Must Start

Jamaal Charles, LeSean McCoy, DeMarco Murray, Matt Forte,  Marshawn Lynch and Arian Foster*

Tier 1

Rashad Jennings vs. Dal – Missed the 1st game. Look for him to top 100 yards and be a weapon in the passing game.

Frank Gore vs. Was – Look for the 49ers to lean heavily once again on Gore.

Eddie Lacy vs. Min – The weather will be cold. Look for the Packers to pound the rock with Lacy all afternoon.

Andre Ellington vs. Sea – Running the ball will be difficult but he’ll be a threat in the passing game.

Jeremy Hill vs. Hou – The rookie RB is a strong No. 1 as long as Bernard is out or limited.

Trent Richardson vs. Jax – Richardson becomes a strong play a No. 1 in PPR leagues.

Denard Robinson vs. Ind – He’s been a force since he entered the starting lineup.

Tier 2

Steven Jackson vs. Cle – The loss of DT Phil Taylor hurts the Browns running game.

Ryan Matthews vs. Stl – He’ll get enough carries to be a No. 2 back.

Mark Ingram vs Bal – The Ravens run D is stout.

Darren Sproles vs. Ten – Sproles is a No. 2 / flex play each week in the explosive Eagles offense.

Justin Forsett vs. NO – Forsett will top 80 yards and find the end zone in New Orleans.

Joique Bell vs. NE – The Pats run D is middle of the pack.

Shane Vereen vs. Det – Look for his impact to come in the passing game. Stronger in PPR leagues.

CJ Anderson vs. Mia – Look for him to be a weapon out of the backfield.

Lamar Miller vs. Den – He rates as a low No. 2 this week.

Charles Sims vs. Chi – Sims has assumed top dawg in TB.

Bust

Alfred Morris vs. SF – The 49ers run D is stout.

Fantasy Sleeper

Tre Mason vs. SD – The Chargers are banged up defensively making Mason a solid play.

Must Start

Demarco Murray, Le’veon Bell, Arian Foster,  Matt Forte, Jamaal Charles and Giovani Bernard

Tier 1

Eddie Lacy vs. Car – He’s creeping into No. 2 RB territory. But the Panthers run D is weak this year.

Frank Gore vs. Den – The 49ers will feed Gore the ball to play keep away from Peyton.

Andre Ellington vs. Oak – The Raiders don’t stop the run well.

Alfred Morris vs. Ten – Morris will top 100 yards and find the end zone.

Joique Bell vs. NO – The Lions will run the rock with Megatron out.

Branden Oliver vs. KC – The rookie sensation will top the century mark again.

Knowshon Moreno vs. Chi – A week back from his arm injury. Look for a return to the primary ball carrier.

Ben Tate vs. Jax – Look for Tate to pick up where he left off and run all over the Jags.

Justin Forsett vs. Atl – The Falcons are horrible stopping the run.

Fred Jackson vs. Min – Jackson will top 80 yards with a TD.

Shane Vereen vs. NYJ – Always played big vs. the Jets and Ridley is now out.

Chris Ivory vs. NE – New England has had trouble stopping the run. NYJ will try and pound the ball.

Tier 2

Ronnie Hillman vs. SF – The passing game will open up running lanes for the speedy Hillman.

Ahmad Bradshaw vs. Cin – His receiving skills makes him the better play.

Jeremy Hill vs. Ind – The 2nd piece of the two headed running system will find the end zone again.

Reggie Bush vs. NO – Expect Bush to play a large role facing his former team.

Andre Williams vs. Dal – A lot of his success will depend on the pass game sustaining drives. He always runs hard however.

Bust

Zac Stacy vs. Sea – The Seahawks run D will be ready to play this week.

Fantasy Sleeper

Isaiah Crowell vs. Jax – Even with Ben Tate back in the line up this bruiser is a strong fantasy sleeper for his goal line carries. They’ll also likely be up late which will lead to garbage time carries.

Must Start

DeMarco Murray, LeSean McCoy, Jamaal Charles, Matt Forte, Marshawn Lynch, Le’Veon Bell and Arian Foster

Tier 1

Frank Gore vs. KC – The 49ers offense began to find its rhythm when they made Gore the primary focus.

Montee Ball vs. Arz – Look for Ball to have success in both the running game as well as passing.

Eddie Lacy vs. Min – Lacy’s off to a pedestrian start but has a favorable match up on Thursday Night.

Rashad Jennings vs. Atl – The Giants multi-threat back will find a lot of success against the Falcons non-existent D.

Chris Ivory vs. SD – The power runner will be fed the ball all afternoon.

Doug Martin vs. NO – Expect Tampa to make use of their back to keep Brees and Co. on the sidelines.

Zac Stacy vs. Phi – The Eagles run D can be gashed. Stacy will top 100 yards for the 1st time this year.

Reggie Bush vs. Buf – Bush will top 18 FFL points and find the end zone.

Giovani Bernard vs. NE – Has even greater value in PPR leagues.

Andre Ellington vs. Den – He’ll be a dual threat on Sunday.

Tier 2

CJ Spiller / Fred Jackson vs. Det – The Lions are a tough bunch to run against. Expect mid pack numbers but many catches out of the backfield.

Shane Vereen vs. Cin – He will have more success than Ridley against a tough D.

Ahmad Bradshaw vs. Bal – Expect Luck to utilize Bradshaw’s receiving skills against a tough Ravens D.

Pierre Thomas vs. TB – Thomas will top 14 fantasy points in PPR leagues with 7 receptions.

Ben Tate vs. Ten – He’s expected back from his injury and faces a weak D against the run.

Bust

Alfred Morris vs. Sea – It’ll be tough sledding against the SB champs.

Fantasy Sleeper

Matt Asiata vs. GB – Adrian Peterson’s fill in is doing an admirable job. He has a solid match up here and is a fantasy sleeper.

Top pick

1. San Francisco 49ers (-4) vs. Phi – The Eagles are beat up along the OL and that will be noticeable facing the 49ers on Sunday. Expect San Francisco to get back to its roots – running the ball – and pull out the home W by a TD.

Next

2. Baltimore Ravens (-3) vs. Car – The Panthers have issues on offense. They’re banged up at RB and Cam Newton is not fully healthy. Their new set of receivers are still getting acclimated too. While their D will keep them in the game, Baltimore is a tough place to play.

3. New England Patriots (-3) vs. KC – The Pats went through the motions en route to their 16-9 win over the Raiders last week. They’ll be much improved on MNF. The Chiefs salvaged their season in Miami but will fall to 1-3 here.

4. Tampa Buccaneers (+7) vs. Pit – See money line bet.

Rounding things out

Houston Texans (-3) vs. Buf – The Bills have had trouble getting their passing game going. RB Arian Foster should return which will help out.

Green Bay Packers (-2) vs. Chi – The Packers are desperate and QB Aaron Rodgers has the Bears number.

Oakland Raiders (+3) vs. Mia – Both are on a neutral field but it’s Miami that’s imploding moreso than the Raiders.

Money Line Bet

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+290) vs. Pit – In a week lacking with good underdogs, the Bucs have a real chance to steal a game on the road. They’re coming off a 10-day layoff and starting Mike Glennon, who could be more effective than Josh McCown. Pittsburgh is also down three key starters on defense which will be difficult to overcome.

LeSean McCoy, Jamaal Charles, Matt Forte, DeMarco Murray

Tier 1

Le’veon Bell vs. TB – The 2nd year star will top 100 with a TD.

Arian Foster vs. Buf – Check the injury wire.

Alfred Morris vs. NYG – His value increases if MLB Jon Beason is out. Drops down a notch otherwise.

Eddie Lacy vs. Chi – This is the matchup you want as Lacy owners. Huge disappointment to date.

Reggie Bush vs. NYJ – He’ll be a dual threat in this one.

Frank Gore vs. Phi – Expect San Francisco to get back to its roots and feed Gore the ball.

Rashad Jennings vs. Was – Expect him to top 100 yards with another TD on TNF.

Tier 2

Fred Jackson vs. Hou – Look for 75 total yards and a score.

Donald Brown vs. Jax – Injuries to Mathews and Woodhead have opened up the door for Brown’s emergence as a No. 2.

Chris Johnson vs. Det – Definitely more of a flex and No. 2 at this point.

Stevan Ridley vs. KC – It appears that Belichick wants him to be his main runner.

Darren Sproles vs. SF – Look for another 5-6 catches with 80+ yards receiving.

Pierre Thomas vs. NO – Thomas is a 12-15 point threat vs. the Cowboys D.

Bobby Rainey vs. Pit – The Steelers are down three main defensive starters here.

Bust

Brandon Pierce vs. Car – He’ll find it rough sledding against a D that’s ticked off after Sunday’s meltdown.

Fantasy Sleeper

Matt Asiata vs. Atl – The Falcons don’t stop the run too well.

LeSean McCoy, Matt Forte,  Arian Foster and Marshawn Lynch

Tier 1

DeMarco Murray vs. Stl. – The massive Cowboys OL is giving him room to run. He’ll top 100 yards with a few TDs.

Le’veon Bell vs. Car – Expect him to be used more heavily in the passing game.

Darren Sproles vs. Was – He’s been dynamic in this offense.

Alfred Morris vs. Phi – Cousins’ entry enhances his value.

Bobby Rainey vs. Atl – The Bucs speedster will have all sorts of room to run on TNF.

Giovani Bernard vs. Ten – The dynamic RB will top 20 fantasy points vs. a Titans D that was worn down a week ago.

Andre Ellington vs. SF – The dynamic back will break a long one.

CJ Spiller vs. SD – The Bills will use him as a pass catcher out of the backfield.

Stevan Ridley vs. OAK – Tough to start him with confidence but Belichick went back to him in Week 2.

Zac Stacy vs. Dal – The Rams will feed him the ball all afternoon.

Frank Gore vs. Arz – SF will pound the rock with their veteran.

Chris Johnson / Chris Ivory vs. Chi – The Bears run D ranks very low. Both Jets runners should do well.

Tier 2

Khiry Robinson vs. Min – He’ll get 11-15 fantasy points vs. the Vikings.

Lamar Miller vs. KC – He’s more of a flex even with Knowshon Moreno out.

Rashad Jennings vs. Hou – He’s a No. 2 who improves in PPR leagues.

Jeremy Hill vs. Ten – He’s a good flex play and a goal line threat.

Fred Jackson vs. SD – The Bills two headed attack will be used heavily.

Matt Asiata vs. NO – He becomes the man in Minnesota and brings value in PPR leagues too.

Bust

Montee Ball vs. Sea – Seattle is a tough place to run.

Fantasy Sleeper

Knile Davis vs. Mia – He’s a solid fantasy sleeper with Charles out.

Must Start

Adrian Peterson, LeSean McCoy, Jamaal Charles, Matt Forte

Tier 1

Le’veon Bell vs. Bal – Looks poised to take a huge step forward this year. Will play big on TNF.

Arian Foster vs. Oak – He’ll have a lot of room to work with this week. 100 yards and 2 TDs.

DeMarco Murray vs. Ten – Murray has a massive OL to run behind. He’ll top 100 again.

Marshawn Lynch vs. SD – The bruising back is running behind a healthy OL.

Montee Ball vs. KC – The Chiefs D is depleted.

Alfred Morris vs. Jax – The Skins will wear this unit down on the ground.

Knowshon Moreno vs. Buf – He’ll top 100 yards and a TD.

Shane Vereen vs. Min – The Patriots plan to utilize him heavily.

Frank Gore vs. Chi – The 49ers will get back to pounding the ball vs. the Bears.

Giovani Bernard vs. Atl – The Bengals will use their all purpose back all afternoon.

Khiry Robinson vs. Cle – New Orleans is committed to the run this year.

Rashad Jennings vs. Arz – Jennings will top 80 yards with a score.

Tier 2

Trent Richardson vs. Phi – The Eagles D is vulnerable. Solid as a receiver out of the backfield.

Darren Sproles vs. Ind – Chip Kelly will keep him involved as a runner and 3rd down receiver.

Chris Johnson vs. GB – The Packers smaller front 7 is an area New York will attack. Expect Johnson’s role to increase as the year goes on.

Reggie Bush vs. Car – The Lions will use him as a receiver predominantly here.

Andre Ellington vs. NYG  - He’s a No. 2 this week and has a banged up foot.

CJ Spiller vs. Mia – He’s not much more than a flex at this stage.

Bernard Pierce vs. Pit – He’ll be the featured back again this week. More of a flex / high No. 2.

DeAngelo Williams vs. Det – Newton’s return will benefit Williams, but Lions are stout in the middle.

Bust

Zac Stacy vs. TB – The Rams have no threat of a passing game which impacts everything.

Fantasy Sleeper

Toby Gerhart vs. Was – The Skins once again have a porous D.

Arian Foster vs. Was – This is a solid matchup. Expect 100 yards and 2 TDs vs. the Skins.

Frank Gore vs. Dal – Old man Gore is a great start in Week 1.

Reggie Bush vs. NYG – His speed will be utilized in the passing game.

Zac Stacy vs. Min – The Rams will pound the rock with Shaun Hill now behind center.

Andre Ellington vs. SD – The Cards will get him involved early.

DeMarco Murray vs. SF – Dal will try and take advantage of a banged up D.

Montee Ball vs. Ind – Moreno’s departure makes Ball the man. He should slice and dice this Indy D.

Alfred Morris vs. Hou – The addition of DeSean Jackson will ease the 8 man fronts he would otherwise see.

Le’Veon Bell vs. Cle – He’ll catch 7 balls opening day and find the end zone.

CJ Spiller vs. Chi – The Bears D is soft up the middle.

Tier 2

Rashad Jennings vs. Det – NYG may rely more heavily on running game while working out kinks in the passing game.

Ryan Mathews vs. Arz – He’ll have running room on Mon night. Will he hold onto the ball?

Bernard Pierce vs. Cin – The Bengals D is stout, so temper expectations.

Giovanni Bernard vs. Bal – The talented 2nd year back faces a tough test opening day.

Shane Vereen vs. Mia – Excellent weapon in PPR leagues.

Ben Tate vs. Pit – Will have his number called more frequently with the absence of a legit passing attack.

Khiry Robinson vs. Atl – The Falcons D has glaring holes in it.

Sleeper

Chris Johnson vs. Oak – Expect the Jets to take advantage of his big play ability in Week 1

Bust

Eddie Lacy vs. Sea – The top 7 pick on FFL draft day faces a brick wall opening night.

11. Alfred Morris, Was – He will benefit from a better RGIII and the additions to the skill positions. Washington will make him a workhorse again.

12. Giovani Bernard, Cin – The exciting 2nd year back flashed brilliance on runs and now must become more consistent. But he’ll be the lead back in what should be a high scoring Cincinnati offense.

13. Doug Martin, TB – An injury ruined his 2013, although he wasn’t nearly as good when healthy. Look for him to be a low No. 1 or high No. 2 FFL RB this year.

14. Frank Gore, SF – Old man Gore’s workload likely won’t lighten with injuries to back-ups in training camp. The running game will thrive and Gore could hit 1100 yards with 10 TDs.

15. Montee Ball, Den – It’ll be his role to lose. If Ball can get a grip on his fumbling, look for a major step forward in year 2.

16. CJ Spiller, Buf – This is a massive drop from a year ago. However, Spiller has breakaway speed and the Bills passing game should take pressure off of him in EJ Manuel’s 2nd year. Fred Jackson’s presence still makes Spiller no better than a No. 2.

17. Reggie Bush, Det – The dynamic back should get better with the added talent at the skill positions. Great in PPR leagues.

18. Ben Tate, Cle – The Browns will rely more on their running game with the apparent suspension of WR Josh Gordon. Expect No. 2 type fantasy numbers.

19. Trent Richardson, Ind – He was a bust a year ago, and has a lot to prove this season.

20. Ryan Matthews, SD – The Chargers offense will be solid, but Matthews will be facing better defense in 2014. This keeps him entrenched as a weekly No. 2.

21. Chris Johnson, NYJ – He is a solid fantasy sleeper and could rise the ranks quickly in NY. His speed gives the Jets another dimension and they’ll use it.

22. Ray Rice, Bal – Beating his now wife has hurt Rice’s perception even more than when people only questioned whether he lost a step. He has a chance to return to form with a better surrounding cast for Flacco, which will take pressure off the running game.

23. Andre Ellington, Arz – He showed enough flashes a year ago to believe he can take a step forward again here.

24. Stevan Ridley, NE – Ridley must get his fumbling under control, or he’ll ride the pine. Boom or bust pick.

25. Steven Jackson, Atl – Injuries and a horrific Falcons’ season ruined 2013. Nice bounceback opportunity this year.

26. Rashad Jennings, NYG – The Giants will rely heavily on him as the No. 1 guy.

27. Maurice Jones-Drew, Oak – Nice fantasy sleeper this year on an improving Raiders team. Look for him to surprise.

28. Shane Vereen, NE – He could haul in 80 catches in this offense.

29. Darren Sproles, Phi – Kelly will incorporate the speedy Sproles on 3rd downs and in the passing game. Solid No. 2 in PPR leagues.

30. Pierre Thomas, NO – Thomas keeps finding ways to make plays in this offense. He’s a No. 2/flex play week in and week out.

1. Jamaal Charles vs. Ind – Charles unreal fantasy effort in Week 15 will be followed up by a 150 yard effort and multiple TDs.

2. Adrian Peterson vs. Cin – Look for Peterson to top 125 yards with a score.

3. LeSean McCoy vs. Chi – The Bears have had difficulty stopping the run all season.

4. Marshawn Lynch vs. Arz – The Seahawks will ride Lynch to the top seed in the NFC.

Not far behind

Matt Forte vs. Phi – Forte will top 100 yards with 1-2 TDs.

Frank Gore vs. Atl – The 49ers will be playing with a large lead in this one.

Eddie Lacy vs. Pit – GB will ride its horse again in this one.

Rounding things out

Reggie Bush vs. NYG – Look for the dynamic threat to hurt the Giants in the passing game.

Alfred Morris vs. Dal – The Cowboys run D is atrocious.

Giovani Bernard vs. Min – The dynamic rookie will excel in the passing game.

DeMarco Murray vs. Was – Murray’s been on a roll of late and that will continue here.

Shane Vereen vs. Bal – Expect Vereen to be used more heavily than last week.

Ray Rice vs. NE –The Pats run D has many holes in it.

CJ Spiller vs. Mia – He has performed much better at home in ’13.

Knowshon Moreno vs. Hou – Moreno will bounce back this week.

Ryan Matthews vs. Oak – Matthews has raised his game in McCoy’s offense. This will be another 100 yard effort.

Le’veon Bell vs. GB – Bell will hit 12-15 fantasy points on Sunday.

Chris Johnson vs. Jax – Look for Johnson to reach the end zone and top 80 yards.

Lamar Miller vs. Buf – He’s a No. 2 / flex play due to his time split with Daniel Thomas.

Potential Bust – Beware

Andre Brown vs. Det – Look for the Lions D Line to overwhelm the Giants offense and stuff Brown.