We’re on to Week 2 of the NFL season, and there were plenty of surprises in Week 1 that have caused the annual series of Week 1 overreactions.
While some trends from the season opener can’t be ignored, there were some players that had inflated statistical production because of easy matchups such as Carson Wentz against the Jaguars, while others struggled with tougher matchups, like Matthew Stafford against the Bills.
We’ll break down which matchups stand out this week, including the best one to stack offensive players in, the one to avoid and another that’s set to produce more points than expected like last week’s Eagles-Lions matchup.
We’ve also got the top player prop value plays for passing, rushing and receiving yards in Week 2 with odds from Caesars Sportsbook:
TOP MATCHUPS TO WATCH
Most Stackable: Vikings at Eagles
This week’s Monday Night doubleheader should produce plenty of fireworks, with the Vikings and Eagles offenses set to continue their success. Kirk Cousins has struggled in prime time throughout his career, but he should be just fine with an elite cast of weapons headlined by Justin Jefferson, Dalvin Cook and Adam Thielen, and he’ll likely be forced to air it out facing Jalen Hurts, who’s got a strong supporting cast as well featuring A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith and Dallas Goedert.
Honorable Mention: Cardinals at Raiders
Stay Away: Jets at Browns
Both the Jets and Browns are having to start backup quarterbacks, which makes this an obvious matchup to avoid. Joe Flacco led the league in pass attempts last week but was extremely inefficient, whereas Jacoby Brissett was conservative as expected through the air with the Browns leaning on Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt on the ground. While the running backs could be worth a look for fantasy, there’s no one else here that is set to make much of an impact.
Honorable Mention: Patriots at Steelers
Low-key Shootout: Commanders at Lions
The top two picks from the 2016 NFL Draft will be facing off in Carson Wentz and Jared Goff, and they’re in store for big outings this week with neither of their defenses looking sharp. Wentz threw four touchdowns last week and has plenty of weapons in Terry McLaurin, Curtis Samuel and Jahan Dotson, and Goff was the garbage-time king and could throw even more this week if star running back D’Andre Swift ends up out.
Honorable Mention: Colts at Jaguars
TOP PROP PLAYS
Passing: Matthew Stafford over 275.5 yards vs. Falcons (-115)
Stafford had a rough outing in his season debut, but he still managed to throw for 240 yards with his top weapon in Cooper Kupp not missing a beat. Stafford and the Rams have had plenty of time to recover and are set to carve up a suspect Falcons defense in which Stafford’s arm is set to do the majority of the damage with the Rams’ running game looking shaky.
Also consider: Tom Brady under 276.5 yards at Saints (-117)
Rushing: Jonathan Taylor under 96.5 yards at Jaguars (-104)
Taylor’s established himself as the best running back in the NFL and is a threat for over 100 yards every time he takes the field, but this matchup against Jacksonville isn’t quite as juicy as it once was. The Jaguars have an improved run defense after beefing up their front seven, and the Colts will likely want to scale back Taylor’s workload somewhat after he received 31 carries in an overtime contest last week.
Also consider: Trey Lance over 38.5 yards vs. Seahawks (-145)
Receiving: Curtis Samuel over 44.5 yards at Lions (-115)
Carson Wentz did a nice job of spreading the ball around in what was a surprisingly strong showing from the Commanders offense, and it was Samuel who led the way in targets. Samuel’s finally healthy after battling injuries all of last season, and he’s set to continue his run of production against a Lions defense that just got gashed through the air by the Eagles and A.J. Brown.
Also consider: Aaron Jones over 28.5 yards vs. Bears (-142)
Spencer ‘the Guru’ Urquhart (@spencertheguru) has been a fantasy football analyst since 2014, founding a community of over 6,000 followers on Instagram
