NFL Game Previews: Chiefs-Broncos

Kansas City at Denver (+5), 56.0 o/u – Monday, 8:15 p.m. EDT

The Story: Raise your hand if you expected Patrick Mahomes to set a new NFL record with 13 TD passes through the first three games of 2018. Yeah, right. The Chiefs' explosive passing game has put the entire NFL on notice, but fortunately for the rest of the AFC West, Kansas City's defense has been almost as generous as their offense has been ferocious. They're still one of only three undefeated teams left in the league, though, and that could remain true for a while until someone finds a way to slow down Mahomes, and Tyreek Hill, and Travis Kelce, and Sammy Watkins, and Kareem Hunt, and ... uh, yeah, good luck with that. Denver's new starting quarterback has been somewhat less than record-setting, and after throwing only seven INTs in 15 games for the Vikings last season, Case Keenum's already been picked off five times in three games for the Broncos. Facing a secondary that's allowed an 8:1 TD:INT against them so far should help him maintain a cleaner stat line, though, and if he can somehow keep pace with Mahomes and hold serve at home, it's the Broncos that will find themselves atop the division after the first month.

The Skinny:
•KC injuries: S Eric Berry (questionable, heel)
•DEN injuries: TE Jake Butt (out, knee); LB Brandon Marshall (questionable, knee)
•KC DFS chalk: Hill (DEN 28th in DVOA vs. WR1 in 2018), Kelce (DEN 29th in DVOA vs. TE in 2018)
•DEN DFS chalk: Phillip Lindsay (KC 30th in YPC allowed, 32nd in passing game DVOA vs. RB in 2018)
•KC DFS tournament plays: none
•DEN DFS tournament plays: Keenum (KC 27th in QB rating allowed in 2018), Jeff Heuerman (KC 31st in DVOA vs. TE in 2018)
•Head-to-head record, last five years: 5-5, average score 25-24 KC, average margin of victory 10 points. KC has won five straight meetings after ending a seven-game losing streak in the series.
•Weather forecast: cloudy, temperature in the mid-70s, less than 10 mph wind, zero percent chance of rain

The Scoop: Hunt gains 70 yards and a touchdown. Mahomes lights it up in prime time, throwing for 320 yards and three TDs, hitting Kelce twice and Chris Conley once while Hill hauls in over 100 yards. Lindsay gains 120 combined yards and a receiving score, while Royce Freeman also finds the end zone. Keenum throws for 260 yards and a second TD to Demaryius Thomas, but it's not enough. Chiefs, 34-24

N.Y. Jets (+7.5) at Jacksonville, 38.5 o/u – Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT

The Story: One bad road game, on a short week no less, and suddenly San Darnold is old news among the rookie QBs. The NFL can be so fickle. Hey, the kid has the same record this season as Tom Brady, cut him some slack. On paper, the Jets haven't been that bad, either – they're third in QB rating against, for instance – so Darnold really just needs to cut back on the mistakes and turnovers and the team should be competitive most weeks. This probably won't be one of those weeks, though, The Jags will be fuming after playing down to the Titans' level last Sunday and letting an extremely winnable game slip through their fingers. Getting Leonard Fournette back would go a long way toward getting them back to the game plan Doug Marrone is comfortable with, which mainly involves bludgeoning the other team into submission on both sides of the ball.

The Skinny:
•NYJ injuries: S Marcus Maye (questionable, foot)
•JAC injuries: RB Fournette (questionable, hamstring)
•NYJ DFS chalk: none
•JAC DFS chalk: Jaguars DST (Darnold tied for second in NFL with five INTs)
•NYJ DFS tournament plays: Quincy Enunwa (31 percent target share in 2018, JAC 26th in DVOA vs. WR1 in 2018)
•JAC DFS tournament plays: none
•Weather forecast: cloudy, temperature in the mid-80s, less than 10 mph wind, 5-10 percent chance of rain

The Scoop: Isaiah Crowell leads the Jets backfield with 50 yards. Darnold throws for less than 200 yards and gets picked off twice, one of which Jalen Ramsey returns to the house. Fournette plays and bangs out 90 yards and a score. Blake Bortles throws for 240 yards and a TD to Keelan Cole. Jaguars, 24-3

Miami (+7) at New England, 47.5 o/u – Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT

The Story: Ho hum, a 3-0 team versus a 1-2 team, just what everyone expected from an AFC East clash at this point. While it's hard to take the Dolphins seriously as Super Bowl contenders given their cupcake schedule so far, there's something to be said for beating the teams you're supposed to beat, and the combination of an efficient passing game and a ball-hawking secondary can go a long way. As for the Patriots, you know at some point they're going to flip the switch, the only question is when. They don't have an early bye this year to reset and re-evaluate, though, and while adding Julian Edelman and Josh Gordon to Tom Brady's quiver should turn the offense around, that won't happen this week – Edelman's still suspended for one more game, and Gordon doesn't seem like he's ready to start playing the Patriot Way just yet.

The Skinny:
•MIA injuries: WR DeVante Parker (questionable, quad)
•NE injuries: WR Edelman (out, suspension); WR Gordon (questionable, hamstring); TE Rob Gronkowski (questionable, ankle); RB Rex Burkhead (IR, neck); DE Trey Flowers (questionable, concussion); S Patrick Chung (questionable, concussion)
•MIA DFS chalk: none
•NE DFS chalk: none
•MIA DFS tournament plays: Kenny Stills (NE 30th in DVOA vs. WR1), Kenyan Drake (NE 25th in YPC allowed, 25th in passing game DVOA vs. RB in 2018)
•NE DFS tournament plays: James White (MIA 22nd in passing game DVOA vs. RB in 2018)
•Head-to-head record, last five years: 6-4 NE, average score 28-20 NE, average margin of victory 14 points. Only two of the last eight meetings have been decided by less than double digits.
•Weather forecast: clear, temperature in the high 60s, less than 10 mph wind, zero percent chance of rain

The Scoop: Drake has his best game of the season, compiling 100 combined yards and a touchdown. Ryan Tannehill throws for 260 yards and TDs to Stills and Danny Amendola. Sony Michel picks up 60 yards, but White leads the NE backfield with 80 combined yards and a receiving score. Brady throws for 310 yards and two more TDs, hitting Gronk and Phillip Dorsett. Patriots, 27-24

Philadelphia at Tennessee (+4), 41.0 o/u – Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT

The Story: While he didn't post outstanding numbers in his return, Carson Wentz got the job done and appears to have the Eagles firmly on track. Given how banged up the backfield and receiving corps remain, they'll need to lean on their defense a little while longer, but in the long run that might be for the best, as Wentz should be 100 percent healthy at about the same time the rest of the offense is. It wouldn't be all that surprising if Philly has the highest-scoring attack in the NFL in the second half. As for the Titans, smoke and mirrors doesn't really do justice to their little two-game winning streak. They're essentially beating more talented rosters with a one-armed quarterback, so hats off to Mike Vrabel and his staff. At some point they're going to run into a team that doesn't fall for their trickery and refuses to wrestle in the mud with them, though, and the defending champs seem like just that kind of squad. This one could get ugly, and not in the "9-6 field-goal battle" sense of ugly.

The Skinny:
•PHI injuries: WR Alshon Jeffery (questionable, shoulder); RB Corey Clement (questionable, quad); RB Darren Sproles (out, hamstring)
•TEN injuries: none
•PHI DFS chalk: none
•TEN DFS chalk: none
•PHI DFS tournament plays: Jay Ajayi (TEN 26th in YPC allowed in 2018), Nelson Agholor (TEN 29th in DVOA vs. WR1 in 2018)
•TEN DFS tournament plays: Taywan Taylor (PHI 31st in DVOA vs. WR2 in 2018)
•Weather forecast: clear, temperature in the low 80s, less than 10 mph wind, zero percent chance of rain

The Scoop: Ajayi thunders for 110 yards and a TD. Wentz throws 280 yards and three touchdowns, hitting Agholor (who tops 100 yards) twice and Jordan Matthews once. Derrick Henry managed 40 yards, while Dion Lewis picks up 50 combined yards. Marcus Mariota throws for less than 200 yards and a TD to Corey Davis before getting knocked out of the game on a sack by Derek Barnett, and Austin Davis does little in relief. Eagles, 31-7

Houston (+1.5) at Indianapolis, 47.0 o/u – Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT

The Story: After a shaky opener, Deshaun Watson seems to be back in form, topping 300 passing yards in each of the last two weeks and making Will Fuller a stud once again. J.J. Watt looked like his old self last week, grabbing his first three sacks of the year against the Giants. So why are the Texans 0-3? The short answer is that they can't stop the other team from marching down the field at will. Their defense is 31st in QB rating allowed, and until they find a way to get regular stops and get the ball back to Watson, individual heroics aren't going to matter that much. The Colts have ridden the good vibes from Andrew Luck's return to … well, OK, they're only 1-2, but coming within a whisker of ruining Wentz's own comeback is at least a moral victory. There's been a lot of chatter about Jacoby Brissett coming on to launch the game-ending Hail Mary attempt, but the fact that Luck can't heave a ball 60 yards doesn't mean he's now Chad Pennington 2.0. Indy's inability to supply him with a respectable supporting cast is a lot bigger issue than his shoulder.

The Skinny:
•HOU injuries: WR DeAndre Hopkins (questionable, thumb)
•IND injuries: RB Marlon Mack (questionable, hamstring); TE Jack Doyle (out, hip)
•HOU DFS chalk: Fuller (IND 28th in DVOA vs. WR2, 25th against deep throws in 2018)
•IND DFS chalk: Luck (HOU 31st in QB rating allowed in 2018)
•HOU DFS tournament plays: none
•IND DFS tournament plays: Eric Ebron (HOU 32nd in DVOA vs. TE in 2018)
•Head-to-head record, last five years: 7-3 IND, average score 22-18 IND, average margin of victory seven points, Only one of the 10 meetings had a margin in double digits, a 25-3 Colts win in Dec. 2013.
•Weather forecast: dome

The Scoop: Lamar Miller picks up 80 combined yards. Watson throws for 340 yards and three TDs, two to Fuller and one to Hopkins (who tops 100 yards), and he also runs in his first score of the year. Mack starts and gains 70 yards and a touchdown. Luck throws for 280 yards and three TDs of his own, hitting T.Y. Hilton (who also tops 100 yards), Ebron and Ryan Grant. Watson gets the ball last and leads a game-winning drive in the final two minutes. Texans, 34-31

Buffalo (+10) at Green Bay, 45.0 o/u – Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT

The Story: I tend to talk a lot about bad teams "tanking," but when I do I'm pointing a finger at the front office for assembling an underpowered roster designed to lose games in the short term (and even sometimes sticking with an obviously overmatched coaching staff to compound the problem). The players actually on the field always want to win, and that was never more apparent than last week, even if the Bills' victory owes as much to Kirk Cousins' poor pocket awareness and small hands as it does to anything they themselves did. Nonetheless, Josh Allen made plays with his legs, the defense came up big, and now here they are staring down at all those poor pathetic 0-3 squads. Another miracle in Lambeau seems highly unlikely, of course, even if they might get LeSean McCoy back for this one, but every poker player has had to sit across from someone on a heater who hits two-outers on the river two hands in a row, so who knows – Aaron Rodgers slips on a wet field and aggravates his knee, DeShone Kizer tosses a few balls up for grabs, and suddenly Buffalo is the talk of the NFL. Crazier things have happened. Barely.

The Skinny:
•BUF injuries: RB McCoy (questionable, ribs); TE Charles Clay (questionable, shoulder)
•GB injuries: QB Rodgers (questionable, knee); WR Randall Cobb (questionable, knee); DE Muhammad Wilkerson (out, ankle); LB Nick Perry (questionable, concussion)
•BUF DFS chalk: none
•GB DFS chalk: Rodgers (BUF 28th in QB rating against in 2018)
•BUF DFS tournament plays: McCoy (GB 27th in rushing yards allowed, 21st in passing game DVOA vs. RB in 2018)
•GB DFS tournament plays: Geronimo Allison (BUF 32nd in DVOA vs. WR3 in 2018)
•Weather forecast: overcast, temperature in the low 50s, less than 10 mph wind, 15-25 percent chance of rain

The Scoop: McCoy plays and manages 70 combined yards. Allen throws for less than 200 yards and gets picked off three times, but does find Zay Jones for a TD. Aaron Jones leads the GB backfield with 60 combined yards, but Jamaal Williams scores a short rushing touchdown and Ty Montgomery catches a TD pass. Rodgers throws for 250 yards and two more scores, hitting Allison and Graham. Packers, 34-10

Detroit (+3) at Dallas, 43.5 o/u – Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT

The Story: Lose big to the Jets, win big over the Pats. Lions football, everyone. The big news from the victory, of course, was Kerryon Johnson ending Detroit's streak of running-game futility. To put in perspective how long it's been since the last Lions RB hit for 100-plus yards, you probably hadn't heard Let It Go yet. If Matt Patricia stops giving LeGarrette Blount an equal share of the carries, Johnson might even become a real bell cow. The Cowboys have their three-down back in Ezekiel Elliott, but absolutely nothing else going for them on offense. It really doesn't matter whether the issue is Dak Prescott being afraid to throw downfield, or coordinator Scott Linehan not trusting his QB to do it – it's 2018, not 1968, and a team that can't stretch the field can't score points. Something's got to change in Dallas, and soon, before America's Team becomes an dysfunctional as America's senate.

The Skinny:
•DET injuries: WR Golden Tate (questionable, hip); DE Ezekiel Ansah (out, shoulder)
•DAL injuries: WR Cole Beasley (questionable, ankle); LB Sean Lee (out, hamstring); DE David Irving (out, suspension)
•DET DFS chalk: Tate (27 percent target share in 2018, DAL 25th in DVOA vs. WR1 in 2018)
•DAL DFS chalk: Elliott (DET 32nd in YPC and rushing yards allowed in 2018)
•DET DFS tournament plays: Johnson (DAL 23rd in passing game DVOA vs. RB in 2018)
•DAL DFS tournament plays: Tavon Austin (DET 30th in DVOA vs. WR3 in 2018)
•Weather forecast: cloudy, temperature in the low 80s, less than 10 mph wind, 0-5 percent chance of rain

The Scoop: Johnson racks up 90 combined yards and a touchdown. Matthew Stafford throws for 270 yards and TDs to Kenny Golladay and Theo Riddick. Elliott erupts for 140 yards and a score, while Prescott throws for 210 yards and a TD to Allen Hurns. Cowboys, 23-21

Tampa Bay (+3) at Chicago, 46.5 o/u – Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT

The Story: Did we get a peek at the putz behind the curtain last week? Sure, Ryan Fitzpatrick threw for over 400 yards and at least three TDs again in the loss to the Steelers, but three picks is more fizzle than wizard. With Jameis Winston back from his suspension, Fitzpatrick's margin for error gets a lot thinner if he wants to keep the starting gig, and a road date with Khalil Mack and a Bears pass rush that leads the NFL in sacks with 14 is just the kind of matchup that can spell the end of this latest magical run. Mitchell Trubisky has shown flashes of his own magic so far, but so far the only trick up his sleeve seems to be the ability to turn invisible. The second-year QB has been a non-factor through three games, and at some point there's bound to be grumbling in Chicago about whether they selected the right guy in the 2017 draft, especially while Patrick Mahomes is setting records in KC.

The Skinny:
•TB injuries: none
•CHI injuries: WR Anthony Miller (out, shoulder)
•TB DFS chalk: Mike Evans (27 percent target share, 38 percent team Air Yards share in 2018, CHI 20th in DVOA vs. WR1 in 2018)
•CHI DFS chalk: Trey Burton (TB 32nd in yards allowed, 25th in DVOA vs. TE in 2018)
•TB DFS tournament plays: none
•CHI DFS tournament plays: Tarik Cohen (TB 28th in passing game DVOA vs. RB in 2018)
•Weather forecast: overcast, temperature in the high 60s, less than 10 mph wind, 0-5 percent chance of rain

The Scoop: Peyton Barber manages 40 yards. Fitzpatrick crashes to earth, throwing for 220 yards and a TD to Evans but getting picked off three times, one of which Eddie Jackson returns for a touchdown. Jordan Howard gets held to 50 yards but does score. Trubisky throws for 230 yards and a TD to Burton. Bears, 27-13

Cincinnati (+5) at Atlanta, 51.0 o/u – Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT

The Story: The Bengals predictably came up short last week in Carolina, but for the most part they've been their usual solid self through three games. If Joe Mixon does develop into a true every-down back upon his return, he could elevate the offense into something more than OK, but until that happens they'll remain one of those teams that seems to be in the wild-card hunt every year but is never a real threat to win it all. As for the Falcons, they're 1-2 after getting Breesed last week, but they might be the cream of the 1-2 crop in the NFC. The offense seems to be figuring things out, although any offense is going to look good against the Saints, and Calvin Ridley's emergence opposite Julio Jones forces opposition secondaries to pick their poison, even if it doesn't improve Julio's outlook for TDs.

The Skinny:
•CIN injuries: RB Mixon (out, knee); LB Vontaze Burfict (out, suspension)
•ATL injuries: RB Devonta Freeman (out, knee)
•CIN DFS chalk: A.J. Green (ATL 23rd in DVOA vs. WR1 in 2018)
•ATL DFS chalk: Tevin Coleman (CIN 27th in passing game DVOA vs. RB in 2018)
•CIN DFS tournament plays: Gio Bernard (ATL 31st in YPC allowed in 2018), John Ross (ATL 31st in DVOA vs. WR3 in 2018)
•ATL DFS tournament plays: Ito Smith (CIN 27th in passing game DVOA vs. RB in 2018)
•Weather forecast: dome

The Scoop: Bernard reels off 110 combined yards and a touchdown. Andy Dalton throws for 260 yards and TDs to Green and Ross. Coleman responds with 100 yards and two scores, one rushing and one receiving. Matt Ryan throws for 310 yards and two more touchdowns to Ridley and Smith. Falcons, 34-24

Seattle at Arizona (+3), 38.5 o/u – Sunday, 4:05 p.m. EDT

The Story: Even in last week's win over Dallas, Russell Wilson still got sacked twice and hit seven times, and the Seahawks' o-line issues are going to sabotage the offense even after it gets fully healthy. They'll get one step closer that if Doug Baldwin's able to suit up, but he's unlikely to be 100 percent effective in his first game back. The Cardinals now have full control of their own destiny when it comes to the 2019 first overall pick, even if the Raiders and Texans are still right there with them at 0-3. Arizona's minus-54 point differential is by far the worst in the NFL so far, and while handing the reins to Josh Rosen might offer some hope for the moribund offense, this is still a unit averaging less than a touchdown a game. There's only so much the poor kid will be able to do, especially when his only established weapons are David Johnson and a rapidly aging Larry Fitzgerald – although he did show some chemistry with fellow rookie Christian Kirk last week.

The Skinny:
•SEA injuries: RB Chris Carson (questionable, hip); WR Doug Baldwin (questionable, knee); LB K.J. Wright (out, knee)
•ARI injuries: WR Fitzgerald (questionable, hamstring)
•SEA DFS chalk: Seahawks DST (tied for league lead with seven INTs)
•ARI DFS chalk: Johnson (SEA 28th in YPC allowed in 2018)
•SEA DFS tournament plays: Brandon Marshall (ARI 27th in DVOA vs. WR3 in 2018)
•ARI DFS tournament plays: Kirk (SEA 24th vs. WR2 in 2018)
•Head-to-head record, last five years: 5-4-1 SEA, average score 25-17 SEA, average margin of victory 11 points
•Weather forecast: dome

The Scoop: Carson plays, but Rashaad Penny leads the Seahawks backfield with 60 yards and a TD. Wilson throws for 250 yards and touchdowns to Marshall and Nick Vannett. Johnson gains 70 yards and a score. Rosen throws for under 200 yards and gets picked off twice. Seahawks, 27-10

Cleveland (+3) at Oakland, 45.0 o/u – Sunday, 4:05 p.m. EDT

The Story: The ironic thing about Baker Mayfield's dazzling debut last Thursday is that it probably gave Hue Jackson more job security, when in a just and sane universe, he would have been fired the next day for being dumb enough to leave the first overall pick in this year's draft on the bench this long – heck, if Tyrod Taylor hasn't suffered a concussion, Mayfield might still be riding pine. However he got there, though, the kid's now clearly The Man for the Browns, and he gets an intriguing spot for his first career NFL start. The Raiders haven't been causing problems for any QB they've faced yet, stumbling to 25th in QB rating against and managing an NFL-low three sacks so far, so Mayfield could get very comfortable in the pocket Sunday afternoon. Oakland's also had a major problem in the second half, getting out-scored 64-17 after the break, which doesn't speak well of Jon Gruden's ability to make halftime adjustments. In fact, the teams they've faced so far could have given back all the first-half points they scored and said only their second-half points would count while letting the Raiders keep theirs, and Oakland would still be 0-3. That's really, really bad. Jordy Nelson at least showed he still has something left in the tank last week, but the team will need more than one guy to show up on offense in any given game to really have a chance.

The Skinny:
•CLE injuries: none
•OAK injuries: S Karl Joseph (out, hamstring)
•CLE DFS chalk: Carlos Hyde (OAK 29th in YPC allowed, 26th in passing game DVOA vs. RB in 2018)
•OAK DFS chalk: none
•CLE DFS tournament plays: Mayfield (see above)
•OAK DFS tournament plays: Jalen Richard (CLE 31st in passing game DVOA vs. RB in 2018)
•Weather forecast: cloudy, temperature in the high 60s, less than 10 mph wind, 0-5 percent chance of rain

The Scoop: Hyde racks up 90 combined yards and two TDs. Mayfield throws for 230 yards and touchdowns to Jarvis Landry and Antonio Callaway. Marshawn Lynch bulls his way for 70 yards. Derek Carr throws for 260 yards and TDs to Richard and Amari Cooper. Browns, 31-20

New Orleans at N.Y. Giants (+3.5), 50.0 o/u – Sunday, 4:25 p.m. EDT

The Story: Drew Brees' 16-year rope-a-dope finally paid off last week, as the Falcons understandably discounted the 39-year-old scrambling ability only to watch him pull some slow-motion Barry Sanders nonsense on them at the goal line. Dude hasn't topped 20 rushing yards in a season since 2014, and now he's doing spin moves. Of course, he needs to score all the points he can, any way he can, because the Saints' defense has been utterly terrible so far. They've coughed up over 34 points a game, more than a field goal worse than the 31st-place Chargers, are tied with the Raiders for last with only one turnover, and are tied with the Steelers for last have allowed 10 TD passes already. That's a lot of lasts in a lot of critical areas. The Giants still can't really pass block, even after benching Ereck"Dead" Flowers, but just so long as Eli Manning has a couple of heartbeats to get the ball into the hands of Saquon Barkley or Odell Beckham, things will probably work out all right in the end. He's rapidly running out of other options, though.

The Skinny:
•NO injuries: RB Mark Ingram (out, suspension)
•NYG injuries: TE Evan Engram (out, knee); DE Olivier Vernon (out, ankle); CB Eli Apple (out, groin); WR Cody Latimer (out, knee)
•NO DFS chalk: Michael Thomas (31 percent target share, NYG 27th in DVOA vs. WR1 in 2018)
•NYG DFS chalk: Beckham (31 percent target share, 50 percent team Air Yards share in 2018, NO 31st in DVOA vs. WR1 in 2018)
•NO DFS tournament plays: Cameron Meredith (NYG 29th in DVOA vs. WR3 in 2018)
•NYG DFS tournament plays: Manning (NO 32nd in QB rating allowed in 2018)
•Weather forecast: clear, temperature in the low 70s, less than 10 mph wind, 0-5 percent chance of rain

The Scoop: Alvin Kamara piles up 130 combined yards and a score. Brees throws for 270 yards and two TDs to Thomas and Ben Watson. Barkley answers back with 150 combined yards and two touchdowns, while Manning throws for 330 yards and three TDs, two to Beckham (who tops 100 yards) and one to Sterling Shepard. Giants, 38-27

San Francisco (+10.5) at L.A. Chargers, 46.5 o/u – Sunday, 4:25 p.m. EDT

The Story: So long, Jimmy G, we hardly knew ye. I wonder if there's an experienced free-agent QB available the Niners could sign ... in the meantime, C.J. Beathard – he of the 3:5 TD:INT, but three rushing TDs, in five starts last year – will handle duties under center and try to keep the offense puttering along. Marquise Goodwin may not notice much of a difference, as he was on the other end of a few Beathard bombs last season, but the rest of the offense could suffer. The Chargers can lay their own claim to that "best 1-2 team in the league" title, as their two losses have come against the two most potent offenses in the NFL in the Chiefs and Rams. There likely won't be quite so much pressure on Philip Rivers to keep up in this one, but if he does need to air it out, Mike Williams could continue to build on last week's impressive breakout with Keenan Allen at less than 100 percent.

The Skinny:
•SF injuries: QB Jimmy Garoppolo (IR, knee); RB Matt Breida (questionable, knee); RB Alfred Morris (questionable, knee); CB Richard Sherman (out, calf); S Jaquiski Tartt (doubtful, shoulder)
•LAC injuries: WR Allen (questionable, knee)
•SF DFS chalk: none
•LAC DFS chalk: none
•SF DFS tournament plays: Beathard (LAC 28th in QB rating allowed), Goodwin (LAC 32nd in DVOA vs. WR1 in 2018)
•LAC DFS tournament plays: Williams (SF 22nd in DVOA vs. WR2 in 2018), Antonio Gates (SF 30th in DVOA vs. TE in 2018)
•Weather forecast: clear, temperature in the high 70s, less than 10 mph wind, zero percent chance of rain

The Scoop: Morris ends up leading the 49ers backfield with 40 yards. Beathard throws for under 200 yards and gets picked off twice but does hit Goodwin for a TD. Melvin Gordon bangs out 110 combined yards and a touchdown. Rivers throws for 240 yards and three TDs, finding Williams, Gates and Tyrell Williams for scores. Chargers, 31-10

Baltimore (+3) at Pittsburgh, 51.0 o/u – Sunday, 8:20 p.m. EDT

The Story: Believe it or not, but the Ravens are the second-best team in the NFL now behind the Rams – at least by point differential. What's even more shocking is that they aren't doing it exclusively with a stingy defense. Despite a receiving corps that on paper looks pretty ragtag, Joe Flacco has been slinging the ball around with relative abandon, and he's on pace (for what that's worth after three games) to top 4,500 yards and 30 TDs for the first time in his career. As a result, Baltimore's second in the AFC behind Kansas City in scoring – and ahead of Pittsburgh, who seem to be missing Ryan Shazier more than they're missing Le'Veon Bell. The Steelers have been the outdoor version of the Saints, with their defense giving back whatever points Ben Roethlisberger can muster, and that frustration seems to be getting to Antonio Brown. Defending their home turf against their most hated division rival would go a long way towards settling things down. Of course, a home loss to said hated rival might just send things spiraling out of control.

The Skinny:
•BAL injuries: LB C.J. Mosley (questionable, knee); CB Brandon Carr (questionable, knee); LB Terrell Suggs (questionable, knee)
•PIT injuries: RB Bell (out, contract)
•BAL DFS chalk: none
•PIT DFS chalk: Antonio Brown (30 percent target share, 39 percent share of team Air Yards in 2018)
•BAL DFS tournament plays: Alex Collins (PIT 23rd in YPC in 2018)
•PIT DFS tournament plays: none
•Head-to-head record, last five years: 6-5 BAL including postseason, average score 23-23, average margin of victory eight points. Five of the last six meetings have been decided by one score or less, with PIT winning the last three meetings.
•Weather forecast: clear, temperature in the high 60s, less than 10 mph wind, 0-5 percent chance of rain

The Scoop: Collins gains 80 yards. Flacco throws for 260 yards and two TDs, finding Michael Crabtree and Maxx Williams in the end zone. James Conner rings up 110 combined yards and a score. Roethlisberger throws for 300 yards and touchdowns to Brown (who tops 100 yards) and James Washington. Steelers, 30-23

Minnesota (+7) at L.A. Rams, 49.5 o/u – Thursday, 8:20 p.m. ET

The Story: If we had the technology, the Vikings section of this preview would just be this gif. The question now is whether last week's disaster was just a one in a million outcome, or a one in twenty outcome – because if it's the latter, they are in a lot more trouble than anyone expected coming into the season. A short-week turnaround to face what has pretty clearly been the best team in the NFL through three games, on the road no less, probably isn't going to help provide any answers on that front, either. If there's a ray of hope for the Vikings, it's that they have one of the best wide receiver duos in the league in Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs, and the Rams likely will be without both their starting corners. If the O-line can't give Kirk Cousins more time to find them, though, who's covering them won't matter much.

The Skinny:
•MIN injuries: RB Dalvin Cook (questionable, hamstring); DE Everson Griffin (out, personal)
•LAR injuries: CB Aqib Talib (IR, ankle); CB Marcus Peters (questionable, calf); K Greg Zuerlein (out, groin)
•MIN DFS chalk: none
•LAR DFS chalk: Todd Gurley (MIN 29th in passing game DVOA vs RB in 2018)
•MIN DFS tournament plays: Latavius Murray (LAR 27th in YPC allowed in 2018 at 5.0)
•LAR DFS tournament plays: Tyler Higbee (MIN 24th in DVOA vs. TE in 2018)
•Weather forecast: cloudy, temperature in the high 70s, less than 10 mph wind, zero percent chance of rain

The Scoop: Murray rebounds with 70 combined yards and a score. Cousins throws for 240 yards and a TD to Thielen. Gurley jets for 110 combined yards and a rushing touchdown. Jared Goff throws for 270 yards and two TDs, hitting Higbee and Brandin Cooks. Rams, 24-20

Last week's record: 10-6, 10-6 ATS, 8-8 o/u
2018 regular-season record: 27-19-2, 21-25-2 ATS, 20-28 o/u
2017 regular-season record: 164-92, 111-131-14 ATS, 114-138-4 o/u
2016 regular-season record: 155-99-2, 110-136-10 ATS, 139-112-5 o/u
2015 regular-season record: 157-99, 137-111-8 ATS