1. St. Louis Rams (-3) vs. Was – The Rams likely need to score 13 points to cover this point spread. It’s not likely the Skins will be able to muster much of anything vs. Gregg Williams‘ aggressive D. St. Louis destroyed Washington in their home park a year ago and there is a good chance we’ll see another dominating effort here.

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2. New Orleans Saints (-10) vs. TB – It can be nerve wracking to give up 10 points in any game, but this is a pretty safe bet. The Saints have their problems on both sides of the ball but will continue to improve offensively as they figure out an identity. The Bucs have a LONG way to go and their defensive issues are most concerning. Expect a win in the ballpark of 31-10.

3. New York Jets (+7) vs. Ind – The Colts should win but will find the going tough. The Jets are tough along the lines and their D is much better than a year ago. The Colts have an all-world QB with solid skill players, but lack toughness in the trenches.

4. Cincinnati Bengals (-3) vs. SD – Cincinnati is looking like a complete team this year and a threat to win their 1st playoff game with Andy Dalton under center. There’s a long way to go before that but they’ll move to 2-0 on Sunday. Look for a close game which the Bengals pull out by a TD to cover the point spread.

Rounding Things Out

Buffalo Bills (EVEN) vs. NE – Defense, defense, defense. Expect a low scoring game which moves the Bills to 2-0.

Minnesota Vikings (-2.5) vs. Det – Not sure what Monday Night was but expect the Vikings to bounce back in their home opener. They ALWAYS give Matt Stafford issues.

Arizona Cardinals (-2) vs. Chi – The Bears are still figuring things out under new HC John Fox. Go with Bruce Arians squad here.

Our top three picks this week are:

1. New Orleans vs. TB – We all knew QB Jameis Winston would start slow but none of us thought the defense would be so bad. The Bucs are a bad football team right now. This is a great week to use the Saints (who are a so-so team themselves) to advance to Week 3 of your suicide pool. New Orleans will roll Tampa at home.

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2. Pittsburgh Steelers vs. SF – Both teams will be 1-1 after Sunday. The Steelers have issues on defense but are significantly better at home, especially QB Ben Roethlisberger. We’re banking on the 49ers not looking nearly as good as they did in their Monday Night opener.

3. St. Louis Rams vs. Was – The Rams D will smother Kirk Cousins and Co. just like a year ago. If Washington puts up 10 points offensively that will be an accomplishment.

D/ST units who will outperform their top 10 ESPN Fantasy Ranking in Week 2

Indianapolis Colts (ranked 18) vs NYJ – The Colts aggressive style will still bear fruit against a Ryan Fitzpatrick led team. Fitzpatrick is a turnover machine when pressured, so look for Indianapolis to bring the pressure.

New Orleans Saints (ranked 14) vs. TB – The Saints D isn’t particularly good but in a week to week scenario this is a good week to start them. QB Winston has a long way to go and Rob Ryan’s boys will be all over him.

Kansas City Chiefs (ranked 17) vs. Den – The Broncos high scoring offense is not what it was the first 10 games of the 2014 season and previously. There are issues on the OL, at the #3 WR and TE, and Manning looks less certain. Expect the Chiefs to put up a big effort on Thursday Night.

New York Giants (ranked 28) vs. Atl – The Giants look to be opportunistic this year on D. They’re not a starter at this time but could produce double digit FFL points in Week 2.

Cincinnati Bengals (ranked 12) vs. SD – The Bengals D for the 1st three quarters against Oakland looked like the old one we were used to. They’ll put forth a solid effort once again.

D/ST ranked in the top 10 who will underperform

Seattle Seahawks (ranked 8th) vs. GB – In Green Bay, and facing a team that will be ready to roll. Expect an effort that leaves them outside of the top 10.

Carolina Panthers (ranked 6) vs. Hou – The Panthers will be without their best player (LB Kuechly) and find that the Texans are not nearly as anemic as the Jags.

Richard Rodgers (ranked 23) vs. Sea – The Seahawks were torched down the middle of their D with S Kam Chancellor still holding out. Rodgers is a solid fantasy sleeper this week and will eclipse his low ranking.

Charles Clay (ranked 22) vs. NE – The Pats secondary is a mess. Heath Miller had a big week 1 against them and Clay will as well.

Vernon Davis (ranked 19) vs. Pit – Davis could be a low end starting TE this week. Pittsburgh is installing a new defense and their DBs looked all out of sorts covering Gronk a week ago. Davis is nowhere near Gronk but should thrive Sunday.

Crockett Gillmore (ranked 25) vs. Oak – Someone will need to catch the ball in Baltimore’s offense. Gillmore is a solid sleeper against a D that was torched by Tyler Eifert in Week 1.

Dwayne Allen (ranked 16) vs. NYJ – Allen will become more important to the Colts O with Hilton on the sidelines.

TEs who will underperform their top 10 fantasy ranking:

Travis Kelce (ranked 3) vs. Den – The Broncos defense is quick and their secondary is stacked once again. Look for Denver to limit Kelce’s effectiveness this week.

Jason Witten (ranked 6) vs. Phi – Witten’s importance should increase with Bryant sidelined but the Eagles have athletic guys at Safety and LBer who can cover Witten closely.

WRs who will outperform their mid-tier ESPN fantasy ranking in Week 2:

Donte Moncrief (ranked 32) vs. NYJ – You have to figure Revis will lock down Andre Johnson. Moncrief is a talented 2nd year player and makes a solid flex start this week. Luck trusts him.

Cole Beasley (ranked 44) vs. Phi – The loss of WR Dez Bryant opens up things for everyone else. Beasley becomes a solid #3/flex start in PPR leagues and his sneaky quickness could create issues for the Eagles Sunday.

Sammy Watkins (ranked 25) vs. NE – I don’t like Tyrod Taylor throwing to any of my fantasy receivers but the Patriots pass D is poor. Watkins speed will find him in the end zone in Week 2.

Jordan Matthews (ranked 15) vs. Dal – Matthews could reach top 10 status this week. He’s the only known reliable receiver in this offense and Bradford looks his way almost exclusively on short to intermediate routes.

Steve Smith Sr. (ranked 26) vs. The Raiders lost their starting Safety Allen for the year and DB Charles Woodson’s shoulder is banged up. Even if he plays the Raiders are hurting in the secondary. They also don’t have the upfront rush of Denver to consistently put Flacco on his back. Look for the seasoned vet to bust out Sunday.

WRs who will underperform their top 10 ranking in Week 2:

Julio Jones (ranked 2) vs. NYG – Julio is a beast but the core strength of this Giants team is its CBs. Look for them to keep Julio from busting out Sunday like he did on Monday.

Alshon Jeffery (ranked 8th) vs. Arz – If Patrick Peterson sticks with Jeffery on Sunday it minimizes his chances of a big game.

Ameer Abdullah (ranked 19) vs. Min – Unless it was an aberration the Vikings run defense did not look good on Monday Night. Carlos Hyde ran all over them. The flashy rookie will build off of his first strong effort and give the Vikings run D fits.

Alfred Blue (ranked 36) vs. Car- Star LB Luke Keuchly is unlikely to play due to a concussion. Roll with Blue who will fare much better when his team is not down multiple scores.

Darren Sproles (ranked 39) vs. Dal – This is a very low ranking for Sproles, especially in PPR leagues. The Cowboys are vulnerable to pass catchers out of the backfield and thus far Sproles looks to be an important piece of the offense once again.

Rashad Jennings (ranked 22) vs. Atl – Only Eli Manning’s mismanagement of the clock kept Jennings out of the end zone for a 2nd TD. The Falcons have a better scheme defensively, but still lack piece. Expect Jennings to bust out in a big way at home in Week 2.

Chris Ivory (ranked 14) vs. Ind – The Colts D is soft. Ivory is a hard runner and will find holes in this defense to exploit. Expect a top 10 effort out of Ivory this week.

RBs who will underperform their top 10 ranking on ESPN’s list:

DeMarco Murray (ranked 7) vs. Dal – He will have all of the emotion in the world to pour it on to his former team. But he only got 9 yards rushing on Monday Night (TDs aside). Dal D will be just as fired up for their former running back and look for Murray to end up out of the top 10 for the week.

Matt Forte (ranked 4) vs. Arz – The Cardinals D is geared up to stop the run. That will be their primary focus as they leave start DB Patrick Peterson outside on WR Alshon Jeffery. Forte will have success, but not reach his lofty #4 ranking.

Joe Flacco (ranked 19) vs. Oak – The Broncos destroyed the Ravens OL leaving Flacco with no time to pass. Oak is not Denver. Flacco will find more of a rhythm and finish a top 15 FFL QB this week.

Sam Bradford (ranked 12) vs. Dal – Chip will want to mix it up a little better in the pass / run game. Running the ball will open things up for Bradford who will finish with 25 points.

Eli Manning (ranked 11) vs. Atl – The mistake is behind him. So is the throw everything underneath plan. You can bet NY will take some shots deep and Eli will have a top 10 FFL day.

Teddy Bridgewater (ranked 18) vs Det – Not really sure what happened with Bridgewater in Week 1 but he’ll rebound here. The Lions D looked anything but stingy in Week 1 and it’s at home.

Andy Dalton (ranked 27) vs. SD – TE Tyler Eifert gives Dalton a safety blanket and opens up things for everyone else, namely, AJ Green. Dalton will top 275 yards with 2 scores.

Players who will underperform their top 10 ranking in Week 2:

Andrew Luck (ranked 2) vs. NYJ – The loss of TY Hilton hurts. Revis will lock down Andre Johnson and that leaves a few TEs and some unproven receivers as Luck’s main threat. He’ll get his points but won’t finish a top 5 fantasy scorer in Week 2.

Tom Brady (ranked vs. NE – The Patriots offense is excellent. But so is the Bills D. Emotion is high but look for a subpar effort out of Brady this week.

Miami Dolphins (-3.5) vs. Was – The RGIII fiasco seems to have settled slightly for the time being. The Dolphins are a much better football team than the Skins and look for Tannehill and Co. to come out of the gates fast this year. They’ll win by a TD and cover the point spread.

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Arizona Cardinals (-2) vs. NO – A lot of question marks surround this Saints team. They’re running a new offense and have some key defensive players out right now. Arizona is a tough place to play and we expect the Cardinals to pull out the W.

NY Giants (+6) vs. Dal – The home team is likely to win but these games are always high scoring and close.

Jacksonville (+3) vs. Car – Gut says go with Carolina who is the better team. But a lot of question marks surround this offense once again (loss of stud WR Benjamin) and Jacksonville has young playmakers and a defense better than most realize. They’re a good money line bet too (+145)

Rounding Things Out

Green Bay Packers (-6) vs. Chi – John Fox will do a lot of good in Chicago. It just won’t happen right away. The Bears offense is ailing and its D has uncertainty all over. Green Bay will win going away.

Kansas City Chiefs (+1) vs. Hou – This is really a toss up, but we’ll go with the better all around team. Houston is breaking in a new QB, Arian Foster is sidelined and WR Andre Johnson is no longer there.

Buffalo Bills (+2.5) vs. Ind – They’re going to be fired up for Rex Ryan’s first game. The Bills D is stout and on offense the only question mark is a QB. Sure, that’s a big question mark, but the Bills might just out muscle Indy in its own park on Sunday.

Our top three NFL suicide pool picks for Week 1 are:

1. NY Jets vs. Cle - They’re only three-point favorites at the sportsbook but enter this contest in better shape than the Browns. Cleveland has undergone a tumultuous offseason and experienced high turnover. Look for Todd Bowles to win in his first game and for you to steal week 1 without using a top tier team. (Jets are a suicide sleeper pick this week)

2. Dallas Cowboys vs. NYG – The Giants enter the game without their starting LT, slot receiver (Victor Cruz), best defensive player (JPP) and suffered a spate of injuries in pre-season. They’re also learning a new defensive system under Steve Spagnuolo. That is a lot to ask playing the defending NFC East champs in their home.

3. Miami Dolphins vs. Was – The Dolphins loaded up in the off season and enter this year with strong hopes for the playoffs. They’re better than Washington across the board and will pull out a win by at least a TD in Week 1.

D/ST units that will outperform their ESPN Fantasy rankings in Week 1

Minnesota Vikings vs. SF (ranked 13): There are a bunch of new pieces to the 49ers offense yet Colin Kaepernick remains. That’s a welcome sight for Mike Zimmer’s aggressive squad. They are a nice sleeper in Week 1.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Ten (ranked 13): Marcus Mariota makes his debut without much help from the skill position. The Bucs D is quick and good enough to post a solid fantasy stat line in Week 1.

Kansas City Chiefs vs. Hou (ranked 11): Look for the Chiefs to put up a solid fantasy showing opening day. Houston is without its top back and is starting a new QB.

Cleveland Browns vs. NYJ (ranked 18): Ryan Fitzpatrick is always good for a few turnovers. The Jets will be better than most people think but Cleveland has some playmakers on this side of the ball and could surprise.

Philadelphia Eagles vs. Atl (ranked 21): The Falcons feature extensive firepower at the skill position but are breaking in a new RB and still have a shaky defense. The Eagles are an aggressive unit that will force a few turnovers and top double digit on the fantasy tote board.

Top 10 D/ST units that will underperform

Buffalo Bills vs. Ind (ranked 6): Facing Andrew Luck is always scary. Now he comes in equipped with better weapons than ever before. The Bills D will be stout, but Week 1 is a tough fantasy matchup.

St. Louis Rams vs. Sea (ranked 9): The Seahawks could be a dangerous offensive unit this year with the addition of TE Jimmy Graham. Regardless, Wilson’s scrambling ability and throws on the run should scare any owner of the Rams D to start off the season.