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| Thursday, September 14, 2023 |
Did you have a bad Week 1? Yeah, me too. Let's turn our seasons around with the Fantasy Football Today team's help. In today's newsletter, I have my previews for every game on the schedule, plus I'll be live on the FFT YouTube channel at 7:30 to answer your questions live until kickoff of tonight's game. |
| Of course, it's not just my opinion you should be looking for. Before we get to my Week 2 previews, here's everything you need to set your lineup from the entire FFT team: |
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And, if you still need help, you can email me at Chris.Towers@Paramount.com with the subject line "#AskFFT" to be included in a Sunday morning mailbag where I'll answer some of the most pressing questions heading until Sunday's lineup lock. |
| Now, here's my Week 2 preview: |
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| 🔍Week 2 Game Previews
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There's something to watch in every game on the NFL schedule every week, even if you have to squint to see it sometimes. Here's a look ahead at every Week 2 game, with some notes on what Vegas is expecting to see, the latest injuries, and the toughest lineup decisions: |
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- Thursday, 8:20 p.m.
- Line: Eagles -7; 49 O/U
- Implied totals: Eagles 28, Vikings 21
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| Both of these teams got off to weirdly inert starts in Week 1, but at least on offense, they've also both earned the benefit of the doubt, as the second-highest O/U of the week shows. |
- Toughest lineup decision: D'Andre Swift -- Sit. Kenneth Gainwell is out with a rib injury, so that means Swift is going to slide into the lead RB role, right? Well, not necessarily. He was used almost exclusively in passing situations in Week 1, which fit what we heard from Eagles camp. There's a chance he's used as the lead back if Gainwell's out, but it seems equally likely the Eagles will go with Rashaad Penny or Boston Scott and leave Swift as a role player. Swift is an RB3 in PPR for me, so you certainly can use him, and there's significant upside beyond that. But there is not enough certainty for me to trust him as a must-start guy.
Injuries to watch: Beyond Gainwell's injury, which kept him out of each day of practice this week (and might not be a great sign for his chances to remain the lead back here), the most relevant injuries here are along the Vikings offensive line. Christian Darrisaw is questionable with an ankle injury, while Garrett Bradbury has already been ruled out with a back injury. I'm not fading the Vikings offense, but missing two of your starting offensive linemen against this defense is not a great sign.
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- Sunday, 1:00 p.m.
- Line: Lions -5.5; 47 O/U
- Implied totals: Lions 26.25, Seahawks 20.75
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Geno Smith really struggled in Week 1, and he doesn't exactly have a long track record to suggest he's going to just figure it out. I have faith he will, especially against what I'm still not convinced is a good defense, but if he struggles in this one, we may have a problem on our hands. |
- Toughest lineup decision: Jahmyr Gibbs -- Start. Gibbs Week 1 usage wasn't what we wanted to see, as he had seven carries and just two targets in a game the Lions threw it 35 times. That's not ideal. But Gibbs also looked electric in his NFL debut, and every single quote out of the Lions coaching staff about Gibbs indicates they plan on increasing his usage. He may not be the RB1 we hoped he could be right away, but Gibbs is still my RB22 for Week 2, ahead of the likes of James Conner, Raheem Mostert, Jamaal Williams, or Gus Edwards.
- Injuries to watch: Both of the Seahawks starting tackles, Charles Cross and Abe Lucas, are dealing with injuries, and the notoriously optimistic Pete Carroll acknowledged Wednesday it'll be a "challenge" for them to play. That's not a great sign for an offense that really struggled in Week 1.
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- Sunday, 1:00 p.m.
- Line: Chiefs -3; 51 O/U
- Implied totals: Chiefs 27, Jaguars 24
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Think Vegas is worried about the Chiefs offense after a weirdly disjointed Week 1 effort? Maybe the number will tumble if it looks like Travis Kelce is out, but this game currently has the highest O/U of the week, and only two teams have a higher implied total for Week 2. |
- Toughest lineup decision: Any Chiefs WR - Sit. I was way too high on Skyy Moore in Week 1, and the fact that he ran nearly 30 routes with just two targets does not bode well for his ability to earn targets in this offense. Rashee Rice and Kadarius Toney earned plenty of targets in limited roles, but it's just not clear if they've done enough to have bigger roles. Even if Kelce is out, I don't have any of the Chiefs WRs in my top 50.
- Injuries to watch: The most notable injury here is obviously Travis Kelce (knee), who missed Week 1 but was limited in practice Wednesday. At this point, I think you can tentatively pencil him in, but I would expect we'll get plenty of updates before Sunday. Don't drop your backup just yet.
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- Sunday, 1:00 p.m.
- Line: Colts -1; 39.5 O/U
- Implied totals: Colts 20.25, Texans 19.25
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| We'll get our first matchup of rookie quarterbacks, and both teams looked a lot more willing to throw their guys into the fire than expected; The Texans had the second-most dropbacks in the league in Week 1 while the Colts had the sixth-most. Both teams were also in the top five in most time remaining on the play clock at the snap (the Colts were No. 1), which could mean a lot of plays for both teams moving forward. That's all good news for Fantasy. |
- Toughest lineup decision: Zack Moss-- Start if he's active. I had Deon Jackson as an RB3 for Week 1, but that went disastrously -- he got 13 carries and six targets and turned them into -- and I swear this isn't a typo -- 3.8 PPR points and 28 total yards. If Moss is back from his fractured arm this week, he's lined up to be the clear lead back until Jonathan Taylor is back. He could be a solid RB3 moving forward.
- Injuries to watch: The biggest news here is who wasn't on the practice report: Colts QB Anthony Richardson , who left Week 1 late with a leg injury. Seems like a non-issue. Moss was also a full participant in practice, so it looks like he's going to make his debut this week. On the Texans side, the most important injuries are on the offensive line; Laremy Tunsil didn't practice with a knee injury while George Fant was limited by a shoulder issue. That's both starting tackles, which wouldn't be a great thing for a Texans offense that doesn't figure to be great anyway.
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- Sunday, 1:00 p.m.
- Line: Chargers -3; 45 O/U
- Implied totals: Chargers 24, Titans 21
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The Chargers passing game didn't look drastically different in the first game with new offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, which was somewhat disappointing. They were still pretty much middle of the pack in pace and pass depth, though they did run the ball incredibly well against a very good Dolphins front. That might matter more than you think this week. |
- Toughest lineup decision: Joshua Kelley -- Start if Austin Ekeler is out. Ekeler is dealing with an ankle injury, and the Chargers added a running back to their practice squad, so there does appear to be a bit of concern he might be out. And Kelley might be a top-15 back if Ekeler can't go with the way the Chargers ran the ball last week. We'll need to keep a close eye on practice reports today and Friday, because Kelley might end up being a huge early-season waiver add.
- Injuries to watch: The biggest note here is that neither Austin Ekeler (ankle) nor DeAndre Hopkins (ankle) practiced. Ekeler was also dealing with a personal matter, while Hopkins has rarely practiced every day of the week in recent seasons, so it may be nothing. But that's certainly something to watch for both sides.
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- Sunday, 1:00 p.m.
- Line: Bills -9.5; 47 O/U
- Implied totals: Bills 28.25, Raiders 18.75
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The Bills offense really struggled Monday night, but it was mostly because Josh Allen made a couple of terrible decisions and turned the ball over four times. I'm going to bet on the Raiders being less well equipped to put Allen in situations where he makes those kinds of mistakes. |
- Toughest lineup decision: Gabe Davis -- Sit. The case for drafting Davis as a post-hype sleeper this season was that his struggles last season were tied to an early-season high-ankle sprain he tried to play through. Well, he was healthy in Week 1 and looked a lot like he did for most of last season -- unreliable. That doesn't mean Davis is going to be bad every week moving forward, but I do think we know who Davis is at this point: An inconsistent deep threat. I'll let him prove he can be more than that, but until he does, he's just a boom-or-bust WR4 for me.
- Injuries to watch: Davante Adams (foot) didn't practice Wednesday, which is a new one. Jakobi Meyers (concussion) was also on the sidelines, and it definitely wouldn't be a surprise if he didn't play this week. But Adams' status is definitely one to watch for Friday's official injury report. It could be nothing -- a de facto rest day -- but we'll keep an eye on it.
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- Sunday, 1:00 p.m.
- Line: Bengals -3.5; 46 O/U
- Implied totals: Bengals 24.75, Ravens 21.25
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The Ravens new-look offense didn't show us much in Week 1. They designed up a bunch of screens for Zay Flowers, they barely used Lamar Jackson on designed runs, and they basically didn't throw the ball down the field at all. Let's see what it looks like with an offense on the other side that can put some pressure on them. |
- Toughest lineup decision: Justice Hill -- Sit. My read on the Ravens backfield could be wrong, but I have a hard time seeing Hill getting enough work to be worth using if he doesn't find the end zone. Maybe they just use him as the goal-line back for the rest of the season and he has a double-digit touchdown season on a good offense, but I think it's too early to assume he's the goal-line back just because he took over for JK Dobbins from the 2-yard line after his injury and then got one other short touchdown. Hill has had one game in four seasons with double-digit carries, and I think that probably tells us more about how the Ravens view him than anything else. If I'm wrong ... well, at least you've got him on your bench.
- Injuries to watch: Mark Andrews (quad) got in a limited practice Wednesday, hopefully a sign he'll be able to play this week. We'll keep an eye on that one, plus the status of center Tyler Linderbaum (ankle) and tackle Ronnie Stanley (knee), both of whom were unable to practice Wednesday. The Ravens offense is already pretty beat up, with JK Dobbins already out for the season.
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- Sunday, 1:00 p.m.
- Line: Packers -1.5; 40.5 O/U
- Implied totals: Packers 21, Falcons 19.5
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The Packers did an excellent job of dialing up easy throws for Jordan Love to his playmakers in space. The Falcons didn't even bother. I don't want to write this offense off entirely, but Week 1 sure looked just like last season's frustrating offense. |
- Toughest lineup decision: Drake London -- Sit. I'm worried London is just going to be an expensive version of Gabe Davis in this offense. It's hard to overstate how dispiriting the Falcons game plan was in Week 1. They ended up playing just 53 offensive snaps, the second-lowest mark in the league, and only the Cowboys dropped back to pass on a lower share of their snaps -- and the Cowboys were leading by 16 points by the end of the first quarter and won 40-0, while the Falcons were tied entering the fourth quarter. Arthur Smith seemingly wants no part of Desmond Ridder throwing the ball, and unless and until that changes, I just don't see how London can be anything more than a boom-or-bust WR4. He's way more talented than anyone ranked anywhere near him this week, but talent doesn't matter if the team won't use it. I'm hoping London and this whole Falcons passing attack give me reason to believe in them this weekend, but I'd rather see it from my bench. Also worth noting that London now has just 8.95 PPR points per game in 11 games with Kyle Pitts active.
- Injuries to watch: Aaron Jones (hamstring) and Christian Watson (hamstring) were both not on the practice field Wednesday, putting them at risk of missing this week's game. Hopefully Thursday and especially Friday bring better nears.
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- Sunday, 1:00 p.m.
- Line: Buccaneers -3; 41.5 O/U
- Implied totals: Buccaneers 22.25, Bears 19.25
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The Bears threw the ball 37 times last week, but they still had a Pass Rate Over Expected of -4.3%, which means they passed less than expected given the game situation. Add in how many of those passes were just dumpoffs and how rarely they pushed the ball down the field, and it certainly wasn't a great start for the Justin Fields' breakout case. |
- Toughest lineup decision: Mike Evans/Chris Godwin - Start. Baker Mayfield didn't look great in Week 1, but he wasn't the disaster many expected him to be. More importantly, they didn't just abandon the pass like some thought they might with Tom Brady retired -- 38 of their 68 offensive snaps were pass plays. That's a far cry from the ludicrous volume of the Brady era, but it bodes well for Evans and Godwin remaining worth using, especially since both also ran routes on more than 90% of those pass plays. They probably aren't Fantasy superstars in this offense, but I think this duo avoided a worst-case scenario and should be playable moving forward.
- Injuries to watch: There are no notable injuries in this one, thankfully.
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- Sunday, 4:05 p.m.
- Line: 49ers -8; 44.5 O/U
- Implied totals: 49ers 26.25, Rams 18.25
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Matthew Stafford might have been one of the three biggest stories from Week 1. He looked good. He looked like himself, dropping back to pass 39 times and sporting the fourth-highest intended air yards per pass attempt of any QB despite having no Cooper Kupp . They'll get a tougher test with the 49ers on the way, but if the offensive line can hold up again, the Rams offense might be one of the most pleasant surprises in the league. |
- Toughest lineup decision: Puka Nacua -- Start. I'm buying in. Stafford looked great, and he trusted Nacua even despite a couple of drops in this one. Tutu Atwell and Van Jefferson are the deep threats in this offense, but Nacua still had a healthy 9.6 air yards per target on his 15 targets. I don't want to oversell the comp, but the Rams largely used him the way they do Cooper Kupp, moving him in and out of the formation, on short-area targets and as a zone-beater, but they also weren't afraid to use him to stretch the field. If that usage was at all real, Nacua could be a must-start Fantasy option, and I'm already ranking him in the top-30 in a game I expect the Rams will have to throw the ball a ton in.
- Injuries to watch: There aren't any significant injuries we're watching here since George Kittle (groin) was a full participant. He played through the injury in Week 1 and should be out there again this week, it seems.
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- Sunday, 4:05 p.m.
- Line: Giants -5.5; 39.5 O/U
- Implied totals: Giants 22.5, Cardinals 17
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| The Giants were such a mess in Week 1 against the Cowboys that you almost give them a pass for it -- surely, they can't be that bad again, right? As for the Cardinals? Well, that's about what we expected this offense to look like, unfortunately. |
- Toughest lineup decision: Any WRs in this game -- Sit. I have Marquise Brown ranked the highest of anyone here, and he's WR38 for me. I still think there's a chance someone emerges from the Giants receiving corps to be a viable Fantasy option, but we just didn't learn anything about who that might be in Week 1. Darius Slayton led the team's WRs in snaps, but we know he's just a boom-or-bust deep threat. Parris Campbell led the team in routes, but even that only came out to a 75% rate, and he only earned four targets in a game where his short-area route-running should have given him an opportunity. Steer clear of both situations until we are given a reason to believe in someone.
- Injuries to watch: James Conner was added to the injury report Wednesday with a calf injury. It's the first I'm hearing of it, so hopefully it doesn't mean he left practice with the injury. We'll watch this one, and Keaontay Ingram would be a sleeper RB3 if Conner can't go. The other significant injury here is Giants offensive lineman Andrew Thomas (hamstring) sitting out.
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- Sunday, 4:25 p.m.
- Line: Broncos -3.5; 38 O/U
- Implied totals: Broncos 20.75, Commanders 17.25
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If you wanted reason to believe in the Broncos offense, there were some reasons to be optimistic in the first half, as Russell Wilson completed 17 of 19 passes and had a couple of touchdowns. However, they couldn't get anything going in the second half, as he averaged 3.5 yards per attempt, and given the struggles a year ago, that means they still have a lot to prove. |
- Toughest lineup decision: Courtland Sutton -- Start. Sutton salvaged his game with a touchdown, but it was definitely a disappointing showing overall, as he caught just four passes on five targets for 32 yards. Part of the problem was how involved the running backs were in the passing game, as Javonte Williams and Samaje Perine combined for 10 of Russell Wilson's 34 targets. That carried over from Sean Payton's time in New Orleans, and it makes me worry that Sutton just may not be good enough to demand a significant target share based on what's left over. Still, if Jerry Jeudy remains out, I'm probably going to keep Sutton in the WR3 range for one more week.
- Injuries to watch: Greg Dulcich (hamstring) didn't practice Wednesday as he's expected to miss a few weeks. We got better news on Jerry Jeudy (hamstring), who was limited, though that doesn't mean he's certain to play. We'll have to watch this one heading into the weekend again.
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- Sunday, 4:25 p.m.
- Line: Cowboys -9.5; 39.5 O/U
- Implied totals: Cowboys 24.5, Jets 15
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Both the floor and ceiling for this Jets offense are significantly lower today than they appeared to be even a week ago, and while I don't want to write Zach Wilson off entirely, I'd be stunned if he fared well against this Cowboys defense. They're going to pressure him constantly, and historically, that hasn't worked out well for the Jets. |
- Toughest lineup decision: Breece Hall -- Start. I'm still ranking Garrett Wilson as a WR2 for Week 2 and the rest of the way, but it's especially risky this week. As for Hall: He looked terrific in his first game back from a torn ACL, and his role is only going to grow. He generated explosive plays with regularity as both a runner and a receiver last season before his injury, and if the Jets offense is going to have any hope of moving the ball, they'll need to get it in his hands. I don't expect Hall to even play half the snaps this week -- he was at 32% last week -- but he should get double-digit touches, and that's enough to make him an RB2 candidate.
- Injuries to watch: Brandin Cooks (knee) didn't practice Wednesday, which is worth monitoring. However, Cooks has missed a lot of practice time while still playing in recent years, so it's not time to panic yet.
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- Sunday, 8:20 p.m.
- Line: Dolphins -2.5; 46.5 O/U
- Implied totals: Dolphins 24.5, Patriots 22
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The only team that managed to slow Tua Tagovailoa and this passing game down last season was the Chargers, and he just torched them for 466 yards and three touchdowns in Week 1. I know we don't like to bet against Bill Belichick, but I don't really expect anyone to have a consistent answer for this passing attack. Tua might just be a top-five QB as long as he stays healthy. |
- Toughest lineup decision: Kendrick Bourne -- Sit. Bourne's performance in Week 1 was extremely encouraging, as he caught six of 11 passes for 64 yards and a pair of scores. He ran a route on pretty much every dropback, but I'm not sure I'm ready to trust him just yet -- his role in the Patriots offense has fluctuated a ton of the previous two seasons, and they were playing without DeVante Parker (and with JuJu Smith-Schuster seemingly on a snap count). Mac Jones looked a lot better than expected, but I'm not quite ready to trust him yet outside of deeper formats. To give an example, the one league I'm starting Bourne in is a 14-team, three-WR, two-flex league.
- Injuries to watch: Raheem Mostert (knee) didn't practice Wednesday, but it sounds more like a veteran rest day than anything to be too worried about. Tackle Terron Armstead (back/ankle/knee) was upgraded to a limited practice, which is a good sign. On the Patriots side, we'll be watching Devante Parker's (knee) status, along with starting left tackle Duane Brown, who is in the concussion protocol.
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- Monday, 7:15 p.m.
- Line: Saints -3; 40 O/U
- Implied totals: Saints 21.5, Panthers 18.5
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| The Saints moved the ball pretty well through the air in Week 1, at least until they got near the goal line. They couldn't run the ball much at all, though, and I wonder if they're going to adjust their game plan as long as Jamaal Williams is their only viable option at RB. |
- Toughest lineup decision: Jamaal Williams -- Start ... I guess. Williams got the workload we were hoping for, as he carried the ball 18 times and even played 25 of 38 pass snaps. However, he was targeted just two times and couldn't get much going on the ground. I can't say there's a ton to get excited about with Williams, but that workload, in a game the Saints are projected to win, should be enough to put him in that RB2/3 conversation.
- Injuries to watch: With two games on Monday night, we won't have practice reports until today, but here are the key injuries we'll be monitoring from this one: DJ Chark (hamstring) and Kendre Miller (hamstring).
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- Monday, 8:15 p.m.
- Line: Browns -2.5; 39.5 O/U
- Implied totals: Browns 21, Steelers 18.5
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Remember all that hype around the Steelers offense during the preseason? Well, they looked pretty much as listless in Week 1 as they did for most of last season, and now they're likely playing without their top WR against a defense that just shut down Joe Burrow. Expectations are, rightly, low. |
- Toughest lineup decision: Any Steelers skill position plays -- Sit. I've got Najee Harris ranked as RB21, but I don't want that to be taken as an endorsement -- this looks like a tough matchup, and he really didn't show very much in Week 1. I guess the good news is, Jaylen Warren didn't either, so Harris' job is probably still safe. But he's just a volume play in what we think should be a more competitive game, and it's not even clear what kind of volume we can bet on -- 10-plus carries and maybe three targets? And that's the guy I feel most confident in from this offense. Yikes.
- Injuries to watch: For this one, we'll be keeping an eye out for Pat Freiermuth (chest). Diontae Johnson (hamstring) is already expected to miss a few weeks, while Browns tackle Jack Conklin is done for the season with a torn ACL.
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