Every Saturday morning, I'll take a quick look at all the week's games, offering my own brief take on what I think will happen, as well as touching on significant injury news since our Weekly came out. I'll check in every so often over the course of the day to answer questions, too.
What follows is a brief look at all the games with how I'd react in my own lineups to injury developments or other news. The official rankings are the ones in the Weekly. Those are the ones that subscribers are paying for. Sometimes players are very close in the rankings, and if I get questions like that, I'll offer opinions. Sometimes I like certain players more or less than Ian, and sometimes I have different risk tolerance with injuries/weather issues, etc.
The idea is to talk through debates you might have over players that are close in the rankings, or ones where are there are injury or other workload concerns. If a guy is ranked 20 spots higher and you ask me who to start, you should really just use the rankings; that's what you're paying for. OK, on to the games!
UPDATE: Josh Gordon practiced fully all week and wasn't on the injury report, but he's been ruled out with a hamstring injury. Get Gordon out of lineups in a tasty matchup with the Saints. Browns should use lots of Jarvis Landry, Antonio Callaway and Rashard Higgins.
Panthers at Falcons: No Greg Olsen, but the Panthers could use multiple players so hold off on Ian Thomas. The line is a wreck. No Devonta Freeman, so those who have Tevin Coleman can use him as a full-time back (I am). We're thinking a lower-scoring type of affair here, although Atlanta has suffered a couple of major defensive losses, helping the Panthers cause.
Colts at Washington: Crank up Adrian Peterson, and I think Alex Smith, Chris Thompson, Jordan Reed and maybe Jamison Crowder are also viable. Wouldn't touch any of the Colts running backs, including Marlon Mack if he happens to be active. But Andrew Luck has some pass-run potential as a one-man show, his main receivers too. Washington would be a sneaky survivor pool pick, but I do think Luck might be to able to make a game of it.
Texans at Titans: I'm assuming Will Fuller is going to play, but hard to be certain. Something we're kind of going to have to wait to see if he's active Sunday morning. (And I think there was a game last year he was active but didn't get on the field. So don't start him over comparable options if you have one.) Titans should have Marcus Mariota, not that it matters much. Dion Lewis and Corey Davis seems like the best options for Tennessee. Meaningful battle to be the 2nd-best team in the AFC South.
Eagles at Bucs: It's been pointed out to me that the Eagles defense isn't quite as tough away from home. I looked at last year and it's true, although they played some very good offenses in most of those away games. In any case, Mike Evans is locked into lineups anyway, with the other receiver spots pending DeSean Jackson's availability (practiced fully on Friday, sounds like he's fine). Peyton Barber should do most of the work at running back, though Eagles tough in that regard. Good matchup for the Philly offense, though I'm still not sold on Jay Ajayi as a featured guy. But Darren Sproles is out (already!), so it should be mostly Ajayi and Clement.
Kansas City at Steelers: This game has high-scoring shootout all over it and I've got maybe a few too many players from it in a couple of Daily lineups. I'll think about cycling off some of them. Ben Roethlisberger (elbow) practiced fully on Friday, so he's playing. Plenty of offensive star power here, and I'm find using James Conner as LeVeon Bell continues to throw away money. Yes, sure, he's protecting his health for the long-term big-money deal he'll sign next March. Sign the tender, get the $14 million guaranteed. But I'm sure his agent knows what he's doing. Vance McDonald will probably return, making Jesse James less interesting.
Dolphins at Jets: No one was more surprised than me about what the Jets did last week at Detroit. I actually picked up their defense in a league this week. They won't get as many gifts as Matthew Stafford game them, but there's some potential there, and the schedule for the next six weeks is comically favorable. Seriously, we could be looking at a 5-2 Jets team or something. As for this game, I'm comfortable using Kenyan Drake for his multi-purpose skills, the Dolphins wideouts I'm less sure about. Quincy Enunwa and Robby Anderson (for the big-play potential) are the wideouts to use; Enunwa safer. Wary of the running back tandem.
Chargers at Bills: Chargers disappointed everyone (on defense, anyway) last week, but this offense should be a tasty matchup. I want no part of anything connected with Buffalo's starters. For the Chargers, Rivers and Allen and Gordon and Ekeler (in deeper, PPR leagues) are all fine, everyone else more of a roll of the dice. Although watching the Week 1 game, Mike Williams looked like the best No. 2, and I'm thinking he has to start playing a little more.
Vikings at Packers: I'm sitting Aaron Rodgers. I don't really have any idea if he's playing, any more than anyone else outside of the Packers, but if he does he'll be compromised by the knee injury against a really tough defense. Davante Adams should play but he gets a tough matchup and no Rodgers, so downgrade him some too. I like the Vikings to get the win here, and think Dalvin Cook and their two receivers will be very good.
Browns at Saints: Both offenses look like they should be productive. Talented players on both sides, no weather in a dome, some defensive concerns. Saints did a nice job on the ground game last week, but that's it. Quarterbacks and main wideouts for both teams, and yeah that Alvin Kamara guy. I don't even recall if I picked the Saints in my Survivor pool (can't see them losing two straight at home); it was either them or the Chargers. Although the Rams are the week's best choice, I let a family member take them (we always pick different games). LATE NEWS: Josh Gordon is OUT.
Lions at 49ers: This game opened with the 49ers favored by 3 points, and jumped to 6. Shocking -- the 49ers are a 6-point favorite? I know the Lions looked godawful on Monday night, but c'mon. I think Detroit bounces back and am fine using their passing game. But I do think their defense is bad, so thumbs up on key San Fran offensive starters. Only, Marquise Goodwin is out and it's a committee at running back. Tricky. Anyway, I think it might be a higher-scoring (and close) game. I considered Alfred Morris but switched to Tevin Coleman when the Freeman news came through, whew. Dante Pettis your flier as a Goodwin replacement.
Cardinals at Rams: We knew Arizona's offense was going to have problems with that offensive line and Bruce Arians gone. One week in, though, and I'm wondering if we were down on them enough. David Johnson and Larry Fitzgerald look like the only usable players, although (considering Jared Cook last week) I'm considering Ricky Seals-Jones in a salary cap competition. Thumbs up on all key Rams, though invariably someone will probably be left out.
Patriots at Jaguars: Couple of banged-up running backs. Leonard Fournette didn't practice all week and I wouldn't use him; would use T.J. Yeldon. Rex Burkhead will probably play, but I'd rather use James White, who's fully healthy and should catch a bunch of passes. Would not try Sony Michel, personally.
Raiders at Broncos: Those of us burned by Amari Cooper in Week 1 don't have a much better matchup in Week 2, unfortunately. I like the Broncos offense, although the running back committee looms (truly remarkable the kind of money people spent adding Phillip Lindsay in my leagues, comparable to the draft capital they spent to acquire Royce Freeman a week earlier).
Giants at Cowboys: The Sunday night game. I've gotten reeled into this daily competition where you pick five players from one game in a salary cap contest. Tough to have two huge stars unless you also stick in a backup running back or Cowboy tight end. Anyhoo, I like both running backs, the Giants passing offense, and Cole Beasley. Sort of think the Giants win this one, as Dallas has problems (which were kind of apparent for a while).
Seahawks at Bears: No Doug Baldwin, so I'm really not feeling good about Russell Wilson and the Seahawks offense. Hoping the Bears are able to get Trey Burton on track, because I've got him everywhere and he's going to kill me if he has a few more games like Week 1. Bears Defense should have a nice game and I'd use Jordan Howard, too.
Enjoy the games.