This article takes a look at players from each of the positions in your starting lineup who have interesting matchups. Not all players covered are your classic sleepers who might outperform expectations. Some are nominal starters with tricky matchups or players who might be starters in smaller leagues, but deep sleepers in larger leagues. Realizing that leagues and roster sizes vary wildly; your mileage could vary, too.
Quarterbacks
Eli Manning, NYG at CAR
If it weren’t for a league-leading seven interceptions, Eli Manning would be a solid QB1 option going into this week’s game against the Carolina Panthers. Limping into the game with an injury-depleted secondary, the Panthers were the victim of Russell Wilson’s first 300-yard game in the opener, and thenon Sunday E.J. Manuel nearly did the same thing in his second NFL start. The Panthers lost Charles Godfrey for the season andJosh Norman for a few weeks. Other key players like Josh Thomas, D.J. Moore, Quintin Mikell and Michael Mitchell were either forced to leave the game or were already injured going into it. Don’t bench Eli because of his seven interceptions, start him because he is throwing up some big numbers and he should continue to do so against the Panthers.
Sam Bradford, Stl at DAL
Bradford and the Rams offense hope to keep their momentum going against a Cowboys defense that has generated 7 sacks, 4 turnovers and 2 defensive touchdowns, but also allowed the fifth most points to quarterbacks. By contrast, Bradford has not yet been sacked and he has only two interceptions while throwing for 651 yards and 5 TDs. Bradford was billed as a top QB2 going into the season and so far he’s delivered as QB7heading into Sunday. The Cowboys could be a tricky spot on the road, but Alex Smith and Eli Manning produced 25 and 36 points respectively against them.
Ryan Tannehill, MIA vs. Atl
The Falcons defense has allowed a pair of 350 yard performances to Drew Brees and Sam Bradford along with 5 touchdowns and two interceptions and they lost two starters in their front seven to injury this week (DE Kroy Biermann and LB Sean Weatherspoon). Tannehill has improved significantly in his second season, sporting a 65% completion rate and a healthy 8.21 YPA after two games with 591 yards but only two touchdowns. He and Mike Wallace finally clicked, too. It’s a home game and Tannehill should have even better protection after being sacked nine times in the first two games. The Falcons have only two sacks and losing Biermann and Weatherspoon won’t help their chances.
Alex Smith, KC at Phi
The league is as pass happy now than it’s ever been. Remember when 300 yard games were special and 400 yard games like rare air? Both are becoming more common than ever.Through two weeks there are 12 teams allowing more than 300 passing yards per game. Of course, the Eagles are one of them, so are Dallas, Atlanta and Carolina above. Between Philip Rivers’ 419 yards and 4 touchdowns and Robert Griffin III III’s 329 yards and 2 TDs, they are well above that 300-yard average. Smith has only three 300-yard games in his 7+ year career, but he’s leading an Andy Reid offense now and the matchup against Eagles is ideal.
Andy Dalton, CIN vs. GB
The Packers are another one of those teams allowing over 300 yards per game. Robert Griffin III III and Colin Kaepernick have combined to throw for 732 yards and 6 TDs against them. Dalton checks in at QB16 after two games despite throwing for 282 yards and 2 TDS against the Bears and 280 yards and a TD against the Steelers. The Packers aren’t nearly as good defensively as either of those teams and it’s quite possible that Dalton will need to throw the football more this week than in either of the prior two. The Packers have been hampered by injuries with Morgan Burnett and Casey Hayward sidelined. Dalton will probably throw for 300 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Running Backs
Joique Bell, Det at WAS
The Lions were glad that Reggie Bush’s injured left knee has no structural damage. Head Coach Jim Schwartz dubbed it a “medium term” injury, as opposed to long-term. That doesn’t bode well for him playing on Sunday, which means we’ll see a whole lot of Joique Bell against what appears to be the leading candidate to be the NFL’s worst defense. Washington has been absolutely gashed by Philadelphia and Green Bay. LeSean McCoy might be the top back to own this year, but when Eddie Lacy was knocked out after his first carry, James Starks proceeded to have a career day. Bell is adept at the goal-line, on third downs, in the two-minute offense and between the tackles. He’s not Reggie Bush, but he could easily have a James Stark-like day with well over 100 yards and a touchdown or two if Bush is inactive.
DeAngelo Williams, CAR vs. NYG
The Giants allowed the 8th most points to running backs a year ago and they’re allowing the 7th most through two games this year. DeMarco Murray totaled 125 yards in the opener and Knowshon Moreno exploded for a pair of 20 yard touchdowns and 107 yards against them. Williams has been solid with 17-86-0 against a tough Seahawks defense and 22-85-0 against the Bills, but he has yet to find the end zone and he’s not used all that much in the passing game. The Panthers desperately need to break out of their two-game funk and I think we’ll see Ron Rivera lean even more on Williams to help them do that this week. 100 yards and a score are well within reach.
Lamar Miller, MIA vs. Atl
After being stuffed by the suddenly stout Browns defense in the opener, Miller found room to run against the Colts in Week 2. He used his speed to get to the edge for his first touchdown of the season and he finished with 75 total yards. This week, Miller faces a Falcons defense that lost two key starters in their front seven to injury after finishing 12th in points allowed to RBs last year. Neither Daryl Richardson (10-35-0) nor any of the Saints backs had much success on the ground against the Falcons, but they combined for 7-63-0 and 10-104-0 receiving. Richardson finished with 80 yards on 15 touches, Darren Sproles 110 yards on 14 and Pierre Thomas 59 yards on 13. Shaping up as a boom/bust play from week to week, Miller is a solid RB2 or flex option in smaller leagues.
Bernard Pierce, BAL vs. Hou
With Ray Rice (strained hip flexor) looking very questionable for Sunday’s game, the Ravens appear set to ride their second year back against a Texans defense that has been rather ordinary. It’s still a below average matchup, but Pierce should see a heavy workload even if Rice is active. Rice managedonly 57 yards on 14 touches against them last year, but after Ryan Mathews totaled 55 yards and a score on 15 touches and Chris Johnson ran for 96 yards on 25 carries against them, I’m confident that Pierce will do just fine. Monitor Rice’s progress the rest of the week since the coaches had labeled him as day to day.
Ryan Mathews, SD at TEN
It’s hard to tell just where the Titans defense is at right now. They didn’t fare well against the run last year or during the preseason, but they stuffed the Cardinals in the opener and then let Arian Foster (85 yards, 1 TD) and Ben Tate (101 yards) hammer them on Sunday. Mathews is probably closer to the Cardinals as a comparison than the Texans, with 131 yards and a touchdown through two games.He could see more touches this week if the Chargers can avoid falling behind early like they did against the Eagles. The Titans allowed the 8th most points to RBs last year and they may be without starting DT Sammie Lee Hill this week.
Rashard Mendenhall, Ari at NO
The Saints allowed the most points to running backs last year and they’re not looking all that different this year after Doug Martin chipped away at them last week for 29-144-0 and Steven Jackson combined for 122 yards and a score in Week 1. The Cardinals running game is a mess, but give Mendenhall some credit. He hasn’t looked bad at all, and he’s averaging just over 4 YPC, but he’s only getting about 17 touches a game. He should find some running lanes on Sunday against a Saints defense missing their starting nose tackle Brodrick Bunkley. Mendenhall didn’t practice on Wednesday due to a toe injury. Keep an eye on his status and maybe put a pre-emptive waiver claim on Andre Ellington in case Mendenhall is unable to go on Sunday. If the Saints jump out to an early lead this flow of this game might suit Ellington well. He emerged as a viable third down back on Sunday and he appears to have supplanted Alfonso Smith as Cardinals No. 2.
Giovani Bernard, CIN vs. GB
Bernard made the most of his Monday Night Football debut, scoring once on an 8-yard run and again on a 22-yard reception. Almost everyone expects Bernard’s role to continue to grow in the Bengals offense, unless they’re protecting a lead as they were against the Steelers. I have a difficult time seeing that scenario unfold against the Packers, so maybe that could lead to a full game of touches for Bernard and more of an equal split in terms of touches with BenJarvus Green-Ellis. Bernard is still a risky play as anything other than a flex option, but his big play ability is a draw in a game that could feature plenty of action.
James Starks, GB at CIN
After suffering a concussion on his first carry Sunday Eddie Lacy is expected to be out until after Packers bye week, returning in Week 5. After Lacy’s departure, Starks took over and ran wild on Washington. Starks will find fewer running lanes this week against a stingy Bengals defense, but he’s still a good bet to handle the bulk of the carries. It’s essentially a one-game run as the starter against a Cincinnati defense allowing the fifth fewest points to running backs, but in deeper leagues he could prove useful.
Other deep league considerations and flex options are Bilal Powell(vs. Buf), Robert Turbin (vs. Jac), Jacquizz Rodgers and Jason Snelling (at MIA). Powell is the best bet against a Bills defense allowing 136 yards per game rushing, but Chris Ivory is starting to get his legs under him and he could undermine Powell if he catches fire. Powell’s role on third downs and at the goal line should be enough to give him flex appeal, though, while Turbin could take advantage of a home matchup against a Jaguars team that is seemingly incapable of scoring against a defense like the Seahawks. Turbin could see plenty of carries if the Seahawks put them away early. The Falcons backfield is likely a split between Rodgers and Snelling, and they have a poor matchup on the road to boot. Snelling might end up being the better option because of his nose for the goal line and blocking/receiving ability possibly giving him an edge on passing downs.
Wide Receivers
DeAndre Hopkins, Hou at BAL
Andre Johnson (concussion) seemed to be doing well on Monday and trending towards playing this Sunday, but we really won’t know until Thursday as he goes through the NFL’s protocol. It might not matter either. When Johnson was knocked out of Sunday’s game and unable to finish off the Titans himselfit was Hopkins who took over and did just that. If Johnson doesn’t play, Hopkins would probably see Lardarius Webb. If Johnson does play it then Hopkins would see more of Jimmy Smith. Hopkins is just laying the foundation for what we could be seeing not just in years to come, but in the weeks ahead. The good ones come quick.
Julian Edelman, NE at TB
With Danny Amendola out for at least another week or two, Edelman should continue to be a target machine for Tom Brady justlike Amendola and Welker before him. As long as Darrelle Revis doesn’t shift his attention and coverage to Edelman, he should continue eating up targets working out of the slot with Kenbrell Thompkins or Aaron Dobson getting banished to Revis Island.
Chris Givens and Tavon Austin, Stl at DAL
The Rams have thrown the ball 93 times in their first two games, or on 69% of their offensive plays. I’m not expecting that to change going into Dallas against a Cowboys defense allowing an average of 12-226-2 to opposing receivers. The bulk of that damage came against the Giants and their trio of 5 catch, 100 yard receivers and Dwayne Bowe followed that up with 4-56-1 on Sunday. Austin leads the Rams with 19 targets, 12 catches and 2 TDs, but he has only 95 total yards to show for it while Givens continues to do what he did last year - make big plays. Givens and Jared Cook have alternated big games and that might become the norm as Austin continues to eat up targets underneath with defenses choosing to take Cook or Givens away based on their coverage. In PPR leagues, Austin remains a nice upside play, and not all the different from Julian Edelman or Danny Amendola, only faster. In non-PPR leagues, Givens is your guy.
T.Y. Hilton, Ind at SF
Darrius Heyward-Bey’s MRI came back clean on his injured shoulder which means he might be able to return for this week’s game in San Francisco. It’s not a good matchup against a stingy 49er defense that put the clamps on Golden Tate and Sidney Rice in a rain-soaked battle, but Hilton proved what he can do when given opportunities and targets. Even if Heyward-Bey is healthy, it’s hard to imagine the Colts going away from Hilton at this point. He appeared to leapfrog Heyward-Bey last week and he’s probably in your lineup as a WR3 now to stay.
Speaking of receivers that need to stay in your lineup, don’t look past Brian Hartline this week. I don’t think of him as much of a sleeperat this point, but as more of a WR3 and a strong flex who had been consistent enough to start with confidence in PPR or non-PPR leagues.This week against a Falcons secondary that allowed double digit points to four receivers so far – Tavon Austin, Chris Givens, Austin Pettis and Marques Colston (Kenny Stills just missed) – he’s in.
Kenny Britt & Nate Washington, TEN vs. SD
Kendall Wright figures prominently in the Titans future plans with Kenny Britt not expected back and Nate Washington nearing the end of his tenure as well, but Wright might not be able to play this week. Apparently, he suffered a concussion in Sunday’s game and is only now experiencing side effects from it. He didn’t practice on Wednesday and now his status for this week’s game is up in the air. If he’s unable to play, look for Britt, the squeaky wheel, and Washington as boom/bust targets. On Sunday, the Chargers allowed DeSean Jackson to beat them for a 70-yard touchdown that was called back on an illegal formation flag only to have him do it again just minutes later. I prefer Washington because I’m probably like the Titans coaches. Itrust him more than Britt, but he’s not as talented. He is less likely to get benched for poor blocking, though, or lackadaisical, sloppy play. Both players possess home run potential given how Jackson and Andre Johnson (12-146-0) torched them.
Reuben Randle, NYG at CAR
Randle is going to have a handful of breakout games this year and he’ll probably have just as many games where he comes up short in the box score. This week is one of those matchups where you just want to throw the dice and see what happens against a decimated Panther secondary that will soon have to field open tryouts if they have any more injuries. They could be without as many as five players this week so they activated undrafted rookie safety Robert Lester from the practice squad on Tuesday for relief. A healthy Panthers secondary allowed 15-226-1 to the Seahawks receivers in the opener while Stevie Johnson rang them up for 8-111-1 and Robert Woods finished with 4-68-0 on Sunday.
Mohamed Sanu, CIN vs. GB
The Packers secondary has given up a ton of catches and yards two weeks in a row. First it was Anquan Boldin going bonkers for 13-208-1. Then the Redskins made the most of their garbage time as Pierre Garcon went for 8-143-1, Santana Moss scored and Josh Morgan and Leonard Hankerson combined for another 5-74-0. After A.J. Green, Sanu joins Jermaine Gresham and Tyler Eifert as next in the pecking order for targets. Sanu soaks up underneath targets so he doesn’t get a lot of yards, but he’s a decent reach in PPR leagues in a game where the Bengals could be throwing a little more than usual.
Looking at some receivers who are worth a look in deeper leagues, let’s start with Jerome Simpson. With Joe Haden locking down on Greg Jennings, Simpson could make some noise working against Buster Skrine or Chris Owens. Brian Hartline toasted them for 9-114-1 and Marlon Brown scored for the second week in a row finishing with 4-45-1.
A couple others with strong matchups are Donnie Avery (at PHI), Stephen Hill (vs. Buf) and my favorite undrafted rookie receiver Marlon Brown (vs. Hou). The Eagles are throwing the ball all over the field, but along with the other team’s defense, their own defense has a difficult time catching up. Avery just might make some noise, too. Hill faces a Bills defense that might still be without Stephon Gilmore and Jairus Byrd. Geno Smith isn’t afraid to take shots downfield which gives Hill and Santonio Holmes both a little boost in value. Brown will tangle with a Texans defense (like others) that will be focused on stopping Torrey Smith. Brown has scored in each of his first two NFL starts, but will he make it three in a row?
Next up is rookie Keenan Allen (SD at TEN). Fellow rookie DeAndre Hopkins took advantage of an injury to teammate Andre Johnson to post his first 100-yard game against the Titans while this week Allen will try to do something similar to the Titans with Malcom Floyd sidelined. Eddie Royal is on fire with five touchdowns in two games and he will start opposite Vincent Brown with Allen playing in all three receiver sets. All three are decent reaches this week with Rivers turning back the clock and slinging touchdowns like it was 2008.
Andre Roberts (8-97-0) and Harry Douglas (4-43-0) were good enough against the Rams working out of the slot that another rookie,Terrence Williams, becomes a waiver/flex play in really deep leagues. Williams has been inconsistent as a rookie, but he’s a player that could break out any given week with defenses focusing on Dez Bryant, Miles Austin and Jason Witten. Think Laurent Robinson, now fast forward.
Tight Ends
Julius Thomas, DEN vs. Oak
Thomas has obviously done enough in the first two games that he’s no longer consider to be much of a sleeper, but if you’re sitting on him in a smaller league of 8 or 10 teams, I don’t think you can afford to bench him unless you have Jimmy Graham, Jason Witten, Vernon Davis, Jermichael Finley or Greg Olsen. Even then, Thomas has as much upside as any tight end in the league with the exception of maybe Graham and Rob Gronkowski. The Raiders have also allowed a touchdown to a tight end (Dwayne Allen and Clay Harbor) in each of their first two games. Suffice to say, you probably won’t see Thomas in this article moving forward.
The same is probably true for Jordan Cameron, who has gone off in the first two games like Thomas. He has another strong matchup this week against a Vikings team that has allowed three touchdowns to TEs in two games. The downside for Cameron is that Josh Gibson is back, Brian Hoyer will start at quarterback and Trent Richardson was traded.
Brandon Myers, NYG at CAR
Myers is dealing with some sore ribs this week, but he is expected to be fine for Sunday’s game against the Panthers, who allowed the 9th most points to tight ends last year and limp into this week’s matchup with an injury-depleted secondary. Myers is tied with Victor Cruz for the team’s lead with 19 targets and 4 red zone targets and Eli Manning has long been a tight end friendly quarterback in the red zone. If Myers keeps up his current pace he’ll be firmly among the mid-to-low TE1s considering that he has 13 catches, 140 yards and a TD. That makes him TE11 so far and it speaks volumes about how much depth there is at the position in today’s NFL.
Coby Fleener, Ind at SF
Now that Dwayne Allen is out for the season, Fleener has an excellent shot to immediately pick up targets in both the vertical passing game as well as the red zone. He caught a touchdown on Sunday and finished with 4-69-1 against a good Dolphins defense. He also saw more targets as he tied with Reggie Wayne with eight, second behind TY Hilton’s 12. Even better, his three red zone targets led the team last week. Fleener has a tough matchup against the 49ers, but Jermichael Finley did just fine against them on Sunday with 5-56-1. Until proven otherwise, pencil in Fleener as a low TE1 going forward starting this week.
Tyler Eifert and Jermaine Gresham, CIN vs. GB
Eifert and Gresham just might be the league’s top tight end tandem after the demise of Aaron Hernandez and the season-ending injury to Dwayne Allen. Eifert is a vertical threat who is also a highly capable red zone target while Gresham can eat up defenses with underneath routes and he’s not a bad red zone target either. The Packers pass defense is struggling in the early going and they might be without corner Casey Hayward and safety Morgan Burnett again this week. They’ve also allowed three touchdowns in their first two games to opposing tight ends and currently rank 2nd in points allowed.
Garrett Graham, Hou at BAL
Graham plays second fiddle to Owen Daniels, but the Texans feature both of their tight ends in the red zone frequently and both Daniels and Graham have scored in each of the team’s first two games. On top of that, the Ravens allowed 5-95-0 to Jordan Cameron on Sunday and 5-110-2 to Julius Thomas in the season opener. He’s not the best option in standard 12-team leagues, but if you sloughed tight end in your draft, you could be looking to grab a tight end off waivers to play this week – and there may not be any better options out there than Graham.
Defense/Special Teams
Minnesota vs. Cleveland
This one is easy. The Browns allowed 5 sacks to the Ravens and 6 to the Dolphins and they’re averaging 275 total yards and 8 points. And that was before they traded their top running back and lost their starting quarterback to a thumb injury. On top of all that, the Vikings are at home. Come on down, Jared Allen. The price is right.
Cleveland at Minnesota
The Vikings have committed 8 turnovers and allowed 4 sacks in two games. The Browns defense has played well allowing only 20 rushing yards to the Dolphins and 99 yards to the Ravens. They have a legitimate shut down corner and a rapidly improving pass rush with Barkevious Mingo back in the lineup adding to their edge rush. The obvious key for them is to slow down Adrian Peterson. This game could be filled with big defensive plays on both sides.
Denver vs. Oakland
As much as I like Terrelle Pryor’s ability to make plays, he’s going to have a tough time in Denver against a defense that is playing rather well considering that they’re without Von Miller coming off the edge. If your league gives out points for low yardage and points allowed, then move Denver up several spots.
Tennessee vs. San Diego
Philip Rivers has played exceptionally well in the first two games, but the Titans defense is also playing well with 7 sacks, 3 interceptions and a forced fumble. It’s the second road game in a row for the Chargers and Rivers has been prone to turnovers. The Titans front seven could be a problem for the Chargers offensive line. If you’re streaming defenses, keep the Titans in mind this week.
