NFL Game Previews: Falcons-Eagles Monday Night Matchup

MONDAY NIGHT

Atlanta (+6.5) at Philadelphia, o/u 47.0 – Monday, 8:15 p.m. EDT

Woof. Kirk Cousins' debut with the Falcons was a rough watch, and he looked more like he was 66 years old than 36 while tottering around the pocket. The team insists his Achilles is fine, and the Falcons better hope it is if they're going to be any kind of playoff contender in 2024, though I guess any concerns on that front would explain the decision to draft Michael Penix. Bijan Robinson did get used as a bell cow, though, and Kyle Pitts caught a touchdown, so the early returns on OC Zac Robinson's scheme indicate he at least knows which players he should be getting the ball to. Drake London was invisible, but that's going to happen against a stingy defense when your QB doesn't have time to let you get downfield. Cousins should get better, but an early schedule that sees Atlanta hosting Kansas City next week doesn't do him any favors.

The Eagles' offense looked rejuvenated in Brazil, as Kellen Moore's scheme led to 34 points against the Packers by leaning on what was working — namely, giving the ball to Saquon Barkley. Jalen Hurts, A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith had their moments too, but Week 1 was the Saquon Show, and it likely won't be the last time the former Giant dominates with his new squad. The jury's still out on the rebuilt defense, though. Philly arguably should have lost the game, as Green Bay's offense misfired repeatedly in the red zone and had to settle for field goals, and it also left five points on the table on a pooched two-point attempt and a missed FG in a five-point loss. The Eagles' young secondary will get better, but the run defense's struggles are harder to justify. Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter are supposed to be dominant up front, but they wore down noticeably in the second half, something other teams undoubtedly noticed.

Key Info

ATL injuries: no fantasy-relevant injuries
PHI injuries: WR A.J. Brown (questionable, hamstring)

DFS Lineup Optimizer
ATL DFS targets: Kirk Cousins
PHI DFS targets: Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley

ATL DFS fades: none
PHI DFS fades: none

Weather notes: 1-10 percent chance of rain

The Scoop

Robinson cranks out 100 yards and a touchdown. Cousins throws for 260 yards and a TD to London. Barkley responds with 120 scrimmage yards and a score. Hurts throws for 270 yards and a touchdown to Smith while running in a TD of his own. Eagles 27-23

EARLY SUNDAY

Las Vegas (+8.5) at Baltimore, o/u 41.5 – Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT

Hard to say what looked worse in the Raiders' opener: their run defense, or Antonio Pierce's fourth-down decision-making. I'm leaning toward the latter. You can make excuses for getting steamrolled by a Greg Roman offense, but punting on fourth-and-1 in opposition territory when you're down six points midway through the fourth quarter is inexcusable. Gardner Minshew gave his new team the full Minshewmania experience, producing solid numbers but committing two turnovers, and he does provide the offense with a stable floor. I'm just not sure there's much ceiling here, even if Brock Bowers has a historic rookie season. Zamir White didn't look special, and Davante Adams may not be a guy who can consistently make a difference any more.

The Ravens had a tough road matchup against the defending champs to open their season and got burned by Xavier Worthy's speed, but otherwise it was a fairly typical performance for Baltimore. Lamar Jackson ran wild, and most of his passing production went to his tight end (even if it wasn't the tight end everybody expected.) Whether last week was a blip for Isaiah Likely or the beginning of a breakout remains to be seen, but this is probably the kind of offense that can support two productive TEs, at the expense of its wideouts. Derrick Henry saw his touches decline in the second half as the Ravens aired it out more, but that probably won't be the case in this one. Numbers from 2023 don't point to a big day for Baltimore's running game necessarily, but Week 1 numbers certainly do, if you want to put your faith in that small sample.

Key Info

LV injuries: no fantasy-relevant injuries
BAL injuries: no fantasy-relevant injuries

DFS Lineup Optimizer
LV DFS targets: none
BAL DFS targets: Ravens DST

LV DFS fades: Gardner Minshew, Jakobi Meyers
BAL DFS fades: none

Weather notes: 9-10 mph wind, 1-5 percent chance of rain

The Scoop

White manages 50 yards and a TD, while Alexander Mattison leads the LV backfield with 60 scrimmage yards. Minshew throws for 220 yards and a score to Adams but gets picked off twice. Henry thunders for 120 yards and two touchdowns. Jackson throws for 250 yards and two TDs, finding Mark Andrews and Zay Flowers. Ravens 31-17

L.A. Chargers at Carolina (+6), o/u 39.0 – Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT

Jim Harbaugh's return to the NFL went exactly according to script. His running game averaged more than 6.5 yards per carry, led by an almost miraculous performance from J.K. Dobbins, and his defense produced three turnovers and four sacks in a comfortable win. Sure, it was against the Raiders, but it's not like the opposition gets tougher this week. The one guy who maybe wasn't thrilled with the new philosophy was Justin Herbert, but given that his foot may not be 100 percent healthy, a couple games early in the season that don't require elite efforts from him isn't the worst thing. The Bolts head to Pittsburgh in Week 3, which figures to be a Spider-Man meme of a game, but they'll effectively wrap up their preseason here.

I genuinely didn't think the Panthers could get worse after last season, but they found a way. New coach Dave Canales clearly has his work cut out for him if he's going to turn Bryce Young into even a competent NFL starter, and while Trevor Lawrence proved that you can overcome a rookie season that featured mind-boggling levels of chaos and regression, the league's history is littered with promising QBs who were never able to climb out of that hole. Even if Young starts to figure it out, though, the rest of the roster appears to be a train wreck at the moment. Maybe Jonathon Brooks arrives at some point and perks up the backfield, and maybe Xavier Legette becomes Young's go-to weapon downfield. Great. The defense has no healthy pass rushers, and the secondary just got lit up by Derek Carr. Looking ahead, Carolina's schedule has a few soft spots — at least based on how things look after Week 1 — but even most of those games are on the road (Las Vegas, Washington, Denver). Maybe they beat the Giants at home in Week 10, but other than that ... ? The Panthers won two games in 2023. I'm not sure I'd bet the over for 2024.

Key Info

LAC injuries: WR Joshua Palmer (questionable, knee), WR DJ Chark (IR, hip), EDGE Joey Bosa (questionable, back)
CAR injuries: RB Brooks (NFI, knee), EDGE Derrick Brown (IR, knee), EDGE D.J. Wonnum (PUP, quadriceps)

DFS Lineup Optimizer
LAC DFS targets: J.K. Dobbins/Gus Edwards, Hayden Hurst/Will Dissly, Chargers DST
CAR DFS targets: Miles Sanders

LAC DFS fades: none
CAR DFS fades: none

Weather notes: 10-15 mph wind, 25-35 percent chance of rain

The Scoop

Dobbins rumbles for 100 yards and a TD, while Edwards adds a score as well. Herbert throws for less than 200 yards. Sanders leads the CAR backfield with 50 scrimmage yards and a receiving touchdown. Young throws for 210 yards and gets picked off twice, one of which Asante Samuel returns to the house. A fumble recovery TD by Shaq Thompson keeps the final score deceptively close. Chargers 21-17

New Orleans (+6.5) at Dallas, o/u 46.5 – Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT

Lopsided Week 1 results are always fun to dissect, because you can never be quite sure whether the rout was due to the winner being that good, the loser being that bad or it just being one of those days. If seems fairly safe to say that the Panthers were just that bad last week, rather than the Saints suddenly becoming an NFC contender under Dennis Allen, but this weekend offers a much bigger test. Derek Carr was sharp when he needed to be, Rashid Shaheed was dangerous downfield and Alvin Kamara looked like he still had something left in the tank, but that was against a defense that offered no resistance whatsoever. This is still basically the same roster that finished in the bottom half of the league in yards per play last year, and bottom three in yards per carry. Maybe Klint Kubiak is the league's next great offensive mind, but I think I'm gonna go ahead and reserve judgment on that for now.

Speaking of lopsided Week 1 results ... the Cowboys' dismantling of the Browns in Cleveland was extremely impressive, but as with the Saints, there were extenuating circumstances. The Browns' offensive line was missing both its starting tackles, which is not ideal against Micah Parsons, and DC Mike Zimmer's unit simply took control of the game. Add KaVontae Turpin taking a punt to the house, and there wasn't a whole lot for the $60 Million Dollar Man Dak Prescott to do. The Dallas duo of Ezekiel Elliott and Rico Dowdle lived down to its preseason billing as one of the worst backfields in the league, and CeeDee Lamb seems a bit rusty after his training camp holdout. If the defense keeps delivering short fields, though, Lamb will have time to round into peak form before he's really needed.

Key Info

NO injuries: no fantasy-relevant injuries
DAL injuries: TE Jake Ferguson (doubtful, knee)

DFS Lineup Optimizer
NO DFS targets: none
DAL DFS targets: none

NO DFS fades: Alvin Kamara
DAL DFS fades: none

Weather notes: indoors

The Scoop

Kamara gets held to 70 scrimmage yards. Carr throws for 250 yards and two touchdowns, finding Juwan Johnson and Chris Olave, but he gets picked off twice. Elliott leads the DAL backfield with 60 yards and a score. Prescott throws for 310 yards and three TDs, hitting Brandin Cooks, Jalen Tolbert and Hunter Luepke. Cowboys 34-20

Tampa Bay (+7.5) at Detroit, o/u 51.0 – Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT

Torching the Commanders' feeble secondary seems like another example of potentially misleading Week 1 results, but it's not like Baker Mayfield's big day came out of the blue. His last eight games, including last season's playoffs, he has a 20:4 TD:INT and has averaged 278.6 passing yards a game with a 66.7 percent completion rate and an 8.4 YPA. Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and rookie Jalen McMillan are a formidable trio of wideouts, and the backfield could eventually settle into a timeshare between Rachaad White and rookie Bucky Irving, with the latter handling more early down work. The secondary looked good last week, but that was against a rookie QB in Jayden Daniels, and the Bucs' front seven couldn't do much to stop Daniels on the ground. That was something of an issue in 2023 as well — Tampa Bay gave up six rushing TDs to quarterbacks, second-highest total in the league — though it shouldn't be an issue Sunday.

The Lions needed overtime to squeak by the Rams at home last week, largely because the passing game wasn't firing on all cylinders yet. Jameson Williams got deep for a big TD, but otherwise Jared Goff couldn't make much happen through the air and had to rely on David Montgomery grinding out yards in the trenches to keep the offense moving. On the bright side, the defense looked better than it had last season, putting plenty of pressure on Matthew Stafford and containing Kyren Williams. Aaron Glenn's now in his fourth year as DC and has been with Dan Campbell the whole way, and he finally has real talent at all three levels to work with, including former Buc cornerback Carlton Davis. Davis' experience trying to corral Mike Evans in practice may not actually help him much in a real game, but if Aidan Hutchinson and the pass rush can make the pocket for Mayfield as uncomfortable as they did for Stafford, there could be splash play opportunities for the Detroit secondary.

Key Info

TB injuries: S Antoine Winfield (out, foot)
DET injuries: WR Jameson Williams (questionable, ankle)

DFS Lineup Optimizer
TB DFS targets: none
DET DFS targets: none

TB DFS fades: Rachaad White
DET DFS fades: Jahmyr Gibbs

Weather notes: indoors

The Scoop

White leads the TB backfield with 60 combined yards, but Irving punches in a short TD. Mayfield throws for 240 yards and a touchdown to Godwin but gets picked off twice. Montgomery leads the DET backfield with 80 yards and a score. Goff throws for 290 yards and three TDs, finding Amon-Ra St. Brown (who tops 100 yards) twice and Sam LaPorta once. Lions 34-20

Indianapolis at Green Bay (+3), o/u 41.0 – Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT

Anthony Richardson's absurd athletic gifts were on full display last week, as he produced three touchdowns, including that 60-yarder to Alec Pierce that had more than 50 air yards on it despite the fact that the QB didn't even get a chance to step into his throw. Richardson had a QB rating of 101.2 last week — that would have been fifth in the league in 2033 over the full season — and he didn't even complete 50 percent of his passes. That should be impossible, but I feel like I'm going to be saying "that should be impossible" about a lot of stuff he does. Of course, the whole completing fewer than 50 percent of his passes thing can't be overlooked. The easy comparison is to Josh Allen circa 2019, but that probably undersells Richardson's potential. Allen had seven completions of 40-plus yards in 16 games that year; Richardson had three last Sunday. I fully expect defenses to start giving him the Mahomes treatment of hanging back and forcing him to work underneath, to try and take advantage of his accuracy issues. That's great and all, expect then you have your safeties far, far away from the box against an elite running quarterback, and oh, by the way, Jonathan Taylor too. Even then, there are probably going to be a few moments when DBs are thinking, "he can't possibly throw it deeper than this," which is probably what Jimmie Ward and Derek Stingley were thinking too before they turned and tried to catch up to Pierce.

The Packers may have dodged a worst-case scenario when Jordan Love avoided a season-ending knee injury late in last week's loss to the Eagles, but his MCL sprain will still cost the world a showdown with Richardson. It also puts the Green Bay offense in the hands of Malik Willis, who joined the team Aug. 26 and didn't exactly have a reputation in Tennessee as a quick study when it came to the playbook. Willis offers some scrambling ability, but there's no evidence he can lead an NFL-quality passing game — his career high for passing yards in a game since being drafted in 2022 is 99. Double digits. Yikes. That probably means lots of Josh Jacobs, and very little of Jayden Reed, Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs etc.

Key Info

IND injuries: WR Josh Downs (questionable, ankle), DT DeForest Buckner (questionable, back)
GB injuries: QB Love (questionable, knee), RB MarShawn Lloyd (questionable, hamstring), WR Jayden Reed (questionable, calf)

DFS Lineup Optimizer
IND DFS targets: Colts DST
GB DFS targets: none

IND DFS fades: none
GB DFS fades: none

Weather notes: 20-25 percent chance of rain

The Scoop

Taylor zips for 130 combined yards and two touchdowns, one rushing and one receiving. Richardson throws for 230 yards and a second score to Michael Pittman. Jacobs bangs out 80 yards and a TD. Willis sets a new career high in passing yards but still doesn't reach 200, getting picked off twice, but he does run in a touchdown. Colts 24-14

Cleveland (+3) at Jacksonville, o/u 41.5 – Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT

Pretty much everything went wrong for the Browns last week, and in ways that don't suggest the performance was entirely an aberration. Yeah, the offensive line will get healthier, and it looks like Nick Chubb will be back eventually to upgrade the backfield. Even when he wasn't being pressured, though, Deshaun Watson looked like a guy who has only played 25 percent of his team's games since 2021. His contract all but forces the team to play him, even though there's little evidence he's actually better than backup Jameis Winston. Cleveland still has a top-shelf defense, and they aren't quite in the situation the Jets were in 2023, but unless Watson begins to show something close to his peak Houston form, this could be a long, frustrating season for the Browns.

The Jaguars let a 17-7 halftime lead slip through their fingers last week, and while holding the Dolphins to 20 points looks good for the defense, the stagnation of the offense raised at least a yellow flag. Tank Bigsby out-gained Travis Etienne. Christian Kirk only caught one pass. The unit just seemed disjointed, and while coach Doug Pederson has done the job he was hired to do — clean up Urban Meyer's mess — it's easy to imagine him getting kicked to the curb at the end of the year, if not sooner. Trevor Lawrence doesn't look much like a franchise QB, in the sense that he doesn't look like a guy who can plausibly lead the team to a Super Bowl, and while there's talent all over the roster, the Jags always seem to be less than the sum of their parts on game day. Jacksonville's begging for a young, innovative coach to come in and revitalize the franchise, but given their track record since Shahid Khan bought the club, I kind of expect Bill Belichick to be running the show in 2025.

Key Info

CLE injuries: RB Nick Chubb (PUP, knee), RB Nyheim Hines (NFI, knee), TE David Njoku (out, ankle), EDGE Myles Garrett (questionable, foot)
JAC injuries: no fantasy-relevant injuries

DFS Lineup Optimizer
CLE DFS targets: Browns DST
JAC DFS targets: none

CLE DFS fades: none
JAC DFS fades: Trevor Lawrence, Travis Etienne, Brian Thomas, Christian Kirk, Evan Engram

Weather notes: 10-15 mph wind, 45-50 percent chance of rain

The Scoop

Jerome Ford gains 70 yards and a score. Watson throws for 220 yards and a TD to Amari Cooper, but he gets sacked five times. Etienne leads the JAC backfield with 60 yards and a touchdown, while Bigsby also gets into the end zone. Lawrence throws for 240 yards and a TD to Kirk. Jaguars 21-17

San Francisco at Minnesota (+6), o/u 45.5 – Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT

No Christian McCaffrey, no problem for the 49ers on Monday, as Jordan Mason became the latest running back to look unstoppable in Kyle Shanahan's scheme. In fact, the running game and defense did such a good job against the Jets, Brock Purdy and the passing game were basically bystanders. I'm sure Brandon Aiyuk will earn his contract soon enough, don't worry. San Francisco has a fairly soft early season schedule — it faces the Rams next week, but then gets home games against New England and Arizona — so being cautious with McCaffrey and letting Aiyuk get back up to game speed after his holdout makes all the sense in the world. This is a roster built for February, not September.

The Sam Darnold Era in Minnesota may only last one year, but at least it got off to a good start. Like a lot of QBs last week, he didn't have to do too much against an inferior opponent (in this case the Giants), but he only had five incompletions and hit Justin Jefferson for a touchdown, so he understands the assignment. Aaron Jones had a strong Vikings debut too, and despite the big-name talent that's left the roster the last couple years, it seems like the offense should be at least competent while they wait for first-round pick J.J. McCarthy to make his debut in 2025. The defense also looked against Daniel Jones, but it was Daniel Jones. Stopping the other team is also a lot easier when they only have one player you really need to worry about, as opposed to four or five.

Key Info

SF injuries: RB Christian McCaffrey (out, Achilles), WR Ricky Pearsall (NFL, chest), LB Dre Greenlaw (PUP, Achilles), S Talanoa Hufanga (doubtful, knee)
MIN injuries: WR Jordan Addison (out, ankle), TE T.J. Hockenson (PUP, knee), S Harrison Smith (questionable, hip)

DFS Lineup Optimizer
SF DFS targets: 49ers DST
MIN DFS targets: none

SF DFS fades: none
MIN DFS fades: Jalen Nailor

Weather notes: indoors

The Scoop

Mason starts again and bashes out 100 yards and a touchdown, while Isaac Guerendo also scores. Purdy throws for 280 yards and three TDs, one each to Deebo Samuel, George Kittle and Jauan Jennings. Jones manages 60 yards and a touchdown. Darnold throws for 210 yards and gets picked off twice, but he does find Jefferson for a TD. 49ers 35-20

Seattle at New England (+3.5), o/u 38.5 – Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT

While a win's a win, the fact that the Seahawks had to mount a comeback against the Broncos is a bit sketchy. I'm chalking that one up to growing pains under the new coaching staff. Mike Macdonald's defense was as advertised and gave Bo Nix a miserable NFL debut, but OC Ryan Grubb's offense still looked like a work in progress. The good news is that he treated Kenneth Walker like a bell cow. The bad news is Walker broke down almost immediately, continuing a Seattle backfield curse that Marshawn Lynch apparently laid on the team when he didn't get that goal-line carry in the Super Bowl. Since 2014 — the last year Lynch led the Hawks in rushing — bad injury luck has bedeviled the franchise, from Thomas Rawls to Chris Carson to Rashaad Penny, and Walker's own medical chart is beginning to get lengthy. Zach Charbonnet's a capable backup, but Seattle fans are allowed to wonder how long he'll last if he gets the starting role, and whether it'll be measured in games or quarters.

Of all the surprising Week 1 outcomes, the Patriots upsetting the Bengals was the most shocking, but it's also the one I feel the most certain about. (That's probably a bad sign.) I don't think New England really won that game so much as Cincinnati lost it, and against a team that is closer to full strength and doesn't keep getting into bitter contract disputes with key players, the limitations of Jerod Mayo's squad will be more apparent. I mean, Jacoby Brissett threw for 121 yards. Sure, he didn't have to do a lot more to get the victory, but the Pats probably don't want to find out whether he can too often. Rhamondre Stevenson carried the offense, but he may not get another game script that favorable all season. The defense did look fairly stout, especially the secondary led by Jonathan Jones and Christian Gonzalez, and that duo is athletic enough to match up against the league's top wideouts. It still looks like a formula for a lot low-scoring losses to me, but maybe Mayo is the next Mike Tomlin and somehow drags a winning record out of this bunch anyway.

Key Info

SEA injuries: RB Kenneth Walker (doubtful, oblique) 
NE injuries: WR Kendrick Bourne (PUP, knee), S Kyle Dugger (questionable, ankle)

DFS Lineup Optimizer
SEA DFS targets: Jaxon Smith-Njigba
NE DFS targets: Tyquan Thornton

SEA DFS fades: Kenneth Walker, DK Metcalf
NE DFS fades: none

Weather notes: 0-5 percent chance of rain

The Scoop

Charbonnet starts and picks up 90 scrimmage yards and a score. Geno Smith throws for 220 yards and a touchdown to JSN while also running in a TD. Stevenson churns out 70 yards and a score. Brissett throws for less than 200 yards and a touchdown to Hunter Henry. Seahawks 24-17

N.Y. Jets at Tennessee (+3.5), o/u 40.5 – Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT

Hmm, maybe Aaron Rodgers' injury wasn't the only thing wrong with the Jets offense. To be fair, facing the 49ers is a tough task for anybody, and Rodgers has some rust to shake off, but this is still a team with Nathaniel Hackett as its offensive coordinator. Breece Hall and Garrett Wilson both look like beasts, and maybe Mike Williams has something left in the tank, but the fact that Rodgers leaned so heavily on Allen Lazard last week is a wee bit concerning. I mean, why stop at Lazard? Get the band back together. Robert Tonyan's just sitting on a practice squad somewhere. Ship Wilson to the Raiders for Davante Adams and draft capital. (The collective shudder from Jets fans if that happens might separate the entire Eastern Seaboard from the rest of the country.) Just recreate the 2020 Packers offense wholesale, and ride it to glory, or wherever.

It wasn't just that the Titans blew a 17-3 halftime lead last week to a highly regarded rookie quarterback. It's the fact that it happened without said rookie QB really lifting a finger. One blocked punt and one pick-six did in Tennessee, and Will Levis' interception was truly egregious. If he'd been having a good game to that point it might have been easier to swallow from a "there will be better days ahead" perspective, but there wasn't a whole lot of evidence in Week 1 that better days are, in fact, ahead for Levis. The Bears' defense is good, but it's not elite, and it's not at the level of the Jets, so this one could get ugly. The second-year QB has a good supporting cast, and the defense did a good job against Caleb Williams, so Levis just needs to be competent for the Titans to be competitive. This probably isn't the week for him to prove he can reach that bar, though.

Key Info

NYJ injuries: EDGE Haason Reddick (DNR, contract)
TEN injuries: no fantasy-relevant injuries

DFS Lineup Optimizer
NYJ DFS targets: Garrett Wilson, Jets DST
TEN DFS targets: none

NYJ DFS fades: none
TEN DFS fades: Tyler Boyd, Chigoziem Okonkwo

Weather notes: 50-60 percent chance of rain

The Scoop

Hall erupts for 140 combined yards and two TDs. Rodgers throws for 220 yards and a score to Wilson. Tony Pollard puts together 80 scrimmage yards and a receiving touchdown, while Tyjae Spears also runs in a TD. Levis throws for less than 200 yards and commits three turnovers. Jets 21-17

N.Y. Giants (+1.5) at Washington, o/u 44.0 – Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT

Round 1 in the battle for the NFC East basement sees the Giants limp in after getting pasted by a team with Sam Darnold as quarterback. Daniel Jones was so bad there's already speculation he could be replaced under center, even though his backup is Drew Lock. Malik Nabers looked mostly as advertised, but that's a thin reed to build a whole offense around, especially when he doesn't have a QB he can trust to get him the ball consistently or anyone else around him to draw away defensive attention. Also, and this can't be overstated no matter how obvious it seems, Devin Singletary isn't Saquon Barkley. I was already down on the Giants coming into the season, so that Week 1 performance was pure, uncut confirmation bias for me, but this already looks like a team whose path through 2024 is nearly set in stone. They'll lose at least 12 games, bench their overpaid quarterback along the way, and at some point between now and the Super Bowl fire Brian Daboll and GM Joe Schoen while hoping to get a 2025 draft pick high enough that they can take a shot at a new franchise QB and start all over again. Carson Beck can't be any worse than Danny Dimes, right?

Like the rest of this year's rookie QBs, Jayden Daniels didn't have an exemplary debut, but he did lead the Commanders in rushing yards and scored two touchdowns on the ground, which is something. His passing numbers weren't awful either, but 10 of his 17 completions went to running backs or tight ends, so his relatively efficient performance was a classic case of settling for check-downs. Terry McLaurin and the other wideouts should find more space against the Giants' secondary than they did against the Bucs, but that doesn't mean Daniels is ready to find them downfield. The bigger issue for Washington was its own defense. The team almost certainly has the worst group of cornerbacks in the league, and even triple-covering Nabers might not matter if he's more talented than all three guys covering him put together. Brian Robinson's contributions as a pass-catcher were maybe surprising, but he showed improvement in that area in the second half last season, including a 7-59 effort on nine targets in the second meeting with the Giants. Austin Ekeler's still capable of handling third-down work out of the backfield, but he may not need to.

Key Info

NYG injuries: no fantasy-relevant injuries
WAS injuries: no fantasy-relevant injuries

DFS Lineup Optimizer
NYG DFS targets: Daniel Jones, Malik Nabers, Giants DST
WAS DFS targets: none

NYG DFS fades: none
WAS DFS fades: none

Weather notes: 9-10 mph wind, 1-5 percent chance of rain

The Scoop

Singletary leads the NYG backfield with 60 yards. Jones throws for 240 yards and two touchdowns, both to Nabers (who tops 100 yards), but he also gets picked off twice. Robinson picks up 90 combined yards and a score. Daniels throws for 210 yards and a TD to McLaurin while also running for 60 yards and a touchdown of his own. Commanders 27-14

LATE SUNDAY

L.A. Rams (+1.5) at Arizona, o/u 49.0 – Sunday, 4:05 p.m. EDT

Matthew Stafford's latest trip back to Detroit ended in overtime disappointment, but the bigger issue is the loss of Puka Nacua for at least four games, The Rams' offense can function with only one top wideout, and Cooper Kupp looked great, but the ceiling for the unit is lower without Nacua on the field. Kyren Williams got treated like a bell cow by Sean McVay, which is either a sign of the coach's confidence in him, or a sign the coach views all running backs as essentially fungible and will just ride Williams until he breaks down, at which point he'll switch to rookie Blake Corum without batting an eye. (That's pretty much Williams got the starting job in the first place, so I'm leaning toward the second scenario.) The defense held up reasonably well against the Lions, but "good enough to give Stafford a chance to win it" is probably about the best the Rams can expect on that side of the ball.

Last year, the Cardinals began their season by taking leads into halftime in Weeks 1 and 2 before ultimately losing to the Commanders and Giants, before finally making a lead stick against the Cowboys. The script for Arizona didn't change a whole lot to begin 2024, but at least with Kyler Murray under center, the team at least produced more points. (Of course, one of the Cards' three TDs came on a kickoff return, but let's not quibble.) Head coach Jonathan Gannon was supposed to fix the defense, but there's been little evidence that's happening. They had no answer for Josh Allen, and while a lot of defenses can say the same thing, you'd think facing Murray in practice every day would give them some clue how to handle a mobile QB. If Arizona's going to win many games this year, it will need to rack up points, so Marvin Harrison's lack of involvement will need to change in a hurry.

Key Info

LAR injuries: WR Puka Nacua (IR, knee), TE Tyler Higbee (PUP, knee)
ARI injuries: WR Zay Jones (out, suspension)

DFS Lineup Optimizer
LAR DFS targets: Matthew Stafford, Kyren Williams, Colby Parkinson
ARI DFS targets: none

LAR DFS fades: none
ARI DFS fades: none

Weather notes: indoors

The Scoop

Williams piles up 130 scrimmage yards and two scores, one rushing and one receiving. Stafford throws for 320 yards and two more TDs, finding Kupp (who tops 100 yards) and Parkinson. James Conner fights for 70 yards and a touchdown. Murray throws for 250 yards and TDs to Trey McBride and Michael Wilson, but it's not enough. Rams 31-24

Pittsburgh at Denver (+2.5), o/u 36.5 – Sunday, 4:25 p.m. EDT

I think you can safely call Week 1 a vintage Steelers win. Six field goals and zero TDs of offense, and the defense making Kirk Cousins look so bad people wondered if his Achilles tendon was actually fully healed. Justin Fields didn't produce a lot of yardage through the air, but he was efficient and kept the chains moving on the ground, and if he gets off to a 2-0 start, it could be hard for Mike Tomlin to justify handing the starting job to Russell Wilson once he's cleared. (Then again, the schedule gets tougher beginning in Week 3, and while Tomlin doesn't play these kinds of head games, letting Wilson go 1-2 or 0-3 might be the best way to cement Fields as the starting QB.) OC Arthur Smith, somewhat surprisingly, gave Najee Harris a big workload — his 20 carries was a total Bijan Robinson reached only once last year when Smith in running the Falcons' offense — but his usage of Pat Freiermuth made it clear he hasn't changed too much. I tend to think Smith is over-rated as an offensive mind, but there's no question he's a massive upgrade on Matt Canada, at the very least.

In Sean Payton's first game of the season, an unheralded seventh-round rookie wound up being his team's leader for catches among wideouts, using his 6-foot-4 frame to be an effective possession receiver. Now, am I talking about Devaughn Vele in 2024 or Marques Colston in 2006? Vele probably won't have Colston's career, and Bo Nix is no Drew Brees (at least, not yet), but that performance highlighted Payton's preferred offensive approach of quick, efficient passes that keep the chains moving, and it suggests that maybe the Broncos' offense isn't as far from being the unit Payton wants as it seemed in that loss to the Seahawks. Now, Denver may not have a lot of players who can be the YAC monsters teams need to be truly dangerous with that kind of offense, and Nix has a lot of development in front of him, but at least the path forward seems pretty clear, even if it doesn't lead to a lot of wins in 2024.

Key Info

PIT injuries: QB Russell Wilson (questionable, calf), WR Roman Wilson (questionable, ankle)
DEN injuries: RB Audric Estime (IR, ankle), WR Devaughn Vele (out, ribs)

DFS Lineup Optimizer
PIT DFS targets: Najee Harris/Jaylen Warren, Van Jefferson, Pat Freiermuth
DEN DFS targets: none

PIT DFS fades: none
DEN DFS fades: none

Weather notes: 1-10 percent chance of rain

The Scoop

Harris pounds out 80 yards and a score. Fields throws for less than 200 yards and runs in a TD. Javonte Williams leads the DEN backfield with 50 yards, but Jaleel McLaughlin finds the end zone. Nix throws for less than 200 yards and a touchdown to Marvin Mims. Broncos 17-14

Cincinnati (+5.5) at Kansas City, o/u 47.5 – Sunday, 4:25 p.m. EDT

If any team's fan base should feel entitled to panic after one game, it's Cincinnati's. Yeah, they've had slow starts before and bounced back. No, I don't think Joe Burrow's wrist is really a problem. There is still a dark cloud hanging over the Bengals, and with Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Trey Hendrickson feeling various degrees of disrespected by the front office — a feeling that began brewing in the locker room back when Jessie Bates couldn't get the contract he thought he deserved either, and which the treatment of Joe Mixon certainly didn't help — it's fair to wonder if this roster can keep it together, or if their window for a potential Super Bowl has already closed. Other teams have talented rosters and have to make tough decisions to stay under the cap, but only Cincy seems to routinely alienate its star players in doing so. Last week's loss looked very much like a team having trouble getting motivated, and I can only give so much credit to the Patriots for that upset. Can the Bengals snap out of it? Sure. There's a lot of talent. Will they do it against the defending champs? Again, sure. They won't look past their opponent this time, and Chase should be sharper. A game against Kansas City is a bad time not to be firing on all cylinders, though.

Andy Reid's offense may have found a way to counter the way defenses have been playing it the last few years, and the solution may have come from the team they beat in February for the Super Bowl. While everyone remembers Tyreek Hill beating DBs deep and hauling in passes from Patrick Mahomes, the additions of Xavier Worthy (and Hollywood Brown, though who knows when he'll join the lineup) may have been with a different idea in mind — get the speedsters the ball in space, and let defenders try to catch them. It generally works for the 49ers, and it certainly worked for KC last Thursday as Worthy scored on an end around for his first career TD, and then took advantage of blown coverage to walk into the end zone for his second. He only had three touches, which might mean it'll be tough to him repeat that kind of performance, or it might encourage Mahomes to get the ball to the rookie more often. Having to account for Worthy can also only open up more space for Travis Kelce and Rashee Rice.

Key Info

CIN injuries: WR Tee Higgins (doubtful, hamstring)
KC injuries: RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire (NFI, illness), WR Hollywood Brown (IR, shoulder)

DFS Lineup Optimizer
CIN DFS targets: none
KC DFS targets: Xavier Worthy

CIN DFS fades: Trenton Irwin
KC DFS fades: none

Weather notes: 1-5 percent chance of rain

The Scoop

Zack Moss picks up 70 combined yards, while Chase Brown catches a TD pass. Burrow throws for 260 yards and a second score to Andrei Iosivas. Isiah Pacheco bangs out 80 yards and a touchdown. Mahomes throws for 290 yards and three TDs, two to Kelce and one to Worthy. Kansas City 31-20

SUNDAY NIGHT

Chicago (+6) at Houston, o/u 45.5 – Sunday, 8:20 p.m. EDT

Caleb Williams won his debut, and that's all that matters, right? The 2024 first overall pick looked nothing like the poised, polished future superstar we kept hearing about in the offseason — the guy who blew away the Bears' brain trust in the predraft process and who mastered Shane Waldron's playbook over a couple of Zoom sessions — but the kid can get a mulligan for his first NFL game. Nerves, and all that. Williams is still surrounded by an impressive supporting cast, including a defense that made a bit of a statement in the opener, but the pressure's only going to mount on him if he puts together another dud.

The Texans won a wild one against the Colts, but divisional rivalries gonna rivalry. Unlike Chicago, Houston's big offseason additions all shone in their debuts, as Joe Mixon ran roughshod over what's usually a pretty stout Indy run defense, and Stefon Diggs caught two touchdowns. This is still C.J. Stroud's team first and foremost, though, and while he didn't need to really light it up, he was deadly when he needed to be. The defense did give up some big plays to Anthony Richardson, which is why the game was close, but you can hardly blame them for not anticipating plays that maybe only guy in the entire league can make. If Demeco Ryans gets the defense close to the level of the offense, it could well be Stroud's turn to try and dethrone Patrick Mahomes as the kind of the AFC in this year's playoffs.

Key Info

CHI injuries: WR Keenan Allen (questionable, heel), WR Rome Odunze (questionable, knee)
HOU injuries: RB Dameon Pierce (questionable, hamstring), EDGE Denico Autry (out, suspension)

DFS Lineup Optimizer
CHI DFS targets: Rome Odunze
HOU DFS targets: Joe Mixon

CHI DFS fades: D'Andre Swift
HOU DFS fades: Nico Collins

Weather notes: indoors

The Scoop

Swift pieces together 60 scrimmage yards. Williams throws for 240 yards and two TDs, both to DJ Moore, but he also gets picked off twice. Mixon racks up 110 combined yards and two scores, one rushing and one receiving. Stroud throws for 280 yards and a second touchdown to Tank Dell. Texans 27-20

THURSDAY NIGHT

Buffalo (+2.5) at Miami, o/u 49.0 – Thursday, 8:15 p.m. EDT

The more things change, the more they stay the same. The Bills needed a four-touchdown day from Josh Allen to engineer a comeback win last week. At home. Over the Cardinals. Eep. Arizona could well be better than I expected coming into the season, but it seems a lot more likely the Buffalo defense simply isn't as good as it used to be. New DC Bobby Babich has worked his way up the ranks under head coach Sean McDermott — in fact, he was on McDermott's very first staff, joining the Bills as an assistant DB coach in 2017 — and it seems safe to say he probably knows the scheme as well as McDermott. The unit has lost a lot of talent the last few years, though, and injuries are already piling up in 2024 — Matt Milano began the season on IR, and slot corner Taron Johnson will miss this one. The Bills should still score points, especially as Allen's young supporting cast gains more experience, but that 34-28 victory in Week 1 could be a harbinger of the kind of campaign they're headed for. They do at least have history on this side in this AFC East rivalry, having won four consecutive meetings and 11 of the last 12.

Last week's win over the Jaguars got overshadowed by the appalling and infuriating, but fortunately not lethal, treatment that Tyreek Hill, Calais Campbell and Jonnu Smith received before the game from some of those bad apples we keep hearing about in police departments. Tyreek took his frustrations out on Jacksonville's secondary (Campbell recorded a sack, too), and if you're looking for an early season narrative to hang your hat on, the Dolphins riding that fury all the way to the Super Bowl is a pretty appealing one. Mike McDaniel's Fastest Show on Turf offense only managed 20 points, though, which looks a lot more like the unit that fizzled down the stretch last year than the one that hung 70 points on the Broncos on that magical September afternoon. The backfield got banged up early, with Raheem Mostert already ruled out for Thursday and De'Von Achane nursing an ankle injury in practice, but having to plug speedy 2024 fourth-round pick Jaylen Wright into the lineup instead hardly seems like much of a downgrade, and veteran stalwart Jeff Wilson can still do good work in the trenches. The offense should come around, so it'll likely be the performance of Anthony Weaver's talented, experienced defense that determines how far they go. Facing Allen in Week 2 will provide a excellent early test for the unit.

Key Info

BUF injuries: LB Milano (IR-R, bicep), CB Johnson (out, forearm)
MIA injuries: RB Achane (questionable, ankle), RB Mostert (out, chest), EDGE Bradley Chubb (PUP-R, knee) 

DFS Lineup Optimizer
BUF DFS targets: Josh Allen, Dalton Kincaid
MIA DFS targets: Jaylen Waddle

BUF DFS fades: none
MIA DFS fades: none

Weather notes: 25-30 percent chance of rain

The Scoop

James Cook scoops up 90 yards. Allen throws for 240 yards and two TDs, finding Kincaid and Keon Coleman, and he also runs in a score. Achane plays and gains 60 yards and a touchdown, but Wright makes a big impression in his NFL debut with 80 yards and a score. Tua Tagovailoa throws for 260 yards and two TDs, hitting Waddle (who tops 100 yards) and Hill. Dolphins 31-24

Last week's record: 11-5, 7-8-1 ATS, 8-8 o/u