Winners Club: Everything You Need to Get Ready for Week 2 in the NFL
There was no shortage of points on Thursday Night Football. The over of 49.5 cashed comfortably in the Eagles’ 34-28 triumph over the visiting Vikings. And how about all those fantasy points?
Three players on each team surpassed 20 PPR points. Kirk Cousins, Jalen Hurts, Justin Jefferson, DeVonta Smith, T.J. Hockenson and D’Andre Swift all had great starts to the second week of the season as Minnesota and Philadelphia combined for over 800 yards of offense.
Here’s hoping for more games like that this weekend. Though given how low some of Sunday’s over/unders are set, I wouldn’t count on it.
In today’s Winners Club you’ll find:
Fantasy Football Lineup Decisions
Unfortunately, Week 1 did not go by without major injuries. As you’ve already heard, Aaron Rodgers’s season is over. Diontae Johnson (hamstring) could miss a few weeks, Aaron Jones (hamstring) might be out for Week 2 and Austin Ekeler (ankle) managers are holding their breath.
Travis Kelce (knee) could potentially be back Sunday for a playoff rematch against the Jaguars. He practiced in a limited capacity Thursday. Stay up to date on the latest injury news here.
Unsurprisingly, the Chiefs star is Michael Fabiano’s top tight end this week. Consult his player rankings and Start ’Em, Sit ’Em advice before lineups lock on Sunday.
Start ’Em, Sit ’Em: QB | RB | WR | TE | K & D/ST
Player Rankings: QB | RB | WR | TE | FLEX | D&ST | K
Jen Piacenti has DFS picks for Sunday’s slate, starting with a QB-WR stack that could pay dividends. See which players she recommends you plug into your lineup this week.
NFL Week 2 Picks and Lines
This week’s totals tell us there will be a handful of shootouts (I’m looking at you, Seahawks-Lions!) and a whole lot of low-scoring affairs. Six games have over/unders south of 40 points. Woof.
Gilberto Manzano has five over/under bets for Week 2 to tail. There’s been no shortage of fireworks when Seattle and Detroit have met the last two seasons and he’s looking for that trend to continue.
Manzano, Matt Verderame and I also ranked the five best games to bet this week and made score predictions, against the spread and over/under picks for each. No surprise: Kansas City vs. Jacksonville tops the list and we’re all in on the over.
Piacenti also picked five prop bets she likes this week. She’s in on a handful of overs, including two quarterback rushing props.
If you’re looking for moneyline picks, the MMQB team picked every NFL game straight up. The most popular upset pick? The Ravens on the road in Cincinnati.
Mitch Stringer/USA TODAY Sports (Jackson); Sam Greene/The Enquirer/USA TODAY Network (Burrow)
1p.m. ET (FOX): Packers vs. Falcons (-1.5) | Total: 40.5
1 p.m. ET (CBS): Raiders vs. Bills (-8.5) | Total: 46.5
1 p.m. ET (CBS) Chiefs (-3.5) vs. Jaguars | Total: 51.5
1 p.m. ET (CBS) Ravens vs. Bengals (-3.5) | Total: 46.5
1 p.m. ET (FOX): Seahawks vs. Lions (-4.5) | Total: 47.5
1 p.m. ET (CBS): Chargers (-2.5) vs. Titans | Total: 45.5
1 p.m. ET (FOX): Bears vs. Buccaneers (-2.5) | Total: 40.5
1 p.m. ET (FOX): Colts vs. Texans (-1.5) | Total: 39.5
4:05 p.m. ET (FOX): 49ers (-7.5) vs. Rams | Total: 44.5
4:05 p.m. ET (FOX): Giants (-4.5) vs. Cardinals | Total: 39.5
4:25 p.m. ET (CBS): Jets vs. Cowboys (-9.5) | Total: 38.5
4:25 p.m. ET (CBS): Commanders vs. Broncos (-3.5) | Total: 38.5
8:20 p.m. ET (NBC): Dolphins (-2.5) vs. Patriots | Total: 46.5
7:15 p.m. ET (ESPN, ESPN2): Saints (-3.5) vs. Panthers | Total: 39.5*
8:15 p.m. ET (ABC, ESPN+): Browns (-2.5) vs. Steelers | Total: 38.5*
*Monday Night Football doubleheader
Penn State a Heavy Favorite in Big Ten Opener
One of the nation’s highest-scoring offenses in 2023 will take on the team with the best defense from 2022 on Saturday. No. 7 Penn State is a 14.5-point road favorite over Illinois. The Drew Allar-led Nittany Lions' offense is fresh off a 63-point performance and will face its toughest test of the young season against the Illini.
See which wager you should place before Penn State and Illinois kick off from Memorial Stadium.
No. 20 North Carolina narrowly survived Appalachian State’s upset bid a week ago. Now, the Tar Heels are set to host Minnesota, a fringe top-25 team with a stout defense that will be keyed in on Drake Maye. UNC is a 7.5-point home favorite against the Golden Gophers.
Find out what the best play is for Saturday’s bout between North Carolina and Minnesota.
For more college football picks, consult Pat Forde and Richard Johnson’s predictions. They’re split on a handful of matchups, including top-ranked Georgia, which is a heavy favorite against South Carolina.
Other Games for Your Consideration
12 p.m. ET (ESPN): No. 14 LSU (-9.5) vs. Mississippi State | Total: 54.5
7 p.m. ET (ESPN): No. 11 Tennessee (-6.5) vs. Florida | Total: 58.5
10 p.m. ET (ESPN): Colorado State vs. No. 18 Colorado (-23.5) | Total: 60.5
In Other News
Josh Allen Takes a Hit in Latest QB Rankings: The Bills’ signal-caller fell a few spots after his three-interception performance on Monday Night Football and Trevor Lawrence took his place in the top five. See how the rest of the league’s quarterbacks stack up.
Justin Jefferson Hits 5,000 Yards in 52 Games: The Vikings’ star receiver matched the NFL record for the fewest games to hit this career milestone in Thursday night’s loss to the Eagles. Jefferson finished with 159 receiving yards and is already over 300 for the season.
NFL Intends to Crack Down on Tackle Alignment: After Jawaan Taylor’s pre-snap position drew attention in the Lions-Chiefs season opener, the league plans to address the issue with warnings and then flags for tackles who line up illegally.
That’s all we’ve got. Remember to follow us @SI_Betting and @SI_Fantasy and enjoy your weekend!
