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 deep sleepers in smaller leagues, but starters in larger leagues. Realizing that leagues and roster sizes vary wildly; your mileage could vary, too.
Quarterbacks
Carson Palmer, Ari at Chi
Palmer’s opening game performance was a confidence builder for owners that wisely snatched him up as a value pick on draft day. He delivered 307 yards and 3 touchdowns with no interceptions against a banged up Saints secondary. This week he draws a Bears defense that was methodically picked apart by Aaron Rodgers for 3 touchdowns and 189 yards – or a passer rating of 140.5. The Bears weren’t very good against the pass last year either, allowing the second most points to QBs last year (279 yards, 2.1 TDs and 0.9 INTs per game).
Colin Kaepernick, SF at Pit
The Steeler pass defense was exposed by Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski in the season opener, but it’s really a continuation of problems that plagued them throughout last year when they allowed the second most points to quarterbacks over the second half of last season (281 yards and 2.2 TDs per game). Last week, Tom Brady finished with a passer rating of 143.8 against them after throwing for 281 yards and 4 TDs. Kaepernick is no Brady, and despite his inconsistency he is using his legs more effectively and he had some stretches in Week 1 where he ran the offense well and I suspect we’ll see more of that from him in this matchup.
Teddy Bridgewater, Min vs. Det
Bridgewater’s underwhelming, up and down performance against the 49ers was disappointing for a young quarterback who appeared to turn the corner in second half of his rookie season. At this point, we’re not sure what to expect out of him, but we suspect that Norv Turner will right the ship for a home game against a Lion defense that went from one of the league’s absolute best to one that looked pretty average against the Chargers. Rivers threw for 404 yards and two touchdowns while completing 35-of-42. As for Bridgewater’s prospects against the Lions, he played them twice last year with very different results. The Lions got the best of him in their first game, intercepting him three times and limiting him to less than 8 points. Nine weeks later was a different story. He completed 31-of-41 for 315 yards with a touchdown, a couple picks and 30 yards rushing. Keep in mind the Lions were the seventh best matchup for quarterbacks over their last seven games last season.
Eli Manning, NYG vs. Atl
Manning was a disappointment on Monday night against Dallas as he reverted back to the same inconsistent quarterback that he’s been throughout much of his career. He barely completed 50% of his passes and finished with just 193 yards and no touchdowns. You never know if you’ll get DirecTV Eli or Cable Eli. He started last year in similar fashion with 163 yards, 1 TD and 2 INTs in Detroit, but then he went on to throw 10 TDs in his next four games with 3 INTs while averaging 253 passing yards. Even though Ricardo Allen made a game saving interception on Sam Bradford in the opener, the Falcons still allowed 336 yards and a TD. Look for Eli and Odell Beckham to get back on track.
Alex Smith, KC vs. Den
Smith’s limitations are well documented and the streak of no touchdown passes to their wide receivers remains intact. In four starts against Peyton Manning as a Chief, he’s 0-and-4, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t been productive. In those four games, Smith is averaging 22 fantasy points with two top six finishes and an average of QB13.
Jameis Winston, TB at NO
If Winston’s first career NFL start wasn’t enough to scare you away and you’re in a deep enough league then you might want to give him a second chance this week. The Saints secondary is banged up and they allowed Carson Palmer to throw for 307 yards and 3 TDs with no interceptions last week. Winston may get a boost if Mike Evans returns to the lineup but he’s best left for really deep leagues or as a second starter in leagues that require two.
Running Backs
Carlos Hyde, SF at Pit
Hyde went from being a low confidence two-down back on a potentially bad team to a strong RB2 and definite starter in one week for those of us in leagues with 12 or more teams. But it’s not a no brainer in smaller leagues. The Steeler defense didn’t impress against the Patriots, but they did “hold” them to 80 yards on the ground and 3.3 yards per carry. The 49ers will probably crash this week playing in an early game on the other side of the country while the Steelers are due for a home bounce back. That puts Hyde’s volume in question, but Reggie Bush is probably out with a calf injury and Hyde still projects as the bell cow for this offense. It’s a potential trap, but it sure looks like Hyde is better than most expected him to be and the Steeler defense has more to prove right now.
Doug Martin, TB at NO
The Saints were the best possible matchup for running backs in the second half of last season allowing 25-132-0.9 on the ground and 4-52-0.1 receiving per game. The Cardinals backs produced just fine last week against them – David Johnson broke loose for a long touchdown reception after Andre Ellington started off hot before leaving early. All told, the Cardinals backs combined for 172 yards and 2 touchdowns.
On the other side of this matchup, Doug Martin has been productive against the Saints, even when he wasn’t against the rest of the league. He opened last year with 108 yards against them, had 144 yards in 2013 Week 2, and 122 combined yards and a TD in 2012 Week 7. Overall, 100+ yards in three of his five career games against them. His only 2 100-yard rushing performances in the last two years are against them.
Bishop Sankey, Ten at CLE
Sankey came out of the gate hot last week with a rushing and a receiving touchdown as the Titans rolled over the Bucs on the road. This week, they go on the road again to face a Brown defense that was steamrolled by Chris Ivory and the Jets for 155 yards and 2 TDs rushing. The Browns also allowed the fourth most rushing yards to opposing backs in the second half of last season (123 yards/game) as well as the most rushing attempts (28 per game). Sankey split carries with Terrance West and the coaching staff repeatedly stated during preseason that they’ll deploy a committee approach, so we can’t get overconfident with Sankey after one game. West will continue to get carries, but the bottom line is that Sankey did much more with his touches and he’s much more familiar with the playbook.
T.J. Yeldon, Jac vs. Mia
The Dolphin defense did a good job on Kirk Cousins and Washington’s passing attack last week with Desean Jackson exiting the game early, but they were gashed repeatedly on the ground to the tune of 161 yards and a staggering 37 rushing attempts. Dan Quinn will do his best to establish the run against the Dolphins and I expect Yeldon to have a busy day in an effort to take pressure away from a still developing Blake Bortles.
Isaiah Crowell, Cle vs. Ten
Crowell didn’t have much of a chance last week against a tough Jets front seven and no real quarterback in front of him to keep the defense honest. Manziel needs to play better for Crowell and Duke Johnson to establish a running attack. At home, the Browns should fare better against an average Titans run defense. They were the second best matchup for running backs in the second half of last year, allowing 129 rushing yards, 31 receiving yards and 1.4 touchdowns per game. What’s helping the Titans defense this year is an improved offense. What concerns me about Crowell this week is the Browns own defense (allowed 154 yards and 2 TDs to the Jets). If they can’t stop the Titans, Crowell won’t get the volume he needs, especially with Duke Johnson siphoning touches away on passing downs and situations. He’s still more of a RB3/flex option in normal to larger leagues, but I like his chances much better this week.
Shane Vereen, NYG vs. Atl
What if I told you that after playing the Eagles, Atlanta is the Week 1 leader for most points allowed to opposing RBs even though they held them to 63 yards rushing and Philly handed off to their talented backs only 16 times. The Falcons allowed 3 scores including a 14-111-2 receiving line. That would favor a player like Shane Vereen after watching Darren Sproles shred them for 5-50-0 and 7-76-0. They bottled up DeMarco Murray to 20 total yards, yet he still scored twice. Even Ryan Mathews played third fiddle productively with 28 yards, a touchdown and three catches. Take your pick of the Giants backfield, but in PPR leagues I’ll go with Shane Vereen, who caught all four passes to a Giants back and finished with the most combined yards (60). Rashad Jennings or Andre Williams should find the end zone, too.
Chris Johnson, Ari at Chi
With Andre Ellington (knee) out for the next couple of games Bruce Arians expects Chris Johnson to carry the load for the Cardinals. Rookie David Johnson flashed his big play potential but Arians insists that he won’t expand Johnson’s role or put too much pressure on him while he is still getting up to speed with the playbook after missing much of training camp. The Bears were atrocious against the run last season. Eddie Lacy combined for 99 yards and a touchdown against them last week. Johnson remains a boom/bust play but he should have a healthy workload so fire him up if you’re in need as a RB2/RB3/flex depending on your league size.
Joique Bell, Det at Min
The pendulum in the Lions backfield is clearly swinging towards Ameer Abdullah, as it should. However, the coaches reiterated that Bell will continue to start and they’ll continue to play all of their backs, including Theo Riddick and Zach Zenner. Bell was out-touched by Abdullah, but maybe both have strong games this week against a Viking defense that was gashed by the 49ers backs for 176 yards and 2 TDs rushing. Expect the Vikings to look better all-around at home but I like the Lions ground game in this one, especially if guard Larry Warford gets a clean bill of health and returns to the lineup.
Khiry Robinson, NO vs. TB
Everything with Robinson depends on the return of C.J. Spiller, but we all saw a glimpse last week of how Sean Payton will continue to use his running backs liberally in the passing game. With Spiller out, Robinson saw an expanded role in the passing game, but also as a change-of-pace for Mark Ingram. Bishop Sankey had the best game of his young career against the Bucs on Sunday with 86 combined yards and two scores even though he ceded 13 carries to Terrance West (41 yards). Ingram remains the lead back, but Robinson is getting enough touches to consider for RB3/flex duty in larger leagues. Of course, if Spiller returns then no dice.
Wide Receivers
Donte Moncrief, Ind vs. NYJ
No one benefits more from injuries than Moncrief this week. TY Hilton’s bruised knee opens the door for Moncrief to start opposite Andre Johnson and with Antonio Cromartie banged up he has a chance to pick up where he left off last week. Against the Bills, Moncrief saw 11 targets which he converted into 6 catches for 46 yards and a touchdown.
Terrance Williams, Dal at Phi
With Dez Bryant (foot) out for the foreseeable future, Williams will be counted on to produce on a more consistent basis against an Eagle defense that allowed the third most fantasy points to receivers last week. Of course, now he’ll have a tougher assignment going against the opponents’ top corners from week to week. His 5-60-0 line against the Giants on 8 targets came after a slow start that featured a pair of drops, but he was productive in the second half and he’ll have the same opportunity going forward into this week’s game.
Steve Johnson, SD at Cin
Johnson generated a lot of sleeper buzz throughout the summer with strong performances in OTAs and training camp and he carried that over to last week by catching all six of his targets for 82 yards and a touchdown while playing a healthy 72 snaps. He’s a perfect fit for the Chargers offense and he should continue to be a favorite target for Philip Rivers. The Bengals are a bit tougher of a matchup, but there’s no reason to shy away from Johnson as a viable WR3/flex option once again.
Pierre Garcon, Was vs Stl
The Ram defense looked great last year, but let’s keep things in perspective. They also allowed the Seahawks to reel in 20 receptions. With DeSean Jackson (hamstring) on the shelf, Garcon is worth a reach in PPR leagues simply because not every pass can go to Jordan Reed. Garcon caught six of his eight targets last week for 74 yards and he should continue to see a healthy number of targets with Jackson still out.
James Jones, GB vs. Sea
As the Packers third receiver Jones should benefit from either Davante Adams or Randall Cobb seeing more of Richard Sherman. Jones slide right back into a familiar role he filled with the Packers before leaving as a free agent after catching 24 touchdowns from 2011 to 2013. He caught a pair of touchdowns last week. It’s obvious that Aaron Rodgers trusts him in the red zone and the 55 snaps he played last week is a good indicator that his role is here to stay.
Charles Johnson, Min vs. Det
Johnson had a quiet night on Monday in the Vikings opener but there’s reason to believe that will change this week against the Lions. The Chargers receivers caught 22 balls (most in the league in Week 1) against Detroit for 277 yards and a touchdown last week. Johnson produced a 5-72-0 stat line against them in Week 15 last year, too.
Rueben Randle, NYG vs. Atl
Randle hasn’t been the most reliable player over the last year or so, but look for the Falcons to put their top corner (Desmond Trufant) on Odell Beckham, which could free up Randle to make some plays against Robert Alford. The Falcons allowed 18-173-0 to the Eagles receivers with Jordan Mathews doing most of that damage. They also allowed the sixth most points last season to opposing receivers.
Brandon Coleman, NO vs. TB
Coleman became an increasingly popular value pick as the preseason wore on and Nick Toon faded with a high ankle sprain. In the opener, Coleman didn’t disappoint with a healthy seven targets for 4 catches, 41 yards and a touchdown. This week he draws an easier matchup against a vulnerable Buccaneer secondary that allowed touchdown receptions to Kendall Wright and Harry Douglas in the opener (and 4 touchdown passes to Marcus Mariota in his first NFL start on the road no less). Drew Brees has to be licking his chops.
Cole Beasley, Dal at Phi
In deeper PPR leagues, Beasley becomes an attractive flex option who should benefit from a higher volume of targets with Dez Bryant sidelined against an Eagle defense that allowed the third most points last week to receivers. Beasley saw six targets against the Giants which he converted to 4-49-0 while playing 41 snaps.
Tight Ends
Heath Miller, Pit vs. SF
Miller was red hot against the Patriots last week. He rarely leaves the field and he was peppered with 11 targets for 8 catches and 84 yards on 73 snaps. Kyle Rudolph didn’t have his best game on Monday night and he still finished with 5-53-0 against the 49ers, who allowed the third most points to opposing tight ends in the second half of last year. With Le’Veon Bell and Martavis Bryant suspended, Miller looks like he’ll continue to benefit.
Austin Seferian-Jenkins, TB at NO
Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good, but it’s always better to be lucky and good. For Seferian-Jenkins, the truth lies somewhere in between. He caught a tipped ball that should have been intercepted for a touchdown and he also benefited from another in garbage time. He still saw a healthy seven targets, though, and the Saints allowed an unimaginable 5-86-1 line to the Arizona Cardinals tight ends.
Vernon Davis, SF at Pit
After his miserable season last year, it was refreshing to see Davis play a more active role in the 49ers passing game. On 72 snaps, Davis was targeted 6 times for 3 catches and 47 yards and now he draws a Steeler defense that yielded 6 catches, 95 yards and four touchdowns to Rob Gronkowski and Scott Chandler. Let’s see if Davis can keep producing against this questionable Steeler pass defense.
Jared Cook, Stl at Was
We’re not quite sure what to make of Cook’s productive first game, other than it bears watching and even going back to the well in the event that this turns into something. Working in his favor, the coaches are bringing Brian Quick along slowly and Nick Foles seems to like him. Foles targeted him six times for 5 catches and 85 yards on 52 snaps. This week, Cook catches a Washington secondary that allowed 4-73-0 to Jordan Cameron and the most points to opposing tight ends over the second half of last season. They also lost safety Duke Ihenacho for the season and cornerback Chris Culliver to a suspension.
Larry Donnell, NYG vs. Atl
Donnell had a quiet game last week, but the matchup against the Falcons could lead to more targets for him this week, especially if Desmond Trufant is locked onto Odell Beckham and if Rueben Randle continues to struggle. He’s mainly a reach for those in larger leagues.
Crockett Gillmore, Bal vs. Oak
Gillmore had a modest 4 targets but he was a regular on the field logging 55 snaps against a good Bronco defense. This week, he should find a little more room to operate against a shaky Raider secondary that was torched by Tyler Eifert on Sunday for 9-104-2. They allowed the fourth most points over the second half of last season to tight ends. Potentially making matters worse for Oakland, Charles Woodson and D.J. Hayden are both banged up coming out of their first game.
Defense/Special Teams
Tennessee at Cleveland
Manziel completed just over 50% of his passes after replacing Josh McCown (concussion) and then turned over the football three times. Despite having one of the better offensive lines around, the Browns mustered only 35 yards against the Jets stout run defense. The Titans were productive on the road last week holding the Bucs to 273 yards, 14 points, finishing with four sacks and two INTs (including a pick-six on Jameis Winston’s first NFL pass). The Browns were sacked three times by the Jets and turned it over 5 times overall. It might not last, but it’s time to fire up the Titans defense for a second straight week.
Kansas City vs. Denver
The Chiefs go from sacking Brian Hoyer and Ryan Mallett five times and forcing two turnovers on the road to a home game this week against Peyton Manning, who they are winless against in their last four games, and the Broncos. The Ravens recorded four sacks and had a pick-six against Manning in Denver. Who knew there would be growing pains for a Hall of Famer like Manning as he gets accustomed to Gary Kubiak’s offense? The Chiefs are always a tough out for road teams and the Broncos offensive line is still getting used to life without Ryan Clady. This is the NFL, though, it’s a boom/bust play as we all know that Peyton Manning might rebound with a monster game and the Chiefs did allow almost 400 yards to the Texans even if much of it was after the game was in garbage mode.
New Orleans vs. Tampa Bay
Call me optimistic, but I don’t think Jameis Winston will be as bad this week as he was on Sunday, but there is work to do after throwing a pair of interceptions and getting sacked four times by the Titans. The Saints secondary are now down three key players in their secondary - top cornerback Keenan Lewis and safeties Jairus Byrd and Rafael Bush. The Saints didn’t do much against the Cardinals, but at home, they should be able to get after Winston via the Bucs poor offensive line, create some big plays and be a worthwhile streaming option in deeper leagues.
Washington vs. St. Louis
For deeper league options, Washington deserves a long look. They held a good Dolphins offense down to 256 yards and 17 points, sacked Tannehill three times and forced one turnover. The Rams offensive line allowed only two sacks to the Seahawks, but they turned it over three times, one for a touchdown, and allowed another touchdown on a Tyler Lockett punt return. Don’t be surprised if Nick Foles struggles a little more in a tougher game than it appears to be for a team flying high after beating the Seahawks. If you’re a believer in the Ying/Yang theory, then Washington bounces back and the Rams crash back to Earth.