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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 larger leagues, but deep sleepers in smaller leagues. Realizing that leagues and roster sizes vary wildly; your mileage could vary, too.
Quarterbacks
Kirk Cousins (Washington at Philadelphia) - Cousins has a lot going for him entering the matchup at Lincoln Financial Field. Jay Gruden and company will have a full week to install a game plan to suit Cousins’ strengths. DeSean Jackson sounds like he will play and he will have plenty of motivation against his old mates. Cousins has shown good chemistry with Andre Roberts, Ryan Grant, and Niles Paul to give Washington five viable targets in the passing game. Alfred Morris is gashing defenses and will force the Eagles to honor the run. Lastly, the Eagles have already allowed five passing touchdowns, including two to lowly Chad Henne.
Geno Smith (New York Jets vs Chicago) - Remember, Smith was a phantom timeout from a three-touchdown game against the Packers in Week 2. He has been an active runner, and the Bears allowed Colin Kaepernick to rack up 66 yards on the ground. They surrendered a rushing touchdown to EJ Manuel. The second-year quarterback also had one of his best games as a rookie under the Monday Night lights vs. the Falcons, with three passing scores. Smith could be without Eric Decker, which would take the luster off of this play, so stay tuned.
EJ Manuel (Buffalo vs San Diego) - With Sammy Watkins getting up to speed, Manuel has the best downfield threat he has had in his short career, and he’ll be in front of a friendly home crowd against a Chargers teams that has to travel east after a masterful performance against the Seahawks. It is too easy for San Diego have a let down in this one. The defense has already allowed four passing touchdowns against no interceptions, and they also have one of the worst yards per attempt averages in the NFL. Manuel is hitting his stride, and the Chargers could be a step behind on Sunday.
Running Backs
Steven Jackson (Atlanta vs Tampa Bay) - Jackson has been unimpressive as the lead back in a four-headed backfield, but the Falcons will be at home against a Buccaneers defense that could be without Gerald McCoy and Mason Foster, leaving them very exposed up the middle. If the Falcons can control the game, Jackson should get 15+ carries and a good chance for at least one touchdown.
Jeremy Hill (Cincinnati vs Tennessee) - The Titans were gashed by DeMarco Murray last week, and Hill showed that he is ready for a pretty big piece of the Bengals backfield in the win over the Falcons last week. With AJ Green ailing as the team is heading into the bye, there is no reason for offensive coordinator Hue Jackson to change course from the running back-centric game plan he rolled out last week. Jake Locker is unlikely to hang in the game and force the Bengals out of that game plan, and if he plays the way he did last week, it will be a blowout Bengals win, which means lots of mop up work for the rookie.
Khiry Robinson/Pierre Thomas (New Orleans vs Minnesota) - The Saints have suffered two bitter last-second losses on the road, so you know they are pleased to get back to the Crescent City for some of the best home cookin’ in the NFL. Minnesota is reeling, distracted, without their best player, and stuck with a quarterback that doesn’t threaten the defense downfield. New Orleans should win this one going away, with Robinson and Thomas both good bets for a score. Robinson is especially attractive as the likely goal line back and clock killer once the Saints open up a big lead in the second half.
Trent Richardson/Ahmad Bradshaw (Indianapolis at Jacksonville) - One of the few constants between Week 1 and Week 2 is that the Jaguars defense will be very generous, and the offense won’t be potent enough to take any pressure off of them. We know Colts offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton loves to run the ball, and this week the game script should allow him to feed both running backs to his heart’s content. The Jaguars have already given up five touchdowns to running backs and fullbacks, and we’re only two weeks into the season. Barring an instant turnaround, the Colts backfield should run wild on Sunday.
Darren McFadden (Oakland at New England) - Early signs point to Maurice Jones-Drew not playing again this week. Although we have been let down repeatedly by McFadden, he has a path to value this week via garbage time, but he also ran hard and effectively last week despite his low yards per carry. McFadden had one long run called back by a penalty, and he also finished his runs with gusto. The Patriots have been shown up in the running game once already this year at Miami, so think of McFadden as a hail mary at RB2 or flex with his big play ability and excellent hands out of the backfield.
Wide Receivers
Mike Evans (Tampa Bay at Atlanta) - The Buccaneers offense has been frustratingly fixated on dink and dunk passes despite the vertical element added by their first-round pick. They might not have the luxury of doing that on Thursday with the Falcons passing game, the road venue, and the Falcons tendency to give up big plays in the passing game. Evans could have his breakthrough as the Falcons should be focused on Vincent Jackson. If the Bucs fall behind big early, that could be the best thing for anyone counting on Evans for high upside WR/Flex play.
Brandin Cooks/Kenny Stills (New Orleans vs Minnesota) - The Vikings secondary was a major sore spot last year, and the chaos created in the Superdome won’t help matters. Drew Brees didn’t fall below 300 yards passing at home all year in 2013, and you just know that at least one of these speedsters will get behind the defense for a long touchdown in this likely romp. Cooks and Stills also get enough targets in the short and intermediate passing game to provide a 6-8 point floor in PPR leagues, making it easier to try to get that 50+ yard touchdown in your lineup this week.
Mohamed Sanu (Cincinnati vs Tennessee) - AJ Green is likely to play on Sunday, but the Bengals may be inclined to not push him too hard with a bye coming up next week. Sanu put up big plays as a passer and a receiver last week, and he’ll be the #2 receiver again as the Titans come to town. If Green is a late scratch or otherwise doesn’t play his full complement of snaps, Sanu could be an even better play. Sanu was a good red zone target in 2012, converting four of seven opportunities, and with Marvin Jones still out, he should get his number called there a few times against the Titans in a game the Bengals should win comfortably.
Davante Adams (Green Bay at Detroit) - Jarrett Boykin held off Adams in training camp and the preseason, but it appeared that the 2014 second-round pick overtook him on the depth chart last week. Adams was able to get five catches in limited duty, and against a Lions secondary that is the weakness of the defense, he could do even more in a potential shootout at Ford Field. Adams has a similar skillset to former Packer James Jones, who averaged almost 30 yards a reception on seven catches against the Lions last year as a member of the Packers.
Aaron Dobson (New England vs Oakland) - Dobson was activated against Minnesota last week and his rival from 2013, Kenbrell Thompkins, was a healthy scratch. The Patriots passing game never really took off because they only needed to attempt 22 passes as they cruised to victory over the Vikings. This week against the Raiders they could take a few more shots downfield to get Dobson rolling, and it only takes one to make him an instant top 25 receiver against ragtag Oakland defense of misfits and rejects.
Jeremy Kerley (New York Jets vs Chicago) - Lots of factors are converging here for Kerley to have a big game on Monday night. Charles Tillman is out for the year, leaving the Bears without their best corner. #1 receiver Eric Decker is battling a re-injury of a hamstring that gave him trouble this summer and head coach Rex Ryan could only say that he “guessed he was hopeful” Decker would play. Kerley was a similar #1 receiver by default when the Jets won a stirring Monday night battle against the Falcons last year, and he notched a 5-68-1 stat line. He would have had a similar stat line last week if a long touchdown from Geno Smith wasn’t wiped out by a phantom timeout call.
James Jones (Oakland at New England) - Rod Streater is sidelined by a hip injury that could keep him out on Sunday, and that would elevate Jones to clear #1 receiver status. He clearly already has the best chemistry with rookie quarterback Derek Carr of the Raiders wide receiver corps, and Jones has been the king of garbage time early this season, with a big second half in a blowout loss to the Texans and score with less than two minutes left down 12 to the Jets in Week 1. The Patriots running away with this game could be the best recipe for Jones owners to cash in.
Tight Ends
Larry Donnell (New York Giants vs Houston) - Perhaps it is a bit behind the times to list Donnell as a sleeper now. He has had at least five catches in each of the first two games, including a touchdown, and in the game he didn’t score, his backup caught a short touchdown pass. Eli Manning trusts Donnell and should continue to lean on him with other receivers letting him down by dropping the ball multiple times. Tight ends have caught at least five passes in each game against the Texans, so Donnell is very safe PPR play this week.
Travis Kelce (Kansas City at Miami) - Kelce has been eased into the offense, with only 18 snaps in Week 1 and 32 snaps in Week 2. In a very limited role, Kelce has already had a 49-yard game and a 81-yard game, including an astounding 11.8 yards per target - most tight ends are lucky to have 11.8 yards per catch. Kelce needs to be a bigger part of the offense, and once he is, strong TE1 numbers will follow.
Niles Paul (Washington at Philadelphia) - Paul was stripped of a long catch-and-run that could have gotten Washington back in the game against the Texans in Week 1, and took the wind out of his sleeper sails for Week 2. The former wide receiver responded with eight catches and score, seven of which came from new quarterback Kirk Cousins. Cousins and Paul have a good thing going, and unless Jordan Reed practices this week, he won’t get in the way that continuing. The Eagles will probably be without their best linebacker, Mychal Kendricks, and replacement Casey Matthews is a liability. Expect Paul’s good numbers to persist for another week.
Jared Cook (St. Louis vs Dallas) - The fantasy world has moved on from Cook’s freakish physical abilities after his massive Week 1 in 2013 never delivered the season-long TE1 that the 7-141-2 line promised. This year Cook has had two four-catch games with subpar QB talent, and he is facing a Dallas defense that gave up a massive game to Delanie Walker last week and two scores to Vernon Davis in Week 1. If anyone in the St. Louis passing game is going to have a big Week 2, chances are it will be Cook.
Defenses
For sleeper defenses, check out my Rent-A-Defense column.