Cincinnati Bengals (0-2) @ Buffalo Bills (2-0)



Bengals Offense: This offense has been able to support two receivers (John Ross and Tyler Boyd), but they along with QB Andy Dalton will have a rough go of things against the Bills stifling secondary. The assumption that they will likely be trailing should buoy their floors as they employ a pass-heavy gameplan, but owners shouldn’t expect big points here. RB Joe Mixon isn’t much more than a desperation FLEX play at this point until he can find the cure that’s been ailing him to the tune of a 4.7 PPR point average over his first two games.

Bills Offense: Rookie RB Devin Singletary will miss this contest, ensuring a healthy workload for the ageless RB Frank Gore. Gore becomes a very startable RB2 or high-end FLEX in this juicy matchup against the Bengals league-worst run defense. WR John Brown should also have success against this unit, and after averaging 9 targets thus far, Brown could flirt with WR2 numbers yet again. QB Josh Allen makes a safe high-floor play against a Bengals pass rush averaging 2 sacks per game (coincidentally also the number of sacks the Bills have been giving up per game). The Bills D/ST is a strong play against a unit giving up 4.5 sacks a contest.



Best Plays: WR John Ross, WR Tyler Boyd, QB Josh Allen, RB Frank Gore, WR John Brown, Bills D/ST

New York Jets (0-2) @ New England Patriots (2-0)

Jets Offense: The Jets will be trotting out the big-brained Luke Falk for one more game before ‘The Darnold’ returns after their Week 4 bye. Things could get ugly against a Patriots defense that just gave the Dolphins a swirly and a wedgie. It’s hard to like anyone outside of RB Le’Veon Bell from this group given the matchup and quarterback situation.

Patriots Offense: So long, Antonio Brown. We hardly knew ye. After a stressful week agonizing and analyzing how the Patriots would use Brown in his first game, it was also his last game with the club. Things should go back to how they were Week 1 against Pittsburgh for this crew. Which means more looks divided between WR Julian Edelman and WR Josh Gordon, and WR Phillip Dorsett is relevant again as the third receiver and deep threat. Edelman and Gordon are solid starts this week, while Dorsett is a boom-or-bust type. RB Sony Michel recovered from an abysmal Week 1 to rush for 80 yards and a touchdown Week 2, but a late-game fumble should have owners wondering how much HC Bill Belichik will punish him for committing the ultimate football sin. RB James White will reprise his usual pass catching role, while RB Rex Burkhead remains a desperation RB play. The Patriots D/ST will put up big points yet again against the Jets 3rd-string QB.

Best Plays: RB Le’Veon Bell, QB Tom Brady, RB Sony Michel, RB James White, WR Julian Edelman, WR Josh Gordon, Patriots D/ST.

Detroit Lions (1-0-1) @ Philadelphia Eagles (1-1)

Lions Offense: QB Matt Stafford has seen a resurgence of sorts with the additions of TE T.J. Hockenson and WR Danny Amendola, although the Chargers did slow him down a bit last week. Stafford will have an easier time against the Eagles, allowing him to hit his new targets along with WR Kenny Golladay more often. RB Kerryon Johnson will face a stiff test against an Eagles line that hasn’t given up a rushing TD yet. With RB C.J Anderson released, rookie RB Ty Johnson is expected to see a bigger workload and may see upwards of 30-40% of the carries going forward after he’s gotten off to an impressive start.

Eagles Offense: QB Carson Wentz turned in a gritty performance against the Falcons last week despite losing star WRs DeSean Jackson and Alshon Jeffery early in the night. Jackson has already been ruled out for Week 3 while Jeffery is a game-time decision. Wentz will have to be downgraded if his top receivers will again be WR Nelson Agholor and WR J.J. Arcega-Whiteside: the former would make a solid one-week start after turning in a nice Week 2 statline, while the latter didn’t appear to be on the same page as Wentz and was a forgotten man after two straight incomplete targets. The Eagles RBBC continues to be a wasteland for fantasy purposes, with all of their backs only scoring a few points a week as they anchor each other’s value.

Best Plays: QB Matt Stafford, RB Kerryon Johnson, WR Kenny Golladay, QB Carson Wentz, WR Nelson Agholor, TE Zach Ertz.

Oakland Raiders (1-1) @ Minnesota Vikings (1-1)

Raiders Offense: Minnesota has one of the stronger defenses in the league, so no player on this offense will have a high ceiling this week. RB Josh Jacobs has reportedly lost 10 lbs as he battles an illness. He makes for a lower-end RB2 play in this game. WR Tyrell Williams and TE Darren Waller have been seeing the majority of the targets for this offense and are both starting options going forward.

Vikings Offense: QB Kirk Cousins will attempt to recover from an ugly Week 2 outing and a matchup against a bottom-tier Raiders defense is just what the doctor ordered. While the Vikings run-based attack restricts Cousins’ fantasy ceiling, the nature of this matchup is at least encouraging for his floor. One could do worse with a spot-start at QB. RB Dalvin Cook is the centerpiece of this offense and is a locked-and-loaded RB1 this week. WRs Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs will again be lower-end options as the passing volume just hasn’t been there for them to have big days.

Best Plays: RB Josh Jacobs, WR Tyrell Williams, TE Darren Waller, QB Kirk Cousins, RB Dalvin Cook, WR Adam Thielen, Vikings D/ST.

Miami Dolphins (0-2) @ Dallas Cowboys (2-0)

Dolphins Offense: Don’t do it to yourself.

Cowboys Offense: All relevant Cowboys will be extra relevant in this one. This includes QB Dak Prescott, RB Ezekiel Elliott, RB Tony Pollard, WR Amari Cooper, WR Randall Cobb, TE Jason Witten, and Dallas D/ST. WR Michael Gallup will miss this game.

Best Plays: QB Dak Prescott, RB Ezekiel Elliott, RB Tony Pollard, WR Amari Cooper, WR Randall Cobb, TE Jason Witten, Dallas D/ST.

Denver Broncos (0-2) @ Green Bay Packers (2-0)

Broncos Offense: The Packers have surprisingly fielded a fierce defensive unit this season, putting a damper on all Broncos this week. RBs Phillip Lindsay and Royce Freeman will continue to be RB3 types, while WR Emmanuel Sanders has just proven himself matchup-proof after a good game against the Bears. WR Courtland Sutton is a shaky WR4 for this one.

Packers Offense: Three straight tough matchups to start the season have to be putting a frown on Packers fantasy owners’ faces. WR Davante Adams bounced back with a solid Week 2 after a poor Week 1, and remains the only startable receiver on this team until the others show more consistency. RB Aaron Jones broke out in a big way Week 2, and he makes for a high-end RB2 this week against a Broncos team currently giving up the 8th most PPR fantasy points to opposing backs. The Packers D/ST may be set-and-forget after two strong showings so far.

Best Plays: WR Emmanuel Sanders, RB Aaron Jones, WR Davante Adams, Packers D/ST.

Atlanta Falcons (1-1) @ Indianapolis Colts (1-1)

Falcons Offense: Pencil QB Matt Ryan in as a low-end QB1 against a middle-tier Colts defense. WR Julio Jones is an obvious must-start. You’re not benching WR Calvin Ridley either as he’s averaging 20 PPR points per week, but expectations should be lowered as the Colts secondary is giving up the 5th-least points to WRs. RB Devonta Freeman has been subpar thus far, but if a date with the defense that has given up the most fantasy points to RBs can’t get his motor going, nothing will. TE Austin Hooper remains a serviceable low-end TE1.

Colts Offense: QB Jacoby Brissett has performed admirably in Andrew Luck’s stead and remains a QB2 play going forward. RB Marlon Mack has a plus matchup this week, but monitor his status close to gametime as a calf injury kept him out of practice until Friday. RB Jordan Wilkins would be an excellent plug-and-play if Mack is a surprise inactive after ripping off 82 yards on only 5 carries last week in his return from leg surgery. RB Nyheim Hines makes for a desperation FLEX against a Falcons defense that is notorious for giving up receiving yardage to RBs. WR T.Y. Hilton is a must-start as long as his quadriceps injury doesn’t keep him out.

Best Plays: QB Matt Ryan, RB Devonta Freeman, WR Julio Jones, WR Calvin Ridley, TE Austin Hooper, RB Marlon Mack, WR T.Y. Hilton.

Baltimore Ravens (2-0) @ Kansas City Chiefs (2-0)

Ravens Offense: I couldn’t have been more wrong about QB Lamar Jackson heading into the season. He’s taken a huge sophomore leap and has elevated this offense to new heights. This game has the makings of a shootout, which is good for all players involved. RB Mark Ingram will again lead this backfield while WR Marquise “Hollywood” Brown and TE Mark Andrews have been Jackson’s favorite targets.

Chiefs Offense: QB Pat Mahomes hasn’t missed a beat while Tyreek Hill is out, instead utilizing WRs Demarcus Robinson and Mecole Hardman in an offense that is feeding all it’s aerial weapons. WR Sammy Watkins and TE Travis Kelce are weekly must-starts. With RB Damien Williams declared out for this contest, look for RB LeSean McCoy to see a bigger share of the load, with much-hyped rookie RB Darwin Thompson seeing his first live action.

Best Plays: QB Lamar Jackson, RB Mark Ingram, WR Marquise Brown, TE Mark Andrews, QB Patrick Mahomes, RB LeSean McCoy, WR Sammy Watkins, WR Mecole Hardman, WR Demarcus Robinson, TE Travis Kelce.

New York Giants (0-2) @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-1)

Giants Offense: Rookie QB Daniel Jones will take over for longtime starter and future Hall of Famer Eli Manning. It’s hard to predict what he’ll do, but ‘Danny Dimes’ lit it up in preseason and odds are he’ll be an upgrade over Eli. Owners of RB Saquon Barkley and TE Evan Engram were starting them anyway. It’s still not recommended to play any WR from this squad until one of them starts producing.

Buccaneers Offense: QB Jameis Winston is not playing well so far, but this will be his easiest test yet. WR Chris Godwin has emerged as the go-to receiver playing the Larry Fitzgerald role in HC Bruce Arians’ offense and makes for a weekly start. This is a plus matchup for WR Mike Evans, although owners can’t be happy with his output to this point. RB Peyton Barber took over the reigns in this backfield last week, far outcarrying RB Ronald Jones. He’ll be a higher-end RB3 or FLEX for this one. TE O.J. Howard has been invisible and is not a recommended play until he gets involved in the gameplan. The Buccaneers D/ST could capitalize on the mistakes a rookie QB playing in his first game is bound to make.

Best Plays: RB Saquon Barkley, TE Evan Engram, WR Chris Godwin, WR Mike Evans, Buccaneers D/ST.

Carolina Panthers (0-2) @ Arizona Cardinals (0-1-1)

Panthers Offense: QB Cam Newton will miss this game while he deals with a foot problem, giving QB Kyle Allen the start. Newton hasn’t been playing particularly well, so this might not be as much of a downgrade as it seems. WR D.J. Moore is still a WR3, while WR Curtis Samuel is more of a desperation play. TE Greg Olsen has been playing well and should be active despite a back ailment. RB Christian McCaffrey‘s floor likely can’t go any lower than the 7 PPR points he mustered in Week 2 (hopefully I didn’t just jinx it!).

Cardinals Offense: QB Kyler Murray put up good yardage against the Ravens last week, but zero touchdowns left his final total lacking. He faces another tough test against the Panthers, who are currently 5th-best against opposing QBs. RB David Johnson missed a portion of said Ravens game with a wrist injury scare (the same injury that cost him a season in the past), but it turned out to be a bit of a false alarm as he was able to return and punch in a touchdown to salvage his fantasy day. WRs Larry Fitzgerald and Christian Kirk continue to be Murray’s favorite targets, making them lower-end receiver plays for another week.

Best Plays: RB Christian McCaffrey, WR D.J. Moore, TE Greg Olsen, RB David Johnson, WR Christian Kirk, WR Larry Fitzgerald.

Pittsburgh Steelers (0-2) @ San Francisco 49ers (2-0)

Steelers Offense: Big Ben is out for the rest of the season with an elbow injury, paving the way for the QB Mason Rudolph era to officially begin. Since Roethlisberger wasn’t exactly playing lights out, I wouldn’t move any of the Steelers skill position players too far up or down until we see how Rudolph performs. He did well in limited action last week, tossing two touchdowns to TE Vance McDonald. WR Diontae Johnson has been named the new starting receiver across from WR JuJu Smith-Schuster, as Donte Moncrief gets demoted for his bad hands. Smith-Schuster is the only startable WR from this group, while owners are encouraged to take a wait-and-see approach with Diontae Johnson this week (stash him at your leisure, however). RB James Conner will give it a go after an injury scare to his knee last week.

49ers Offense: The 49ers put up a whopping 41 points on the Bengals last week, as QB Jimmy Garoppolo threw for 296 yards and 49ers runners combined for another 240 or so more. The Steelers haven’t been the defensive stalwarts that they are normally known for, making several 49ers attractive this week. RB Matt Breida looks like a nice lower-end RB2 this week, with the explosive yet injury prone RB Raheem Mostert worth a flex play for those in need. TE George Kittle has been solid but unspectacular, as he is no longer the only weapon on this offense like he was in 2018. WR Deebo Samuel had a breakout game last week and seems to be the best bet out of this receiver group. The 49ers D/ST has been playing well and gets to face a new quarterback that hasn’t had a lot of experience.

Best Plays: RB James Conner, WR JuJu-Smith-Schuster, TE Vance McDonald, QB Jimmy Garoppolo, RB Matt Breida, RB Raheem Mostert, WR Deebo Samuel, TE George Kittle, 49ers D/ST.

Houston Texans (1-1) @ Los Angeles Chargers (1-1)

Texans Offense: QB Deshaun Watson is coming off a down game versus Jacksonville in which he only threw for 159 yards. The Chargers are giving up the 6th-fewest air yards, making this another tough contest. WR DeAndre Hopkins is an every-week start, but WR Will Fuller has not been the dynamo he has been in past seasons when healthy. RB Carlos Hyde is handling the lion’s share of carries in this backfield and he has a plus matchup against a Chargers run defense that is been getting gashed.

Chargers Offense: Raise your hand if you had RB Austin Ekeler as fantasy’s top RB heading into Week 3? QB Philip Rivers has a nice matchup here and WR Mike Williams is fully healthy. WR Keenan Allen is a must-start. Chargers D/ST sneakily has a decent matchup as Houston has given up the 2nd-most sacks thus far (5 per game average).

Best Plays: QB Deshaun Watson, RB Carlos Hyde, WR DeAndre Hopkins, QB Philip Rivers, RB Austin Ekeler, WR Keenan Allen, WR Mike Williams, Chargers D/ST.

New Orleans Saints (1-1) @ Seattle Seahawks (2-0)

Saints Offense: Another team missing it’s star QB, Drew Brees will be out 6-8 weeks with a thumb injury. QB Teddy Bridgewater is tentatively the starter, but HC Sean Payton has hinted that QB Taysom Hill could also have a role. Bridgewater didn’t look great in spot action last week, but perhaps he was just shaking off some rust. WR Michael Thomas is the only trustworthy receiver on this squad, and RB Alvin Kamara is simply too talented to bench.

Seahawks Offense: QB Russell Wilson has pioneered this team to a 2-0 start and remains a high-floor fantasy option. WRs Tyler Lockett and D.K. Metcalf are both playing well and are both startable going forward. TE Will Dissly broke out with two touchdowns last week and Russ loves him in the red zone. RB Chris Carson has played well aside from some fumbling problems which could result in RB Rashaad Penny getting more work down the line if the problem continues. Seahawks D/ST might be a tempting play against a Brees-less Saints.

Best Plays: RB Alvin Kamara, WR Michael Thomas, QB Russell Wilson, RB Chris Carson, WR Tyler Lockett, WR D.K. Metcalf, TE Will Dissly.

Los Angeles Rams (2-0) @ Cleveland Browns (1-1)

Rams Offense: The Rams are 2-0 despite the struggles of QB Jared Goff. He certainly hasn’t played like the man that tore it up for the first half of 2018. It seems like defenses have followed a successful blueprint ever since the Rams were shut down by the Bears last season. The Browns defense has been above-average against the pass and abysmal versus the run, meaning the Rams could again lean on RB Todd Gurley and their run game like they did in their Week 1 victory. Owners of the trio WRs Robert Woods, Cooper Kupp and Brandin Cooks should temper expectations this week. The Rams D/ST has a great matchup on paper as the Browns have given up the 3rd-most points to D/STs.

Browns Offense: A Week 2 trouncing of the Jets got this offense back on track. However, QB Baker Mayfield now faces a tough test against a Rams defense allowing the 2nd-fewest points to QBs. For as great as the Rams passing defense has been, their run stopping has been the opposite, meaning the Browns would be wise to have RB Nick Chubb be the centerpiece of their Week 3 gameplan. WR Odell Beckham is too talented to sit, but you might have better options than WR Jarvis Landry this week.

Best Plays: RB Todd Gurley, WR Cooper Kupp, Rams D/ST, RB Nick Chubb, WR Odell Beckham.

Chicago Bears (1-1) @ Washington Redskins (0-2)

Bears Offense: The Redskins have had a tough time stopping opposing offenses so far this year. HC Matt Nagy did a better job of getting RB David Montgomery more work last week, and it paid dividends. Look for the Bears to continue to take the training wheels off of Montgomery, and this is a good matchup to exploit. WR Allen Robinson is the only Bears receiver worth using, and he should make for a high-end WR3 this week. The Redskins offense has been very stingy in regards to turnovers, but Case Keenum could be forced into more dangerous situations if the Redskins fall behind early in this one.

Redskins Offense: QB Case Keenum hasn’t faced such a tough defense yet, and may get overwhelmed by an elite Bears squad. WR Terry McLaurin is the only Washington receiver to consider starting. RB Adrian Peterson played admirably last week, but he’s essentially an RB3 with a low ceiling this week.

Best Plays: RB David Montgomery, WR Allen Robinson, Bears D/ST, WR Terry McLaurin.

Photo Credit: “Assorted Sports Edits” by Pete Schwadel is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0