Last week’s article was a disappointment, but Week 1 is always the most difficult week of the season. Three of our guys got injured, and that’s never a good sign. In any case, we’re ready to bounce back and have a killer Week 2. With that in mind, let’s get into it!
If you have any comments or questions, reach me on Twitter @Bartilottajoel.
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Thursday/Monday Games
The Thursday night fixture gives us a matchup between the Bengals and Browns. These are two teams that had rough losses in Week 1 and are both in need of a win. In terms of fantasy, everyone is in play. My favorite options are Odell Beckham and Joe Mixon, as I anticipate both guys will have bounce-back performances in quality matchups.
The Monday Night matchup features the Raiders and Saints. This is the debut game in Las Vegas, and it will make both teams hungry to excite the millions of viewers across the globe. One would have to believe the Saints are in a great spot to succeed. If Michael Thomas is out, Emmanuel Sanders and Jared Cook would be brilliant plays. In terms of the Raiders, Henry Ruggs and Darren Waller should see close to 20 targets between the two, which makes them great options too.
Quarterback of the Week
Dak Prescott (DAL): $6,800 vs. ATL
This game has shootout written all over it. Atlanta just allowed Russell Wilson to complete 32-of-36 passes for 322 yards and four touchdowns in Week 1, despite the fact that Seattle is a run-first team. That shows just how bad this secondary can be, and it’s hard to imagine how bad they’ll struggle against a passing attack with Dak, Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup, and CeeDee Lamb.
We’re talking about a quarterback who ranked second in the NFL with over 4,900 yards last season, throwing for 30 scores on a 65 percent completion percentage. That makes him one of the most dangerous quarterbacks in the game, and it’s scary to think that he can run the ball, too. The Vegas total backs up my opinion, as they project the Cowboys for over 28 points, which makes for one of the highest team totals of the week.
Cash Game Running Back
Derrick Henry (TEN): $7,900 vs. JAC
Henry can be an absolute freak of nature at times, and this is one of those games. The reason I say that is because of the matchup. Not only did Jacksonville rank 26th in rushing yards surrendered last season, but they also lost numerous key pieces to their defense in the offseason. That’s really bad news against the leading rusher in the NFL, particularly a guy who had 31 carries and 116 yards in Week 1.
That matchup plays beautifully with this game script, as Tennessee enters this matchup as a 9.5-point favorite. That means this running team could feed Henry even more, which was definitely evident last season. In the Titans’ 11 victories last year, Henry averaged 139.6 rushing yards in 24.2 carries per game. That included a 159-yard gem over the Jags in their most recent meeting, which makes him the best running back option on the board.
GPP Running Back
Raheem Mostert (SF): $6,400 at NYJ
Mostert is probably too good to be considered a GPP option, but his price is way too low here. This is a dude who’s been crushing it since last season, as he’s recorded at least 53 rushing yards in nine-straight games dating back to last year. He’s actually averaging about 110 total yards in that span, recording an absurd 6.1 yard-per-carry average. That shows just how talented of a runner he can be, and it’s scary to think about what that would equate to if he gets the 20-25 carries that we anticipate. The reason I expect so many carries is because of the game script. San Francisco could be without both George Kittle and Deebo Samuel, and they enter this matchup as a 7.5-point favorite.
Cash Game Wide Receiver
Amari Cooper (DAL): $6,300 vs. ATL
Cooper can be frustrating for fantasy owners with his volatility, but his big games make him a great option in a matchup like this. Amazingly, Cooper had at least 90 receiving yards in nine of his 15 games last season while recording 50 or fewer in the other five fixtures. That boom-or-bust potential makes him a strange pick in this section, but his ability to tally up 10 catches for 80 yards in Week 1 is a really encouraging sign. He did that against one of the best corners in the league, Jalen Ramsey, and it seems likely that he’ll do even more against Atlanta’s struggling secondary. If we’re going to ride Prescott in this high-scoring game, we have to love his top weapon.
GPP Wide Receiver
Corey Davis (TEN): $4,000 vs. JAC
Man, this feels risky with Davis disappointing us so many times throughout the years. That’s what a GPP wide receiver is, though, and Davis has been showing signs of improvement recently. In Week 1, Davis collected seven catches for 101 receiving yards, and he played 66 total snaps. That means he’s securely locked into a starting job, and his five catches for 65 yards in their final playoff game last season shows just how important he is in this offense. Something needs to be said about Davis gelling with Ryan Tannehill too, as this is the first decent quarterback he’s ever played with. An offseason of gelling for a former top-five pick is huge, especially considering that Davis is still only 25 years old. The matchup is the icing on the cake, though, as Jacksonville was ranked 26th in total defense last year.
Tight End of the Week
Hunter Henry (LAC): $5,100 vs. KC
Henry is always a beast when he’s healthy, and it’s a wonder why he remains so cheap. Since the beginning of last season, Henry has averaged 12.7 DraftKings points per game. That may not sound like anything special, but there’s only a handful of tight ends in the league with better averages. What makes him attractive this season is that he gets to play with Tyrod Taylor, who’s been known to feed his tight ends in the past. That appeared to be the case in Week 1, as Henry collected five catches for 73 yards on eight total targets. That’s spectacular news with the Chargers likely playing catch-up in this game, which will force Henry into even more targets than usual. Not to mention, he also had 11 receptions for 111 yards and a touchdown in his two meetings with the Chiefs last season.
D/ST of the Week
Tennessee Titans: $3,500 vs. JAC
We’re going to keep this one short and simple. Tennessee allowed just 14 points in the opener, and they have one of the best defensive units in the NFL. While the Jaguars scored 27 points in Week 1, they are likely going to be one of the worst offenses in the NFL without a running game. That’s why the Titans enter this matchup as a 9.5-point favorite, with the total sitting at 41.5. That means the Jags are projected for just 16 points here, the lowest total on the slate. The Titans should be one of the highest-priced D/STs on the slate, but they’re not even in the top five, which makes them my favorite choice of the week.
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Joel Bartilotta is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Joel, check out his archive and follow him @Bartilottajoel.
