Every week, I’ll be writing a comprehensive primer on every NFL matchup and all of the relevant players, matchups, pace and playcalling notes, and injuries. It covers everything you need to know when setting your lineups. But since that article is massive and requires a full pot of coffee, we’re also going to offer these more focused matchup overviews. If you’re looking for the complete primer, here’s a link to it:
If you want to dive deeper into fantasy football, be sure to check out our award-winning slate of Fantasy Football Tools as you navigate your season. From our Start/Sit Assistant – which provides your optimal lineup, based on accurate consensus projections – to our Waiver Wire Assistant – which allows you to quickly see which available players will improve your team, and by how much – we’ve got you covered this fantasy football season.
Arizona Cardinals vs. Las Vegas Raiders
- LVR -5.5, O/U 51.5
- Cardinals at Raiders Player Prop Bets via BettingPros
Injuries
Quarterbacks
Kyler Murray: Murray finished last week as the QB9 in fantasy, but it was gruesome. Murray managed 5.7 yards per attempt (27th), ranking 23rd in PFF passing grade. Murray is primed for a much better game in Week 2. The Las Vegas secondary was 14th in adjusted completion rate and ninth in passing touchdowns allowed last year. They also let go of arguably their top two corners in the offseason. It showed in Week 1 as they were third in success rate per drop back and fourth in EPA per drop back.
Derek Carr: Carr could explode this week in a shootout. Carr slogged through a three-pick day as the QB17 in fantasy despite throwing for two scores and 295 yards (8.0 yards per attempt). Arizona’s secondary is in shambles. They are 32nd in pass defense DVOA after ranking dead last in net yards per pass attempt, EPA per drop back, and success rate per drop back in Week 1. Josh McDaniels could use this as a statement game.
Running Backs
James Conner: Don’t let the stat sheets fool you. The Cardinals got blown out in Week 1. Before that was written in stone, Conner had played 96% of the snaps. After the game was well out of hand, they sat him down, so take his 71% snap share and 66.7% opportunity share with a grain of salt. Conner handled 15 touches, turning them into 55 total yards and a score as the RB15. This isn’t a smash matchup for Conner, but he can get there as a three-down workhorse, provided the game stays close or competitive. Las Vegas is 11th in adjusted line yards after Week 1 as they allowed the eighth-lowest success rate and third-lowest rushing EPA. Last year they gave up the 13th-lowest yards after contact per attempt while ranking 20th in DVOA against receiving backs. With goal-line work locked up and 17-20 touches, Conner is a top 15 RB on these factors alone if the game isn’t a blowout.
Josh Jacobs: If Derek Carr and the receivers don’t smash this week, Josh Jacobs ran wild. Did everyone see what Clyde Edwards-Helaire was doing before the Chiefs ran away with the game? Ok. Jacobs is in the quietest smash spot ever. He played 59% of the snaps in Week one with a 64% opportunity share (18th). He handled the Raiders’ only red zone rushing attempt in Week 1. Last year the Cardinals were third in yards after contact per attempt, 31st in explosive run rate, and 15th in red zone rushing defense. After Week 1, Arizona is 31st in second-level yards and 27th in open field yards. If Jacobs gets 20+ carries in this game, he’ll crush. In Week 1, he was sixth in yards after contact per attempt, third in missed tackles forced, and first in PFF’s elusive rating among all running backs with ten or more carries.
Update: Brandon Bolden has been ruled doubtful. This means either a smidge more work falls on Jacobs’ plate or we get the replacement thorn in the side Ameer Abdullah involved.
Wide Receivers
Davante Adams: So yeah, that old college flame can still apparently get the blood rushing and the vibe going. That’s at least what we saw in Week 1 from Carr and Davanbae Adams. Adams saw a 50% target share. Yes. Stop and process that for a second. Carr targeted him on 50% of his passing attempts (17 targets). Adams snagged ten balls for 141 receiving yards as the WR3 in Week 1. The Cardinals don’t have a corner that can hang with Adams. Byron Murphy showed again in Week 1 that when he’s pushed to the boundary, he struggles, allowing an 83.3% catch rate and 133.3 passer rating. Marco Wilson has been abysmal at the NFL level allowing a 73.2% catch rate and 134.1 passer rating last year. If you thought what Kupp and Jefferson did in Week 1 was special, stay tuned for Adams in Week 2.
Davante Adams in Week 2: pic.twitter.com/ZV45xL7gVV
— Derek Brown (@DBro_FFB) September 17, 2022
Update: The grandma narrative has entered the building. Adams’ grandma will be attending the game this week. Adams will make granny happy with another monster game in Week 2.
Hunter Renfrow: With Adams going crazy in Week 1, Hunter Renfrow faded into the background with a 17.6% target share and 9.5% of the team’s air yards. Renfrow could reassert himself in Week 2 in this juicy matchup. Renfrow will see Jalen Thompson on about 92% of his routes. Last year in slot coverage, Thompson allowed an 87.5% catch rate and a 123.2 passer rating. With Murphy on the perimeter, the slot receptions are Renfrow’s for the taking.
Marquise Brown: In his first game reunited with Kyler Murray, Marquise Brown handled a 16.7% target share and 37.1% of the team’s air yards. He logged 100% route participation. His target per route rate wasn’t impressive at 15.0% (70th). Brown crawled to 1.08 yard per route run. A touchdown saved an underwhelming day and bumped him to WR25 for Week 1. Brown has a redemption spot this week against the Raiders running about 81% of his routes against Rock Ya-Sin and Amik Robertson. Ya-Sin allowed a 56.5% catch rate and 93.4 passer rating last year. Robertson stepped in last week for Anthony Averett who is now out with a thumb injury. Robertson allowed a 76.5% catch rate and 135.5 passer rating last season.
Update: Rondale Moore has been ruled out for Week 2.
Greg Dortch: With Rondale Moore still recovering from injury Greg Dorth likely gets another start as the team’s slot wideout. Last week he was the WR29 with a 25.0% target share and 23.1% target per route run rate. He wasn’t overly efficient ranking 45th in yards per route run, but the volume should be there for him this week again. He’ll see Nate Hobbs in slot coverage who gave up an 82.5% catch rate and 94.3 passer rating last year.
A.J. Green: Green is cooked. Last week with the Chiefs running zone on at least 71% of their coverage snaps, Green couldn’t muster more than an 11.1% target share and 0.42 yards per route run. While Green’s man coverage beating skills have eroded, he was still strong against zone last year with 2.21 yards per route run and an 80.4 PFF zone receiving grade. That doesn’t look to be the case anymore after Week 1. Don’t start him.
Tight Ends
Darren Waller: As Davante Adams‘ main running mate last week, Darren Waller finished as the TE9 in fantasy. He commanded a 17.6% target share and 16.3% of the team’s air yards which are light by his standards, but with a target hog like Adams in town, it’s to be expected. Waller can pop off any week, but this matchup sets up well for Renfrow and not Waller. Arizona was second in DVOA last year, allowing the fourth-fewest receiving yards and fewest receiving touchdowns to tight ends.
Zach Ertz: Coming off an injury Zach Ertz only played 57.6% of the snaps last week with a 71.1% route participation. He grabbed an 11.1% target share with a 14.8% target per route run rate. These numbers clearly state that Ertz isn’t 100%, so play him while understanding this risk exists. Ertz faces a juicy matchup against the Raiders, who were 25th in DVOA last year, ranking ninth in receptions, eighth in receiving yards, and third in receiving touchdowns allowed to tight ends.
Check out my DFS advice for this contest and all games 
*All data utilized in this article courtesy of FantasyPros, PFF, SharpFootball Stats, Football Outsiders, FTN, Rotoviz, and Playerprofiler.com unless otherwise specified.*
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If you want to dive deeper into fantasy football, check out our award-winning slate of Fantasy Football Tools as you navigate your season. From our Start/Sit Assistant – which provides your optimal lineup based on accurate consensus projections – to our Waiver Wire Assistant, which allows you to quickly see which available players will improve your team and how much – we’ve got you covered this fantasy football season.
