Matchups to target for Week 2 in fantasy football

It is never too early to start looking at the week ahead for fantasy football. Yes, I understand we have one more game before Week 1 wraps up, but we have a ton of statistics and information to help us get an early start on Week 2. 

Here is a look at some of the key matchups for the week ahead.

Los Angeles Chargers pass-catchers vs. Dallas Cowboys

Dallas last played Thursday, and while they addressed the defensive side of the ball during the offseason, this is still going to be a bottom-10 (at best) unit in the league. I get it, they played Tom Brady and the Buccaneers offense in their first game, but outside of some rather fluky turnovers, they had no answer and often looked lost in coverage. We just watched Keenan Allen and Mike Williams combine for 54% of the Chargers’ targets in Week 1, with each receiver eclipsing double-digit targets. Trevon Diggs shadowed Mike Evans on nearly 80% of his routes in Week 1, limiting him to 24 yards on three receptions, and it is very likely he covers Williams for much of this game. But in this Los Angeles offense, I think Williams will see more consistent targets than Evans in Tampa, especially after offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi talked him up all offseason, then immediately designed plays for him in Week 1. You are obviously starting Allen every week, but Williams should be viewed as a low-end WR2 this weekend.

Jacksonville Jaguars pass defense vs. Denver Broncos

The Jaguars made some improvement to their defense, but you couldn’t tell after watching them give up 37 points to the Texans offense Sunday. Yikes. Now the Denver Broncos come to town, and with Jerry Jeudy dealing with a high-ankle sprain, there will be plenty of opportunities for the other pass-catchers. Courtland Sutton was active Sunday but caught just one of his three targets for 14 yards. It was a difficult matchup against James Bradberry and the Giants, but this is obviously a much better one. After allowing a league-high 10 receivers to reach 100 yards against them last year, Jacksonville surrendered 132 yards to Brandin Cooks in Week 1. The target projection should be higher with Jeudy likely out of the lineup, making Sutton a high-upside WR3 in this matchup. Meanwhile, Tim Patrick is absolutely worth a look as a value play in DFS lineups and a WR3 in deeper leagues. He’s been very productive whenever he’s been on the field over the course of his career.

Seattle Seahawks offense vs. the Tennessee Titans

We expected the Titans to have an underwhelming defense this season, but they were possibly even worse than I imagined in Week 1. Kyler Murray and the Cardinals offense threw the ball all over the yard against them and dominated, recording five red-zone trips and scoring touchdowns on every single one. They also allowed a healthy 6.2 yards per play and nearly nine yards per pass attempt. Now they have to face Russell Wilson and the Seahawks offense that just put together an incredibly efficient performance in Week 1 under new offensive coordinator Shane Waldron. You are obviously starting Wilson, Chris Carson, DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett in seasonal leagues, but consider them building blocks for the Week 2 DFS slate.