it looks safe to start Mack as a No. 2 tailback. I also think Taylor will find the end zone. He deserves starting consideration as a No. 3 runner or flex option.

Nyhein Hines is a popular preseason sleeper because Rivers has a long history of throwing to histailbacks. Since Hines hauled in 63 passes on 81 targets as a rookie (2018), he clearly can handle a heavy receiving load. Can the 5-foot-9, 196-pound Hines run effectively enough to operate in an Austin Ekeler role? Ekeler, listed at 5-foot-10, 200 pounds, isn't much bigger. Hines, however, has averaged just 3.8 yards per carry across 137 totes of the rock for 513 yards and fourtouchdowns. Since the Colts should have plenty of success running the ball, they won't need to throw a lot, which means that a Hines breakout performance is unlikely. He still deserves flex consideration in deep PPR leagues.

WIDE RECEIVER MATCHUPDespite the addition of Rivers, T.Y. Hilton is the only safe play in this group until we learn how Indianapolis plans to use Zach Pascal, secoind-year guy Parris Campbell and rookie Michael Pittman. According to media reports, Rivers and Hilton have quickly formed a solid rapport withthe two hooking up regularly on 40- and 50-yard bombs. Last season, the Jaguars defense gave up the eighth-fewest wideout fantasy points, but Jalen Ramsey (Rams) and A.J. Bouye (Broncos) are both long gone. Hilton likely will battle rookie ninth overall selection C.J. Henderson. Even though the Colts will go run heavy, there's a good chance that Hilton will get behind the secondary for at least one long scoring play.

TIGHT END MATCHUPEverybody knows that Rivers loves to throw to tight ends. Indianapolis had planned to use a one-two punch at the position with Jack Doyle and Trey Burton (calf) stepping into the Eric Ebron (Steelers) role, but Burton has landed on injured reserve and will miss at least the first three weeks of the season. Third-year pro Mo Alie-Cox will replace Burton, but Alie-Cox (15 career receptions) won't be much of a threat to steal targets. This past season, the Jacksonville defense allowed the 13th-most tight end fantasy points, and only eight defenses gave up more scores to the position. Even though Indianpolis likely will go run heavy, Doyle deserves starting consideration and could outperform our projections.


PLAYER PASSYDS

PASSTD

RUSHYDS

RUSHTD

REC RECYDS

RECTD

QB Philip Rivers 267 2 0 0

RB Marlon Mack 75 1 2 12 0

RB Jonathan Taylor 62 1 1 10 0

RB Nyheim Hines 12 0 4 30 0

WR T.Y. Hilton 5 89 1

WR Zach Pascal 1 10 0

WR Parris Campbell 3 33 0

WR Michael Pittman 2 16 0

TE Jack Doyle 6 57 1

TE Trey Burton -- -- -- -- -- -- --

TE Mo Alie-Cox 1 10 0

FGA FGM XPA XPM PTS

PK Rodrigo Blankenship 2 2 4 4 10

P/A SK INT FUM TD

DT Colts 20 5 1 1 0

PREVIOUS MATCHUP:


Indianapolis lost to Jacksonville 38-20 at TIAA Bank Stadium.

Jacoby Brissett passed for 162 scoreless yards and cobbled together a 4-17-0 rushing line.

Marlon Mack compiled a 15-77-2 rushing line and a 0-0-0 receiving line (1 target).

Nyheim Hines amassed a 7-34-0 rushing line and a 3-22-0 receiving line (5 targets).

T.Y. Hilton made three grabs for 72 yards (3 targets).

Zach Pascal caught one pass for 10 yards (3 targets).

Jack Doyle logged one reception for six yards (4 targets).

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS INJURIES TO MONITOR: Devine Ozigbo (hamstring – injured reserve), Dede Westbrook (shoulder), Ryquell Armstead (COVID-19 List), Josh Oliver (foot – season-ending injured reserve)

BYE: Week 7

After watching the Jacksonville Jaguars dump a lot of high-priced talent during the last year and a half, there’s little question that the franchise is purposely tanking this season to start a rebuild in 2021. If you also factor in the COVID-19 pandemic, this is far from an ideal time to hire a new offensive coordinator (Jay Gruden) and install a new scheme, but Frank DeFilippo apparently wore out his welcome quickly after just one season on the job. Leonard Fournette (Bucs) also wore out his welcome after three seasons. Rookie second-rounder Laviska Shenault has promise, but Jacksonville’s two veteran additions, Chris Thompson and Tyler Eifert, aren’tgoing to help much.

QUARTERBACK MATCHUPThe Jaguars offense now belongs to Gardner Minshew. During his 2019 rookie debut, Minshew compiled a serviceable 3,271-21-10 passing line in 14 games played (233.6 passing yards and 1.5touchdown strikes per outing). The sixth-round selection also surprised as a runner, finishing sixth among all quarterbacks in carries and fifth in rushing yards. Under pass-happy Gruden, expect to see Minshew throwing a lot out of necessity. Jacksonville has replaced Fournette with avery young and unproven committee backfield that likely will struggle. In addition, a talent-depleted Jaguars defense probably won't be able to stop anyone, forcing the team into plenty of shootout and come-from-behind situations. This past season, the Indianapolis Colts defense gave up the eighth-most passing yards and the 15th-most quarterback fantasy points. The Colts secondary, however, could improve if free agent Xavier Rhodes rebounds from his down 2019. I suspect Minshew will benefit from garbage-time production, making him a solid play.

RUNNING BACK MATCHUPWhat had looked like a very murky backfield situation now looks much clearer. With Devine Ozigbo (hamstring – injured reserve) and Ryquell Armstead (COVID-19 List) out of the mix, undrafted rookie free agent James Robinson will start and handle the bulk of the early-down touches while eighth-year pro Chris Thompson serves as the passing-down/change-of-pace guy. The 5-foot-10, 225-pound Robinson is a power runner. While the Illinois State product lacks a home-run gear (just 4.64 wheels), Robinson is considered a solid receiver. During the 2019 regular season, the Indianapolis defense finished 15th in running back fantasy points allowed anda rock-solid seventh versus the run. Consider Robinson a middling No. 3/No. 4 running back play. The Colts also allowed the most catches to the running back position, and the Jaguars will be throwing a lot. Thompson deserves flex consideration in PPR leagues.

WIDE RECEIVER MATCHUPComing off a 1,000-yard season, D.J. Chark will operate as the featured wideout in Gruden’s offense. He looks like the only sure thing in this group, but there’s a problem. This past season, the Indianapolis defense ranked 23rd versus the pass and gave up the 13th-most wideout fantasy points, but Chark is expected to draw coverage from rebound candidate Xavier Rhodes and likelywill struggle. However, I think Indianapolis’ other cornerback, Rock Ya-Sin, will have trouble containing deep-threat Chris Conley, who will start on the outside opposite of Chark. Treat Conley as a dart throw. In case you hadn’t heard, Dede Westbrook has been demoted to third string, and rookie Laviska Shenault will take Westbrook’s place in the slot. Shenault has enough raw talent to surprise, but he’s too risky to trust in starting lineups right now.

TIGHT END MATCHUPGruden is expected to utilize the extremely injury-prone Tyler Eifert in a part-time pass-catching role, which probably will include red-zone specialist duties. Eifert is familiar with Gruden's scheme because of their time together with the Cincinnati Bengals (2013). Last season, the Indianapolis defense gave up the 11th-most tight end fantasy points, and just seven teams allowed more scoring grabs to the position. It's a plus matchup for Eifert on paper, and the Jaguars are expected to throw a lot while chasing points. Consider Eifert a boom-or-bust play. My confidence in the touchdown projected for him is low.


PLAYERPASSYDS

PASSTD

RUSHYDS

RUSHTD REC

RECYDS

RECTD

QB Gardner Minshew 286 2 0 0

RB James Robinson 67 0 3 25 0

RB Chris Thompson 15 0 6 46 0

RB Devine Ozigbo -- -- -- -- -- -- --

RB Dare Ogunbowale 0 0 0 0 0

RB Ryquell Armstead -- -- -- -- -- -- --

WR D.J. Chark 5 50 0

WR Chris Conley 4 68 1

WR Laviska Shenault 22 0 4 47 0

WR Dede Westbrook 2 20 0

WR Keelan Cole 0 0 0

TE Tyler Eifert 3 20 1

TE James O’Shaughnessy 1 10 0

FGA FGM XPA XPM PTS

PK Josh Lambo 2 2 2 2 8

P/A SK INT FUM TD

DT Jaguars 34 3 1 0 0

PREVIOUS MATCHUP:


Jacksonville routed Indianapolis 38-20 at TIAA Bank Field.

Gardner Minshew passed for 285 yards and three scores, and amassed a 5-7-0 rushing line.

Leonard Fournette (Bucs) missed the game because of a neck injury.

Ryquell Armstead compiled a 10-33-0 rushing line and a 5-52-1 receiving line. (9 targets)

Devine Ozigbo amassed a 9-27-0 rushing line and a 3-23-0 receiving line (5 targets).

D.J. Chark caught four passes for 34 yards (5 targets).

Chris Conley made three grabs for 38 yards (6 targets).

Dede Westbrook hauled in seven passes for 72 yards and one touchdown (8 targets).

Keelan Cole logged three receptions for 67 yards and one touchdown (4 targets).

CHICAGO BEARS (0-0)

DETROIT LIONS (0-0)

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 13 TH 1:00 PM ETFORD F IELD DETROIT , MI

L I N E : D E T – 3 . 0 O V E R / U N D E R : 43 .5



BEARS OFFENSE 29 29 17.5 27 91.1 8 25 205.7 20

LIONS DEFENSE 31 26 26.4 21 115.9 13 32 284.4 33

LIONS OFFENSE 17 18 21.3 21 103.1 7 10 243.8 28

BEARS DEFENSE 8 4 18.6 9 102.0 16 9 222.1 17

CHICAGO BEARS INJURIES TO MONITOR: David Montgomery (groin), Eddy Pineiro (groin – injured reserve)

BYE: Week 11

Aside from signing 33-year-old Jimmy Graham and drafting rookie second-rounder Cole Kmet,the Chicago Bears made very few changes to an offense that sank to 29th overall and 29th in scoring last season. Matt Nagy will continue to call the plays, and it’s reasonable to assume that he’ll be more dedicated to establishing the run. This is essentially the same collection of players that scored 44 touchdowns two seasons ago, and Nagy apparently thinks 2019 was a fluke. I think the league has a better feel for how to defend his gimmicky offense. Projecting for Chicagois difficult because the Detroit Lions will feature an overhauled defense that could improve dramatically with at least seven or possibly eight new starters.

QUARTERBACK MATCHUPMitch Trubisky, the Bears’ No. 2 overall selection in the 2017 draft, won his preseason quarterback derby against Nick Foles, but it’s crystal clear to everyone that this is Trubisky’s last chance to establish himself as Chicago’s franchise passer. Trubisky battled through nagging

injuries and regressed last season. Healthy again, he should run a lot more at the very least, but Trubisky’s accuracy with his arm – he’s a very streaky passer – is what will make or break his career in the Windy City. Trubisky tossed three touchdown passes in each of his two 2019 starts against a Lions defense that yielded the sixth-most quarterback fantasy poimts. Will Trubisky play better? Will the reworked Detroit defense do better against the pass? It’s tough call. Consider him a boom-or-bust play.

RUNNING BACK MATCHUPNagy took plenty of deserved flak for his insanely uneven usage of David Montgomery (groin) early in the 2019 season, but surprisingly poor offensive line play sometimes factored into the mix. From Week 1 through Week 7, Montgomery’s carries ranged from a low of two to a high of 21. However, from Week 8 through Week 17, Montgomery never carried fewer than 13 times in a contest, averaging 17.1 totes of the rock per game during that stretch. According to media reports, Montgomery was on track to start against a Detroit Lions defense that coughed up the seventh-most running back fantasy points in 2019. During his two clashes with Detroit last season, Montgomery rushed for 60 yards and 75 yards, respectively, and scored once. I suspect the revamped Lions linebacker corps that now includes Jamie Collins and Reggie Ragland will improve against the run, which is why I’m cool on Montgomery this week.

Increased defensive attention often erased the speedy Tarik Cohen last season. He dropped from99-444-3 rushing (4.5 YPC) to 64-213-0 rushing (3.3 YPC). His receiving line dipped from 71-725-2 on 91 targets to 79-456-0 on 104 targets. Chicago’s best chance to get Cohen going again is to be a lot less predictable with his usage. Can Nagy do it? Cohen is a middling flex option in PPR leagues.

WIDE RECEIVER MATCHUPAllen Robinson is Chicago’s only must-start player, and he and Anthony Miller are the only two Bears wideouts that matter. This past season, Robinson compiled a career high 98 catches for1,147 yards and seven touchdowns on a whopping 154 targets while catching passes from the erratic Trubisky. Miller, usually operating out of the slot, is the No. 2 wideout and Robinson’s only serious competition for targets. Miller’s 52-656-2 receiving line on 85 targets was decent, but more had been expected after he compiled seven scoring grabs as a rookie in 2018. Miller amassed 36 of his 52 receptions during the second half of the 2019 season, Robinson should holdhis own against Desmond Trufant, and I think Miller can get behind rookie third overall selectionJeffery Okudah for a scoring grab, assuming Okudah will journey into the slot. If he doesn’t, Miller should have a nice outing.

TIGHT END MATCHUP

Even though the Lions gave up the third-most tight end fantasy points, it’s hard to get behind

aging and slowing Jimmy Graham or rookie Cole Kmet as fantasy options. It won’t surprise me

if the Bears manufacture a tight end touchdown in this game, but I don’t know who will catch it.


PLAYER PASSYDS

PASSTD

RUSHYDS

RUSHTD

REC RECYDS

RECTD

QB Mitchell Trubisky 287 2 42 0

RB David Montgomery 65 0 2 17 0

RB Tarik Cohen 20 0 5 38 0

RB Cordarrelle Patterson 10 0 0 0 0

WR Allen Robinson 9 100 1

WR Anthony Miller 5 78 1

WR Ted Ginn 1 14 0

WR Javon Wims 0 0 0

WR Riley Ridley 0 0 0

TE Jimmy Graham 4 30 0

TE Cole Kmet 1 10 0

FGA FGM XPA XPM PTS

PK Eddie Pineiro -- -- -- -- --

PK Cairo Santos 2 2 2 2 8

P/A SK INT FUM TD

DT Bears 24 4 1 1 0

PREVIOUS MATCHUP:


Chicago defeated Detroit 24-20 at Ford Field.

Mitch Trubisky threw for 338 yards and three scores, and rolled up a 4-4-0 rushing line.

David Montgomery compiled a 16-75-0 rushing line and a 2-12-1 receiving line (2 targets).

Tarik Cohen amassed a 3-9-0 rushing line and a 4-26-0 receiving line (4 targets).

Allen Robinson made eight grabs for 86 yards and one touchdown (12 targets).

Anthony Miller hauled in nine balls for 140 yards (13 targets).

Backup tight end Jesper Horsted caught the third touchdown pass.

DETROIT LIONS INJURIES TO MONITOR: Kenny Golladay (hamstring), D’Andre Swift (hip), Bo Scarbrough (undisclosed)

BYE: Week 5

The Detroit Lions were rolling along at 3-3-1 with Matthew Stafford on pace to throw for close to 5,000 yards and 38 touchdowns while leading a potent offense under Darrell Bevell. However,

Stafford was lost at midseason due to cracked bones in his back. The offense went dormant, and the defense couldn’t stop anyone as Detroit closed out 2019 with nine straight losses. A healthy Stafford is back under center, and the Lions upgraded their stable of running backs, adding rookie second-rounder D’Andre Swift and veteran Adrian Peterson. An overhauled Detroit defense will feature at least seven new starters.

QUARTERBACK MATCHUPIf the must-start Matthew Stafford had stayed healthy for the entire 2019 season, it would have been his eighth campaign with at least 4,200 passing yards in the last nine years but just his third campaign with at least 30 touchdown tosses during that time frame. Still in his prime at 32, Stafford returns for 2020 with the medical green light to go full speed ahead with a talented supporting cast. The Chicago defense clocked out of 2019 allowing the second-fewest quarterback fantasy points, but the Bears slipped during the second half of the season. They don’tlook as dominant under Chuck Pagano. Chicago will start rookie second-rounder Jaylon Johnson at one corner spot. Robert Quinn (ankle) isn’t expected to play, and Kahlil Mack (knee) won’t be100 percent if he suits up. I like Stafford’s chances to have a big game. UPDATE: Kenny Golladay looked very iffy to play. If he sits, Stafford’s production will take a hit, but I still thinkhe’ll have a decent outing.

RUNNING BACK MATCHUPInjuries have simplified what had looked like a complicated backfield…at least for this week. Kerryon Johnson is expected to start and handle the bulk of the passing down work, while Adrian Peterson will receive a share of the early-down touches. Bo Scarbrough (undisclosed) is out of action, but rookie second-round selection D’Andre Swift (leg) was on track to make hisrookie debut. Last season, the Chicago defense yielded the seventh-fewest running back fantasy points and the 12th-most rushing yards to the position. Johnson looks like the safest play as a No.3 fantasy running back or flex option based on his workload. I wouldn’t trust the touchdown-dependent Peterson or Swift this week.

WIDE RECEIVER MATCHUPThe must-start Kenny Golladay has scored in three of his last four games against a Chicago defense that surrendered the second-fewest wideout fantasy points in 2019, and I don’t expect Kyle Fuller to slow him down. I recommend Marvin Jones as a No. 3 fantasy wideout in PPR leagues since he’ll likely battle rookie Jaylon Johnson. Jones could outperform the projections. Danny Amendola failed to score or top 35 receiving yards in two 2019 matchups against Chicago nickel cornerback Buster Skrine. UPDATE: Golladay looked very iffy for Week1. Check his status Sunday morning and have a backup plan ready.

TIGHT END MATCHUPRecovering from a major injury that shortened his 2019 rookie season, T.J. Hockenson, a popular preseason sleeper, is coming off an NFL debut that was disapointing even by rookie tightend standards. The Lions aren’t giving up on the immensely talented Hockenson, and neither should you. However, even though the Bears finished 2019 ranked just 18th in tight end fantasy poimts allowed, I would take a wait-and-see approach with Hockenson.


PLAYER PASSYDS

PASSTD

RUSHYDS

RUSHTD

REC RECYDS

RECTD

QB Matthew Stafford 344 2 10 0

RB Kerryon Johnson 60 1 4 40 0

RB Adrian Peterson 50 0 1 11 0

RB D’Andre Swift 15 0 1 10 0

RB Ty Johnson 0 0 0 0 0

RB Bo Scarbrough -- -- -- -- -- -- --

WR Kenny Golladay 6 110 1

WR Marvin Jones 5 78 1

WR Danny Amendola 5 55 0

WR Quintez Cephus 0 0 0

TE T.J. Hockenson 4 40 0

FGA FGM XPA XPM PTS

PK Matt Prater 1 1 3 3 6

P/A SK INT FUM TD

DT Lions 20 5 2 1 0

PREVIOUS MATCHUP:


Detroit lost to Chicago 24-20 at Ford Field.

Matthew Stafford missed the game because of a back injury.

David Blough passed for 280 yards and two touchdowns.

Kerryon Johnson sat out the contest due to a knee injury.

Bo Scarbrough amassed a 21-83-0 rushing line and a 0-0-0 receiving line.

Kenny Golladay made four grabs for 158 yards (5 targets).

Marvin Jones caught three balls for 40 yards and one touchdown (6 targets).

Danny Amendola logged three catches for 32 yards (8 targets).

T.J. Hockenson reeled in six passes for 18 yards (11 targets).

LAS VEGAS RAIDERS (0-0)

CAROLINA PANTHERS (0-0)

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 13 TH 1:00 PM ETBANK OF AMERICA STADIUM CHARLOTTE, NC

L I N E : D E T – 3 . 0 O V E R / U N D E R : 43 .5



RAIDERS OFFENSE 11 24 19.6 13 118.3 13 9 245.4 22

PANTHERS DEFENSE 23 31 29.4 29 143.5 13 31 231.0 21

PANTHERS OFFENSE 19 20 21.3 14 113.7 20 20 228.1 17

RAIDERS DEFENSE 19 24 26.2 8 98.1 15 25 256.7 33

LAS VEGAS RAIDERS INJURIES TO MONITOR: Tyrell Williams (shoulder – season-ending injured reserve), Marcus Mariota (pectorals – injured reserve)

BYE: Week 6

Last season, the Oakland Las Vegas Raiders repaired their ground game. This season, it’s all about upgrading the passing attack. They hope their two talented starting rookie wideouts – first-rounder Henry Ruggs and third-rounder Bryan Edwards – will help risk-adverse Derek Carr morph from a conservative game manager to an aggressive downfield gunslinger. This is the softest matchup on the Raiders schedule this month, and it comes with high-scoring potential.

QUARTERBACK MATCHUPThis past season, Derek Carr passed for a career-best 4,054 yards but only 21 touchdowns by making a living as a game manager and check-down specialist with a big assist from Darren Waller. Jon Gruden wants Carr to throw deep a lot more, which is obviously why the team drafted the lightning-quick Ruggs and Edwards. Last season, the Carolina Panthers hemorrhaged the most quarterback fantasy points, and their overhauled secondary doesn’t look any better. If you need to start Carr, this is as good a week as any to do so. He could surprise in what profiles as a shootout.

RUNNING BACK MATCHUPDespite missing three late-season outings due to a bum shoulder, the must-start Josh Jacobs puttogether a nice rookie campaign. He finished seventh in the NFL in rushing thanks to crankingout a 242-1,150-7 rushing line and kicked in a modest 20-166-0 receiving line on 27 targets.

Jacobs carried 18.6 times per contest and averaged 89 rushing yards per contest in 2019. TheRaiders have promised to use him more as a receiver, but we’ll believe it if we see it. This pastseason, the Panthers defense coughed up the most running back fantasy points and most rushingyards to enemy tailbacks, and their revamped defense isn’t going to do much better.

WIDE RECEIVER MATCHUPHere’s where things get interesting. Since Tyrell Williams (shoulder) has been lost for the season, the kids are going to play. Rookie 12th overall selection Henry Ruggs will start on the outside. Ruggs lists at 5-foot-11, 188 pounds with blazing 4.27 wheels. Some think Gruden sees him as another Tyreek Hill (Chiefs), and Gruden wants the lightning-quick rookie involved from the get-go. Rookie third-rounder Bryan Edwards is a possession guy. Edwards wrapped up his South Carolina career (he was a four-year starter) with the third-most receptions (324) and fourth-most receiving yards (3,045) in SEC history. The versatile Edwards checks in at 6-foot-3, 215 pounds, andhis 40-yard dash time is listed as between 4.45-4.50. Hunter Renfrow was expected to line up in theslot again. The 5-foot-10, 185-pound Renfrow came on strong at the close of his 2019 rookie campaign, racking up 35-490-4 in his last seven games while averaging 5.0 receptions and 70 yards per contest and leading all Las Vegas wideouts with 49 receptions on the season. Carolina’s reworked secondary isn’t very scary. I trust Ruggs more as a dart throw because of his speed, and Renfrow deserves flex consideration in deep PPR leagues.

TIGHT END MATCHUPThe popular 2019 sleeper racked up one of the most improbable breakout campaigns in the history of fantasy football. Quickly becoming Carr's go-to guy, the must-start Darren Waller averaged 7.3 targets, 5.6 catches and 71.6 receiving yards per game to rack up a 90-1,145-3 receiving line. Regression is likely because of the upgrades at wideout, but Waller will remain entrenched in the fantasy TE1 conversation. The Panthers gave up the seventh-fewest tight end fantasy points in 2019 and their linebacker corps still looks serviceable, but Waller will take careof business.


PLAYERPASSYDS

PASSTD

RUSHYDS

RUSHTD REC

RECYDS

RECTD

QB Derek Carr 326 2 5 0

RB Josh Jacobs 120 1 2 18 0

RB Jalen Richard 20 0 2 20 0

RB Devontae Booker 10 0 0 0 0

WR Tyrell Williams -- -- -- -- -- -- --

WR Henry Ruggs 4 89 1

WR Bryan Edwards 5 57 0

WR Hunter Renfrow 6 62 0

WR Zay Jones 0 0 0

TE Darren Waller 7 70 1

TE Foster Moreau 1 10 0

FGA FGM XPA XPM PTS

PK Daniel Carlson 3 3 3 3 12

P/A SK INT FUM TD

DT Raiders 31 2 1 1 0

PREVIOUS MATCHUP:

2016 Regular Season

Oakland/Las Vegas defeated Carolina 35-32 in Oakland.

CAROLINA PANTHERS INJURIES TO MONITOR: Curtis Samuel (hamstring)

BYE: Week 13

Even the mega-talented Christian McCaffrey couldn’t save an aging and Cam Newton-less Carolina Panthers team from a 5-11 finish that resulted in a massive franchise housecleaning during the offseason. New head coach Matt Rhule and new offensive coordinator Joe Brady comefrom college programs known for high-octane offenses, which makes the Panthers’ rebuild an interesting one to watch. The Carolina offense has the potential to manufacture gobs of fantasy points this season.

QUARTERBACK MATCHUPA sneaky productive new-look Panthers offense will feature aggressive high-volume throwing. That’s what Brady will have to do. The Carolina defense underwent a major offseason renovationand won’t be able to stop anyone, so expect Teddy Bridgewater to be throwing frequently in shootouts and catch-up situations. Critics say the 28-year-old triggerman doesn’t have a good-enough arm to challenge defenses downfield. However, Brady says Bridgewater’s deep ball is way better than everyone thinks. Last season, the Las Vegas Raiders defense allowed the 10th-most quarterback fantasy points. The Raiders have a promising young secondary, but the team hasn’t always played its best on the road under Gruden. If you need Bridgewater, this is one of his more favorable matchups of the season.

RUNNING BACK MATCHUPThe must-start Christian McCaffrey isn’t going to duplicate the massive 2,392 combo yards and19 touchdowns on the massive 403 touches that he racked up in 2019. Brady has wisely vowed toreduce McCaffrey’s workload a bit. The Panthers will have to throw a lot most weeks, but McCaffrey will see more than enough action as a runner and as a receiver to crank out elite No. 1fantasy running back stats. Keep in mind that Newton is no longer around to vulture goal-line

scores. Underrated three-down ball carrier Mike Davis is McCaffrey’s new backup. He enjoyed some success with the Seattle Seahawks two years ago (4.6 yards per carry and a career-high 34-214-1 receiving). I don’t expect Davis to log enough touches to have standalone value.

WIDE RECEIVER MATCHUPWith Carolina attempting the second most passes in the league last season, Moore racked up an 87-1,175-4 receiving line (135 targets) during an impressive second-year breakout campaign. Despite all the offseason changes, the must-start D.J. Moore is still the No. 1 wideout. According to media reports, he and Teddy Bridgewater developed some solid chemistry during the preseason. During 2019, the Las Vegas Raiders defense gave up the 10th-fewest wideout fantasy points but coughed up the ninth-most touchdowns to the position. The Raiders cornerback tandem of second-year pro Trayvon Mullen and rookie Damon Arnette is talented butclearly young. Moore will hold his own thanks to target volume, and garbage-time production is a possibility.

Robby Anderson is the deep threat and presumed No. 2 wideout. There's concern that risk-adverse Bridgewater and the speedy Anderson's respective styles of play aren't going to mesh, but Brady insists that Bridgewater, considered at his best when attacking with short or medium-range throws, has good-enough arm strength to get the ball to Anderson downfield consistently. The Raiders cornerback tandem is talented but young, as noted. Don't be surprised if Anderson gets behind one of them for a long scoring grab. Consider him a boom-or-bust play with junk-time production a possibility.

During the last couple of seasons, the lightning quick Curtis Samuel (hamstring) wasn't used as a traditional wideout. When Samuel didn't line up at wideout, he occasionally took handoffs as a runner or had touches manufactured for him by the previous coaching staff. The fourth-year pro'shands still look suspect. He caught just 51 percent of his targets in 2019, which was the worst percentage among players with at least 100 targets. Brady insists that Samuel will have a huge "critical" role in the offense, but Brady has kept his plans for Samuel a secret. Taking a wait-and-see approach with him looks like the smart move.

TIGHT END MATCHUPIan Thomas (toe) has all the tools to succeed in an every-down role. Rhule said Thomas will be the team's lead pass catcher up the seam, which suggests that he could line up as a wideout sometimes. Some think Thomas also will be a security blanket in the middle of the field for Bridgewater. This past season, the Las Vegas Raiders gave up the 12th-most tight end fantasy points and the sixth-most touchdown grabs to the position, and the Raiders don't look improved at the safety positions. Thomas could surprise in this matchup, but the smart thing is to leave himbenched until we get a read on how the Panthers will use him.


PLAYER PASSYDS

PASSTD

RUSHYDS

RUSHTD

REC RECYDS

RECTD

QB Teddy Bridgewater 310 3 14 0

RB Christian McCaffrey 112 1 6 48 1

RB Mike Davis 30 0 0 0 0

WR D.J. Moore 6 89 1

WR Robby Anderson 4 78 1

WR Curtis Samuel 28 0 4 47 0

WR Seth Roberts 2 20 0

WR Pharoh Cooper 0 0 0

TE Ian Thomas 3 28 0

FGA FGM XPA XPM PTS

PK Joey Slye 1 1 4 4 7

P/A SK INT FUM TD

DT Panthers 30 2 1 1 0

PREVIOUS MATCHUP:

2016 Regular Season

Carolina lost to Oakland/Las Vegas 35-32 in Oakland.

NEW YORK JETS (0-0)

BUFFALO BILLS (0-0)

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 13 TH 1:00 PM ETNEW ERA FIELD ORCHARD PARK, NY

L I N E : B U F – 6 . 0 O V E R / U N D E R : 43 .5



JETS OFFENSE 32 31 17.3 31 78.6 6 29 194.4 19

BILLS DEFENSE 3 2 16.2 10 103.1 12 4 195.2 15

BILLS OFFENSE 24 23 19.6 8 128.4 13 26 201.8 21

JETS DEFENSE 7 16 22.4 2 86.9 12 17 236.2 25

NEW YORK JETS INJURIES TO MONITOR: Denzel Mims (hamstring)

BYE: Week 11

It’s Year 2 of the Adam Gase regime, and he needs to get things moving on the right track. Gase is already feeling some heat for an offense that finished 2019 ranked 32nd overall and 31st in scoring. The so-called quarterback whisperer is also taking criticism about Sam Darnold’s lack of development. Darnold has flashed very little improvement if any on Gase’s watch. New York’s clash with the Buffalo Bills projects as low scoring as usual.

QUARTERBACK MATCHUPDespite operating in Gase’s supposedly passer friendly scheme, Sam Darnold didn't manufacturethe breakout campaign that some had predicted last season. During a fantasy campaign full of sharp ups and downs, Darnold’s production improved only marginally from 2,865-17-15 on 57.7 percent completions (2018) to 3,024-19-13 on 61.9 percent completions. Losing Robby Anderson(Panthers) isn’t going to help Darnold, but an overhauled offensive line should make a difference. However, he still looks like a weak play versus a Buffalo defense that gave up the fifth-fewest quarterback fantasy points this past season.

RUNNING BACK MATCHUPEvery-down tailback Le’Veon Bell’s first season operating outside the usually prolific PittsburghSteelers offense went about as well as expected. Suiting up for 15 games and compiling some of the lowest numbers of his career, Bell carried 245 times for only 789 yards and three touchdownswhile averaging a career-worst 3.2 yards per carry. He managed to pour in a serviceable 66 receptions for 461 yards and one touchdown. The addition of Gase favorite Frank Gore won’t cut into Bell’s targets in the passing game, but the 37-year-old tailback will share the early-downtouches in a 60/40 split. Last season, the Bills defense ranked 14th in rushing yards allowed to enemy tailbacks, but Buffalo is extra stingy at home. The touchdown projected for Gore against his former team was done so with low confidence.

WIDE RECEIVER MATCHUPSwitching Robby Anderson (Panthers) for speedy deep threat Breshad Perriman weakened this group notably. Granted, Perriman showed flashes during his 2019 season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers while making some late-season starts, but he’s not as reliable as Anderson. Sticky-handed slot guy Jamison Crowder is the only Jets wideout that deserves starting consideration right now since he’ll dodge coverage from Tre’Davious White for sure. Crowder operated as Darnold’s safety blanket this past season, topping Gang Green in targets (122), a career high in

receptions (78), receiving yards (833; 14 short of his career high) and touchdown grabs (six; one short of tying his career high). The former Washington Football Team wideout also averaged 7.6 targets, 4.9 catches and 52.0 receiving yards per contest. The Buffalo defense ceded the ninth-fewest wideout fantasy points during 2019, but Crowder has enjoyed success against this bunch. He caught a combined 22 passes for 165 yards and one score in his two matchups versus the Bills last season.

TIGHT END MATCHUPAfter Chris Herndon flashed with 502 receiving yards and four touchdown grabs during his rookie 2018 campaign, he was a huge bust last season because of multiple injuries and a suspension. Herndon has returned healthy for 2020, and he and Darnold have been rebuilding their chemistry during the preseason. The Buffalo defense, however, gave up the fewest tight endfantasy points in 2019. Put the Herndon breakout on hold for another week.


PLAYER PASSYDS

PASSTD

RUSHYDS

RUSHTD

REC RECYDS

RECTD

QB Sam Darnold 238 1 15 0

RB Le’Veon Bell 67 0 5 36 0

RB Frank Gore 30 1 0 0 0

RB LaMical Perine 10 0 0 0 0

WR Breshad Perriman 4 56 0

WR Chris Hogan 3 28 0

WR Jamison Crowder 6 62 1

WR Denzel Mims -- -- -- -- -- -- --

TE Chris Herndon 4 40 0

TE Ryan Griffin 2 16 0

FGA FGM XPA XPM PTS

PK Sam Ficken 1 1 2 2 5

P/A SK INT FUM TD

DT Jets 23 4 1 0 0

PREVIOUS MATCHUP:


New York defeated Buffalo 13-6 at New Era Field during a meaningless game for both teams.I’m not going to post the statistics since both teams didn’t play their starters for the full game.

BUFFALO BILLS

INJURIES TO MONITOR: None

BYE: Week 11

The Buffalo Bills climbed to a 10-6 record and earned a Wild Card round playoff berth mainly onthe striength of their defense this past season, but the Bills need their offense to improve before the team can make a legitimate Super Bowl run. Buffalo hopes the additions of Stefon Diggs androokie third-rounder Zack Moss, and some improvement from Josh Allen as a passer will elevate an offensive unit that ranked 24th overall and 23rd in scoring. The Bills battles with the New York Jets are usually low scoring, and this season opener won’t be an exception.

QUARTERBACK MATCHUPMaking a solid sophomore leap, Josh Allen improved his passing production last season (3,089-20-9). Rushing production, however, is the core of Allen’s fantasy value. The Wyoming product topped all quarterbacks in rushing touchdowns for the second straight season and finished behindonly Lamar Jackson (Ravens) in carries and rushing yards at the position. The Bills want more passing than running from Allen – he’ll still scramble because Allen wouldn’t be Allen if he didn’t run – and I think they’ll get it…at least this week…since it’s easier to pass than run against the New York defense.

RUNNING BACK MATCHUPThe Bills will use second-year pro Devin Singletary and rookie Zach Moss in a one-two punch. Singletary, the smaller of the two, isn’t a burner but runs with nice elusiveness, while Moss, who has a violent running style, replaces Frank Gore (Jets) as the short-yardage/goal-line/power back.Singletary is worth a start since he’ll receive a solid number of touches versus a Jets defense that yielded the 13th-most running back fantasy points but also the fourth-fewest rushing yards to the position. I wouldn’t start Moss based on the uncertainty about his workload.

WIDE RECEIVER MATCHUPThis looks like one of the easier matchups of the season for Stefon Diggs and John Brown. The Jets defense gave up the 14th-most wideout fantasy points last season, and New York’s secondary looks weaker with Jamal Adams (Seahawks) gone, Indianapolis Colts castoff Pierre Desir starting at one cornerback spot and a murky situation at the other cornerback spot. I wouldn’t expect big yardage from either Diggs or Brown since the Bills shouldn’t need to throw a ton to win this game.

TIGHT END MATCHUPDawson Knox's rookie campaign (28-388-2 on 50 targets) was a mix of promising plays and rookie growing pains. The 2019 third-rounder either scored or cleared 55 receiving yards in only four games. Knox has an impressive ability to get downfield (13.9 yards per reception), but the Bills seemed unable or unwilling to use him in a steady seam-stretching role. Maybe that will change…maybe it won’t. He’s just a watch-list candidate.


PLAYER PASSYDS

PASSTD

RUSHYDS

RUSHTD

REC RECYDS

RECTD

QB Josh Allen 254 2 50 0

RB Devin Singletary 67 0 4 30 0

RB Zach Moss 34 0 1 11 0

RB T.J. Yeldon 0 0 0 0 0

WR Stefon Diggs 6 75 1

WR John Brown 4 68 1

WR Cole Beasley 4 40 0

WR Isaiah McKenzie 1 10 0

TE Dawson Knox 3 20 0

FGA FGM XPA XPM PTS

PK Tyler Bass 3 3 2 2 11

P/A SK INT FUM TD

DT Bills 17 5 2 1 0

PREVIOUS MATCHUP:


Buffalo lost to New York 13-6 during a meaningless contest for both teams. I’m not going to list the player statistics because both teams didn’t play their starters for the whole game.

CLEVELAND BROWNS (0-0)

BALTIMORE RAVENS (0-0)

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 13 TH 1:00 PM ETM&T BANK STADIUM BALTIMORE, MD

L I N E : B AL – 8 . 0 O V E R / U N D E R : 48 .5



BROWNS OFFENSE 22 22 20.9 12 118.8 15 22 222.1 22

RAVENS DEFENSE 4 3 17.6 5 93.4 12 6 207.2 21

RAVENS OFFENSE 2 1 33.2 1 206.0 21 27 201.6 37

BROWNS DEFENSE 22 20 24.6 30 144.7 19 7 216.9 25

CLEVELAND BROWNS INJURIES TO MONITOR: None

BYE: Week 9

Battling a tough schedule under the leadership of a rookie head coach (Freddie Kitchens) who wasn’t head coach material, the Cleveland Browns offense never found a steady groove last season. Baker Mayfield took a big step backwards in his development, and he never got on the same page with a banged-up Odell Beckham. In addiiton, the Cleveland offensive line was one of the NFL’s worst. New head coach Kevin Stefanski has installed the same run-heavy attack thathe successfully directed with the Minnesota Vikings in 2019, and a lot of the problems from 2019 have been fixed.

QUARTERBACK MATCHUPStefanski and new offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt should be able to fix most of the problems that contributed to Baker Mayfield’s disappointing 2019 sophomore campaign, but a huge uptick in his passing production seems unlikely. Fewer pass attempts yields fewer sacks andturnovers, according to Stefanski. Mayfield, a rhythm passer, frequently got knocked out of his groove (59.4 percent completions while amassing 3,827-22-21) because of poor protection, which the Browns have addressed, and Stefanski’s play-action passing attack should fit Mayfieldlike a glove. However, he looks like a weak play against a Baltimore Ravens defense that gave up the sixth-fewest quarterback fantasy points this past season.

RUNNING BACK MATCHUPWith rookie 10th overall selection Jedrick Wills at left tackle and savvy veteran Jack Conklin at right tackle, Cleveland’s offensive line should excel in Stefanski’s zone-blocking ground game. The Browns have a good chance to crack the top-10 in rushing with early-down grinder Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt leading the way. Last season, Stefanski’s Vikings were one of just two teams whose tailbacks rushed for more than 2,000 yards. Chubb finished 2019 with a career-best 298-1,494-8 rushing and 36-278-0 receiving while Hunt, in eight contests, averaged 10.0 combo touches and 58 total yards per game (4.6 catches per contest) with three touchdowns scored. We won’t see the new ground game in all its glory against a Ravens defense that allowed the second-fewest running back fantasy points and the ninth-fewest rushing yards to the position.I still think Chubb will get a goal-line score while Hunt makes a little noise as a receiver.

WIDE RECEIVER MATCHUPOdell Beckham and Jarvis Landry are the only two that matter in this top-heavy collection of wideouts. Fighting their way through injuries most of the season, Beckham and Landry both eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark. Landry amassed 83-1,174-6 while Beckham compiled 74-1,035-4.

Beckham will step into the “Adam Thielen role” in Stefanski’s offense, so ODB, assuming he stays reasonably healthy, should top Cleveland in targets. The Browns will be using two-tight end formations heavily, so Landry, coming off hip surgery, will have to continue producing on the outside with a reduced target load. Expect Baltimore’s two top-shelf cornerbacks, Marlon Humphreys and Marcus Peters, to keep Beckham and Landry under wraps, but I still like Landry’s chances for a score.

TIGHT END MATCHUPAustin Hooper and David Njoku are the two main guys in Stefanski’s two-tight end sets. Hooper is coming off two 70-catch seasons with the Atlanta Falcons, but he’s not expected to catch that many passes in this offense since he’ll see more blocking duties and lose targets to Njoku, the junior partner in the timeshare. Since Baltimore yielded the second-fewest tight end fantasy points, it looks like the Hooper coming out party will be delayed for at least a week.


PLAYER PASSYDS

PASSTD

RUSHYDS

RUSHTD

REC RECYDS

RECTD

QB Baker Mayfield 260 1 10 0

RB Nick Chubb 73 1 1 10 0

RB Kareem Hunt 36 0 5 52 0

WR Odell Beckham 5 64 0

WR Jarvis Landry 6 67 1

WR Rashard Higgins 2 20 0

TE Austin Hooper 4 37 0

TE David Njoku 1 10 0

FGA FGM XPA XPM PTS

PK Austin Seibert 3 3 2 2 111

P/A SK INT FUM TD

DT Browns 34 4 1 0 0

PREVIOUS MATCHUP:


Cleveland lost to Baltimore 31-15 at FirstEnergy Stadium.

Baker Mayfield passed for 192 yards and two touchdowns, and logged a 2-4-0 rushing line.

Nick Chubb compiled a 15-45-0 rushing line and a 0-0-0 receiving line (1 target).

Kareem Hunt amassed a 2-8-0 rushing line and a 4-33-0 receiving line (4 targets).

Jarvis Landry hauled in seven passes for 74 yards (9 targets).

Odell Beckham made four grabs for 44 yards and one touchdown (6 targets).

Demetrius Harris (Bears) caught a one-yard touchdown pass (1 target).

BALTIMORE RAVENS INJURIES TO MONITOR: None

BYE: Week 8

What can a Baltimore Ravens offense that finished second overall, first in scoring and first in rushing this past season do for an encore? Improve on a passing attack that ranked just 27th. The same offense that powered the team to a 14-2 finish and a playoff appearance returns intact for the most part, and the team added rookie second-rounder J.K. Dobbins to bolster the backfield and serve as a possible heir apparent to Mark Ingram. Marquise “Hollywood” Brown is also fully recovered from the foot injury that limited him for a good part of 2019.

QUARTERBACK MATCHUPThe reigning 2019 NFL Most Valuable Player topped all quarterbacks with a new single-season record in rushing yards (1,206), paced the league in touchdown passes (36) and led all signal-callers in fantasy scoring. As a runner, Jackson averaged a crazy 11.7 carries per game and was the only quarterback to average more than 80 rushing yards per outing (80.4). Despite his hefty number of scoring strikes and a vastly improved completion percentage, Jackson finished only 22nd in passing yards (3,127 yards; 208.5 yards per game). The word out of Ravens training camp is that Jackson has taken the next step forward as a passer. You know he’s a must-start guy.By the way, the Cleveland Browns probably won’t have defensive backs Kevin Johnson (lacerated liver) and Greedy Williams (shoulder). That’s two of their top-three cover guys.

RUNNING BACK MATCHUPBaltimore’s tailbacks are currently listed in the following order on the most recent depth chart: Mark Ingram, Gus Edwards, Justice Hill and rookie D.K. Dobbins. However, depth charts often mean very little. Ravens offensive boss Greg Roman said the “division of labor” in his backfield would change “on a week-to-week basis.” In other words, it’ll be a committee as usual.As for this week, Ingram is the only safe play versus a Cleveland defense that surrendered the sixth-most rushing yards and the eighth-most fantasy points to the running back position. I’m expecting Dobbins to operate as Ingram’s backup, but I wouldn’t consider starting the rookie until we see how Roman uses him.

WIDE RECEIVER MATCHUPThe Ravens want to get deep threat Marquise “Hollywood” Brown on track after the speedy deep threat endured an injury-wrecked 2019 rookie campaign. Did you know that Brown increased his weight from 157 pounds (his rookie playing weight) to 180 pounds without losing any of his speed? The second-year breakout candidate thinks the extra weight will help his durability. He’ll likely battle Cleveland’s top cornerback, Denzel Ward, but it’s not hard to see the lightning-quick Brown getting loose against a Browns secondary that’s missing two of its top-three cover guys, as noted. Willie Snead and Miles Boykin could surprise, but consider them

dart throws.

TIGHT END MATCHUPThe must-start Mark Andrews, who operates out of the slot regularly, should have a nice outing against a depleted Cleveland secondary. It’ll be a surprise if Andrews doesn’t find the end zone at least once. Do you need to hear more? He’s Mark Andrews…you start him every week regardless of the matchup…carry on.


PLAYERPASSYDS

PASSTD

RUSHYDS

RUSHTD REC

RECYDS

RECTD

QB Lamar Jackson 258 3 67 0

RB Mark Ingram 70 1 2 15 0

RB Gus Edwards 20 0 1 11 0

RB Justice Hill 5 0 0 0 0

RB J.K. Dobbins 35 0 1 10 0

WR Marquise Brown 6 94 1

WR Willie Snead 3 30 0

WR Miles Boykin 1 10 0

TE Mark Andrews 6 78 2

TE Nick Boyle 1 10 0

FGA FGM XPA XPM PTS

PK Justin Tucker 2 2 4 4 10

P/A SK INT FUM TD

DT Ravens 17 5 2 1 0

PREVIOUS MATCHUP:


Baltimore downed Cleveland 31-15 at FirstEnergy Stadium.

Lamar Jackson threw for 238 yards and three scores, and logged a 17-103-0 rushing line.

Mark Ingram compiled an 8-55-0 rushing line and a 2-36-1 receiving line (two targets).

Gus Edwards amassed a 12-68-0 rushing line and a 1-7-0 receiving line (1 target).

Justice Hill piled up a 3-19-1 rushing line and a 3-32-0 receiving line (4 targets).

Marquise Brown caught one pass for six yards (two targets).

Mark Andrews snagged six passes for 93 yards and two touchdowns (nine targets).

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (0-0)

ATLANTA FALCONS (0-0)

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 13 TH 1:00 PM ETMERCEDES–BENZ STADIUM ATLANTA, GA

L I N E : S E A – 2 . 0 O V E R / U N D E R : 49 .5



SEAHAWKS OFFENSE 8 9 25.3 4 137.5 15 14 236.9 31

FALCONS DEFENSE 20 22 24.9 15 110.9 13 22 244.9 28

FALCONS OFFENSE 5 13 23.8 30 85.1 10 3 294.6 29

SEAHAWKS DEFENSE 26 22 24.9 22 117.7 22 27 263.9 19

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS INJURIES TO MONITOR: Phillip Dorsett (foot)

BYE: Week 6

A Seattle Seahawks offense that clocked out of the 2019 regular season ranked in the top 10 in yards, scoring and rushing returns with all of its key playmakers. Seattle also added Carlos Hyde, Phillip Dorsett and Greg Olsen, and drafted DeeJay Dallas. In addition, the Seahawks made some upgrades to what looks like a beefed up offensive line. With an improving defense, Seattle could make a deep playoff run.

QUARTERBACK MATCHUPLast season, Russell Wilson passed for 4,110 yards and 31 touchdowns versus a career-low five interceptions while finishing 13th in attempts, which tells you how run heavy the Seahawks offense truly is. Rebounding from his first season without at least one rushing score, the crafty scrambler found the end zone three times and racked up 342 rushing yards. As Wilson heads into his age-31/32 season, he continues to play at an elite level. Wilson is a strong play against an Atlanta Falcons defense that gave up the seventh-most quarterback fantasy points.

RUNNING BACK MATCHUPDespite missing the Seahawks’ regular-season finale due to a hip injury, Chris Carson topped the team with 1,230 rushing yards on 278 carries, which were both new career highs and ranked fifth at the position, respectively, to go along with seven rushing touchdowns. He also gave fantasy managers a nice surprise in the receiving department, setting new career highs of 37 receptions for 266 yards and two touchdowns on 47 targets. Carson remains the starter, but we could see more of a “hot hand” approach between him and Carlos Hyde. However, Carson is the smart play versus a Falcons defense that ranked ninth in running back fantasy points allowed. Hyde’s role is too uncertain to recommend him right now.

WIDE RECEIVER MATCHUPTyler Lockett and D.K. Metcalf are the two main guys, and both should be entrenched in starting lineups against an Atlanta defense that ranked 15th in wideout fantasy points allowed. Some think Metcalf will supplant Lockett as the Seahawks lead wideout. Keep an eye on how Seattle uses Phillip Dorsett (assuming he plays), Matt Moore or Josh Gordon (if he plays).

TIGHT END MATCHUPDuring the offseason, Seattle shelled out a big-money contract to land the 35-year-old Greg Olsen as insurance for Will Dissly as he recovered from Achilles’ tendon surgery. Guess what? Dissly is good to go for Week 1. It looks like the Seahawks will use them in a timeshare versus

an Atlanta defense that ranked 16th in tight end fantasy points allowed. I don’t recommend starting either one until we get a read on how they will be used.


PLAYERPASSYDS

PASSTD

RUSHYDS

RUSHTD REC

RECYDS

RECTD

QB Russell Wilson 267 2 25 0

RB Chris Carson 110 1 2 20 0

RB Carlos Hyde 40 0 1 11 0

WR Tyler Lockett 6 68 1

WR D.K. Metcalf 5 89 1

WR Phillip Dorsett -- -- -- -- -- -- --

WR David Moore 2 22 0

TE Greg Olsen 3 24 0

TE Will Dissly 3 33 0

FGA FGM XPA XPM PTS

PK Jason Myers 2 2 3 3 9

P/A SK INT FUM TD

DT Seahawks 23 5 1 1 0

PREVIOUS MATCHUP:


Seattle defeated Atlanta 27-20 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Russell Wilson threw for 182 yards and two scores, and logged a 4-4-0 rushing line.

Chris Carson pounded out a 20-90-1 rushing line and a 0-0-0 receiving line (1 target).

Tyler Lockett caught six passes for 100 yards (6 targets).

D.K. Metcalf made two grabs for 13 yards and two touchdowns (5 targets).

ATLANTA FALCONS INJURIES TO MONITOR: Julio Jones (hamstring)

BYE: Week 10

Determined to improve a ground game that ranked 30th last season, the Atlanta Falcons dumpedDevonta Freeman and elected to roll the dice with Todd Gurley and his tempermental knee(s).Will they regret that signing? The Falcons also replaced Austin Hooper (Browns) with sleeper

candidate Hayden Hurst. Regardless of whether Gurley improves the rushing attack, Atltantawill still get off the bus throwing. The team has lived and died with Matt Ryan’s arm two yearsin a row. Make it three straight.

QUARTERBACK MATCHUPMatt Ryan has thrown for at least 4,400 yards in six of his last seven campaigns and passed for at least 26 touchdowns in five of his seven seasons. Ryan will do very little as a runner, but that never matters. He was sacked a league-high (tie) 48 times in 2019 but will operate behind a reworked line that's expected to feature five first-round draft picks. A Seattle Seahawks defense that closed out last season ranked only 19th in quarterback fantasy points added Jamal Adams to an improving young secondary, but volume is Ryan’s friend as usual.

RUNNING BACK MATCHUPLast season, Todd Gurley didn’t break as many tackles and make as many people miss in open space as he amassed a soft 223-857-12 rushing line and a very disappointing 31-207-2 receiving line on 49 looks, which were his lowest numbers across the board since 2016. On the other hand – in a perfect-world scenario – if Gurley can stay reasonably healthy, there are 240 to 260 touches waiting for him in the Atlanta backfield. I like Gurley’s chances to find the end zone versus a Seattle defense that ranked 14th in running back fantasy points allowed, but a 100-yards game is probably unlikely. It looks like Brian Hill is Gurley’s primary backup, but Hill won’t receive enough touches to have standalone value...unless Gurley gets hurt.

WIDE RECEIVER MATCHUPYou don’t need much help here. Julio Jones (hamstring) and Calvin Ridley are both must-start guys. Since 2016, Jones has averaged 97 receiving yards per game (1,300-plus receiving yards in six straight campaigns) but just 5.8 touchdown grabs per season. Ridley was on pace to amass 77-1,066-9 before he missed three season-ending contests due to an abdominal injury. Seattle cornerback Shaquill Griffin held Ridley to a moderate showing (4-70-0) during their meeting last year. Russell Gage was too inconsistent to start last season. Maybe Gage will improve his game. Keepan eye on him.

TIGHT END MATCHUPEven though Hayden Hurst, a 2018 first-round selection, was an afterthought in the Baltimore Ravens offense during the last two seasons – he compiled receiving lines of 13-163-1 on 23 targets (2018) and 30-349-2 on 49 targets (2019) – the Falcons think Hurst is the right guy to replace the departed Austin Hooper (Browns). Since Hooper played at least 75 percent of Atlanta's offensive snaps during two of the last three seasons and amassed 70-plus catches in twostraight campaigns, Hurst, sliding into Hooper's old role with very little competition for targets, is clearly a sleeper candidate. This past season, the Seattle Seahawks defense hemorrhaged the second-most tight end fantasy points. Hurst’s debut should be a good one.


PLAYER PASSYDS

PASSTD

RUSHYDS

RUSHTD

REC RECYDS

RECTD

QB Matt Ryan 354 2

RB Todd Gurley 75 1 4 33 0

RB Brian Hill 20 0 1 11 0

RB Ito Smith 10 0 1 0 0

WR Julio Jones 8 115 0

WR Calvin Ridley 6 87 1

WR Justin Gage 4 56 0

WR Christian Blake 0 0 0

TE Hayden Hurst 5 52 1

FGA FGM XPA XPM PTS

PK Younghoe Koo 3 3 2 2 11

P/A SK INT FUM TD

DT Falcons 27 4 1 1 0

PREVIOUS MATCHUP:


Atlanta lost to Seattle 27-20 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Matt Ryan missed the game because of an ankle injury.

Matt Schaub passed for 460 yards and one touchdown.

Brian Hill compiled a 3-29-1 rushing line and wasn’t targeted.

Julio Jones hauled in 10 balls for 152 yards (12 targets).

Calvin Ridley made four grabs for 70 yards (7 targets).

Russell Gage caught seven passes for 58 yards (9 targets).

Austin Hooper (Browns) logged six receptions for 65 yards and one touchdown (7 targets).

LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (0-0)

CINCINNATI BENGALS (0-0)

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 13 TH 4:05 PM ETPAUL BROWN STADIUM C INCINNATI , OH

L I N E : L AC – 3 . 0 O V E R / U N D E R : 41 .5



CHARGERS OFFENSE 10 21 21.1 28 90.8 12 6 276.6 24

BENGALS DEFENSE 29 25 26.3 32 148.9 17 21 244.8 25

BENGALS OFFENSE 26 30 17.4 25 94.8 9 19 228.3 18

CHARGERS DEFENSE 6 14 21.6 18 112.8 15 5 200.3 21

LOS ANGELES CHARGERS INJURIES TO MONITOR: Mike Williams (shoulder)

BYE: Week 10

With Philip Rivers (Colts) and Melvin Gordon (Broncos) both gone, it’s a new era for the Los Angeles Chargers offense. Under the direction of new offensive boss Shane Steichen, the playbook stays the same but expect to see a run-oriented attack with Tyrod Taylor under center for the short term until rookie sixth overall selection Justin Herbert is ready to take the helm.

QUARTERBACK MATCHUPThe 31-year-old Tyrod Taylor is considered a serviceable passer with a solid arm. In 46 career starts, however, he has averaged only 199 passing yards and 1.1 touchdown strikes per contest. The strength of Taylor's fantasy value comes from rushing production. He racked up top-three rushing production at the position during each of his three seasons in Buffalo (2015-17), averaging a fantasy friendly 94-525-5 per campaign. The Cincinnati Bengals defense gave up the fourth-most quarterback fantasy points this past season, but there’s no way of knowing if the run-minded Chargers will let him go pass heavy. I’m expecting a decent outing but no big numbers.

RUNNING BACK MATCHUPThe must-start Austin Ekeler is the focal point of the new-look Los Angeles offense. This past season, Ekeler tied or set new career highs with a 132-557-3 rushing line and a 93-992-8 receiving line (108 targets). Don’t expect the Chargers to overwork the 5-foot-10, 200-pound Ekelerby pounding him between the tackles 15-20 times per contest, but he’ll still break off plenty of long runs on sweeps and draws as usual. He averaged 14.1 combo touches per contest in 2019. Cincinnati’sdefense surrendered the seventh-most rushing yards to enemy tailbacks. The best way to attack the Bengals is on the ground. Despite the plus matchup, there’s no guarantee that either Justin Jackson or Joshua Kelley will receive enough touches to have standalone value.

WIDE RECEIVER MATCHUPKeenan Allen and Mike Williams (shoulder) are still the top-two wideouts. During the last three seasons with Rivers under center, Allen cranked out receiving lines of 102-1,393-6 (159 targets), 97-1,196-6 (136 targets) and 104-1,199-6 (149 targets), respectively. Don’t expect that level of production. Williams eclipsed the 1,000 mark for the first time in 2019. Does Taylor have a favorite wideout? Will they let him attack downfield against a Cincinnati defense with an average secondary that yielded the seventh-most wideout fantasy points? Maybe Allen will surprise as a flex in PPR leagues, but don’t get your hopes up.

TIGHT END MATCHUPWith an assist from Rivers, Hunter Henry comes off a career-best season with 55 catches for 652yards and five scoring grabs. He was one of Rivers’ favorite targets, and Taylor has a history of throwing to his tight ends regularly, too. The Bengals defense also ceded the seventh-most tight end fantasy points. If you have Henry, give him a shot.


PLAYER PASSYDS

PASSTD

RUSHYDS

RUSHTD

REC RECYDS

RECTD

QB Tyrod Taylor 253 2 34 0

RB Austin Ekeler 110 1 6 55 1

RB Justin Jackson 34 0 1 11 0

RB Joshua Kelley 22 0 0 0 0

WR Keenan Allen 5 67 0

WR Mike Williams 3 44 0

WR Jalen Guyton 2 20 0

WR Joe Reed 0 0 0

TE Hunter Henry 5 56 1

FGA FGM XPA XPM PTS

PK Michael Badgley 2 2 3 3 9

P/A SK INT FUM TD

DT Chargers 20 5 2 1 0

PREVIOUS MATCHUP:

2018 Regular Season

Los Angeles defeated Cincinnati 26-21 at home.

CINCINNATI BENGALS INJURIES TO MONITOR: None

BYE: Week 9

As head coach Zac Taylor enters Year 2 of his rebuild, he finally has his quarterback. Longtime starter Andy Dalton (Cowboys), is gone, and Joe Burrow, the most coveted player in the 2020 draft, will lead the offense in Week 1 and have a full arsenal of playmakers at his disposal – including a healthy A.J. Green. Another longtime Bengal, Tyler Eifert (Jaguars) also departed

during the offseason.

QUARTERBACK MATCHUPLast season, the big-bodied Joe Burrow connected on 76 percent of his throws for LSU while racking up 5,671 passing yards and a record-setting 60 touchdowns against just six interceptions. While Burrow doesn't own a cannon arm, the rookie No. 1 overall selection does possess all the otherdesirable physical and mental traits of a franchise quarterback. Burrow has nice mobility, but he’s not going to amass top-10 rushing production at the position – that’s not his thing. Burrow inherits a solid group of pass-catching talent, and he’s going to do lots of throwing in regular catch-up and shootout situations because of a revamped Bengals defense that simply won’t be able to stop or slow down many offenses. However, a Los Angeles Chargers defense that finished 2019 allowing the 10th-fewest quarterback fantasy points probably will spoil Burrow’s debut.

RUNNING BACK MATCHUPTwo seasons ago, Joe Mixon compiled 237-1,168-8 rushing and 43-296-1 receiving, which looksvery similar to the 278-1,137-5 rushing and 35-287-3 passing lines that he racked up in 2019. Keep in mind that Mixon got off to a horrendous start last season because of major offensive lineproblems and a new coaching staff that didn’t seem to know how to use him. Things improved for Mixon at midseason, and he averaged 119 combo yards per game and scored six times in his final nine contests. Heading into 2020, he’s the guy in the Bengals backfield and will operate in an every-down workhorse role as usual. Since the Los Angeles defense allowed the second-most running back fantasy points, expect a heavy dose of the must-start Mixon.

WIDE RECEIVER MATCHUPBecause there has been very little preseason action, we haven’t been able to get a read on who Burrow’s favorite targets are. That being said, chances are Tyler Boyd, one of the best slot wideouts in the NFL, will be high the list. During the last two seasons, Boyd caught 166 passes, eighth most among wideouts, amassing 2,074 yards and 12 scoring grabs in 30 games. A.J. Green will be 32 at the start of the season, and he’s starting over with a new quarterback. From 2017 through 2019, Green missed 16 of 48 games because of nagging injuries, including an ankle problem that required surgery. Is Green as good or as explosive as he has been in the past? I doubt it. John Ross has flashed on occasion but continues to disappoint. Rookie second-rounder Tee Higgins will start the season as a rotational player. Burrow showed strong chemistry with Auden Tate, but he’s buried on the depth chart. The Chargers yielded the seventh-fewest wideout fantasy points, and their top-shelf cornerback duo of Chris Harris and Casey Hayward will make things difficult for Boyd and Green.

TIGHT END MATCHUPThis offense rarely used tight ends last season. C.J. Uzomah and Drew Sample should remain off your fantasy radar for now.


PLAYER PASSYDS

PASSTD

RUSHYDS

RUSHTD

REC RECYDS

RECTD

QB Joe Burrow 245 1 22 0

RB Joe Mixon 110 1 4 30 1

RB Giovani Bernard 15 0 3 20 0

WR A.J. Green 4 57 0

WR Tyler Boyd 5 52 0

WR John Ross 2 36 0

WR Tee Higgins 2 20 0

WR Auden Tate 0 0 0

TE C.J. Uzomah 2 20 0

TE Drew Sample 1 10 0

FGA FGM XPA XPM PTS

PK Randy Bullock 2 2 2 2 8

P/A SK INT FUM TD

DT Bengals 27 4 1 1 0

PREVIOUS MATCHUP:

2018 Regular Season

Cincinnati lost to Los Angeles 26-21 in Los Angeles.

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (0-0)

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (0-0)

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 13 TH 4:25 PM ETMERCEDES–BENZ SUPERDOME NEW ORLEANS, LA

L I N E : N O – 3 . 0 O V E R / U N D E R : 45 .5



BUCS OFFENSE 3 4 28.6 24 95.1 15 1 302.8 33

SAINTS DEFENSE 11 13 21.3 4 91.3 12 20 241.8 27

SAINTS OFFENSE 9 3 28.6 16 108.6 12 7 265.3 27

BUCS DEFENSE 15 29 28.1 1 73.8 11 30 270.1 30

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS INJURIES TO MONITOR: Mike Evans (hamstring)

BYE: Week 13

Everybody kmows about Tom Brady suiting up with a different team for the first time in 19 years. He’ll have to make Bruce Arians’ high-octane passing attack work without the services of Mike Evans (hamstring), but Brady still has plenty of weapons. Can Rob Gronkowski still play at a reasonably high level? The Tampa Bay Buccaneers backfield is a complete jumble following the addition of Leonard Fournette, but Arians loves his veteran ball carriers.

QUARTERBACK MATCHUPCan 43-year-old Tom Brady operate a non-New England Patriots offense effectively? Can Bradystill throw deep? My answers are “yes” and “maybe.” I liked Brady’s fantasy upside in this matchup a lot better when I thought Mike Evans (hamstring) was going to suit up. The New Orleans Saints defense finished fourth against the run this past season, so the must-start Brady will have to throw a lot despite the absence of Evans.

RUNNING BACK MATCHUPSo much for the Ronald Jones breakout that some fantasy managers had predicted. Tampa Bay is using a four-headed committee comprised of Jones and Leonard Fournette, who are expected to split the early-down touches while LeSean McCoy handles the passing-down duties. Rookie K’Shawn Vaughn, the biggest loser in this timeshare debacle through no fault of his own, could be sprinkled in, but don’t bet on it. The New Orleans defense gave up the fourth-fewest rushing yards to enemy tailbacks and the eighth-fewest fantasy points to the position. Even though Jones is the starter, he’s a very risky option, and so are the others.

WIDE RECEIVER MATCHUPSince Mike Evans (hamstring) is expected to sit out, as noted, there’s reason to worry about the must-start Chris Godwin. New Orleans shutdown cornerback Marshon Lattimore usually shadows Evans, but I suspect Godwin will get the Lattimore treatment, which will impact the wideout’s stats. Smallish wideout Scotty Miller is expected to take Evans’ place, and size-speed specimen Justin Watson will see action in three-wideout sets if the Bucs move away from their planned two-tight end sets. I wouldn’t bother with Miller or Watson.

TIGHT END MATCHUPThe must-start Rob Gronkowski and O.J. Howard are listed as co-starters in a Buccaneers offense that's expected to use two-tight end formations heavily. Arians said he would "play it by

ear" when it comes to Gronkowski's workload against New Orleans. As you surely know, "Gronk" is making a comeback following a one-year retirement and probably will have to shake off some rust since he's playing his first game since the 2018 Super Bowl. Gronkowski will operate in a red-zone specialist role at the very least. This past season, the Saints defense gave upthe ninth-most tight end fantasy points. Expect Brady to do his best to get his friend Gronkowski a welcome-back touchdown grab in what profiles as a high-scoring game.


PLAYERPASSYDS

PASSTD

RUSHYDS

RUSHTD REC

RECYDS

RECTD

QB Tom Brady 268 2 0 0

RB Ronald Jones 45 0 3 20 0

RB Leonard Fournette 38 0 1 10 0

RB LeSean McCoy 10 0 1 11 0

RB K’Shawn Vaughn 10 0 2 18 0

WR Chris Godwin 4 63 1

WR Mike Evans -- -- -- -- -- -- --

WR Scotty Miller 5 40 0

WR Justin Watson 3 30 0

TE Rob Gronkowski 4 34 1

TE O.J. Howard 2 20 0

TE Cameron Brate 3 20 0

FGA FGM XPA XPM PTS

PK Ryan Succop 3 3 2 2 11

P/A SK INT FUM TD

DT Buccaneers 30 4 0 1 0

PREVIOUS MATCHUP:


Tampa Bay lost to New Orleans 34-17 at Raymond James Stadium.

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS INJURIES TO MONITOR: None

BYE: Week 6

Following two frustrating playoff exits in a row, the New Orleans Saints are operating in Super Bowl or bust mode once again since Drew Brees is eyeing retirement and a broadcasting career. Emmanuel Sanders is the only addition of note to one of the NFL’s most balanced and dangerous offensive units. Since Tom Brady won’t have Mike Evans, the Drew Brees/Tom Brady battle has lost some luster.

QUARTERBACK MATCHUPAlthough his deep ball is slowly fading, the must-start Drew Brees can still light it up at the ripe old age of 41. This past season, he missed five games due to thumb surgery on his right (throwing) hand. However, when a healthy Brees was at the helm of the potent Saints offense for 10 season-ending starts (Week 8 through Week 17), he was the fourth-most productive fantasy quarterback during that stretch. Since Tampa Bay topped the league in run defense and probably will be tough versus the run once again, the Saints will need some high-volume throwing from Brees. This matchup is more challenging than it looks on paper, but Brees will take care of business.

RUNNING BACK MATCHUPAccording to media reports, the must-start Alvin Kamara, 25, received an epidural shot in his back to relieve nerve inflammation sometime in August, but he's expected to be good to go for Week 1. Will Kamara have back trouble during the season? Stay tuned. This past season, Kamara battled through a nagging high-ankle sprain, back issues and a knee tear but still racked up 1,330 combo yards and six touchdowns on 252 touches. The improving Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense yielded the fewest rushing yards and the fourth-fewest running back fantasy points, but Kamara likely will do most of his damage as a receiver. Don’t expect Latavius Murray to see enough action to have standalone value.

WIDE RECEIVER MATCHUPWhat more is there to say about the must-start Michael Thomas that hasn't already been said? During his two clashes with a Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense that surrendered the most wideout fantasy points last season, Thomas amassed receiving lines of 11-182-2 (13 targets) and 8-114-1 (10 targets), respectively. Since Tampa Bay has been stellar against the run, expect some high-volume passing from the Saints and a big outing from Thomas. How will Brees use Emmanuel Sanders? We’re going to find out. Brees has talked up Tre’Quan Smith as a breakout candidate, but we’ll believe it if we see it.

TIGHT END MATCHUPThe 33-year-old Jared Cook will continue in his deep-threat role, but don't expect an uptick in his weekly target numbers from what we saw in 2019 with lots of mouths to feed in the New Orleans passing attack. During Cooks' two 2019 clashes with a Bucs defense that gave up the eighth-most touchdowns and the 14th-most fantasy points to tight ends, he compiled receiving lines of 4-41-1 (six targets) and 2-33-1 (two targets). We won't promise a score, but Cook’s matchup is favorable. Since Tampa Bay has one of the NFL's top run defenses, expect a pass-heavy New Orleans game plan, as noted.


PLAYER PASSYDS

PASSTD

RUSHYDS

RUSHTD

REC RECYDS

RECTD

QB Drew Brees 357 3 0 0

RB Alvin Kamara 50 0 7 55 1

RB Latavius Murray 30 0 2 18 0

WR Michael Thomas 10 110 1

WR Emmanuel Sanders 4 56 0

WR Tre’Quan Smith 3 40 0

TE Jared Cook 4 68 1

TE Josh Hill 1 10 0

FGA FGM XPA XPM PTS

PK Wil Lutz 3 3 3 3 12

P/A SK INT FUM TD

DT Saints 23 5 1 1 0

PREVIOUS MATCHUP:


New Orleans defeated Tampa Bay 34-17 at Raymond James Stadium.

ARIZONA CARDINALS (0-0)

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (0-0)

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 13 TH 4:25 PM ETLEVI ’S STADIUM SANTA CLARA, CA

L I N E : S F – 7 . 0 O V E R / U N D E R : 48 .0



CARDINALS OFFENSE 21 17 22.6 10 124.4 18 24 217.3 20

49ERS DEFENSE 2 8 19.4 17 112.6 11 1 169.2 23

49ERS OFFENSE 4 2 29.9 2 144.1 23 13 237.0 28

CARINALS DEFENSE 32 28 27.6 24 120.1 9 31 281.9 38

ARIZONA CARDINALS INJURIES TO MONITOR: None

BYE: Week 8

Even though the Arizona Cardinals finished just 5-10-1 during Kliff Kingsbury’ s first go around,he has his pass-heavy “Air Raid” offense moving in the right direction. Kyler Murray looks asgood as advertised, and the acquisition of needed lead wideout DeAndre Hopkins in exchangefor 28-year-old David Johnson (Texans) looks like a steal. Was swapping out Johnson forKenyan Drake, who has never operated as a lead ball carrier, the right move? We’ll find out. Theoffensive line still looks suspect, but the defense should improve thanks to some offseasonupgrades, particularly rookie first-rounder Isaiah Simmons.

QUARTERBACK MATCHUPKyler Murray flashed tons of promise for the future, finishing as the fantasy QB9 and winning Offensive Rookie of the Year Honors last season. Following a rough start, Murray’s play improved over the course of the season. The insanely athletic dual-threat triggerman powered the Cardinals offense to at least three touchdowns in eight of the team's last 11 contests. He clocked out with 3,722-20-12 passing (ninth in attempts, too) and 93-544-4 rushing. The Oklahoma product ranked third at the position in carries and only Lamar Jackson (Ravens) rushed for more yards. As noted, Murray now has a No. 1 wideout named DeAndre Hopkins. The San Francisco 49ers defense gave up the ninth-most quarterback fantasy points this past season, and Murray had a good game the last time he faced them.

RUNNING BACK MATCHUPEvery-down runner Kenyan Drake has top-five fantasy running back upside as the unquestioned starter in Arizona’s high-flying offense. After Drake was traded to the Cardinals at midseason, he averaged 102 combo yards per contest and scored eight touchdowns. During Arizona’s three season-ending outings, Drake amassed a combined 58-363-7 rushing (6.3 yards per carry). San Francisco yielded the fourth-fewest running back fantasy points, but Drake should receive plenty of touches.

WIDE RECEIVER MATCHUPRoute-running technician DeAndre Hopkins operated as a split end with the Houston Texans andwill hold down the same spot in the Arizona offense while Christian Kirk handles the slot duties and 37-year-old Larry Fitzgerald moves to flanker. The 49ers allowed the 12th-most wideout fantasy points, but their secondary is better than you think. Richard Sherman matches up naturallyon Fitzgerald, but it would make sense for Sherman to shadow the must-start Hopkins.

TIGHT END MATCHUPThe tight end position has rarely moved the fantasy needle in Kingsbury’s offense.


PLAYER PASSYDS

PASSTD

RUSHYDS

RUSHTD

REC RECYDS

RECTD

QB Kyler Murray 253 2 38 1

RB Kenyan Drake 62 0 5 42 0

RB Chase Edmonds 20 0 2 12 0

WR DeAndre Hopkins 7 72 1

WR Christian Kirk 5 57 0

WR Larry Fitzgerald 5 40 1

WR Andy Isabella 2 30 0

TE Maxx Williams 0 0 0

FGA FGM XPA XPM PTS

PK Zane Gonzalez 2 2 3 3 9

P/A SK INT FUM TD

DT Cardinals 34 4 2 0 0

PREVIOUS MATCHUP:


Arizona lost to San Francisco 36-26 at Levi’s Stadium.

Kyler Murray threw for 150 yards and two scores, and logged an 8-67-1 rushing line.

Kenyan Drake amassed a 16-67-0 rushing line and a 6-13-0 receiving line (7 targets).

Chase Edmonds missed the game due to a hamstring injury.

Larry Fitzgerald hauled in five passes for 37 yards and one touchdown (9 targets).

Christian Kirk made six grabs for 41 yards (9 targets).

Pharoh Cooper (Panthers) caught three balls for 35 yards and one touchdown (4 targets).

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS INJURIES TO MONITOR: Deebo Samuel (foot), Tevin Coleman (sickle cell trait), Brandon Aiyuk (hamstring)

BYE: Week 11

After the San Francisco 49ers came within 12 points of winning a Super Bowl, they have a new enemy to fight – the Super Bowl Bridesmaid curse. Bad luck and injuries always seem to haunt the team that lost the Big Game. A 49ers offense that finished second in rushing without a bell cow runner, fourth overall and second in scoring has remained intact for the most part. Matt Breida is gone, and Jerick McKinnon (knee surgery) will finally make his debut. San Francisco also added rookie Brandon Aiyuk, who is expected to help pick up the receiving slack while top wideout Deebo Samuel recovers from foot surgery.

QUARTERBACK MATCHUPJimmy Garoppolo usually game managed one of the most run-heavy offenses in the NFL (he passed for 185 or fewer yards in five games), wrapping up the regular season as the fantasy QB14. He still ranked an impressive fifth (tie) at the position in touchdown passes (27) and a solid 12th in passing yards (3,979) but only 19th in attempts (476). As Garoppolo heads into his age-28/29 campaign and second full season as a starter, expect another mix of good and bad fantasy outings from him. Opposing teams should be better prepared for the 49ers' ground game, so maybe San Francisco will have to throw more. Garoppolo usually has big outings against the Arizona Cardinals.

RUNNING BACK MATCHUPThe 49ers became the first team in 15 years to have three tailbacks rush for at least 500 yards. Raheem Mostert is the most high profile of the bunch and probably will top the team in rushing again. He tied for the team lead in carries (137), but led San Francisco in rushing yards (772) andrushing scores (8). Rarely a factor as a receiver throughout his six-year NFL career, Mostert caught just 14 balls for 180 yards and two touchdowns, which were all career highs. If Tevin Coleman (sickle cell trait) is a no-go for the Cardinals game, Mostert will receive more carries. Don’t expect a big load for Jerick McKinnon during his 49ers debut.

TIGHT END MATCHUPWith Deebo Samuel (foot) parked on the injury shelf, expect Garoppolo to lean heavily on George Kittle. Arizona surrendered the fourth-most tight end fantasy points last season. The Carindals drafted Isaiah Simmons to address that problem, but Kittle is one of the NFL’s best.

WIDE RECEIVER MATCHUPSince Samuel is out, as noted, expect Garoppolo to spread his passes around receivers not named Kittle. San Francisco has high hopes for rookie Brandon Aiyuk. The touchdown projected for Kendrick Bourne is done with low confidence. I don’t recommend any of the 49ers wideouts.


PLAYERPASSYDS

PASSTD

RUSHYDS

RUSHTD REC

RECYDS

RECTD

QB Jimmy Garoppolo 308 3 10 0

RB Raheem Mostert 70 1 2 15 0

RB Tevin Coleman 33 0 2 10 0

RB Jerick McKinnon 10 0 4 30 0

RB Jeff Wilson 0 0 0 0 0

WR Deebo Samuel -- -- -- -- -- -- --

WR Kendrick Bourne 4 56 1

WR Brandon Aiyuk 4 67 0

WR Trent Taylor 3 30 0

TE George Kittle 9 100 2

TE Jordan Reed 0 0 0

FGA FGM XPA XPM PTS

PK Robbie Gould 2 2 4 4 10

P/A SK INT FUM TD

DT 49ers 27 5 1 1 0

PREVIOUS MATCHUP:


San Francisco defeated Arizona 36-26 at Levi’s Stadium.

Jimmy Garoppolo passed for 424 yards and four touchdowns.

Raheem Mostert compiled a 6-13-0 rushing line and a 2-14-0 receiving line (3 targets).

Tevin Coleman compiled a 12-14-0 rushing line and a 3-48-0 receiving line (4 targets)

Kyle Juszczyk didn’t log any carries and caught seven passes for 63 yards (7 targets).

George Kittle missed the contest because of knee/ankle injuries.

Ross Dwelley caught four passes for 14 yards and two touchdowns (5 targets).

Deebo Samuel hauled in eight passes for 134 yards (10 targets).

Kendrick Bourne logged four receptions for 31 yards and one score (6 targets).

Jeff Wilson made one grab for 25 yards and one touchdown (1 target).

DALLAS COWBOYS (0-0)

LOS ANGELES RAMS (0-0)

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 13 TH 8:20 PM ET SOFI STADIUM LOS ANGELES, CA

L I N E : D AL – 2 . 5 O V E R / U N D E R : 51 .5



COWBOYS OFFENSE 1 6 27.1 5 134.6 18 2 296.9 30

RAMS DEFENSE 7 11 24.6 26 98.7 20 4 281.2 22

RAMS OFFENSE 13 17 22.8 19 113.1 15 12 226.6 23

COWBOYS DEFENSE 9 11 20.1 11 103.5 14 10 223.5 21

DALLAS COWBOYS INJURIES TO MONITOR: None

BYE: Week 10

Despite the switch from Jason Garrett to Mike McCarthy, don’t expect any dramatic changes to aDallas Cowboys offense that closed out the 2019 regular season ranked sixth or better in yards, scoring, rushing and passing under offensive coordintaor Kellen Moore. He’ll continue to call theplays. The only notable addition was rookie 17th overall selection CeeDee Lamb, who will start in the slot. Longtime Cowboy Jason Witten (Raiders) left via free agency, clearing the way for a possible Blake Jarwin breakout.

QUARTERBACK MATCHUPThe must-start Dak Prescott finished 2019 ranked sixth or better in all the major statistical categories, compiling new career highs in attempts (596; only five quarterbacks attempted more passes), completions (388), touchdown strikes (30) and passing yards (4,902) as the fantasy QB2.An instinctive red-zone scrambler, the mobile Prescott has rushed for at least 277 yards and threescores in each of his four NFL seasons, and Prescott's 21 rushing touchdowns during that stretch led all quarterbacks. During Dallas’ 2019 battle with the Los Angeles Rams, Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard did most of the heavy lifting, but the Cowboys will need more from Prescott this time. However, he’ll have to deal with Amari Cooper likely battling shadow coverage from Jalen Ramsey. The Rams defense was ranked 15th in quarterback fantasy points allowed last season.

RUNNING BACK MATCHUPEverybody knows that Ezekiel Elliott is an elite must-start tailback. Battling the Rams in 2019, Elliott and Tony Pollard carried a huge share of the rushing load. The Los Angeles defense gave up the 12th-most rushing yards and the ninth-most fantasy points to the tailback position and could be softer on the ground. Elliott will have a nice game. Since they’re playing this one at Sofi Stadium, however, I’m don’t think game script will favor a big workload for Pollard again.

WIDE RECEVIER MATCHUPAmari Cooper and Michael Gallup are must-start guys against a Los Angeles defense thatyielded the 15th-most wideout fantasy points. Since Cooper probably will have a quiet gamebecause of the Jalen Ramsey treatment, Gallup should do well and rookie CeeDee Lamb shouldmake some fantasy noise. Would I risk starting Lamb? No.

TIGHT END MATCHUPBlake Jarwin, a fourth-year pro (31-365-3 on 41 targets last season), has inherited a starting gig and has solid breakout potential thanks to his good hands and underrated seam-stretching 4.69

jets. Oh yeah, Witten left behind 83 targets. Los Angeles surrendered the 10th-fewest tight end fantasy points, so I’m not expecting Jarwin’s breakout to start this week.


PLAYERPASSYDS

PASSTD

RUSHYDS

RUSHTD REC

RECYDS

RECTD

QB Dak Prescott 279 2 24 0

RB Ezekiel Elliott 120 1 4 32 0

RB Tony Pollard 40 0 1 10 0

WR Amari Cooper 3 44 0

WR Michael Gallup 8 88 1

WR CeeDee Lamb 4 65 1

TE Blake Jarwin 4 40 0

FGA FGM XPA XPM PTS

PK Greg Zuerlein 3 3 3 3 12

P/A SK INT FUM TD

DT Cowboys 34 5 2 1 0

PREVIOUS MATCHUP:


Dallas routed Los Angeles 44-21 at AT&T Stadium.

Dak Prescott threw for 212 yards and two scores, and logged a 7-12-0 rushing line.

Ezekiel Elliott amassed a 24-117-2 rushing line and a 3-43-0 receiving line (4 targets).

Tony Pollard compiled a 12-131-1 rushing line and a 2-12-0 receiving line (2 targets).

Amari Cooper caught one pass for 19 yards (2 targets).

Michael Gallup made one grab for 6 yards (1 targets).

Tavon Austin logged one reception for 59 yards and one touchdown (2 targets)

Jason Witten snagged four passes for 36 yards and one touchdown (five targets).

LOS ANGELES RAMS INJURIES TO MONITOR: Greg Zuerlein (foot)

BYE: Week 9

The under performing of Todd Gurley (Falcons) and offensive line problems were the two biggest reasons why the high-flying Los Angeles Rams offense took a couple of steps backwards

last season. Gurley has been replaced by a timeshare that includes Cam Akers, Darrell Henderson and Malcolm Brown. The Rams didn’t make any major changes to the line, insistingthat the younger starters will improve. Jared Goff isn’t a scrambler, and he struggled mightily when the line wasn’t playing well. Brandin Cooks (Texans), coming off an injury-wrecked campaign, was shipped to Houston.

QUARTERBACK MATCHUPWhen the Rams’ ground game tanked to 26th and their offensive line struggled big time, as noted, the sum-of-all-his-parts Jared Goff regressed while carrying a bigger part of the load withlimited play-action passing opportunities. Looking downright awful at times, Goff still passed for4,638 yards (Goff threw for 4,688 yards in 2018) but just 22 touchdowns (32 scoring strikes in 2018) against a career-high 16 picks (12 picks in 2018). The Rams expect better production from what looks like an average-at-best Todd Gurley-less committee backfield and expect an offensiveline that received very little offseason help to improve. The Dallas Cowboys defense allowed the seventh-fewest quarterback fantasy points last season, but Goff is playing at home against a weaker Dallas secondary and should have a nice outing.

RUNNING BACK MATCHUPHow should you deal with the Rams’ three-headed backfield that includes Cam Akers, Darrell Henderson and Malcolm Brown? If you have any of the three runners on your roster, I’d keep them benched to see how Los Angeles divides up the touches. Brown was expected to start, but that won’t guarantee him a majority share of the workload. Expect moderate-at-best production from Brown and Akers. Henderson (hamstring) probably will be the odd man out this time.

WIDE RECEIVER MATCHUPRobert Woods and Cooper Kupp are both must-start guys. Last season, they both struggled against a Dallas defense that ceded the sixth-fewest wideout fantasy points, and Goff wasn’t sharp. Losing Byron Jones, however, will hurt the Dallas secondary, and his replacment is rookieTrevon Diggs. Woods and Kupp are also playing at home where they usually perform well. SinceLos Angeles is using its tight ends more often, I’m not sure how many targets Josh Reynolds will draw.

TIGHT END MATCHUPAfter quietly operating in a part-time role for most of 2019, Tyler Higbee absolutely erupted during the final five weeks of the 2019 regular season. Major blocking problems forced Goff to often pass up deep throws and settle for short stuff and check downs. With Gerald Everett sidelined due to a knee injury, the Goff-to-Higbee connection sizzled like bacon in a frying pan. From Week 13 through Week 17, Higbee topped all NFL tight ends with 43 receptions, 522 receiving yards and two touchdown receptions. Dallas gave up a huge game to Higbee last season, and the Cowboys coughed up the fourth-most tight end fantasy points.


PLAYER PASSYDS

PASSTD

RUSHYDS

RUSHTD

REC RECYDS

RECTD

QB Jared Goff 344 3 0 0

RB Cam Akers 45 1 1 11 0

RB Darrell Henderson 20 0 1 12 0

RB Malcolm Brown 35 0 2 14 0

WR Robert Woods 6 78 1

WR Cooper Kupp 8 90 1

WR Josh Reynolds 3 47 0

TE Tyler Higbee 7 72 1

TE Gerald Everett 2 20 0

FGA FGM XPA XPM PTS

PK Sam Sloman 2 2 4 4 10

P/A SK INT FUM TD

DT Rams 30 5 1 1 0

PREVIOUS MATCHUP:


Los Angeles was blown out by Dallas 44-21 at AT&T Stadium.

Jared Goff passed for 284 yards and two touchdowns.

Todd Gurley (Falcons) compiled an 11-20-1 rushing line and a 3-18-1 rec. line (6 targets).

Robert Woods posted a 4-17-0 receiving line (9 targets).

Brandin Cooks (Texans) caught four passes for 46 yards (8 targets).

Cooper Kupp made six grabs for 41 yards and one touchdown (6 targets).

Tyler Higbee hauled in 12 passes for 111 yards (14 targets).

2020 GAME CAPSULES AND PLAYER PROJECTIONS WEEK 1 …€¦ · TEAM DEFENSE 27 27 27.2 31 146.2 14 18...

Documents

Transcript of 2020 GAME CAPSULES AND PLAYER PROJECTIONS WEEK 1 …€¦ · TEAM DEFENSE 27 27 27.2 31 146.2 14 18...