Must Start

Seattle, New England, Detroit, and Buffalo

Tier 1

Baltimore Ravens vs. Hou – Houston is down to its 3rd QB.

Arizona Cardinals vs. Sea – This will be a low scoring game.

Philadelphia Eagles vs. Was – It’s RGIII they are facing.

Green Bay Packers vs. TB – Look for a bounce back against the lowly Bucs.

Tier 2

Denver Broncos vs. Cin – The Bengals have been abysmal in Primetime.

San Francisco 49ers vs. SD – There is little to play for but expect the 49ers players to put up 8-11 points.

Bust

Miami Dolphins vs. Min – Teddy Bridgewater is improving and the Dolphins are struggling.

Fantasy Sleeper

Carolina Panthers vs. Cle – Manziel will have plenty of bumps in the road early on.

Top Pick

1. San Francisco 49ers (-4) vs. Dal – The 49ers are down a few All Pros on defense. That won’t matter in the end though. Offensively, they have a decide advantage over a Cowboys defense that is devoid of talent in the front 7.

MLB Sean Lee is out for the year and DE DeMarcus Ware is in Denver. Look for SF to win a high scoring affair by at least a TD.

Next

2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-2) vs. Car – Lovie Smith will be a winner in his first game. The Panthers are incorporating a completely new receiving corps and that doesn’t happen easily come regular season. The Bucs will be better than people think.

3. Tennessee Titans (+3) vs. KC – See money line bet.

4. New Orleans Saints (-3) vs. Atl – The Falcons will keep pace for a while but the Saints will prove too much. Brees will have a field day with this D.

Rounding things out

Houston Texans (-3) vs. Was – This isn’t Ryan Fitzpatrick’s first rodeo and the Skins had a horrible pass D a year ago. Not much has improved since then.

San Diego Chargers (+3) vs. Arz – San Diego is better than people realize and the Cardinals have lost two key defenders from last year’s top 10 D.

Denver Broncos (-7.5) vs. Ind – Sunday Night will be a shootout but the Broncos will prove too much in the 4th quarter.

Money Line Bet

Tennessee Titans (+140) vs. KC – The Chiefs are down WR Dwayne Bowe this week and have a few new faces on the OL. They’re also without CB Brandon Flowers who is now in San Diego. Expect the Titans, who are now coached by Ken Whisenhunt, to make him a winner in his first game. The Chiefs do not have game film on how he’ll use the Titans which gives Tennessee an advantage.

Top Pick

1. New Orleans Saints vs. Dal – The Saints are a much different team at home than on the road. While the Cowboys are likely to get DE / LB DeMarcus Ware back, they’re still banged up defensively and that will be their undoing on Sunday Night. Look for the Saints to win by a TD.

Next

2. Arizona Cardinals vs. Hou – The Cardinals are well-rested coming off the bye and get the Texans after a crushing loss to the Colts. Look for a close game, but one that the Cardinals will win thanks to its aggressive defense.

3. Tennessee Titans vs. Jax – The Jags very likely will not win a game in 2013. And they’ll get crushed by the Titans this week.

1. Houston Texans vs. Ten – JJ Watt and Co. top the D/ST fantasy charts in Week 2.

2. Cincinnati Bengals vs. Pit – The Steelers lost C Pouncey and looked horrible overall in Week 1.

3. New England Patriots vs. NYJ – The Pats D has to be better than they looked in Week 1. Look for NE to make Geno’s night a long one.

4. Baltimore Ravens vs. Cle – This unit will bounce back in a big way this week.

Not too far behind

Chicago Bears vs. Min – QB Christian Ponder just doesn’t inspire much confidence.

Dallas Cowboys vs. KC – DeMarcus Ware and Co. will force Smith into mistakes.

Seattle Seahawks vs. SF – Seattle’s a different team at home.

Rounding things out

San Francisco 49ers vs. Sea – The Seahawks are banged up offensively.

Carolina Panthers vs. Buf – This unit is improved thanks to MLB Luke Kuechly.

Miami Dolphins vs. Ind – This is a tough match-up but the Dolphins D looks to be much improved. Low No. 1 fantasy D/ST.

Cleveland Browns vs. Bal – The Ravens offense is beat up, making them a low No. 1.

St Louis Rams vs. Atl – You never want to start a defense vs. the Falcons, but the Rams can force turnovers and Atlanta’s offense looked shaky in week 1.

Arizona Cardinals vs. Det – While Detroit may score 20+ points, look for this aggressive Cards D to force multiple turnovers against Stafford.

Green Bay Packers vs. Was – The Packers will aggressively attack RGIII and create a few turnovers in their home opener.

New Orleans Saints vs. TB – It’s still tough to trust the Saints until we’ve seen more of them, but Josh Freeman is a turnover machine.

Potential Bust – Beware

Denver Broncos vs. NYG – The Giants offense can score with anyone and this will not be played in Denver.

1. San Francisco 49ers vs. Min – They should keep the Vikings to 10 points or fewer and sack Ponder over 5 times with multiple turnovers. This is the top fantasy football D/ST in Week 3.

2. NY Jets vs Mia – If Revis is back, the Jets should dominate the Dolphins in Miami.

3. Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Oak – The Raiders can’t do anything right on offense. Expect a big day from the Steelers D.

4. Buffalo Bills vs. Cle – The Browns are not good on offense. This is an excellent match-up that the Bills will take advantage of.

Next

Dallas Cowboys vs. TB – The Bucs O will get handled by the Cowboys in Dallas. Look for DeMarcus Ware to have multiple sacks.

Houston Texans vs. Den – The Texans are a beastly defense regardless of the opponent.

Chicago Bears vs. Stl – Look for Peppers and Co. coming off of 10 days rest to get after Bradford on Sunday.

The Rest

Detroit Lions vs. Ten – The Titans have been horrible on offense in 2012. The Lions have a chance at multiple turnovers and a defensive score.

Arizona Cardinals vs. Phi – The Vick led Eagles have committed 9 turnovers in two games. The Cards are a good start at home.

Miami Dolphins vs. NYJ – It’s Mark Sanchez. He makes most defenses look (very) good.

Atlanta Falcons vs. SD – Mike Nolan’s definitely having a positive effect running Atlanta’s D. While the Chargers should put points on the board, expect the Falcons to secure a few takeaways.

Green Bay Packers vs. Sea – If Aaron Rodgers can get the Pack to a lead, expect them to blitz QB Russell Wilson into a few errors. Clay Matthews and Co. should generate a few sacks.

Philadelphia Eagles vs. Arz – Kevin Kolb is a turnover waiting to happen. The Eagles D will pressure him int a few mistakes on Sunday.

1. San Francisco 49ers vs. Stl – If the Rams score a TD it should be considered quite an accomplishment.

2. New England Patriots vs. Ind – The Patriots get a gift in Week 13. The Colts are horrible.

3. Chicago Bears vs. KC – It’ll be up to the Bears D to carry the day for the rest of the season.

4. Baltimore Ravens vs. Cle – The Ravens will be playing on 10 days rest and will smother the Browns on Sunday.

Next

Denver Broncos vs. Min – The Broncos D is playing exceedingly well and if Adrian Peterson is out again they’ll be strong right back in Week 13.

New York Jets vs. Was – The Skins aren’t as easy as they were a few weeks ago. But the Jets should force Grossman into turnovers this week.

Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Cin – If S Troy Polamalu plays then expect a strong showing from the Steelers.

The Rest

Atlanta Falcons vs. Hou – The Tyler Yates show takes effect this week and it’ll likely translate into a few turnovers.

Miami Dolphins vs. Oak – The Dolphins D has been solid the past month.

Dallas Cowboys vs. Arz – DeMarcus Ware and Co. will be coming after the Cardinals passing game.

Kansas City Chiefs vs. Chi – The Bears offense also sputtered with its back-up QB behind center.

Tennessee Titans vs. Buf – The Bills have been very turnover prone outside of last week. Expect that trend to continue this week.

Cincinnati Bengals vs. Pit – Division rivalries tend to be low scoring and close in this series.

Houston Texans vs. Atl – The Texans D will be asked to carry a large load this week.

Fantasy Sleeper

Seattle Seahawks vs. Phi – Vince Young will likely start again on a short week and in the Pacific Northwest. This bodes very well for the Seahawks who play much better at home than on the road. They’re a strong fantasy sleeper this week.

Image via Wikipedia

Must Start

1. San Francisco 49ers vs. Cle – Expect a dominant effort coming off the bye.

2. Baltimore Ravens vs. Arz – The Ravens will be angry after Monday’s loss. Expect multiple turnovers when they face Kevin Kolb and 20+ fantasy football points.

3. New Orleans Saints vs. Stl – Everything that could go wrong in 2011 has gone wrong for the Rams.

4. Houston Texans vs. JAX – Expect another big time effort vs. a division rival on Sunday.

Next

New York Giants vs. Mia – The Giants are getting healthy and the Dolphins are anything but.

Cincinnati Bengals vs. Sea – One of the better defenses in the league will force turnovers against the Seahawks.

Dallas Cowboys vs. Phi – Michael Vick and Co. have been turnover prone in 2011. Expect DeMarcus Ware to be a force on Sunday Night.

The Rest

Kansas City Chiefs vs. SD – KC has won three straight and is coming off a dominant performance. The Chargers are struggling offensively.

Buffalo Bills vs. Was – Facing John Beck is an intriguing thought for the opportunistic Bills D.

Detroit Lions vs. Den – Tim Tebow had under 50 yards passing midway through the 4^th. The Lions are a much better D than the Dolphins.

Carolina Panthers vs. Min – We expect Ponder to make costly errors in his 1^st career road start.

New England Patriots vs. Pit – This is one team that Bill Belichick always schemes well.

Fantasy Sleeper

Tennessee Titans vs. Ind – Coming off last week’s embarrassing performance, the Titans have good news: the Colts are coming to town. Expect Tennessee to figure things out and post a solid performance this week. This is a solid fantasy sleeper especially if your regular D/ST is on the bye.

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

It’s on to Week 2 of the NFL Suicide Pool.

Top Pick

1. New York Jets vs. Jacksonville Jaguars – When Jacksonville came into New York back in 2009, they upset the Jets. It won’t happen again. The Jets, who played very poorly on Sunday Night and were fortunate to beat the Cowboys, will win this game by at least 10 points.

Thanks to an improved passing game, look for QB Mark Sanchez and Co. to attack Jacksonville through the air before turning to the running game.

On defense, they’ll make stopping Maurice Jones-Drew a priority and force Luke McCown into costly errors.

Next

2. Dallas Cowboys vs. San Francisco 49ers – 1st week to the east coast, now to the west. The travel will present a challenge for Dallas but they have more than enough in the tank to put away the 49ers.

Offensively, Alex Smith and Co. were horrible against the Seahawks. So, look for DE/LB DeMarcus Ware and Co. to smother RB Frank Gore and constantly pressure Smith into poor decisions.

On the other side of the ball, QB Tony Romo and his pass catchers  (WR Dez Bryant, WR Miles Austin, TE Jason Witten) will eat the 49ers secondary alive.

3. Detroit Lions vs. Kansas City Chiefs – Here are two teams moving in opposite directions quickly. The Lions are on the upswing while the Chiefs are heading south. In Week 1, in addition to being humiliated 41-7 by the Bills, they also lost standout S Eric Berry for the year.

Look for QB Matthew Stafford and Co. to put up 30 + points on Kansas City’s Defense.

On the other side of the ball, DT Ndamukong Suh and the defense will harass QB Matt Cassel ALL afternoon.

It’ll be another long day for Kansas City as they drop to 0-2.

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

Must Start

1. Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Sea – Get ready to see a completely different defense when Seattle comes to town.

2. Green Bay Packers vs. Car – Cam Newton’s 2^nd start will be much different than his 1^st. There won’t be another fantasy football breakout performance in Week 2 for Newton.

3. Baltimore Ravens vs. Ten – Look for the Ravens to make life miserable for Matt Hasselback and Co.

4. New York Jets vs. Jax – Expect the Jets to force multiple turnovers in Week 2.

Next

Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Min – 39 passing yards for Donovan McNabb in Week 1. It looks like a nice start for Tampa.

New York Giants vs. Stl – The Rams are beat up and New York should have DE Justin Tuck back.

Dallas Cowboys vs. SF – Expect DE/LB DeMarcus Ware and Co. to force the 49ers Offense into multiple turnovers.

The Rest

St. Louis Rams vs. NYG – HC Steve Spagnuolo knows the Giants offense inside and out.

Washington Redskins vs. Arz – The Skins look much improved on D in 2011.

Chicago Bears vs. NO – The Bears are good at creating turnovers and returning it to the house. Not the best of matchups however.

New Orleans Saints vs. Chi – Cutler has shown on a number of occasions he’s especially careless with the ball on the road. The Saints are one of the more opportunistic defenses around.

Detroit Lions vs. KC – The hungry Lions will be a handful for the hurting Chiefs Offense in Week 2.

Houston Texans vs. Mia – The Texans look improved under DC Wade Phillips.

Denver Broncos vs. Cin –The Bengals will most likely turn back to rookie QB Andy Dalton.

Fantasy Sleeper

Buffalo Bills vs. Oak – The Bills held the Chiefs to 7 points and forced turnovers. The Raiders are traveling cross country and the Bills have a great shot to start the season 2-0. The D/ST is a solid fantasy sleeper this week.

1. Dallas Cowboys (-6.5) vs. Jacksonville Jaguars – The Cowboys are coming off a demoralizing loss which effectively ended all chances of making the Playoffs. But the NFC is so watered down that they still might remain in the Wild Card conversation if they can rattle off a few wins.

This week they’ll win easily, even with QB Jon Kitna at the helm. The Cowboys offense will wear down an overmatched Jags defense and on the other side of the ball, DE/LB DeMarcus Ware and Co. will make life miserable for QB David Garrard. This is the top football bet of the week.

Next In Line

2. Detroit Lions (-2.5) vs. Washington Redskins – The Lions are coming off a bye and had a chance to heal some injuries. The Redskins are coming off a poor road win which only came about due to Jay Cutler’s afternoon of interceptions. Such gifts won’t happen this week. Look for the Lions explosive offense to put the Skins behind early and for Detroit’s opportunistic D to force Washington into turnovers.

3. Oakland Raiders (-2.5) vs. Seattle Seahawks – The Raiders enter this with a ton of confidence after ripping apart the Broncos 59-14. While we’re convinced they’re not as good as they looked, we also don’t think Seattle will continue their winning ways, especially on the road. The Black Hole can be a tough place to play and we expect the Raiders to win by at least a TD on Sunday.

4. Carolina Panthers (+3) vs. St. Louis Rams – See Money Line Bet.

Rounding Out the List

Cincinnati Bengals (-1.5) vs. Miami Dolphins – The Bengals are a desperate team after dropping their third straight in Atlanta. Look for a close, hard fought game, which Carson Palmer and Co. pull out at home.

Pittsburgh Steelers (+1) vs. New Orleans Saints – It’s guaranteed you’ll see a vastly different Saints team on Sunday Night. They were most likely looking ahead to this one when they laid an egg vs. the Browns. That being said, the Steelers are the tougher team of the two and we expect Ben Roethlisberger to be the difference. Look for Pittsburgh to do slightly more defensively and win a close one on the road.

New York Jets (-6) vs. Green Bay Packers – It’s going to be difficult for the Packers to get much going in the New Meadowlands this Sunday. They can’t run the ball for starters, and the aggressive Jets D punishes teams they make one dimensional. New York is coming off its bye and look for them to rely heavily on LaDainian Tomlinson and Shonn Greene to wear the Packers down late.

Money Line Bet

Carolina Panthers (+125) vs. St. Louis Rams

The Panthers enter this contest coming off their 1st win of the season, a 23-20 win over San Francisco. The Rams head home after a narrow last second 18-17 defeat to the Bucs in Tampa Bay.

While the Rams have played very well at home, notching 3 of their 4 wins at home, the Panthers are a better team when QB Matt Moore is playing QB. He was sharp a week ago and spread the ball around nicely in the win. Expect that to continue.

Look for the Panthers to rely on RB Jonathan Stewart (RB DeAngelo Williams might sit) and attack a run defense which gives up 4.6 yards per carry. Moore will then use the running game to set up the pass, and WR Steve Smith and Co. will have success against the Rams secondary.

The Rams will continue to follow their plan of attack by feeding the ball to RB Steven Jackson, but he’s nursing a damaged finger and it remains to be seen how effective he will be. If he’s limited, this will place additional pressure on QB Sam Bradford.

When he clock winds down to triple zeros, expect the Panthers to pull out a closely fought game to notch their 2nd win of the season.