NFL Game Previews: Week 2 Matchups

Seattle (+3) at Chicago, 43.5 o/u – Monday, 8:15 p.m. EDT

The Story: Oh boy. A Seahawks offensive line that let Russell Wilson get sacked six times in Week 1 now has to face an extremely motivated Khalil Mack. What's worse, Wilson will be without his favorite target in Doug Baldwin, and somehow unheralded rookie tight end Will Dissly doesn't seem like a viable replacement. That's not to say this game is a lost cause, of course. Chicago already coughed up a lead to an elite quarterback this year, so why not do it again? Mitchell Trubisky crashed back to earth hard after an impressive opening drive, and having Matt Nagy call the shots may not be an instant fix for the Bears offense after all.

The Skinny:
•SEA injuries: WR Baldwin (doubtful, knee); LB Bobby Wagner (questionable, groin); LB K.J. Wright (doubtful, knee)
•CHI injuries: none
•SEA DFS chalk: none
•CHI DFS chalk: none
•SEA DFS tournament plays: none
•CHI DFS tournament plays: Taylor Gabriel (SEA 31st in DVOA vs. WR2 in 2017, allowed Emmanuel Sanders to go 10-135-1 in Week 1)
•Weather forecast: clear, temperature in the mid-70s, less than 10 mph wind, zero percent chance of rain

The Scoop: Chris Carson picks up 70 yards. Wilson throws for 270 yards and TDs to Brandon Marshall and Jaron Brown. Jordan Howard rumbles for 100 yards and a score. Trubisky throws for 230 yards and touchdowns to Trey Burton and Gabriel. Bears, 24-20

Carolina (+5.5) at Atlanta, 44.5 o/u – Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT

The Story: The Panthers out-uglied the Cowboys in their Week 1 win, as Dallas' O-line issues proved to be worse than their own, and the football gods seem to have smiled on Carolina once again after Atlanta's defense got gutted by injuries in their 2018 opener. Cam Newton, however, has had his struggles in this rivalry – his career 76.7 QB rating against the Falcons is by far his lowest against any of his NFC South rivals (93.3 against TB, 87.1 against NO). Matt Ryan hasn't had any such problems (93.9 QBR against CAR), but if Steve Sarkisian can't figure out how this whole red-zone thing works, what Ryan does between the 20s won't matter.

The Skinny:
•CAR injuries: TE Greg Olsen (out, foot); LB Thomas Davis (out, suspension)
•ATL injuries: RB Devonta Freeman (out, knee); LB Deion Jones (IR, foot); S Keanu Neal (IR, knee)
•CAR DFS chalk: none
•ATL DFS chalk: Julio Jones (average line vs. CAR: six catches on 10 targets for 104 yards, five TDs in 11 games, 29 percent targets share in 2017)
•CAR DFS tournament plays: Christian McCaffrey (ATL 21st in pass-game DVOA vs. RB in 2017); Torrey Smith (ATL 25th in DVOA against WR2, 21st against deep throws in 2017)
•ATL DFS tournament plays: Tevin Coleman (CAR 3rd in rushing yards allowed in 2017, but Coleman has starting role to himself with Freeman out)
•Head-to-head record, last five years: 5-5, average score 24-19 CAR, average margin of victory 15 points. Only two of the last seven meetings have been decided by a single score.
•Weather forecast: dome

The Scoop: McCaffrey piles up 110 combined yards and a receiving TD. Newton throws for 220 yards and a second score to Smith while adding 50 on the ground and a rushing touchdown. Coleman picks up 70 yards. Ryan throws for 260 yards (more than 100 to Jones) but finds only Calvin Ridley in the end zone while getting picked off twice. Panthers, 24-16

Indianapolis (+6) at Washington, 45.5 o/u – Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT

The Story: Nothing says "our QB's arm is just fine, thanks" like having him attempt 53 passes in the season opener. Andrew Luck's numbers weren't actually all that impressive given the volume – just 6.0 YPA in the loss to the Bengals, and the average air yards on his completions was somehow lower than the likes of Dak Prescott or Sam Bradford – but the important thing is that his shoulder is healthy, and ready to handle climbing out of all the deep holes his defense is going to create for him. As for Washington, the two new guys in their backfield looked fantastic, and while you can chalk that up to the quality of their Week 1 opposition, it's not like Indy should provide any tougher a challenge for Alex Smith or Adrian Peterson.

The Skinny:
•IND injuries: RB Marlon Mack (questionable, hamstring)
•WAS injuries: none
•IND DFS chalk: none
•WAS DFS chalk: Peterson (IND 26th in rushing yards allowed, tied for 27th in rushing TDs allowed in 2017)
•IND DFS tournament plays: Jordan Wilkins (WAS 29th in YPC allowed, 32nd in rushing yards allowed in 2017); Ryan Grant (WAS 29th in DVOA vs. WR2 in 2017)
•WAS DFS tournament plays: Chris Thompson (IND 31st in passing-game DVOA vs. RB in 2017)
•Weather forecast: cloudy, temperature in the mid-70s, wind under 10 mph, 5-10 percent chance of rain

The Scoop: Wilkins scampers for 70 yards and a touchdown. Luck throws for 260 yards and a TD to Jack Doyle. Peterson pounds out 130 yards and two scores. Smith throws for 230 yards and TDs to Josh Doctson and Thompson. Washington, 31-17

Houston at Tennessee (+2.5), 44.5 o/u* – Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT

The Story: That was not the Deshaun Watson everyone was expecting to see. All things considered, I'm actually shocked we haven't seen more "he's the next RGIII/next Vince Young" hot takes spewing from the orifices of the usual suspects already, but if he doesn't rebound in this spot, expect a flood of them Monday. The main problem for Watson is the health of his receiving corps – pretty much his entire WR group was on the injury report this week, and until Will Fuller is 100 percent healthy and can start taking the top off defenses again, those eye-popping numbers the QB posted in 2017 will be hard to come by. Of course, the Titans wish they had those problems. Marcus Mariota is once again banged up, and while the team is putting a brave public face on his Week 2 availability, the next time the quarterback suits up for 16 games in a season, it'll be his first.

* - Line was pulled later than the rest due to Mariota's injury keeping the game off the board at most books.

The Skinny:
•HOU injuries: WR DeAndre Hopkins (questionable, foot); WR Fuller (questionable, hamstring); LB Jadeveon Clowney (questionable, back); CB Kevin Johnson (IR, concussion)
•TEN injuries: QB Mariota (questionable, elbow); TE Delanie Walker (IR, ankle)
•HOU DFS chalk: none
•TEN DFS chalk: none
•HOU DFS tournament plays: Lamar Miller (TEN 32nd in passing-game DVOA vs. RB in 2017, Miller 8-94-1 as receiver in two games against TEN in 2017)
•TEN DFS tournament plays: Jonnu Smith (HOU 27th in DVOA vs. TE in 2017)
•Head-to-head record, last five years: 7-3 HOU, average score 28-17 HOU, average margin of victory 16 points. TEN has won two of the last three meetings, however.
•Weather forecast: cloudy, temperature in the high 70s, 11-12 mph wind, 5-10 percent chance of rain

The Scoop: Miller racks up 100 combined yards and a receiving score. Watson throws for 270 yards and additional TDs to Hopkins and Bruce Ellington. Derrick Henry leads the Titans backfield with 80 yards and a touchdown, while Dion Lewis adds 60 combined yards. Mariota is able to start, but throws for under 200 yards and gets picked off twice before being replaced by Blaine Gabbert, who does hit Smith for a score. Texans, 27-17

Philadelphia at Tampa Bay (+3), 44.0 o/u – Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT

The Story: It's good to be the champs. After dispatching of the Falcons in the season opener, the Eagles got some extra rest before heading to Tampa Bay for what looked like a cupcake matchup not so long ago. Philly's banged up on offense, though, and Carson Wentz's recovery has been inching along, leaving Nick Foles under center. Foles' Week 1 performance was, to put it politely, lackluster, but he might find more success against a Bucs secondary that's been bad for a long time now, and which could be without both its starting corners Sunday. It's impossible at this point to judge how "legit" Ryan Fitzpatrick's explosion was, as he's been wildly inconsistent throughout his career and the Saints' defense might deserve just as much credit for those five TDs as he does, but another big day would justifiably start making Jameis Winston nervous.

The Skinny:
•PHI injuries: QB Wentz (doubtful, knee); WR Alshon Jeffery (out, shoulder); RB Darren Sproles (out, hamstring)
•TB injuries: QB Winston (out, suspension); WR DeSean Jackson (questionable, concussion); CB Vernon Harreaves (IR, shoulder); CB Brent Grimes (out, groin); DE Jason Pierre-Paul (questionable, knee)
•PHI DFS chalk: Jay Ajayi (TB 30th in rushing TDs allowed in 2017)
•TB DFS chalk: none
•PHI DFS tournament plays: Foles (TB 32nd in passing yards allowed in 2017)
•TB DFS tournament plays: none
•Weather forecast: cloudy, temperature in the high 80s, wind less than 10 mph, less than five percent chance of rain

The Scoop: Ajayi thunders for 80 yards and a touchdown, while Corey Clement adds 50 combined yards. Foles throws for 240 yards and TDs to Zach Ertz and Nelson Agholor, while Jordan Hicks returns an INT for a score. Peyton Barber scrapes together 40 yards. Fitzpatrick throws for 260 yards but gets picked off three times in total, against only one touchdown to Adam Humphries. Eagles, 34-13

Kansas City (+5) at Pittsburgh, 52.5 o/u – Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT

The Story: KC's offense was The Tyreek Hill Show in Week 1, as the speedster found the end zone three times (two receiving, one on a punt return). Patrick Mahomes has already figured out that his best option is usually just to get the ball to Hill in space and let him do the rest; if he can get Kareem Hunt and Travis Kelce more involved too, it's hard to imagine many defenses even slowing this juggernaut down, much letting stopping them entirely. The Chiefs will need all the points they can get, though, as their own defense looks as inept as their offense is dangerous. The Steelers' home-and-away Jekyll-and-Hyde routine is old hat at this point, but in case you need a reminder – Ben Roethlisberger has a career 99.1 QB rating at home, and 88.7 on the road. The running game seems in good hands for now with James Conner, and Antonio Brown should have a field day against a secondary that had its hands full with Keenan Allen last week.

The Skinny:
•KC injuries: S Eric Berry (doubtful, heel)
•PIT injuries: RB Le'Veon Bell (out, contract dispute); QB Ben Roethlisberger (questionable, elbow); CB Joe Haden (doubtful, hamstring); DE Cameron Heyward (questionable, knee)
•KC DFS chalk: Hunt (PIT 23rd in passing-game DVOA vs. RB in 2017)
•PIT DFS chalk: Brown (KC 31st in DVOA vs. WR1 in 2017, 28 percent target share in 2017); Conner (KC 25th in rushing yards allowed, tied for 27th in rushing TDs allowed in 2017)
•KC DFS tournament plays: none
•PIT DFS tournament plays: Roethlisbeger (KC 29th in passing yards allowed in 2017)
•Weather forecast: cloudy, temperature in the low 80s, wind less than 10 mph, zero percent chance of rain

The Scoop: Hunt breaks out for 110 combined yards and two touchdowns, one rushing and one receiving. Mahomes throws for 260 yards and a second score to Hill. Conner piles up 80 combined yards and a TD. Roethlisberger slings it for 310 yards and three touchdowns, two to Brown (who tops 100 yards) and one to Justin Hunter. Steelers, 34-27

Miami (+3) at N.Y. Jets, 44.0 o/u – Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT

The Story: It's hard to draw many conclusions from a game delayed twice by lightning, but the Dolphins looked fairly competent in downing the Titans. Kenny Stills was the big performer, but Ryan Tannehill spread the ball around and Frank Gore looked like he still has plenty of gas left in the tank. The Jets' defense seem like they'll pose a much stiffer challenge after a very impressive Week 1 showing, however. Gang Green made Matthew Stafford look like a rookie, while their own rookie QB got all his jitters out on his first play and kept the offense moving after that initial pick-six. Sam Darnold may not be a difference-maker in his first NFL campaign, but if the defense keeps producing five turnovers a game, he won't need to be. (Pro tip: they won't.)

The Skinny:
•MIA injuries: WR DeVante Parker (questionable, finger)
•NYJ injuries: S Marcus Maye (doubtful, foot)
•MIA DFS chalk: none
•NYJ DFS chalk: none
•MIA DFS tournament plays: Tannehill (NYJ tied for 30th in passing TDs allowed in 2017); Stills (NYJ 28th vs. WR1 in 2017); Kenyan Drake (NYJ 26th in passing-game DVOA vs. RB in 2017)
•NYJ DFS tournament plays: Neal Sterling (MIA 31st in yards allowed, 28th in DVOA vs. TE in 2017)
•Head-to-head record, last five years: 6-4 NYJ, average score 22-20 NYJ, average margin of victory 12 points. Only three of the last 10 meetings had a margin in single digits – all MIA wins.
•Weather forecast: cloudy, temperature in the low 80s, less than 10 mph wind, zero percent chance of rain

The Scoop: Drake leads the Dolphins backfield with 80 combined yards. Tannehill throws for 220 yards and a TD to Stills but gets picked off twice. Isaiah Crowell runs for 60 yards, while Bilal Powell ads 50 yards and a touchdown. Darnold throws for 210 yards and scores to Quincy Enunwa and Sterling. Jets, 24-13

L.A. Chargers at Buffalo (+7), 42.5 o/u – Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT

The Story: Is there a team that so consistently does less with its collection of talent than the Bolts? Philip Rivers throws for over 400 yards and three TDs in Week 1, and it's not enough. It's never enough. Yes, I'm angry at myself for picking them last week despite knowing better, why do you ask? That said, it's hard not to go back to the well here. The Bills are very clearly in tank mode, and I can't wrap my head around the idea that the Chargers (or any team, really) aren't at least 10 points better than them on a neutral field. Josh Allen will make his first NFL start, as Buffalo tries to follow the Deshaun Watson "you only need to sit for a couple of quarters to get the hang of things" plan, but Allen's no Watson, and the front office hasn't exactly surrounded him with a bounty of skill players.

The Skinny:
•LAC injuries: DE Joey Bosa (out, foot); WR Travis Benjamin (questionable, foot); TE Hunter Henry (PUP-R, knee)
•BUF injuries: DE Shaq Lawson (out, hamstring)
•LAC DFS chalk: Melvin Gordon (BUF 29th in rushing yards, 32nd in rushing TDs allowed in 2017)
•BUF DFS chalk: none
•LAC DFS tournament plays: Austin Ekeler (BUF 20th in passing-game DVOA vs. RB in 2017); LAC defense (BUF tied for 24th in sacks allowed in 2017, with the more mobile Tyrod Taylor under center)
•BUF DFS tournament plays: LeSean McCoy (LAC 32nd in YPC, 31st in rushing yards allowed in 2017)
•Weather forecast: cloudy, temperature in the mid-70s, wind less than 10 mph, 0-5 percent chance of rain

The Scoop: Gordon gallops for 130 yards and a touchdown. Rivers throws for 250 yards and a TD to Keenan Allen. McCoy looks good, posting 100 combined yards and a score, but the Bills' rookie QB throws for less than 200 yards and gets picked off three times. Allen does hit Charles Clay in the fourth quarter for his first career TD, though. Chargers, 17-13

Minnesota at Green Bay (PK), 46.0 o/u – Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT

The Story: Everything went according to script for the Vikings in Week 1. Kirk Cousins looked good, Dalvin Cook picked up where he left off before hurting his knee, and the defense mostly stymied a Kyle Shanahan offense. In theory a trip to Lambeau should put them to the test, but with Aaron Rodgers limping around, this could end up being a cakewalk for Minnesota depending on how much DeShone Kizer they see. Then again, Rodgers could be rope-a-doping them prior to another heroic second-half comeback on a bad knee just like he did against the Bears. As long as he's on the field, the Packers can never be counted out.

The Skinny:
•MIN injuries: none
•GB injuries: QB Rodgers (questionable, knee); WR Davante Adams (questionable, shoulder); RB Aaron Jones (out, suspension)
•MIN DFS chalk: Cook (GB 29th in passing-game DVOA vs. RB in 2017); Adam Thielen (GB 32nd in DVOA vs. WR1 in 2017)
•GB DFS chalk: none
•MIN DFS tournament plays: Cousins (GB 31st in QB rating allowed in 2017)
•GB DFS tournament plays: Rodgers (career 111.7 QB rating in 19 games vs. MIN, highest of any NFC North rival, with a 39:6 TD:INT)
•Head-to-head record, last five years: 5-4-1 GB, average score 24-20 GB, average margin of victory 12 points. MIN has won four of the last five meetings.
•Weather forecast: cloudy, temperature in the high 70s, wind less than 10 mph, 0-5 percent chance of rain

The Scoop: Cook puts up 140 combined yards and a TD. Cousins throws for 240 yards and touchdowns to Thielen and Kyle Rudolph. Jamaal Williams manages only 50 yards, but does score. Rodgers starts but leaves the game early after a hit by Linval Joseph, and Kizer throws for less than 200 yards while getting picked off twice. Vikings, 27-10

Cleveland (+8.5) at New Orleans, 49.5 o/u – Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT

The Story: On the bright side, the Browns didn't lose their season opener, the first time that's happened since 2004. I guess that could be interpreted as a sign of progress. Their reward is getting to face a team that should be hopping mad after making Ryan Fitzpatrick look like (insert the name of your favorite Hall of Fame quarterback here). If the Saints defense is really as terrible as it seemed last week, Tyrod Taylor has the weapons at his disposal to keep pace with Drew Brees and at least make things interesting. If not, well, Hue Jackson has a winning percentage in Cleveland more than 500 points below Sean Payton's in New Orleans (.045 to .597) for a reason.

The Skinny:
•CLE injuries: LB Christian Kirksey (questionable, shoulder/ankle)
•NO injuries: RB Mark Ingram (out, suspension)
•CLE DFS chalk: none
•NO DFS chalk: Brees (CLE 32nd in QB rating allowed in 2017); Michael Thomas (CLE 29th in DVOA vs. WR1 in 2017, 28 percent target share in 2017); Alvin Kamara (CLE 30th in passing-game DVOA vs. RB in 2017)
•CLE DFS tournament plays: Taylor (NO 32nd in YPC allowed to QB in 2017)
•NO DFS tournament plays: Ben Watson (CLE 32nd in DVOA vs. TE in 2017)
•Weather forecast: dome

The Scoop: Carlos Hyde manages 40 yards. Taylor throws for 210 yards and a TD to Jarvis Landry while running for 50 and a score of his own. Kamara romps for 150 combined yards and another two touchdowns, both through the air, while Mike Gillislee vultures a short-yardage score. Brees throws for 320 yards and two more TDs to Thomas and Watson. Saints, 38-14

Detroit (+5.5) at San Francisco, 48.0 o/u – Sunday, 4:05 p.m. EDT

The Story: Woof. Arguably no team looked worse in Week 1 than the Lions, especially compared to expectations – the Bills were awful, but they were supposed to be awful, and they were playing a team that was supposed to be decent. Detroit got smoked by a rookie QB and a team thought to be closer to the Buffalo end of the scale. While Matthew Stafford had one of the worst games of his career, the trouble really stems from a porous offensive line that can't run block or pass block, forcing the Lions' veteran QB to try to do too much and make hasty decisions while doing it. That doesn't bode well as they head west to face a Jimmy Garoppolo-led offense that can score quickly, and a pass rush led by a dominant-seeming DeForest Buckner (2.5 sacks against the Vikings, after managing only nine in his first 31 NFL games).

The Skinny:
•DET injuries: RB LeGarrette Blount (questionable, shoulder); DE Ezekiel Ansah (questionable, shoulder)
•SF injuries: WR Marquise Goodwin (out, quad); LB Reuben Foster (out, suspension)
•DET DFS chalk: none
•SF DFS chalk: none
•DET DFS tournament plays: Kenny Golladay (SF 32nd in DVOA vs. WR3 in 2017)
•SF DFS tournament plays: Alfred Morris (DET 31st in rushing TDs allowed in 2017); George Kittle (DET 26th in DVOA vs. TE in 2017)
•Weather forecast: clear, temperature in the low 70s, less than 10 mph wind, zero percent chance of rain

The Scoop: Kerryon Johnson slashes for 70 yards and a score. Stafford throws for 290 yards and TDs to Golladay, Marvin Jones and Theo Riddick as he attempts to stage a late comeback. Matt Breida gains 80 combined yards and a score, while Morris rumbles for 60 yards and a touchdown of his own. Garoppolo throws for 260 yards and TDs to Kittle and Dante Pettis. 49ers, 34-31

Arizona (+12.5) at L.A. Rams, 45.5 o/u – Sunday, 4:05 p.m. EDT

The Story: Two first-round QBs from this year's draft have already claimed starting jobs in the NFL, and it seems like only a matter of time until Josh Rosen makes it three, given how Sam Bradford looked in Week 1. Granted, the Cards don't have much talent on offense aside from the newly rich David Johnson and the ageless Larry Fitzgerald, but that doesn't help Bradford's job security, especially if the team gets thumped by the Rams as expected. A front seven that couldn't corral Adrian Peterson on home turf seems highly unlikely to slow down Todd Gurley while on the road. The most interesting matchup in this one, even if it doesn't have a big impact on the final score, might be between Brandin Cooks and Patrick Peterson – the corner still has a shutdown rep, but depending on which stats you choose to look at, his performance may not be measuring up to that standard any longer.

The Skinny:
•ARI injuries: DE Markus Golden (questionable, knee)
•LAR injuries: LB Mark Barron (doubtful, ankle)
•ARI DFS chalk: Johnson (LAR 30th in YPC allowed in 2017)
•LAR DFS chalk: none
•ARI DFS tournament plays: none
•LAR DFS tournament plays: Cooks (ARI 23rd in DVOA vs. WR1 in 2017)
•Head-to-head record, last five years: 5-5, average score 22-17 ARI, average margin of victory 16 points. Four of the last five games have been decided by 16 points or more.
•Weather forecast: clear, temperature in the low 80s, less than 10 mph wind, zero percent chance of rain

The Scoop: Johnson punches out 90 combined yards and a score. Bradford gets picked off twice early and Rosen replaces him at the half, throwing for under 200 yards and an INT of his own. Gurley romps for 140 combined yards and a TD. Jared Goff throws for 260 yards and two touchdowns, hitting Cooks and Robert Woods, and he also sneaks in a rushing touchdown of his own. Rams, 37-10

New England at Jacksonville (+2), 45.0 o/u – Sunday, 4:25 p.m. EDT

The Story: A rematch of last year's AFC title game, both teams come in with banged-up backfields. The Pats lost Jeremy Hill for the year, while neither Rex Burkhead nor Sony Michel are 100 percent, but their absences won't be felt as keenly as Leonard Fournette's would be for the Jags. He's officially questionable with a hamstring strain and wearing the dreaded 'game-time decision' tag, but the downgrade from him to T.J. Yeldon is steep. Even so, Jacksonville's defense gives the team a strong chance of avenging the loss they suffered last winter – Myles Jack's INT return to the house against the Giants last week was the team's eighth defensive touchdown in its last 17 regular-season games.

The Skinny:
•NE injuries: RB Burkhead (questionable, concussion); RB Michel (questionable, knee); RB Hill (IR, knee); WR Julian Edelman (out, suspension)
•JAC injuries: RB Fournette (questionable, hamstring)
•NE DFS chalk: Rob Gronkowski (JAC 20th in DVOA vs. TE in 2017)
•JAC DFS chalk: none
•NE DFS tournament plays: none
•JAC DFS tournament plays: Keelan Cole (NE 26th in DVOA vs. WR1 in 2017)
•Weather forecast: overcast, temperature in the high 80s, less than 10 mph wind, 15-25 percent chance of rain

The Scoop: James White leads the Patriots backfield with 60 combined yards and a receiving TD. Tom Brady throws for 240 yards and a second score to Gronk. Fournette suits up but only gains 60 yards. Blake Bortles throws for 260 yards and touchdowns to Cole and Dede Westbrook. Jaguars, 20-17

Oakland (+5.5) at Denver, 45.5 o/u – Sunday, 4:25 p.m. EDT

The Story: Jon Gruden's return to the sidelines went about as well as everyone except Raiders owner Mark Davis expected. You could make the case that Week 1's loss to the Rams had more to do with the lack of talent Gruden has to work with than the game plan he put together, but a 20-point loss is a 20-point loss, and now he has a short week to prepare for a game at altitude. Jared Cook aside, no one showed up for Oakland in the passing game, and while the Broncos' secondary has suffered some attrition in recent years, it can still be a stingy unit. Case Keenum's three INTs is a bit worrying – he only threw seven all of last season – but the rest of his numbers were strong, and he's already figured out he needs to get the ball into the hands of Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders as often as possible.

The Skinny:
•OAK injuries: none
•DEN injuries: none
•OAK DFS chalk: Cook (DEN 31st in DVOA vs. TE in 2017)
•DEN DFS chalk: Thomas (OAK 30th in DVOA vs. WR1 in 2017, 25 percent target share in 2017)
•OAK DFS tournament plays: none
•DEN DFS tournament plays: Phillip Lindsay (OAK 27th in passing-game DVOA vs, RB in 2017)
•Head-to-head record, last five years: 7-3 DEN, average score 26-16 DEN, average margin of victory 14 points. OAK has won three of the last five meetings.
•Weather forecast: clear, temperature in the mid-80s, less than 10 mph wind, 0-5 percent chance of rain

The Scoop: Marshawn Lynch grinds out 50 yards. Derek Carr throws for 220 yards and a TD to Cook but gets picked off twice. Royce Freeman looks good, picking up 80 yards and a score, while Lindsay chips in 50 combined yards. Keenum keeps the mistakes in check this time, throwing for 240 yards and touchdowns to Thomas and Courtland Sutton. Broncos, 27-13

N.Y. Giants (+3) at Dallas, 42.5 o/u – Sunday, 8:20 p.m. EDT

The Story: While both teams come into this one 0-1, only one of them looked competitive in its opener. The Giants got 100-yard performances from Odell Beckham and rookie Saquon Barkley against a tough Jags defense, and only a tipped pass which Myles Jack turned into a pick-six kept them from a potential win. The Cowboys, on the other hand, lost by a similar margin but never seemed in the game against the Panthers, as the absence of center Travis Frederick created huge problems on the offensive line, and the offense was completely incapable of threatening the Carolina defense down the field, an issue carried over from 2017. A ground-and-pound, dink-and-dunk offense is fine if you have an elite defense (just as the Jaguars) to back it up, but the Dallas unit isn't at that level yet, and if Dak Prescott can't turn a motley collection of second-rate wideouts into an adequate passing game, Ezekiel Elliott's exploits aren't going to matter that much.

The Skinny:
•NYG injuries: DE Olivier Vernon (out, ankle)
•DAL injuries: DT David Irving (out, suspension)
•NYG DFS chalk: Beckham (DAL 21st in DVOA vs. WR1 in 2017, 28 percent target share in 2016, average line 5-71-1 in six career games vs. DAL)
•DAL DFS chalk: Elliott (NYG 27th in rushing yards allowed in 2017)
•NYG DFS tournament plays: Evan Engram (DAL 25th in DVOA vs. TE in 2017)
•DAL DFS tournament plays: Michael Gallup (NYG 32nd in DVOA vs. WR2 in 2017)
•Head-to-head record, last five years: 7-3 DAL, average score 24-20 DAL, average margin of victory seven points. Only two of the 10 meetings were settled by more than 10 points – both DAL wins in 2017.
•Weather forecast: cloudy, temperature in the mid-80s, less than 10 mph wind, 0-5 percent chance of rain

The Scoop: Barkley erupts for 130 combined yards and two touchdowns. Eli Manning throws for 260 yards and TDs to Beckham (who tops 100 yards) and Engram. Elliott manages 70 yards, while Prescott throws for 220 yards and runs for 60 more, finding Gallup for a score but getting sacked another four times. Giants, 31-13

Baltimore at Cincinnati (PK), 44.0 o/u – Thursday, 8:20 p.m. EDT

The Story: Both teams took full advantage of the soft starts to their respective schedules, and while the whooping the Ravens put on the Bills looks more impressive at the moment, by the end of the year it might just be a fairly typical Buffalo score. Those with Alex Collins shares should worry less about Javorius Allen cutting into his snaps and more about his fumbling, which is what opens the door for Allen (or eventually Kenneth Dixon, if he can stay healthy) to get significant action in the first place. Andy Dalton looked good in leading the Bengals to a comeback win, but again, he did it against a Colts defense that would probably have trouble holding a lead against Paul Crewe and a rag-tag bunch of inmates. Whether Joe Mixon is truly emerging as a bell cow will get a better test – Giovani Bernard has more catches in his career against Baltimore (32 in eight games) that against any other NFL club.

The Skinny:
• BAL injuries: RB Dixon (IR, knee); CB Jimmy Smith (out, suspension); TE Hayden Hurst (out, foot)
• CIN injuries: LB Vontaze Burfict (out, suspension)
• BAL DFS chalk: none
• CIN DFS chalk: A.J. Green (Smith out, average line in 10 career games vs. BAL: 5-82-1, 29 percent target share in 2017)
• BAL DFS tournament plays: Nick Boyle (CIN 30th vs. TEs in DVOA in 2017)
• CIN DFS tournament plays: Tyler Eifert (BAL 29th vs. TEs in DVOA in 2017)
• Head-to-head record, last five years: 7-3 CIN, average score 23-19 CIN, average margin of victory nine points
• Weather forecast: clear, temperature in the mid-70s, wind under 10 mph, 0-5 percent chance of rain

The Scoop: Collins bangs out 70 yards and a score. Joe Flacco throws for 230 yards and a TD to Maxx Williams. Mixon gallops for 90 combined yards and a touchdown, but Bernard chips in 50 combined yards. Dalton throws for 250 yards and TDs to Eifert and John Ross, while Green tops 100 yards. Bengals, 24-17

Last week's record: 9-6-1, 6-9-1 ATS, 6-10 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