Zoneblitz.com’s weekly position-by-position breakdown to help YOU set your fantasy lineup!

 

Quarterbacks

  1. Drew Brees at Tampa Bay
  2. Peyton Manning at NY Giants
  3. Aaron Rodgers vs. Washington
  4. Cam Newton at Buffalo
  5. Matt Ryan vs. St. Louis
  6. Michael Vick vs. San Diego
  7. Andrew Luck vs. Miami
  8. Tony Romo at Kansas City
  9. Carson Palmer vs. Detroit
  10. Jay Cutler vs. Minnesota
  11. Matthew Stafford at Arizona
  12. Andy Dalton vs. Pittsburgh
  13. Eli Manning vs. Denver
  14. Robert Griffin at Green Bay
  15. Colin Kaepernick at Seattle
  16. Russell Wilson vs. San Francisco
  17. Josh Freeman vs New Orleans
  18. Matt Schaub vs. Tennessee
  19. Philip Rivers at Philadelphia
  20. Joe Flacco vs. Cleveland
  21. Alex Smith vs. Dallas
  22. Terrelle Pryor vs. Jacksonville
  23. EJ Manuel vs Carolina
  24. Sam Bradford at Atlanta
  25. Jake Locker at Tennessee

 

Seems weird to put Peyton Manning at No. 2, but Drew Brees threw for 784 yards and eight touchdowns against Tampa Bay last year. Let’s go ahead and just say both are nice plays. Really there are 15 quarterbacks I’m fine with this week, and No. 16 and 17 are interesting considering they are Colin Kaepernick and Russell Wilson. Obviously when you took an NFC West quarterback you knew you were in for a handful of tough matchups. I can buy the argument that you don’t want to bench either of those guys, just know that there’s a higher potential than usual for some ugly numbers.

 

Running Backs

  1. Adrian Peterson at Chicago
  2. LeSean McCoy vs. San Diego
  3. Doug Martin vs. New Orleans
  4. Arian Foster vs. Tennessee
  5. Jamaal Charles vs. Dallas
  6. Steven Jackson vs. St. Louis
  7. Reggie Bush at Arizona
  8. DeMarco Murray at Kansas City
  9. Matt Forte vs. Minnesota
  10. CJ Spiller vs. Carolina
  11. Alfred Morris at Green Bay
  12. Ray Rice vs. Cleveland
  13. Marshawn Lynch vs. San Francisco
  14. DeAngelo Williams at Buffalo
  15. Trent Richardson at Baltimore
  16. Darren Sproles at Tampa Bay
  17. Darren McFadden vs. Jacksonville
  18. Maurice Jones Drew at Oakland
  19. Eddie Lacy vs. Washington
  20. Daryl Richardson at Atlanta
  21. David Wilson vs. Denver
  22. Frank Gore at Seattle
  23. Chris Johnson at Houston
  24. Lamar Miller at Indianapolis
  25. Rashard Mendenhall vs. Detroit
  26. Joique Bell at Arizona
  27. Fred Jackson vs. Carolina
  28. Pierre Thomas at Tampa Bay
  29. BenJarvus Green-Ellis vs. Pittsburgh
  30. Ryan Mathews at Philadelphia
  31. Ahmad Bradshaw vs. Miami
  32. Mark Ingram at Tampa Bay
  33. Ben Tate vs. Tennessee
  34. Giovani Bernard vs. Pittsburgh
  35. Bryce Brown vs. San Diego
  36. Daniel Thomas at Indianapolis
  37. Bernard Pierce vs. Cleveland
  38. Knowshon Moreno at NY Giants
  39. Montee Ball at NY Giants
  40. Donald Brown vs Miami
  41. Mike Tolbert at Buffalo
  42. Isaac Redman at Cincinnati
  43. Jonathan Dwyer at Cincinnati
  44. Ronnie Hillman at NY Giants
  45. Isaiah Pead at Atlanta
  46. Jacquizz Rodgers vs. St. Louis
  47. Danny Woodhead at Philadelphia
  48. Roy Helu at Green Bay
  49. Lance Dunbar at Tennessee
  50. Knile Davis vs. Dallas
  51. Ronnie Brown at Philadelphia
  52. Jackie Battle at Houston
  53. Kendall Hunter at Seattle
  54. Michael Bush vs. Minnesota
  55. Da’Rell Scott vs. Denver
  56. Alphonso Smith vs. Detroit
  57. Robert Turbin vs. San Francisco
  58. Cierre Wood vs. Tennessee
  59. Brandon Jacobs vs. Denver
  60. Felix Jones at Cincinnati

I’d like to punish David Wilson and Lamar Miller for their Week 1 disasters, but unfortunately we’re not left with a lot of good options. Running back is already turning rough, but for those of you who waited in your draft for DeAngelo Williams and Daryl Richardson, I think you’ll be plenty happy this week based on their matchups. I think there will be fantasy value in the Indianapolis, Denver and New Orleans backfields, but until we start playing Team RBs, that’s not a roulette game I want to play if I can avoid it.

Wide Receiver

  1. Calvin Johnson at Arizona
  2. AJ Green vs. Pittsburgh
  3. Brandon Marshall vs. Minnesota
  4. Dez Bryant at Kansas City
  5. Vincent Jackson vs. New Orleans
  6. Larry Fitzgerald vs. Detroit
  7. Demaryius Thomas at NY Giants
  8. Andre Johnson vs. Tennessee
  9. Victor Cruz vs. Denver
  10. Wes Welker at NY Giants
  11. Julio Jones vs. St. Louis
  12. Randall Cobb vs. Washington
  13. Reggie Wayne vs. Miami
  14. Jordy Nelson vs. Washington
  15. Marques Colston vs. Tampa Bay
  16. Anquan Boldin at Seattle
  17. Steve Smith at Buffalo
  18. Pierre Garcon at Green Bay
  19. James Jones vs. Washington
  20. Mike Williams vs. New Orleans
  21. Miles Austin at Kansas City
  22. Dwayne Bowe vs. Dallas
  23. DeSean Jackson vs. San Diego
  24. Hakeem Nicks vs. Denver
  25. Cecil Shorts at Oakland
  26. Eric Decker at NY Giants
  27. Torrey Smith vs. Cleveland
  28. Lance Moore at Tampa Bay
  29. Andre Roberts vs. Detroit
  30. Harry Douglas vs. St. Louis
  31. Michael Floyd vs. Detroit
  32. Mike Wallace at Indianapolis
  33. TY Hilton vs. Miami
  34. Stevie Johnson vs. Carolina
  35. Brian Hartline at Indianapolis
  36. Marlon Brown vs. Cleveland
  37. Denarius Moore vs. Jacksonville
  38. Roddy White vs. St. Louis
  39. Malcom Floyd at Philadelphia
  40. Antonio Brown at Cincinnati
  41. Alshon Jeffery vs. Minnesota
  42. Tavon Austin at Atlanta
  43. Golden Tate vs. San Francisco
  44. Nate Burleson at Arizona
  45. Robert Woods vs. Carolina
  46. Eddie Royal at Philadelphia
  47. Chris Givens at St. Louis
  48. DeAndre Hopkins vs. Tennessee
  49. Sidney Rice vs. San Francisco
  50. Darrius Heyward-Bey vs. Miami
  51. Greg Jennings at Chicago
  52. Vincent Brown at Philadelphia
  53. Emmanuel Sanders at Cincinnati
  54. Kenny Britt at Houston
  55. Kenny Stills at Tampa Bay
  56. Leonard Hankerson at Green Bay
  57. Davone Bess at Baltimore
  58. Reuben Randle vs. Denver
  59. Mohamed Sanu vs. Pittsburgh
  60. Donnie Avery vs. Dallas

 

It’s incredible how much deeper wide receiver is this year than running backs. By the 60th running back on my list I wanted to puke. When I got to 60 at receiver I wanted to keep going. Not that there are a ton of great starts out there, but I feel like Jerome Simpson and Brandon Gibson should at least get an honorable mention or something.

 

Tight Ends

  1. Jimmy Graham at Tampa Bay
  2. Jermichael Finley vs. Washington
  3. Tony Gonzalez vs. St. Louis
  4. Jason Witten at Kansas City
  5. Jared Cook at Atlanta
  6. Martellus Bennett vs. Minnesota
  7. Vernon Davis at Seattle
  8. Owen Daniels vs. Tennessee
  9. Julius Thomas at NY Giants
  10. Jordan Cameron at Baltimore
  11. Greg Olsen at Buffalo
  12. Brandon Myers vs. Denver
  13. Antonio Gates at Philadelphia
  14. Kyle Rudolph at Chicago
  15. Dallas Clark vs. Cleveland
  16. Scott Chandler vs. Carolina
  17. Coby Fleener vs. Miami
  18. Zach Miller vs. San Francisco
  19. Brent Celek vs. San Diego
  20. Tyler Eifert vs. Pittsburgh
  21. Fred Davis at Green Bay
  22. Jermaine Gresham vs. Pittsburgh
  23. Brandon Pettigrew at Arizona
  24. Delanie Walker at Houston
  25. Anthony Fasano vs. Dallas

 

Jermichael Finley at No. 2 may seem aggressive, but the Redskins allowed the most fantasy points to tight ends last year and had a touchdown scored on them already this season. I’d rank Dallas Clark higher, but then Ed Dickson would catch 10 passes after I gambled on him over Clark last week and lost. I’m interested to see what Jared Cook and Martellus Bennett do in Week 2 after their respective coming out parties with their new teams.

 

Kicker

  1. Matt Bryant vs. St. Louis
  2. Randy Bullock vs. Tennessee
  3. Dan Bailey at Kansas City
  4. Sebastian Janikowski vs. Jacksonville
  5. Matt Prater at NY Giants
  6. Mike Nugent vs. Pittsburgh
  7. Phil Dawson at Seattle
  8. Dan Carpenter vs. Carolina
  9. David Akers at Arizona
  10. Josh Brown vs. Denver
  11. Blair Walsh at Chicago
  12. Mason Crosby vs. Washington
  13. Greg Zuerlein at Atlanta
  14. Justin Tucker vs. Cleveland
  15. Adam Vinatieri vs. Miami
  16. Garrett Hartley at Tampa Bay
  17. Billy Cundiff at Baltimore
  18. Robbie Gould vs. Minnesota
  19. Josh Scobee at Oakland
  20. Rob Bironas at Houston
  21. Rian Lindell vs. New Orleans
  22. Ryan Succop vs. Dallas
  23. Jay Feely vs. Detroit
  24. Caleb Sturgis at Indianapolis
  25. Nick Novak at Philadelphia

 

Not gonna lie—I’m pretty happy to put Caleb Sturgis in my rankings this week. I might be a little high on Randy Bullock and low on Robbie Gould, but since I’m facing Bullock in one league and am a Bears fan, perhaps I’m subconsciously working on a couple of reverse jinxes.

 

Defense

  1. Bengals vs. Pittsburgh
  2. Texans vs. Tennessee
  3. Bears vs. Minnesota
  4. Ravens vs. Cleveland
  5. Panthers at Buffalo
  6. Broncos at NY Giants
  7. Seahawks vs. San Francisco
  8. 49ers at Seattle
  9. Eagles vs. San Diego
  10. Cowboys at Kansas City
  11. Titans at Houston
  12. Browns at Baltimore
  13. Falcons vs. St. Louis
  14. Bills vs. Carolina
  15. Dolphins at Indianapolis
  16. Steelers vs. Tennessee
  17. Jaguars at Oakland
  18. Vikings at Chicago
  19. Cardinals vs. Detroit
  20. Lions at Arizona
  21. Colts vs. Miami
  22. Saints at Tampa Bay
  23. Chiefs vs. Dallas
  24. Packers vs. Washington
  25. Giants vs. Denver

 

Not a ton of matchups I like from a defensive standpoint. Your best plug-n-play of the week is probably the Eagles, who gave up some points to the Redskins but were aggressive to the football in the opener at Washington. The Bengals defense should be fun to watch, assuming you’re not a Steelers fan. I legitimately feel sorry for Pittsburgh, and I only know one person who lives there and I don’t think she watches football.