GAME CAPSULES & PLAYER PROJECTIONS FOR WEEK 1. Matt Wilson FantasySharks.com Senior Writer

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1 GAME CAPSULES & PROJECTIONS FOR WEEK 1 By Matt Wilson FantasySharks.com Senior Writer

2 KANSAS CITY CHIEFS NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (0-0) THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 7 T H 8 : 3 0 P M E T G I L L E T T E S T A D I U M F O X B O R O U G H, M A L I N E : N E 9. 0 O V E R / U N D E R : 48.0 TEAM OFFENSIVE & DEFENSIV E MATCHUPS UNIT OVERALL SCORING POINTS RANK RANK PER GM RANK YPG RANK YPG K C O F F E N S E N E DEFENSE N E OFFENSE K C D E F E N S E BYE: Week 10 KANSAS CITY CHIEFS From a fantasy perspective, there s definitely a positive to the Kansas City Chiefs opening up their season with the toughest road matchup on their schedule they ll get it out of the way early. The New England Patriots defense wrapped up 2016 ranked in the top seven in fantasy points allowed to the quarterback, running back, wideout and tight end positions, respectively, and the 2017 Patriots defense looks improved. Bottom line it s going to be a tough night at the office for Alex Smith and company. This version of the Kansas City offense looks weaker than the 2016 model, particularly the receiver corps, so a big game from career game manager Smith is very unlikely. What else is new? Since New England probably will sell out to contain Travis Kelce, Tyreek Hill, who is learning the wideout craft on the fly, is the best bet for a score. Rookie Kareem Hunt, expected to operate as the featured runner, impressed during the preseason, but his occasional mistakes in pass protection have left the door open for

3 Charcandrick West and C.J. Spiller to see more action than Hunt owners would prefer. Last season the Patriots surrendered just seven touchdowns to the running back position, so the odds are against Hunt hitting pay dirt. WEEK 1 PROJECTIONS QB Alex Smith RB Kareem Hunt RB Charcandrick West WR Tyreek Hill WR Chris Conley WR Albert Wilson TE Travis Kelce PK Cairo Santos P/A SK INT FUM DT Chiefs Playoffs Divisional Round The Chiefs lost to the Patriots at Gillette Stadium. Alex Smith amassed a passing line and a rushing line. Charcandrick West compiled a rushing line and a receiving line. Spencer Ware sat out the contest because of an ankle injury. Travis Kelce caught six balls for 23 yards. Chris Conley hauled in five passes for 33 yards. Albert Wilson made five grabs for 57 yards and one touchdown. BYE: Week 9 NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS The defending Super Bowl Champions own the NFL right now, and the other 31 teams just live in it. Last season, a very respectable Kansas City Chiefs defense finished 11th and sixth in

4 fantasy points allowed to the quarterback and tight end positions, respectively, but nothing is going to stop you from starting Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski, right? Do you think the Patriots will want to showcase new weapon Brandin Cooks? You know the answer. With Julian Edelman (torn ACL) lost for the season, Chris Hogan is expected to help pick up the slack in the aerial attack. What about the murky New England backfield? Ugh. Kansas City ranked just 19th in fantasy points allowed to opposing ball carriers last season. Despite some offseason defensive line upgrades, I still think Mike Gillislee assuming he starts will find some room to run and find the end zone. Passing-down back extraordinaire James White also will vacuum up some of the targets that would have gone to Edelman. Rex Burkhead and Dion Lewis also could see some action. If that happens, I m not expecting big contributions from either guy. The New England team defense is a strong play. WEEK 1 PROJECTIONS QB Tom Brady RB Mike Gillislee RB James White WR Brandin Cooks WR Chris Hogan WR Danny Amendola TE Rob Gronkowski PK Stephen Gostkowski P/A SK INT FUM DT Patriots Playoffs Divisional Round The Patriots downed the Chiefs at Gillette Stadium. Tom Brady passed for 302 yards and two touchdowns, and notched one rushing score. James White compiled a rushing line and a receiving line. Julian Edelman hauled in 10 passes for 100 yards. Rob Gronkowski made seven grabs for 83 yards and two touchdowns. Danny Amendola logged two receptions for 18 yards.

5 NEW YORK JETS BUFFALO BILLS (0-0) SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 10 T H 1:00 P M E T N E W E R A F I E L D O R C H A R D P A R K, N Y L I N E : B U F 8. 0 O V E R / U N D E R : 40.0 TEAM OFFENSIVE & DEFENSIV E MATCHUPS UNIT OVERALL SCORING POINTS RANK RANK PER GM RANK YPG RANK YPG N Y OFFENSE B U F D E F E N S E B U F O F F E N S E N Y DEFENSE BYE: Week 11 NEW YORK JETS Welcome to the first of 16 scheduled episodes of the Worst NFL Offense of 2017 Show, which features your favorite undervalued three-down running back and ours Bilal Powell. Operating in a new scheme with question marks and below-average talent around him, Powell is the only safe start here until or unless some other Jets step up. The Buffalo Bills defense hemorrhaged the fourth-most fantasy points to the running back position last season, and it wouldn t be a surprise if Powell racked up a huge number of catches since Gang Green probably will have to operate in must-pass mode most of the afternoon. Thirty-two-year-old Matt Forte, the junior partner in New York s timeshare backfield, is worth flex consideration in deep leagues since he s healthy. Josh McCown should toss at least one scoring strike against a completely overhauled Buffalo secondary. The computer thinks Robby Anderson is the best bet for a scoring grab, but it could go. Rookie third-rounder ArDarius Stewart, the most talented wideout on the roster, showed

6 some preseason flashes and is worth monitoring. So is Jeremy Kerley during his second goround in the Big Apple. Austin Seferian-Jenkins (suspended) won t return until Week 3. WEEK 1 PROJECTIONS QB Josh McCown RB Bilal Powell RB Matt Forte WR Robby Anderson WR ArDarius Stewart WR Jermaine Kearse TE Austin Seferian-Jenkins TE Jordan Leggett TE Will Tye PK Chandler Catanzaro P/A SK INT FUM DT Jets regular season Week 17 The Jets routed the Bills at MetLife Stadium. Bilal Powell racked up a rushing line and a receiving line. Matt Forte missed the game due to a knee injury. Robby Anderson caught four passes for 43 yards. The other playmakers of note are no longer with the team. BYE: Week 6 BUFFALO BILLS It goes without saying that the Buffalo Bills offense would be far more dangerous with Sammy Watkins (Rams) in the lineup. Granted, his durability woes were a constant worry, but he also

7 was the team s best wideout and big-play specialist. Nevertheless, the rebuilding Bills still have enough playmakers to do some damage against a depleted New York Jets defense that also happens to be in the beginning of a slow rebuild. Last season, Gang Green ranked average or worse in fantasy points allowed to the quarterback, running back, wideout and tight end positions, so this is clearly one of Buffalo s most favorable matchups of the season. LeSean McCoy is a must-start as usual. Last season, Tyrod Taylor ripped the Jets for 297 passing yards and three touchdown tosses in his only matchup against them. Don t expect Taylor to duplicate those stats, but he deserves starting consideration in two-quarterback leagues. Who is Taylor s favorite target? Most assume that Jordan Matthews will be featured. While rookie Zay Jones also deserves starting consideration in deeper leagues based on the matchup, it s safer to keep Jones parked on the bench for now to see how the team uses him. Keep an eye on Charles Clay since he s one of Taylor s few trusted returning targets from The Jets yielded the ninthmost fantasy points to the tight end position last season. The Bills team defense is a decent streaming option. WEEK 1 PROJECTIONS QB Tyrod Taylor RB LeSean McCoy RB Mike Tolbert WR Jordan Matthews WR Zay Jones WR Andre Holmes TE Charles Clay PK Steven Hauschka P/A SK INT FUM DT Bills regular season Week 17 The Bills fell to the Jets at MetLife Stadium. Tyrod Taylor didn t play (benched). LeSean McCoy amassed a rushing line and a receiving line. Mike Gillislee (Patriots) scored Buffalo s only touchdown of the game on a 1-yard plunge. Charles Clay made three grabs for 20 yards. The other playmakers of note are no longer with the team.

8 PHILADELPHIA EAGLES WASHINGTON (0-0) SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 10 T H 1:00 P M E T F E D E X F I E L D L A N D O V E R, M D L I N E : P H I 1. 0 O V E R / U N D E R : 47.5 TEAM OFFENSIVE & DEFENSIV E MATCHUPS UNIT OVERALL SCORING POINTS RANK RANK PER GM RANK YPG RANK YPG P H I O F F E N S E W A S DEFENSE W A S OFFENSE P H I D E F E N S E BYE: Week 10 PHILADELPHIA EAGLES Look for the Philadelphia Eagles to go run heavy against an overhauled Washington defense that coughed up the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing running backs last season. The Eagles backfield is just about as complicated as the New England Patriots backfield, so predictions for the Philadelphia ball carriers are tough. LeGarrette Blount is the first choice for a rushing score, but I suspect Wendell Smallwood will see more action than expected. Dual-threat Darren Sproles remains the safest play of the group. Carson Wentz tossed one touchdown pass in two 2016 matchups against Washington, so it s hard to trust him in this matchup. Maybe he makes a better showing against Washington this time. Maybe he doesn t. Josh Norman is expected to matchup on Alshon Jeffery, which sets the table for Torrey Smith to have a nice outing. However, the deep threat was relatively quiet during the preseason, which brings Smith s chemistry with Wentz into question. Washington was soft against tight ends last season (22nd in

9 fantasy points allowed to the position), so, with Jeffery battling Norman and Smith probably not showing up on Wentz s radar regularly, Zach Ertz, a Wentz favorite, looks like a strong start. WEEK 1 PROJECTIONS QB Carson Wentz RB LeGarrette Blount RB Darren Sproles RB Wendell Smallwood WR Alshon Jeffery WR Torrey Smith WR Nelson Agholor TE Zach Ertz PK Caleb Sturgis P/A SK INT FUM DT Eagles regular season Week 14 Philadelphia lost to Washington at Lincoln Financial Field. Carson Wentz threw for 314 yards and one touchdown. Darren Sproles compiled a rushing line and a receiving line. Zach Ertz hauled in 10 passes for 112 yards. Nelson Agholor made two grabs for 22 yards. BYE: Week 5 WASHINGTON Switching DeSean Jackson (Bucs) for Terrelle Pryor and switching Pierre Garcon (49ers) for Josh Doctson has left me feeling nervous about Kirk Cousins 2017 fantasy prospects, but he s a solid No. 1 fantasy passer for this week. Although the Philadelphia Eagles defense finished eighth in fantasy points allowed to the quarterback position, Cousins tossed two touchdowns in

10 each of his two 2016 matchups against them. Look for the Washington triggerman to lean on favorites Jamison Crowder and Jordan Reed, which shouldn t surprise anyone. Pryor, a converted college quarterback who is coming off his first 1,000-yard season and still learning the wideout craft, is adjusting to a new scheme and won t be the only capable target. I wouldn t trust him just yet. Doctson, coming off an injury wrecked 2016 rookie season, is still learning the ropes. Treat him as a wait-and-see prospect. In the rushing department, Rob Kelley scored in his last game against Philadelphia, and I like his chances to find the end zone again even though the Eagles ranked 11th in fantasy points allowed to opposing tailbacks. Samaje Perine struggled during the preseason and won t be a fantasy factor right away barring injuries. WEEK 1 PROJECTIONS QB Kirk Cousins RB Rob Kelley RB Chris Thompson WR Terrelle Pryor WR Jamison Crowder WR Josh Doctson TE Jordan Reed TE Vernon Davis PK Dustin Hopkins P/A SK INT FUM DT Washington regular season Week 14 Washington downed Philadelphia at Lincoln Financial Field. Kirk Cousins passed for 234 yards and two touchdowns. Rob Kelley compiled a rushing line and a receiving line. Chris Thompson amassed a rushing line but didn t catch any passes. Jamison Crowder caught two passes for 37 yards. Jordan Reed made one grab for 10 yards. The other playmakers of note are no longer with the team.

11 OAKLAND RAIDERS TENNESSEE TITANS (0-0) SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 10 T H 1:00 P M E T N I S S A N S T A D I U M N A S H V I L L E, T N L I N E : T E N 2. 0 O V E R / U N D E R : 51.0 TEAM OFFENSIVE & DEFENSIV E MATCHUPS UNIT OVERALL SCORING POINTS RANK RANK PER GM RANK YPG RANK YPG O A K O F F E N S E T E N D E F E N S E T E N O F F E N S E O A K D E F E N S E BYE: Week 10 OAKLAND RAIDERS You ve been listening to all the preseason talk from the Oakland Raiders about their plans to operate a balanced attack, but look for the Silver and Black to go pass heavy with Derek Carr, Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree against an overhauled Tennessee Titans secondary that was one of the NFL s worst last season. Tennessee ranked in the bottom five in fantasy points allowed to the quarterback and wideout positions, respectively. Although the Titans also ranked just average against fantasy points allowed to tight ends, they allowed just five scores to the position. The Jared Cook coming out party won t happen this week. The Marshawn Lynch coming out party will be a quiet one against a Tennessee defense that surrendered the thirdfewest fantasy points and two rushing scores at home to the tailback position. Last season, DeAndre Washington and Jalen Richard both averaged close to seven combo touches per game. Since Lynch isn t expected to find much running room, Washington and Richard, who are

12 both quicker than Lynch, probably will see some action, but neither will receive enough touches to have standalone value. WEEK 1 PROJECTIONS QB Derek Carr RB Marshawn Lynch RB DeAndre Washington RB Jalen Richard WR Amari Cooper WR Michael Crabtree WR Seth Roberts TE Jared Cook PK Sebastian Janikowski P/A SK INT FUM DT Raiders season Week 3 The Raiders slipped past the Titans at Nissan Stadium. Derek Carr threw for 249 yards and one score. DeAndre Washington compiled a rushing line and a receiving line. Jalen Richard amassed a rushing line and a receiving line. Amari Cooper caught four passes for 62 yards. Michael Crabtree made eight grabs for 102 yards. Seth Roberts hauled in two balls for 27 yards and one touchdown. TENNESSEE TITANS BYE: Week 8 Don t expect to see the retooled Tennessee Titans passing attack in all its glory this week or

13 anytime soon. Eric Decker was banged up during the preseason, and he s still working on his chemistry with Marcus Mariota. Rookie first-rounder Corey Davis missed virtually the entire preseason due to a hamstring injury and will see only limited action until further notice, while rookie third-round selection Taywan Taylor is buried on the depth chart. Look for Mariota will attack a middling Oakland Raiders secondary with favorite targets Rishard Matthews, who inexplicably dropped like a stone tons of fantasy drafts, and Delanie Walker. The must-start DeMarco Murray is a strong play versus an Oakland defense that finished 2016 ranked just 23rd in fantasy points yielded to the running back position. Derrick Henry is expected to receive a little more work, but Murray s workhorse role will remain intact. It s also too early in the season to roll the dice with Henry. His 2016 usage was uneven from week to week, and that s expected to continue. WEEK 1 PROJECTIONS QB Marcus Mariota RB DeMarco Murray RB Derrick Henry WR Rishard Matthews WR Eric Decker WR Corey Davis TE Delanie Walker PK Ryan Succop P/A SK INT FUM DT Titans season Week 3 The Titans came up short against the Raiders, losing at Nissan Stadium. Marcus Mariota passed for 214 scoreless yards. DeMarco Murray racked up a rushing line and a receiving line. Derrick Henry compiled a rushing line and a receiving line. Rishard Matthews caught three passes for 32 yards. Delanie Walker missed the game due to a hamstring injury.

14 JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS HOUSTON TEXANS (0-0) SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 10 T H 1:00 P M E T N R G S T A D I U M H O U S T O N, T X L I N E : H O U 5. 5 O V E R / U N D E R : 39.5 TEAM OFFENSIVE & DEFENSIV E MATCHUPS UNIT OVERALL SCORING POINTS RANK RANK PER GM RANK YPG RANK YPG J A X O F F E N S E H O U D E F E N S E H O U O F F E N S E J A X D E F E N S E BYE: Week 8 JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS The Jacksonville Jaguars, who went just 1-7 on the road last season, will battle an emotional Houston Texans team that s absolutely determined to win one for the hometown fans and for a part of the country that has suffered unimaginable tragedy and destruction at the hands of Hurricane Harvey. The Texans finished 2016 ranked 15th in fantasy points allowed to the running back position but usually played the run much tougher at home, so don t expect fireworks from Leonard Fournette in his regular-season debut. Will the now run-minded Jaguars let Blake Bortles challenge a revamped Houston secondary with some shots downfield? They ll probably have to let him do so at some point during the contest, but don t expect much success from the struggling Bortles. He passed for just 92 yards in his last clash with the Texans. Jacksonville s low-volume passing attack will feature Allen Robinson he looks like a decent start on paper but the other Jaguars receivers are not promising dart throws. There will be

15 better matchups for the Jacksonville team defense this season. WEEK 1 PROJECTIONS QB Blake Bortles RB Leonard Fournette RB T.J. Yeldon WR Allen Robinson WR Marqise Lee WR Allen Hurns TE Marcedes Lewis TE Ben Koyack PK Jason Myers P/A SK INT FUM DT Jaguars regular season Week 15 The Jaguars fell to the Texans at NRG Stadium. Blake Bortles threw for 92 scoreless yards and scored once on a 1-yard run. Chris Ivory compiled a rushing line and a receiving line. T.J. Yeldon amassed an rushing line and a receiving line. Allen Robinson caught two passes for 15 yards. Marqise Lee didn t log any catches; he scored on a 100-yard kickoff return. Allen Hurns missed the contest due to a hamstring injury. HOUSTON TEXANS INJURIES TO MONITOR: Alfred Blue (high ankle sprain), Will Fuller (collarbone), BYE: Week 7 Do you remember the New Orleans Saints first game played after Hurricane Katrina? Not to downplay the unimaginable tragedy and sadness inflicted on the Houston area by Hurricane

16 Harvey, but we re going to see a very fired up Houston Texans team that s determined to win one for the hometown bunch. The Texans team defense will control this contest from start to finish, and I like Houston s chances to notch a touchdown off a turnover. Lamar Miller, with game flow working in his favor, should have a nice outing in what s still a run-heavy offense. Miller could exceed our projections since Alfred Blue (high ankle sprain) isn t expected to play, and rookie D Onta Foreman is still working to earn the team s trust. Tom Savage s first start of 2017 should be uneventful, which is what Houston wants. DeAndre Hopkins gashed the formidable Jacksonville Jaguars secondary for 87 yards on eight grabs the last time he faced them. Since Will Fuller (collarbone) and Jaelen Strong (suspension) will both miss Week 1, Savage will need the services of C.J. Fiedorowicz. He s a serviceable start in deep PPR leagues. WEEK 1 PROJECTIONS QB Tom Savage RB Lamar Miller RB Alfred Blue RB D Onta Foreman WR DeAndre Hopkins WR Will Fuller WR Braxton Miller WR Jaelen Strong TE C.J. Fiedorowicz TE Ryan Griffin PK Ka imi Fairbairn P/A SK INT FUM DT Texans regular season Week 15 The Texans nipped the Jaguars at NRG Stadium. Tom Savage threw for 260 scoreless yards. Lamar Miller amassed a rushing line and a receiving line. DeAndre Hopkins racked up eight catches for 87 yards. Will Fuller made four grabs for 42 yards. C.J. Fiedorowicz missed the game because of a concussion. Ryan Griffin hauled in eight balls for 85 yards.

17 ARIZONA CARDINALS DETROIT LIONS (0-0) SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 10 T H 1:00 P M E T F O R D F I E L D D E T R O I T, M I L I N E : A R Z 1. 5 O V E R / U N D E R : 48.0 TEAM OFFENSIVE & DEFENSIV E MATCHUPS UNIT OVERALL SCORING POINTS RANK RANK PER GM RANK YPG RANK YPG A R Z O F F E N S E D E T D E F E N S E D E T O F F E N S E A R Z D E F E N S E BYE: Week 8 ARIZONA CARDINALS Two years ago, the Arizona Cardinals featured one of the NFL s most dangerous aerial attacks, but Father Time, injuries and off-the-field problems have taken a toll on this group. With the must-start David Johnson obviously trending up, this once-vaunted passing attack is trending down. Although the 2017 season is possibly last call for both 38-year-old Carson Palmer and 34-year-old Larry Fitzgerald, the duo still has enough gas in the tank to exploit a still-weak Detroit Lions secondary that coughed up the third-most fantasy points to quarterbacks and the 12th-most fantasy points to wideouts last season, respectively. It looks like John Brown has overcome the sickle-cell trait issues that wrecked his 2016 campaign, and he s a nice start, too. Third wideout J.J. Nelson showed some flashes of fantasy relevance last season but lacked

18 consistency. Nelson isn t fantasy starter material, but keep an eye on him. Alhtough only three more teams yielded more fantasy points to the tight end position than Detroit did, it s very questionable whether Palmer will lean on Jermaine Gresham like he did last season when Brown was out of the lineup. A Cardinals team defense that played much better at home last season and took some major free-agent hits looks like a weak start. WEEK 1 PROJECTIONS QB Carson Palmer RB David Johnson WR Larry Fitzgerald WR John Brown WR J.J. Nelson TE Jermaine Gresham PK Phil Dawson P/A SK INT FUM DT Cardinals regular season The Cardinals routed the Lions BYE: Week 7 DETROIT LIONS The Detroit Lions want to utilize a more balanced attack, but they re going to find themselves in plenty of fantasy friendly shootouts if their defense especially the secondary continues to struggle like it did during the preseason. Last season the Arizona Cardinals defense finished in the top 10 in both passing yards and rushing yards allowed, but don t shy away from starting some Detroit fantasy stars since the Cardinals struggled mightily on the road in 2016, and this free-agency depleted stop unit likely will do so again. Matthew Stafford and Golden Tate are strong plays, but standout Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson is expected to matchup on

19 Marvin Jones. With Peterson tying up Jones, rookie Kenny Golladay, an intriguing tall redzone target, could score, but that s a guess on my part. Arizona gave up the fewest fantasy points to the tight end position, so Eric Ebron looks like a weak play. Maybe Ebron goes off against a Cardinals defense that, as noted, doesn t travel well. Maybe he doesn t. Arizona was very soft against the running back position away from home last season, so Ameer Abdullah should have a nice outing, and Theo Riddick deserves flex consideration in deep PPR leagues. WEEK 1 PROJECTIONS QB Matthew Stafford RB Ameer Abdullah RB Theo Riddick WR Golden Tate WR Marvin Jones WR Kenny Golladay TE Eric Ebron PK Matt Prater P/A SK INT FUM DT Lions regular season The Lions were ripped by Cardinals

20 ATLANTA FALCONS CHICAGO BEARS (0-0) SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 10 T H 1:00 P M E T S O L D I E R F I E L D C H I C A G O, I L L I N E : A T L 7. 0 O V E R / U N D E R : 49.5 TEAM OFFENSIVE & DEFENSIV E MATCHUPS UNIT OVERALL SCORING POINTS RANK RANK PER GM RANK YPG RANK YPG A T L O F F E N S E C H I D E F E N S E C H I O F F E N S E A T L D E F E N S E BYE: Week 5 ATLANTA FALCONS How will the NFL s top-scoring offense from 2016 perform with new offensive boss Steve Sarkisian calling the shots? We finally get to find out. The Atlanta Falcons obviously have more than enough talent to get the job done in the Windy City, but the Chicago Bears are tougher at home than you think particularly against the pass so don t expect astro-numbers from Matt Ryan and Julio Jones. Last season Mohamed Sanu was usually stuck on three or four catches for 40-something or 50-something yards per game, while explosive-but-diminutive Taylor Gabriel never touched the ball more than seven times in a game. Will Sarkisian use Sanu and Gabriel differently? You should take a wait-and-see approach with both. Chicago ceded the 11th-

21 fewest fantasy points to the tight end position last season, so that Austin Hooper breakout campaign that many have predicted probably won t get into full swing this week. The Bears, however, finished 21st in fantasy points allowed to opposing tailbacks, which is why I like both Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman. WEEK 1 PROJECTIONS QB Matt Ryan RB Devonta Freeman RB Tevin Coleman WR Julio Jones WR Mohamed Sanu WR Taylor Gabriel TE Austin Hooper PK Matt Bryant P/A SK INT FUM DT Falcons regular season The Falcons fell to the Bears BYE: Week 9 CHICAGO BEARS It s a rebuilding year for the Chicago Bears offense. The must-start Jordan Howard will continue to do his workhorse thing behind one of the NFL s better run-blocking lines. The Atlanta Falcons defense allowed the ninth-most fantasy points to opposing tailbacks in Even though the Falcons improved against the run during the latter half of the season, Howard is always a solid start at home. It s too early to know how the Bears will use speedy rookie thirddown specialist Tarik Cohen. As you surely know, Chicago has reloaded at quarterback and wideout. Rookie second overall selection Mitch Trubisky is the quarterback of the future, but

22 Mike Glennon is the quarterback of the present. With Cameron Meredith (ACL) lost for the season, the passing attack is expected to flow through Kevin White, the team s injury-prone and work-in-progress 2015 first-round selection, slot guy Kendall Wright, the most seasoned wideout on the roster and injury-prone Zach Miller. Statistically, the Falcons secondary allowed a ton of yards and scores to quarterbacks, wideouts and tight ends because of trash time last season. The only somewhat safe start in the Bears aerial attack is Wright. WEEK 1 PROJECTIONS QB Mike Glennon RB Jordan Howard RB Tarik Cohen WR Kevin White WR Deonte Thompson WR Kendall Wright TE Zach Miller PK Connor Barth P/A SK INT FUM DT Bears regular season The Bears trounced the Falcons

23 BALTIMORE RAVENS CINCINNATI BENGALS (0-0) SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 10 T H 1:00 P M E T P A U L B R O W N S T A D I U M C I N C I N N A T I, O H L I N E : C I N 3. 0 O V E R / U N D E R : 42.5 TEAM OFFENSIVE & DEFENSIV E MATCHUPS UNIT OVERALL SCORING POINTS RANK RANK PER GM RANK YPG RANK YPG B A L O F F E N S E C I N D E F E N S E C I N O F F E N S E B A L D E F E N S E BYE: Week 10 BALTIMORE RAVENS Even though most of the Cincinnati Bengals defensive statistics suggest otherwise, this isn t a plus matchup for the Baltimore Ravens offense. The Bengals are usually pretty stingy on defense at home, and they throttled the Ravens at Paul Brown Stadium in Week 17 of last season. Joe Flacco looks like a moderate play as usual. It will be interesting to see how he adjusts to life without security blankets Dennis Pitta (retired) and Steve Smith (retired). New guy Jeremy Maclin will assume the Steve Smith role, which is why I like his chances to score, while Mike Wallace will continue to operate as the lid lifter. Take a wait-and-see approach with Pitta replacement Ben Watson. A Bengals defense that ranked just 18th in fantasy points allowed to

24 enemy tailbacks is tougher against the position at home. This looks like more of a plus matchup for passing-down specialist Danny Woodhead than for early-down guy Terrance West. WEEK 1 PROJECTIONS QB Joe Flacco RB Terrance West RB Danny Woodhead WR Jeremy Maclin WR Mike Wallace WR Breshad Perriman TE Ben Watson PK Justin Tucker P/A SK INT FUM DT Ravens regular season Week 17 The Ravens fell to the Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium. Joe Flacco threw for 267 scoreless yards. Terrance West compiled a rushing line and a receiving line. Kenneth Dixon (knee surgery IR) amassed a rushing line and a receiving line. Mike Wallace logged four catches for 33 yards. Breshad Perriman made four grabs for 62 yards. CINCINNATI BENGALS INJURIES TO MONITOR: John Ross (knee) BYE: Week 6 The Cincinnati Bengals are loaded at the skill positions which makes fantasy forecasting a real challenge here and we ll have to see if their retooled offensive line can get the job done. The Baltimore Ravens defense wrapped up 2016 ranked seventh in fantasy points allowed to the tailback position, so the Bengals should sling the rock a lot in this one. A.J. Green, Tyler Eifert

25 and Andy Dalton are the safest plays in the aerial attack. Brandon LaFell will operate in a secondary role while Tyler Boyd holds down the slot duties. Rookie ninth overall selection John Ross (knee) has been ruled out. The Cincinnati backfield is just as messy as the backfields in New England or Philadelphia. I m going to take the Bengals at their word and assume Jeremy Hill will open the season as the starter with Giovani Bernard handling third-down duties. Highly touted rookie Joe Mixon will be brought along slowly and sprinkled in for now. Although Cincinnati s team defense will be without the services of Vontaze Burfict and Adam Jones for this game, the Bengals stop unit is a serviceable streaming option. WEEK 1 PROJECTIONS QB Andy Dalton RB Joe Mixon RB Jeremy Hill RB Giovani Bernard WR A.J. Green WR Brandon LaFell WR Tyler Boyd WR John Ross TE Tyler Eifert PK Randy Bullock P/A SK INT FUM DT Bengals regular season Week 17 The Bengals pounded the Ravens at Paul Brown Stadium. Andy Dalton threw for 226 yards and one touchdown. Jeremy Hill missed the contest due to a knee injury. Giovani Bernard missed the game because of ACL surgery. Rex Burkhead (Patriots) compiled a rushing line and a receiving line. A.J. Green missed the contest due to a hamstring injury. Brandon LaFell made seven grabs for 67 yards. Tyler Boyd caught two passes for 39 yards. Tyler Eifert missed the game because of a back injury.

26 PITTSBURGH STEELERS CLEVELAND BROWNS (0-0) SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 10 T H 1:00 P M E T F I R S T E N E R G Y S T A D I U M C L E V E L A N D, O H L I N E : P I T 9. 0 O V E R / U N D E R : 47.0 TEAM OFFENSIVE & DEFENSIV E MATCHUPS UNIT OVERALL SCORING POINTS RANK RANK PER GM RANK YPG RANK YPG P I T O F F E N S E C L E D E F E N S E C L E O F F E N S E P I T D E F E N S E BYE: Week 9 PITTSBURGH STEELERS Will the Pittsburgh Steelers offensive stars stay focused for four quarters? Will the Steelers offensive stars play for four quarters? Will a young and overhauled Cleveland Browns defense that finished near the bottom of the league in most of the major statisitcal categorie last season put up a fight? The computer projects big numbers from Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown and Martavis Bryant, but game flow could depress their production seriously. During Pittsburgh s last visit to Cleveland, Roethlisberger passed for 167 scoreless yards and Brown caught eight balls for 76 yards while Le Veon Bell racked up a monster rushing game. The Browns didn t put up much of a fight, so Roethlisberger and Brown didn t have to do much. Let s not overthink this Roethlisberger, Brown, Bryant and Bell are all must-starts. With Bryant back in the mix, slot guy Eli Rogers will see fewer targets come his way. Jesse James

27 and Vance McDonald aren t expected to be fantasy factors as they battle for the starting gig. The Pittsburgh team defense is a starting option. WEEK 1 PROJECTIONS QB Ben Roethlisberger RB Le Veon Bell RB James Conner WR Antonio Brown WR Martavis Bryant WR Eli Rogers TE Jesse James TE Vance McDonald PK Chris Boswell P/A SK INT FUM DT Steelers regular season Week 17 The Steelers slipped past the Browns in overtime at Heinz Field. Ben Roethlisberger, Le Veon Bell and Antonio Brown missed what was a meaningless game. Eli Rogers caught six balls for 61 yards. Jesse James made two grabs for 16 yards. Other playmakers of note are no longer with the team. BYE: Week 9 CLEVELAND BROWNS The Cleveland Browns overhauled their defense, and they retooled their offense, too. It now includes some nice offensive line upgrades along with a rookie starting quarterback, DeShone Kizer, a rookie staring tight end, David Njoku, a free-agent starting wideout, Kenny Britt and a promising but injury-prone seocnd-year starting wideout, Corey Coleman. Kizer is a project,

28 and the Pittsburgh Steelers defense was very stingy against the pass last season. The dual-threat Kizer, however, is a dangerous runner, which is why I like his chances to notch a rushing score. He also flashed some promsing preseason chemistry with Coleman, which makes the second-year wideout the clear No. 1 option as long as Kizer is under center. Even though Njoku has bigtime playmaking ability, he struggled during the preseason and probably won t contribute right away. There s some fantasy hope for the Cleveland ground game. Pittsburgh ranked just 26th in fantasy points ceded to the running back position, so Isaiah Crowell and Duke Johnson are worthy of starting consideration. WEEK 1 PROJECTIONS QB DeShone Kizer RB Isaiah Crowell RB Duke Johnson WR Kenny Britt WR Corey Coleman WR Ricardo Louis TE David Njoku PK Zane Gonzalez P/A SK INT FUM DT Browns regular season Week 17 The Browns were tripped up by the Steelers (OT) at Heinz Field. Isaiah Crowell amassed a rushing line and a receiving line. Duke Johnson compiled a rushing line and a receiving line. Corey Coleman hauled in four balls for 40 yards. The other playmakers of note are no longer with the team.

29 INDIANAPOLIS COLTS LOS ANGELES RAMS (0-0) SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 10 T H 4:05 PM E T L O S A N G E L E S M E M O R I A L C O L I S E U M L O S A N G E L E S, C A L I N E : L A R A 3. 5 O V E R / U N D E R : 41.5 TEAM OFFENSIVE & DEFENSIV E MATCHUPS UNIT OVERALL SCORING POINTS RANK RANK PER GM RANK YPG RANK YPG I N D O F F E N S E L A D E F E N S E L A O F F E N S E I N D D E F E N S E BYE: Week 11 INDIANAPOLIS COLTS As many fantasy owners had suspected and feared, the Indianapolis Colts will play their 2017 season opener without the services of Andrew Luck (shoulder surgery) and with the services of career backup Scott Tolzien. Making one fill-in start for Luck last season (Thanksgiving night against the Pittsburgh Steelers), Tolzien kept the Colts afloat, but they scored just seven points and left a lot of points on the field. He also struggled with accuracy. Tolzien hooked up with Donte Moncrief six times for 45 yards and one touchdown and connected with the Dwayne Allen/Jack Doyle combo platter seven times for 74 yards. However, Tolzien struggled with his deep ball, hitting T.Y. Hilton just three times for 54 yards. If you need to start any Indianapolis receivers, Moncrief and Doyle are the safest bets but hardly risk free. The Colts will try to lean

30 heavily on Frank Gore, but that approach didn t go well against the Steelers. Pittsburgh keyed on Gore, limiting him to just 28 rushes on 15 carries. The 34-year-old Gore can t carry an offense anymore. This certainly isn t the right matchup to roll the dice on goal-line specialist Robert Turbin. Last season the Rams finished 17th in fantasy points allowed to running backs, but Los Angeles played the run much tougher at home. WEEK 1 PROJECTIONS QB Andrew Luck QB Scott Tolzien RB Frank Gore RB Robert Turbin WR T.Y. Hilton WR Donte Moncrief WR Chester Rogers TE Jack Doyle PK Adam Vinatieri P/A SK INT FUM DT Colts regular season The Colts were blown out by the Rams BYE: Week 8 LOS ANGELES RAMS It s going to take some time for new Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay to fix a horrible offense that finished dead last in the NFL in yardage and scoring last season. McVay wants to model his Rams score unit after the potent Washington offenses that he directed during the 2015 and 2016 seasons. Trusted playmakers are clearly in short supply when you look past the muststart Todd Gurley. Welcome to one of Jared Goff s easiest matchups of He should

31 perform solidly against a Vontae Davis-less Indianapolis Colts secondary that ranked below average last season, but Goff shouldn t be trusted in stating lineups. Sammy Watkins, operating in the DeSean Jackson role, should be heavily targeted and looks like a reasonably safe start. While I like the chances for Goff favorite Cooper Kupp (operating in the Jamison Crowder role ) to the find the end zone, the rookie wideout obviously comes with risk. Los Angeles brought in Robert Woods (operating in the Pierre Garcon role ) to be a possession guy, but keep him benched until we figure out how the Rams will use him. While McVay loves to use his tight ends, Tyler Higbee was quiet during the preseason and looks too risky to trust right now. WEEK 1 PROJECTIONS QB Jared Goff RB Todd Gurley RB Malcolm Brown WR Sammy Watkins WR Robert Woods WR Cooper Kupp WR Tavon Austin TE Tyler Higbee TE Gerald Everett PK Greg Zuerlein P/A SK INT FUM DT Rams regular season The Rams blasted the Colts 38-8.

32 SEATTLE SEAHAWKS GREEN BAY PACKERS (0-0) SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 10 T H 4:25 PM E T L A M B E A U F I E L D G R E E N B A Y, W I L I N E : G B 3. 0 O V E R / U N D E R : 50.5 TEAM OFFENSIVE & DEFENSIV E MATCHUPS UNIT OVERALL SCORING POINTS RANK RANK PER GM RANK YPG RANK YPG S E A O F F E N S E G B DEFENSE G B OFFENSE S E A D E F E N S E BYE: Week 6 SEATTLE SEAHAWKS Last season, the Seattle Seahawks crumbled on the unfrozen tundra of Lambeau Field in Week 14, falling to the Green Bay Packers A very banged-up Russell Wilson, in case you ve forgotten, tossed five picks in that contest, which goes a long way to explaining the lopsided score. Don t expect a repeat of that awful performance from a now-healthy Wilson versus a retooled Packers defense that coughed up the eighth-most fantasy points to enemy passers, the most fantasy points to the wideout position and the 13th-most fantasy points to opposing tight ends in 2016, respectively. Wilson, Doug Baldwin and Jimmy Graham are all strong plays. While new No. 2 wideout Paul Richardson and Tyler Lockett could go off here, they re too

33 risky to trust right now. Green Bay ranked 12th in fantasy points allowed to the running back position and surrenered just one rushing score to a visiting tailback last season. Those are two good reasons to shy away from a murky Seahawks backfield this week. Thomas Rawls is supposedly the starter, but we ll see Eddie Lacy get some carries against his former team. It s hard to predict how C.J. Prosise and rookie Chris Carson fit into the mix right now. WEEK 1 PROJECTIONS QB Russell Wilson RB Thomas Rawls RB Eddie Lacy RB C.J. Prosise WR Doug Baldwin WR Paul Richardson WR Tyler Lockett TE Jimmy Graham PK Blair Walsh P/A SK INT FUM DT Seahawks regular season Week 14 The Seahawks were ripped by the Packers at Lambeau Field. Russell Wilson passed for 240 yards and one score, and amassed a rushing line. Thomas Rawls compiled a rushing line and a receiving line. C.J. Prosise missed the game due to a shoulder injury. Doug Baldwin made six grabs for 46 yards. Tyler Lockett caught four passes for 41 yards. Jimmy Graham logged one catch for 16 yards. GREEN BAY PACKERS

34 BYE: Week 8 The Green Bay Packers offense usually plays its best at Lambeau Field even if the tundra is frozen (it obviously won t be this week). The Seattle Seahawks defense didn t travel well last season, and I m expecting the Seahawks to continue their road struggles. Aaron Rodgers, Jordy Nelson and Davante Adams are all must-starts. What about vaunted Seattle shutdown corner Richard Sherman? During the Packers 2016 clash with the Seahawks, Green Bay moved its receivers around, leaving Cobb to face Sherman (Cobb was the sacrificial lamb of sorts), and look for the Pack to use the same approach. Since Seattle has been stellar against tight ends (the Seahawks yielded the fifth-fewest fantasy points to the position last season), don t expect Martellus Bennett to make much noise in his Green Bay debut. Seattle also surrendered the fifth-fewest fantasy points to enemy tailbacks in 2016, but Ty Montgomery, who scored against the Seahawks last season, still looks like a decent play. WEEK 1 PROJECTIONS QB Aaron Rodgers RB Ty Montgomery RB Jamaal Williams WR Jordy Nelson WR Davante Adams WR Randall Cobb TE Martellus Bennett PK Mason Crosby P/A SK INT FUM DT Packers regular season Week 14 The Packers demolished the Seahawks at Lambeau Field. Aaron Rodgers threw for 246 yards and three touchdowns. Ty Montgomery compiled a rushing line and a receiving line. Jordy Nelson hauled in six balls for 41 yards and two touchdowns. Davante Adams caught four passes for 104 yards and one score. Randall Cobb made three grabs for 33 yards.

35 CAROLINA PANTHERS SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (0-0) SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 10 T H 4:25 PM E T L E V I S S T A D I U M S A N T A C L A R A, C A L I N E : C A R 5. 5 O V E R / U N D E R : 48.0 TEAM OFFENSIVE & DEFENSIV E MATCHUPS UNIT OVERALL SCORING POINTS RANK RANK PER GM RANK YPG RANK YPG C A R O F F E N S E S F DEFENSE S F OFFENSE C A R D E F E N S E BYE: Week 11 CAROLINA PANTHERS The Carolina Panthers get to try out their tweaked aerial attack and beefed up backfield against a San Francisco 49ers defense that hemorrhaged the most total yards, points and rushing yards in the NFL last season. A 49ers team that will play with some fire for new head coach Kyle Shanahan could make things interesting in the early going, but look for Carolina s superior talent to takeover eventually and dominate the game. Cam Newton and his top-two targets, Kelvin Benjamin and Greg Olsen, feasted on a porous San Francisco secondary in 2016, and you can expect a repeat of that. The Panthers want to reduce the number of hits that Newton takes and have changed their passing attack to include more short routes. In other words, they want him to

36 run less and throw more. We ll see what happens with that. Newton wouldn t be Newton if he didn t run. What about the backfield? Rookie eighth overall selection Christian McCaffrey is expected to see most of his change-of-pace action between the 20-yard lines while Jonathan Stewart likely will retain the goal-line and bulk of the early-down touches. Both are solid plays in this matchup. The Panthers team defense is a nice starting option. WEEK 1 PROJECTIONS QB Cam Newton RB Christian McCaffrey RB Jonathan Stewart WR Kelvin Benjamin WR Devin Funchess WR Russell Shepard TE Greg Olsen PK Graham Gano P/A SK INT FUM DT Panthers regular season Week 2 The Panthers routed the 49ers at Bank of America Stadium. Cam Newton threw for 353 yards and four scores, and rushed six times for 37 yards. Jonathan Stewart amassed a rushing line and a receiving line. Kelvin Benjamin hauled in seven passes for 108 yards and two touchdowns. Devin Funchess caught two balls for 19 yards and one score. Greg Olsen snagged five passes for 122 yards and one touchdown. SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS BYE: Week 11 The San Francisco 49ers looked sharp in their third preseason game tune up, but fantasy owners

37 need to keep their regular-season expectations for new head coach Kyle Shanahan s crew in check. This team is learning a new scheme that it took a talented group of Atlanta Falcons playmakers close to a year to master, and Shanahan didn t bring any of the Falcons talented offensive stars with him. As for Week 1, the Carolina Panthers defense is two years removed from a Super Bowl appearance and is expected to recapture its playoff form after a somewhat down Carlos Hyde and Pierre Garcon both look like decent starts, and the two should receive a boost from garbage time production. Brian Hoyer is a capable passer and has streaming value in the right matchups, but this isn t one of them. Keep an eye on the usage of the other wideouts and the tight ends. San Francisco really wants rookie fifth-rounder George Kittle to emerge as the top guy at the position, but rookie tight ends are rarely fantasy assets. WEEK 1 PROJECTIONS QB Brian Hoyer RB Carlos Hyde RB Matt Breida WR Pierre Garcon WR Marquise Goodwin WR Aldrick Robinson TE Garrett Celek TE George Kittle PK Robbie Gould P/A SK INT FUM DT 49ers regular season Week 2 The 49ers fell to the Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. Carlos Hyde amassed a rushing line and a receiving line. The other players that factored into the scoring are no longer with the team.

38 NEW YORK GIANTS DALLAS COWBOYS (0-0) SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 10 T H 8:30 PM E T A T & T S T A D I U M A R L I N G T O N, T X L I N E : D A L 3. 5 O V E R / U N D E R : 47.5 TEAM OFFENSIVE & DEFENSIV E MATCHUPS UNIT OVERALL SCORING POINTS RANK RANK PER GM RANK YPG RANK YPG N Y OFFENSE D A L D E F E N S E D A L O F F E N S E N Y DEFENSE NEW YORK GIANTS INJURIES TO MONITOR: Odell Beckham (ankle) BYE: Week 8 Last season, the New York Giants scored 20 points and 10 points in their two matchups against the Dallas Cowboys, respectively. However, I m looking for more scoring out of Big Blue in this clash because of Eli Manning s upgraded receiver corps and Dallas revamped secondary, which looks like a weak spot. The Giants seem to think the receiver corps additions will enable Manning to be more productive on the road than he was in Manning and the New York offense didn t travel well last year. Odell Beckham is a must-start as always, and Brandon Marshall looks like a solid play. Until rookie Evan Engram asserts himself in the offense (or if he asserts himself), Sterling Shepard deserves flex consideration in larger leagues. Even though

39 Dallas allowed the second-most fantasy points to opposing tight ends in 2016, trusting the rookie Engram in his first regular-season appearance in a road contest is a bridge that fantasy owners shouldn t cross. The Cowboys yielded the fourth-fewest fantasy points to the running back position last season, so Paul Perkins and Shane Vereen are weak plays. The New York team defense is a solid start. WEEK 1 PROJECTIONS QB Eli Manning RB Paul Perkins RB Shane Vereen WR Odell Beckham WR Brandon Marshall WR Sterling Shepard TE Evan Engram PK Aldrick Rosas P/A SK INT FUM DT Giants regular season Week 14 The Giants slipped past the Cowboys 10-7 at MetLife Stadium. Eli Manning passed for 193 yards and one touchdown. Paul Perkins amassed a rushing line and a receiving line. Shane Vereen logged one catch for 10 yards. Odell Beckham caught four passes for 94 yards and one touchdown. Sterling Shepard made three grabs for 39 yards. DALLAS COWBOYS BYE: Week 6 Let s get the Ezekiel Elliott stuff out of the way. He has been cleared to start in Week 1, but