Sometimes in NFL fantasy, focusing on just a single player’s matchup is not enough. Sometimes it is best to look at the entire team to determine where the best opportunities are. Coming into week two of the National Football League regular season, there are some great matchups to exploit to help maximize fantasy points. Here are the best matchups to target in week two of the NFL season.
Passing Defense To Target: New Orleans Saints
There was some talk during the preseason that the New Orleans Saints had shaped up on defense. After witnessing what transpired on Monday night, there is little reason to believe this group is any better than it has been in the past. The Saints gave up an NFL worst 273.8 passing yards per game last season and let Sam Bradford torch them for 346 yards while setting a career high in passing rating at 143.0. Whatever quarterback is throwing against the Saints, especially an angry one *cough* Tom Brady *cough* and his wide receivers are a must start. In fact, with two games against Matt Ryan and Jameis Winston, plus games against Aaron Rodgers, Matt Stafford and Kirk Cousins, the Saints could be in for a record year of futility.
Start: Tom Brady
Rush Defense To Target: New York Jets
Oh how quickly things can change for a team in just one year and from one trade.
Last year, the Jets were strong against the run, limiting opposing players to just 3.69 yards per rush, best in the AFC. Last season they even shut down LeSean McCoy, limiting him to 68 yards rushing on 21 attempts total in two games. In Week 1, the Jets rush defense was the opposite of what it was last season. McCoy and the Bills sliced through the Jets, leading the league in rushing for the week with 190 yards. With how bad the Jets offense is teams will likely be taking large leads into the fourth quarter. This means a heavy dose of running plays to run out the clock. In fact, the Bills ran the ball 42 times in week one, tying for most in the league.
Now they have to go across the country to face a quality Oakland Raiders team. The Raiders are very strong along the offensive line, which figures to make this a very challenging contest for them. Look for them to pound away with Lynch and to roll to an easy win. That should mean good things for Lynch – and maybe some of the other Raiders backs – in this one. Make sure he’s in your starting lineup.
Start: Marshawn Lynch
Offense To Target: Indianapolis Colts
With Andrew Luck on the sideline again for week two, and quite possibly for a few more games after, the Colts offense is about as inept as any in recent memory. The Los Angeles Rams demolished the Indianapolis offensive line, which caused the Colts offense to stink completely. The Rams forced three fumbles, recovering one, recorded two interceptions and sacked the quarterback four times, all without their best defensive player Aaron Donald. The Colts have some tough defenses in the future including the Arizona Cardinals this week and the Seattle Seahawks in week four. Until Andrew Luck is back and playing at 100%, which ever defense is playing the Colts is a must target.
Start: Arizona Cardinals Defense
Special Teams To Target: Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears played a surprisingly good game in week one and potentially could have won if not for some dropped passes and terrible special teams. The Bears gave up 45 yards of punt returns in week one on three attempts. However, no return by the Atlanta Falcons was longer than 17 yards, meaning just about every time the Falcons got a chance to return a punt, they did some damage. The Falcons added another 70 yards on kickoff returns. Matt Bryant, kicker for the Falcons connected on a 54-yard field on Sunday, the second longest kick of week one. Expect more teams to exploit the Bears and their terrible special teams this season.
Start: Bucs Special Teams
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