Last week, the surprise teams page didn’t appear, which isn’t a huge surprise. Week 1 is the most unpredictable week of the year and it’s also a week when most fantasy managers play their best and start their star players. The fantasy season doesn’t really start until chaos sets in.
Of course, we now have that chaos. Week 1 was filled with underperformance and injuries, and that means a lot of fantasy managers might be looking for unconventional answers. Let’s get to work.
Last year, the easiest way to rack up quarterback points was to call someone, anyone, against Washington’s defenseAnd in the new season, not much has changed. Baker Mayfield ripped the Commanders apart on opening day for 289 yards and four touchdowns. It was a nearly flawless performance, with just six incomplete passes, one sack and zero turnovers. Mayfield even ran for 21 yards and finished as QB2.
Okay, Jones is no Mayfield, we already know that. But a couple of New York veterans last year (Tyrod Taylor, Tommy DeVito) Both registered QB7 Performance When Washington knocked on his door.
When the matchup is this juicy, you have to keep an open mind.
Raiders running back Alexander Mattison vs. the Ravens
The Raiders were one of several teams that struggled on offense last week: 14 first downs, 296 total yards. That’s not going to feed the cat. But their highlight came with their only touchdown. A 31-yard catch and run by Mattison.
The rest of Mattison’s touches were marginal, but he got plenty of usage. Mattison logged 36 snaps to Zamir White’s 23, and Mattison caught six passes to White’s two. Las Vegas He has declared a positive streak situation in his backfieldAnd even if Mattison fails to shine in Baltimore, he’ll likely get plenty of work in the passing game. The Raiders are the underdogs by 9.5 points at the position, and a negative game script would favor Mattison.
Cooks wasn’t fantasy relevant for much of the 2023 season, but he finished the season on a high note. He had touchdowns in five of his final seven starts and caught six passes in the playoff loss to Green Bay. His 2024 start wasn’t bad either: a 4-40-1 line on seven passes thrown. Cooks led Dallas receivers in routes and was second in passes thrown.
Everyone knows CeeDee Lamb is the alpha in the Dallas group, and his production will increase soon enough. But if injured TE Jake Ferguson is compromised on Sunday (or out entirely), Cooks steps up as the clear second option in a good offense. Dallas has an implied total of 26.5 points, Third best on the Week 2 list.
Giants wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson on Commanders
We have to be careful with Robinson’s recommendation, I get it. Last week’s 12 targets could easily be a fluke; this offense will soon be built around rookie Malik Nabers, and Daniel Jones is a tough quarterback to trust.
But Washington’s pass defense, as we established above, is the juiciest matchup in the league right now, and the Commanders were especially punished in the slot last week. Robinson won’t play on every snap (he ran a route on 74% of back-to-back passes last week), but his routes offer the quickly defined passes that Jones looks for.
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The Rams have two obvious problems on offense right now: Puka Nacua will be out for at least the next four weeks and the offensive line is battling a rash of injuries. Nacua’s absence will create more opportunities for other players, and when an offensive line plays with backups, it’s easier to hide pass blocking. Sean McVay will be easing up this week.
Cooper Kupp racked up a whopping 21 passes last week, but it wasn’t as big a win as you might think, as Kupp averaged a modest 5.2 yards per pass. Parkinson and Robinson will likely see an increase in their passing percentage here, and WR Tyler Johnson isn’t a bad alternative for those in especially deep leagues. Arizona’s porous defense also presents a positive matchup.
The Panthers couldn’t stop the Saints in the opener, managing 22 first downs and 379 yards of offense. Most of New Orleans’ plays worked perfectly, leading to five different players scoring touchdowns. Heck, two different tight ends (Juwan Johnson, Foster Moreau) found the end zone!
So Hurst’s homecoming could be a happy one.
Obviously, the Chargers are a run-first offense, but Hurst proved last week that he’s the tight end they have in the passing game. Hurst ran 23 routes on 29 back-of-the-pack passes and posted a 2-33-0 line on three targeted passes. With more equity at the goal line in this matchup, Hurst is a potential deep-league option for coaches who are dealing with injuries at the tight end position.
In general, defensive broadcasting relies on a few basics: find a favorite team, hopefully at home, and pick a bad quarterback. And it’s time to accept that Deshaun Watson is a bad quarterback. Watson hasn’t posted above-average metrics since 2020, four years ago. Physical issues have played a role in this, and perhaps his confidence is in the dumps, too.
There are other solid, widely available options at D/ST if you’re playing week-to-week at this position — the Colts can blitz Malik Willis in Green Bay, while Seattle could expose a New England offensive line that struggles to pass block. But the Jaguars at home is my first streaming choice.
