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Green Bay Packers vs. Philadelphia Eagles - Live Score - January 12, 2025 | FOX Sports

Green Bay Packers vs. Philadelphia Eagles - Live Score - January 12, 2025 | FOX Sports https://search.app/gMZPBXpJUCiwyBV7A

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NFL power rankings: Seahawks, Bills, Steelers get closer to top; Eagles, Vikings in a free fall for Week 3

Week 2 in the NFL meant every team that played at home in Week 1 had to go on the road, and vice versa. After only two games, or through one-eighth of the 2020 season, there’s a already a better indication of what teams are headed somewhere vs. nowhere.

A few teams on either the best or the worst side of performed exactly how one expects. But this is in the NFL, where surprises and disappointments are par for the course, even in the sprint stage before the marathon.

After some more predictable results, here’s how all 32 teams stack up against each other going into Week 3 in Sporting News’ latest look at the league hierarchy:

MORE: Who are the NFL contenders or pretenders after Week 2?

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NFL power rankings

1. Kansas City Chiefs 2-0 (last week’s ranking: 1)

The run defense continues to have problems and their passing offense isn’t always automatic. But they still have Patrick Mahomes to save the day, and all he needs is a chance late. That escape from Los Angeles keeps the dream of 16-0 alive, but the No. 2 team here is next on the schedule.

2. Baltimore Ravens 2-0 (2)

The Ravens have flown to similar heights with Lamar Jackson doing his efficient passing and running MVP thing again. They’ve enjoyed a couple of walkovers against the Browns and the Texans, but they finally get their rematch with the Chiefs to prove just whether they can be the AFC’s best again.

3. Seattle Seahawks 2-0 (4)

They have Russell Wilson and a strong running game and that has helped them get through some major run and pass defense issues early. But Wilson did outduel two former MVPs, Matt Ryan and Cam Newton. The elite QB fun continues against Dak Prescott and the Cowboys.

MORE: Russell Wilson locked in, trying to prove he’s NFL’s best QB

4. Buffalo Bills 2-0 (5)

Josh Allen is trying to get himself in the same fun-and-gun company as Mahomes and Jackson. The Bills haven’t made it look all that easy at times against the Jets and the Dolphins, but the solid results are there. The Rams will be a good tougher test.

5. Pittsburgh Steelers 2-0 (7)

Ben Roethlsiberger is back for sure and the running game keeps on pounding out the hits. Their defense may be trying to catch up, perhaps knowing there is less of a burden on them to sack, intercept and strip to save the day. They should keep rolling on the Texans.

6. Green Bay Packers 2-0 (6)

The Packers have done whatever they want with Aaron Rodgers and Aaron Jones, throwing back to their most explosive offensive days. The Lions and Vikings were pushovers, however, and they draw the stronger Saints on the road in prime time.

7. Los Angeles Rams 2-0 (10)

The Rams can run the ball with anyone again and keep taking pressure of Jared Goff with a friendlier passing game. They also have seen their defensive scheming shakeup work really well to complement their superstars, Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey.

8. Arizona Cardinals 2-0 (9)

The Cardinals have seen Kyler Murray give opponents the run-around with a big assist from DeAndre Hopkins. They also have to be pleased how their defense is rising behind Chandler Jones and in front of Budda Baker. Kliff Kingsbury is an early coach of the year candidate.

MORE: Kyler Murray for MVP? Don’t sleep on it

9. New Orleans Saints 1-1 (3)

The Saints didn’t make it perfect to stay ahead of the Buccaneers with a loss at the Raiders. They got caught looking ahead the Packers, as they need to navigate better not having Michael Thomas.

10. New England Patriots 1-1 (8)

File Kingsbury under Bill Belichick, who waited a long time to find Cam Newton to replace Tom Brady. They got Newton for almost nothing and now he’s playing like a healthy all-around MVP again. Unreal.

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11. San Francisco 49ers 1-1 (11)

The 49ers keep getting decimated by injuries, indicating that they are not immune to post-Super Bowl attrition. They have to survive with what they have offensively and defensively without Jimmy Garoppolo and Nick Bosa. One wonders how long they can hang on. They do return to New York to face the weak Giants, however, as another break in Week 3.

12. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1-1 (12)

The Bucs righted the pirate ship at home, finding their strong running game with Ronald Jones and Leonard Fournette to support Brady in his downfield-throwing efforts. The schedule continues to open a bit where they will stay on the Saints’ heels.

13. Dallas Cowboys 1-1 (15)

The Cowboys need to pay Prescott long-term, stat, after that latest miracle he pulled against the Falcons. He does whatever’s needed passing and running to cover all their other issues include a lack of discipline and consistent defense. 

MORE: Why Cowboys are “America’s Most Exciting Team”

14. Tennessee Titans 2-0 (19)

The Titans did make it to the AFC championship with a similar offensive formula, Ryan Tannehill making efficient big plays working off the power running threat of Derrick Henry. But their defense hasn’t looked all that good against two limited offenses. Luckily, their schedule gives them the struggling Vikings next.

15. Las Vegas Raiders 2-0 (18)

The Raiders took advantage of their Panthers matchup and got more confident with a big upset win in Las Vegas over the Saints. They follow by facing the Patriots on a short week, another good litmus test.

15. Chicago Bears 2-0 (20)

The Bears have danced past the Lions and Washington Football Team in a very nice opening schedule, rediscovering their running game and defense foundation. They will need Mitchell Trubisky to pass a lot better with the Falcons up next.

16. Los Angeles Chargers 1-1 (13)

Justin Herbert may not have the starting gig for good, Anthony Lynn says? What the? Going back to Tyrod Taylor, even if healthy, would not make any sense. Plus, it’s the Panthers in Week 3, a great game for Herbert to keep building confidence. The rookie leaning so well on running game, defense and good receivers had to be inspiring, right?

MORE: Breaking down Justin Herbert’s NFL debut vs. Chiefs

18. Washington Football Team 1-1 (16)

Washington had a wake-up call against the Cardinals as it couldn’t stop Murray and Dwayne Haskins can’t do too much with limited help around him. Ron Rivera’s team overachieved against the Eagles, but it might take a while for another win with the Browns next on the road.

19. Cleveland Browns 1-1 (24)

The Browns found their run-heavy successful formula in Week 2, taking the major pressure off Baker Mayfield. They get another break to get above .500 with Washington back in Cleveland.

20. Indianapolis Colts 1-1 (26)

The Colts are a hard team to read. Their offense and defense tend to be roller-coaster rides where everything starts with running the ball well and stopping the run. But what they get out of Philip Rivers in the passing game, plus their pass rush and pass coverage, are real wild cards that might keep them out of contention.

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21. Jacksonville Jaguars 1-1 (21)

The Jaguars can’t think about drafting Gardner Minshew’s replacement now, can they? He’s lifted them to a surprise victory and they aren’t that far from being 2-0 because of him. Amazing what giving him top skill support does.

22. Houston Texans 0-2 (22)

Deshaun Watson is short on skill support as he misses Hopkins at wide receiver. The defense is worse, putting more on him to win games with his arm and legs. Without Watson, this may be the worst team in the league.

23. Philadelphia Eagles 0-2 (17)

The Eagles are getting shoddy play from Carson Wentz when he was such a big factor in lifting them last season. The offensive line and wide receiver issues have been bigger than expected. But that defense is also getting pounded more than expected, too.

24. Minnesota Vikings 0-2 (14)

Kirk Cousins has had a rough start because they are more dependent on him. The defense is the most disastrous it has ever been under Mike Zimmer. Miinnesota needs to take down Tennessee at home in Week 3 to save the season.

25. Atlanta Falcons 0-2 (25)

The Falcons keep having issues everywhere defensively that bring down all their great offensive firepower around Ryan, now led by red-hot Calvin Ridley. Dan Quinn needs his team to beat the Bears to save his job for now.

26. Denver Broncos 0-2 (23)

Von Miller isn’t playing.  Drew Lock isn’t playing. Phillip Lindsay isn’t playing. Courltand Sutton may need to miss more time. This has been a Mile High nightmare of injuries, worse than John Elway could have expected. Tampa Bay up next doesn’t help.

27. Cincinnati Bengals 0-2 (28)

The Bengals go up a notch because of only Joe Burrow this week. Everything else about their team not involving him remains a mess.

28. New York Giants 0-2 (27)

The Giants had a lot of promise for Daniel Jones, and despite two valiant efforts, they are winless. The defense is improved, but now the offense has been greatly worsened by Saquon Barkley going down.

(Getty Images) https://images.daznservices.com/di/library/sporting_news/d/a/christian-mccaffrey-092020-getty-ftr_1tk1lqppfdpoy12ei82xc94pjq.jpg?t=-1379501100&w=500&quality=80

29. Carolina Panthers 0-2 (29)

The Panthers’ defense is pretty bad and their shining light on offense, Christian McCaffrey will likely be out a while. Oh boy.

30. Miami Dolphins 0-2 (31)

When will it be Tua Tagovailoa time? Not Thursday night against the Jaguars but soon.

31. Detroit Lions 0-2 (30)

The Lions are really crumbling around Matthew Stafford as no Kenny Golladay has hurt and their defense is about to doom Matt Patricia.

32. New York Jets 0-2 (32)

Adam Gase is asking for his team to dismiss him with his bad personnel moves and offense that looks more like debacle than genius.

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[hooperovertime-blog]

Top 10 NFL Quarterbacks Coming Into The 2020 NFL Season

1. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs

Patrick Mahomes is my top quarterback coming into 2020 season. He just came off winning the superbowl in his second year as a starter. I know Lamar Jackson won the MVP reward last season and Russell Wilson put up great numbers last season for his team, but nobody did it like Mahomes last season. Mahomes put up the stats, effectiveness, and winning for his team last season. 

2. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens

Lamar was an absolute stud for his team in the regular season having 36 passing touchdowns with 3127 passing yards and 7 rushing touchdowns with 1206 rushing yards. During the playoffs he struggled only putting up 12 points vs Tennessee Titans in his one playoff game last season and lost.

Lamar has the speed, toughness, and skills to throw the ball. The guy shouldn’t be questioned on what he can do on the field. 

3. Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks

I’ve never seen a guy who can run away from defense in the pocket the how Russell does and has traits in a quarterback you would want on your team. The guy missed playoffs once out of the 8 years he’s played. There’s not much you can say bad about Russell Wilson.

4. Deshaun Watson, Houston Texans

I think Deshaun didn’t have his best season last year, but it was still pretty good. Texans trading Hopkins may affect Deshaun play next year. In my opinion, I think they have enough weapons he’ll be fine. Adding underrated wide receiver in Brandin Cooks and having Running back in David Johnson who needs save his career. I think this team will be pretty good next year. 

5. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers

Aaron Rodgers is starting to get up there with age, but is still putting up hall of fame numbers at the age of 36. Last year he was one game away from the super bowl but lost to 49ers in the playoffs. There isn’t very many quarterbacks I would take over Aaron. 

6. Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints

Drew Brees may have his final season coming up. I think age has been Brees side so far he’ll be good as usual. I think Drew Brees will get one more super bowl after last years heartbreaking lost in playoffs. 

7. Tom Brady, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 

This is probably most interest thing to watch next season see if brady can win without Bill Belichick. Which I think Brady will have one of his best seasons next year. Having guys throw to like Chris Godwin, Mike Evans, and Gronk. Everybody will have eyes on Brady to see what he does next year.

8. Carson Wentz, Philadelphia Eagles

Wentz usually struggles with staying healthy every year. Last season he had stayed healthy for all 16 games and put up great numbers. The only thing his team has a problem with is the talent Wentz is passing it to. The Eagles Drafted few wide receivers like Jalen Reagor, John Hightower, and Quez Watkins. Don’t know if those guys will have a big impact in there first year, but we’ll wait and see.

9. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys

Dak had put up good numbers last year. Even though he put up the numbers his team struggled last season. With them drafting CeeDee Lamb. I think Dak will have his best season next year. 

10. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills

I know a lot of people will be mad at me putting him here. In Allen’s second year he surprised me with his development compared to his first year. Josh Allen led his team to the playoffs after a horrible first season. Bills didn’t have the best weapons last year around Allen, but he still put up great numbers. With them adding Diggs I think Allen with surprise a lot of people this season. 

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Fox news Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Week 13: Wide receivers - NFL.com

Fox news

Published: Nov. 27, 2019 at 11: 01 a.m.

Updated: Nov. 29, 2019 at 04: 58 p.m.

Senior delusion analyst

Originate up 'Em & Sit down 'Em is the final weekly leer at NFL matchups and the diagram in which they'll possess an affect in your delusion football team. Fantasy superstars equivalent to Patrick Mahomes and Christian McCaffrey would possibly possibly no longer be featured on this column. All participant matchups are according to a PPR scoring system. On your final initiating lineup decisions, test my weekly delusion football lineup rankings.

Originate up 'Em

Originate up of the Week - D.J. Chark vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Chark build up a stinker versus the Titans, but I love him to rebound against the Buccaneers. Their defense has allowed 12 touchdowns and the third-most delusion substances to receivers lined out large, which is the build Chark averages 27.5 routes per sport. In all, the Bucs possess allowed nine top-10 delusion large receivers since Week 3.

Calvin Ridley vs. New Orleans Saints

Ridley has additionally been on a good hot trek, scoring a landing and 22 or extra delusion substances in two straight games. I'd retain him active against the Saints, as he's scored 21-plus delusion substances in two of his three profession games versus the NFL South rival. What's extra, Ridley has chanced on the slay zone four times in these three contests.

Jarvis Landry vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

Landry has been on a prime roll, scoring 14-plus delusion substances in four straight games. That entails a 14.3-level efficiency in Week 11 against his subsequent opponent, the Steelers. Simplest the Buccaneers possess allowed extra delusion substances to the slot, so Landry is in a good space to salvage one more precise stat line. Originate up him as soon as extra.

Jamison Crowder vs. Cincinnati Bengals

Crowder had a small bit of a stinker in final week's take over the Raiders, but I'd accumulated flex him when the Jets face the Bengals. Their defense has given up seven touchdowns, an moderate of 7.6 catches per sport and the fifth-most delusion substances to the slot this season. Crowder figures to rebound for homeowners in a particular matchup in the Queen Metropolis.

DeVante Parker vs. Philadelphia Eagles

Parker has quietly produced double-digit delusion substances in eight games in a row, by which time he's chanced on the slay zone four times. The Miami leader in targets, Parker figures to salvage one more good stat line in a matchup against the Eagles. They've allowed the most delusion substances to receivers lined out large this season.

Originate up 'Em: D.Okay. Metcalf vs. Minnesota Vikings (Mon.), Robert Woods at Arizona Cardinals Sleepers: Darius Slayton vs. Green Bay Packers, Dede Westbrook vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Sit down 'Em

Sit down of the Week - Emmanuel Sanders vs. Baltimore Ravens

Sanders has cooled off in most accepted weeks, scoring a mixed 13.2 delusion substances over his final three games. He'll be hard pressed to bust out this week, as the Niners commute to Baltimore to face the Ravens. Their defense hasn't allowed a top-15 delusion wideout since Week 9, along with holding DeAndre Hopkins to superb 80 yards in Week 11.

Marquise Brown vs. San Francisco 49ers

Brown went bananas a week ago, scoring a pair of touchdowns in a blowout take over the Rams. So whereas or no longer it's hard to bench him, capture into fable that the rookie has a difficult upcoming matchup against the Niners. Their defense has given up superb 10.5 catches and the sixth-fewest delusion substances to enemy large receivers this season.

Tyrell Williams vs. Kansas Metropolis Chiefs

Williams couldn't exploit a good matchup in New York final week, and now he gets a miles extra subtle project against AFC West competitors, the Chiefs. Their defense has allowed superb three touchdowns and the second-fewest delusion substances to receivers lined out large, which is the build Williams has elope 72 percent of his routes this season.

Mike Williams vs. Denver Broncos

Williams has failed to submit double-digit substances in four of his final five games, and a matchup in Denver makes him a go. The Broncos possess allowed superb five touchdowns to receivers lined out large, and the remark as a complete has averaged the fifth-fewest substances. Couple that with the struggles of Philip Rivers, and Williams is a sit down.

Randall Cobb vs. Buffalo Bills

Cobb has posted three good stat traces in a row, posting no no longer up to 12.6 substances with a pair of 100-yard, one-landing performances. Aloof, this week's Thanksgiving matchup against the Bills makes him hard to have faith. Truly, Buffalo's defense has allowed no touchdowns and the fewest delusion substances to the slot. Protect Cobb on the sidelines.

Sit down 'Em: Will Fuller vs. New England Patriots, Robby Anderson at Cincinnati Bengals Busts: Courtland Sutton vs. Los Angeles Chargers, Brandin Cooks at Arizona Cardinals

Michael Fabiano is an award-a success delusion football analyst on NFL.com and NFL Community and a member of the Fantasy Sports actions Writers Association (FSWA) Hall of Repute. That probabilities are you'll possibly follow Michael on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram for all of the most accepted delusion football news, notes and in-depth analysis!

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New York Jets vs. New Orleans Saints RECAP, score and stats | NFL Week 15 | NFL

Carolina Panthers linebacker Thomas Davis didn't mean harm to Green Bay Packers receiver Davante Adams on an illegal block Sunday. Coordinator Dom Capers had no answer for Christian McCaffrey early on, as the rookie mismatch became the first NFL player since 2000 with at least nine touches, 60 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown on a team's opening drive, per NFL Research. Minnesota earned its second division title in Zimmer's four-year tenure. After a decade-long wait the Jaguars are heading back to the playoffs after defeating the Houston Texans 45-7 on Sunday.

Behind a devouring defense, chain-moving offense, and play-making special teams, Sunday's victory was essentially settled before the end of the first quarter. The Panthers began play two years later in 1995. Richardson, a former football player with the Baltimore Colts, is responsible for bringing the NFL to the Carolinas in 1993 when the Panthers joined the league as an expansion team.Below is a full list of injuries that we're tracking. Here's what we learned from the game: 1.

Where: MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. On Sunday, the fate of the AFC will likely be determined when the 11-2 Steelers host the 10-3 Patriots.Who: Philadelphia Eagles at New York Giants. To keep tabs on some of the choicest highlights and other big news throughout Sunday, keep it locked here for updates. Earlier this season, the Seahawks won, 16-10. Hogan has been dealing with a shoulder injury since late October. Less than 48 hours after the Carolina Panthers launched an internal investigation into whether their founder and principal owner, Jerry Richardson, engaged in workplace misconduct, the NFL announced that it has taken over the investigation. New England Patriots wide receiver Chris Hogan is not expected to play against the Pittsburgh Steelers as he recovers from a shoulder injury, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. You can also check out the current playoff picture here. In December 2017 he returned to the field in Minneapolis to log his first live-game snaps in nearly two seasons.

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Vikings now in control of NFC playoff picture, for this week anyway

Week 13 games shook up the NFC postseason standings. Expect more of the same the rest of the season.

The playoff field in the NFC looked pretty different 24 hours ago. Now that Week 13 is over — in the NFC, at least — we’ve got a new No. 1 seed, the Seahawks are back from the grave, and the Bucs aren’t the only team with a case of FOMO in the NFC South.

Here’s everything you need to know about the changes to the NFC’s playoff picture this week.

What did the NFC playoff picture look like before Sunday?

Here’s a quick refresher on how the postseason was shaping up heading into Week 13. The Eagles were riding an eight-game win streak, and we had three-quarters of the NFC South penciled in for postseason action.

Philadelphia Eagles

Minnesota Vikings

Los Angeles Rams

New Orleans Saints

Carolina Panthers

Atlanta Falcons

But then three games shifted things: the Eagles lost to the Seahawks, the Falcons fell to the Vikings, and the Saints knocked off the Panthers.

OK, so where do things stand now?

If the season ended today, here are the six teams that would get in:

Minnesota Vikings (10-2)

Philadelphia Eagles (10-2)

Los Angeles Rams (9-3)

New Orleans Saints (9-3)

Seattle Seahawks (8-4)

Carolina Panthers (8-4)

There’s a lot to unpack here. Let’s get to it.

Wait, why did the Vikings jump the Eagles?

It comes down to a complicated tiebreaker scenario. Here’s how deep you have to go down the tiebreaker rabbit hole to get there:

1. The priority tiebreaker is always head-to-head, but it doesn’t work in this case. The Eagles and Vikings don’t face each other this season.

2. Next, the league would look at each team’s record in the conference. They’re both 8-1 in the NFC, so that doesn’t help.

3. The next tiebreaker is each team’s win-loss record against a minimum of four common opponents. This one doesn’t apply yet, because the only common opponents right now for the Vikings and Eagles are the Bears and Washington. But after next week, they’ll have four common opponents and can go to this tiebreaker if they need it.

4. So right now it comes down to strength of the opponents each team has beaten. This is where the Vikings have the edge. The win percentage of the teams the Eagles have won against is .375. For the Vikings, it’s .466. Advantage, Vikings. For now, at least.

Have any teams clinched a spot yet?

No. The Eagles had a chance to this week, if they beat the Seahawks or if the Cowboys lost to Washington. Alas, 0-for-2, try again next week.

Which teams are still alive in the NFC?

Three teams have been eliminated from playoff contention. The Bears, 49ers, and Giants are all guaranteed to be watching the postseason from home this year.

But the rest of the teams in the NFC still could make the playoffs. The chances are getting pretty slim, according to PlayoffStatus.com.

Atlanta Falcons: 7-5, 41 percent chance

Detroit Lions: 6-6, 20 percent chance

Green Bay Packers: 6-6, 10 percent chance

Dallas Cowboys: 6-6, 6 percent chance

Washington: 5-7, 1 percent chance

Arizona Cardinals: 5-7, less than 1 percent chance

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 4-8, less than 1 percent chance

Which games matter most in Week 14?

We’re glad you asked.

Saints vs. Falcons Thursday, 8:25 p.m. ET

If the Falcons win: They could slip back into a tentative wild card spot, depending on what the Seahawks and Panthers do this week.

If the Saints win: They inch closer to a division crown and Atlanta’s chances for postseason play will be fading quickly.

Vikings vs. Panthers Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

If the Vikings win: They should hold on to the No. 1 seed for another week.

If the Panthers win: They’d keep themselves penciled into a wild card spot and stay in position to maybe steal the division from New Orleans. It’s not going to come easily against the Vikings, who have the second-ranked scoring defense in the league and haven’t lost a game since Week 4.

Seahawks vs. Jaguars Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET

If the Seahawks win: A win could put the Seahawks in a position to challenge the Rams for the division title. But the Jaguars are a nightmare matchup for a Seattle offensive line that has been a liability all season.

If the Jaguars win: They’d remain in at least a tie atop the AFC South — but that’s in the other conference. You wanna know about the NFC race, right? So if the Seahawks lose, they’d need to keep an eye on what the Falcons are able to do against the Saints. Seattle could be right back on the outside looking in again.

Eagles vs. Rams Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET

If the Eagles win: They may be able to jump back into the No. 1 spot with a win in Los Angeles and a Vikings loss. They’ll also pad those strength of wins stats a bit with a victory against the 9-3 Rams.

If the Rams win: Then Seattle has a chance to even things up at the top of the NFC West. The Rams could lose their grip on the division.

Is it all coming down to the final week of the season?

Probably — and that kind of drama is what makes it so fun.

[usnewsaggregator-blog]

NFL Today, Week 7

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NFL Today, Week 7

SCOREBOARD

Monday, Oct. 23

Washington at Philadelphia. Carson Wentz and the Eagles (5-1) lead the NFC East, are first in the conference and enter having won four straight games, including an impressive 28-23 victory at Carolina. Meanwhile, Kirk Cousins and the Redskins (3-2) look for some revenge after losing to the Eagles at home in Week 1.

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, right, celebrates with Doug Baldwin after scoring a touchdown during the second half of an NFL football game against the New York Giants, Sunday, Oct. 22, 2017, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

___

STARS

Passing

– Russell Wilson, Seahawks, went 27 of 39 for 334 yards and three touchdowns to lead Seattle to a 24-7 win over the New York Giants.

– Blake Bortles, Jaguars, threw for 330 yards and a touchdown in Jacksonville’s 27-0 victory at Indianapolis.

– Jameis Winston, Buccaneers, had 384 yards passing with three touchdowns and an interception in a losing cause as Tampa Bay fell to Buffalo 30-27.

– Drew Brees, Saints, went 27 of 38 for 331 yards with a TD and two INTs in New Orleans’ 26-17 win at Green Bay.

– Dak Prescott, Cowboys, tossed three touchdown passes in Dallas’ 40-10 rout of the 49ers in San Francisco.

___

Rushing

– Ezekiel Elliott, Cowboys, ran for 147 yards and two touchdowns and also caught a 72-yard TD pass to help Dallas rout San Francisco 40-10.

– Le’Veon Bell, Steelers, had 134 yards on 35 carries and added three catches for 58 yards in Pittsburgh’s 29-14 win over Cincinnati.

– Aaron Jones, Packers, rushed for a career-best 131 yards on 17 carries and added a TD in Green Bay’s 26-17 loss to New Orleans.

– T.J. Yeldon, Jaguars, helped fill in for the injured Leonard Fournette by running for 122 yards and a score on just nine carries in Jacksonville’s 27-0 win at Indianapolis.

– Latavius Murray, Vikings, ran for 113 yards and a TD on 18 carries in Minnesota’s 24-16 victory over Baltimore.

– LeSean McCoy, Bills, had two TD runs and rushed for 91 yards on 23 attempts in Buffalo’s 30-27 win over Tampa Bay.

___

Receiving

– Ted Ginn Jr., Saints, had seven catches for 141 yards in New Orleans’ 26-17 win at Green Bay.

– O.J. Howard, Buccaneers, caught two touchdown passes and finished with six catches for 98 yards in Tampa Bay’s 30-27 loss at Buffalo.

– Kenny Stills, Dolphins, had two TD receptions to help Miami rally past the New York Jets 31-28.

– Doug Baldwin, Seahawks, made nine catches for 92 and a touchdown in Seattle’s 24-7 win over New York Giants.

– Deonte Thompson, Bills, had four catches for 107 yards to help Buffalo to a 30-27 win over Tampa Bay.

___

Special Teams

– Stephen Hauschka, Bills, kicked a 30-yard field goal with 14 seconds remaining to help Buffalo beat Tampa Bay 30-27.

– Travis Benjamin, Chargers, returned a punt 65 yards for a touchdown in Los Angeles’ 21-0 win over Denver.

– Cody Parkey, Dolphins, kicked a 39-yard field goal with 22 seconds to go to give Miami its first lead of the game – and the win – in a 31-28 victory over the New York Jets.

– Kai Forbath, Vikings, kicked six field goals to lift Minnesota to a 24-16 victory over Baltimore.

– Ryan Succop, Titans, made his fourth field goal of the game – a 47-yarder with 1:55 left in overtime – to extend his NFL record for makes inside 50 yards to 55 straight and sent Tennessee past Cleveland 12-9.

___

Defense

– Eddie Jackson, Bears, became the first player in NFL history with multiple defensive touchdowns of 75 or more yards in the same game, running back a fumble recovery 75 yards and returning an interception 76 in Chicago’s 17-3 win over Carolina.

– Kevin Byard, Titans, had three interceptions in Tennessee’s 12-9 overtime win at Cleveland.

– Tre’Davious White, Bills, forced and recovered a fumble to set up Stephen Hauschka’s 30-yard field goal with 14 seconds remaining in Buffalo’s 30-27 victory over Tampa Bay.

– Cameron Wake, Dolphins, had 2½ sacks in Miami’s 31-28 win over the New York Jets.

– Yannick Ngakoue, Jaguars, had 2½ of Jacksonville’s franchise record-tying 10 sacks in a 27-0 rout at Indianapolis.

___

STREAKS & STATS

Buffalo’s Stephen Hauschka tied an NFL record by making 12 consecutive field goals from 50 yards or longer by hitting a 52-yarder in the Bills’ 30-27 win over Tampa Bay. The record is shared by Blair Walsh, Robbie Gould, Justin Tucker and Matt Prater. Hauschka has not missed an attempt from beyond 50 yards since missing a 50- and 52-yarder in a 35-6 win over Arizona on Dec. 21, 2014. … Jacksonville matched its franchise record with 10 sacks in a 27-0 win at Indianapolis. Jacksonville joined the 1984 Chicago Bears and 1967 Oakland Raiders as the only teams to record 10 or more sacks twice in the same season. The Jaguars, who also had 10 against Houston in the season opener, also got their first shutout since a 41-0 victory over the New York Jets on Oct. 8, 2006. Indy was shut out for the first time since a 41-0 loss to the Jets in a playoff game on Jan. 4, 2003. … With his first catch in Arizona’s 33-0 loss to the Los Angeles Rams at London’s Twickenham Stadium, a 16-yard reception on the fourth play from scrimmage, Arizona’s Larry Fitzgerald has now caught a pass in the NFL in 40 different stadiums. … The Los Angeles Chargers beat Denver 21-0, sending the Broncos to the franchise’s first shutout defeat since a 24-0 loss to the Los Angeles Raiders on Nov. 22, 1992. … Jones’ 1-yard touchdown reception with 4:09 to go ended the schneid, and he hurled the football high into the mist as if to say “at last.”

___

MILESTONES

Eddie Jackson became the first player to score multiple defensive TDs of 75 yards or more in a game, leading the Chicago Bears to a 17-3 victory over the Carolina Panthers. He’s also the only rookie in NFL history with two 75-yard defensive touchdowns in a season. He ran back a fumble recovery 75 yards on the game’s opening possession and returned an interception of Cam Newton 76 yards for a score early in the second quarter to give Chicago a 14-0 lead. He became the first Bears player since Fred Evans in 1948 – and the first NFL player since Tennessee’s Zach Brown in 2012 – with two defensive TDs in a game. … Tennessee’s Ryan Succop extended his NFL record for makes inside 50 yards to 55 straight with a 47-yarder with 1:55 left in overtime to lift the Titans past Cleveland 12-9 in overtime. … New Orleans’ Drew Brees threw a touchdown pass in the Saints’ 26-17 win at Green Bay, adding another milestone to his impressive 17-year career by becoming the fourth player in NFL history with at least 500 touchdown tosses, including the playoffs. He joined Peyton Manning, Brett Favre and Tom Brady. … Minnesota’s Kai Forbath kicked six field goals and Justin Tucker had three for Baltimore in the Vikings’ 24-16 win, with the nine combined field goals tying an NFL record for most in a game.

___

SUPER MISMATCH

In a rematch of last season’s Super Bowl, the New England Patriots kept on keeping on against the Atlanta Falcons with 23-7 victory. They extended their consecutive points streak vs. Atlanta to 54 before allowing Julio Jones’ 1-yard touchdown reception with 4:09 to go. New England scored the final 31 points to win the NFL championship in February. Jones’ TD also ended a streak in which Atlanta allowed 43 consecutive points to opponents, including 20 straight points in last week’s loss to Miami, and then 23 in a row to New England.

___

KICKIN’ IT

Dallas lost kicker Dan Bailey to a right groin injury in the first half of its 40-10 win at San Francisco, forcing coach Jason Garrett to scramble a bit. Dallas went for the 2-point conversion following their first TD after Bailey’s injury and couldn’t convert. Safety Jeff Heath handled the kickoff duties after that and reached the goal line on his first kick. Heath got his shot at extra points in the second half and made two out of three. Heath is the first non-kicker or punter to make multiple extra points in a game since former Houston linebacker and current Packers GM Ted Thompson made four in 1980.

___

EDDIE’S READY

Chicago rookie safety Eddie Jackson became the first player to score multiple defensive TDs of 75 yards or more in a game, leading the Chicago Bears to a 17-3 victory over the Carolina Panthers. He’s also the only rookie in NFL history with two 75-yard defensive touchdowns in a season. Jackson’s big day came exactly one year after he broke his leg playing for Alabama against Texas A&M. Jackson ran back a fumble recovery 75 yards on the game’s opening possession and returned an interception of Cam Newton 76 yards for a score early in the second quarter to give Chicago a 14-0 lead. He became the first Bears player since Fred Evans in 1948 – and the first NFL player since Tennessee’s Zach Brown in 2012 – with two defensive TDs in a game.

___

COWBOY UP

Ezekiel Elliott gained 219 yards from scrimmage and tied a career high with three touchdowns just days after a legal reprieve put his suspension on hold and the Dallas Cowboys beat the winless San Francisco 49ers 40-10. Elliott was granted his second temporary restraining order on Tuesday, putting his six-game suspension over domestic violence allegations on hold and then gave the Cowboys a big boost on the field. He matched his season total of rushing touchdowns with two in the first quarter and then took a short pass from Dak Prescott 72 yards for another touchdown on Dallas’ first possession of the second half to put the 49ers away. Elliott ran for 147 yards on 26 carries to go with the big catch, setting a career high in scrimmage yards in a game.

___

SHADY SEES DAYLIGHT

Buffalo’s LeSean McCoy had two touchdown runs in a 30-27 win over Tampa Bay to end a six-game scoreless drought that matched the longest of his career and dated to the final game of last season.

___

STEPPING IN

Brett Hundley, making his first NFL start in place of the injured Aaron Rodgers, rushed for 44 yards on three carries, including a 14-yard touchdown run, but finished 12 of 25 for 87 yards in the 26-17 loss to New Orleans. Rodgers is out indefinitely with a broken right collarbone. … Matt Moore replaced an injured Jay Cutler and threw two touchdown passes in the final 12 minutes to lead the Miami Dolphins to a comeback victory over the New York Jets. Cutler left the game due to a chest injury with his team trailing 21-14. After the Jets took a two-touchdown lead, Moore threw scoring passes to Kenny Stills covering 28 and 2 yards to tie it.

___

IRON MAN STOPPED

Cleveland left tackle Joe Thomas sustained a serious injury to his left triceps and could miss the remainder of another losing season for the Browns. The 10-time Pro Bowler had played 10,363 consecutive snaps when he was forced to leave the field in the third quarter of a 12-9 overtime loss to the Tennessee Titans. He will undergo an MRI on Monday, but it’s safe to assume that the 32-year-old will miss weeks if not months.

___

COMEBACK KIDS

Miami erased a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit and rallied to beat the New York Jets 31-28. It was the second consecutive comeback win by the Dolphins, who overcame a 17-point deficit in the second half a week ago for an upset victory at Atlanta. They’ve won 12 games in a row when the margin is seven points or fewer. The NFL record is 14 consecutive games.

___

QB WOES

Cleveland’s quarterback issues remain uncertain after DeShone Kizer started after a one-week benching because of turnovers – and then was benched again. He threw two picks before coach Hue Jackson had seen enough, pulling him for Cody Kessler, who was inactive for the first six games after making eight starts last season as a rookie. Kizer was 12 of 20 for 114 yards. Kessler 10 of 19 for 121.

___

YO, ADRIAN?

Adrian Peterson, in his second game for Arizona since being acquired via a trade with the New Orleans Saints, was held to just 21 yards on 11 carries in the Cardinals’ 33-0 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. It was a contrast from a week ago, when he ran for 134 yards and two touchdowns in a win over Tampa Bay.

___

LONDON STALLING

The Los Angeles Rams’ 33-0 shutout of the Arizona Cardinals marked the second time in as many games in Britain that an opponent has failed to score. The Saints defeated the Miami Dolphins 20-0 at Wembley Stadium on Oct. 1 – the 18th game held in the country. Los Angeles had not shut out an opponent since a 24-0 road victory against the Washington Redskins on Dec. 7, 2014, while the Cardinals had not failed to score since a 58-0 loss at Seattle on Dec. 9, 2012.

___

CATCHING ON

Pittsburgh rookie wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster had a 31-yard touchdown catch in the Steelers’ 29-14 win over Cincinnati. Smith-Schuster, who doesn’t turn 21 until Nov. 22, has three career touchdown receptions – the most in NFL history by a player before his 21st birthday.

___

SIDELINED

Arizona quarterback Carson Palmer broke his left arm in a 33-0 loss to the Los Angeles Rams at Twickenham Stadium, leaving Drew Stanton to take over after the team returns from its bye week. Palmer will require surgery on the arm and coach Bruce Arians said he expects the quarterback to miss eight weeks. … Cleveland left tackle Joe Thomas sustained a serious injury to his left triceps and could miss the remainder of the season. The 10-time Pro Bowler had played 10,363 consecutive snaps when he was forced to leave the field in the third quarter of a 12-9 overtime loss to the Tennessee Titans. … Miami quarterback Jay Cutler left the Dolphins’ 31-28 win over the New York Jets with what is believed to be a cracked rib that will force him to miss at least one start. … Baltimore wide receiver Mike Wallace left the Ravens’ 24-16 loss at Minnesota with a concussion and did not return. … Dallas kicker Dan Bailey suffered a groin injury in the Cowboys’ 40-10 win at San Francisco and didn’t return.

___

SPEAKING

“It’s kind of unbelievable. I thought he was a superhuman, where nothing could happen to him. There were about 30 seconds out there where I teared up. It’s tough because he’s the best player on our team.” – Cleveland left guard Joel Bitonio on teammate Joe Thomas, who had played 10,363 consecutive snaps when he was forced to leave the field in the third quarter of a 12-9 overtime loss to the Tennessee Titans with a triceps injury that could sideline him the rest of the season.

___

“I don’t want to think about it. It makes me sick. To come out on the road and get going like we did and then finish it like that is frustrating.” – Josh McCown after the New York Jets blew a 14-point fourth-quarter lead and fell to the Miami Dolphins 31-28.

___

For more AP NFL coverage: http://pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL

Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott (21) runs against the San Francisco 49ers during the first half of an NFL football game in Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday, Oct. 22, 2017. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Buffalo Bills kicker Stephen Hauschka (4) boots the winning field goal during the second half of an NFL football game as Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive back Robert McClain (36) looks on Sunday, Oct. 22, 2017, in Orchard Park, N.Y. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus)

Chicago Bears free safety Eddie Jackson (39) celebrates a touchdown on a fumble recovery against the Carolina Panthers during an NFL football game at Soldier Field in Chicago, Ill. on Sunday, Oct. 22, 2017. (Rick West/Daily Herald via AP)

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[packernet]

New Post has been published on https://www.packernet.com/blog/2017/09/10/packernet-predictions-week-1/

Packernet Predictions: Week 1

As we prepare for week 1 of the 2017 NFL season, Packernet has decided to put our predictive powers to the test. Each week we will give you our picks and see how we stack up.

*Special guest predictions by Tecmo Bowl*

New York Jets (0-0) at Buffalo Bills (0-0)  Line: Bills by 8.5. Total: 40. 

Ryan’s Pick: Bills

We don’t know much but I feel fairly confident when I say the Jets are the worst team in the NFL. I could be wrong but I doubt it matters very much. Bills take this one easily.

Jon’s Pick: Jets I think the public sides with the Bills this week, but Jets smoked them in week 17 last year. Sure, Fitzpatrick had a decent game, and somehow, as bad as he is, he seems better than Josh McCown, but I’m looking at what’s stayed the same in New York: Bilal Powell, who ran rampant on the Bills suspect run defense (they allowed 4.6 ypc last year, fifth worst in the league).

Tecmo Sim: Jets 20 Bills 28

LeSean McCoy ran for 235 yards. I feel like I really don’t need to say anything else.

Atlanta Falcons (0-0) at Chicago Bears (0-0)  Line: Falcons by 7. Total: 48.5. 

Ryan’s Pick: Falcons

I think the Bears a little underrated. I do. But c’mon, it’s the falcons. I still think this game gets out of hand and the Falcons win and win big.

Jon’s Pick: Bears

I’m going upset here. I said in my fantasy picks that I would avoid Ryan this week because I have a weird feeling. The feeling is so weird that I think the Bears might just pull off an upset this week. I think their defense is better than most people think it is (although, the Falcons might have a field day going away from Jones because Cooper is bad). It feels stupid, but my gut says the Bears pull it off.

Tecmo Sim: Falcons 28 Bears 3

As if things weren’t bad enough, Jordan Howard was taken off the field after only 5 carries. The Bears couldn’t get anything going and the Falcons walk away with this one.

Jacksonville Jaguars (0-0) at Houston Texans (0-0) Line: Texans by 6. Total: 39.5. 

Ryan’s Pick: Jaguars

Everyone seems hung up on Bortles being not too good. He’s not, but did anyone bother to notice Tom Savage is on the other side. Bortles comes out with his new left tackle and stud running back and takes it to the Texans.

Jon’s Pick: Jaguars

The Texans offense looks rough. Tom Savage is their QB, which I think says enough about their offense. Plus, at some point, Blake has to stop throwing to the other team so often, right? Maybe this is finally his year. In the end, the Jaguars are too talented to keep losing to teams like the Texans.

Tecmo Sim: Jaguars 19 Texans 21

Fournette looks solid, running for 134 yards in his regular season NFL debut, but his QB is a flaming garbage heap. Ultimately, Savage is able to win this one despite throwing 3 interceptions.

Philadelphia Eagles (0-0) at Washington Redskins (0-0)  Line: Eagles by 1. Total: 47.5. 

Ryan’s Pick: Eagles

Wentz is the real deal. He started hot last year and I expect much of the same this year. Josh Norman is good at what he does but there is a drop off beyond that. Torrey Smith, Nelson Agholor, and Zach Ertz have a field day in this one.

Jon’s Pick: Redskins

I don’t trust Alshon as a number one, and I think the Redskins have a better running game. Neither team were world beaters last season, but the ‘Skins were one game better, and they’re at home this week, so I’ll take them to win.

Tecmo Sim: Eagles 14 Redskins 24

Wentz is a massive disappointment giving up racking up more picks than touchdowns. In the end the Redskins walk away with this one.

Arizona Cardinals (0-0) at Detroit Lions (0-0)  Line: Cardinals by 2. Total: 48. 

Ryan’s Pick: Cardinals

A big contract buys a lot of things but it doesn’t buy wins. It’ll be a full week before the Lions fans will be able to stop having nightmares about what David Johnson and Larry Fitzgerald did to them.

Jon’s Pick: Cardinals

The Lions are still trying to figure things out on defense, and that’s spells trouble for whoever sees Fitzgerald the majority of the game. I don’t think the Lions offense will be able to put up enough points to overcome their weaknesses on the other side of the ball.

Tecmo Sim: Cardinals 17 Lions 24

The Lions Defense proves to be too much for the Cardinals who weren’t able to get anything going. Golden Tate gets 99 yards receiving.

Oakland Raiders (0-0) at Tennessee Titans (0-0)  Line: Titans by 2.5. Total: 50.5. 

Ryan’s Pick: Titans

I think quite a few people see this as a close match but I’m not so sure. The Titans are ascending and are doing so rapidly. The Raiders’ arrow is pointing up but entirely too slowly. The defense is garbage and I see the Titans running away a little.

Jon’s Pick: Raiders

This is a fantasy player’s wet dream, but I think it’s a standard gambler’s nightmare. Both teams have so many flaws on defense, and both teams have offenses that can pour it on. I think the Raiders win a high scoring game.

Tecmo Sim: Raiders 21 Titans 10

Not the score you would have expected, especially with both Marshawn Lynch and Demarco Murray rushing for over 100 yards, but alas Tecmo has spoken.

Baltimore Ravens (0-0) at Cincinnati Bengals (0-0)  Line: Ravens by 3. Total: 42.5. 

Ryan’s Pick: Bengals

The Ravens do make sense but week 1 is when things get out of hand. If something gets out of hand it will likely involve A.J. Green. Beyond that, Flacco is a little banged up.

Jon’s Pick: Ravens

I like the Ravens adding Maclin in the offseason. I think he’ll be a lot better in Baltimore than he was in KC, where they had a really hard time throwing the ball the last couple of years, whether by accident or design.

Tecmo Sim: Bengals 27 Ravens 16

A.J. Green was just too much for the Ravens defense and the Ravens couldn’t keep up.

Pittsburgh Steelers (0-0) at Cleveland Browns (0-0)  Line: Steelers by 8.5. Total: 47. 

Ryan’s Pick: Steelers

Does this really need explaining? If there was anything exciting about the Browns, it was their first round draft pick. Now he’s hurt. A rookie on a trash team doesn’t beat the trio of Ben, Bell, and Brown.

Jon’s Pick: Steelers

I can’t believe the Browns are still a team. Can’t someone just pull the plug and end their misery already? Steelers, easily, and probably by a lot.

Tecmo Sim: Steelers 31 Browns 17

Isaiah Crowell did manage 104 yards but Kizer’s 4 picks and Browns 146 receiving yards more accurately sum this one up.

Indianapolis Colts (0-0) at Los Angeles Rams (0-0)  Line: Rams by 4. Total: 41.5. 

Ryan’s Pick: Colts

If my life was on the line would I make this pick? I’m not sure. But it costs me nothing so I’m going to take a chance. I understand the Colts don’t have Luck, but is Goff better than Tolzein? Does anyone really know the answer? Rams are horrible, end of story.

Jon’s Pick: Rams

If the Rams don’t win this game, they should turn in their franchise to the NFL. Maybe then the Browns would follow suit and we could have a 30-team league again… maybe there would be more parity then. How can the Colts win on the road without Luck? I don’t think they can.

Tecmo Sim: Colts 7 Rams 38

The Colts lone touchdown came after a Tolzein interception was fumbled and recovered by T.Y. Hilton who ran it in for a touchdown. Just to give you perspective how bad this was.

Seattle Seahawks (0-0) at Green Bay Packers (0-0)  Line: Packers by 3. Total: 51. 

Ryan’s Pick: Packers

I’m not overly confident but this isn’t a homer pick. I genuinely think the Packers are the better team. In terms of matchups, I don’t think the Seahawks can hang.

Jon’s Pick: Packers

Rodgers and co. have performed very nicely against the Seahawks in Lambeau. Refer to the fantasy article for Rodgers’s stats. If the location were swapped, I’d go the other way, but I like the Packers at home.

Tecmo Sim: Packers 17 Seahawks 24

Nelson was able to top 100 yards receiving but it wasn’t enough. In the end, the Packers offense wasn’t its self.

Carolina Panthers (0-0) at San Francisco 49ers (0-0)  Line: Panthers by 6. Total: 47.5.

Ryan’s Pick: Panthers

The Panthers struggled last year but none of that really matters. The 49ers are really bad and just decided to switch up their defensive scheme to a 4-3. It might help in the long run but it won’t in week 1.

Jon’s Pick: Panthers

The 49ers offseason was a lot better than I thought it would be with John Lynch taking over as GM with absolutely no experience in the front office, but one offseason can’t fix the problems with that nightmare in San Francisco. The Panther are at least fielding a legitimate NFL team, and that should be enough to beat the 49ers almost every week this season.

Tecmo Sim: Panthers 28 49ers 34

Brian Hoyer leads the 49ers in a massive upset throwing for over 300 yards, 130 of those yards going to Pierre Garcon. Christian McCaffrey fantasy owners aren’t disappointing though, as he leads the Panthers in both rushing and receiving.

New York Giants (0-0) at Dallas Cowboys (0-0)  Line: Cowboys by 4. Total: 48. 

Ryan’s Pick: Giants

Part of me wants to say the Cowboys. Beckham is hurt and you can feel a big game coming from Elliott as a result of his impending suspension. Still, the Giants defense is scary. I think they have enough offensive power to take this one. If Beckham makes a miraculous return, I’ll feel better about this.

Jon’s Pick: Giants

This is a hard decision. I think this could go either way, but I like the Giants passing game vs Dallas’s defense. Many think that we’ll see some impassioned running from the soon-to- be suspended Elliot, but I doubt that the rest of the team will rally around domestic violence strongly enough to equal his fierce play.

Tecmo Sim: Giants 28 Cowboys 31

Manning completed 88% of his passes for over 300 yards and it still wasn’t enough. With Elliott leading the way (150 yards rushing) the Cowboys come out on top.

New Orleans Saints (0-0) at Minnesota Vikings (0-0)  Line: Vikings by 3. Total: 48. 

Ryan’s Pick: Vikings

The Saints seemed like the obvious pick to me at first, but I think they are going to struggle offensively. With their porous defense, it should give the Vikings enough wiggle room to actually move the ball.

As a side note, it would make my day to see AP gash the Vikings and hand them their first of many losses.

Jon’s Pick: Vikings

If defense wins championships, it should also win games, so I’m taking the better defense at home.

Tecmo Sim: Saints 14 Vikings 37

In what was the most dominant offensive and defensive performance of week 1, the Vikings were able to carve up the Saints D for 37 points with rookie Dalvin Cook leading the way, notching over 100 yards through the air and slightly less on the ground.

Los Angeles Chargers (0-0) at Denver Broncos (0-0)  Line: Broncos by 3. Total: 43. 

Ryan’s Pick: Chargers

The Broncos defense can outmatch the Chargers offense but the Chargers D can do the same. I went back and forth on this but I take Rivers over Siemian.

Jon’s Pick: Broncos

The Broncos win this one. They improved their offensive line in the offseason, which was a major hole last year, and that means they should be able to protect Siemian pretty well on Monday night. I like the new coaching staff, too. Mike McCoy wasn’t the best HC, but he made Tim Tebow look like he belonged in the NFL for a few games when he last OC’ed Denver, so I think they’ll be okay on offense. Their defense is still amongst the league’s best, even with their somewhat porous rushing D. Denver wins.

Tecmo Sim: Chargers 13 Broncos 28

Melvin Gordon is able to top 100 yards but in the end, the Denver defense reigns supreme.

[jaeame-blog]

New York Jets vs. New Orleans Saints RECAP, score and stats | NFL Week 15 | NFL

Here's what we learned from the game: 1. After a decade-long wait the Jaguars are heading back to the playoffs after defeating the Houston Texans 45-7 on Sunday. To keep tabs on some of the choicest highlights and other big news throughout Sunday, keep it locked here for updates. Behind a devouring defense, chain-moving offense, and play-making special teams, Sunday's victory was essentially settled before the end of the first quarter.

Richardson, a former football player with the Baltimore Colts, is responsible for bringing the NFL to the Carolinas in 1993 when the Panthers joined the league as an expansion team. You can also check out the current playoff picture here. New England Patriots wide receiver Chris Hogan is not expected to play against the Pittsburgh Steelers as he recovers from a shoulder injury, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.It would be hard to fake the emotion he showed on the sideline. A number of NFL players went out their team's games with injuries on Sunday.

The Panthers began play two years later in 1995. Carolina Panthers linebacker Thomas Davis didn't mean harm to Green Bay Packers receiver Davante Adams on an illegal block Sunday.In August of 2016 Teddy Bridgewater suffered a catastrophic knee injury that threatened to end his budding career. In December 2017 he returned to the field in Minneapolis to log his first live-game snaps in nearly two seasons. Who: Philadelphia Eagles at New York Giants. Hogan has been dealing with a shoulder injury since late October. Less than 48 hours after the Carolina Panthers launched an internal investigation into whether their founder and principal owner, Jerry Richardson, engaged in workplace misconduct, the NFL announced that it has taken over the investigation. Earlier this season, the Seahawks won, 16-10. Below is a full list of injuries that we're tracking. Coordinator Dom Capers had no answer for Christian McCaffrey early on, as the rookie mismatch became the first NFL player since 2000 with at least nine touches, 60 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown on a team's opening drive, per NFL Research.

[jaeame-blog]

New York Jets vs. New Orleans Saints RECAP, score and stats | NFL Week 15 | NFL

New England Patriots wide receiver Chris Hogan is not expected to play against the Pittsburgh Steelers as he recovers from a shoulder injury, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. A number of NFL players went out their team's games with injuries on Sunday. Here's what we learned from the game: 1. In December 2017 he returned to the field in Minneapolis to log his first live-game snaps in nearly two seasons.

Richardson, a former football player with the Baltimore Colts, is responsible for bringing the NFL to the Carolinas in 1993 when the Panthers joined the league as an expansion team. Hogan has been dealing with a shoulder injury since late October. After a decade-long wait the Jaguars are heading back to the playoffs after defeating the Houston Texans 45-7 on Sunday.Behind a devouring defense, chain-moving offense, and play-making special teams, Sunday's victory was essentially settled before the end of the first quarter. Minnesota earned its second division title in Zimmer's four-year tenure.

Earlier this season, the Seahawks won, 16-10. On Sunday, the fate of the AFC will likely be determined when the 11-2 Steelers host the 10-3 Patriots.Who: Philadelphia Eagles at New York Giants. You can also check out the current playoff picture here. Coordinator Dom Capers had no answer for Christian McCaffrey early on, as the rookie mismatch became the first NFL player since 2000 with at least nine touches, 60 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown on a team's opening drive, per NFL Research. The Panthers began play two years later in 1995. It would be hard to fake the emotion he showed on the sideline. Below is a full list of injuries that we're tracking. Less than 48 hours after the Carolina Panthers launched an internal investigation into whether their founder and principal owner, Jerry Richardson, engaged in workplace misconduct, the NFL announced that it has taken over the investigation. In August of 2016 Teddy Bridgewater suffered a catastrophic knee injury that threatened to end his budding career.

[jaeame-blog]

New York Jets vs. New Orleans Saints RECAP, score and stats | NFL Week 15 | NFL

In August of 2016 Teddy Bridgewater suffered a catastrophic knee injury that threatened to end his budding career. Earlier this season, the Seahawks won, 16-10. Here's what we learned from the game: 1. Hogan has been dealing with a shoulder injury since late October.

The Panthers began play two years later in 1995. On Sunday, the fate of the AFC will likely be determined when the 11-2 Steelers host the 10-3 Patriots. Minnesota earned its second division title in Zimmer's four-year tenure.A number of NFL players went out their team's games with injuries on Sunday. Carolina Panthers linebacker Thomas Davis didn't mean harm to Green Bay Packers receiver Davante Adams on an illegal block Sunday.

Coordinator Dom Capers had no answer for Christian McCaffrey early on, as the rookie mismatch became the first NFL player since 2000 with at least nine touches, 60 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown on a team's opening drive, per NFL Research. Where: MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.To keep tabs on some of the choicest highlights and other big news throughout Sunday, keep it locked here for updates. Who: Philadelphia Eagles at New York Giants. Behind a devouring defense, chain-moving offense, and play-making special teams, Sunday's victory was essentially settled before the end of the first quarter. Below is a full list of injuries that we're tracking. After a decade-long wait the Jaguars are heading back to the playoffs after defeating the Houston Texans 45-7 on Sunday. You can also check out the current playoff picture here. It would be hard to fake the emotion he showed on the sideline. Richardson, a former football player with the Baltimore Colts, is responsible for bringing the NFL to the Carolinas in 1993 when the Panthers joined the league as an expansion team.

[junker-town]

Top daily fantasy football plays for Week 3 of the NFL season

With Week 3 of the NFL season upon us, we take a look at some of the best values to be found on DraftKings and FanDuel, and some players worth fading.

SB Nation will be bringing you the top daily fantasy options each week through the regular season and into the playoffs. We have a small sample size of which offenses look good to target and others to avoid until further notice. As for who should be in your lineups, here are the top value plays of the week, with an eye toward low ownership and high upside.

Quarterback

Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions vs. Atlanta Falcons ($6,200 DK, $7,900 FD)

Stafford is as hot as any quarterback in the league, yet he is still priced like a third-tier starter. And facing the Falcons at home should not be a sign that things will slow down anytime soon. This game has shootout written all over it, with Stafford perfectly capable of 300 yards and 3-4 touchdowns. At his price, that is an epic steal.

Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers vs. New Orleans Saints ($6,600 DK, $8,100 FD)

I believe in the redemptive powers of the Saints defense. I believe Newton, after two sluggish performances, is ready to show off his surgically-repaired arm. I expect Christian McCaffrey will turn at least one short Newton pass into a touchdown. It’s get-well week for Cam.

Kirk Cousins, Washington vs. Oakland Raiders ($6,100 DK, $7,600 FD)

Like Stafford, Cousins is priced low and takes part in a game with shootout potential. That’s about all Cousins and Stafford have in common after two games, but I’m willing to give Cousins the benefit of the doubt here, especially with Rob Kelley potentially out of the lineup, forcing Washington to throw first and throw often.

Trevor Siemian, Denver Broncos at Buffalo Bills ($5,500 DK, $7,400 FD)

Until he actually shows that his touchdown explosion the first two weeks is some sort of fluke, I’m totally ok with throwing him into my lineups. The Bills defense has been impressive, but the Broncos offense has it all working, with Siemian the main benefactor.

Discount Darling: DeShone Kizer, Cleveland Browns at Indianapolis Colts ($5,000 DK, $6,900 FD)

Throw last week out the window. Everyone knew Kizer was going to struggle on the road against a brutal Baltimore defense. The Colts are nowhere near as dangerous, especially if Vontae Davis is out again. Kizer should be able to wake up a few echoes this week as a passer and a runner.

Avoid: Drew Brees ($7,200 DK, $8,400 FD)

Brees at home is one of the best fantasy quarterbacks there is. Brees on the road against a good defense is another matter. If this game were at the Superdome, I’d be all set to get on board for the second-highest QB salary on DraftKings. But in Carolina, I can’t justify not paying the extra $100 and going up to Aaron Rodgers. Frankly, if I’m paying up at QB (and I’m not) I would fade both of them and go down to $7,100 and play Matt Ryan.

Also consider: Derek Carr, Oakland; Philip Rivers, Los Angeles Chargers; Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks.

Running back

Kareem Hunt, Kansas City Chiefs at Los Angeles Chargers ($8,000 DK, $8,300 FD)

Here’s hoping players on DraftKings see Le’Veon Bell just $800 more – and an unusually cheap $8,800 overall – and also get spooked by the red “No. 1” under opponent’s rank and just stay away, because that Chargers’ stat is super misleading. C.J. Anderson and Jay Ajayi had big games against the Chargers the first two weeks and we know what Hunt is capable of. I love him as a sneaky high-priced play.

Christian McCaffrey, Carolina Panthers vs. New Orleans Saints ($6,100 DK, $6,800 FD)

I wrote about it in my start/sit article, but the Saints are the worst team in the league at defending pass-catching running backs and McCaffrey is certainly due for a breakout game. His price tag is depressed for the amount of production available to him this week and his ownership should be low after two underwhelming performances.

C.J. Anderson, Denver Broncos at Buffalo Bills ($5,800 DK, $6,900 FD)

Anderson has been one of the top stories of the year at running back, completely ending any mystery over who should be the main back in Denver, something that wasn’t decided when training camp began. Anderson should keep on rolling against a Bills defense that has been better, but hasn’t faced a back as hot as Anderson through two weeks.

Theo Riddick, Detroit Lions vs. Atlanta Falcons ($5,100 DK, $5,600 FD)

Tarik Cohen lit up the Falcons as a pass-catcher in Week 1. Ty Montgomery was almost a carbon copy in Week 2. See a trend here? Riddick should be just as busy in a back-and-forth affair, having posted a big game against the Cardinals in Week 1 when his services were needed. He was quiet against the Giants after his team took a big lead, so hopefully that drives people away. He’s got 20-point upside, maybe more.

Discount Darling: Chris Thompson, Washington vs. Oakland ($4,500 DK, $5,600 FD)

Thompson has already racked up three touchdowns through two games and should see an increased workload against the Raiders if Rob Kelley is unable to play. He should also see an increased workload because this potential shootout is going to call for more passing than handoffs. Thompson is well underpriced for his level of production.

Avoid: LeSean McCoy, Bills ($7,000 DK, $8,100 FD)

If the Broncos can totally remove Ezekiel Elliott from a game even though he’s on a team with a great offensive line and established wide receiver options, what can McCoy do, despite the huge number of touches he’s expected to receive? Most weeks, McCoy’s price would seem fair, but in a matchup that’s as tough as it gets, he’s a bit too rich for tournament blood.

Also consider: Ty Montgomery, Green Bay Packers, Chris Carson, Seattle Seahawks; Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans.

Wide receiver

A.J. Green, Cincinnati Bengals at Green Bay Packers ($8,100 DK, $7,500 FD)

Green has not been anywhere near the player we expected him to be thus far in 2017, and that’s great news this week, as the Bengals finally get a defensive matchup that they can exploit. I believe the shake-up on the coaching staff and the 10-day break will all work together to finally get the Bengals offense moving in the right direction, and Green is more than capable of putting up a big number against a defense that was shredded last week by Atlanta.

Adam Thielen, Minnesota Vikings vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers ($5,700 DK, $6,000 FD)

The Buccaneers are among the league’s worst at stopping slot receivers, and if Sam Bradford is back under center, Thielen is in position to take full advantage. Even with Case Keenum starting last week against the Steelers on the road, Thielen posted a respectable number. Check Bradford’s status, but regardless, Thielen should be a solid play this week.

DeSean Jackson, Buccaneers ($4,600 DK, $6,400 FD)

With Mike Evans expected to draw Xavier Rhodes, this seems like a good week to look to the opposite side of the formation and give the Buccaneers’ newest acquisition a look. For almost 2k less on DraftKings you get a receiver who can burn the Vikings deep while they focus on stopping Evans.

Mohamed Sanu, Atlanta Falcons ($4,500 DK, $5,400 FD)

Along the same lines as DJax, I had some Sanu in my lineups last week and he paid off nicely with 13.7 points on DraftKings. With all the attention paid to Julio Jones, I wouldn’t be surprised if Sanu duplicated that performance this week, which would pay off his salary nicely. He’s a low-owned contrarian play in a game likely to be a shoot out.

Discount Darling: Devin Funchess, Carolina Panthers vs. New Orleans Saints ($4,200 DK, $4,800 FD)

Funchess is in a terrific spot to crush his salary against a terrible pass defense in a role that should expand now that Greg Olsen is on the shelf. The potential has always been there for Funchess and this is a great spot for him to realize it.

Avoid: Jordy Nelson, Green Bay Packers vs. Cincinnati Bengals ($7,800 DK, $8,400 FD)

I always hate paying up for guys who spend the week on the injury report. Even if they play, it never seems to work out with the kind of game you need to justify the salary. The Cincinnati offense has been awful, but the defense is strong enough to make me think twice about relying too heavily on the Packers offense, especially the injured players like Nelson and Randall Cobb.

Also consider: Doug Baldwin, Seattle Seahawks; Michael Crabtree, Oakland Raiders; Brandon Coleman, New Orleans Saints.

Tight end

Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs at Los Angeles Chargers ($6,000 DK, $7,100 FD)

Kelce exploded last week with an 8-103-1 line against the Eagles. The Chargers are among the worst teams in the league at defending the tight end position and Tyreek Hill is likely to draw the Chargers’ best defender, Casey Hayward. The field could be wide open for Kelce to post another monster game.

Zach Ertz, Philadelphia Eagles vs. New York Giants ($5,000 DK, $6,500 FD)

Ertz is racking up targets and yards as Carson Wentz’ favorite pass-catcher, and that should continue against a Giants defense that allows big games to tight ends. Ertz gets an even bigger boost if Janoris Jenkins is able to suit up and defend Alshon Jeffery.

Hunter Henry, Chargers ($3,900 DK, $5,500 FD)

Antonio Gates got his milestone touchdown last week, and now the Chargers can get back to focusing on the true talent at tight end. The Chiefs allowed Ertz to go wild last week, so the opportunity is there for Henry to improve on his 7-80 line at a discount price.

Jack Doyle, Indianapolis Colts vs. Cleveland Browns ($3,600 DK, $5,300 FD)

The Browns remain the gold standard for targeting tight ends and Doyle has been about the only bright spot in the Colts offense through two weeks. He should be plenty active – and perhaps chalky – this week.

Discount Darling: Seth DeValve, Browns ($2,600 DK, $4,500 FD)

No one seems to be paying attention, but DeValve has posted two solid performances in a row, with eight DK points in each game. That’s better than 3X his salary, which makes him an excellent punt.

Avoid: Charles Clay, Buffalo Bills vs. Denver Broncos ($3,400 DK, $5,100 FD)

Also consider: Evan Engram, New York Giants; Eric Ebron, Detroit Lions; Austin Hooper, Atlanta Falcons.

Defense

Miami Dolphins ($3,700 DK, $5,100 FD)

Denver Broncos ($3,600 DK, $5,100 FD)

Philadelphia Eagles ($3,000 DK, $4,500 FD)

Cleveland Browns ($3,000 DK, $4,400 FD)

Carolina Panthers ($2,600 DK, $4,500 FD)

[yahoo-roto-arcade-blog]

Fantasy scoring is down and likely to stay that way

If you’re disappointed in the scoring of your fantasy teams and your Sundays seem a lot more boring, you are not alone.

The biggest early season trend in 2017 is a lack of offense. Through two weeks teams are averaging just 1.93 offensive touchdowns per game. Last season it was 2.40, as it also was (2.36) from 2014-to-2016. This is no rounding error. The result is 19.6% less touchdowns. And early season rustiness doesn’t seem to be an explanation since last year though two weeks, teams averaged 2.31 offensive touchdowns per game.

The San Francisco 49ers and Cincinnati Bengals don’t have a touchdown yet. The Seattle Seahawks and New York Giants have one each. There are 11 teams that haven’t registered a rushing TD yet. And only 11 teams have scored more than four offensive touchdowns: Los Angeles Rams, Baltimore Ravens, Los Angeles Chargers, Green Bay Packers, Atlanta Falcons, Tennessee Titans (all with five), Detroit Lions (6) New England Patriots (7), Denver Broncos and Oakland Raiders (8) and the Kansas City Chiefs (9).

People wanted me to put Alex Smith and the Chiefs in the Bad Quarterback/Bad Offense box and I admit I was at least looking at the fence if not quite on it. Smith’s days were supposedly numbered two weeks ago, we were told. But the Pat Mahomes era is going to have to wait, apparently.

[Watch on Yahoo: Ravens vs. Jaguars live from London Sept. 24]

The question is whether this is a trend or some random variance that we’re noticing only because it’s the first two weeks. If this was October, this thinking goes, no one would care. But have you watched football this year? It’s not been easy.

Let’s forget about touchdowns and dig deeper with per-play stats. The NFL is averaging 3.9 yards per rush. It has not been lower for a full season this century; last year it was 4.2. The streak of ever more efficient passing is taking a beating, too, with passer rating backsliding to 2013 levels, according to Pro-Football-Reference. But even that is deceptive as 12 quarterbacks have ratings under 80. That’s double the number in any of the last three seasons. Twice as many rotten QBs is a major culprit here. While Marcus Mariota, Russell Wilson and Dak Prescott are likely to rebound, do you feel the same way about Andy Dalton and Carson Palmer? I don’t.

But we may have a slew of different (and even worse) QBs soon given that NFL teams have apparently forgotten how to pass block. Sacks have jumped to 7.2% of pass attempts. Last year, it was 5.8%. Sounds again like a minor thing but that’s seven or eight sacks per team over a full season and thus seven or eight less touchdown opportunities as sacks are almost always drive killers.

Sack rate hasn’t been this high since 2000. And remember, teams throw short to eliminate sacks. A generation ago, teams traded sacks for downfield shots. But now we get the worst of both worlds. It’s really tough to score when your average pass length is under eight yards and you’re taking sacks. I’m looking at you Kirk Cousins, Eli Manning and Tyrod Taylor.

Is there any good news? The Chargers, Packers, Arizona Cardinals and New Orleans Saints should have about a touchdown more each based on their yards per play (down to 5.2 from 5.5 last year). But the Cardinals played the Indianapolis Colts, which almost has to be tossed. The Minnesota Vikings are also underachieving but that’s mostly due to losing Sam Bradford last week (half their games) — and that doesn’t seem like it’s going to change anytime soon.

Now add the Vikings into the dumpster fire of quarterback problems crushing the offenses of the Colts, Bengals, 49ers, Giants, New York Jets, Houston Texans, Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears, Cleveland Browns and Jacksonville Jaguars. That’s 11 teams that either have to fix the game’s most important position in the guts of the season or fix the way these quarterbacks are being protected. Either is a huge lift at this juncture. The only bright spot is that the Rams, Broncos and Philadelphia Eagles  seem destined to be at least okay at quarterback this year — and maybe better.

Bottom line: I will be surprised if we revert to the scoring we’re used to as fantasy owners. What this means for your teams is that the upper echelon players in professional offenses with capable quarterbacks are more valuable than ever. And it also means that pure volume of things like attempts, targets, rushes is worth significantly less than in recent seasons.

[junker-town]

Top daily fantasy football plays for Week 2 of the NFL season

With Week 2 of the NFL season upon us, we take a look at some of the best values to be found on Draftkings and FanDuel, and some players worth fading.

SB Nation will be bringing you the top Daily Fantasy options each week through the regular season and into the playoffs. We have a small sample size of which offenses look good to target and others we should avoid until further notice. As for who should be in your lineups, here are the top value plays of the week, with an eye toward low ownership and high upside.

Quarterback

Tom Brady, New England Patriots at New Orleans Saints ($7,900 DK, $9,200 FD)

The narrative is about Angry Tom Brady. Most people think it’s about what happened 10 days ago. Sure, but what about eight years ago? That was the last time the Patriots played the Saints in New Orleans and it was one of the worst losses in Brady’s regular-season history. That’s a revenge game narrative that shouldn’t go overlooked. Also, the Saints’ defense just got torched by Sam Bradford, and now plays on short week. Add in Brady’s high price, which usually scares off the value hunters, and he might not even be a chalky play. It all adds up to a great option this week.

Drew Brees, Saints vs. Patriots ($7,700 DK, $8,700 FD)

Brees is back at home this week, and as we know in DFS, the Superdome is the Coors Field of football. Brees’ home/road splits are among the most extreme in football, right there with Ben Roethlisberger. The difference between Ben and Brees this week is the opponent. The Patriots defense looked like a shell of itself against the Chiefs and Dont’a Hightower is out this week. Brees will need to match Brady bomb-for-bomb, and don’t doubt that he won’t.

Jameis Winston, Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Chicago Bears ($6,300 DK, $7,800 FD)

Winston is coming in a forgotten man, as are all Bucs and Fins this week. It’s a good time to get a solid quarterback at a fair price in a plum matchup against the Bears at home. I think the Winston-Mike Evans stack will be the most productive in DFS this season and it all starts with the Week 2 “opener.”

Derek Carr, Oakland Raiders vs. New York Jets ($7,200 DK, $8,300 FD)

There might be a tendency to avoid Carr in what should be blowout win for the Raiders at home against the punchless Jets. But I suspect that all those points are going to come through the air, before the Raiders turn to Marshawn Lynch to close it out.

Discount Darling: Alex Smith, Kansas City Chiefs vs. Philadelphia Eagles ($5,700 DK, $7,200 FD)

Was Smith’s performance in Week 1 a fluke? I don’t think so. As great as Kareem Hunt was, most of his damage came as receicer. There’s nothing about the Eagles secondary that should keep Smith from essentially repeating his Week 1 performance, especially at home in a competitive game.

Avoid: Carson Palmer, Arizona Cardinals at Indianapolis Colts ($6,000, $7,500 FD)

I know it’s the Colts, but with David Johnson out, do defenses really need to play the running game honestly. I guess we’ll see, but until Palmer shows he can be productive without Johnson behind him, I’m looking elsewhere.

Also consider: Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons; Carson Wentz, Philadelphia Eagles; Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks.

Running back

Ty Montgomery, Green Bay Packers at Atlanta Falcons ($5,800 DK, $6,500 FD)

If you liked what Tarik Cohen did to the Falcons last week out of the backfield, now translate that to an early-down back in an elite offense. Montgomery was solid last week against a formidable Seattle defense, so he should have all sorts of opportunities against a lesser challenge in Atlanta.

Jay Ajayi, Miami Dolphins at Los Angeles Chargers ($6,400 DK, $7,900 FD)

Another forgotten man from Week 1 against a defense that struggled to contain C.J. Anderson on Monday night and now has to deal with an extremely well-rested Ajayi on a short week. Add to the mix the amount of check-downs one might expect from Jay Cutler and you have a big PPR number for Ajayi on tap.

LeSean McCoy, Buffalo Bills at Carolina Panthers ($8,600 DK, $8,600 FD)

McCoy racked up 27 total touches last week, and had he not tapped out with an apparent injury with the Bills on the goal line, he might have added a touchdown to his total last week. McCoy is good to go in Week 2 and though he faces a tough defense, he’s going to get crazy volume again, including plenty of pass targets.

Tarik Cohen, Chicago Bears at Tampa Bay Buccaneers ($4,100 DK, $5,400 FD)

It will be interesting to see what Cohen’s ownership looks like a week after exploding onto the scene with his 113 total yards and eight receptions on 12 targets. With Jordan Howard not 100 percent, Cohen could easily exceed those Week 1 numbers, which makes him ridiculously under-priced for his role.

Discount Darling: Javorius Allen, Baltimore Ravens vs. Cleveland Browns ($4,100 DK, $4,900 FD)

Allen shouldn’t be nearly as popular as Cohen, but he isn’t any less valuable at his price, especially on FanDuel, where he gets a bit of a discount from Cohen. Allen out-snapped Terrance West last week and with Danny Woodhead on IR, Allen should see even more work against the Browns, which has struggled – last week notwithstanding – against the run.

Avoid: DeMarco Murray, Tennessee Titans at Jacksonville Jaguars ($6,300 DK, $7,500 FD)

Murray was surprisingly underwhelming last week, and with all the discount options on the table, this might be a good week to go wait-and-see here.

Also consider: Todd Gurley, Los Angeles Rams; Marshawn Lynch, Oakland Raiders; Melvin Gordon, Los Angeles Chargers.

Wide receiver

Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Chicago Bears ($7,700 DK, $8,500 FD)

If the “forgotten team” narrative does hold true, and Buccaneers/Dolphins players go under-owned because they didn’t play last week and have no stats to study, then Evans is a must-play this week. Even in his preseason cameos, Evans dominated the field, and with DeSean Jackson on the other side to keep defenses honest, Evans could wind up the No. 1 receiver in fantasy. A criminally under-owned Winston-Evans stack this week may never be more rewarding.

Amari Cooper, Oakland Raiders vs. New York Jets ($8,100 DK, $7,900 FD)

As I wrote under Carr’s entry above, I suspect the blowout everyone expects here will happen, but it will happen via the air, not the ground, at least in the early going. I’m sure will get plenty of Beast Mode in the second half, but the first half star with multiple-touchdown upside is Cooper.

Michael Thomas, New Orleans Saints vs. New England Patriots ($7,500 DK, $8,000 FD)

Basically, every skill player on either team is worthy of consideration this week. But I’m guessing that Thomas will be the most productive and at the same time, among the most under-owned. The Patriots receivers will get most of the DFS attention, and they are excellent plays. But for tournament consideration, I want the guy who can put up similar numbers, but at lower ownership.

DeVante Parker, Miami Dolphins at Los Angeles Chargers ($5,400 DK, $6,400 FD)

Jason Verrett has been ruled out and Jarvis Landry is nursing an injury. This is suddenly a great spot for Parker to become the focus of Jay Cutler’s reads, which could translate to double-digit targets, which should further translate into a 7-100-1 type of game at a cheap price and minimal ownership.

Discount Darlings: Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles Rams vs. Washington ($4,100 DK, $5,400 FD)

I’ve loved Kupp going back to my preseason DFS columns. He was plenty involved in Week 1, and now he gets the added bonus of being the guy not covered by Josh Norman. Nelson Agholor isn’t nearly as good as Kupp and look what he did last week as the non-Norman receiver. Kupp, at this price, is DFS gold this week.

Avoid: Stefon Diggs, Minnesota Vikings at Pittsburgh Steelers ($6,100 DK, $6,500 FD)

Check the status of Sam Bradford before the game. He has been limited all week in practice with a knee issue and is expected to start, but things could always change before lineups lock. Even if he does go, it’s hard to imagine he can repeat his Monday night performance on the road against the Steelers defense. That translates to his pass catchers and Diggs is likely to be highly-owned, making him a tournament fade.

Also consider: Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals; Brandin Cooks, Patriots; Julio Jones, Atlanta Falcons.

Tight end

Coby Fleener, New Orleans Saints vs. New England Patriots ($3,100 DK, $5,300 FD)

Fleener proved the “Coors Field” theory of the Superdome last year, putting up his best numbers in home games. He had a pretty impressive road game last week, so there’s a good bet he has one of his Superdome specials on Sunday, especially with the Pats defense weakened with the loss of Hightower.

Charles Clay, Buffalo Bills at Carolina Panthers ($3,000 DK, $5,200 FD)

Clay emerged as the most reliable receiver on the Bills last week, and given the Panthers’ difficulty against tight ends, that distinction should hold true for at least one more week.

Jared Cook, Oakland Raiders vs. New York Jets ($3,300 DK, $5,100 FD)

It was the Jets that allowed Clay’s solid game last week, and Cook, who was solid in his Week 1 game against Tennessee, should have plenty of opportunities to keep it going at home this week.

Cameron Brate, Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Chicago Bears ($3,000 DK, $5,300 FD)

Our final “forgotten man” narrative. Austin Hooper got free for a long touchdown last week against the Bears. Brate has emerged as an impact receiver in this offense and with Evans and Jackson stretching the field, Brate could have a field day underneath.

Discount Darling: George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks ($2,500 DK, $4,500 FD)

The Seahawks have always had a bit of a blind spot for tight ends, and Kittle acquitted himself nicely in his regular season debut last week, catching 5-of-6 targets, albeit for just 27 yards. If Kittle makes five catches on Sunday, the guess here is one will be for a touchdown, which could lead to a coveted 5X salary day.

Avoid: Jason Witten, Dallas Cowboys at Denver Broncos ($3,400 DK, $5,400 FD)

It’s one thing for Witten to do it at home against the Giants with a record on the line. It’s back to reality this week against the solid Broncos defense in Denver. Don’t chase the points here.

Also consider: Jimmy Graham, Seattle Seahawks; Delanie Walker, Tennessee Titans; Zach Ertz, Philadelphia Eagles

Defense

Oakland Raiders ($3,500 DK, $5,300 FD)

Arizona Cardinals ($4,100 DK, $5,000 FD)

Baltimore Ravens ($3,700 DK, $4,700 FD)

Carolina Panthers ($3,600 DK, $5,100 FD)

Discount Darling: Los Angeles Rams ($3,000 DK, $4,400 FD)

Avoid: Tennessee Titans ($3,300 DK, $4,600 FD)