This article takes a look at players from each of the positions in your starting lineup who have interesting matchups. Not all players covered are your classic sleepers who might outperform expectations. Some are nominal starters with tricky matchups or players who might be starters in smaller leagues, but deep sleepers in larger leagues. Realizing that leagues and roster sizes vary wildly; your mileage could vary, too.
Quarterbacks
Michael Vick, PHI vs. SD
As long as Vick is healthy and leading this Chip Kelly offense he’ll have solid QB1 value. The question is really how long he can run this offense without getting hurt. Throwing himself around the way he does also increases the risk every time you start him. Even so, when you have 70 to 80 plays at hand, you have a 20% advantage straight away over other quarterbacks. The Chargers allowed 199 yards and 2 TDS in the second half alone to Matt Schaub last week during their second half collapse. Vick will put even more stress on a defense that’s already traveling across the country on a short week.
Matt Schaub, HOU vs. Ten
After slinging the ball 45 times on Monday night in comeback mode, don’t expect Schaub to be in a similar position this week at home against the Titans. Schaub produced 18 points in both games against the Titans last year with 202-2-0 in Week 4 and 207-2-0 in Week 13. He’s not a reach-for-the-sky play this week, but he is one of the safer plays with a floor is in the mid-QB2 range and he could easily finish closer to the QB1/QB2 edge in standard leagues.
Terrelle Pryor, OAK vs. Jac
Pryor performed better than expected in his first NFL start against the Colts, almost leading the Raiders to a comeback win on the road. Pryor may well be the top running quarterback in a league that’s suddenly full of them. Heck, he was Week 1’s leading NFL rusher with 112 yards. His covers a lot of ground quickly, with his speed, size and long strides. Alex Smith hung 19 points on the Jaguars last week in Jacksonville and they’ll be without starting rookie corner Dwayne Gratz. Pryor showed he’s capable of top 10 numbers last week finishing as QB13 in an abnormally high scoring week.
Carson Palmer, ARI vs. Det
Palmer should be in for a pass-happy afternoon against the Lions. Detroit’s defense gave up plenty of big plays against a suspect Vikings passing game. Jerome Simpson ripped them for 7-140-0. Palmer’s biggest concern comes from the Lions defensive front. Beyond that, Palmer should easily fare better than Christian Ponder, who produced 236 yards, 1TD and 3 interceptions in the opener.
Philip Rivers, SD at PHI
Rivers should have ample opportunity to throw the ball in Philadelphia. In fact, he’ll need to throw often to keep pace with the Eagles up tempo offense. That should lead to plenty of opportunities for Rivers, but the Eagles defense might be as disruptive as their offense was after forcing Robert Griffin III III into his first 2 interception game as a pro. Aside from turnover risk, Rivers is a good bet for 200+ yards and 2 TDs as the Eagles will be without starting corner Bradley Fletcher and Rivers is fresh off a 4 TD, 26 point fantasy outburst against the Texans. It doesn’t hurt that the Chargers ran the ball just 20 times despite having a 28-7 halftime lead on Monday night.
A couple other guys to look at: The ever-conservative Alex Smith against a Cowboys defense that gave up the farm to Eli Manning in the opener. Smith isn’t as much of a downfield thrower as Eli, but he has enough weapons to at least provide solid QB2 production. The other one is Josh Freeman, who is more of a boom/bust gamble. Freeman was a boom in one game against the Saints last year (420-3-0) and a complete bust in the other (279-0-4). The Saints defense looked improved last week, so you might not want to take your changes with Freeman to determine which way this one might go. Then again, in two QB leagues, Freeman the risk is less of an issue and the upside is appealing even if the Bucs looked absolutely putrid last week.
Running Backs
Eddie Lacy, GB vs. Was
Lacy didn’t have a big game statistically last week, but 72 yards and a touchdown isn’t a bad debut against the 49ers stout defensive front for the rookie. This week he goes up against a Redskins defense that was riddled by the Eagles up tempo, spread offense to the tune of 40 carries, 209 yards and a TD by the running backs alone. Lacy dominated touches in the Packers backfield with 14 of the team’s 19 carries and no other running back on the roster besides FB John Kuhn touched the ball. Lacy is a solid, if not preferred RB2 this week.
DeAngelo Williams, Car at BUF
Like Lacy, Williams handled the majority of the touches for the Panthers ground attack as Mike Tolbert had 4 carries and 1 catch on 3 targets compared to Williams and his 17-86-0 and 3-14-0 against a very good Seahawks defense. Meanwhile, the Bills predictably struggled to slow the Patriots running game allowing 30-162-0 and 7-58-0 to Shane Vereen, Stevan Ridley and LeGarrette Blount. Williams should continue to take full advantage of the matchup this week along with Jonathan Stewart and Kenjon Barner inactive.
David Wilson, NYG vs Den
The Broncos run defense is one of the better units in the league, but the Giants are already circling the wagons in an effort to give Wilson every opportunity to prove that last week’s two fumbles aren’t a chronic problem. Remember the days of Tiki Barber fumbling? He overcame it and so can Wilson. DaRel Scott hurt his knee in Wednesday’s practice. Brandon Jacobs can’t be counted on for much of workload after signing this week and Michael Cox isn’t ready. If I were a betting man, I’d put my chips on Wilson knowing that the Giants season and any shot they have for a balanced offense rest squarely upon his shoulders. Talent usually wins out in this league and Wilson has a ton of it.
Daryl Richardson, Stl at ATL
Isaiah Pead returns to action this week after serving his one game suspension, but I wouldn’t expect Pead to immediately cut into Richardson’s touches in the backfield this week. Pead didn’t impress me during the preseason action nor did he put much heat on Richardson for the starting job despite a lot of hype coming out of OTAs. Richardson handled all but one carry for the Rams backfield combining for 96 yards with a PPR-friendly five receptions to boot. The Falcons allowed the 7thmost points to running backs last year and the 8th most last week as the Saints combined for 26-76-0 and 10-104-0 against them last week.
Rashard Mendenhall, ARI vs. Det
Despite playing behind the Cardinals poor offensive line, Mendenhall didn’t look too bad against a solid Rams defensive front seven last week. The Lions allowed the second most points to RBs last week, but that’s hardly an indictment since they faced the indomitable Adrian Peterson. After Peterson opened the game with a 78 yard scamper for a touchdown, the Lions held him in check the rest of the way to the tune of 17 carries for 15 yards and another TD. It’ll never be easy sledding for Mendenhall in this offense but, at home, he should improve on his 64-yard performance and deliver middle-to-low RB2 stats.
Ben Tate, HOU vs. Ten
The Twittersphere is ablaze after Gary Kubiak’s comments that he wants Arian Foster and Ben Tate to split carries a little more evenly, and rightfully so. Tate has looked better than Foster has and at this point it’s doesn’t really matter if Foster is rusty or not after being eased into the fold after he was held out the entire preseason with calf and back injuries. It is worth noting that the Titans allowed the fewest fantasy points last week to RBs, although that might not be a surprising considering how bad the Steelers running game and offensive line performed. It’s also worth noting that the Texans weren’t terribly productive in either game against Tennessee last year. Foster, Tate and Justin Forsett combined for 29-97-1, 3-11-0 and 31-120-1, 6-52-0 as Foster’s 15 points in Week 4 were the high mark. At this point, I consider Tate a decent speculative flex play, but one that is not without risk and the potential for disappointment.
Joique Bell, Det at ARI
The Lions look like they’ll once again be among the league’s leaders in offensive plays after ripping off 77 plays against a shell-shocked Vikings defense. That and the Lions passing game that heavily features their backfield and an assortment of screen plays bodes well for Bell’s ability to be a somewhat consistent fantasy option as a low-RB2 in deeper PPR leagues or as a priority flex option in other standard ones. Besides the 6 targets and five catches for 67 yards for Bell, the biggest reason I like Bell’s ability to sustain week to week consistency is nose for the end zone. Bell could finish the season among the top 30 or so backs in all scoring formats because of his role in the passing game and red zone.
Other players worth a look include:Bryce Brown, by virtue of the Eagles running 70+ plays each week and my belief that LeSean McCoy can’t possibly carry the mail 30+ times every week, Lamar Miller (another bounce back candidate who has to split carries with Daniel Thomas, but he does have talent and I can’t imagine that he’ll continue to look as bad as he did last week) and Fred Jackson (who showed last week that he’s the most resilient, youthful 32 year old back I’ve seen). As long as Jackson continues to perform like he has throughout his career with the Bills, Doug Marrone will have a difficult time NOT giving him a healthy number of carries as a compliment to C.J. Spiller.
Wide Receivers
Andre Roberts and Michael Floyd, ARI vs. Det
While the Lions held Greg Jennings in check for a 3-33-0 stat line, they could do nothing to contain the ever-explosive Jerome Simpson as he and Christian Ponder gashed them for 7-140-0. You read that right. Jerome Simpson and Christian Ponder. Not that Carson Palmer is a world class quarterback at this stage of his career, but he’s certainly capable of finding Floyd downfield for some big chunk plays against a Lions defense that still has much to prove in the back end of their defense. While I like Floyd’s ability to make plays downfield against the Lions, I like Roberts even more given Palmer’s tendency to check down or look for his underneath receivers, which fits Roberts’ role like a glove. Roberts just might wind up this season in the WR3 ranks for PPR leagues when all is said and done.
Julian Edelman and Kenbrell Thompkins, NE vs. NYJ
After a dismal performance in his NFL debut, we hope that Thompkins has a short memory as he’s a candidate for a bounce back this week against a Jets defense that allowed 7-154-0 to Vincent Jackson and 4-52-1 to Mike Williams last week. With Shane Vereen out, Danny Amendola and Rob Gronkowski both doubtful and rookie Aaron Dobson questionable for Thursday’s game, Tom Brady will rely heavily on Edelman, Thompkins and even Josh Boyce as his primary targets. Edelman gets top billing as Amendola’s direct backup who rotated in with Amendola and produced a strong 7-79-2 line against the Bills. He could lead the Patriots in targets and catches this week while Thompkins will need to rebound quickly after converting 14 targets into a meager 4-42-0 last week with numerous gaffes that underscored perhaps why he was undrafted. Consider Edelman a strong WR3 or possibly a WR2 in deeper leagues and Thompkins a low WR3/flex option if you’re not too spooked by his Week 1 jitters.
Marlon Brown, BAL vs. Cle
We’ve been telling you about Brown since he emerged in the preseason as a possible starter opposite Torrey Smith because of his size, talent and a lack of worthy competition outside of the inconsistent and frustrating Jacoby Jones. Now that Jones is out for the next month or so, Brown has an opportunity to run away with the job. Brown technically started the opener, but when Jones was ambushed by his own teammate and forced to leave the game, Brown filled the void nicely finishing with 4-65-1 on six targets. With Joe Haden locking down on Torrey Smith, Brown matches up well against Buster Skrine or Chris Owens. Last year, Anquan Boldin produced games of 5-57-0 and 6-97-1 against the Browns. With Haden locking down Mike Wallace last week, Brian Hartline ripped the Browns for 9-114-1. I’d have no qualms sticking my neck out with Brown as my WR3 this week, but he’s an even better upside play as a flex option.
Reuben Randle, NYG at Den
The Giants offense was rather lopsided against the Cowboys following David Wilson’s two fumbles and it might continue to be that way this week against the Broncos if Peyton Manning continues to play like he did in the opener. Randle, Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz seem to be on almost equal footing with Randle’s 6 targets not far behind the 8 each to Cruz and Nicks. Plus, Randle just looks like a beast and I don’t think his week 1 performance was a fluke, but an early indicator for a potential breakout season, especially if Nicks isn’t able to stay healthy. I wouldn’t run with him as a WR3 yet, but as a flex option there are few players with as much talent and upside as Randle.
T.Y. Hilton, IND vs. Mia
After an entire preseason of wondering when the Colts would come to their senses and get Hilton into the flow of the offense with more snaps, it now appears that this could actually happen this week according HC Chuck Pagano. Of course, we know Hilton is one of the more explosive receivers in the league, but until he either gets more snaps or bypasses Darrius Heyward-Bey into the starting lineup, he’ll remain a speculative, boom or bust weekly play. He just has more upside than your typical No. 3 receiver. Until we have proof of an expanded role, it’s best to use him as an upside flex option, but he has WR2 upside any given week.
Emmanuel Sanders, Pit at CIN
Sanders led the Steelers with 12 targets and 7 catches (for 57 yards) in the opener. As matchups go, the Bengals won’t be any easier than the Titans were, but until the Steelers develop any semblance of a ground game the only way they’ll be able to move the ball will come via Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown and Sanders. Expect another steady dose of targets for Sanders this week.
Tavon Austin and Chris Givens, Stl at ATL
Whether you buy into Austin or not, count me as a believer. The Rams didn’t unveil Austin at all during the preseason and last week Jared Cook stole the show, but right behind him with 7 targets was Austin. He’s probably not going to catch 80 passes this year and he might not even finish the year in the WR3 ranks, but he’s going to get opportunities week in and week out to turn 5-to-10 short targets into big plays. I would be less likely to roll with him in non-PPR leagues, but Jared Cook isn’t going to go off like that every week and I look for Chris Givens and Austin to fill the void those weeks. In PPR leagues, Austin is worth a shot while Givens remains an excellent swing-for-the-fences pick in non-PPR leagues.
Rod Streator, OAK vs. Jac
Streator was easily Terrelle Pryor’s favorite receiver last week with a team-high 8 targets against the Colts. The Jaguars didn’t give up a ton of stats to the Chiefs receivers last week, but the Chiefs didn’t exactly throw the ball all over the yard either after jumping out to an early lead and both Donnie Avery and Junior Hemingway caught touchdowns from Alex Smith. Pryor remains a work in progress as a passer, but with his athleticism and ability to make plays with his legs, Streator could once again pace the team with another solid PPR performance.
Harry Douglas, ATL vs. StL
With Roddy White playing through a high ankle sprain, Douglas picked up the slack last week with 4-93-0 on six targets. I don’t have as much confidence in his ability to do that consistently week to week, but White didn’t look right. Until he does, we can expect to see more targets to go Douglas’ way making him a decent flex option in the short term.
Other receivers worth a look this week include Davone Bess (with Josh Gordon suspended and Travis Benjamin coming out of last week’s game with what appeared to be an thigh injury of some sort), Alshon Jeffery (Nate Burleson yielded 6-78-0 against the Vikings last week), Vincent Brown (are you buying into Eddie Royal? Yeh, me neither) and Nate Washington (neither Kenny Britt nor Kendall Wright are 100% and Washington is like the friend who stops by to say hi, but never leaves).
Tight Ends
Julius Thomas, Den at NYG
After a breakout performance in the NFL season opener, Thomas is no longer flying under the fantasy radar – even in the most casual of leagues. It remains to be seen if Thomas can put up consistent TE1 numbers from week to week, but I’m willing to take the risk of him laying a dud while Demaryius Thomas, Wes Welker and Eric Decker go off just because he has as much upside as any tight end in the league save for a few elite ones. There are a lot of mouths to feed in Denver, but Peyton Manning can probably keep two or three of these guys happy any given week and Thomas is a mismatch waiting to happen with how they are utilizing him to attack the seams.
Kellen Winslow, NYJ at NE
Winslow showed last week that despite his creaky knees he still has something left in the tank and in this Jets offense he is as good a bet as anyone to lead the team in targets and receptions each week. With Jeremy Kerley out, Santonio Holmes not yet 100% and Stephen Hill the likely target of extra defensive attention, expect Winslow to see a steady stream of targets underneath as the Geno Smith’s favorite check down.
Tyler Eifert and Jermaine Gresham, CIN vs. Pit
As much as can appreciate a talent like Mohamed Sanu opposite A.J. Green, I believe the next two best targets for Andy Dalton are his bookend tight ends. Eifert and Gresham finished Week 1 with almost identical stat lines. What was particularly noteworthy is that both players caught all five of their targets, even if they didn’t top 50 yards. The Steelers remain one of the league’s more difficult passing matchups, but with these two in play the Bengals can emulate the Patriots double tight end looks allowing them to run and pass out of the same formation. Neither play seems likely to crack the top 5 this week, but both could be useful flex options in deeper leagues.
Martellus Bennett, CHI vs. MIN and Brandon Myers, NYG vs. Den
Both Bennett and Myers seem like they’ll have a prominent role in the red zone for their respective teams this year. Both caught touchdowns last week and neither one have the upside appeal as a week in and week out TE1. In Myers’ case, he became a frequent target for Eli Manning as they went into comeback mode in the second half. The Giants could find themselves in a similar position this week, just as the Ravens did as Dallas Clark produced healthy numbers despite leaving plenty more on the field. In Bennett’s case, we saw undrafted rookie Joseph Fauria emerge as a secondary target if Brandon Pettigrew’s slippery fingers don’t improve. On limited snaps, Fauria caught a TD against the Vikings as he and Pettigrew combined for 5-33-1.
Dallas Clark, BAL vs. Cle
I don’t think Clark has much left in the tank, but it doesn’t matter because Joe Flacco misses Dennis Pitta so badly that he’ll probably continue to get peppered with targets until he, too, gets hurt or someone else like undrafted rookie Matt Furstenburg develops to eat into his snaps. For now, I’m betting on the former.
Fred Davis, Was at GB
Davis has an inauspicious debut catching only two passes for 22 years and seeing only two targets come his way. Rookie Jordan Reed played more snaps than anybody saw coming, but I’m not sure if that will continue or if Davis will re-emerge. Davis is a huge gamble until we know more, but he’s also going against a Packers defense that couldn’t keep track of Vernon Davis or rookie Vance McDonald. The 49ers tight ends combined for 7-123-2 against the Pack leading me to believe that Davis is a decent bounce back candidate.
Defense/Special Teams
Kansas City vs. Dallas
I know. I know. Tap the brakes on the Chiefs defense. They played the Jaguars last week. No team in the NFL is that bad, and that’s probably true, but the Chiefs defense doesn’t look like a mirage to me. They have one of the more talented units in the league. With an improved Dontari Poe keying the attack at nose tackle, they could give the Cowboys line fits and one good hit to Tony Romo could be enough to send him to the sidelines. Plus, the Chiefs have one of the best home field advantages (and barbeque) in the league, especially when they’re good.
Philadelphia vs. San Diego
It seemed like it was only a matter of time before Philip Rivers threw a pick or lost a fumble on Monday night. As it turned out, it was just a matter of time. After four touchdowns and a great start, Rivers still gave the Texans their bone with a fourth quarter pick-six. The Eagles aggressiveness knows no bounds it seems. That infectious environment seems to have ignited something in their defense, too. Both teams are on a short week, but Chip Kelly’s home debut looks like an opportune time to roll the dice with the Eagles if you’re taking the committee approach.
Detroit at Arizona
The Cardinals line will have their hands full with the Lions front four. Carson Palmer could throw for 300 yards, but get sacked a handful of times and throw a couple of interceptions, too. They also held Adrian Peterson firmly in check after he scored on his first touch of 2013. The Lions are the boom/bust pick of defenses, but the matchup in the trenches alone makes them a good pick if you’re going week-to-week with your defenses.
Carolina at Buffalo
The Panthers defense was among my favorite sleepers at the position on draft day. Their performance last week against the Seahawks did little to change my mind. They pressured, hassled and chased Russell Wilson all over the field while sacking him twice and holding them to 12 points. Even though they’re on the road this week, I suspect they’ll have better luck against E.J. Manuel and the Bills offensive line.
Oakland vs. Jacksonville
In a game featuring arguably the league’s two worst teams, I’d normally suggest you stay far away. Terrelle Pryor might turn into a bigger headache than a good matchup for your defense. Blaine Gabbert’s injury is actually bad for your defense because Chad Henne can at least throw up numbers and give their offense a chance. The Raiders defense performed better than expected last week and they’re at home, so if anything, take a flyer on them in deep leagues.