Quarterback
Dak Prescott ($6,800), Aaron Rodgers ($6,900)
Themi: Matt Ryan should be happy he gets to face a depleted Cowboys defense. Still, I think Dak’s running ability and better matchup will be what gives him the slight edge in this game. It’s going to be better than their SNF performance.
Max: Aaron Rodgers showed he still had it last week against a struggling Minnesota Vikings defense. The sentiment after that game has been that the Vikings defense is that bad, after losing a multitude of starters in the offseason. What’s more realistic is that the Vikings have taken a step back, but Aaron Rodgers and the Packers don’t deserve to be written off. Expect the air-raid to continue against a poor Lions secondary.
Running Back
Ezekiel Elliott ($8,200), Miles Sanders ($6,000), Jonathon Taylor ($5,700), Ronald Jones ($5,200)
Themi: Chris Carson and Russel Wilson destroyed the Falcons through the air, and I don’t see that stopping anytime soon. While I certainly don’t see Zeke getting only a handful of carries and two scores through the air, he should be able to assert his dominance on a much tamer defensive front.
Max: Miles Sanders should be in line for heavy work as the Eagles didn’t get much out of Boston Scott and Corey Clement in Week 2. Sanders should have plenty of room to run against a highly overrated Rams defense. However, I do see Aaron Donald carving up the Eagles o-line, which could force Wentz into more checkdowns against the pass rush. Perhaps with his number one back there in Week 2, against a defense that garners more respect, Wentz won’t have to wait in the pocket and take 8 sacks again.
Themi: Aaron Jones didn’t do anything crazy on the ground against the Vikings, but Taylor has almost a whole backfield to himself. Nyheim Hines may still get a lot of receiving work but now Marlon Mack is unfortunately out for the year. Taylor actually led all rookies in receptions and receiving yards, so if he keeps that up and increases his run work, this could work out very well.
Carolina got torched on the ground by Josh Jacobs and while Jones didn’t look spectacular last week, the Saints are a tough matchup. The whole offense was shut down. Don’t expect Brady to be stifled every week. The Bucs are going to take and hold a lead.
Wide Receiver
Davante Adams ($8,100), Allen Robinson ($6,400), Marquise Brown ($6,200), Parris Campbell ($4,500), Scotty Miller ($4,100)
Max: (See Aaron Rodgers) Davante Adams lead the league in catches and targets in Week 1 and there’s no reason to suspect it won’t happen again in Week 2. Detroit held their own in the first half, but crumbled to Mitch Trubisky and the Bears in the fourth quarter. That coupled with countless injuries in their secondary should lead to a huge day for Rodger’s favorite target, Adams.
Themi: Last week was a fluke for the Bears, but they get another easy matchup that Robinson can exploit. Anthony Miller got a lot of work last week but Robinson has the benefit of a great floor. I think this is his week to show the ceiling he offers.
Many expect this game to be the highest scoring of the week, and for good reason. Outside of Hollywood Brown and Mark Andrews, who is there? I don’t see Miles Boykin or Devin Duvernay getting double digits targets. A shootout with two of the best at the position will only lead to fantasy points.
Max: Parris Campbell has been a trendy pick these last two weeks, as Parris Campbell is emerging as a solid option from the slot. Phillip Rivers simply does not have the arm strength to go down field and properly utilize his outside guys. The Vikings secondary is likely still struggling enough to make this a difficult matchup for them. Campbell should not be lacking targets over the middle from Rivers.
Themi: If you have been on twitter at all, you know fantasy football twitter is touting Scotty Miller. He’s not a better player than Mike Evans or Chris Godwin, but with Godwin barely practicing he should be starting. Opportunity can move a player from 1 reception to a must-start. The Panthers will not be a hard matchup for him.
Tight End
Mike Gesicki ($4,000), Chris Herndon ($3,400)
Max: Gesicki could end up being a sneaky play at TE this week. If you’re not able to afford a top guy like Kelce or Andrews, look no further than Miami. Miami has a tough matchup against the Bills, who are tough on the run, but also have a tremendous secondary. However, the soft spot in the defense is at linebacker, where they are very thin due to injury. I expect Miami to target Gesicki a lot in late down situations, which makes him extremely valuable this week.
Themi: Jamison Crowder and Le’Veon Bell will miss time, meaning the top skill position players will be Breshad Perriman, Chris Hogan, and Frank Gore. After already getting a good target share last week, I think Sam Darnold and the Jets will be looking to prove the world wrong. Herndon should get fed.
Defense/Special Teams
Chiefs D/ST ($3,400), Broncos D/ST ($2,500)
Themi: I never like taking the Chiefs defense in these underrated divisional matchups, but after Tyrod Taylor’s performance last week I feel a lot better about it. If the Chiefs can keep the Texans at bay, they can absolutely limit a team that barely put up 13 on the lowly Bengals.
Max: Here’s another sneaky play if you went top heavy at the skills positions. The Steelers handily beat the Giants, but their offense certainly looked to have some growing pains. The return of Big Ben can mean big things for the Steelers, but they will not be able to run all over the Broncos like they did the G-men. This will be a slow and ugly game, where the Broncos can keep it tight and perhaps grab a turnover.
