Zach Wilkens breaks down the first half of the Week 2 matchups for the 2015 NFL football season. Each week of the NFL season, we will be breaking down each of the NFL matchups and providing you with some fantasy football advice and lineup recommendations based on matchups that we love, matchups that we hate, and some high-risk/high-reward players, as well.

Below, you will find part one of our Week 2 NFL matchups & fantasy football start/sit analysis, which should help you prepare your lineups to win this week. It’s essential to analyze the weekly NFL matchups to find lineup sleepers and gems, while also avoiding those players who may turn out to be busts.

Be sure to also check out part two of this week's matchups analysis, diving into the later slate of games.

 

Texans @ Panthers - Sunday 9/20 @ 1:00 PM EST

Matchups We Love:

Greg Olsen, TE, Panthers

Maybe it was just that Travis Kelce is that good, but he destroyed the Texans last week. Look for Olsen to bounce back in a big way after a quiet week 1. I have a hard time believing he will see such low target numbers a second week in a row.

Matchups We Hate:

Jonathan Stewart, RB, Panthers

The Texans will always be a tough matchup against the run as long as J.J. Watt is around. They limited Jamaal Charles to just 3.6 YPC last week. He did get a receiving touchdown to save his day, but I’m not counting on Stewart to do the same.

Notable Players:

DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Texans

A tougher matchup than most realize. Hopkins is still a safe play that will get a ton of targets, but he’s not going to have a huge day like last week.

Cam Newton, QB, Panthers

This should be a tough matchup for Cam, but the Chiefs had no problem passing the ball last week. Ultimately for Cam, it comes down to how much damage he can do on the ground. He ran 14 times last week which would normally mean a great fantasy day, but the Jaguars were able to contain him and keep him to just 35 rushing yards. I worry that the Texans will have similar success.

Texans QB Situation

I’m guessing Ryan Mallett gets the nod after his performance late last week. There is basically one question for this situation as it pertains to fantasy: Who can do a better job of getting the ball to DeAndre Hopkins? Last week the answer was clear: Mallett.

 

49ers @ Steelers - Sunday 9/20 @ 1:00 PM EST

Matchups We Love:

Carlos Hyde, RB, 49ers - This one is easy. Hyde looked better than anyone expected last week and the Steelers defense looked awful. He not only has a shot at RB1 numbers once again, but to put up similar numbers to his huge totals against the Vikings as well. If that happens he becomes a great sell high candidate.

Colin Kaepernick, QB, 49ers - Kaep didn’t need to do a lot in Week 1 with Hyde having a huge day, and he may be in a similar situation here. The difference is that the Steelers are a better offense and are more likely to keep this a close game. If that’s the case Kaep will be throwing more often and I think he’ll have plenty of success this week as well. A sneaky good start this week.

Antonio Brown, WR, Steelers - The 49ers don’t have a shutdown corner (although Tramaine Brock did play well). That means another big game for Antonio Brown.

Matchups We Hate:

Steelers Defense - The only people starting the Steelers defense in fantasy this year are those living in the past. The Steelers looked so lost and undisciplined in Week 1. That isn’t changing in a single week.

Notable Players:

DeAngelo Williams, RB, Steelers - Williams was very impressive in Week 1. I still don’t see him as a safe option this week, especially after seeing Adrian Peterson struggle against the 49ers. I think you could definitely do worse in the flex though.

Anquan Boldin, WR, 49ers - Boldin is now in his third season with the Niners and certainly seems to have good chemistry with Kaepernick. I think he’ll be able to have solid WR2 PPR numbers this week.

Torrey Smith, WR, 49ers - Smith got just one target last week. It looks like he and Kaep are still working on getting comfortable. In this matchup though, I’d be pretty surprised if Smith doesn’t get open deep a couple of times. He has a lot of upside this week.

Heath Miller, TE, Steelers - Like most weeks, I think Miller is a safe option that lacks a ton of upside. His 8 catches for 84 yards last week is probably as good as it gets. In general I expect 4 for 40 or 5 for 50 in any given week. If you feel like other waiver options at TE are too risky, Miller is usually there to give you guaranteed points.

 

Buccaneers @ Saints - Sunday 9/20 @ 1:00 PM EST

Matchups We Love:

Drew Brees, QB, Saints - I don’t think I need to explain this. Expect Brees to bounce back from just an okay Week 1. I’d be very surprised if he isn’t a top 5 QB this week.

Brandin Cooks, WR, Saints - I’m expecting big things out of Cooks this season. I was a little disappointed in his performance against the Cardinals, but it was a tough matchup. If Brees is going to have a great day, Cooks is sure to be involved. I expect him to have 10+ catches so he’ll be great for PPR, but I also expect a great day in any format.

Mark Ingram, RB, Saints - On the one hand, Ingram is set to lose most of his receiving value when C.J. Spiller returns. On the other more important hand, he should have an easy time running against the Bucs. I mean, if Bishop Sankey fared as well as he did, I am pretty confident Mark Ingram will have a big day.

C.J. Spiller, RB, Saints - Assuming he plays, I think Spiller is a must start in PPR formats and is still a great flex in standard. Mark Ingram and Khiry Robinson combined for 13 catches and 15 targets last week! Those two aren’t known for being exceptional pass catchers either. I expect Spiller to see the majority of RB targets when active, which means he should be catching 6+ here.

Mike Evans, WR, Buccaneers - None of the Saints corners are great and Mike Evans’ hamstring is reportedly 100%. I’m not playing it cautious with Evans at all. He is a fantastic red zone threat and a great receiver in general. I don’t think the Bucs want to throw the ball a lot, but they don’t really have much choice if they find themselves down by double digits in the second half.

Matchups We Hate:

None. Avoid both defenses, especially the Bucs, but that is obvious. While the Bucs aren’t a good offense, the Saints D didn’t impress last week so I wouldn’t be starting them here.

Notable Players:

Jameis Winston, QB, Buccaneers - The rookie looks to improve in his second start and he’ll have Evans back in the lineup. I certainly don’t want to start him, but I will be watching to see if he can flash fantasy potential at any point this season.

Vincent Jackson, WR, Buccaneers - VJax was his usual inefficient self last week. He rarely has a catch percentage much higher than 50% so he needs 10+ targets to really have a nice day. That might be hard to do as the Bucs look to limit Winston’s pass attempts.

Austin Seferian-Jenkins, TE, Buccaneers - ASJ looked great last week with the best game of his young career. He certainly has a chance to do that again as the Bucs will likely find themselves in a similar situation. The Saints did allow a touchdown to a tight end last week. I think ASJ is far from a guarantee, but is still a solid start because he has a lot of upside.

Doug Martin, RB, Buccaneers - I think Martin is a solid RB2. Martin ran well last week and while his opportunities are limited with the Bucs probably playing behind a lot, the good matchup makes him startable.

Marques Colston, WR, Saints - Colston actually played fewer snaps than Brandon Coleman last week and just had a bad game all around. There is certainly some reason to worry about Colston and I think owners would love to see a great game here to feel better about him. I’m keeping him on the bench until I see a reason to think he can produce.

Brandon Coleman, WR, Saints 0 The big target did come through with a touchdown but it was a mixed bag last week. He also had two drops. That sort of up and down day is what is to be expected from a player I think is raw. Those were his first snaps in a real NFL game (although he’s not a rookie) so don’t get too excited just yet. Still I wouldn’t be surprised if he scores again and I think he makes a nice flex play. That wraps up a long list of fantasy relevant players in this game!

 

Lions @ Vikings - Sunday 9/20 @ 1:00 PM EST

Matchups We Love:

Calvin Johnson, WR, Lions - I’m not buying any talk that Calvin is on the decline. He just wasn’t targeted enough last week. I think that will change and Stafford will feed him the ball.

Ameer Abdullah, RB, Lions - The transition into the Abdullah era has already begun as he out-snapped and out-touched Joique Bell. Abdullah was highly productive as well with 94 yards total and a score. He was able to make things happen both on the ground and via screen passes. The guy is a playmaker, and after seeing Carlos Hyde roll through the Vikings last week, Abdullah is a must start.

Kyle Rudolph, TE, Vikings - I think Rudolph might be the safest option in the passing game this week. He was targeted 7 times last week and I think he’s a better touchdown threat than any of the wide receivers. The Lions got burned by Ladarius Green last week.

Matchups We Hate:

Matthew Stafford, QB, Lions - While I do love Calvin, I think Stafford may struggle here. The Vikings have a very good secondary. If Abdullah (and Joique I suppose) are as successful as Carlos Hyde was last week, the Lions probably won’t be throwing too much in addition to it being a tough matchup. I’d avoid if you have other options.

Notable Players:

Adrian Peterson, RB, Vikings - Peterson just didn’t look very good last week. Between Haloti Ngata and Ziggy Ansah, the Lions should be very good against the run. I still think Peterson is the best weapon this team has, and he should get plenty of touches to finish with a solid day.

Charles Johnson & Mike Wallace, WRs, Vikings - Wallace was the more targeted and more successful receiver in Week 1. Many expect Johnson to be the receiver that gets more looks on a regular basis, but I’m not so sure. We’ll have to see how this continues to play out. I like Wallace a little bit more because of his deep ball ability, but I don’t consider either anything more than a flex play this week.

Golden Tate, WR, Lions - Not expecting a whole lot from Tate this week because I expect the Lions to limit Stafford and find success on the ground. I do like that he got 8 targets last week. He’s going to need to hit that number consistently to be relevant with Megatron healthy. I see him as a flex play here and a potential buy low if he has another quiet game.

Eric Ebron, TE, Lions - It was a good first week for Ebron to start the season. I’m still not sold but I do like his upside. Right now he is probably behind both wide receivers and the running backs as an option in the passing game. If he has another good day he could jump into TE1 territory.

 

Cardinals @ Bears - Sunday 9/20 @ 1:00 PM EST

Matchups We Love:

Larry Fitzgerald, WR, Cardinals - Despite the John Brown hype, Fitz is the clear #1 in this offense. He led the team in targets and yards last week. I expect similar numbers this week and think he should be started in all leagues.

John Brown, WR, Cardinals - Michael Floyd definitely wasn’t 100%, but it was still nice to see Brown in on almost every single snap while also getting a touchdown. I don’t think much of the Bears defense, so he could score again here.

Matt Forte, RB, Bears - The Cardinals are definitely good against the run, but that’s not a death knell for Matt Forte. The fact that the Cards gave up 13 receptions to RBs last week is a great sign for Forte. There’s a good chance that Forte is only good for a 2.5 YPC or so, but a very good chance he has 50+ yards receiving.

Matchups We Hate:

Jay Cutler, QB, Bears - No surprise here. Cutler didn’t do too well in Week 1 with 50% completion rate. It’s hard to see him having much more success against this secondary.

Notable Players:

Alshon Jeffery, WR, Bears - I don’t think Jeffery was 100% last week, but I think he had a respectable day finishing with 78 yards. This is a tough matchup so don’t expect a huge day but he should put up similar numbers.

Martellus Bennett, TE, Bears - Bennett should continue to get targeted heavily and remains a must start on a weekly basis.

Michael Floyd, WR, Cardinals - Floyd played just 9 snaps last week. I can’t imagine starting him here without more assurance that he will be a bigger part of the offense.

Carson Palmer, QB, Cardinals - I think Palmer is a great fit for this offense and has several good options to throw to. The matchup isn’t as good as last week, but I think Palmer can definitely approach QB1 numbers once again.

 

Patriots @ Bills - Sunday 9/20 @ 1:00 PM EST

Matchups We Love:

Sammy Watkins, WR, Bills - Watkins put up a zero last week so it feels a bit bold to put him as a matchup I love. The difference in corners this week is huge, going from Vontae Davis to Malcolm Butler. Some speculate Percy Harvin may be the #1 in Buffalo, but I am still very confident it’s Watkins and that he just happened to get shut down last week by a great corner. I expect him to be a solid WR2 here.

LeSean McCoy, RB, Bills - McCoy supposedly has a tight hamstring again so monitor that. As far as the matchup goes, it should be a good one. If the Patriots D could make DeAngelo Williams young again, I think McCoy should have a much better day than last week. If McCoy is indeed out, Karlos Williams would be very startable.

Matchups We Hate:

Tom Brady, QB, Patriots - The Bills handled Andrew Luck well last week. Rex Ryan knows how to contain Tom Brady as well as anyone. I think Brady is a borderline QB1 this week. The one thing that may save him is that even Rex’s defensive genius can’t stop the GRONK.

LeGarrette Blount, RB, Patriots - Blount returns after a one week suspension and gets a Bills defense that is also getting Marcell Dareus back from a suspension. If your depth allows it, I’d look to avoid Blount this week. The Bills should be a top run defense all season.

Notable Players:

Rob Gronkowski, TE, Patriots - It’s not a great matchup, but Gronk is Gronk, so a touchdown (or more) is more likely than no touchdowns.

Julian Edelman, WR, Patriots - Edelman should see 10+ targets which will allow him to have a solid PPR day, but overall it’s a tough matchup. I see him as a low-end WR2

Dion Lewis, RB, Patriots - I think Lewis might have better odds to be fantasy relevant this week than Blount if he continues to see a lot of passing work. Still, I’m avoiding him this week because we just don’t know for sure what the usage is going to be.

Percy Harvin, WR, Bills - Harvin should continue to see a few run plays in addition to 5+ targets which makes him an intriguing play in any week. I never feel great about Harvin, but he will have upside.

 

Chargers @ Bengals - Sunday 9/20 @ 1:00 PM EST

Matchups We Love:

Jeremy Hill, RB, Bengals - I think Hill is on the verge of joining the elite tier of RBs. After a two touchdown week I’m expecting another great game from Hill.

A.J. Green, WR, Bengals - Last week was a bit of a disappointment but I do think Green is an elite WR. Barring a matchup against a top CB, I will continue to expect big things from him.

Keenan Allen, WR, Chargers - I certainly don’t expect 17 targets again, but the Chargers made it clear that this offense will run through Allen until Melvin Gordon emerges (if ever). That means Allen will be heavily targeted every single week and is a must-start.

Matchups We Hate:

Melvin Gordon, RB, Chargers - He split carries with Danny Woodhead and just wasn’t very effective in his debut. The Bengals aren’t a bad defense by any means, so until I see Gordon prove himself I’m staying away.

Notable Players:

Tyler Eifert, TE, Bengals - I loved what I saw in Week 1. We can’t expect that every week with so many good options in this offense, but right now he seems like he has to be in the lineup for this matchup. The Chargers did give up a touchdown to Eric Ebron last week.

Giovani Bernard, RB, Bengals - Bernard had a strong PPR day last week. That was a good sign because the Bengals won in blowout fashion. With this game being closer, you have to think they will throw more, which means a better chance for Bernard to be involved in the passing game once again.

Stevie Johnson, WR, Chargers - Stevie appears to have the WR2 role locked down. He’ll be up and down throughout the year because I expect Allen to be targeted heavily, which means there may not always be a lot for Stevie. I think he is a solid WR3/Flex.

Andy Dalton, QB, Bengals - Dalton did a great job last week. This is a much bigger test but he has the weapons to succeed. I’d consider him a borderline QB1.

Philip Rivers, QB, Chargers - If he can have that much success with Keenan Allen all year he’ll have a much easier season than last year where they struggled at times. Rivers is a solid but not great start, just ahead of Dalton this week.

 

Titans @ Browns - Sunday @ 1:00 PM EST

Matchups We Love:

Bishop Sankey, RB, Titans - This one is hard to explain. I don’t actually love Sankey at all, but I do love the matchup. I’m not sold on his performance last week, but I do think the Browns struggle against the run while excelling vs the pass. That means Sankey will probably see a lot of action and have a chance to score. That said, because I’m not really sold on him. I see him as a flex only.

Matchups We Hate:

Kendall Wright, WR, Titans - Wright faces off against Joe Haden. Last week Brandon Marshall was able to use his size to score against Haden, but Wright doesn’t have such a size advantage. Therefore, I think it’s going to be a long tough day for him and I’d probably avoid him this week if it can be helped.

Marcus Mariota, QB, Titans - It was an amazing debut for Mariota but let’s apply the brakes a little bit. He’s still a rookie going up against a very tough secondary this week. If he succeeds here I will be truly impressed. Right now I consider him a low-end QB2.

Notable Players:

Isaiah Crowell & Duke Johnson, Browns RBs - The snap split was just about 50/50 between the two, but Crowell had double the touches. I think Crowell is the #1 but it's pretty much a committee, and it will probably be more of an even touch split this week. The Titans defense surprised last week, but I’m not considering them a good defense just yet. That said, given what these two showed last week and the uncertainty over what the touches will be, I’d probably avoid.

Johnny Manziel, QB, Browns - Manziel will start this week. He really didn’t look too bad last week, but seriously lacks playmakers in the passing game. As a result, it’s hard to have any confidence in him right now for fantasy. He would need to have a rushing touchdown to be worth playing and I just don’t feel like gambling on that.

 

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