NFL Game Previews: Monday Night Matchups

Tennessee (+10) at Buffalo, o/u 49.5 – Monday, 7:15 p.m. EDT

The Titans certainly had their chance to win last week, but their loss to the Giants really came down to their usual formula not working. They took a 13-0 lead into halftime, but Derrick Henry couldn't pound the opposition and the clock into submission in the second half, and New York took advantage of the opportunities they got. Henry's final numbers were solid, and he did tease breaking off a big run a couple times, but he also got trucked as often as he was trucking defenders. I'm not overly worried yet, as he typically gets stronger as the season wears on, but if he's no longer the dominant power back he was before last year's injury, Tennessee's in big trouble. Yeah, they kept afloat last year without him, but everything about this offense keys off Henry. If he's not the one carrying the load, who else is going to do it, Ryan Tannehill?

Nobody made a bigger statement in Week 1 than the Bills, even though it kind of seems like forever ago already. Josh Allen and the passing game were explosive, the defense was nasty despite some attrition in the secondary, and the running game was, uhh, there, and they manhandled the defending champs in their own building. There's two competing and equally compelling narratives colliding here as the team establishes itself as early Super Bowl favorites. One is that Buffalo was all geared up for a primetime clash and will fall back to earth in Week 2 against what was, let's not forget, the No. 1 seed in the AFC last season. The other is that this franchise spent a long time watching the Patriots be the bullies of the conference and never take their foot off the gas, and it's a lesson the Bills have taken to heart now that they're the ones on top. The Titans are a potential competitor, and crushing them now just lets them know who the new boss is.

The Skinny

TEN injuries: RB Dontrell Hilliard (questionable, hamstring), WR Kyle Philips (questionable, shoulder), RG Nate Davis (questionable, knee), EDGE Harold Landry (IR, knee), CB Kristian Fulton (questionable, hamstring)
BUF injuries: CB Tre'Davious White (out, knee), CB Dane Jackson (questionable, knee)

TEN DFS targets: none
BUF DFS targets: Isaiah McKenzie $4,400 DK / $5,400 FD (TEN 29th in DVOA vs. WR3 in 2021), Bills DST $3,200 DK / $5,000 FD (t-3rd in takeaways, first in points per game allowed in 2021)

TEN DFS fades: Tannehill $5,400 DK / $7,100 FD (BUF first in passing DVOA, first in passing yards per game allowed, first in YPA allowed, first in passing TDs allowed in 2021), Nick Westbrook-Ikhine $4,000 DK / $5,000 FD (BUF first in DVOA vs. WR2 in 2021), Treylon Burks $4,600 DK / $5,500 FD (BUF first in DVOA vs. WR3 in 2021)
BUF DFS fades: Devin Singletary $5,400 DK / $5,600 FD (TEN second in rushing yards per game allowed, fourth in YPC allowed in 2021), Dawson Knox $4,400 DK / $5,500 FD (TEN third in DVOA vs. TE in 2021)

Key stat: BUF third in third-down conversions in 2021 at 46.4 percent; TEN sixth in third-down defense at 36.7 percent

Weather forecast: cloudy, temperature in the low 60s, less than 10 mph wind, 5-10 percent chance of rain

The Scoop: Henry gallops for 90 yards and a touchdown. Tannehill throws for 230 yards and a TD to Robert Woods. Singletary leads the BUF backfield with 70 yards. Allen throws for 320 yards and three scores, hitting Gabe Davis (who tops 100 yards) twice and McKenzie once. Allen also runs in a TD, just because he can. Bills 31-17

Minnesota (+2) at Philadelphia, o/u 51 – Monday, 8:30 p.m. EDT

The later Monday night battle features two teams who mostly did what they wanted to do in Week 1. The Vikings unleashed Justin Jefferson while still getting solid production from Dalvin Cook, and the only thing that stopped the offense from putting up even bigger numbers was the fact the Packers weren't competitive. The defense made sure of that; Danielle Hunter and Za'Darius Smith both looked healthy again coming off the edge, Jordan Hicks was the same tackling machine he'd been in Arizona and never got a chance to be in Philly, and the secondary ... well, the secondary got lucky and benefited from some drops, let's be honest. A potent offense and a good-enough defense can go a long way, though.

The Eagles, meanwhile, ran roughshod over the Lions as four players scored rushing TDs. That's not to say Jalen Hurts completely ignored the aerial side of the offense, but when one guy is on the other end of over 60 percent of your passing yards, it's fair to say you have a narrow target tree. A.J. Brown does give the Philly attack an element it lacked before, and assuming DeVonta Smith and Dallas Goedert also make occasional contributions, it's not hard to see this being a top-10 offense. The defense nearly blew the game in the fourth quarter, and letting Jared Goff stage a late rally guarantees a failing grade in my book, but most of the time this team should score enough points to overcome any defensive lapses. Most of the time.

The Skinny

MIN injuries: CB Andrew Booth (questionable, quadriceps)
PHI injuries: LG Landon Dickerson (questionable, illness), DE Derek Barnett (IR, knee)

MIN DFS targets: Irv Smith $3,400 DK / $5,000 FD (PHI 27th in DVOA vs. TE in 2021)
PHI DFS targets: Miles Sanders $5,600 DK / $7,000 FD (MIN 26th in rushing yards per game, 29th in YPC allowed in 2021)

MIN DFS fades: none
PHI DFS fades: Eagles DST $2,400 DK / $3,600 FD (31st in sacks, t-28th in takeaways in 2021, MIN fifth in sacks allowed, t-1st in giveaways in 2021)

Key stat: MIN t-7th in red-zone conversions in 2021 at 62.3 percent; PHI 28th in red-zone defense at 66.7 percent

Weather forecast: cloudy, temperature in the mid-70s, less than 10 mph wind, 0-5 percent chance of rain

The Scoop: Cook dashes for 90 combined yards and a TD. Kirk Cousins throws for 320 yards and two touchdowns, hitting Jefferson (who tops 100 yards) and Smith. Sanders leads the PHI backfield with 70 yards and a score. Hurts throws for 270 yards and a touchdown to Brown while running for 60 yards and a TD of his own, but he also loses a fumble that Hicks returns to the house. Vikings 31-24

Miami (+3.5) at Baltimore, o/u 44.5 – Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT

The Dolphins continued to make Bill Belichick feel unwelcome in Miami last week, but I wouldn't say they looked all that great. (Like so many Week 1 results, it's tough to judge who actually won their game as opposed to who faced a team that lost theirs, as it were.) The rushing scheme Mike McDaniel brought with him from San Francisco didn't actually do much, and while it's understandable Tua Tagovailoa was fixated on his shiny new toy in Tyreek Hill, he's going to need to get some other guys involved at some point. The defense seemed fairly stout, though, and it's always nice to see a veteran like Melvin Ingram make a splash play.

The Ravens didn't face much of a challenge from the Jets, and I'm definitely putting them in the "faced a team that lost" bucket for now. That doesn't mean Baltimore's bad, just that it didn't need to be at full strength and running the offense it's used to to get that W. Devin Duvernay's two-TD day was impressive, but he also had two touchdowns in 32 career games coming into last Sunday, so let's just say I'm not 100 percent sold on that breakout season yet. If J.K. Dobbins makes it back this week and is anything close to fully healthy, the Ravens should revert to form — or, at least, they should try to. Their secondary remains a mess and just lost Kyle Fuller for the season, and if they can't stop Tua and the Miami passing game from going off, Lamar Jackson might have little choice but to air it out. Then again, if they can grind out yards and clock on the ground and keep Tyreek on the sideline, he won't have to.

The Skinny

MIA injuries: WR Cedrick Wilson (questionable, toe), LT Terron Armstead (questionable, toe), RT Austin Jackson (IR, ankle), CB Byron Jones (out, ankle)
BAL injuries: RB Dobbins (questionable, knee), RB Gus Edwards (out, knee), LT Ronnie Stanley (doubtful, ankle), LT Ja'Wuan James (IR, Achilles), CB Marcus Peters (questionable, knee), CB Fuller (IR, knee), CB Brandon Stephens (questionable, quadriceps) 

MIA DFS targets: Tagovailoa $5,600 DK / $6,800 FD (BAL 32nd in passing yards per game allowed, 32nd in YPA allowed in 2021), Jaylen Waddle $6,400 DK / $7,200 FD (BAL 29th in DVOA vs. WR2 in 2021)
BAL DFS targets: Demarcus Robinson $3,300 DK / $5,100 FD (MIA 30th in DVOA vs. WR3 in 2021), Mark Andrews $6,400 DK / $7,400 FD (MIA 30th in DVOA vs. TE in 2021)

MIA DFS fades: none
BAL DFS fades: none

Key stat: BAL t-25th in third-down conversions in 2021 at 36.4 percent; MIA 20th in third-down defense at 41.1 percent

Weather forecast: clear, temperature in the low 80s, less than 10 mph wind, zero percent chance of rain

The Scoop: Chase Edmonds gains 70 scrimmage yards and a score. Tua throws for 250 yards and two TDs, hitting Hill and Waddle. Dobbins starts but manages only 50 yards. Jackson throws for 220 yards and runs for 50, tossing touchdowns to Andrews and Robinson. Dolphins 24-17

N.Y. Jets (+6) at Cleveland, o/u 40 – Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT

Speaking of the Jets, woof. Joe Flacco looked more like he was still working for the Ravens rather than seeming like he has something to prove to them, and arguably only the Jaguars' secondary has a worse performance in Week 1 once you adjust for the quality of opposition. Breece Hall's NFL debut was one to forget and he got outperformed by Michael Carter, but at least his usage doesn't suggest he'll be forgotten about or disappear from the game plan if the team falls behind early, which it probably will, a lot. If there was a silver lining from that ugly loss in the opener, it's that the receiving corps appeared to be as advertised. Elijah Moore, Corey Davis and rookie Garrett Wilson all had their moments, and while New York's QB might not air it out nearly 60 times every week, Zach Wilson at least should have a good support system in place when he returns.

The Browns Brownsed it up in Week 1, relying on their ground game and defense early but then nearly blowing an early lead, forcing Brissett to actually make a couple key throws to get the team into position for a game-winning field goal from 58 yards out. There's no reason to think the formula will change, aside maybe from the late near-collapse part. Myles Garrett got two sacks last week against a team with a relatively healthy offensive line and now gets to tee off against one that's already down to its third and fourth-string tackles, or maybe even fourth and fifth-string. Good thing the Jets don't have a 37-year-old statue under center ... oh. Full disclosure here — my little score generator, which is still relying heavily on 2021 stats, came up with a 21-17 Cleveland win, but I didn't buy it and after giving Week 1 a little more weight, it spit out something closer to the blowout I expect.

The Skinny

NYJ injuries: QB Wilson (out, knee), WR Braxton Berrios (questionable, heel), LT Duane Brown (IR, shoulder), LT George Fant (questionable, knee), RT Mekhi Becton (IR, knee), S Jordan Whitehead (questionable, ankle)
CLE injuries: QB Deshaun Watson (out, suspension), RT Jack Conklin (questionable, knee), CB Greedy Williams (IR, hamstring)

NYJ DFS targets: none
CLE DFS targets: Brissett $5,400 DK / $6,600 FD (NYJ 32nd in passing DVOA, 30th in passing yards per game allowed in 2021), Nick Chubb $7,100 DK / $8,500 FD and Kareen Hunt $6,600 DK / $7,000 FD (NYJ 26th in rushing DVOA, 29th in rushing yards per game allowed, 32nd in rushing TDs allowed, 28th in passing DVOA vs. RB in 2021), Anthony Schwartz $3,300 DK / $4,900 FD (NYJ 32nd in DVOA vs. WR3 in 2021), David Njoku $3,700 DK / $4,900 FD (NYJ 31st in DVOA vs. TE in 2021)

NYJ DFS fades: Flacco $5,100 DK / $6,400 FD (CLE fifth in passing yards per game allowed, fourth in YPA allowed in 2021), Jets DST $2,200 DK / $3,400 FD (31st in takeaways, 32nd in points allowed per game in 2021)
CLE DFS fades: none

Key stat: NYJ 27th in third-down conversions in 2021 at 36.3 percent; CLE t-13th in third-down defense at 39.3 percent

Weather forecast: clear, temperature in the low 80s, 10 mph wind, zero percent chance of rain

The Scoop Hall picks up 50 combined yards and his first NFL touchdown, while Carter adds 70 scrimmage yards. Flacco throws for 230 yards and a TD to Moore but gets picked off twice and sacked six times. Chubb rumbles for 140 yards and a score, while Hunt adds 110 combined yards. Brissett throws for less than 200 yards in pure bus driver mode, but he does sneak in a rushing TD. Browns 23-14

Washington (+2) at Detroit, o/u 48.5 – Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT

It was very considerate of Carson Wentz to provide Washington fans with nearly the full Wentz experience in his debut for the team. All that was missing was an untimely fumble. It was overall an impressive effort, especially from a fantasy perspective, but it also came against the Jags. Not to worry, he now gets to face a Lions defense that couldn't stop the Eagles from doing what they wanted to do in Week 1, so the Commanders' offense could be headed for another big day. I'm not entirely sure what to make of the fact Curtis Samuel led the team in targets, and not Terry McLaurin or even first-round pick Jahan Dotson, but McLaurin's probably thrilled he seems to have some real help for once. The bigger story in the long run might be Antonio Gibson's big performance. The WFC (that stands for Washington Football Commanders, if you missed last week's article, because a dumb, belated nickname deserves a dumb abbreviation) seemed very keen on chasing him out of town this preseason and giving his job to Brian Robinson, but with Robinson on the shelf for a while, Gibson now gets a chance to try to mess up those plans, or at least enhance his trade value.

As for the Lions, it almost feels like this team is happier being the scrappy underdog that loses close ones rather than actually winning more than once in a blue moon. They got steamrolled by the Philadelphia ground game last week, with Jared Goff tossing a pick-six in the first half for good measure, but then they scrambled to score two TDs in the fourth quarter and make the final score respectable. Amon-Ra St. Brown continues to put up god-like numbers, catching at least eight passes in seven consecutive games and scoring in six, and when first-round pick Jameson Williams gets healthy this team could quietly have one of the best receiver groups in the league. Too bad they'll still have Goff throwing them passes until at least next season, but given the structure of his contract and the QBs available in the 2023 draft class, maybe that whole "lose a bunch of close games" approach makes some sense.

The Skinny

WAS injuries: RB Robinson (out, knee), DE Chase Young (out, knee), S Kamren Curl (questionable, thumb)
DET injuries: RB D'Andre Swift (questionable, ankle), WR Williams (out, knee), LG Jonah Jackson (questionable, finger), C Frank Ragnow (out, groin), RG Halapoulivaati Vaitai (IR, back), RG Tommy Kraemer (IR, back), DE Romeo Okwara (out, Achilles)

WAS DFS targets: Gibson $6,200 DK / $7,400 FD (DET 31st in rushing DVOA, 28th in rushing yards per game allowed, t-28th in rushing TDs allowed, 31st in passing DVOA vs. RB in 2021), Logan Thomas $3,400 DK / $5,200 FD (DET 29th in DVOA vs. TE in 2021)
DET DFS targets: Goff $5,400 DK / $6,700 FD (WAS 28th in passing DVOA, 29th in passing yards per game allowed, 32nd in passing TDs allowed in 2021), DJ Chark $5,100 DK / $5,700 FD (WAS 32nd in DVOA vs. WR2 in 2021)

WAS DFS fades: none
DET DFS fades: Lions DST $2,600 DK / $3,500 FD (30th in sacks, 31st in points per game allowed in 2021)

Key stat: DET 31st in red-zone conversions in 2021 at 46.7 percent; WAS 17th in red-zone defense at 59.3 percent

The Scoop: Gibson pops for 120 scrimmage yards and two scores, one rushing and one receiving. Wentz throws for 260 yards and two more touchdowns, hitting Thomas and McLaurin. Swift plays but manages just 60 yards, while Jamaal Williams also picks up 60. Goff throws for 290 yards and three TDs, finding St. Brown once and Chark (who tops 100 yards) twice, but he also throws two more INTs, including a backbreaker in the fourth quarter. Commanders 28-27

Indianapolis at Jacksonville (+4), o/u 46.5 – Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT

Look, Frank Reich. You can throw your kicker under the bus if you want for missing one kick, but it (mostly) isn't Rodrigo Blankenship's fault your team somehow managed to not win last week despite getting 175 yards from Jonathan Taylor and 352 yards from Matt Ryan. The Colts' late-season collapse in 2021, which cost them a playoff spot, has officially extended into 2022, and while Reich has a good record in Indianapolis as head coach, he's really starting to look like one of those coaches who can get his team so far but no farther, regardless of the personnel with which he has to work. This could be — should be — a get-right game where the Colts take out their frustrations on the less talented team that upset them in Week 18 last year, but Jacksonville's stadium has also been this franchise's house of horrors for the better part of a decade now, no matter what name's been on the side of the building. On the bright side, Taylor should get his and maybe Ryan too, but if the yards don't turn into consistent trips to the end zone, this could be another needless nail-biter.

The Jaguars haven't won consecutive games since Week 17 of 2019/Week 1 of 2020, so it was maybe too much to expect them to come out on top in their opener. Trevor Lawrence's first career NFL start was a mixed bag ... (puts hand to ear) what's that? That whole thing with Urban Meyer really happened and wasn't just some fever dream? Ulp. It's probably going to take some time for Lawrence to clear away all that bad juju, but he at least looked like a credible QB prospect last week, which wasn't the case most of last season. The weirder development was James Robinson getting the start ahead of Travis Etienne considering new coach Doug Pederson has no investment in either guy, but it's too early to hit the panic button if you have Etienne shares. He saw more targets and third-down usage and the duo got exactly the same workload in terms of snaps, and if you truly believe he's the more talented runner (which his tape and measurables say he is), he will emerge as the starter. It might be more like a 60/40 backfield split than 80/20, but just so long as Etienne stays on the field when the Jags fall behind, it'll be fine.

The Skinny

IND injuries: WR Michael Pittman (questionable, quadriceps), WR Alec Pierce (out, concussion), DT DeForest Buckner (questionable, hip), LB Shaquille Leonard (out, back), CB Kenny Moore (questionable, hip)
JAC injuries: none

IND DFS targets: Pittman $6,700 DK / $7,800 FD (JAC 32nd in DVOA vs. WR1 in 2021), Parris Campbell $3,700 DK / $5,100 FD (JAC 30th in DVOA vs. WR2 in 2021), Colts DST $3,500 DK / $4,300 FD (second in takeaways in 2021, JAC t-31st in giveaways in 2021)
JAC DFS targets: Etienne $5,600 DK / $5,800 FD (IND 27th in passing DVOA vs. RB in 2021)

IND DFS fades: Nyheim Hines $5,300 DK / $5,500 FD (JAC second in passing DVOA vs. RB in 2021)
JAC DFS fades: Robinson $5,600 DK / $6,800 FD (IND third in rushing DVOA, t-3rd in rushing TDs allowed in 2021), Marvin Jones $4,400 DK / $5,400 FD (IND second in DVOA vs. WR2 in 2021), Zay Jones $4,300 DK / $5,500 FD (IND fourth in DVOA vs. WR3 in 2021), Jaguars DST $2,300 DK / $3,000 FD (t-28th in sacks, 32nd in takeaways, 28th in points per game allowed in 2021)

Key stat: IND 12th in third-down conversions in 2021 at 41.0 percent; JAC 25th in third-down defense at 43.0 percent

Head-to-head record, last five years: 6-4 JAC, average score 22-17 JAC, average margin of victory 14 points. IND has lost seven straight meetings in EverBank Field/TIAA Bank Stadium by an average score of 30-15

Weather forecast: cloudy, temperature in the low 80s, 11 mph wind, 0-5 percent chance of rain

The Scoop: Taylor zips for 110 yards and a touchdown. Ryan throws for 230 yards and a TD to Campbell. Etienne leads the JAC backfield with 80 combined yards, while Robinson manages 50. Lawrence throws for 270 yards and two TDs, finding Christian Kirk and Evan Engram, but he also gets picked off twice. Colts 20-17

Tampa Bay at New Orleans (+2.5), o/u 44.5 – Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT

The Bucs might as well have been handed a bye for Week 1, as the Cowboys were apparently surprised to discover the season started in September. That was lucky for Tampa Bay, because it didn't exactly look like Super Bowl contenders either, though the Bucs took their foot off the gas in the second half, so it's hard to get a read on what the offense is capable of. Seemingly every one of Tom Brady's skill players was on the midweek injury report, and his offensive line isn't in much better shape, so we may not have much more information on that front after Week 2 either. The saddest injury of all might be to Julio Jones. For one glorious half he looked like his old self and didn't seem to have lost any of his speed or athleticism ... then he had a bumpy landing on a catch, and now he's missing practice Thursday with a knee issue. Sigh.

The Saints had absolutely no right winning last week, but here they are at 1-0 after the Falcons blew a 16-point lead in the fourth quarter. The headline was Michael Thomas' two TDs, but it's worth noting he finished third among New Orleans wideouts in snaps, though neither Jarvis Landry nor rookie Chris Olave were that far ahead. Given Jameis Winston's penchant for slinging it around, this could wind up being a productive passing game with a different guy (or guys) coming up big each week. That might leave Alvin Kamara in a disappointing complementary role, though, and while the back is too talented for that, if he's continually playing through injuries the Saints won't have much choice. Lost in the big comeback was the fact the defense surprisingly kind of got lit up by the likes of Marcus Mariota and Cordarrelle Patterson on the ground. Given that their upcoming schedule includes Christian McCaffrey, Dalvin Cook, Joe Mixon and a Pete Carroll offense, that's a leak that will need to be plugged quickly if this team is going to play up to its potential.

The Skinny

TB injuries: RB Leonard Fournette (questionable, hamstring), WR Mike Evans (questionable, calf), WR Chris Godwin (out, hamstring), WR Jones (questionable, knee), WR Russell Gage (questionable, hamstring), WR Breshad Perriman (questionable, knee), LT Donovan Smith (doubtful, elbow), C Ryan Jensen (IR, knee), RT Tristan Wirfs (questionable, abdomen)
NO injuries: QB Winston (questionable, back), RB Kamara (questionable, ribs), RB Mark Ingram (questionable, ankle), LT Trevor Penning (IR, toe), CB Paulson Adebo (out, ankle)

TB DFS targets: none
NO DFS targets: none

TB DFS fades: Fournette $6,700 DK / $7,800 FD (NO first in rushing DVOA, fourth in rushing yards per game allowed, first in YPC allowed, third in passing DVOA vs. RB in 2021)
NO DFS fades: Kamara $7,400 DK / $7,200 FD (TB third in rushing yards per game allowed, fifth in rushing TDs allowed in 2021)

Key stat: TB second in red-zone conversions in 2021 at 66.2 percent; NO first in red-zone defense at 43.5 percent

Head-to-head record, last five years including playoffs: 8-3 NO, average score 29-21 NO, average margin of victory 13 points. NO has won seven straight regular-season meetings by an average score of 30-15

The Scoop: Fournette is held to 60 yards. Brady throws for 290 yards and three touchdowns, hitting Evans (who tops 100 yards) twice and Scotty Miller once. Kamara ekes out 40 yards while Tony Jones leads the backfield with 50. Winston throws for 310 yards and three scores of his own, finding Thomas, Olave and Juwan Johnson, and a Tyrann Mathieu fumble return to the house ends up making the difference. Saints 31-27

Carolina (+2) at N.Y. Giants, o/u 43.5 – Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT

Baker Mayfield's Panthers debut was a mixed bag, but he did lead a comeback that should have produced a win — it's not his fault if the defense can't stop a two-minute drill led by Jacoby Brissett. The most interesting number on his stat line is that 8.7 YPA, given that his four-year mark in Cleveland was 7.3. To be fair, his Week 1 air yards were below his career average, as a big chunk of the Carolina game plan seemed to involve quick tosses to the team's skill players to get them into open space, but Mayfield looked pretty good airing it out on that 75-yard hookup with Robbie Anderson. Maybe the first overall pick in the 2018 has some arm talent, after all.

What's that saying about first impressions? Brian Daboll's ballsy call to go for two at the end of the win over the Titans basically made him a made man in New York, even if the Giants wind up going 6-11 or something. The assumption was the new coach was brought in from Buffalo to help fix Daniel Jones, but he seems to have fixed Saquon Barkley instead, and that's probably the right call. A healthy Barkley's the more talented of the two relative to their peers, but also neither one could be back in 2023, so might as well try to sucker another team into overpaying for a fragile free-agent RB. Plus, Jones' receiving options are a mess. The team has invested a ton of draft capital and budget into the position, and a 2018 seventh-round pick who didn't play a snap in the NFL last year still wound up being the team's leading receiver in Week 1. No offense intended to Richie James, but he's not the guy who should be at the top of the depth chart, and one feel-good win isn't enough to solve all this franchise's issues.

The Skinny

CAR injuries: none
NYG injuries: WR Kadarius Toney (questionable, hamstring), WR Wan'Dale Robinson (out, knee), DE Azeez Ojulari (doubtful, calf), EDGE Kayvon Thibodeaux (doubtful, knee), CB Aaron Robinson (out, appendix)

CAR DFS targets: Christian McCaffrey $8,900 DK / $9,000 FD (NYG 32nd in rushing DVOA, 25th in rushing yards per game allowed in 2021)
NYG DFS targets: Giants DST $3,200 DK / $4,100 FD (CAR 28th in sacks allowed, t-31st in giveaways in 2021)

CAR DFS fades: none
NYG DFS fades: none

Key stat: NYG 32nd in red-zone conversions in 2021 at 44.7 percent; CAR t-30th in red-zone defense at 67.3 percent

Weather forecast: clear, temperature in the low 80s, less than 10 mph wind, zero percent chance of rain

The Scoop: McCaffrey piles up 120 combined yards and a score. Mayfield throws for 220 yards and a touchdown to DJ Moore. Barkley responds with 130 scrimmage yards and a TD. Jones throws for 230 yards but can't get the ball into the end zone. Panthers 17-16

New England at Pittsburgh (+1.5), o/u 40.5 – Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT

The pattern is just about established at this point, isn't it? The Patriots come out of the gates looking like they're done as Bill Belichick tinkers and teaches and figures out what works best for his current group of players, and then the switch gets flipped and they start playing like the Patriots again. Last year, New England started out 2-6 before reeling off seven consecutive wins. The season before they started 2-4 before ... OK, the switch never really got flipped that year, but even the Cam Newton Pats were 5-4 to close things out. Heck, in 2018, when Tom Brady was still around, they started 1-2 with losses to the Lions (coached by Matt Patricia) and Jags (coached by Doug Marrone). So yeah, they looked bad last week in Miami, and letting Patricia call plays on offense still seems like a huge mistake to me, but it's all part of the process. On to Pittsburgh, or whatever. (In the bigger picture, those slow starts are a lot less tenable in a division with a legit Super Bowl contender in the Bills, but that's a separate discussion.) Mac Jones having a sore back doesn't help matters either, but this offense isn't going to be a one-man show, and it might be time for the backfield duo of Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson to step it up.

The Steelers paid a heavy price for their stick-it-to-the-naysayers win over the Bengals last week. T.J. Watt's pectoral injury wasn't season-ending, but he's still on IR and there's still a big hole in the defense for a month or more. Najee Harris also keeps dealing with foot issues, and while he's off the injury report for now, it's still a worrisome trend. Based on last week, the team definitely doesn't want to have to rely on Mitch Trubisky to bail it out. He didn't make any glaring mistakes, but a completion percentage well south of 60 percent and a 5.1 YPA wouldn't have been acceptable in Terry Bradshaw's day. The talent on this roster is such that you can still see them making the postseason, but the margin for error is nil, and a post-bye (or sooner) switch to first-round pick Kenny Pickett under center seems pretty inevitable if Trubisky doesn't start doing more with the weapons around him.

The Skinny

NE injuries: RB Ty Montgomery (IR, knee), RB Pierre Strong (questionable, shoulder), WR Tyquan Thornton (IR, collarbone), LT Trent Brown (questionable, ankle), S Adrian Phillips (questionable, ribs)
PIT injuries: EDGE Watt (IR, pectoral)

NE DFS targets: DHarris $5,500 DK / $6,000 FD and Stevenson $5,200 DK / $5,600 FD (PIT 27th in rushing DVOA, 32nd in rushing yards per game allowed, 32nd in YPC allowed in 2021), Patriots DST $2,900 DK / $3,700 FD (t-3rd in takeaways, second in points per game allowed in 2021)
PIT DFS targets: NHarris $6,200 DK / $7,200 FD (NE 29th in passing DVOA vs. RB in 2021)

NE DFS fades: none
PIT DFS fades: Trubisky $5,000 DK / $6,500 FD (NE fourth in passing DVOA, second in passing yards per game allowed, second in YPA allowed in 2021), Diontae Johnson $5,800 DK / $7,100 FD (NE second in DVOA vs. WR1 in 2021), Pat Freiermuth $4,400 DK / $5,400 FD (NE first in DVOA vs. TE in 2021)

Key stat: PIT 23rd in red-zone conversions in 2021 at 54.0 percent; NE second in red-zone defense at 47.9 percent

Weather forecast: cloudy, temperature in the high 70s, less than 10 mph wind, zero percent chance of rain

The Scoop: Harris leads the NE backfield with 80 yards and a TD, while Stevenson adds 70 yards and a score. Jones plays and throws for 220 yards. Najee racks up 100 yards and two touchdowns, one rushing and one receiving. Trubisky throws for 210 yards and gets picked off twice, one of which Jabrill Peppers returns to the house. Patriots 27-17

Atlanta (+10.5) at L.A. Rams, o/u 47.5 – Sunday, 4:05 p.m. EDT

For most of the game last week, the Falcons looked like a credible threat, and then the fourth quarter happened. Their success came primarily as a result of a New Orleans run defense that didn't get off the bus, as Cordarrelle Patterson and Marcus Mariota combined for nearly 200 rushing yards and two TDs on the ground. Mariota did little through the air, though, and at this point it's hard to judge whether that was because he didn't need to, or couldn't. The target tree was predictably narrow, and what volume there is any given week should be gobbled up by Kyle Pitts and Drake London; the question is just how small the pie will be. The Atlanta defense's late collapse was less surprising, and I have to wonder if my favorite squatty ball of power, Grady Jarrett, will be moving on after this year despite the extension he just signed. This is a roster that's still got a couple rebuilding years ahead of it before they're ready to seriously compete in the NFC South again.

There's no reason to sugarcoat it. The defending champs got taken to the woodshed by the Bills in their opener, on both sides of the ball. The Rams are too talented to suddenly turn into scrubs, though, and this seems like a great get-right spot. Matthew Stafford needs to start looking for targets other than Cooper Kupp, but the thing causing the biggest furor among fantasy GMs is the effective benching of Cam Akers in favor of Darrell Henderson. As it happens I have exactly one share of each, so I feel confident I can provide an unbiased perspective, and Sean McVay's comments after last week's game didn't sound to me like a guy trying to bury Akers, but to light a spark under him instead. If I had to place a bet on who leads the Rams in rushing at the end of the season, my money would still be on Akers.

The Skinny

ATL injuries: RB Damien Williams (out, ribs), WR Calvin Ridley (out, suspension), LB Deion Jones (IR, shoulder), CB Isaiah Oliver (IR, knee) 
LAR injuries: WR Van Jefferson (out, knee), LT Joe Noteboom (questionable, knee), C Brian Allen (out, knee), EDGE Leonard Floyd (questionable, knee)

ATL DFS targets: none
LAR DFS targets: Stafford $6,300 DK / $7,600 FD (ATL 29th in passing DVOA, t-30th in passing TDs allowed in 2021), Henderson $5,700 DK / $6,200 FD and Akers $5,600 DK / $5,500 FD (ATL 29th in rushing DVOA, 27th in rushing yards per game allowed, t-28th in rushing TDs allowed in 2021), Allen Robinson $5,500 DK / $5,700 FD (ATL 31st in DVOA vs. WR2 in 2021), Rams DST $4,000 DK / $4,4600 FD (third in sacks in 2021)

ATL DFS fades: Pitts $5,400 DK / $5,900 FD (LAR fourth in DVOA vs. TE in 2021), Falcons DST $2,100 DK / $3,200 FD (32nd in sacks, t-30th in points per game allowed in 2021)
LAR DFS fades: none

Key stat: LAR seventh in third-down conversions in 2021 at 43.9 percent; ATL 30th in third-down defense at 48.4 percent

The Scoop: Patterson manages 70 combined yards. Mariota throws for 250 yards and a touchdown to London while running in a score of his own. Henderson leads the LAR backfield with 90 yards and a TD, but Akers adds 70 yards and a touchdown as well. Stafford throws for 260 yards and three scores, finding Robinson (who tops 100 yards) twice and Kupp once. Rams 38-20

Seattle (+9.5) at San Francisco, o/u 41.5 – Sunday, 4:05 p.m. EDT

People tried to read a lot into Pete Carroll's postgame comments after the Seahawks' win over Russell Wilson and the Broncos, but I think they overlooked the obvious, which is that Carroll's just kind of petty. Seattle benefited from some terrible ball security by Denver in the red zone and probably shouldn't have won, but it now gets a divisional rival it's mostly bullied in recent years, so the Seahawks' luck may not have run out just yet. Geno Smith's final numbers reflected the weirdness of that Week 1 contest, as he threw just five incompletions and tossed two TDs but still couldn't get to 200 passing yards. It was almost the platonic ideal of a passing line in a Carroll offense – the running game and the defense control the game, and the passing game picks its spots. That running game gets rookie second-round pick Kenneth Walker added to the mix this week, but Rashaad Penny's still the starter until ... sorry, unless he gets hurt again.

As for the 49ers' Week 1 loss, what is there to say? The conditions were abysmal, George Kittle wasn't in the lineup, and their starting running back got hurt during the game. Feel free to safely ignore the advice of anyone telling you Trey Lance is a bust based on that one game, because Steve Young in his prime would have struggled in those conditions (and in fact, he did). Kyle Shanahan should be a little more willing to let the kid show what he can do in this one, and while Elijah Mitchell is oh-so-predictably on the shelf, the young (ahem) QB still has plenty of dangerous options to get the ball to, and he's no slouch himself as a scrambler. It's not clear who will San Francisco's No. 1 runner will be this week — Jeff Wilson? Deebo Samuel, despite his offseason statements he didn't want to do it again? One of the rookies, Jordan Mason or Tyrion Davis-Price? — but don't rule out it being Lance himself. Of course, it could be another wet track Sunday at Levi's Stadium, so maybe Shanahan plays things close to the vest once again.

The Skinny

SEA injuries: S Jamal Adams (IR, knee)
SF injuries: RB Mitchell (IR, knee), TE Kittle (questionable, groin), CB Jason Verrett (out, knee), S Jimmie Ward (IR, hamstring)

SEA DFS targets: DK Metcalf $6,300 DK / $6,800 FD (SF 30th in DVOA vs. WR1 in 2021)
SF DFS targets: none

SEA DFS fades: Penny $5,400 DK / $6,500 FD (SF second in rushing DVOA, seventh in YPC allowed in 2021), Noah Fant $4,000 DK / $5,000 FD (SF fifth in DVOA vs. TE in 2021)
SF DFS fades: none

Key stat: SEA third in red-zone conversions in 2021 at 64.6 percent; SF 15th in red-zone defense at 56.7 percent

Head-to-head record, last five years: 8-2 SEA, average score 27-21 SEA, average margin of victory eight points. SEA has swept the last two season series and is 15-2 in this rivalry since winning the NFC Championship Game en route to their win in Super Bowl XLVIII

Weather forecast: overcast, temperature in the high 60s, less than 10 mph wind, 20-25 percent chance of rain

The Scoop: Penny scrapes together 50 yards but does punch home a short TD. Smith throws for 220 yards and a score to Metcalf. Wilson leads the SF backfield with 60 yards and a touchdown. Lance throws for 250 yards and TDs to Deebo and Kittle, but he also coughs up a fumble that Uchenna Nwosu returns for a score, and another fumble by Wilson in the fourth quarter sets up the game-winning field goal for Jason Myers. Seahawks 27-24

Cincinnati at Dallas (+7.5), o/u 41.5 – Sunday, 4:25 p.m. EDT

Depending on your perspective, the Bengals either deserved to lose last week after committing five turnovers, hanging Joe Burrow out to dry in the pocket once again and then failing to throw the challenge flag on what likely would have been a Ja'Marr Chase touchdown late in the game (he scored anyway, but he should have had two). On the other hand, Cincy was pretty hard done by if you figure the refs should have gotten that call right in the first place, and then they had to play without their long snapper, which caused Evan McPherson to miss two potential game-winning kicks he normally would have slotted home easily. Either way, it adds up to a team that's should be very focused on the task at hand this week.

Full disclosure — this is another game where I rejected the initial result from my game score algorithm, which wound up at 27-23 Dallas. Against a different opponent, or coming off a different kind of Week 1 performance, maybe I would have shrugged and let it stand, but the Cowboys have so many problems I hardly know where to begin. No QB, a puddle-thin receiving corps, a patchwork offensive line, a demoralizing talent drain in the offseason that didn't get addressed, and the Bucs just provided the entire league with a blueprint on how to run the ball down Dallas' throat and neutralize its two best defensive weapons in Micah Parsons and Trevon Diggs. Honestly, if it were just Dak Prescott's injury at play, I could buy the Cowboys coming out on top, as Cooper Rush is exactly the kind of guy who can steal a win against an overconfident team (see: Week 8 of last year in Minnesota), but there's just no way a Mike McCarthy coaching staff is fixing all that in one week. And speaking of mismanagement, don't even get me started on Jerry Jones' absurd "we might get Dak back in four weeks so let's not put him on IR" stance. The Seahawks showed just last season just how dumb it is to rush your QB back early from an injury to his throwing hand, and the Cowboys are already playing reindeer games with their gameday promotions from the practice squad and could use that extra roster spot. Right now, this team seems far more likely to finish in the NFC East basement than repeat as division champs.

The Skinny

CIN injuries: WR Tee Higgins (questionable, concussion), CB Cam Taylor-Britt (IR, abdomen)
DAL injuries: QB Prescott (out, thumb), WR Michael Gallup (out, knee), WR James Washington (IR, foot), LT Tyron Smith (IR, knee), LG Connor McGovern (out, ankle), S Jayron Kearse (out. knee)

CIN DFS targets: none
DAL DFS targets: Cowboys DST $3,000 DK / $4,400 FD (first in takeaways in 2021, CIN 30th in sacks allowed in 2021)

CIN DFS fades: Chase $8,000 DK / $8,700 FD (DAL first in DVOA vs. WR1 in 2021)
DAL DFS fades: none

Key stat: CIN 16th in red-zone conversions in 2021 at 59.6 percent; DAL 18th in red-zone defense at 59.6 percent

The Scoop: Mixon romps for 140 combined yards and a touchdown. Burrow throws for 240 yards and a score to Tyler Boyd. Ezekiel Elliott ekes out 60 yards, but Tony Pollard leads the backfield with 70 scrimmage yards and a receiving TD. Rush throws for 210 yards and a second score to Dalton Schultz. Bengals 20-14

Houston (+10) at Denver, o/u 45 – Sunday, 4:25 p.m. EDT

Well, at least the Texans didn't lose their opener. It was a suitably weird game in a weird week, but the weirdest part was definitely O.J. Howard coming in off the street and catching two TD passes on his only two targets. I really don't know what to make of it. He hasn't scored more than two touchdowns in a season since 2018, and he didn't have a large role in the offense, so there's a reasonable chance he doesn't get into the end zone again in 2022. On the other hand, we've all been waiting for him to finally turn his elite athleticism into some actual production, and the Texans lack reliable passing-game options behind Brandin Cooks — more than half of Davis Mills' pass attempts in Week 1 went to either Cooks or Rex Burkhead, which is not a formula for success. Nico Collins and Brevin Jordan were both viewed as preseason sleepers based in part on the same "Mills has to throw it to somebody" logic, so why can't that somebody be Howard? This is a rebuilding team trying to find long-term contributors, and the former Bucs tight end is only 27. Wait, did I just talk myself into believing in Howard one more time? Crap. If I hadn't spent all of draft season with my one rule being "secure a top-3 tight end, or Darren Waller at worst," I'd be scrambling for the waiver wire now.

A tip of the cap to Russell Wilson for proving the old adage, "You can't go home again." He did get the Broncos in position to win, mind you, but a couple butter-fingered running backs made a mess of things in the kitchen. Oh well, guess he'll just have to do the cooking himself next time. Other than the final result, things went according to script in Russ' first game in a new uniform, as he passed for 340 yards and made Courtland Sutton and Jerry Jeudy his new Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf. In a lot of ways, the Denver offense looks a lot like the Seattle roster he was used to, with a strong running game supporting his arm when necessary, but a coach who maybe doesn't think it's quite as necessary as Pete Carroll did. Nathaniel Hackett's endgame mismanagement was the third and most costly fumble, but to his credit he offered no excuses afterward, which is good because trying a 64-yard field goal instead of letting the franchise QB you just traded for, and who was itching to stick it to the team that traded him, go for it on fourth down was pretty inexcusable.

The Skinny

HOU injuries: C Justin Britt (out, personal), DE Mario Addison (IR, thigh)
DEN injuries: WR KJ Hamler (out, knee), WR Tim Patrick (IR, knee), RG Quinn Meinerz (out, hamstring), LB Josey Jewell (questionable, calf), EDGE Randy Gregory (questionable, shoulder), S Justin Simmons (IR, quadriceps)

HOU DFS targets: Burkhead $4,900 DK / $5,800 FD (SEA 32nd in passing DVOA vs. RB in 2021) 
DEN DFS targets: Javonte Williams $6,500 DK / $7,300 FD and Melvin Gordon $6,100 DK / $6,000 FD (HOU 31st in rushing yards per game allowed, 27th in YPC allowed, 31st in rushing TDs allowed in 2021), Jeudy $5,600 DK / $6,300 FD (HOU 28th in DVOA vs. WR2 in 2021), Albert Okwuegbunam $3,700 DK / $5,100 FD (HOU 32nd in DVOA vs. TE in 2021)

HOU DFS fades: none
DEN DFS fades: none

Key stat: HOU 27th in red-zone conversions in 2021 at 51.4 percent; DEN third in red-zone defense at 48.8 percent

Weather forecast: clear, temperature in the mid-80s, less than 10 mph wind, 0-5 percent chance of rain

The Scoop: Burkhead leads the HOU backfield with 80 combined yards and a receiving TD, while Dameon Pierce adds 50 yards. Mills throws for 230 yards and a second score to Cooks. Williams and Gordon redeem themselves, with the former jetting for 100 yards and a touchdown while the latter adds 80 yards and a score. Wilson throws for 260 yards and two touchdowns, hitting Jeudy and Albert O. Broncos 34-20

Arizona (+6) at Las Vegas, o/u 51.5 – Sunday, 4:25 p.m. EDT

Did anyone tell the Cardinals the season was starting last week? You'd think they would have been a little more prepared for a visit from Patrick Mahomes. The offense didn't wake up until the fourth quarter, and considering they were down by 30 points by that point, it might have been less Kyler Murray and company waking up and more Kansas City's defense not really caring what they did any more. You know something has gone very wrong when Greg Dortch is your leading receiver. Things should go a little more smoothly against a Raiders secondary that got lit up by Justin Herbert, but somebody (and sorry Greg, you're not it) needs to emerge as a reliable second option for Murray behind Marquise Brown until DeAndre Hopkins is back. There's name-brand options in A.J. Green and Zach Ertz, but both are on the wrong side of 30 and their best days are probably behind them, especially in Green's case.

So much for my idle musing it might take some time for Derek Carr and Davante Adams to re-establish their chemistry. In anything, Carr's efforts to welcome back his former college teammate was a detriment, as forcing the ball to Adams led to a mediocre overall offensive showing for the team, even if the former Packers' numbers were through the roof. Watching Mahomes spread the ball around and torch the Cards should be all the incentive new coach Josh McDaniels needs to try the same thing, and at some point you know he's going to want to see if Darren Waller can be his new Gronk, and/or Hunter Renfrow can be his new Edelman or Welker. Carr isn't Mahomes, or Tom Brady for that matter, but he's good enough when he isn't trying too hard to prove something to somebody somewhere.

The Skinny

ARI injuries: WR Hopkins (out, suspension), WR Rondale Moore (out, hamstring), WR Andy Isabella (out, back), LG Justin Pugh (questionable, neck), DE J.J. Watt (questionable, calf), CB Trayvon Mullen (questionable, toe), D Jalen Thompson (questionable, toe)
LV injuries: RB Brandon Bolden (doubtful, hamstring), C Andre James (out, concussion), LB Denzel Perryman (out, ankle), CB Anthony Averett (IR, thumb), S Trevor Moehrig (out, hip)

ARI DFS targets: none
LV DFS targets: none

ARI DFS fades: none
LV DFS fades: Adams $8,600 DK / $8,800 FD (ARI third in DVOA vs. WR1 in 2021), Waller $5,600 DK / $6,800 FD (ARI second in DVOA vs. TE in 2021), Raiders DST $3,100 DK / $3,800 FD (t-30th in takeaways in 2021, ARI fourth in giveaways in 2021)

Key stat: ARI t-5th in third-down conversions in 2021 at 45.2 percent; LV 15th in third-down defense at 39.6 percent

The Scoop: James Conner gains 80 yards and a TD. Murray throws for 270 yards and two touchdowns, finding Green and Ertz, and he also runs in a score. Josh Jacobs collects 90 yards and a touchdown. Carr throws for 280 yards and two scores, hitting Renfrow and Ameer Abdullah, but he also gets picked off twice. Cardinals 31-27

Chicago (+10) at Green Bay, o/u 42.5 – Sunday, 8:20 p.m. EDT

Much as I'm ignoring Week 1 for the 49ers, I'm not paying much attention to what it might have said about the Bears either. Sure, Chicago won, and I guess if they have to play in a monsoon again any time soon that'll matter, but otherwise whatever. Justin Fields produced less than 150 yards of offense between his arms and legs but still somehow tossed two TD passes, which is ... bad? Encouraging? What was definitely not encouraging was David Montgomery getting out-produced by Khalil Herbert, but Montgomery saw double Herbert's snaps on offense and there's no reason to think it's the start of a pattern. The fact that Cole Kmet wasn't a factor at all is far more worrisome for anyone that had him as a favorite dart at TE during draft season.

Weird to see the NFL in reruns already. Just like 2021, the Packers flopped in Week 1, getting roughed up in Minnesota as Aaron Rodgers found himself with nobody to throw to he could trust. Where have you gone, Davante Adams, Cheesehead Nation turns its nervous eyes to you. At some point Allen Lazard will be back, and he should be Rodgers' No. 1 option by default, but at some point a Christian Watson or a Romeo Doubs, or at least a Sammy Watkins, is going to need to prove to his QB he'll be there for him. Anybody know what Jake from State Farm's time in the 40 was? In the meantime, Green Bay will have to lean on its ground game, and unlike the Chicago backfield, fantasy GMs with Aaron Jones shares should probably be a bit concerned about the even split of the workload with AJ Dillon. Both guys can be productive in that arrangement, and Jones did run twice as many routes as Dillon, but it's still not ideal.

The Skinny

CHI injuries: WR Velus Jones (doubtful, hamstring)
GB injuries: WR Lazard (questionable, ankle), LT David Bakhtiari (questionable, knee), LG Jon Runyan (questionable, concussion), RT Elgton Jenkins (questionable, knee), LB Krys Barnes (IR, ankle)

CHI DFS targets: Kmet $3,300 DK / $4,800 FD (GB 28th in DVOA vs. TE in 2021)
GB DFS targets: Randall Cobb $3,800 DK / $4,900 FD (CHI 31st in DVOA vs. WR3 in 2021)

CHI DFS fades: Dante Pettis $3,400 DK / $5,300 FD (GB third in DVOA vs. WR3 in 2021)
GB DFS fades: none

Key stat: CHI t-32nd in third-down conversions in 2021 at 34.7 percent; GB t-23rd in third-down defense at 42.9 percent

Head-to-head record, last five years: 9-1 GB, average score 28-18 GB, average margin of victory 11 points. GB has won six straight home meetings in this rivalry by an average score of 32-19

Weather forecast: overcast, temperature in the low 70s, less than 10 mph wind, 0-5 percent chance of rain

The Scoop: Montgomery leads the CHI backfield with 70 scrimmage yards. Fields throws for less than 200 yards and gets picked off twice, but he does add 50 yards on the ground. Jones picks up 110 combined yards and a score, while Dillon adds 80 yards. Rodgers throws for 220 yards and two touchdowns, hitting Cobb and Watson. Packers 27-3

L.A. Chargers (+4) at Kansas City, o/u 54.5
Thursday, 8:20 p.m. EDT

I do love chaos weeks, but they're murder on my percentages. The Bolts exorcised the demons of Week 18 in their opener, and now they face an AFC West rival they came within an overtime of sweeping in 2021, though Kansas City has mostly had the advantage in recent years. Austin Ekeler had a slow start to his campaign, but he's either scored or topped 100 scrimmage yards (or both) in four consecutive games against KC, so there's no real cause for concern with that facet of the Los Angeles attack. A bigger issue is Keenan Allen's hamstring strain; the short week did him no favors, and he'll be on the sidelines. Justin Herbert still has plenty of weapons, and DeAndre Carter stepped up nicely after Allen got hurt last week, but the Chargers will need to see more from Mike Williams and Joshua Palmer if they're to keep pace.

Patrick Mahomes in season openers is always money, but last week was stunning even by his standards. He put the league on notice that the whole "keep the safeties back to take away the deep throw" thing wasn't going to work any more, as running backs and tight ends accounted for four of his five passing touchdowns in Week 1. Of course, as soon as the safeties feel compelled to creep closer to the line to take away those shorter routes, you know the aerial bombardment to JuJu Smith-Schuster, Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Mecole Hardman is going to begin. To be fair, the Cardinals didn't really seem ready for the regular season to begin last week, and a better-prepared defense might have some answers, but it seems like coordinators are back to square one trying to figure out how to contain Mahomes and this offense. If there's a weak link it might be the injury to Harrison Butker, and if the Chargers can keep things close enough, a missed kick here or there might end up mattering either to the final result, or to Vegas.

The Skinny

LAC injuries: WR Allen (out, hamstring), CB J.C. Jackson (questionable, ankle)
KC injuries: RG Trey Smith (questionable, ankle), RT Lucas Niang (out, knee), K Harrison Butker (out, ankle)

LAC DFS targets: Ekeler $10,200 DK / $16,500 FD (KC 31st in YPC allowed, 26th in passing DVOA vs. RB in 2021)
KC DFS targets: Clyde Edwards-Helaire $8,600 DK / $11,500 FD (LAC 30th in rushing DVOA, 30th in rushing yards per game allowed, t-30th in rushing TDs allowed in 2021), Smith-Schuster $8,000 DK / $12,500 FD (LAC 31st in DVOA vs. WR1 in 2021), Travis Kelce $11,000 DK / $15,000 FD (LAC 23rd in DVOA vs. TE, 32nd in receiving yards allowed, 31st in TDs allowed to TE in 2021)

LAC DFS fades: Carter $4,600 DK / $7,500 FD (KC second in DVOA vs. WR3 in 2021)
KC DFS fades: none

Key stat: KC first in third-down conversions in 2021 at 52.2 percent; LAC 32nd in third-down defense at 49.5 percent

Head-to-head record, last five years: 7-3 KC, average score 28-23 KC, average margin of victory nine points. All three LAC wins in that period have come on the road, including the last two meetings in KC

Weather forecast: cloudy, temperature in the high 70s, less than 10 mph wind, zero percent chance of rain

The Scoop Ekeler busts out for 120 combined yards and a touchdown. Herbert throws for 280 yards and two TDs, hitting Williams and Gerald Everett. Edwards-Helaire stays productive with 80 scrimmage yards and two scores, one rushing and one receiving. Mahomes throws for 320 yards and two more TDs, finding JJSS (who tops 100 yards) and Kelce. Butker's replacement, Matt Ammendola, misses a PAT but is otherwise steady. Kansas City 33-30

Past Performance:
Last week's record: 6-9-1, 6-10 ATS, 7-9 o/u
2021 regular-season record: 174-97-1, 146-125-1 ATS, 125-143-4 o/u
Lifetime record: 1288-769-7, 1005-992-67 ATS, 735-787-30 o/u (o/u not tracked in 2015)