Another NFL Sunday is in the books and now it’s time to start preparing for the next one. Several teams that looked excellent in Week 1 looked like the dregs of the league in Week 2 and vice versa. Teams we expected a lot from (Colts, Eagles) look to be in disarray, while a team like the Jets looks far better than most would have imagined. Oh, and the team in Seattle (that was a yard away from winning the Super Bowl) is 0-2. What does this all mean?

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As far as the NFL big picture, not as much as you would think. It’s still very early in the season, so while we try to absorb everything we see, it’s still important to keep an open mind about teams and players alike. DFS requires this same flexible mentality. Players who were great last week are not necessarily smart plays for this week, while the opposite will also be true. Multiple quarterbacks also suffered injuries that will affect many players. Let’s take a look at each game and see what the early indications are.

Remember, you can play DFS games this week on sites like FanDueland DraftKings.

Thursday Night Football
Washington at New York Giants (Giants -4, 44):
Going into last Sunday, Washington looked like one of the teams destined to be a weekly doormat this season. Apparently the players in Washington were the only ones who didn’t believe that to be true, as they came out and stunned a Rams team expected to handle them. They head to New York on a quick turnaround for the prime time Thursday night game versus the Gmen.

ODB returned to form, as he had a monster game for New York, but mostly everyone else left a lot to be desired for the second week in a row. As a rule of thumb, I usually try to avoid players in the Thursday night game. Lack of rest and practice time usually combine for a rather ugly game and that’s what I expect in this one.

Neither team has been impressive on either side of the ball, but there are some guys worth rostering here. For the Skins, Jordan Reed at $3800 seems like a more than worthy play at that price. Fellow former Gator Matt Jones ($4000) also seems like a legit choice, as he broke out last game for two impressive TDs and also carries a cheap price tag.

With DeSean Jackson out, Pierre Garcon ($5200) figures to see a lot of targets, so he is certainly capable of another good game. For the Giants, I think Eli’s salary of $7000 is just too high considering what we’ve seen so far. If you’re going to play him, it’s mandatory to stack him with ODB ($9000) because if Eli succeeds, it’s almost certainly going to be with Beckham going off. Other than that, I don’t see much going for the Gmen this week and would mostly avoid them. Even if it’s ugly, I still love getting to start the NFL week on Thursday night.

Pittsburgh at St. Louis (Steelers -1, 47.5):
Much like I expected, the Steelers got revenge for their opening loss by decimating the 49ers. Pittsburgh’s offense was on fire all around, with Antonio Brown and DeAngelo Williams both going off for huge games. Heading into St. Louis for a showdown with the Rams, the Steelers get elite RB Le’Veon Bell ($7500) back. This is probably the cheapest he’ll be all season, so I would jump on him while you can.

Like I’ve said before, stacking Big Ben and Antonio Brown will never be a bad idea and is probably a very good one this week. Heath Miller ($3500) is certainly worth his low cost, as he found the end zone again on Sunday. I’m sure the Rams defense will be angry after a subpar showing last week, but ignoring the Steelers offensive prowess would be foolish, in my opinion.

For the Rams, I’m struggling to think of anyone I’d really want to play on a DFS roster. The Steelers defense is marginal, but the Rams offense isn’t one that really features anybody yet. Todd Gurley is supposedly a GTD this week and even if he plays he won’t play a lot. If you’re gonna play this game, the Steelers offense is the only way I would confidently go.

San Diego at Minnesota (Vikings -2.5, 44.5):
Apparently the Vikings remembered that if you feed Adrian Peterson the way he likes it, he will return a big dividend. As I suspected (and hoped), the Vikes went back to pounding the rock to Peterson from more traditional formations rather than from the shotgun and AP went nuts for almost 200 total yards. I expect that to continue this week in Minnesota versus an average Chargers defense. At $7500, I would still feel very good about playing Peterson.

As far as the rest of the Vikings offense, Kyle Rudolph ($3300) is the only play I really like because of his cheap price and propensity to get red zone looks.

On the Chargers side of the ball, I’m not thrilled by anyone on their offense. Stevie Johnson ($4300) remains worth a play due to his price and recent success, but other than that I would avoid the Chargers offense. Danny Woodhead ($4400) is someone you could turn to if you need a cheap RB or flex, but there are other players I much prefer over him at that price. The main attraction in this game Peterson and not much else.

Tampa Bay at Houston (Texans -6.5, 40.5):
Coming off a rather surprising road upset of the Saints, Tampa Bay rolls into Houston with what I assume to be a lot of confidence. Jameis Winston looked much better in his second game and as a result the Bucs controlled the game from start to finish. Meanwhile, the Texans look like a team that is totally lost. They struggled on offense versus a Carolina team down its two best defenders and allowed Cam Newton to go off for a strong game.

I expect a bounce back this week at home, or at least I expect JJ Watt to destroy a few Buccaneer souls. From a DFS standpoint, the only I guy I like in this game is Vincent Jackson ($5400). He had a solid game last week and is going against what seems to be a vulnerable Texans defense. Mike Evans put up a goose egg last week and I don’t trust his health yet. If you want to force a play on the Texans, DeAndre Hopkins ($7400) is the only playable man from Houston. He’s a high-volume target in the passing game, but is also very pricey. This is one of those games that I won’t pay any attention to unless it pops up on the Red Zone highlights.

Philadelphia at New York Jets (Jets -2.5, 47):
Anyone who thought in August that the Jets would be favored in this Week 3 matchup should go straight to the store and buy a lottery ticket. Most, including myself, expected Philly to be flying high into this game with a high-powered offense. As it turns out, the Eagles come to New York in total disarray, while the Jets are the team flying high.

Rostering any players from Philly’s offense is a huge risk, in my opinion. The Eagles’ offensive line has been a sieve and the Jets defensive line is as good as any in the league. Stay away from the Eagles in this game. I think the Jets D is gonna be in control all day Sunday.

Like last week, the only Jets player I really like is Brandon Marshall ($6200). He’s looked great so far and gets another great matchup versus a dreadful Eagles secondary. Stacking him with Ryan Fitzpatrick would be an interesting contrarian play for GPPs as well. Chris Ivory ($5000) is not a bad option, but I’m pretty lukewarm towards him because of the groin tweak he’s dealing with. After touting Sam Bradford highly, I will be watching this game to see if he can somehow rebound, but I won’t be holding my breath.

New Orleans at Carolina (Panthers -3, 45):
Carolina looks to capitalize on their good fortune, as they face a Saints team that is wounded, literally and figuratively. After predicting an offensive explosion from New Orleans at home, I had to wipe egg off my face as Drew Brees and stumbled versus a very vulnerable Bucs D.

During their stumble, Brees hurt his shoulder and as a result couldn’t throw the ball with any accuracy or strength. It has since been revealed that Brees bruised his rotator cuff on Sunday, and his status for this week is in doubt. Even if he plays, I would stay away from him and the entire Saints offense.

On that note, I think the Panthers defense ($3100) is a solid choice this week, especially if Luke Keuchly returns from his concussion issues. For the Panthers, I like Cam Newton ($6800) stacked with Greg Olsen ($4800) A LOT. The Saints D has not been good and I think Cam will take advantage of that on the ground as well as through the air. Jonathan Stewart ($4900) also gets a good matchup here and has a price low enough to take a chance on him. This is another game that is shaping up differently than I would have expected before the season started. Such is life in the NFL.

Jacksonville at New England (Patriots -13.5, 47.5):
Both teams here come off of pretty impressive victories, but only the Patriots will be getting any respect come Sunday. Vegas is telling us they expect a Pats blowout with a good amount of offense (primarily from the Pats) and I think that’s what most expect. Playing Tom Brady and stacking him with Gronk and/or Edelman is certainly a good idea; however, I expect all three to be very highly owned.

Dion Lewis ($4200) is a very enticing play, but he is another player likely to be very highly coveted between his performance and price point. LeGarrette Blount ($4000) is a very sneaky play that I like in this game. Bill Bellichick is the master of trolling fantasy owners by switching up his RBs with the tides. This game sets up as one where the Pats will presumably be running the ball a lot and Blount is usually New England’s weapon of choice in the power running game. This is very much a risky contrarian play, but I have a feeling it will pay off for those willing to take the chance.

Jacksonville had a very good game last week, giving us reason to believe that their youth movement might actually be a thing. After looking dreadful in Week 1, Blake Bortles ($5100) and Allen Robinson ($5200) went off last weekend. Bill Bellichick is notoriously hard on young QBs, but I think there’s a good chance that Bortles will connect with Robinson, even if it’s in garbage time. For the price and likely low ownership potential, I think stacking Bortles and Robinson is worth it as a contrarian play. While this figures to be a total Pats matchup, if New England takes this matchup lightly and overlooks the Jags, it could be a much closer game than anticipated.

Cincinnati at Baltimore (Ravens -2.5, 44):
After losing a game everyone thought would be an easy win, the Ravens finally come home to try and win a game. To do it, they’ll have to beat a very hot Bengals team which hasn’t had much trouble in both of their wins this season. Andy Dalton ($5700) is still not getting any respect as far as his salary goes. He should have a tougher go at it in Maryland this Sunday, but at that price I would feel good about playing him.

Stacking him with AJ Green ($7200) or Tyler Eifert ($4800) would be the way to go if you like Dalton, as Baltimore’s D has been less than stellar. Marvin Jones ($3600) is a very nice cheap play, as he appears to be working his way back into the Bengals offense.

While I like their passing game, I don’t know what to make of the Cincy running game. After last weekend, signs are pointing more in the direction of a timeshare between Jeremy Hill ($7300) and Gio Bernard ($4700). At those prices, I would feel more comfortable gambling on Bernard. For Hill owners, you’ll want to keep an eye on how this game plays out.

Another potential timeshare is popping up, but in Baltimore. Against the Raiders, lead back Justin Forsett ($6000) only out-snapped Lorenzo Taliaferro ($3000) by 14 plays and Taliaferro got the goal line work. Just like in Cincy, if I were going to play one of these RBs, I would lean towards the cheaper play. Cincy’s defense is stout, so I don’t really care much for either play, although Taliaferro would be worth his weight in pigskin if he gets you just a short TD.

The only play I like in this game for the Ravens is Steve Smith Sr ($6300) simply because he’s almost all they have in the passing game. Between the DFS plays and future implications this game has, it should be a good one to watch.

Oakland at Cleveland (Browns -3.5, 42):
After each of these teams was left for dead following dreadful opening games, the Raiders and Browns responded with unexpected wins as home underdogs. While each offense had a standout performance last week, I don’t really like this game from a DFS standpoint. Johnny Football is going back to the bench for Josh McCown, so I don’t know what to make of an already bland Cleveland passing attack. I’ll be avoiding the Browns offense entirely this week and recommend you do as well.

For the Raiders, I don’t love their options, but there are a few reasonable ones. Derek Carr ($5300) had a big game last week and has a nice target in rookie Amari Cooper ($6200). Stacking them is a high risk/high reward play that I don’t hate. Latavius Murray ($5800) is another guy that I think is worth gambling on with his potential and reasonable salary. Other than that, this is about as stale of a game as there is on the schedule for Sunday.

Indianapolis at Tennessee (Colts -3, 45):
Colts fans have to be getting a little nervous after watching two pretty dismal performances by their team. People are starting to question Andrew Luck nationwide after a poor showing on Monday night. Luck didn’t play his best, but I think his struggles have been due mostly to facing two extremely tough defenses that put relentless heat on him.

Something that is overlooked by most casual football fans is that the greatest QBs will look pedestrian or worse if they don’t have time to throw the ball comfortably. Facing a Titans defense that allowed Johnny Manziel to look like his old self, I think Andrew Luck ($7900) bounces back in a big way this week. If he stinks up the joint again, I’ll start to drink the anti-Luck kool aid.

TY Hilton did not look healthy on Monday night after aggravating his knee injury. As a result, I think Donte Moncrief ($4800) is the guy you want to stack with Luck. He seems to have chemistry with his QB and looks very impressive in and out of his routes on the field.

Frank Gore ($4500) looked very spry to me as well and I think he stands a good chance to be featured properly against the Titans. Speaking of the team from Tennessee, I’m not big on anyone from that team this weekend. Mariota looked like a rookie last week and there is no running game there to speak of. If I were to roster a Titan, it would be Kendall Wright ($5000). Indy’s defensive backfield is a mash unit, so if Wright is healthy I would consider playing him. Check back here on Saturday for my injury update to learn more on that one.

Atlanta at Dallas (Falcons -1, 45):
This would have been a great game for DFS fireworks, but the injury to Tony Romo has nullified that potential. Romo is gone for at least 7 weeks and with him goes any real optimism about their offense. Terrance Williams ($4600) is the only guy I would consider playing. Other than that, this game is all about the Falcons to me.

Matt Ryan ($7100) has looked very good thus far and his connection with Julio Jones ($9000) is as good as any in the NFL. In a bit of a surprise, Leonard Hankerson ($3800) was targeted 11 times, while Roddy White ($5000) appeared more likely to visiting the grave than the end zone. There was talk about Hankerson overtaking Roddy this season and it appeared to be coming to fruition on Sunday.

With Tevin Coleman going down, Devonta Freeman ($4600) will be the main man in the backfield, but I’m not too excited about him as an option. Ryan and Julio are the obvious plays in this game and Hankerson is a sneaky value play. Other than those guys, this game doesn’t have much to offer in my eyes.

San Francisco at Arizona (Cardinals -6.5, 44):
Arizona kept chugging along last week, looking very good on both sides of the ball. The Niners did about the opposite of that, getting torched by Antonio Brown and only scoring in garbage time. Heading into this matchup, Carson Palmer ($6600) should be licking his lips. San Francisco’s main vulnerability on the defensive side is in the passing game, which happens to be the Cardinals’ strength on offense.

Feel good about stacking Palmer with either Larry Fitz ($5800) or John Brown ($5100). I think the Niners will stay close in this game, but I don’t see them stopping the Cards’ passing game. Due to a porous right side of the Niners’ offensive line, I think the Cards D ($3100) is worth a play behind their very underrated home field advantage.

For the Niners, Carlos Hyde ($5400) is a little banged up and doesn’t have a great matchup. I think he goes back to being more of a contrarian play this week, so start him if you’re in a gambling mood. If the SF offense hums, it’ll likely be with Hyde playing well.

My favorite play for the Niners is Anquan Boldin ($5400). He’s Kap’s favorite target and because of his possession receiver style, he has a very high floor in a PPR format. Most are probably expecting a Cards blowout, but these two teams usually play very close games.

Chicago at Seattle (Seahawks -14.5, 44):
The large spread in favor of Seattle and the smallish total tell you what you already know: Seattle is expected to smash the Bears on Sunday. Jay Cutler is out, Jimmy Clausen is in. Translation: I wouldn’t touch any Bears player in this game with a ten foot pole.

On top of that, Alshon Jeffery’s status is in doubt, so the only real player left for the Bears is Matt Forte. If you’re a religious type, say a prayer for him tonight and keep him in your thoughts.

Conversely, Seattle’s offense has a stellar matchup against the barely there Bears D. Marshawn Lynch ($7400) might run for 700 yards (just kidding, but seriously he might). He’s going to be a very popular play this week and an excellent choice for cash games as opposed to GPPs. Jimmy Graham ($5800) carries a high price tag, but I expect him to bounce back from a total dud on Sunday night.

Russel Wilson ($7000) is another guy that should produce and I like stacking him with Graham or Doug Baldwin ($4000), who is quietly putting up very solid fantasy numbers. I imagine the Seahawks players will be heavily owned across the board, but I don’t think trying to fade them is going to work out too well.

Miami at Buffalo (Bills -3, 43.5):
Yet again I recommended Lamar Miller and yet again he failed to do much. I’ve learned my lesson and won’t recommend him this week against a very stingy Buffalo D. The only Dolphin player I like at all is Jarvis Landry ($6400), although his rising salary is a bit of a concern. The Dolphins offense appears to be stuck in quicksand, so until they appear to break free of it, I’ll be avoiding them for the most part.

Buffalo isn’t a great offense either, but they certainly showed they can score by rallying hard against the Patriots in the second half on Sunday. Tyrod Taylor ($5800) has looked very good and at his price I think he is worth firing up this Sunday. Along with him, I think Sammy Watkins ($6100) and Percy Harvin ($4400) are viable options to stack, particularly Watkins. Miami got roasted by Allen Robinson to the tune of 145 yards and two TDs, so there’s no reason Watkins can’t have similar success.

On the ground, Shady McCoy ($6100) should get plenty of touches, but his lingering hamstring injury bothers me enough to avoid him. It’ll be interesting to see if Miami can bounce back and if Buffalo can keep their optimism for this season going.

Denver at Detroit (Denver -3, 45):
Detroit has been one of the more disappointing teams so far this season and I expect that trend to continue against a rested Denver Broncos team that had a mini-bye following its Thursday night game. Speaking of that game, Peyton Manning ($7400) looked old and wobbly, like his throws, but still managed to put up a pretty good scoring game with nearly 300 yards and three TDs. I probably won’t be playing him this week, but I wouldn’t blame anyone for doing so.

Peyton’s best targets are on the pricey side with Demaryius Thomas at $8000 and Manny Sanders at $7600, so it’s going to be an expensive stack either way. I would lean towards Sanders since he’s cheaper and appears to be more of Manning’s go-to guy at this point.

CJ Anderson ($6200) has a good matchup vs the Lions D that was gouged by Adrian Peterson last week. I think the extra rest should help CJ with the reported toe issue he was having, so he’s going to be my favorite play from the Broncos side of the ball.

Concerning the Lions, I don’t like anyone on their offense. Megatron is Megatron, but his expensive salary will scare me away from him until Detroit’s menial offense gets going. As a result of not liking the Lions offense, I do like the Broncos defense ($3000) because of their nasty pass rush and talented DBs. While this isn’t the greatest Sunday night matchup, it’s still better than a lot of the games this week has to offer.

Monday Night Football:
Kansas City at Green Bay (Packers -6.5, 49):
Monday night gives us a pretty interesting matchup. The Chiefs should be rested and looking for revenge after their silly meltdown at the end of their last game. However, I don’t know if all the motivation in the world could help them stop Aaron Rodgers ($8000) and the Packers.

When Rodgers is set free to run the show as he pleases, there is no one better in the NFL right now and maybe not ever. With Eddie Lacy likely out this Monday, I expect Rodgers to throw the ball around a little more. The question is, who will get the significant amount of targets from him to be worth playing?

Randall Cobb ($7400) is a safe bet to stack with Rodgers, but he’s still very likely to have targets soaked up by James Jones ($4800), Davante Adams ($5000), and now Ty Montgomery ($3000). Rodgers and Jones seem to have great chemistry in the red zone, so he is probably has the best upside for his price.

Davante Adams was primed for a breakout season, but underwhelming results and now an ankle injury are making him much less appealing to me. Stepping in for Adams last Monday was rookie Ty Montgomery. For near the minimum salary, he is worth a dart throw, but I would understand that he is a high risk/high reward play if I were to roster him. So to answer my question about who to stack with Rodgers, I’d be lying if I told you I knew the answer.

For a higher floor, go with Cobb. For a cheaper gamble with upside, go with Jones. If you need to fill someone in for $3k, you could certainly do worse than Montgomery.

Speaking of $3k plays, if Lacy sits out, backup James Starks is only $3000 and would be well worth that if he is the main RB for the Pack. I wrote a lot about the Packers offense because they have a lot to offer.

I won’t be writing much about the Chiefs for the opposite reason: they are fairly limited in terms of DFS options. Alice, I mean Alex Smith ($6000) has had some big DFS scoring games in the past, but that usually only happens when Jamaal Charles ($7400) has a big game receiving. I don’t advise rostering Smith; he requires his receivers to do the work after the catch in order to score a lot of fantasy points.

Jamaal Charles is one of the most talented players in the NFL, but after watching Green Bay shut down Marshawn Lynch last week, I think I would choose the other elite backs with similar prices over Charles.

Travis Kelce at $5000 is probably the safest bet for the Chiefs, as he and Smith have developed a legit connection over the last year. This game should stay somewhat close for awhile, but unless the KC pass rush torments Aaron Rodgers (an unlikely but possible scenario), I think the Packers will win fairly easily at Lambeau.

Make sure you check back with me on Friday for my likely/unlikely owned players update and Saturday for my injury reports. If you’d like to flame me, thank me, or just say hello, I’m on Twitter @sbrounder. Have a great week!