The dust hasn’t yet settled from an action-packed Week 1, but we’re already looking ahead to the full NFL slate on FanDuel for Week 2. This article covers the Thursday-Monday slate, which includes every single NFL game this week, starting with TB @ CAR on Thursday Night Football.
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Quarterback
Matt Ryan (ATL): $7,900 vs. PHI
Ryan and his Falcons got their teeth kicked in at Minnesota in Week 1, but he’s in a prime position to bounce back with a home matchup against Philadelphia. The Eagles secondary was lit up by Case Keenum for 380 yards and three touchdowns in Week 1 and gave up big receiving performances to Terry McLaurin, a rookie, and Vernon Davis, who couldn’t be farther from rookie status. A road start in Minnesota is tough for anyone but especially hard for a quarterback like Matt Ryan. Ryan has performed much better at home during his career, with significant gaps in QB rating (99.5 at home vs. 90.7 on the road), completion percentage (67.75% home vs. 63.36% road), and TD:INT ratio (2.42 TD:INT home vs. 2.03 TD:INT road). Hopefully, Week 1 bias makes owners overlook Ryan, because there is a lot to like in this matchup.
Also Consider: Jared Goff (LAR): $7,600 vs. NO, Derek Carr (OAK): $6,600 vs. KC
Running Back
Dalvin Cook (MIN): $7,900 @ GB
After last season, Mike Zimmer learned what many of us with large extended families already knew; you can’t trust Cousins. In a throwback to the 1950s, Minnesota picked up a double-digit victory over Atlanta in Week 1 with just 10 pass attempts. This team’s path to victory is on the ground, and while they probably won’t be able to get away with a 5:1 run:pass ratio this week in Green Bay, we can still trust the Vikes to feed Cook even as -3 road dogs. Green Bay is an above average run defense, but Cook’s volume and talent should help him hang with the big boys at running back these week at a lower salary.
Mark Ingram (BAL): $7,500 vs. ARI
Does any team have an easier start to the season than Baltimore? Their 59-10 trouncing of D3 Miami was a nice tune up, and now they face a team with a new quarterback, new head coach, and same old awful run defense. Arizona might get some grandfatherly wisdom out of offseason acquisition Terrell Suggs, and legitimately upgraded at inside linebacker with Jordan Hicks, but their defensive line still leaves much to be desired. Last season Arizona allowed the most rushing yards and the most rushing touchdowns in the NFL. Baltimore is whopping -13.5-point favorite in this one, and a couple of end zone trips from Ingram should help them build that lead.
Wide Receiver
Julio Jones (ATL): $8,300 vs. PHI
Assuming Jones’s wrist injury is minor, he’s my favorite high-end receiver on this slate. Eagles defensive backs all turned in mediocre PFF grades after a poor Week 1 performance, especially veteran safety Malcolm Jenkins. If the 31-year-old Jenkins has truly lost a step then there will be no help for the poor souls lined up with Julio Jones. A Jones and Ryan stack could be relatively under-owned given the upside on this slate and is a great option for GPP play.
Robert Woods (LAR): $7,300 vs. NO
The challenge in using Rams receivers is choosing between Woods, Brandin Cooks, and Cooper Kupp. Woods commanded 13 targets in Week 1 and was the Rams’ most targeted receiver in 2018, which makes me lean towards him in an excellent matchup. A poor Week 1 showing has depressed the prices of the Rams’ passing games in an excellent matchup against the Saints in Week 2. Last season these two teams combined for 70 total points, 737 passing yards, and seven passing touchdowns. In similar vein to a Falcons stack, a Rams stack could fly under-the-radar after the team floundered in Week 1. This game is tied for the highest expected total of the week at 53.0, and I think most of the ownership will lean towards New Orleans side thanks to the bigger name players, even though Los Angeles is a -3 favorite.
D.J. Moore (CAR): $6,200 vs. TB
There are a lot of interesting receivers in this price range, but players might flock to Michael Gallup ($6,200) or John Brown ($6,300) after both had nice Week 1 performances and have favorable matchups. Those two are good options in cash games, but Moore is in a good spot himself for GPPs on Thursday against Tampa Bay. It’s no secret that the Bucs have one of the league’s worst secondaries, and a solid performance against Jimmy Garoppolo and the Niners doesn’t change that. Moore out-targeted Curtis Samuel 10-4, and with Greg Olson in the twilight of his career, Moore is Carolina’s best downfield threat. Carolina is a -6.5 favorite in this one, and rather than pay $9,200 for a >40% owned Christian McCaffery (fine in cash games, no Bueno in GPP), we can get a piece of this offense cheap with Moore.
Also Consider: Tyrell Williams (OAK): $5,900 vs. KC
Tight End
Darren Waller (OAK): $5,400 vs. KC
Darren Waller helped pick up the Antonio Brown slack on Monday, hauling in seven catches on eight targets for 70 yards. Oakland has a home date with Kansas City this week, and while this may be shocking to some, Oakland is a rather massive underdog with Kansas City given a -8 spread. While Kansas City should light up the scoreboard, this game does have a 53.0 O/U, and Oakland should have some sneaky garbage time opportunities in the second half. The Chiefs allowed 13.4 FanDuel points per game to opposing tight ends last season, which was second-worst in the league. Derek Carr ($6,600) and Tyrell Williams ($5,900) are both solid GPP contrarian options, but I like Waller as a cheap option at the weakest offensive position in both GPP and cash.
Flex
Matt Breida (SF): $5,600 @ CIN
To Breida man, you gotta beat the man. Or, hope he gets injured, as happened in this case. A high ankle sprain has Tevin Coleman on the shelf and Breida as the primary ball-carrier in San Francisco. Raheem Mostert could steal carries, especially if Breida struggles or Mostert gets hot, but Breida is the safer bet in this matchup. Cincinnati’s soft front seven allowed the fourth-most rushing yards and second-most FanDuel points to opposing running backs last season, and if Jimmy Garoppolo’s Week 1 performance was any indication, the Niners will need to establish the run if they hope to eek out a road win. Breida should reach value on volume alone, but he also possesses the home run potential that gives him massive upside.
Also Consider: Gio Bernard (CIN): $5,700 vs. SF (If Joe Mixon Out)
Defense
Cleveland Browns: $3,900 @ NYJ
The Browns let a lot of people down in Week 1, but this improved (on paper) defense has a great matchup Monday night against the Jets. The Jets committed 43 turnovers in 2018 and scored the tenth-fewest points in the NFL. This game has a relatively low total (45.5 O/U), and with Cleveland a -2.5 road favorite, their defense is the best value under $4,000 this week.
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Elliott Baas is a correspondent at FantasyPros. For more from Elliott, check out his archive and follow him @elliottbaasbb.
