GAME CAPSULES PLAYER PROJECTIONS FOR …...LeSean McCoy amassed a 5-10-0 rushing line and a 1-6-0 receiving line. Mike Gillislee (Patriots) scored Buffalo’s only touchdown of the

G A M E C A P S U L E S&

P L A Y E R P R O J E C T I O N SF O R

W E E K 1By

Matt WilsonFantasySharks.com Senior Writer

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (0-0)

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NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (0-0)THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 7 T H | 8:30 PM ET

GI LLE TT E S T ADI UM | FOXBOROUGH, MA

L I NE : NE – 9 .0 OVE R /UNDE R : 48.0

TEAM OFFENSIVE & DEFENSIVE MATCHUPS

UNITOVERALL SCORING POINTS RUSH RUSH RUSH PASS PASS PASS

RANK RANK PER GM RANK YPG TD RANK YPG TD

K C O F F E N S E 20 13 24.3 15 109.2 15 19 233.8 19N E D E F E N S E 8 1 15.6 3 88.6 6 12 237.9 21

N E O F F E N S E 4 3 27.6 7 117.0 19 4 269.2 32K C D E F E N S E 24 7 19.4 26 121.1 10 18 247.4 23

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS

INJURIES TO MONITOR: None

BYE: Week 10

From a fantasy perspective, there’s definitely a positive to the Kansas City Chiefs opening uptheir season with the toughest road matchup on their schedule – they’ll get it out of the wayearly. The New England Patriots defense wrapped up 2016 ranked in the top seven in fantasypoints allowed to the quarterback, running back, wideout and tight end positions, respectively,and the 2017 Patriots defense looks improved. Bottom line – it’s going to be a tough night at theoffice for Alex Smith and company. This version of the Kansas City offense looks weaker thanthe 2016 model, particularly the receiver corps, so a big game from career game manager Smithis very unlikely. What else is new? Since New England probably will sell out to contain TravisKelce, Tyreek Hill, who is learning the wideout craft on the fly, is the best bet for a score.Rookie Kareem Hunt, expected to operate as the featured runner, impressed during thepreseason, but his occasional mistakes in pass protection have left the door open for

Charcandrick West and C.J. Spiller to see more action than Hunt owners would prefer. Lastseason the Patriots surrendered just seven touchdowns to the running back position, so the oddsare against Hunt hitting pay dirt.

WEEK 1 PLAYER PROJECTIONS

PLAYER PASSYDS

PASSTD

RUSHYDS

RUSHTD

REC RECYDS

RECTD

QB Alex Smith 220 1 15 0

RB Kareem Hunt 62 0 3 22 0

RB Charcandrick West 25 0 2 12 0

WR Tyreek Hill 15 0 4 46 1

WR Chris Conley 3 30 0

WR Albert Wilson 2 23 0

TE Travis Kelce 4 49 0

FGA FGM XPA XPM PTS

PK Cairo Santos 3 3 1 1 10

P/A SK INT FUM TD

DT Chiefs 34 2 1 1 0

PREVIOUS MATCHUP:

2016 Playoffs – Divisional Round

The Chiefs lost to the Patriots 27-20 at Gillette Stadium.

Alex Smith amassed a 246-1-0 passing line and a 9-44-0 rushing line.

Charcandrick West compiled a 17-61-1 rushing line and a 2-15-0 receiving line.

Spencer Ware sat out the contest because of an ankle injury.

Travis Kelce caught six balls for 23 yards.

Chris Conley hauled in five passes for 33 yards.

Albert Wilson made five grabs for 57 yards and one touchdown.

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS


BYE: Week 9

The defending Super Bowl Champions own the NFL right now, and the other 31 teams just livein it. Last season, a very respectable Kansas City Chiefs defense finished 11th and sixth in

fantasy points allowed to the quarterback and tight end positions, respectively, but nothing isgoing to stop you from starting Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski, right? Do you think thePatriots will want to showcase new weapon Brandin Cooks? You know the answer. With JulianEdelman (torn ACL) lost for the season, Chris Hogan is expected to help pick up the slack in theaerial attack. What about the murky New England backfield? Ugh. Kansas City ranked just 19thin fantasy points allowed to opposing ball carriers last season. Despite some offseason defensiveline upgrades, I still think Mike Gillislee – assuming he starts – will find some room to run andfind the end zone. Passing-down back extraordinaire James White also will vacuum up some ofthe targets that would have gone to Edelman. Rex Burkhead and Dion Lewis also could seesome action. If that happens, I’m not expecting big contributions from either guy. The NewEngland team defense is a strong play.


PLAYER PASSYDS

PASSTD

RUSHYDS

RUSHTD

REC RECYDS

RECTD

QB Tom Brady 300 3 0 0

RB Mike Gillislee 70 1 1 8 0

RB James White 20 0 5 58 0

WR Brandin Cooks 5 89 1

WR Chris Hogan 4 67 0

WR Danny Amendola 3 25 0

TE Rob Gronkowski 7 72 1

FGA FGM XPA XPM PTS

PK Stephen Gostkowski 2 2 4 4 10

P/A SK INT FUM TD

DT Patriots 16 3 1 1 0

PREVIOUS MATCHUP:

2016 Playoffs – Divisional Round

The Patriots downed the Chiefs 27-20 at Gillette Stadium.

Tom Brady passed for 302 yards and two touchdowns, and notched one rushing score.

James White compiled a 1-5-0 rushing line and a 2-39-0 receiving line.

Julian Edelman hauled in 10 passes for 100 yards.

Rob Gronkowski made seven grabs for 83 yards and two touchdowns.

Danny Amendola logged two receptions for 18 yards.

NEW YORK JETS (0-0)

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BUFFALO BILLS (0-0)SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 10 T H | 1:00 PM ET

NE W E RA F I E LD | ORCHARD P ARK, NY

L I NE : BUF – 8 .0 OVE R /UNDE R : 40.0




N Y O F F E N S E 26 30 17.2 12 112.6 10 27 216.6 16B U F D E F E N S E 19 16 23.6 29 133.1 21 6 223.9 19

B U F O F F E N S E 16 10 24.9 1 164.4 29 30 189.8 17N Y D E F E N S E 11 28 25.6 11 98.8 11 17 243.6 30

NEW YORK JETS


BYE: Week 11

Welcome to the first of 16 scheduled episodes of the “Worst NFL Offense of 2017 Show,” whichfeatures your favorite undervalued three-down running back and ours – Bilal Powell. Operatingin a new scheme with question marks and below-average talent around him, Powell is the onlysafe start here until or unless some other Jets step up. The Buffalo Bills defense hemorrhaged thefourth-most fantasy points to the running back position last season, and it wouldn’t be a surpriseif Powell racked up a huge number of catches since Gang Green probably will have to operate inmust-pass mode most of the afternoon. Thirty-two-year-old Matt Forte, the junior partner inNew York’s timeshare backfield, is worth flex consideration in deep leagues since he’s healthy.Josh McCown should toss at least one scoring strike against a completely overhauled Buffalosecondary. The computer thinks Robby Anderson is the best bet for a scoring grab, but it couldgo. Rookie third-rounder ArDarius Stewart, the most talented wideout on the roster, showed

some preseason flashes and is worth monitoring. So is Jeremy Kerley during his second go-round in the Big Apple. Austin Seferian-Jenkins (suspended) won’t return until Week 3.


PLAYERPASSYDS

PASSTD

RUSHYDS

RUSHTD REC

RECYDS

RECTD

QB Josh McCown 211 1 10 0

RB Bilal Powell 62 1 6 50 0

RB Matt Forte 46 0 2 18 0

WR Robby Anderson 4 64 1

WR ArDarius Stewart 4 47 0

WR Jermaine Kearse 3 33 0

TE Austin Seferian-Jenkins - - - - - - -

TE Jordan Leggett 3 25 0

TE Will Tye 2 15 0

FGA FGM XPA XPM PTS

PK Chandler Catanzaro 1 1 2 2 5

P/A SK INT FUM TD

DT Jets 27 2 0 1 0

PREVIOUS MATCHUP:

2016 regular season – Week 17

The Jets routed the Bills 30-10 at MetLife Stadium.

Bilal Powell racked up a 22-122-0 rushing line and a 3-15-1 receiving line.

Matt Forte missed the game due to a knee injury.

Robby Anderson caught four passes for 43 yards.

The other playmakers of note are no longer with the team.

BUFFALO BILLS


BYE: Week 6

It goes without saying that the Buffalo Bills offense would be far more dangerous with SammyWatkins (Rams) in the lineup. Granted, his durability woes were a constant worry, but he also

was the team’s best wideout and big-play specialist. Nevertheless, the rebuilding Bills still haveenough playmakers to do some damage against a depleted New York Jets defense that alsohappens to be in the beginning of a slow rebuild. Last season, Gang Green ranked average orworse in fantasy points allowed to the quarterback, running back, wideout and tight endpositions, so this is clearly one of Buffalo’s most favorable matchups of the season. LeSeanMcCoy is a must-start as usual. Last season, Tyrod Taylor ripped the Jets for 297 passing yardsand three touchdown tosses in his only matchup against them. Don’t expect Taylor to duplicatethose stats, but he deserves starting consideration in two-quarterback leagues. Who is Taylor’sfavorite target? Most assume that Jordan Matthews will be featured. While rookie Zay Jonesalso deserves starting consideration in deeper leagues based on the matchup, it’s safer to keepJones parked on the bench for now to see how the team uses him. Keep an eye on Charles Claysince he’s one of Taylor’s few trusted returning targets from 2016. The Jets yielded the ninth-most fantasy points to the tight end position last season. The Bills team defense is a decentstreaming option.


PLAYERPASSYDS

PASSTD

RUSHYDS

RUSHTD REC

RECYDS

RECTD

QB Tyrod Taylor 200 1 30 1

RB LeSean McCoy 120 1 4 38 0

RB Mike Tolbert 16 0 2 10 0

WR Jordan Matthews 6 75 1

WR Zay Jones 3 36 0

WR Andre Holmes 2 20 0

TE Charles Clay 4 44 0

FGA FGM XPA XPM PTS

PK Steven Hauschka 2 2 3 3 9

P/A SK INT FUM TD

DT Bills 17 4 2 1 0

PREVIOUS MATCHUP:


The Bills fell to the Jets 30-10 at MetLife Stadium.

Tyrod Taylor didn’t play (benched).

LeSean McCoy amassed a 5-10-0 rushing line and a 1-6-0 receiving line.

Mike Gillislee (Patriots) scored Buffalo’s only touchdown of the game on a 1-yard plunge.

Charles Clay made three grabs for 20 yards.


PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (0-0)

@

WASHINGTON (0-0)SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 10 T H | 1:00 PM ET

FE DE X F I E LD | LANDOVE R, MD

L I NE : PH I – 1 .0 OVE R /UNDE R : 47.5




P H I O F F E N S E 22 16 22.9 11 113.3 16 24 224.1 16W A S D E F E N S E 28 19 23.9 24 119.8 19 25 258.1 22

W A S O F F E N S E 3 12 24.8 21 106.0 17 2 297.4 25P H I D E F E N S E 13 12 20.7 15 103.2 10 13 239.5 25

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES


BYE: Week 10

Look for the Philadelphia Eagles to go run heavy against an overhauled Washington defense thatcoughed up the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing running backs last season. The Eaglesbackfield is just about as complicated as the New England Patriots backfield, so predictions forthe Philadelphia ball carriers are tough. LeGarrette Blount is the first choice for a rushingscore, but I suspect Wendell Smallwood will see more action than expected. Dual-threat DarrenSproles remains the safest play of the group. Carson Wentz tossed one touchdown pass in two2016 matchups against Washington, so it’s hard to trust him in this matchup. Maybe he makes abetter showing against Washington this time. Maybe he doesn’t. Josh Norman is expected tomatchup on Alshon Jeffery, which sets the table for Torrey Smith to have a nice outing.However, the deep threat was relatively quiet during the preseason, which brings Smith’schemistry with Wentz into question. Washington was soft against tight ends last season (22nd in

fantasy points allowed to the position), so, with Jeffery battling Norman and Smith probably notshowing up on Wentz’s radar regularly, Zach Ertz, a Wentz favorite, looks like a strong start.


PLAYERPASSYDS

PASSTD

RUSHYDS

RUSHTD REC

RECYDS

RECTD

QB Carson Wentz 248 1 10 0

RB LeGarrette Blount 45 1 0 0 0

RB Darren Sproles 35 0 5 40 0

RB Wendell Smallwood 31 0 2 15 0

WR Alshon Jeffery 4 58 0

WR Torrey Smith 3 48 0

WR Nelson Agholor 2 20 0

TE Zach Ertz 6 62 1

FGA FGM XPA XPM PTS

PK Caleb Sturgis 3 3 2 2 11

P/A SK INT FUM TD

DT Eagles 24 3 2 1 0

PREVIOUS MATCHUP:


Philadelphia lost to Washington 27-22 at Lincoln Financial Field.

Carson Wentz threw for 314 yards and one touchdown.

Darren Sproles compiled a 5-27-0 rushing line and a 2-13-1 receiving line.

Zach Ertz hauled in 10 passes for 112 yards.

Nelson Agholor made two grabs for 22 yards.

WASHINGTON


BYE: Week 5

Switching DeSean Jackson (Bucs) for Terrelle Pryor and switching Pierre Garcon (49ers) forJosh Doctson has left me feeling nervous about Kirk Cousins’ 2017 fantasy prospects, but he’sa solid No. 1 fantasy passer for this week. Although the Philadelphia Eagles defense finishedeighth in fantasy points allowed to the quarterback position, Cousins tossed two touchdowns in

each of his two 2016 matchups against them. Look for the Washington triggerman to lean onfavorites Jamison Crowder and Jordan Reed, which shouldn’t surprise anyone. Pryor, aconverted college quarterback who is coming off his first 1,000-yard season and still learning thewideout craft, is adjusting to a new scheme and won’t be the only capable target. I wouldn’t trusthim just yet. Doctson, coming off an injury wrecked 2016 rookie season, is still learning theropes. Treat him as a wait-and-see prospect. In the rushing department, Rob Kelley scored in hislast game against Philadelphia, and I like his chances to find the end zone again even though theEagles ranked 11th in fantasy points allowed to opposing tailbacks. Samaje Perine struggledduring the preseason and won’t be a fantasy factor right away barring injuries.


PLAYER PASSYDS

PASSTD

RUSHYDS

RUSHTD

REC RECYDS

RECTD

QB Kirk Cousins 270 2 10 0

RB Rob Kelley 74 1 1 10 0

RB Chris Thompson 19 0 4 30 0

WR Terrelle Pryor 4 60 0

WR Jamison Crowder 5 65 1

WR Josh Doctson 2 24 0

TE Jordan Reed 6 64 1

TE Vernon Davis 2 17 0

FGA FGM XPA XPM PTS

PK Dustin Hopkins 1 1 3 3 6

P/A SK INT FUM TD

DT Washington 23 2 1 1 0

PREVIOUS MATCHUP:


Washington downed Philadelphia 27-22 at Lincoln Financial Field.

Kirk Cousins passed for 234 yards and two touchdowns.

Rob Kelley compiled a 16-63-1 rushing line and a 2-25-0 receiving line.

Chris Thompson amassed a 3-38-1 rushing line but didn’t catch any passes.

Jamison Crowder caught two passes for 37 yards.

Jordan Reed made one grab for 10 yards.


OAKLAND RAIDERS (0-0)

@

TENNESSEE TITANS (0-0)SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 10 T H | 1:00 PM ET

NI SS AN ST ADI UM | NAS HVI LLE , T N

L I NE : TE N – 2 .0 OVE R /UNDE R : 51.0




O A K O F F E N S E 6 7 26.0 6 120.1 17 13 253.2 29T E N D E F E N S E 20 16 23.6 2 88.3 10 30 269.2 25

T E N O F F E N S E 11 14 23.8 3 136.7 16 25 221.3 29O A K D E F E N S E 26 20 24.1 23 117.6 18 24 257.5 27

OAKLAND RAIDERS


BYE: Week 10

You’ve been listening to all the preseason talk from the Oakland Raiders about their plans tooperate a balanced attack, but look for the Silver and Black to go pass heavy with Derek Carr,Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree against an overhauled Tennessee Titans secondary thatwas one of the NFL’s worst last season. Tennessee ranked in the bottom five in fantasy pointsallowed to the quarterback and wideout positions, respectively. Although the Titans also rankedjust average against fantasy points allowed to tight ends, they allowed just five scores to theposition. The Jared Cook coming out party won’t happen this week. The Marshawn Lynchcoming out party will be a quiet one against a Tennessee defense that surrendered the third-fewest fantasy points and two rushing scores at home to the tailback position. Last season,DeAndre Washington and Jalen Richard both averaged close to seven combo touches pergame. Since Lynch isn’t expected to find much running room, Washington and Richard, who are

both quicker than Lynch, probably will see some action, but neither will receive enough touchesto have standalone value.


PLAYERPASSYDS

PASSTD

RUSHYDS

RUSHTD REC

RECYDS

RECTD

QB Derek Carr 282 2 0 0

RB Marshawn Lynch 48 1 0 0 0

RB DeAndre Washington 27 0 1 10 0

RB Jalen Richard 20 0 4 36 0

WR Amari Cooper 5 85 1

WR Michael Crabtree 7 75 1

WR Seth Roberts 2 27 0

TE Jared Cook 2 33 0

FGA FGM XPA XPM PTS

PK Sebastian Janikowski 1 1 3 3 6

P/A SK INT FUM TD

DT Raiders 27 1 0 1 0

PREVIOUS MATCHUP:

2016 season – Week 3

The Raiders slipped past the Titans 17-10 at Nissan Stadium.

Derek Carr threw for 249 yards and one score.

DeAndre Washington compiled a 6-57-0 rushing line and a 1-5-0 receiving line.

Jalen Richard amassed a 6-28-0 rushing line and a 1-13-0 receiving line.

Amari Cooper caught four passes for 62 yards.

Michael Crabtree made eight grabs for 102 yards.

Seth Roberts hauled in two balls for 27 yards and one touchdown.

TENNESSEE TITANS


BYE: Week 8

Don’t expect to see the retooled Tennessee Titans passing attack in all its glory this week or

anytime soon. Eric Decker was banged up during the preseason, and he’s still working on hischemistry with Marcus Mariota. Rookie first-rounder Corey Davis missed virtually the entirepreseason due to a hamstring injury and will see only limited action until further notice, whilerookie third-round selection Taywan Taylor is buried on the depth chart. Look for Mariota willattack a middling Oakland Raiders secondary with favorite targets Rishard Matthews, whoinexplicably dropped like a stone tons of fantasy drafts, and Delanie Walker. The must-startDeMarco Murray is a strong play versus an Oakland defense that finished 2016 ranked just 23rdin fantasy points yielded to the running back position. Derrick Henry is expected to receive alittle more work, but Murray’s workhorse role will remain intact. It’s also too early in the seasonto roll the dice with Henry. His 2016 usage was uneven from week to week, and that’s expectedto continue.


PLAYER PASSYDS

PASSTD

RUSHYDS

RUSHTD

REC RECYDS

RECTD

QB Marcus Mariota 255 2 15 0

RB DeMarco Murray 92 1 4 34 0

RB Derrick Henry 32 0 2 15 0

WR Rishard Matthews 5 65 1

WR Eric Decker 4 55 0

WR Corey Davis 2 20 0

TE Delanie Walker 5 50 1

FGA FGM XPA XPM PTS

PK Ryan Succop 2 2 3 3 9

P/A SK INT FUM TD

DT Titans 24 2 1 0 0

PREVIOUS MATCHUP:

2016 season – Week 3

The Titans came up short against the Raiders, losing 17-10 at Nissan Stadium.

Marcus Mariota passed for 214 scoreless yards.

DeMarco Murray racked up a 16-114-1 rushing line and a 5-41-0 receiving line.

Derrick Henry compiled a 10-45-0 rushing line and a 0-0-0 receiving line.

Rishard Matthews caught three passes for 32 yards.

Delanie Walker missed the game due to a hamstring injury.

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (0-0)

@

HOUSTON TEXANS (0-0)SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 10 T H | 1:00 PM ET

NRG ST ADI UM | HOUS T ON, T X

L I NE : HOU – 5 .5 OVE R /UNDE R : 39.5




J A X O F F E N S E 23 25 19.9 22 101.9 8 20 233.0 24H O U D E F E N S E 1 11 20.5 12 99.7 13 2 201.6 20

H O U O F F E N S E 29 28 17.4 8 116.2 8 29 198.5 15J A X D E F E N S E 6 25 25.0 19 106.4 17 5 215.2 20

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS


BYE: Week 8

The Jacksonville Jaguars, who went just 1-7 on the road last season, will battle an emotionalHouston Texans team that’s absolutely determined to win one for the hometown fans and for apart of the country that has suffered unimaginable tragedy and destruction at the hands ofHurricane Harvey. The Texans finished 2016 ranked 15th in fantasy points allowed to therunning back position but usually played the run much tougher at home, so don’t expectfireworks from Leonard Fournette in his regular-season debut. Will the now run-mindedJaguars let Blake Bortles challenge a revamped Houston secondary with some shots downfield?They’ll probably have to let him do so at some point during the contest, but don’t expect muchsuccess from the struggling Bortles. He passed for just 92 yards in his last clash with the Texans.Jacksonville’s low-volume passing attack will feature Allen Robinson – he looks like a decentstart on paper – but the other Jaguars’ receivers are not promising dart throws. There will be

better matchups for the Jacksonville team defense this season.


PLAYER PASSYDS

PASSTD

RUSHYDS

RUSHTD

REC RECYDS

RECTD

QB Blake Bortles 238 1 15 0

RB Leonard Fournette 76 1 3 21 0

RB T.J. Yeldon 15 0 4 38 0

WR Allen Robinson 5 77 1

WR Marqise Lee 5 55 0

WR Allen Hurns 2 23 0

TE Marcedes Lewis 1 10 0

TE Ben Koyack 2 14 0

FGA FGM XPA XPM PTS

PK Jason Myers 1 1 2 2 5

P/A SK INT FUM TD

DT Jaguars 27 2 1 1 0

PREVIOUS MATCHUP:


The Jaguars fell to the Texans 21-20 at NRG Stadium.

Blake Bortles threw for 92 scoreless yards and scored once on a 1-yard run.

Chris Ivory compiled a 10-44-0 rushing line and a 0-0-0 receiving line.

T.J. Yeldon amassed an 8-28-0 rushing line and a 5-34-0 receiving line.

Allen Robinson caught two passes for 15 yards.

Marqise Lee didn’t log any catches; he scored on a 100-yard kickoff return.

Allen Hurns missed the contest due to a hamstring injury.

HOUSTON TEXANS

INJURIES TO MONITOR: Alfred Blue (high ankle sprain), Will Fuller (collarbone),

BYE: Week 7

Do you remember the New Orleans Saints’ first game played after Hurricane Katrina? Not todownplay the unimaginable tragedy and sadness inflicted on the Houston area by Hurricane

Harvey, but we’re going to see a very fired up Houston Texans team that’s determined to win onefor the hometown bunch. The Texans team defense will control this contest from start to finish,and I like Houston’s chances to notch a touchdown off a turnover. Lamar Miller, with gameflow working in his favor, should have a nice outing in what’s still a run-heavy offense. Millercould exceed our projections since Alfred Blue (high ankle sprain) isn’t expected to play, androokie D’Onta Foreman is still working to earn the team’s trust. Tom Savage’s first start of2017 should be uneventful, which is what Houston wants. DeAndre Hopkins gashed theformidable Jacksonville Jaguars secondary for 87 yards on eight grabs the last time he facedthem. Since Will Fuller (collarbone) and Jaelen Strong (suspension) will both miss Week 1,Savage will need the services of C.J. Fiedorowicz. He’s a serviceable start in deep PPR leagues.


PLAYERPASSYDS

PASSTD

RUSHYDS

RUSHTD REC

RECYDS

RECTD

QB Tom Savage 230 1 0 0

RB Lamar Miller 88 1 2 13 0

RB Alfred Blue

RB D’Onta Foreman 22 0 0 0 0

WR DeAndre Hopkins 8 85 0

WR Will Fuller

WR Braxton Miller 4 40 0

WR Jaelen Strong

TE C.J. Fiedorowicz 6 67 1

TE Ryan Griffin 3 30 0

FGA FGM XPA XPM PTS

PK Ka’imi Fairbairn 2 2 3 3 9

P/A SK INT FUM TD

DT Texans 17 4 2 1 1

PREVIOUS MATCHUP:


The Texans nipped the Jaguars 21-20 at NRG Stadium.

Tom Savage threw for 260 scoreless yards.

Lamar Miller amassed a 22-63-1 rushing line and a 2-26-0 receiving line.

DeAndre Hopkins racked up eight catches for 87 yards.

Will Fuller made four grabs for 42 yards.

C.J. Fiedorowicz missed the game because of a concussion.

Ryan Griffin hauled in eight balls for 85 yards.

ARIZONA CARDINALS (0-0)

@

DETROIT LIONS (0-0)SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 10 T H | 1:00 PM ET

FORD F IE LD | DE T ROI T , M I

L I NE : ARZ – 1 .5 OVE R /UNDE R : 48.0




A R Z O F F E N S E 9 6 26.1 18 108.2 20 9 258.5 28D E T D E F E N S E 18 13 22.4 18 106.3 8 19 248.4 33

D E T O F F E N S E 21 20 21.6 30 81.9 9 11 256.9 24A R Z D E F E N S E 2 14 22.6 9 94.9 16 4 210.3 21

ARIZONA CARDINALS


BYE: Week 8

Two years ago, the Arizona Cardinals featured one of the NFL’s most dangerous aerial attacks,but Father Time, injuries and off-the-field problems have taken a toll on this group. With themust-start David Johnson obviously trending up, this once-vaunted passing attack is trendingdown. Although the 2017 season is possibly last call for both 38-year-old Carson Palmer and34-year-old Larry Fitzgerald, the duo still has enough gas in the tank to exploit a still-weakDetroit Lions secondary that coughed up the third-most fantasy points to quarterbacks and the12th-most fantasy points to wideouts last season, respectively. It looks like John Brown hasovercome the sickle-cell trait issues that wrecked his 2016 campaign, and he’s a nice start, too.Third wideout J.J. Nelson showed some flashes of fantasy relevance last season but lacked

consistency. Nelson isn’t fantasy starter material, but keep an eye on him. Alhtough only threemore teams yielded more fantasy points to the tight end position than Detroit did, it’s veryquestionable whether Palmer will lean on Jermaine Gresham like he did last season whenBrown was out of the lineup. A Cardinals team defense that played much better at home lastseason and took some major free-agent hits looks like a weak start.


PLAYER PASSYDS

PASSTD

RUSHYDS

RUSHTD

REC RECYDS

RECTD

QB Carson Palmer 282 2 0 0

RB David Johnson 72 1 6 58 1

WR Larry Fitzgerald 7 73 0

WR John Brown 4 75 1

WR J.J. Nelson 3 46 0

TE Jermaine Gresham 2 22 0

FGA FGM XPA XPM PTS

PK Phil Dawson 1 1 3 3 6

P/A SK INT FUM TD

DT Cardinals 27 3 1 1 0

PREVIOUS MATCHUP:

2015 regular season

The Cardinals routed the Lions 42-17.

DETROIT LIONS


BYE: Week 7

The Detroit Lions want to utilize a more balanced attack, but they’re going to find themselves inplenty of fantasy friendly shootouts if their defense – especially the secondary – continues tostruggle like it did during the preseason. Last season the Arizona Cardinals defense finished inthe top 10 in both passing yards and rushing yards allowed, but don’t shy away from startingsome Detroit fantasy stars since the Cardinals struggled mightily on the road in 2016, and thisfree-agency depleted stop unit likely will do so again. Matthew Stafford and Golden Tate arestrong plays, but standout Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson is expected to matchup on

Marvin Jones. With Peterson tying up Jones, rookie Kenny Golladay, an intriguing tall red-zone target, could score, but that’s a guess on my part. Arizona gave up the fewest fantasy pointsto the tight end position, so Eric Ebron looks like a weak play. Maybe Ebron goes off against aCardinals defense that, as noted, doesn’t travel well. Maybe he doesn’t. Arizona was very softagainst the running back position away from home last season, so Ameer Abdullah should havea nice outing, and Theo Riddick deserves flex consideration in deep PPR leagues.


PLAYERPASSYDS

PASSTD

RUSHYDS

RUSHTD REC

RECYDS

RECTD

QB Matthew Stafford 262 2 15 0

RB Ameer Abdullah 78 1 3 24 0

RB Theo Riddick 22 0 5 48 0

WR Golden Tate 6 67 1

WR Marvin Jones 4 50 0

WR Kenny Golladay 2 28 1

TE Eric Ebron 4 45 0

FGA FGM XPA XPM PTS

PK Matt Prater 2 2 3 3 9

P/A SK INT FUM TD

DT Lions 24 2 1 1 0

PREVIOUS MATCHUP:

2015 regular season

The Lions were ripped by Cardinals 42-17.

ATLANTA FALCONS (0-0)

@

CHICAGO BEARS (0-0)SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 10 T H | 1:00 PM ET

S OLDI E R F IE LD | CH I CAGO, I L

L I NE : AT L – 7 .0 OVE R /UNDE R : 49.5




A T L O F F E N S E 2 1 33.8 5 120.5 20 3 295.3 38C H I D E F E N S E 15 24 24.9 27 121.9 18 7 224.9 22

C H I O F F E N S E 15 28 17.4 17 108.4 10 14 248.1 19A T L D E F E N S E 25 27 25.4 17 104.5 15 28 266.7 31

ATLANTA FALCONS


BYE: Week 5

How will the NFL’s top-scoring offense from 2016 perform with new offensive boss SteveSarkisian calling the shots? We finally get to find out. The Atlanta Falcons obviously have morethan enough talent to get the job done in the Windy City, but the Chicago Bears are tougher athome than you think – particularly against the pass – so don’t expect astro-numbers from MattRyan and Julio Jones. Last season Mohamed Sanu was usually stuck on three or four catchesfor 40-something or 50-something yards per game, while explosive-but-diminutive TaylorGabriel never touched the ball more than seven times in a game. Will Sarkisian use Sanu andGabriel differently? You should take a wait-and-see approach with both. Chicago ceded the 11th-

fewest fantasy points to the tight end position last season, so that Austin Hooper breakoutcampaign that many have predicted probably won’t get into full swing this week. The Bears,however, finished 21st in fantasy points allowed to opposing tailbacks, which is why I like bothDevonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman.


PLAYERPASSYDS

PASSTD

RUSHYDS

RUSHTD REC

RECYDS

RECTD

QB Matt Ryan 270 2

RB Devonta Freeman 95 1 4 41 0

RB Tevin Coleman 45 0 2 25 1

WR Julio Jones 6 92 1

WR Mohamed Sanu 4 45 0

WR Taylor Gabriel 3 38 0

TE Austin Hooper 4 40 0

FGA FGM XPA XPM PTS

PK Matt Bryant 2 2 3 3 9

P/A SK INT FUM TD

DT Falcons 14 4 2 1 0

PREVIOUS MATCHUP:

2014 regular season

The Falcons fell to the Bears 27-13.

CHICAGO BEARS


BYE: Week 9

It’s a rebuilding year for the Chicago Bears offense. The must-start Jordan Howard willcontinue to do his workhorse thing behind one of the NFL’s better run-blocking lines. TheAtlanta Falcons defense allowed the ninth-most fantasy points to opposing tailbacks in 2016.Even though the Falcons improved against the run during the latter half of the season, Howard isalways a solid start at home. It’s too early to know how the Bears will use speedy rookie third-down specialist Tarik Cohen. As you surely know, Chicago has reloaded at quarterback andwideout. Rookie second overall selection Mitch Trubisky is the quarterback of the future, but

Mike Glennon is the quarterback of the present. With Cameron Meredith (ACL) lost for theseason, the passing attack is expected to flow through Kevin White, the team’s injury-prone andwork-in-progress 2015 first-round selection, slot guy Kendall Wright, the most seasonedwideout on the roster and injury-prone Zach Miller. Statistically, the Falcons secondary alloweda ton of yards and scores to quarterbacks, wideouts and tight ends because of trash time lastseason. The only somewhat safe start in the Bears aerial attack is Wright.


PLAYERPASSYDS

PASSTD

RUSHYDS

RUSHTD REC

RECYDS

RECTD

QB Mike Glennon 255 1 0 0

RB Jordan Howard 87 1 2 20 0

RB Tarik Cohen 15 0 4 38 0

WR Kevin White 5 60 0

WR Deonte Thompson 4 45 0

WR Kendall Wright 5 65 1

TE Zach Miller 3 27 0

FGA FGM XPA XPM PTS

PK Connor Barth 0 0 2 2 2

P/A SK INT FUM TD

DT Bears 27 2 1 0 0

PREVIOUS MATCHUP:

2014 regular season

The Bears trounced the Falcons 27-13.

BALTIMORE RAVENS (0-0)

@

CINCINNATI BENGALS (0-0)SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 10 T H | 1:00 PM ET

P AUL BROWN ST ADI UM | C I NCI NNAT I , OH

L I NE : C I N – 3 .0 OVE R /UNDE R : 42.5




B A L O F F E N S E 17 21 21.4 28 91.4 10 12 256.2 20C I N D E F E N S E 17 8 19.7 21 113.2 12 11 237.5 22

C I N O F F E N S E 13 24 20.3 13 110.6 17 15 246.4 18B A L D E F E N S E 7 9 20.1 5 89.4 10 9 232.8 28

BALTIMORE RAVENS


BYE: Week 10

Even though most of the Cincinnati Bengals defensive statistics suggest otherwise, this isn’t aplus matchup for the Baltimore Ravens offense. The Bengals are usually pretty stingy on defenseat home, and they throttled the Ravens 27-10 at Paul Brown Stadium in Week 17 of last season.Joe Flacco looks like a moderate play as usual. It will be interesting to see how he adjusts to lifewithout security blankets Dennis Pitta (retired) and Steve Smith (retired). New guy JeremyMaclin will assume the “Steve Smith role,” which is why I like his chances to score, while MikeWallace will continue to operate as the lid lifter. Take a wait-and-see approach with Pittareplacement Ben Watson. A Bengals defense that ranked just 18th in fantasy points allowed to

enemy tailbacks is tougher against the position at home. This looks like more of a plus matchupfor passing-down specialist Danny Woodhead than for early-down guy Terrance West.


PLAYERPASSYDS

PASSTD

RUSHYDS

RUSHTD REC

RECYDS

RECTD

QB Joe Flacco 244 2 0 0

RB Terrance West 48 0 3 18 0

RB Danny Woodhead 32 0 5 48 1

WR Jeremy Maclin 5 50 1

WR Mike Wallace 3 55 0

WR Breshad Perriman 3 30 0

TE Ben Watson 5 43 0

FGA FGM XPA XPM PTS

PK Justin Tucker 1 1 2 2 5

P/A SK INT FUM TD

DT Ravens 27 2 1 0 0

PREVIOUS MATCHUP:


The Ravens fell to the Bengals 27-10 at Paul Brown Stadium.

Joe Flacco threw for 267 scoreless yards.

Terrance West compiled a 5-18-0 rushing line and a 4-17-0 receiving line.

Kenneth Dixon (knee surgery – IR) amassed a 10-44-1 rushing line and a 3-19-0 receiving line.

Mike Wallace logged four catches for 33 yards.

Breshad Perriman made four grabs for 62 yards.

CINCINNATI BENGALS

INJURIES TO MONITOR: John Ross (knee)

BYE: Week 6

The Cincinnati Bengals are loaded at the skill positions – which makes fantasy forecasting a realchallenge here – and we’ll have to see if their retooled offensive line can get the job done. TheBaltimore Ravens defense wrapped up 2016 ranked seventh in fantasy points allowed to thetailback position, so the Bengals should sling the rock a lot in this one. A.J. Green, Tyler Eifert

and Andy Dalton are the safest plays in the aerial attack. Brandon LaFell will operate in asecondary role while Tyler Boyd holds down the slot duties. Rookie ninth overall selection JohnRoss (knee) has been ruled out. The Cincinnati backfield is just as messy as the backfields inNew England or Philadelphia. I’m going to take the Bengals at their word and assume JeremyHill will open the season as the starter with Giovani Bernard handling third-down duties.Highly touted rookie Joe Mixon will be brought along slowly and sprinkled in for now.Although Cincinnati’s team defense will be without the services of Vontaze Burfict and AdamJones for this game, the Bengals stop unit is a serviceable streaming option.


PLAYERPASSYDS

PASSTD

RUSHYDS

RUSHTD REC

RECYDS

RECTD

QB Andy Dalton 284 2

RB Joe Mixon 30 0 2 15 0

RB Jeremy Hill 45 1 1 10 0

RB Giovani Bernard 32 0 4 36 0

WR A.J. Green 6 85 1

WR Brandon LaFell 4 51 0

WR Tyler Boyd 2 25 0

WR John Ross - - -

TE Tyler Eifert 6 62 1

FGA FGM XPA XPM PTS

PK Randy Bullock 2 2 3 3 9

P/A SK INT FUM TD

DT Bengals 17 4 1 1 0

PREVIOUS MATCHUP:


The Bengals pounded the Ravens 27-10 at Paul Brown Stadium.

Andy Dalton threw for 226 yards and one touchdown.

Jeremy Hill missed the contest due to a knee injury.

Giovani Bernard missed the game because of ACL surgery.

Rex Burkhead (Patriots) compiled a 27-119-2 rushing line and a 2-5-0 receiving line.

A.J. Green missed the contest due to a hamstring injury.

Brandon LaFell made seven grabs for 67 yards.

Tyler Boyd caught two passes for 39 yards.

Tyler Eifert missed the game because of a back injury.

PITTSBURGH STEELERS (0-0)

@

CLEVELAND BROWNS (0-0)SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 10 T H | 1:00 PM ET

FI RS T E NE RGY S T ADI UM | CLE VE LAND, OH

L I NE : P I T – 9 .0 OVE R /UNDE R : 47.0




P I T O F F E N S E 7 10 24.9 14 110.0 13 5 262.6 33C LE D E F E N S E 31 30 28.2 31 142.7 18 21 249.8 36

C LE O F F E N S E 30 31 16.5 19 107.0 13 28 204.0 15P I T D E F E N S E 12 10 20.4 13 100.0 15 16 242.6 20

PITTSBURGH STEELERS


BYE: Week 9

Will the Pittsburgh Steelers offensive stars stay focused for four quarters? Will the Steelersoffensive stars play for four quarters? Will a young and overhauled Cleveland Browns defensethat finished near the bottom of the league in most of the major statisitcal categorie last seasonput up a fight? The computer projects big numbers from Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brownand Martavis Bryant, but game flow could depress their production – seriously. DuringPittsburgh’s last visit to Cleveland, Roethlisberger passed for 167 scoreless yards and Browncaught eight balls for 76 yards while Le’Veon Bell racked up a monster rushing game. TheBrowns didn’t put up much of a fight, so Roethlisberger and Brown didn’t have to do much.Let’s not overthink this – Roethlisberger, Brown, Bryant and Bell are all must-starts. WithBryant back in the mix, slot guy Eli Rogers will see fewer targets come his way. Jesse James

and Vance McDonald aren’t expected to be fantasy factors as they battle for the starting gig.The Pittsburgh team defense is a starting option.


PLAYERPASSYDS

PASSTD

RUSHYDS

RUSHTD REC

RECYDS

RECTD

QB Ben Roethlisberger 290 2 10 0

RB Le’Veon Bell 110 1 5 45

RB James Conner 5 0 1 10 0

WR Antonio Brown 8 100 1

WR Martavis Bryant 5 75 1

WR Eli Rogers 2 20 0

TE Jesse James 2 22 0

TE Vance McDonald 1 18 0

FGA FGM XPA XPM PTS

PK Chris Boswell 2 2 3 3 9

P/A SK INT FUM TD

DT Steelers 17 3 1 1 0

PREVIOUS MATCHUP:


The Steelers slipped past the Browns 27-24 in overtime at Heinz Field.

Ben Roethlisberger, Le’Veon Bell and Antonio Brown missed what was a meaningless game.

Eli Rogers caught six balls for 61 yards.

Jesse James made two grabs for 16 yards.

Other playmakers of note are no longer with the team.

CLEVELAND BROWNS


BYE: Week 9

The Cleveland Browns overhauled their defense, and they retooled their offense, too. It nowincludes some nice offensive line upgrades along with a rookie starting quarterback, DeShoneKizer, a rookie staring tight end, David Njoku, a free-agent starting wideout, Kenny Britt and apromising but injury-prone seocnd-year starting wideout, Corey Coleman. Kizer is a project,

and the Pittsburgh Steelers’ defense was very stingy against the pass last season. The dual-threatKizer, however, is a dangerous runner, which is why I like his chances to notch a rushing score.He also flashed some promsing preseason chemistry with Coleman, which makes the second-yearwideout the clear No. 1 option – as long as Kizer is under center. Even though Njoku has big-time playmaking ability, he struggled during the preseason and probably won’t contribute rightaway. There’s some fantasy hope for the Cleveland ground game. Pittsburgh ranked just 26th infantasy points ceded to the running back position, so Isaiah Crowell and Duke Johnson areworthy of starting consideration.


PLAYERPASSYDS

PASSTD

RUSHYDS

RUSHTD REC

RECYDS

RECTD

QB DeShone Kizer 217 0 35 1

RB Isaiah Crowell 64 1 2 16 0

RB Duke Johnson 21 0 5 41 0

WR Kenny Britt 3 30 0

WR Corey Coleman 6 75 0

WR Ricardo Louis 2 21 0

TE David Njoku 3 34 0

FGA FGM XPA XPM PTS

PK Zane Gonzalez 1 1 2 2 5

P/A SK INT FUM TD

DT Browns 31 2 1 1 0

PREVIOUS MATCHUP:


The Browns were tripped up by the Steelers 27-24 (OT) at Heinz Field.

Isaiah Crowell amassed a 19-152-0 rushing line and a 3-16-0 receiving line.

Duke Johnson compiled a 1-4-0 rushing line and a 0-0-0 receiving line.

Corey Coleman hauled in four balls for 40 yards.


INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (0-0)

@

LOS ANGELES RAMS (0-0)SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 10 T H | 4:05 PM ET

LOS ANGE LE S ME MORI AL COL I S E UM | LOS ANGE LES , CA

L I NE : LARA 3 .5 OVE R /UNDE R : 41.5




I N D O F F E N S E 10 8 25.7 23 101.8 13 5 262.6 32L A D E F E N S E 9 23 24.6 16 103.8 12 10 233.2 32

L A O F F E N S E 32 32 14.0 31 78.2 9 31 184.4 14I N D D E F E N S E 30 22 24.5 25 120.4 12 27 262.5 27

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS


BYE: Week 11

As many fantasy owners had suspected and feared, the Indianapolis Colts will play their 2017season opener without the services of Andrew Luck (shoulder surgery) and with the services ofcareer backup Scott Tolzien. Making one fill-in start for Luck last season (Thanksgiving nightagainst the Pittsburgh Steelers), Tolzien kept the Colts afloat, but they scored just seven pointsand left a lot of points on the field. He also struggled with accuracy. Tolzien hooked up withDonte Moncrief six times for 45 yards and one touchdown and connected with the DwayneAllen/Jack Doyle combo platter seven times for 74 yards. However, Tolzien struggled with hisdeep ball, hitting T.Y. Hilton just three times for 54 yards. If you need to start any Indianapolisreceivers, Moncrief and Doyle are the safest bets but hardly risk free. The Colts will try to lean

heavily on Frank Gore, but that approach didn’t go well against the Steelers. Pittsburgh keyedon Gore, limiting him to just 28 rushes on 15 carries. The 34-year-old Gore can’t carry anoffense anymore. This certainly isn’t the right matchup to roll the dice on goal-line specialistRobert Turbin. Last season the Rams finished 17th in fantasy points allowed to running backs,but Los Angeles played the run much tougher at home.


PLAYER PASSYDS

PASSTD

RUSHYDS

RUSHTD

REC RECYDS

RECTD

QB Andrew Luck - - - - - - -

QB Scott Tolzien 210 2 10 0

RB Frank Gore 48 0 2 18 0

RB Robert Turbin 12 0 1 9 0

WR T.Y. Hilton 4 63 0

WR Donte Moncrief 4 40 1

WR Chester Rogers 2 28 0

TE Jack Doyle 5 52 1

FGA FGM XPA XPM PTS

PK Adam Vinatieri 1 1 2 2 5

P/A SK INT FUM TD

DT Colts 24 2 1 1 0

PREVIOUS MATCHUP:

2013 regular season

The Colts were blown out by the Rams 38-8.

LOS ANGELES RAMS


BYE: Week 8

It’s going to take some time for new Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay to fix a horribleoffense that finished dead last in the NFL in yardage and scoring last season. McVay wants tomodel his Rams score unit after the potent Washington offenses that he directed during the 2015and 2016 seasons. Trusted playmakers are clearly in short supply when you look past the must-start Todd Gurley. Welcome to one of Jared Goff’s easiest matchups of 2017. He should

perform solidly against a Vontae Davis-less Indianapolis Colts secondary that ranked belowaverage last season, but Goff shouldn’t be trusted in stating lineups. Sammy Watkins, operatingin the “DeSean Jackson role,” should be heavily targeted and looks like a reasonably safe start.While I like the chances for Goff favorite Cooper Kupp (operating in the “Jamison Crowderrole”) to the find the end zone, the rookie wideout obviously comes with risk. Los Angelesbrought in Robert Woods (operating in the “Pierre Garcon role”) to be a possession guy, butkeep him benched until we figure out how the Rams will use him. While McVay loves to use histight ends, Tyler Higbee was quiet during the preseason and looks too risky to trust right now.


PLAYERPASSYDS

PASSTD

RUSHYDS

RUSHTD REC

RECYDS

RECTD

QB Jared Goff 220 2 0 0

RB Todd Gurley 68 1 3 30 0

RB Malcolm Brown 10 0 1 10 0

WR Sammy Watkins 5 75 1

WR Robert Woods 4 42 0

WR Cooper Kupp 6 65 1

WR Tavon Austin 20 0 2 20 0

TE Tyler Higbee 3 30 0

TE Gerald Everett 2 20 0

FGA FGM XPA XPM PTS

PK Greg Zuerlein 1 1 3 3 6

P/A SK INT FUM TD

DT Rams 14 4 2 1 0

PREVIOUS MATCHUP:

2013 regular season

The Rams blasted the Colts 38-8.

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (0-0)

@

GREEN BAY PACKERS (0-0)SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 10 T H | 4:25 PM ET

LAMBE AU F I E LD | GREE N BAY , WI

L I NE : GB – 3 .0 OVE R /UNDE R : 50.5




S E A O F F E N S E 12 18 22.1 25 99.4 13 10 257.8 23G B D E F E N S E 22 21 24.2 8 94.7 11 31 269.2 32

G B O F F E N S E 8 4 27.0 20 106.3 11 7 262.4 40S E A D E F E N S E 5 3 18.2 7 92.9 16 8 225.8 16

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS


BYE: Week 6

Last season, the Seattle Seahawks crumbled on the unfrozen tundra of Lambeau Field in Week14, falling to the Green Bay Packers 38-10. A very banged-up Russell Wilson, in case you’veforgotten, tossed five picks in that contest, which goes a long way to explaining the lopsidedscore. Don’t expect a repeat of that awful performance from a now-healthy Wilson versus aretooled Packers defense that coughed up the eighth-most fantasy points to enemy passers, themost fantasy points to the wideout position and the 13th-most fantasy points to opposing tightends in 2016, respectively. Wilson, Doug Baldwin and Jimmy Graham are all strong plays.While new No. 2 wideout Paul Richardson and Tyler Lockett could go off here, they’re too

risky to trust right now. Green Bay ranked 12th in fantasy points allowed to the running backposition and surrenered just one rushing score to a visiting tailback last season. Those are twogood reasons to shy away from a murky Seahawks backfield this week. Thomas Rawls issupposedly the starter, but we’ll see Eddie Lacy get some carries against his former team. It’shard to predict how C.J. Prosise and rookie Chris Carson fit into the mix right now.


PLAYER PASSYDS

PASSTD

RUSHYDS

RUSHTD

REC RECYDS

RECTD

QB Russell Wilson 294 2 36 0

RB Thomas Rawls 45 0 3 20 0

RB Eddie Lacy 55 0 2 18 0

RB C.J. Prosise 10 0 3 20 0

WR Doug Baldwin 6 80 1

WR Paul Richardson 4 51 0

WR Tyler Lockett 3 40 0

TE Jimmy Graham 6 65 1

FGA FGM XPA XPM PTS

PK Blair Walsh 3 3 2 2 11

P/A SK INT FUM TD

DT Seahawks 24 2 0 1 0

PREVIOUS MATCHUP:


The Seahawks were ripped by the Packers 38-10 at Lambeau Field.

Russell Wilson passed for 240 yards and one score, and amassed a 4-19-0 rushing line.

Thomas Rawls compiled a 12-67-0 rushing line and a 1-7-0 receiving line.

C.J. Prosise missed the game due to a shoulder injury.

Doug Baldwin made six grabs for 46 yards.

Tyler Lockett caught four passes for 41 yards.

Jimmy Graham logged one catch for 16 yards.

GREEN BAY PACKERS


BYE: Week 8

The Green Bay Packers offense usually plays its best at Lambeau Field even if the tundra isfrozen (it obviously won’t be this week). The Seattle Seahawks defense didn’t travel well lastseason, and I’m expecting the Seahawks to continue their road struggles. Aaron Rodgers, JordyNelson and Davante Adams are all must-starts. What about vaunted Seattle shutdown cornerRichard Sherman? During the Packers’ 2016 clash with the Seahawks, Green Bay moved itsreceivers around, leaving Cobb to face Sherman (Cobb was the sacrificial lamb of sorts), andlook for the Pack to use the same approach. Since Seattle has been stellar against tight ends (theSeahawks yielded the fifth-fewest fantasy points to the position last season), don’t expectMartellus Bennett to make much noise in his Green Bay debut. Seattle also surrendered thefifth-fewest fantasy points to enemy tailbacks in 2016, but Ty Montgomery, who scored againstthe Seahawks last season, still looks like a decent play.


PLAYER PASSYDS

PASSTD

RUSHYDS

RUSHTD

REC RECYDS

RECTD

QB Aaron Rodgers 283 2 15 0

RB Ty Montgomery 60 1 4 40 0

RB Jamaal Williams 15 0 0 0 0

WR Jordy Nelson 6 72 1

WR Davante Adams 5 68 1

WR Randall Cobb 5 54 0

TE Martellus Bennett 3 36 0

FGA FGM XPA XPM PTS

PK Mason Crosby 1 1 3 3 6

P/A SK INT FUM TD

DT Packers 23 3 1 1 0

PREVIOUS MATCHUP:


The Packers demolished the Seahawks 38-10 at Lambeau Field.

Aaron Rodgers threw for 246 yards and three touchdowns.

Ty Montgomery compiled a 9-41-1 rushing line and a 3-45-0 receiving line.

Jordy Nelson hauled in six balls for 41 yards and two touchdowns.

Davante Adams caught four passes for 104 yards and one score.

Randall Cobb made three grabs for 33 yards.

CAROLINA PANTHERS (0-0)

@

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (0-0)SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 10 T H | 4:25 PM ET

LE VI ’S ST ADI UM | S ANT A CLARA, CA

L I NE : CAR – 5 .5 OVE R /UNDE R : 48.0




C A R O F F E N S E 12 15 23.1 10 113.4 16 21 230.3 21S F D E F E N S E 32 32 30.0 32 165.9 25 14 240.5 30

S F O F F E N S E 31 27 19.3 4 126.2 15 32 181.9 21C A R D E F E N S E 21 26 25.1 6 91.6 11 29 268.2 27

CAROLINA PANTHERS


BYE: Week 11

The Carolina Panthers get to try out their tweaked aerial attack and beefed up backfield against aSan Francisco 49ers defense that hemorrhaged the most total yards, points and rushing yards inthe NFL last season. A 49ers team that will play with some fire for new head coach KyleShanahan could make things interesting in the early going, but look for Carolina’s superior talentto takeover eventually and dominate the game. Cam Newton and his top-two targets, KelvinBenjamin and Greg Olsen, feasted on a porous San Francisco secondary in 2016, and you canexpect a repeat of that. The Panthers want to reduce the number of hits that Newton takes andhave changed their passing attack to include more short routes. In other words, they want him to

run less and throw more. We’ll see what happens with that. Newton wouldn’t be Newton if hedidn’t run. What about the backfield? Rookie eighth overall selection Christian McCaffrey isexpected to see most of his change-of-pace action between the 20-yard lines while JonathanStewart likely will retain the goal-line and bulk of the early-down touches. Both are solid playsin this matchup. The Panthers team defense is a nice starting option.


PLAYER PASSYDS

PASSTD

RUSHYDS

RUSHTD

REC RECYDS

RECTD

QB Cam Newton 277 2 38 1

RB Christian McCaffrey 65 0 5 40 0

RB Jonathan Stewart 55 1 1 10 0

WR Kelvin Benjamin 6 88 1

WR Devin Funchess 3 37 0

WR Russell Shepard 2 24 0

TE Greg Olsen 6 78 1

FGA FGM XPA XPM PTS

PK Graham Gano 2 2 4 4 10

P/A SK INT FUM TD

DT Panthers 17 4 2 1 0

PREVIOUS MATCHUP:


The Panthers routed the 49ers 46-27 at Bank of America Stadium.

Cam Newton threw for 353 yards and four scores, and rushed six times for 37 yards.

Jonathan Stewart amassed a 5-9-0 rushing line and a 2-7-0 receiving line.

Kelvin Benjamin hauled in seven passes for 108 yards and two touchdowns.

Devin Funchess caught two balls for 19 yards and one score.

Greg Olsen snagged five passes for 122 yards and one touchdown.

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS


BYE: Week 11

The San Francisco 49ers looked sharp in their third preseason game tune up, but fantasy owners

need to keep their regular-season expectations for new head coach Kyle Shanahan’s crew incheck. This team is learning a new scheme that it took a talented group of Atlanta Falconsplaymakers close to a year to master, and Shanahan didn’t bring any of the Falcons’ talentedoffensive stars with him. As for Week 1, the Carolina Panthers defense is two years removedfrom a Super Bowl appearance and is expected to recapture its playoff form after a somewhatdown 2016. Carlos Hyde and Pierre Garcon both look like decent starts, and the two shouldreceive a boost from garbage time production. Brian Hoyer is a capable passer and hasstreaming value in the right matchups, but this isn’t one of them. Keep an eye on the usage of theother wideouts and the tight ends. San Francisco really wants rookie fifth-rounder George Kittleto emerge as the top guy at the position, but rookie tight ends are rarely fantasy assets.


PLAYERPASSYDS

PASSTD

RUSHYDS

RUSHTD REC

RECYDS

RECTD

QB Brian Hoyer 219 1 10 0

RB Carlos Hyde 60 1 3 25 0

RB Matt Breida 20 0 1 10 0

WR Pierre Garcon 7 72 1

WR Marquise Goodwin 3 45 0

WR Aldrick Robinson 2 20 0

TE Garrett Celek 2 30 0

TE George Kittle 2 17 0

FGA FGM XPA XPM PTS

PK Robbie Gould 1 1 2 2 5

P/A SK INT FUM TD

DT 49ers 34 1 1 0 0

PREVIOUS MATCHUP:


The 49ers fell to the Panthers 46-27 at Bank of America Stadium.

Carlos Hyde amassed a 14-34-0 rushing line and a 3-18-0 receiving line.

The other players that factored into the scoring are no longer with the team.

NEW YORK GIANTS (0-0)

@

DALLAS COWBOYS (0-0)SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 10 T H | 8:30 PM ET

AT& T S T ADI UM | ARL I NGT ON, T X

L I NE : DAL – 3 .5 OVE R /UNDE R : 47.5




N Y O F F E N S E 25 26 19.4 29 88.2 6 17 242.4 26D A L D E F E N S E 14 5 19.1 1 83.5 9 26 260.4 25

D A L O F F E N S E 5 5 26.3 2 149.8 24 23 226.9 25N Y D E F E N S E 10 2 17.8 3 88.6 10 23 251.1 15

NEW YORK GIANTS

INJURIES TO MONITOR: Odell Beckham (ankle)

BYE: Week 8

Last season, the New York Giants scored 20 points and 10 points in their two matchups againstthe Dallas Cowboys, respectively. However, I’m looking for more scoring out of Big Blue in thisclash because of Eli Manning’s upgraded receiver corps and Dallas’ revamped secondary, whichlooks like a weak spot. The Giants seem to think the receiver corps additions will enableManning to be more productive on the road than he was in 2016. Manning and the New Yorkoffense didn’t travel well last year. Odell Beckham is a must-start as always, and BrandonMarshall looks like a solid play. Until rookie Evan Engram asserts himself in the offense (or ifhe asserts himself), Sterling Shepard deserves flex consideration in larger leagues. Even though

Dallas allowed the second-most fantasy points to opposing tight ends in 2016, trusting the rookieEngram in his first regular-season appearance in a road contest is a bridge that fantasy ownersshouldn’t cross. The Cowboys yielded the fourth-fewest fantasy points to the running backposition last season, so Paul Perkins and Shane Vereen are weak plays. The New York teamdefense is a solid start.


PLAYER PASSYDS

PASSTD

RUSHYDS

RUSHTD

REC RECYDS

RECTD

QB Eli Manning 294 3 0 0

RB Paul Perkins 40 0 2 17 0

RB Shane Vereen 27 0 5 40 0

WR Odell Beckham 6 110 1

WR Brandon Marshall 4 54 1

WR Sterling Shepard 3 43 1

TE Evan Engram 3 30 0

FGA FGM XPA XPM PTS

PK Aldrick Rosas 1 1 3 3 9

P/A SK INT FUM TD

DT Giants 20 4 1 1 0

PREVIOUS MATCHUP:


The Giants slipped past the Cowboys 10-7 at MetLife Stadium.

Eli Manning passed for 193 yards and one touchdown.

Paul Perkins amassed a 15-45-0 rushing line and a 1-0-0 receiving line.

Shane Vereen logged one catch for 10 yards.

Odell Beckham caught four passes for 94 yards and one touchdown.

Sterling Shepard made three grabs for 39 yards.

DALLAS COWBOYS


BYE: Week 6

Let’s get the Ezekiel Elliott stuff out of the way. He has been cleared to start in Week 1, but

Elliott’s status for Week 2 and beyond was still up in the air. Although the New York Giantsdefense yielded the sixth-fewest fantasy points to enemy tailbacks in 2016, Elliott is a must-startas usual. In his two 2016 matchups against Big Blue, Elliott scored in one and topped the 100-yard mark in the other. Despite Dak Prescott’s surprising success last season, New York seemedto have his number, limiting him to one touchdown pass in two contests. The Giants, by the way,finished 2016 allowing the fewest fantasy points to enemy passers. How do you feel aboutstarting Prescott? Big Blue also surrendered the eighth-fewest fantasy points to opposingwideouts and limited Dez Bryant to receiving lines of 1-8-0 and 1-10-0 in two clashes lastseason, respectively. Even though Bryant is a weekly starter, this matchup is a toughie for him,Cole Beasley and Terrance West. Since New York ranked just 19th in fantasy points ceded totight ends, Jason Witten is the favorite to notch a scoring grab.


PLAYER PASSYDS

PASSTD

RUSHYDS

RUSHTD

REC RECYDS

RECTD

QB Dak Prescott 246 1 35 0

RB Ezekiel Elliott 90 1 2 15 0

RB Darren McFadden 20 0 3 20 0

WR Dez Bryant 4 50 0

WR Terrance Williams 3 55 0

WR Cole Beasley 5 57 0

TE Jason Witten 4 40 1

FGA FGM XPA XPM PTS

PK Dan Bailey 2 2 2 2 8

P/A SK INT FUM TD

DT Cowboys 24 3 1 1 0

PREVIOUS MATCHUP:


The Cowboys lost to the Giants 10-7 at MetLife Stadium.

Dak Prescott threw for 165 yards and one touchdown, and rushed one time for one yard.

Ezekiel Elliott compiled a 24-107-0 rushing line and a 0-0-0 receiving line.

Dez Bryant caught one pass for 10 yards.

Cole Beasley made four grabs for 41 yards.

Terrance Williams hauled in five balls for 76 yards and one touchdown.

Jason Witten caught four balls for 26 yards.

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (0-0)

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MINNESOTA VIKINGS (0-0)MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 11 T H | 7:10 PM ET

U.S . BANK ST ADI UM | M I NNE AP OLIS , MN

L I NE : M I N – 3 .5 OVE R /UNDE R : 48.0




N O O F F E N S E 1 2 29.3 16 108.9 17 1 317.1 38M I N D E F E N S E 3 6 19.2 20 106.9 9 3 207.9 22

M I N O F F E N S E 28 23 20.4 32 75.3 9 18 239.8 20N O D E F E N S E 27 31 28.4 14 101.6 19 32 273.8 27

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS


BYE: Week 5

How will the Saints use their three-headed backfield of Mark Ingram, Adrian Peterson androokie Alvin Kamara? We may not get a true read on the rotation this week. Ingram, thanks tohis intimate knowledge of the offense and blocking skills, is considered the favorite to receive amajority of the three-down touches. Peterson is expected to share early-down duties whileKamara was ticketed for backup change-of-pace work in the short-term. Peterson, however, isplaying against his former team, and New Orleans probably will let him operate as the featuredrunner – assuming the 32-year-old back is productive. It’ll be a surprise if the Saints let Kamaralog major snaps in a hostile road environment during his NFL regular-season debut, so look forIngram to slide into more of a change-of-pace role this week. They would prefer to have Ingram

blocking for Drew Brees in passing situations. The elite Minnesota Vikings defense wrapped up2016 ranked fourth in fantasy points allowed to both the quarterback and wideout positions,respectively. Michael Thomas likely will draw coverage from Xavier Rhodes. With Rhodesshadowing Thomas and Willie Snead (suspension) sitting out, the table is set for Ted Ginn tocontribute. Keep an eye on Brandon Coleman. During a 2016 spot start in place of the injuredSnead, Coleman hauled in seven balls for 78 yards. While the Vikings ranked 14th in fantasypoints allowed to opposing tight ends, it’s hard to trust Coby Fleener. He flopped in many plusmatchups last season. Maybe Fleener will play better this season. Maybe he won’t.


PLAYERPASSYDS

PASSTD

RUSHYDS

RUSHTD REC

RECYDS

RECTD

QB Drew Brees 278 2 10 0

RB Mark Ingram 42 0 3 22 1

RB Adrian Peterson 60 1 1 10 0

RB Alvin Kamara 10 0 3 32 0

WR Michael Thomas 6 74 0

WR Ted Ginn 4 65 1

WR Willie Snead - - - - - - -

WR Brandon Coleman 3 33 0

TE Coby Fleener 4 42 0

FGA FGM XPA XPM PTS

PK Wil Lutz 0 0 3 3 3

P/A SK INT FUM TD

DT Saints 24 2 1 1 0

PREVIOUS MATCHUP:

2014 regular season

The Saints defeated the Vikings 20-9.

MINNESOTA VIKINGS


BYE: Week 9

With Adrian Peterston suiting up for the New Orleans Saints now, this is the first time since the

2006 season that the Minnesota Vikings offense will take the field without him in the startinglineup. While Dalvin Cook probably isn’t good enough to qualify as Peterson 2.0, the rookiesecond-rounder is a talented three-down back – Cook is a better receiver than Peterson ever was– and the Vikings backfield clearly belongs to the rookie runner right now. A presason ankleinjury limited free agent Latavius Murray’s practice time, and he fell behind Cook in thepecking order. There’s talk, however, that Murray could steal goal-line carries, but Cook stilllooks like a strong play on his home field against a retooled-yet-again Saints defense thatcoughed up the third-most fantasy points to the tailback position last season. New Orleans alsofinished in the bottom six in fantasy points ceded to the quarterback and wideout positions, soStefon Diggs, Adam Thielen and even Sam Bradford are all strong plays. Kyle Rudolph alsolooks like a decent start on paper, but he’ll probably take a back seat to the wideouts this week.


PLAYER PASSYDS

PASSTD

RUSHYDS

RUSHTD

REC RECYDS

RECTD

QB Sam Bradford 276 2 0 0

RB Dalvin Cook 75 1 4 33 0

RB Latavius Murray 20 0 1 11 0

RB Jerick McKinnon 10 0 1 10 0

WR Stefon Diggs 6 75 1

WR Adam Thielen 7 70 1

WR Laquon Treadwell 1 12 0

TE Kyle Rudolph 6 65 0

FGA FGM XPA XPM PTS

PK Kai Forbath 1 1 3 3 6

P/A SK INT FUM TD

DT Vikings 21 4 1 1 0

PREVIOUS MATCHUP:

2014 regular season

The Vikings fell to the Saints 20-9.

LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (0-0)

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DENVER BRONCOS (0-0)MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 11 T H | 10:20 PM ET

MI LE H I GH S T ADI UM | DE NVE R , CO

L I NE : DE N – 3 .5 OVE R /UNDE R : 48.5




L A O F F E N S E 14 9 25.6 26 94.4 10 8 262.4 33D E N D E F E N S E 4 4 18.6 28 130.3 15 1 185.8 13

D E N O F F E N S E 27 22 20.8 27 92.8 11 21 230.3 20L A D E F E N S E 16 29 26.4 10 97.9 20 20 249.2 21

LOS ANGELES CHARGERS

INJURIES TO MONITOR: Mike Williams (back)

BYE: Week 9

Aside from rookie seventh overall selection Mike Williams (back injury – out until October), allthe playmakers in the San Diego…oops…Los Angeles Chargers offense are healthy, but theChargers kick off 2017 with a trip to the Mile High City to face an elite Denver Broncos defensethat still has a top-level secondary. Look for moderate-at-best numbers from Philip Rivers,Keenan Allen and Tyrell Williams. Maybe one of Los Angeles’ secondary wideouts – TravisBenjamin or Dontrelle Inman – will break through for a score, but it’s too early in the season toroll the dice on that. Since the Broncos closed out 2016 ranked 17th in fantasy points allowed tothe tight end position, look for Rivers to lean on Hunter Henry, who is expected to be featured

over aging future Hall-of-Famer Antonio Gates. Denver made some offseason moves to shore upa defense that finished just 20th in fantasy points ceded to opposing tailbacks, but MelvinGordon still looks like a solid play.


PLAYER PASSYDS

PASSTD

RUSHYDS

RUSHTD

REC RECYDS

RECTD

QB Philip Rivers 260 1 0 0

RB Melvin Gordon 83 1 4 34 0

RB Branden Oliver 19 0 1 10 0

WR Keenan Allen 4 40 0

WR Tyrell Williams 2 30 0

WR Dontrelle Inman 2 20 0

WR Travis Benjamin 2 34 0

TE Hunter Henry 6 72 1

TE Antonio Gates 2 20 0

FGA FGM XPA XPM PTS

PK Younghoe Koo 2 2 2 2 8

P/A SK INT FUM TD

DT Chargers 23 3 1 1 0

PREVIOUS MATCHUP:


The Chargers lost to the Broncos 27-19 at Mile High Stadium.

Philip Rivers threw for 267 yards and two touchdowns.

Melvin Gordon compiled a 23-111-0 rushing line and a 4-44-0 receiving line.

Tyrell Williams caught one pass for four yards.

Dontrelle Inman logged four catches for 72 yards.

Travis Benjamin made three grabs for 44 yards and one score.

Antonio Gates caught four passes for 33 yards and one touchdown.

Hunter Henry hauled in two passes for 14 yards.

DENVER BRONCOS

INJURIES TO MONITOR: Demaryius Thomas (groin)

BYE: Week 5

The Denver Broncos’ new-look offense, under the direction of new coordinator Mike McCoy, issupposed to feature more passing than his predecessor’s scheme, but quarterback talentlimitations and a Los Angeles Chargers defense that features a talented and underrated secondaryare going to limit what McCoy wants to do with his aerial attack. Trevor Siemian isn’t going tolight it up, which obviously doesn’t surprise you. However, Demaryius Thomas and EmmanuelSanders still have very little competition for targets around them, and they should both rack upnice fantasy outings – even though the Chargers surrenderd the 10th-fewest fantasy points toopposing wideouts in 2016. McCoy wants to feature the tight end regularly. A.J. Derby is thelikely starter for the short-term, but he isn’t expected to emerge as a fantasy asset. Los Angelesyielded the eighth-most fantasy points to running backs, so C.J. Anderson is a solid play. SinceJamaal Charles’ weekly role remains a mystery, it’s too soon to trust him in starting lineups.


PLAYER PASSYDS

PASSTD

RUSHYDS

RUSHTD

REC RECYDS

RECTD

QB Trevor Siemian 236 1 0 0

RB C.J. Anderson 61 1 3 21 0

RB Jamaal Charles 21 0 3 25 0

WR Demaryius Thomas 7 72 1

WR Emmanuel Sanders 5 78 0

WR Bennie Fowler 1 10 0

TE A.J. Derby 3 30 0

FGA FGM XPA XPM PTS

PK Brandon McManus 3 3 2 2 11

P/A SK INT FUM TD

DT Broncos 20 3 1 1 0

PREVIOUS MATCHUP:


The Broncos downed the Chargers 27-19 at Mile High Stadium.

Trevor Siemian passed for 276 scoreless yards.

C.J. Anderson missed the game due to knee surgery.

Devontae Booker compiled a 19-54-1 rushing line and a 5-30-0 receiving line.

Demaryius Thomas made five grabs for 79 yards.

Emmaunel Sanders caught four balls for 68 yards.

Virgil Green logged four catches for 35 yards.

GAME CAPSULES PLAYER PROJECTIONS FOR …...LeSean McCoy amassed a 5-10-0 rushing line and a 1-6-0 receiving line. Mike Gillislee (Patriots) scored Buffalo’s only touchdown of the

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