Chicago Bears at Denver Broncos

Total: 40.5
Line: CHI by 2.5

QBs
Mitch Trubisky: The 2019 season started just the way the 2018 season did for Trubisky, though it’s worse considering it’s his second year in Matt Nagy’s offense. The play-calling was bad, though Trubisky made it worse by locking onto his primary target the entire time and not going through his progressions. We watched Trubisky struggle mightily through the first three weeks last year, then turning things around from there. Against the Broncos and former defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, it’ll be tougher than normal, as he knows the strengths/weaknesses to Trubisky. If there’s a positive, it’s that Fangio’s defense didn’t touch Derek Carr once in their Week 1 matchup. They were also without offseason acquisition Bryce Callahan, who’s still dealing with a foot injury. The Bears have had a full 10 days to prepare for this game, though the entire offseason didn’t help against the Packers. The Raiders Antonio Brown-less offense was wildly efficient, averaging a massive 10.0 yards per attempt, though Josh Jacobs finished off all but one drive. If the Bears can protect Trubisky, he should bounce-back against a weak Broncos secondary, though you can’t trust him after what we saw in Week 1, especially against his former coordinator.

Joe Flacco: Let’s be honest, nobody was expecting much out of Flacco this year, right? I’d say that Week 1 should be considered a success for him. While it was against the Raiders, he was competent, which is all Broncos fans can ask for, as the defense was supposed to carry them. Against the Bears, however, it’s going to be a lot tougher for him. Not only did they just hold Aaron Rodgers to just 203 yards and one touchdown pass, but they’ve been terrorizing quarterbacks for quite some time. You’d have to go back to Week 11 of last year to find the last quarterback who scored more than 12.3 fantasy points against them. You’d have to go all the way back to Week 7 of last year to find the last quarterback who scored more than 15 fantasy points against them. You’re not playing Flacco this week, so why do I keep writing? Must… stop…

RBs
David Montgomery, Tarik Cohen, and Mike Davis: Our worst nightmares were realized last Thursday night, as there was a three-way timeshare at running back. The snap count was Cohen 51, Davis 40, and Montgomery 27. The Bears used Cohen as more of a receiver than anything, though Davis out-snapping Montgomery 40-27 was surprising. I’d always thought Davis would have a bigger role than most thought, there’s no way this split keeps up. Expect Montgomery to push further up the depth chart as the weeks go on. The Broncos are coming off a game in which they allowed Josh Jacobs 113 total yards, though it took him 24 touches to get there. It’s safe to say that no Bears running back is hitting that mark. The Broncos did allow two rushing touchdowns, but were also without starting linebacker Todd Davis, who hasn’t practiced since injuring his calf at the start of training camp. It’s clear Fangio doesn’t have the talent on defense that he did in Chicago. Expect the Bears to run quite a bit in order to lighten Trubisky’s load and to give their defense a breather while on the road. You can’t trust Montgomery as anything more than a low-end RB3, though he remains one of the best buy lows in all of fantasy. Cohen is going to lose a lot of work now that Anthony Miller is back to full health, though passes to him are confidence-builders for Trubisky, so it’d be foolish to count him out as anything less than an upside flex play. Davis remains in the picture, though he should be considered a dual handcuff to both Montgomery and Cohen.

Phillip Lindsay and Royce Freeman: The timeshare is real, as Lindsay played 33 snaps to Freeman’s 29 snaps. The good news is that Devontae Booker played just one snap. He was a thorn in both their sides last year, playing 316 snaps on the year. The Bears completely shut down the Packers timeshare last week, holding the combination of Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams to just 39 yards on 18 carries. Playing the Bears defense was brutal for running backs last year, as they allowed a touchdown an NFL-best once every 75.5 carries. No other team had a mark higher than 52.7 carries. They allowed just 133.6 fantasy points on the ground the entire season. By comparison, the Raiders (their Week 1 opponent) allowed 268.2 fantasy points on the ground. Knowing there were just nine running backs to finish as top-24 options against the Bears, this doesn’t look great for a timeshare. Lindsay is involved a lot more in the receiving game, so he’d be the preferred option, though he’s just a middling RB3 in this matchup while Freeman would need a touchdown to salvage much of anything.

WRs
Allen Robinson: Knowing Trubisky played one of his worst games as a professional, you should walk away feeling pretty good about Robinson’s 107-yard performance. Don’t forget he’s the same receiver who finished as a top-five fantasy receiver with Blake Bortles a few years ago. We just got done watching Tyrell Williams torch this Broncos secondary for 105 yards and a touchdown. To be fair, two of their top cornerbacks are better slot cornerbacks, and one of them (Bryce Callahan) was out last week. Robinson moves all over, similar to the way Williams was against them last week. He’ll see the most of second-year cornerback Isaac Yiadom in coverage, who has now allowed a 70.5 percent completion rate in his coverage on 44 targets. Robinson is far more talented than him and should have a field day if Trubisky is on his game. While the offense won’t be as concentrated to Robinson as it was last week (13 targets), it’s clear that Robinson is Trubisky’s safety valve. Still, the Bears won’t be throwing the ball 45 times again. Knowing the instability of his quarterback, you can’t say he’s more than a WR2 this week, though there’s upside in this spot.

Anthony Miller: What in the world happened with Miller last week? He was on the field for just 15-of-71 snaps while Javon Wims played 20 snaps. You have to assume it’s related to his ankle injury he dealt with the last few weeks of preseason, but he looked sharp out there running routes. Targeted just one time, it’s impossible to play him with any confidence. This is a week to sit back and just watch his usage. I’m expecting him to return to normal levels, and though the Broncos have been dominant with Chris Harris Jr. in the slot over the last handful of years, he’s no longer in that role, which would put Miller against Kareem Jackson, the hybrid safety/cornerback that was with the Texans for a long time. Miller shouldn’t be dropped in fantasy leagues, just kept on the bench for now.

Taylor Gabriel: The entire offense was a wreck last week, and Gabriel was no different. He did see five targets, though in a game where Anthony Miller played just 15 snaps and one where Trubisky threw the ball 45 times, it’s not all that impressive. He’s going to see Chris Harris Jr. the majority of time, which is the toughest matchup among the Bears receivers, though it’s important to remember Gabriel does move over to the other side of the field and into the slot. That’s the tough part about projecting the Bears, as they all play all over the field. Gabriel can take one pass to the house and live up to WR3 numbers, but does this game set up for it? My guess would be no, that they will limit pass attempts, though it does help to know the Broncos were beat deep multiple times in their Week 1 game. If you want to hedge against Robinson in DFS, Gabriel would probably be the one to move to, though he’s not an option in redraft leagues.

Emmanuel Sanders: Now that we’ve seen Sanders in a full-time role, we can fully trust him. He was on the field for 55-of-62 snaps last week, tagging the Raiders secondary for 86 yards and a touchdown. He’s not playing the same role in the offense, though. He was only in the slot for six of his 34 routes run, which means he’ll see a lot of both Prince Amukamara and Kyle Fuller in coverage. Fuller has played at a Pro Bowl level the last few years, while Amukamara has been solid, though he showed his weakness when Marquez Valdes-Scantling ran right past him for a massive gain last week. Sanders may not have the speed he used to, but he can likely out-run Amukamara. He’s the Broncos receiver I’d have the most confidence in this week, though it’s hard to count on him for more than WR3 production.

Courtland Sutton: He looked good against the Raiders last week, just as he had when they played in Week 16 last year. It’s a good sign to see Flacco target him a team-high eight times in their first game together. Unfortunately, he’ll see a lot of Kyle Fuller in coverage this week, a cornerback who does well with physical wide receivers. Here’s a fun fact about the Bears defense as a whole. There were just 14 wide receivers who scored more than 13 PPR points against them last year. Every single one of them had at least seven targets. Will the trend continue for Sutton? I’d be betting against it when it comes to the Bears secondary. He should be considered a risky WR4/5-type option.

DaeSean Hamilton: He played last week, and we got very useful information because of it. While he only saw four targets and turned them into just five yards, he played the slot role in the offense, not Emmanuel Sanders. In fact, there were just three wide receivers who ran a higher percentage of their routes from the slot in Week 1. The Bears did hold Geronimo Allison to a big, fat zero in Week 1, but he also saw zero targets. Buster Skrine is definitely the weakest cornerback on the Bears roster, so it was questionable play-calling by the Packers. Hamilton may not have the rapport we want with Flacco just yet, but with the Bears pressure coming after him, he may want to get the ball out quickly, which is usually where the slot receiver comes in. You can’t start him this week, but he’s someone I’m monitoring considering his slot usage.

TEs
Trey Burton: We don’t know if Burton will be available for the Bears this week after missing the home opener with a groin injury, though the Bears have said it’s not in relation to his offseason hernia surgery. Even if he does return, it’s likely the Bears ease him back in considering it’s a soft tissue injury, and we saw what happened with Anthony Miller last week (played 15 snaps) coming off an injury. The Broncos did struggle when it came to allowing big plays to tight ends last year, and though it’s a new scheme, they really struggled to contain Darren Waller last week when he caught 7-of-8 targets for 70 yards. If Burton is active, the matchup is good enough to typically consider him, but he could also leave you with a goose egg. He’s just an emergency TE2 in his first game back. *Update* Burton was limited in practice all week but reportedly plans to play.

Noah Fant: It wasn’t expected that Fant would be thrown into game action right away, but he was the Broncos starting tight end, and played 50-of-62 snaps. He was also targeted five times in a great matchup, though he wound up with just two catches for 29 yards. The Bears didn’t allow a single tight end to score 15 PPR points last year, and though Jimmy Graham caught a touchdown against them last week, that was on more of a jump ball situation. Fant isn’t someone you should be streaming in Week 2.

New Orleans Saints at Los Angeles Rams

Total: 52.5
Line: LAR by 2.5

QBs
Drew Brees: Here we go again… This is the third time in their last 13 games they’ll play the Rams. The first meeting netted a massive 80 points, though the second one (playoffs) resulted in a much-lower 49 points. Both games took place in New Orleans, so it’s not shocking to see Brees throw for 346 yards and four touchdowns in the first meeting and then 249 yards and two touchdowns in the second one. Will going into Los Angeles change that? There were a whole lot of fantasy points scored in that stadium last year. In fact, it was the only stadium where more fantasy points were scored than New Orleans, as teams netted 196.8 fantasy points per game in Los Angeles compared to 188.2 fantasy points per game in New Orleans. There’s a catch, though. Many were surprised Cam Newton was held in check by the Rams defense, though we weren’t. It all comes back to Aqib Talib‘s presence on the defense. Here’s the breakdown of the games with/without him last year (that I posted last week):

Seeing Newton finish with just 239 yards and no touchdowns wasn’t too shocking, though seeing him lose yards on the ground was. Brees should fare much better, as his weaponry is rather deep, and the Rams had no answer for Christian McCaffrey despite knowing exactly what the Panthers wanted to do. Most will consider Brees a slam-dunk QB1 play this week, and while he should post competent numbers, he’s no sure thing to deliver top-five numbers, like he was supposed to last week.

Jared Goff: Just like Drew Brees, Goff will be playing against his Week 2 opponent for the third time in their last 13 games. In the first meeting, Goff posted 391 yards and three touchdowns, but was then scaled back to 297 yards and one touchdown in their second meeting. Both games were on the road, so those should be considered great numbers, though Goff hasn’t been a much different quarterback at home (just slightly better). The Saints are coming off an emotional win on Monday night and now have to travel across the country on a short week, which bodes well for the Rams. Deshaun Watson was continually under duress against the Saints, being pressured on exactly half of his dropbacks, the most in the NFL. If they can get to Goff, it’d be huge, as he completed just 3-of-12 passes for 34 yards under pressure last week. There may be a bigger issue with Goff, though, as he’s now thrown one or zero touchdowns in eight of his last nine games. Missing Cooper Kupp was likely a contributing factor, but it’s something we must pay attention to. Knowing the Saints are traveling on a short week, Goff should be considered a low-end QB1, but his struggles are starting to pile up.

RBs
Alvin Kamara and Latavius Murray: If you watched the Rams try to stop Christian McCaffrey last week, you know they’re going to have a tough time with Kamara. They allowed Run CMC to destroy them for 209 total yards and two touchdowns, which could have been three touchdowns had the Panthers not stuck in Alex Armah on the goal-line. Kamara seems to continually bounce off would-be tacklers and makes it look easy, as he rumbled for 169 total yards against the team that allowed the eighth-fewest points to running backs last year, including a league-low 3.13 yards per carry. The Rams allowed a ridiculous 4.87 yards per carry last year, though their overall numbers weren’t inflated that much because teams were often falling behind. With all the options the Saints have, it’s hard to narrow things down to shutdown Kamara (or attempt to). Kamara needs to be in lineups as a high-end RB1 nearly every week and this matchup is no different. Murray broke off a long touchdown run last week, salvaging his fantasy day, as he only touched the ball eight times in his Saints debut. Knowing the Rams are much better against the pass with Talib in the lineup, the Saints would be wise to lean on the run-game a bit more here. Murray can be placed into lineups as an RB3, though he’s a bit more touchdown-dependent than most in this area of the rankings.

Todd Gurley and Malcolm Brown: This is a tough one, as most see the fact that Gurley totaled 101 yards and think all is well, while I see Brown total just three fewer carries and steal some goal-line work in what was a close game throughout. Keep in mind Gurley was as fresh as he’ll ever be in Week 1. The Saints run defense was one of the best in the NFL last year, allowing just 3.22 yards per carry, though you wouldn’t have been able to tell against the Texans last week, as they allowed the combination of Carlos Hyde and Duke Johnson post 140 yards on 19 carries (7.37 yards per carry). Missing defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins is huge, and though he’s likely going to be listed as questionable, he shouldn’t be expected to play. The Saints will, however, get interior lineman David Onyemata back from a one-game suspension. He’s a massive part of that defensive line, which will certainly help. Gurley has played against the Saints four times over the past three years. In those games, he’s never totaled more than 74 yards on the ground and has scored just two touchdowns in them. As mentioned in Goff’s notes, the Saints will be traveling cross-country on a short week, which is going to be tough. Because of that, you can upgrade Gurley’s matchup a bit, but he’s more of a borderline RB1/2 than the RB1 he’s been over his career and makes for a better tournament option than cash one. Knowing Brown isn’t involved in the pass-game, he’s not someone you should depend on this week, though he should be owned in 100 percent of fantasy leagues.

WRs
Michael Thomas: He’s been able to obliterate Marcus Peters the few times they’ve played, though Peters won’t be asked to shadow in this game. With Aqib Talib in the lineup, they play sides, which is when Peters does much better. With Talib in the lineup: 28-of-45 passing for 364 yards and one touchdown. Without Talib in the lineup: 31-of-40 passing for 519 yards and five touchdowns. Don’t assume that just because Thomas destroyed Peters in the past that he’ll do it again. In the last meeting (conference championship), Thomas was held to four catches for 36 yards on six targets. Thomas is much more talented than the Talib/Peters combo, but it’s all about matchups for the Saints. You have to play Thomas as a WR1, but you shouldn’t be paying for him in cash lineups this week.

Ted Ginn: You wanted Ginn in your lineups last week due to the nature of a high-scoring game with a relatively weak secondary, though this matchup isn’t quite as good. I’d also be inclined to say the game will disappoint in terms of points scored. Ginn plays almost all his snaps on the perimeter, which means he will see Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib all day, which isn’t ideal. The Rams did allow 14 plays of 40-plus yards last year, which ranked as the second most in the NFL, though there were quite a few while Talib was out of the lineup. Knowing Brees struggles a bit more on the road is another factor to consider, as the deep ball may not be as accurate. He’s still the clear No. 2 in the Saints offense, which is why he was being underdrafted, though in this matchup, you shouldn’t be too excited about anything more than maybe WR4 production.

Tre’Quan Smith: He caught a touchdown last week and played 42 snaps, including 59 percent of them inside the slot. These are all good things when it comes to Smith, who didn’t have that type of playing time last year. Nickell Robey-Coleman is the nickel cornerback for the Rams and he’s a pretty good one. Over the last two years, he’s allowed just a 58.9 percent completion-rate in his coverage, which is ridiculous for a slot cornerback, as they’re usually in the 65-70 percent range. He’s kept the play in front of him, too, as receivers have averaged just 8.33 yards per reception. The good news for Smith is that Robey-Coleman is just 5-foot-8 and 180 pounds. Smith himself is 6-foot-2 and 210 pounds, so it’s possible the Saints will trust him to bully the much-smaller cornerback. He allowed just 2-of-9 passing for 20 yards against the Saints in two matchups, though Smith wasn’t the slot receiver at the time. Smith should be considered a sneaky tournament option, though he doesn’t have more than WR5 appeal in redraft leagues.

Brandin Cooks: Revenge game. Put it on the calendar. Against the Saints last year, Cooks tallied 6/114/1 in the first meeting and then 7/107/0 in the second one. He did that on just eight targets in each game, so it’s fair to say he was quite efficient. While Marshon Lattimore is a very good cornerback, he’s more physical than anything. The Saints tried to mix-up some zone and man coverage against the Rams last year, though to Cooks, it didn’t matter all that much, as his WR Rating was 108.9 in zone and 114.0 in man. With the Saints traveling on a short week after a hard-fought battle with the Texans, Cooks could wear them out. He should be in lineups as a high-end WR2 with big upside.

Robert Woods: All Woods does is accumulate fantasy points. He’s now posted at least 61 receiving yards in 15 of his last 16 regular season games. He’s only topped 100 yards three times in that span but he’s as consistent as them come. Knowing he’ll match-up with Eli Apple most of the week is a plus, too. He had some good moments in 2018 when he joined the Saints, but he’s still a cornerback that’s allowed a 98.9 QB Rating in his career. Apple isn’t the only one he’ll see, either, as the Rams are still using him in the slot when they go four-wide, which includes some matchups with the always-giving P.J. Williams, who started over Patrick Robinson for whatever reason. Woods may not come with massive upside but he’s a safe low-end WR2.

Cooper Kupp: It seemed to be a great start for Kupp, who caught four balls on one of the first few drives, though he was relatively quiet throughout the rest of the game. But seeing him targeted 10 times should give fantasy owners confidence to play him against the Saints, who are starting P.J. Williams in the slot. That’s… a gift. Coming off a year he allowed a 124.4 QB Rating in his coverage, he allowed 3-of-4 passing for 41 yards and a touchdown against the Texans last week. The Saints have Patrick Robinson, who they signed to cover the slot a year ago but haven’t moved him back into the starting lineup after his injury that ended his 2018 season. Until they put him in, we have to attack Williams in the slot. Kupp is the next one up and he needs to be played as a rock-solid WR2 who comes with a high floor in this matchup.

TEs
Jared Cook: I’ve been saying that Cook was overrated, though the matchup last week was one he should’ve dominated. That didn’t happen as he finished with two catches for 37 yards in a game Brees threw for 370 yards and touchdowns. The Rams did allow the third-most yardage to tight ends (right behind the Texans), including 13.44 yards per reception, which was also the third highest mark in the league. They only allowed five touchdowns to the position, but you don’t want to chase those with Cook, who has never scored more than six touchdowns in his 11-year career. The aging Greg Olsen was targeted seven times against them last week, finishing with four catches for 36 yards in a game Cam Newton was somewhat off. Knowing Cook destroyed the Rams secondary for 9/180/0 last year is definitely a good thing, even if it was with a different team. He should be put back into lineups as a low-end TE1 who comes with a lot of upside this week.

Tyler Higbee and Gerald Everett: While I expected Everett to take over the bigger receiving role, there’s seemingly a reason for the Rams extending Higbee on a big contract. Higbee saw five targets to Everett’s one target in Week 1, though he only out-snapped him 39-30. This is why it’s difficult to trust a Rams tight end, even in a good matchup, though it’s not a good matchup in Week 2. The Saints allowed just three tight ends to score more than 8.1 PPR points all of last season. The 6.66 yards per target they allowed to the position was the fifth lowest in the NFL, while the 58.1 percent completion-rate was the second lowest. Feel free to sit back and watch this timeshare shake out. We need more than a one-game sample size to know what will happen.

Philadelphia Eagles at Atlanta Falcons

Total: 51
Line: PHI by 2

QBs
Carson Wentz: After starting out relatively flat, the Eagles and Wentz shook off the cobwebs to come back and beat the Redskins. Wentz didn’t play throughout the preseason, so some rust was expected, though 313 yards and three touchdowns would suggest otherwise. The Falcons faced exactly 10 pass attempts last week, thanks to how horrendous their run defense was. Any time a team goes into Atlanta, you can almost guarantee there’ll be plenty of points on the board. They allowed a ridiculous 68 percent completion-rate, along with a 5.7 percent touchdown-rate last year. Add them up and you have the team that allowed the most fantasy points to quarterbacks. They had injuries last year, sure, but every team has to adjust and deal with them. There were just five quarterbacks all of last season who didn’t finish as a top-12 option against them, and those names were Alex Smith, Taylor Heinicke, Mike Glennon, Dak Prescott, and Nick Foles. After watching Kirk Cousins complete 8-of-10 passes for 98 yards and a touchdown, it doesn’t seem they’re a whole lot improved. Wentz should be started as a rock-solid QB1 this week in what can wind-up as a shootout in the dome.

Matt Ryan: It was a week where you were better off not watching Ryan, as the end result was much better than the play on the field. The offense looked horrendous, though playing in Minnesota will do that to nearly every quarterback. In fact, Ryan put up better numbers than the eight quarterbacks played in Minnesota last year did. Returning back home to play against the Eagles, who were just smashed by Case Keenum for 380 yards and three touchdowns. The Eagles have always defended the run very well, while having a susceptible secondary that could be thrown on. They were another team that dealt with injuries to some players last year, and the hits started coming already this year, as it was announced defensive lineman Malik Jackson will miss the rest of the season. He was slated for a massive role in the team’s pass-rush. It’s not all great for Ryan, though, as he lost one of his starting offensive linemen, as first-round pick Chris Lindstrom was placed on injured reserve. With the run-game struggling, Ryan should continue to move the ball through the air en route to a high-end QB1 performance.

RBs
Miles Sanders, Jordan Howard, and Darren Sproles: We finally learned something about this backfield rather than relying on all the speculation. The snaps: Sanders 36, Sproles 22, Howard 17. The touches: Sanders 12, Sproles 12, Howard 8. We knew it would take Sanders some time to make Doug Pederson abandon the timeshare, so this was rather promising in Week 1. Sanders’ final stat line doesn’t look great, though it doesn’t include a 21-yard touchdown run that was called back due to a weak holding penalty. The Falcons were just obliterated by the Vikings rushing attack in Week 1, allowing Dalvin Cook and Alexander Mattison to combine for 160 yards and two touchdowns on 30 carries. It seemed like the holes were endless, which seemed to be a continuation of last year when the Falcons allowed 12 running backs to post 18.2 or more PPR points against them (all top-15 performers). While they’re not good against the run, they’ve been even worse against pass-catching running backs. They allowed 243.6 PPR points to running backs through the air last year, which amounts to 15.2 PPR points per game… again, through the air alone. The Vikings didn’t even need that considering they threw the ball just 10 times. If this game is as high-flying as the total suggests, the Eagles are going to need their three-down backs on the field once again. Sanders comes with some risk, sure, but he also comes with RB1 upside in this game. He should be in lineups as an upside RB3. Sproles is a viable option in PPR formats, as he can clearly still play after racking up 63 total yards on 12 touches, and the Falcons are weakest where he is strongest. Howard is your classic touchdown-or-bust RB4.

Devonta Freeman and Ito Smith: While many are talking about the timeshare on the other side of the field, I’m more concerned about Freeman finishing Week 1 with just 36 snaps while Smith played 38 snaps. Now, to be fair, it was a weird game and one they fell behind by a wide margin, so we don’t want to say this is a 50/50 timeshare right away. The Vikings were all over Freeman whenever he touched the ball, as he had no room to operate. The Eagles are a solid run defense, though I don’t believe they’re on the level of a team like Minnesota, especially after finding out they lost defensive lineman Malik Jackson for the season. For whatever reason, Freeman has scored significantly more touchdowns when at home, too. Since the start of 2015 (when he became a starter), he’s averaged 1.03 touchdowns per game at home, but just 0.54 touchdowns per game on the road. Might be something, might be nothing. Despite the solid run defense, there were six different running backs who were able to amass 98-plus rushing yards against the Eagles last year, and then there were also six running backs who amassed at least 51 yards through the air. You don’t want to hit the panic button on Freeman just yet. Plug him in as a low-end RB2 and you may be surprised. Smith’s production came in garbage time last week, something there shouldn’t be in the home opener for the Falcons. He’s nothing more than a low-end RB4.

WRs
Alshon Jeffery: No one is talking about Jeffery after Week 1 because it was the DeSean Jackson show against his former team, but Jeffery did his own damage, hauling in five passes for 49 yards and a touchdown. After the team re-worked his contract, it’s clear he’s a big part of their plans moving forward. The Falcons cornerback duo of Desmond Trufant and Isaiah Oliver wasn’t tested very much last week, though when they were, they allowed three catches for 41 yards and a touchdown. Granted, Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs are very good at what they do, but Jeffery and Jackson are no slouches, either. While Oliver wasn’t a full-time player last year, this secondary allowed 14 wide receivers to score 15 or more PPR points, with eight of them breaking the 100-yard barrier. Jeffery didn’t play in the matchup between the two teams last year, so we don’t have a gauge of just how much he’ll be used. He should be in lineups as a relatively safe WR3 who comes with some touchdown upside.

DeSean Jackson: Welcome back to Philly, Mr. Jackson. All the reports out of camp saying that he and Wentz had great chemistry on the deep ball seemed to be completely accurate, as he torched his former team for 8/154/2. He’d never had a game with more than 150 yards and two touchdowns before Week 1. That changed in his first game with Wentz. Whew. Now heading out to Atlanta to play in the dome? While with the Bucs, he played two games in Atlanta, netting 8/60/0 and 4/77/0, so WR3-type numbers. They’re starting second-year cornerback Isaiah Oliver, who is more of a physical cornerback than a speedy one at 6-feet-tall and 210 pounds. You have to wonder if the Falcons have Desmond Trufant take Jackson while Oliver matches up with Jeffery, though it’d be outside their norm. Playing indoors, it’s tough to sit Jackson no matter the matchup, and this isn’t a bad one. Consider him an upside WR3.

Nelson Agholor: The Falcons have struggled against slot receivers for quite some time now, which is why they moved on from Brian Poole this offseason, though we didn’t get to see if the move to safety Damontae Kazee was a good one just yet, as the Vikings threw the ball just 10 times. Kazee had seven interceptions last year but playing safety and nickel cornerback are two different things. The reason we can’t play Agholor with any confidence is due to the fact that he played a backup cornerback last week and finished with just two catches for 11 yards on five targets.

Julio Jones: We knew he’d be shadowed by Xavier Rhodes last week, so we shouldn’t be too shocked about the boring stat line of 6/31/1. The good news is that with Ridley getting more attention, Jones has now scored in five straight games and has nine touchdowns in his last 10 games played. Remember when people said Julio can’t score touchdowns? That was fun. The Eagles cornerbacks were rocked last week by rookie receiver Terry McLaurin for 125 yards and a score. He’s a guy who never had 125 yards in a college game. Ronald Darby is the best cornerback the Eagles have but even he has been mediocre with the team. They play sides and don’t shadow, so the Falcons will be able to pick and choose their matchups with Jones and Ridley. The last time the Falcons played them (Week 1 last year), Jones went bananas catching 10 balls for 169 yards. There were three more receivers who posted 150-plus yards against them last year, too. Start Jones as a high-end WR1 and expect results.

Calvin Ridley: While Julio Jones gets shadowed by the top cornerbacks in the league, Ridley is left with the opponent’s “other” option. With the Eagles, there isn’t a shutdown or shadow cornerback, as they simply play sides. This means the Falcons can dictate the matchups they get. Ridley’s side of the field he’s typically on is the one covered by Rasul Douglas. He was absolutely destroyed last week in coverage, allowing two touchdowns and 85 yards on just five targets in coverage. He may not be that bad, but he also hasn’t been that good for the Eagles, either. This could easily be a week where Jones goes bananas and leaves Ridley owners wondering why, but it could also be a week where Ridley steals the show against a lesser cornerback. He should be in lineups as a high-end WR3.

Mohamed Sanu: Quietly, Sanu posted a double-digit PPR day against the Vikings last week, though his performances always go under the radar. He’s going to match-up against Avonte Maddox this week, the cornerback who allowed much of the yardage to the Redskins pass-catchers. He was targeted nine times, allowing 7/63/0 on those them. He’s a second-year cornerback who was forced into action last year after Sidney Jones was injured. The issue is that he was a better player on the perimeter. While covering the slot, he’s allowed 14 receptions for 147 yards on just 19 targets. Sanu is clearly the third option, at best, in this Falcons passing attack, though there may be room for him to produce in this game. Consider him a WR4/5-type option who has a higher floor than most in that range.

TEs
Zach Ertz: It was definitely a letdown performance for Ertz owners, as DeSean Jackson stole the show in Week 1. To know that both of his touchdowns came while playing the slot (Ertz territory) stings a bit more. The Falcons weren’t a team to target with tight ends last year, as there wasn’t a single tight end who finished with more than five catches against them, including Ertz himself who saw 10 targets and turned them into 5/48/0. Despite them missing players all over their defense, they were above average in every stat against opposing tight ends. O.J. Howard‘s four-catch, 62-yard, one-touchdown performance was the best game they allowed all year. Ertz is in your weekly lineups as a TE1, though it’s probably not a week to pay up in DFS.

Austin Hooper: Seeing Hooper get targeted nine times in a tough matchup with the Vikings is a good thing, though seeing the Eagles next is another brutal matchup. Yes, Vernon Davis totaled 4/59/1 against them, but almost all of that came on one play where there were at least two Eagles who missed a tackle on the sideline, while others stood around and assumed he was going out of bounds. The Eagles allowed just two touchdowns to tight ends all of last season. They’ve been a tough team against tight ends ever since Pederson arrived, allowing just nine touchdowns over the last three years combined. Hooper was one of their opponents last year, totaling just three catches for 24 yards. He’s difficult to remove from the TE1 conversation completely due to all the uncertainty, but he’s unlikely to finish as a top-12 guy this week.

Cleveland Browns at New York Jets

Total: 46
Line: CLE by 2.5

QBs
Baker Mayfield: After what seemed to be a solid (not great) first half for Mayfield, everything fell apart in the second half. While some are talking about his wrist and how he was clearly affected by it, I believe he was concussed at the end of the half when he was brought down for a safety. Not only did he get hit helmet-to-helmet, but his head then banged off the ground, while his wrist went completely limp at his side, which is a tell-tale sign of a concussion. That would also describe his problems, right? His offensive line is certainly an issue and it didn’t help that left tackle Greg Robinson was ejected for kicking an opponent. His backup was Chris Hubbard, who went on to allow two sacks himself. The Jets are going to bring the pressure, as that’s what Gregg Williams does, and he also knows the team pretty well from being the interim coach/defensive coordinator of them last year. They’re going to get to Mayfield, but when they don’t, he’ll make them pay. The 64.9 percent completion rate out of Josh Allen against them last week was the third highest mark of his 13-game career, so the cornerback issues they have are clearly a problem. If there’s one thing we know about Mayfield, it’s that he loves the attention and loves the primetime. He’s also played extremely well in those big moments. Expect him to shine under the Monday night lights when he’s not being smothered to death. He should be considered a back-end QB1 this week who’s likely to do much better than most think.

Sam Darnold: His debut under Adam Gase wasn’t the greatest, though it could’ve been worse. The Bills are a very tough defense, though it’s never good to see your quarterback average just 4.3 yards per attempt. With the Bills top cornerback smothering Robby Anderson, Darnold resorted to checking down 17 times (!) to Jamison Crowder. This week, Anderson has even a tougher matchup against Denzel Ward, so we could see something similar this week. Darnold was under pressure on 19-of-45 dropbacks, while the Browns pressured Marcus Mariota on 13-of-30 dropbacks. Add that together and you’ll find a quarterback who’s going to be pressured more than 40 percent of the time, which is not ideal. Did you know that Mariota totaled just 76 of his 248 yards through the air? Everything else came after the catch. That 30.6 percent was second-worst in the NFL last week only to Jimmy Garoppolo. Darnold is going to need Gase to come up with a gameplan that heavily involves Le’Veon Bell in the screen game and quick dumpoffs, otherwise, it’s going to be a long night. Darnold should be looked at as a low-end QB2. *UPDATE* With Darnold out, the Jets will have to turn to backup Trevor Siemian, who has shown the ability to play in the league before, though behind this offensive line, against this pass-rush? He’s not a streaming option. 
Editor’s Note: Sam Darnold will miss Monday Night’s game due to an illness

RBs
Nick Chubb: There are some who are panicking after the weak performance from Chubb in the opener, though if you were here, you knew how tough of a matchup it was going to be. Let’s be real, though. 74 yards on 16 carries isn’t a bad game, though him losing a goal-line touch to Dontrell Hilliard. The Jets run defense was no walk-in-the-park last year either, but under Gregg Williams, the scheme has changed. We watched Frank Gore and Devin Singletary combine for 90 yards on 15 carries last week, and the Bills have very few threats to worry about in the pass-game. The same can’t be said about Beckham, Landry, Higgins, and Njoku. The Jets are also dealing with a lot of injuries, as they lost starting middle linebacker Avery Williamson in the preseason, and now have injuries to defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, safety Jamal Adams, and linebacker C.J. Mosley. We don’t know who will/won’t play right now, but it’s clear they’re banged up on their front seven. Chubb should be played as a low-end RB1 who’s as safe as they come.

Le’Veon Bell: It’s right around what should have been expected for him last week, as he tallied 92 total yards and caught a touchdown. He’s going to have issues running the ball behind his current offensive line, but his work in the passing game should not go unnoticed. He also played all 71 snaps, which is completely unheard of in today’s NFL. I hate to say it, but I told you Ty Montgomery wouldn’t eat into his snaps. The Browns soft spot is the linebacker position and it showed last week when they allowed Derrick Henry to accumulate 159 total yards and two touchdowns. The linebackers had no chance of catching him on his 75-yard catch-and-run touchdown. We only have a small sample size of the Browns defense under the new regime, so we can’t make definitive assumptions, but it’s safe to say the personnel was a big reason they allowed 4.75 yards per carry and 14 rushing touchdowns last year (both bottom-eight in the league). If Gase gameplans well for this game, it will include a lot of Bell, particularly in the passing game. He needs to be in lineups as a steady RB1. *UPDATE* Bell is getting an MRI done on his shoulder. This could turn out to be nothing, but there’s now a chance he misses the game. The loss of Darnold doesn’t help his fantasy floor, either, as Trevor Siemian is a clear downgrade, moving Bell into the low-end RB1 territory. If you own Bell, you should be snagging Ty Montgomery off the waiver wire in order to have lineup protection on Monday night. 

WRs
Odell Beckham: The game started out wonderfully last week, as Beckham tallied six catches for 67 yards in the first half, but things fell apart as Mayfield lost control. He’s now on to a Jets secondary that allowed 248 receptions (most in the NFL) and 3,230 yards (second-most) to wide receivers last year. We watched John Brown torture them for 7/123/1 last week, including a game-winning touchdown on a ball that was underthrown by five yards. Knowing he was on the field for 71 snaps last week suggests his health is fine. The Jets have Trumaine Johnson and Darryl Roberts out there on the perimeter, and though Johnson was supposed to be the prized free agent acquisition last year, he’s been off and on the field. In Week 1, he allowed 7-of-8 passing for 110 yards against Josh Allen and the Bills. He’s someone the Browns should be taking downfield shots against with Beckham. Stick Beckham back into lineups as an elite WR1 this week.

Jarvis Landry: He may have only caught four balls for 67 yards, but Landry looked really good in Week 1 as the complimentary receiver to Beckham. He ran 89 percent of his routes from the slot, up from the 70 percent last year, which, again, is a good thing. The Jets have Brian Poole as their slot cornerback, the failed cornerback from the Falcons who’s allowed a 99.7 QB Rating in his coverage over his now four-year career. The Falcons chose to let him walk and play a safety in that slot rather than pay him to stay. The Jets probably got an upgrade from Buster Skrine, though it’s not significantly better. If the Jets want to bring the house to get to Mayfield, like Gregg Williams typically does, Landry would be the one to benefit greatly on the quick-hitting routes. He should be played as a sturdy high-end WR3 in this matchup, particularly in PPR formats.

Rashard Higgins: He started out the game strong but hurt his ankle, forcing him to leave and be replaced by Damion Ratley. Higgins was targeted three times on just 31 snaps, so he’s definitely playing a role, though it’s unclear how healthy he’ll be, if he plays at all. The matchup against Darryl Roberts would be a great one, though Beckham and Landry also have good matchups with one of the weakest secondaries in the league. If we see Higgins participate in multiple full practices, he would be an interesting tournament option, but you likely have better redraft options that are healthy. He remains a solid bench stash.

Robby Anderson: You were warned about his tough matchup last week, though if you missed the game, Anderson got open deep down the field and Darnold simply overthrew him. The matchup doesn’t get any easier this week, as Denzel Ward is another young, upcoming cornerback who legitimately shut down Corey Davis last week. In his rookie year, he allowed just a 53.7 percent catch-rate in coverage at just 10.3 yards per reception, while intercepting three passes and allowing four touchdowns. He’s one of the cornerbacks you avoid with borderline wide receivers, which Anderson is, despite the belief that he’s more. Did you know Anderson was just a WR3 or better in 29 percent of his games last year? While he’s a very talented player, he’s very much of the boom-or-bust variety and he just happens to have a tough matchup this week. Consider him an upside WR4 who can get it done on one play, but he’s far from a sure thing once again this week. *Update* With Darnold out for this game, Anderson becomes even less appealing, though he still has that one play potential. He’s just a low-end WR4 here.  

Jamison Crowder: He racked up an amazing 17 targets last week, which would’ve tied as the eighth-most all season. Here’s the crazy part: Every wide receiver who finished with 16 or more targets in a game (there were 13 occasions) finished as a top-12 receiver in 2018. While I’m not betting on that to be the case with Crowder, it shows the rare company he’s in that get that volume. The Browns pass-rush is going to pressure Darnold, similar to the way the Bills did when he was under duress on 42.2 percent of his dropbacks. While I’m sure he’d like to push the ball downfield, he may not have time to take many shots. Crowder is clearly that outlet, especially with Chris Herndon serving his suspension. There were just two slot receivers who scored more than 15 PPR points against the Browns last year and both were ‘big slot’ receivers (JuJu Smith-Schuster and Tyler Boyd). It’s fair to say T.J. Carrie did a solid job in coverage, though he’s likely going to get tested here. Consider Crowder a good volume WR3/4 option who you should feel better about in PPR leagues. *Update* If there’s someone who isn’t affected as much by the loss of Darnold, it’s Crowder, as he’ll still the safety valve for Siemian. He’ll still likely be less efficient, moving him into the WR4 range. 

TEs
David Njoku: Despite the tough matchup last week, Njoku was able to post 4/37/1 against the Titans. His touchdown came on a quick slant that was likely indefensible, as Kevin Byard was all over him on the line of scrimmage. That’s the difficulty with someone like Njoku, as he’s extremely quick for a big man. The issue this week is that he may have met his match in Jamal Adams. The Jets were the No. 1 team in the league last year when it came to defending tight ends and it comes back to Adams’ relentless play-style. He was the definition of a shut-down safety if there ever was one in 2018, allowing just 24-of-48 passing for 291 yards and one touchdown in his coverage. As I mentioned with Njoku last week, he’s athletic enough to catch a touchdown over practically anyone, but you don’t want to bet on it this week, especially when the receivers have really good matchups.

Ryan Griffin: Filling in for Chris Herndon, Griffin saw just four of the 41 pass attempts Darnold threw in Week 1, though the Bills have contained tight ends rather well. The Browns… well, they’re another story. They allowed the second-most receptions to tight ends last year, as well as the eighth-most yards. While that’s great, they weren’t as bad on a per-target basis, as they allowed just the 20th most fantasy points per target. Losing Jabril Peppers doesn’t help them get better in the secondary, though Morgan Burnett hasn’t been a slouch over the course of his career, either. Griffin’s matchup isn’t horrible but he’d need a lot of targets to find his way into the streaming conversation, something we can’t guarantee.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Carolina Panthers

Total: 49
Line: CAR by 7

QBs
Jameis Winston: There’s a lot of panic surrounding Winston right now and it’s hard to make a case for him. However, if you want to play devil’s advocate, the 49ers did add two high-quality pass-rushers to their defensive line last year and Winston has been horrendous under pressure. Can the Panthers bring the pressure? Jared Goff was pressured on just 29 percent of his dropbacks last week, though it surely didn’t help the Panthers were without new addition Bruce Irvin. With that being said, Goff averaged just 4.8 yards per attempt, his second worst game with Sean McVay as his head coach (the worst game was against the Bears in 2018). This is a divisional matchup, so Winston would typically be familiar with Ron Rivera’s scheme, but they’ve transitioned to somewhat of a hybrid defense that runs some 3-4 fronts this offseason (though we didn’t see it too much against the Rams). So, while Winston totaled 249 yards and two touchdowns against them in Week 13 last season, it doesn’t mean much when you consider the change in defensive approach and change in offense Bruce Arians runs. The game has a high total – which is odd considering what both offenses looked like last week – but you should be in wait-and-see mode with Winston before trusting him in redraft leagues.

Cam Newton: I mentioned last week that Newton may be somewhat limited in his mobility coming off the foot injury in the preseason. It was the 131st game of his career, and it was the first time he finished a game with negative rushing yards. Not only was his foot a factor, but Christian McCaffrey has been ridiculously good, and Newton is now over 30 years old, which would likely indicate a decrease in rushing upside. Newton played the Bucs twice last year and oddly ran for exactly 33 yards in each matchup, while completing 47-of-66 passes (71.2 percent) for 547 yards (8.3 yards per attempt) and four touchdowns. He did tie a career-high with four interceptions in the second meeting, though. The big part that most will miss here is that the Bucs will be traveling on a short week, which is incredibly tough to do, especially when you’re playing a superior team. One issue with calling Newton a lock is that he’s struggled on Thursday night games in the past, averaging just a 56 percent completion rate with seven touchdowns and nine interceptions over a span of eight games. But knowing the Bucs were able to pressure Jimmy Garoppolo just 17.9 percent of the time while at home suggests Newton will have a lot of time in the pocket against a porous secondary. Newton should bounce back rather nicely and be played as a middling QB1.

RBs
Ronald Jones, Peyton Barber, and Dare Ogunbawale: It was the worst-case scenario for fantasy, as the Bucs running backs split the workload. Ogunbawale led the team with 26 snaps but finished with just four touches, while Jones played 22 snaps and touched the ball a team-high 14 times. Barber was the starter but played just 25 snaps and totaled 10 touches. Surprising to most, Jones was by far the most efficient, running with a purpose, and his weight gain in the offseason didn’t seam to affect his speed at all. He was knocked out at the one-yard-line on one play, which would have bumped him into the high-end RB2 conversation instead of the RB3 he did finish as. The Panthers were horrendous on a per-play basis against the Rams, allowing 150 yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries. It could have been part of the gameplan, as they shut down the Rams pass-attack, but 5.8 yards per carry is rather excessive. Judging by the oddsmakers, though, this doesn’t look good for the Bucs running backs. They’re traveling on a short week and are big underdogs. In a game like this, you want a running back who can deliver a big run, and that’s not Barber. In two games against the Panthers last year, he combined for just 76 yards on 26 carries, though he did score once. If you want to shoot for the stars, Jones is probably your best bet, though he’s tough to rank as anything more than a low-end RB3. Ogunbawale would be a close second due to his involvement in the passing game, and the fact that the Bucs are big underdogs.

Christian McCaffrey: His added muscle this offseason showed up in Week 1 as he muscled his way through the Rams defense for his second touchdown of the game. There was just one running back who scored more than 20 PPR points against the Rams all of last year, while McCaffrey scored 42.9 against them last week. He’s a stud that you’re locking into your lineup every single week and this one is no different. The Bucs did a really good job with the 49ers running backs last week, holding them to just 100 yards on 30 carries (3.33 yards per carry), but you shouldn’t bank on that repeating this week. In two games against the Bucs last year, McCaffrey finished as the No. 3 PPR running back on both occasions, posting 157 total yards and two touchdowns in one game, and then 161 total yards and one touchdown in the other. He was one of the five running backs who hit the 100-yard rushing mark against them. Knowing they’ll be traveling on a short week to play in Carolina, McCaffrey might just elevate to the No. 1 running back this time around.

WRs
Mike Evans: It was a week to forget for Evans, who was dealing with an illness throughout the week that caused him to miss some practice. He did play 60 snaps, so it wasn’t a lack of seeing the field, but rather a lack of competence from the offense. It won’t get much easier this week, as he’s going to see James Bradberry in coverage. In two matchups against him last year, Evans finished with 1/10/0 on 10 targets and then 4/48/0 on six targets. It wasn’t always that way with the Evans/Bradberry showdown, but it seems to have favored Bradberry more as time’s gone on. Bradberry was targeted just four times against the Rams, allowing one catch for 11 yards, while intercepting another. If Winston wants to avoid tight coverage – and interceptions – he may want to avoid jump-ball situations that he’d usually take with Evans. Until we see Winston look competent, Evans should be considered a WR2, and this just happens to be a tougher matchup. If you’re playing the full slate DFS, Evans isn’t someone you need to aggressively attack.

Chris Godwin: It was a bad first showing for the Bucs offense under Bruce Arians, though Godwin is the only one who walked out of the game with a decent fantasy performance, thanks to a touchdown. Another positive is that Godwin played in the slot 61.5 percent of the time, so Arians wasn’t lying when he said Godwin would play the Larry Fitzgerald role in his offense. That means he’ll see a lot of Javien Elliott, a former undrafted free agent who’s seen 54 career targets in coverage. On those 54 targets, only six of them have been incomplete. Elliott is also just 5-foot-11 and 176 pounds, not quite the size of Godwin, who is 6-foot-1 and 210 pounds. It was Cooper Kupp‘s first game back from a torn ACL, so it’s possible he wasn’t as effective as he typically would be, though he was targeted 10 times. In a game where Evans will have a tougher matchup, Godwin once again has a chance to be the Bucs No. 1 wide receiver. You should be playing him confidently as a WR2.

D.J. Moore: Despite the tough matchup, Moore played a really good game last week. It gets easier this week against the Bucs cornerbacks, though you wouldn’t know it by their Week 1 performance. The combination of Carlton Davis and Vernon Hargreaves combined to allow just two catches for 21 yards on eight targets against the weak 49ers receiving corps, a far cry from their past performances. Davis was a rookie last year who allowed a 113.3 QB Rating in his coverage, which included 8.21 yards per target and a touchdown every 13.3 targets. Meanwhile, Hargreaves is someone who’s been written off as a bust after allowing a 68 percent completion rate in his coverage, including 9.07 yards per target. Moore wasn’t a full-time player in their first matchup last year, then totaled 4/44/0 on eight targets in their second matchup, so it’s not a “can’t-miss” game here, but knowing the Panthers have a 28.5-point team total, he should be in lineups as a solid WR2.

Curtis Samuel: We know there’ll be some up and downs with the speedster, but it was odd to see him targeted just four times in a game the Panthers threw the ball 38 times last week. There’ll be much bigger games for him and he’s the type of player who can knock out a box score with one play. Carlton Davis ran a 4.53-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, so we know he can’t hang with Samuel, while Vernon Hargreaves was also in the 4.5-second range. With Justin Evans and Jordan Whitehead manning the backend of the defense, we could see fireworks out of Samuel in this matchup. As it’s been with Cam Newton, there’s going to be inconsistency in his performances, but when he hits, you’re not going to want to miss it. In a matchup like this, the risk is worth the potential reward. Consider him an upside WR3 in this matchup who doesn’t come without risk.

TEs
O.J. Howard: It was a disappointing first game considering the matchup and hype surrounding Howard, who saw five targets and netted four receptions for 32 yards, but also fumbled. It was a bad game for Jameis Winston, which is going to happen from time-to-time. Fortunately, the matchup in Week 2 should make up for it. The Panthers have a solid defense, though they’ve struggled with tight ends the last few years. They allowed eight tight ends to hit double-digit PPR points against them in 2018 and it continued in Week 1 when Tyler Higbee hauled in four catches for 20 yards and a touchdown. The downside to Howard is that he ran just 23 routes, while Cameron Brate ran 20 of them, highlighting a timeshare at the position, as Howard is kept in to block much more than Brate. If Winston wants to bring down the interceptions, he’s going to start targeting those who get more separation. Knowing the Panthers allowed a 72.1 percent completion rate to tight ends last year and allowed 5-of-6 passing to them last week, Howard should be played as a TE1.

Greg Olsen: Some wondered if Olsen would start to take a backseat to second-year tight end Ian Thomas this year, but that question was answered quite clearly in Week 1. Olsen ran 39 routes while Thomas ran one. It’s not even close right now. We witnessed the Bucs keep George Kittle somewhat in check last week, though he had two touchdowns that were called back. This is a defense that allowed Olsen to tag them for six catches on six targets with 76 yards and a touchdown last year, and then allowed Thomas to catch all five of his targets for 46 yards in their second meeting. So, in short, the Bucs allowed the Panthers to complete 11-of-11 passes for 122 yards and a touchdown to the Panthers’ tight ends last year. Knowing they allowed 9.15 yards per target to tight ends last year, it wasn’t just the Panthers abusing them with tight ends. Olsen could turn back the clocks in this game, even if he does take a backseat to the wide receivers. He should be considered a low-end TE1.

Thank for reading! Check out our new The Primer t-shirts below…

Subscribe: iTunes | Google Play | Spotify | Stitcher | SoundCloud | TuneIn | RSS

Mike Tagliere is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Mike, check out his archive and follow him @MikeTagliereNFL.