Must Start

1. Chicago Bears vs. Sea – The Seahawks don’t play well on the road against top defenses.

2. San Francisco 49ers vs. Stl – The 49ers D has been ferocious its past two games.

3. Houston Texans vs. Ten – The Texans are well rested and facing an offense in turmoil.

4. New England Patriots vs. Mia – The Pats are picking up turnovers in bunches.

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New York Jets vs. Arz – The only thing which could rank the Jets this high is facing a rookie QB that throws lots of INTs.

Denver Broncos vs. TB – Denver’s D is more stout at home.

Dallas Cowboys vs. Phi – Look for a lot of sacks and a pick six in this one.

The Rest

Baltimore Ravens vs. Pit – If Ben Roethlisberger is out again, which all signs point to, look for another turnover laden affair.

Arizona Cardinals vs. NYJ – Mark Sanchez puts a smile on the face of many opposing defenses.

Cincinnati Bengals vs. SD – Look for the fast rising Bengals D to harass Philip Rivers all afternoon.

Carolina Panthers vs. KC – It’s the Chiefs and Brady Quinn.

Seattle Seahawks vs. Chi – Their D is better than it showed vs. Miami.

Cleveland Browns vs. Oak – The Browns have shown the ability lately to get after the QB.

Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Bal – The lack of offense is the biggest thing hurting this defense of late.

New York Giants vs. Was – Expect a few new wrinkles facing RGIII this time around from the Giants D.

Buffalo Bills vs. JAX – Solid fantasy sleeper facing a warm weather team in the cold.

1. Green Bay Packers ( -15) vs. Jax – The Jaguars are starting QB Chad Henne and MJD is out. Look for the injury riddled Packers to still have more than enough fire power and blow Jacksonville out in a 34-7 type rout.

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2. San Francisco 49ers (-6.5) vs. Arz – This game could remain competitive through the half, but the 49ers have too much firepower in the running game and on defense for Arizona to remain in it late.

The Cardinals talented defense is beginning to wear down late in games because the offense cannot sustain drives and put points on the board. The 49ers win by double digits and easily cover the point spread.

3. New York Giants (-2) vs. Dal – The Giants love playing at Dallas and enter on a three game winning streak. They’re also the healthier of the two teams, which is different than their 1st meeting.

Look for Eli and Co. to win for the 4th straight time in Big D  by a TD.

4. Seattle Seahawks (+2.5) vs. Look for the Seahawks, who are coming off 10 days rest to head into Detroit and run the ball at will, while QB Russell Wilson uses the play action pass with excellent effectiveness against a poor Lions pass D.

Defensively, Seattle will have little problems solving Matt Stafford and the offense.

The Rest

Denver Broncos (-6) vs. NO – The Broncos will score at will on the Saints and Denver is not the easiest location for opponents to play.

New York Jets (-2.5) vs. Mia – This will remain competitive throughout but the Jets are actually playing much better offensively with WR Santonio Holmes out.

Chicago Bears (-8) vs. Car – Cam Newton and the Panthers are in disarray. Look for the Bears to win in a romp.

* Due to most money line bets being off of the board this week, we will not have one. If the Seattle Seahawks game lists one prior to kickoff, that would be our selection.

1. San Francisco 49ers vs. Arz – The Cards can’t pass block and don’t run the ball well. The 49ers may shut them out and force 2-3 turnovers in the process while sacking QB John Skelton five times.

2. Chicago Bears vs. Car – The Panthers O is abysmal and the Bears D has been stout.

3. Seattle Seahawks vs. Det – The one dimensional Lions are a turnover waiting to happen and Seattle is coming off 10 days rest.

4. New York Giants vs. Dal -The Giants will be at full health for this one and harass Tony Romo all day.

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Atlanta Falcons vs. Phi – Michael Vick is good for at least two turnovers and a few sacks.

Green Bay Packers vs. Jax – The Packers are banged up but this is a great match-up. Chad Henne is in for a long day.

Minnesota Vikings vs. TB – The surprising Vikings will attack  Josh Freeman with their front four. Expect Tampa’s point total to be kept under 17 and for Minnesota to force multiple turnovers.

The Rest

Oakland Raiders vs. KC – The Raiders are a solid fantasy sleeper vs. the Brady Quinn led Chiefs.

San Diego Chargers vs. Cle – Look for San Diego to bounce back defensively vs. the Browns.

Detroit Lions vs. Sea – The Lions D played better on Monday Night and will have a chance to force a few turnovers here. They’re a low level fantasy defense this week.

Denver Broncos vs. NO – Expect the Broncos to attack Brees and force a few turnovers in the thin air on Sunday Night.

New England Patriots vs. Stl – The Patriots D is soft but at least it forces a few turnovers each week.

Cleveland Browns vs. SD  -  QB Philip Rivers has become a turnover machines.

Washington Redskins vs. Pit – The Skins are a decent start if your normal No.1 is out. They’ll force one – maybe two – turnovers.

1. San Francisco 49ers vs. Sea – Expect a big bounce back from the 49ers on Thursday Night. This D will force QB Russell Wilson into multiple mistakes.

2. Chicago Bears vs. Det – The last time Stafford came to Chicago the Lions were dominated. Look for more of the same on Monday Night.

3. Minnesota Vikings vs. Arz – The Cards O Line is battered and they’re using a 3rd string RB. The Vikes will feast on Arizona’s offense all afternoon.

4. Dallas Cowboys vs. Car – Look for the Cowboys to sack Newton multiple times and force a few turnovers.

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Seattle Seahawks vs. SF – This is a very good D and Alex Smith’s confidence could be lacking.

Buffalo Bills vs. Ten – The Titans haven’t been a good road team.

New York Giants vs. Was – RGIII will find the going tough on the road vs. the Giants.

The Rest

Green Bay Packers vs. Stl. – The Packers should be able to play with the lead which will allow LB Clay Matthews and Co. to wreak havoc on Bradford.

Oakland Raiders vs. Jax – The Raiders gave the Falcons all they could handle. The Jags aren’t the Falcons.

New England Patriots vs. NYJ – Don’t be fooled by the Jets performance against the Colts.

Houston Texans vs. Bal – The Texans will bounce back after a poor showing.

Arizona Cardinals vs. Min – The Cards D is still full of playmakers  and will force a few turnovers.

St. Louis Rams vs. GB – The Packers O Line is still a mess and the Rams are tough at home. Look for a few turnovers.

Cleveland Browns vs. Ind – The  Browns D features some playmakers in the back 7 and will force a few mistakes this week on Luck’s part.

1. San Francisco 49ers (-9) vs. Buf – The Bills come in injured, especially across the offensive line, and were annihilated a week ago by the Patriots 52-28 IN Buffalo. The 49ers are one of the premier teams in football and virtually unbeatable at home under Jim Harbaugh.

The 49ers will easily cover the point spread and win by double digits.

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2. Pittsburgh Steelers (-3.5) vs. Phi – The Steelers are getting healthy on D at the right time and coming off a bye week. The Eagles held on vs. the Giants but those turnover issues will rear their ugly head in Pittsburgh.

Look for Big Ben to lead the Steelers to a 7-10 point win.

3. Houston Texans (-9.5) vs. NYJ – There’s a chance the Jets could lose the rest of their games this season. It’s a small chance, but they’re likely finishing 4-12 or 5-11. Their 3rd loss will come on MNF when the Texans steamroll them in front of a national audience.

4. Tennessee Titans (+5.5) vs. Min – See money line bet.

The Rest

Cincinnati Bengals (-4) vs. Mia – The Dolphins gave the Cards quite a scare, but that won’t carry over this week. Cincy is playing very well and will win by a TD at home.

Denver Broncos (+7) vs. NE – The Broncos are getting better each week and currently sitting at .500. Look for Peyton Manning, who always plays the Patriots tough in the regular season, to keep this one close to the end.

Indianapolis Colts (+7) vs. GB – The Packers come off an emotional game to face the Colts a week after the team found out its head coach has Leukemia. Expect Sunday to be emotional. Green Bay also faces the Texans a week from now so this could be a trap game.

Money line bet

Tennessee Titans (+5.5) vs. Min – Everyone is feeling great about the Vikings after they beat the 49ers and Lions in consecutive weeks. We expect a letdown this week. Look for veteran QB Matt Hasselback to lead the Titans into Minnesota and pull out a 7 point win.

1. San Francisco 49ers (-4.5) vs. NYJ – A week ago, the 49ers were caught overlooking the Vikings and ended up losing a game they had no business losing. The Jets lost their heart and soul, Darrelle Revis, to an ACL injury and will find it very difficult to overcome his absence the rest of the way.

Look for the 49ers to bury the Jets in Metlife and easily cover the 4.5 point spread.

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2. Cincinnati Bengals (-1.5) vs. Jax – The 2-1 Bengals are playing very well on the offensive side of the ball but struggling on D. That will change this week as they head into Jacksonville and pull out the 7-10 point win.

3. Detroit Lions (-4.5) vs. Min – The Lions are off to a poor start and QB Matt Stafford is dinged up with a leg injury. The Vikings enter this game off a HUGE win over the 49ers but will find a fired up and hungry Lions team in Detroit.

4. Chicago Bears (+4) vs. Dal – See money line bet.

The Rest

Oakland Raiders (+7) vs. Den – The Raiders always play well in Denver. Not sure the reason, but they typically do more than just cover the point spread, they win the game outright.

Green Bay Packers (-7.5) vs. NO – The Packers are one angry team Monday Night’s debacle. For the Saints, the season is effectively over after last week’s epic 4th quarter choke, and they might as well start looking towards the 2013 NFL Draft. Packers win big on Sunday.

New York Giants (+2) vs. Phi – The Giants enter playing very well and on 10 days rest. The Eagles enter with a lot of questions, namely at the QB position, where Michael Vick is turning the ball over and taking huge hits. That will continue on Sunday as Eli Manning and the Giants pull out the win at the Linc.

Money Line Bet

Chicago Bears (+170) vs. Dal – The Cowboys offensive problems appear real and it all stems from a troublesome spot: offensive line. Without holes to run through or time to allow Tony Romo to throw the ball, the Cowboys offense is anemic.

The Bears on the other hand aren’t that much better on offense at this point, especially with RB Matt Forte on the sidelines, but they’ve been able to do enough to move the chains and put some points on the board.

In the end,  the Bears defense will be the difference maker on Monday Night.

Top Pick

1. San Francisco 49ers vs. NYJ – The 49ers are coming off a loss to the Vikings in a game they likely overlooked. They’ve taken this week to remain in Ohio to regroup as they did a year ago when they went on their run.

The Jets on the other hand lost their best player and leader CB Darrelle Revis to an ACL injury vs the Dolphins. This will doom New York. They were already anemic on offense and that won’t cut it against the 49ers.

Look for San Francisco to dominate  to the tune of a 14-20 point victory.

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2. Houston Texans vs. Ten – Divisional games are typically closer than the point spread would suggest, so 12 points may be too much for Houston to give. But in terms of who wins the game, there’s no question about that; the Texans will advance to 4-0.

Their defense will make life miserable for QB Jake Locker and Co. and offensively they’ll be able to play smash mouth football all day long.

3. Baltimore Ravens vs. Cle – The Ravens are coming off an emotional victory against the Patriots so there is some concern about a letdown, but not enough to decide the game in favor of Cleveland.

Expect Baltimore to improve to 3-1 with a win on Thursday Night.

1. San Francisco 49ers vs. Det – Look for the 49ers to turn the Lions one dimensional and force multiple turnovers with one pick 6.

2. Houston Texans vs. Jax – The Texans will limit the Jags offense and sack Gabbert 4 times.

3. New England Patriots vs. Arz – The Pats love the prospect of seeing Kevin Kolb behind center.

4. New York Giants vs. TB – The Giants are getting healthier and will return to form vs. the Bucs at home.

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Cincinnati Bengals vs. Cle – The Bengals will force 3-4 turnovers vs. Brandon Weeden in Week 2.

Dallas Cowboys vs. Sea – Russell Wilson will find the going tougher vs. DeMarcus Ware and Co.

Seattle Seahawks vs. Dal – The Seahawks are a different defense at home.

The Rest

Buffalo Bills vs. KC – Expect a much better showing from the revamped Bills D in their home opener.

NY Jets vs. Pit – The Jets front seven will present problems for a re-tooled Steelers’ offensive line.

Pittsburgh Steelers vs. NYJ – Don’t completely buy into the Jets offense being fixed.

St. Louis Rams vs. Was – The Rams D will be a sterner test for RGIII. Expect a few sacks and turnovers.

KC Chiefs vs. Buf – The Bills offense was a mess Week 1.

vs. SF – The Lions will force a few turnovers on Sunday Night.

Oakland Raiders vs. Mia – The Dolphins will make a lot of D/ST look good in 2012. They’re a great fantasy sleeper in Week 2.

1. Philadelphia Eagles (-8.5) vs. Cleveland Browns – The Eagles historically start out hot on opening day in the Andy Reid era, and this is a great match-up in Week 1. The Eagles have a lot of talent up and down the roster and face an inexperienced Browns team with a roster littered with rookie and 2nd year players on the offensive side of the ball. The Eagles will win this game going away and easily cover the point spread.

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2. Buffalo Bills (+3) vs. NY Jets – See money line analysis.

3. Oakland Raiders (-1) vs. San Diego Chargers – The Chargers are banged up at key skill positions and will be starting a rookie FA LT to protect Philip Rivers’ blind side. The Raiders will be fired up in head coach Dennis Allen’s debut and pull out the close victory late.

4. Green Bay Packers (-5.5) vs. San Francisco 49ers – The 49ers are tough as nails, but not really equipped to play from behind nor stop a potent passing offense. That is what GB brings to the table. No one does it better than Aaron Rodgers so look for GB to come out firing and pull out the 24-14 win.

The Rest

New Orleans Saints (-7.5) vs. Wash – The Saints are extremely tough at home.

Denver Broncos (-2) vs. Pitt – The Steelers are dealing with a lot of injuries as they head into Denver for Peyton Manning‘s debut.

St. Louis (+7.5) vs. Det – Jeff Fisher’s crew will keep this game a lot closer than people think.

Money Line Bet

Buffalo Bills (+120) vs. NY Jets – It’s been an offseason of turmoil and hoopla for the Jets. And while we shouldn’t base our decisions off of the pre-season alone, it’s safe to say it is going to take this offense some time to find its identity. The Bills made big splashes in FA (DE Mario Williams) to solidify their defense, to go along with an already talented offense. Look for Buffalo to head into Metlife stadium in Week 1 and pull out the 3-7 point victory.

1. San Francisco 49ers – The top defense looks better entering 2012. They’ll likely take a step back due to a tougher schedule, but the D should be stout right back.

2. Houston Texans - The Texans could actually jump ahead of SF due to the division they play in. Expect a lot of sacks and turnovers.

3. Chicago Bears - They play a 3rd place schedule and will be able to attack teams thanks to an improved offense.

4. Philadelphia Eagles - The “Dream Team” should see a marked improvement on defense after a year in the new system.

5. Seattle Seahawks - They play in the NFC West and Carrol’s D/ST became a solid No. 1 fantasy football unit over the 2nd half of 2011.

6. Baltimore Ravens - Buyer beware. The loss of LB Terrell Suggs is HUGE to this defense and Ray Lewis and Ed Reed are both a year older.

7. New York Jets – The Jets will improve this season after a disappointing finish to 2011. Look for Ryan’s group to attack and force turnovers.

8. Detroit Lions - Playing in the NFC North is a tough task but this group is a year older and very talented.

9. Pittsburgh Steelers  - An off season of turnover raises question marks, but the key players are still there.

10. Dallas Cowboys – The Cowboys will be improved with another year under Rob Ryan and some solid off season acquisitions. Last year the unit struggled due to a lot of confusion in play calling.

11. Green Bay Packers - Their off season was dedicated to improving this side of the ball.  The Packers offense putting 30+ points up a game will help out too as opposing offenses will once again be in pass mode, leading to turnovers.

12. Kansas City Chiefs - KC is also a nice fantasy sleeper now that Romeo Crennel is leading them.

13. Atlanta Falcons – The addition of CB Asante Samuel makes the back of this defense better, and they should benefit from playing with the lead too.

14. New York Giants – The defending champs have the toughest schedule on paper but are deep and talented on D. They have the best pass rush in the game when healthy and could end up a top 5-10 unit in 2012.

15. Buffalo Bills – They added DE Mario Williams to a play making defense which could end up being a solid No. 1 fantasy football D/ST this year.

16. Arizona Cardinals - If they get a bit more help from the offense, the Cardinals D/ST can be solid. CB Patrick Peterson gives their special teams a leg up.

17. Cincinnati Bengals – Mike Zimmer’s D has a lot of talent that’s young. Expect another step forward in 2012 and this is a solid fantasy sleeper unit.

18. New England Patriots - The unit was horrific in 2011, but they also have a lot of young talent that is starting to understand the pro game, and their ’12 draft focused solely on D. Expect a much improved effort this year.

19. Denver Broncos - LB Von Miller leads a talented bunch that will be aided by the offense Peyton Manning brings.

20. Oakland Raiders  – They brought in Denver’s D Coordinator (Dennis Allen) and he has a lot to work with in Oakland. Expect this unit to be a solid fantasy sleeper and one of the surprises in 2012.

21. St. Louis Rams – Jeff Fisher’s presence will be felt this year. There’s a lot of youth but some good young play makers.

22. Miami Dolphins - They were one of the more consistent units from the midpoint on and should build on that this year. They’re a No. 2 D/ST that can fill in when your top D has a bye week.

23.Washington Redskins - The NFC East is a tough division to play in, but the Skins have play makers on D which will make them a solid fill in unit in 2012.

24. New Orleans Saints – Expect Steve Spaguolo’s scheme to improve this unit. They’re a waiver wire unit to start the year.

25. Tennessee Titans - The AFC South, outside of Houston, features below average offenses.