Things got heated between the New Orleans Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore and Bucs wide receiver Mike Evans were ejected from the game after a fight broke out among players from both teams.Evans pushed Lattimore after the defensive back and Tampa Bay quarterback Tom Brady exchanged words following an incomplete pass on third down.

The Jacksonville Jaguars still have the Indianapolis Colts' number.The Jaguars inflicted another embarrassing loss on their AFC South rivals Sunday, riding a dominant defensive display and a near-flawless performance from quarterback Trevor Lawrence to a 24-0 victory.Indianapolis quarterback Matt Ryan, meanwhile, threw three interceptions and was sacked five times.The Colts lost to the Jaguars in Week 18 last season to fall short of a playoff spot.More to come.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

New Orleans Saints quarterback Jameis Winston will play Sunday's game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with four fractures in his back, reports Jay Glazer of FOX Sports.There's no risk of further damage, Glazer adds. The 28-year-old will reportedly wear extra padding to protect the area.Winston was a limited participant at practice all week. The Saints listed him as questionable with a back injury in Friday's injury report.The 2015 first overall pick played every snap in last week's 27-26 victory over the Atlanta Falcons. He completed 67% of his passes for 269 yards and two touchdowns.Winston is in his third season with New Orleans. He started strong during the 2021 campaign with 14 touchdowns against three interceptions through the Saints' first seven games, but a November ACL tear ended his year prematurely.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara is inactive for Sunday's game versus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers due to a rib injury.Kamara was a non-participant at practice Thursday and Friday because of the ailment. He was a limited participant at Wednesday's practice.Kamara was quiet in Week 1, rushing for only 39 yards on nine carries, but has been a focal point of the Saints' offense for years. He received a career-high 240 carries last year, leading to 898 yards and four touchdowns on the ground. He also also caught 47 passes for 439 yards and five touchdowns.The Saints defeated the Atlanta Falcons with a comeback effort in Week 1, and will take on another divisional foe in the Buccaneers in Week 2. Tampa Bay is coming off a season-opening victory over the Dallas Cowboys.Bucs wide receiver Mike Evans is active for the contest despite a calf injury, though Julio Jones is inactive due to a knee issue.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find positional rankings, additional analysis, and subscribe to push notifications in the NFL Fantasy News section.theScore's Justin Boone was first overall in FantasyPros' Most Accurate Expert Competition in 2019 and finished among the top seven each of his last seven years in the contest. Follow the links below to see his rankings for Week 2.Half PPR

The tagline at the bottom of this article is supposed to be tongue-in-cheek but was proven true yet again when Travis Etienne, already over on his receiving yards, did this:

The Indianapolis Colts will be without another key starter in Week 2.Indianapolis has ruled out wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. for Sunday's game against the Jacksonville Jaguars due to a quad injury, the team announced Saturday.Pittman, the team's No. 1 pass-catcher, was initially listed as questionable after missing practice Thursday and Friday.The 24-year-old put on a show in his team's season-opening tie against the Houston Texans, catching nine passes for 121 yards and one touchdown. He led the Colts in targets (129), receptions (88), receiving yards (1,082), and touchdown catches (six) last year.Indianapolis had already ruled out All-Pro linebacker Shaquille Leonard and second-round rookie receiver Alec Pierce for Week 2 due to a back injury and a concussion, respectively. Pro Bowl defensive tackle DeForest Buckner is listed as questionable with a hip ailment.With Pittman and Pierce sidelined, Parris Campbell and Ashton Dulin will headline the Colts' wide receiver depth chart. Dulin caught three passes for 46 yards in Week 1, while Campbell had 37 yards on three receptions. Running back Nyheim Hines ranked second on the team with six catches and 50 yards against Houston.Indy also elevated wide receiver Keke Coutee and kicker Chase McLaughlin to the active roster from the practice squad. McLaughlin beat out Lucas Havrisik for the starting job after the Colts released Rodrigo Blankenship on Tuesday.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase offered a candid assessment of Dallas Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs ahead of their heavily anticipated Week 2 meeting."He's an athlete. He's got great ball skills in the air. He's super fast. He's not too much on technique-sound, though. You know what I'm saying? He's a little hit or miss. He's either all the way on or not on at all," Chase said Friday, per Mike Petraglia of CLNS Media.Sunday's matchup will be the first time Chase goes against Diggs since the two were in college. Chase, then at LSU, put up six catches, 140 yards, and one touchdown against Diggs and Alabama in a 2019 victory for the Tigers.Both players have become stars at their respective positions since going pro. Chase was named Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2021 after posting 81 receptions for a franchise-record 1,455 yards. Meanwhile, Diggs led the league with 11 interceptions last season, the most recorded by a player in a single season since 1981.Diggs ranked Chase among his top five receivers in the NFL earlier this summer.The Bengals and Cowboys are both searching for their first win of the 2022 campaign after each lost in Week 1.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert is day-to-day after suffering a fracture to his rib cartilage in Thursday's 27-24 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, head coach Brandon Staley announced Friday, according to ESPN's Lindsey Thiry.Herbert sustained the ailment late in the fourth quarter after taking a hit from Mike Danna. He was able to return to the game after missing one snap, but he was visibly in pain. The superstar passer finished the night with 334 yards and three touchdowns against one interception.The 24-year-old was taken for X-rays after the game and was seen with his left arm tight to his side. His X-rays were negative, according to NFL Network's Mike Garafolo."We got good news in terms of what the CT scan expressed. I think that is good news," Staley said Friday, according to USA Today's Tyler Dragon. "Playing quarterback, you don’t want it to be a fracture to the bones. The fact that it's cartilage is a good sign."Herbert, the 2020 Offensive Rookie of the Year, is off to a hot start to the 2022 season after completing 76% of his passes for 279 yards and three touchdowns in a Week 1 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders.The 1-1 Chargers host the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, Sept. 25.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find positional rankings, additional analysis, and subscribe to push notifications in the NFL Fantasy News section.Welcome to theScore Fantasy Football Podcast, hosted by Justin Boone.Find the show on iTunes, Spotify, Google, Stitcher, and Anchor.In this episode, Boone provides his thoughts on the Chargers-Chiefs Thursday night game and then goes over the notable injury updates heading into Week 2.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers ruled out wide receiver Chris Godwin for Sunday's game against the New Orleans Saints, according to Greg Auman of The Athletic.Left tackle Donovan Smith is listed as doubtful and is unlikely to play."Donovan will be close. It would be hard for him to make it, but we'll see," said head coach Todd Bowles, according to Auman. "Rest of the guys, we'll see on Sunday."Godwin and Smith suffered hamstring and elbow injuries, respectively, in Week 1. It was the wideout's first game since suffering a torn ACL and MCL in Week 15 last year.Both players were unable to practice during the week.Russell Gage will likely see expanded snaps alongside Mike Evans and Julio Jones with Godwin out.Meanwhile, Josh Wells is in line to fill in for Smith at left tackle.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Joe Burrow found the Super Bowl LVI atmosphere to be much more reserved than a typical playoff game.During a recent appearance on the "Colin Cowherd Podcast," the Cincinnati Bengals quarterback admitted he was caught off guard by the environment at SoFi Stadium."It felt like a dinner party, and we were the entertainment," Burrow said. "Because, I mean, you come off a road game in Kansas City, a road game in Tennessee, and then your first home win in the playoffs in 30-something years. And then you go to the Super Bowl, and it's more corporate."It just took a second to get used to. It didn't feel like a playoff football game. It was a weird feeling at the beginning, for sure."Super Bowl LVI tickets reached record price levels on the secondary market leading up to the game, at one point averaging $8,869.The Bengals, who made their first Super Bowl appearance since 1989, were defeated 23-20 by the hometown Los Angeles Rams.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Indianapolis Colts have ruled out linebacker Shaquille Leonard and rookie wide receiver Alec Pierce for Sunday's game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.Defensive lineman DeForest Buckner and wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. are listed as questionable.Leonard told reporters Thursday he was "feeling better than last week" but was noncommittal about playing Sunday. He had back surgery this offseason.Pierce, who started feeling concussion symptoms after the Colts' Week 1 game against the Houston Texans, couldn't clear the concussion protocol, according to Stephen Holder of ESPN.Pittman felt pain in his quad Wednesday, and the team doesn't know where the injury originated, Holder adds.Buckner, meanwhile, has a good chance of playing Sunday, according to Zak Keefer of The Athletic.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones wants to see more from star wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, who was limited to two catches and 29 yards in the 19-3 season-opening loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers."You got to play through being covered. You got to catch balls covered," Jones said Friday, according to Jon Machota of The Athletic. "You say, 'Well, that's a trite thing to say,' but you can't - just because they doubled you up - not make some plays."Lamb also voiced frustration over his performance against the Buccaneers but said it was hard to face Tampa Bay without having other high-profile receivers like Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup on the field with him."Having three No. 1s out there, it makes a difference," Lamb said, according to Michael Gehlken of The Dallas Morning News. "You got Coop on the outside, killing. You got MG in the slot, killing. And I'm killing it in the slot. It puts people in a funk. Now, when you have just me right now, it's easy."Lamb became the Cowboys' clear No. 1 wideout after the team traded four-time Pro Bowler Cooper to the Cleveland Browns in the offseason. The club also lost Cedrick Wilson to the Miami Dolphins in free agency.Cooper and Gallup each topped 1,000 receiving yards in 2019, the year before Dallas drafted Lamb in the first round.Gallup didn't play in Week 1 as he rehabs from a torn ACL. Head coach Mike McCarthy ruled him out for Sunday's game against the Cincinnati Bengals, according to Machota.Lamb added: "Throughout the game, I was so pissed. Like, 'What is going on?' I had to have a flashback: 'Yeah, you're going to get all the attention now. This is what they were talking about.'"Wide receiver Noah Brown and tight end Dalton Schultz posted team highs with 68 receiving yards and seven catches against the Bucs, respectively.Lamb, who received 11 targets in Week 1, led the Cowboys in targets (120) and receiving yards (1,102) last year, while Cooper topped the team with eight touchdown catches to go along with 104 targets.Lamb expects tough matchups against opposing defenses all year."When I'm on the outside, they're going to have someone buzz under me, and they're going to have a corner on top of me," Lamb said. "It's going to be hard for me to get the ball. When I'm in the slot, they're going to have someone touch me, regardless, to try to slow me down. It's a lot. ... I've got to control my emotions."The Cowboys' offense took a big hit after losing quarterback Dak Prescott to a hand injury. Cooper Rush will start under center versus the Bengals.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It's overreaction week in the NFL, but with a twist. Given all the upsets in Week 1, it's hard to overvalue so many winners that we didn't initially think too highly of.We swept the board against the spread and gave it all back with our best teaser, total, and moneyline shot in Week 1. Par for the course for someone who's made hay in ATS contests. As such, we'll let point spread value guide the picks in each format this week.Best bets ATSSaints +2.5The Buccaneers were missing a closing move in the red zone last week in Dallas. Rob Gronkowski isn't around anymore to catch passes and draw attention to create space for others. Mike Evans doesn't just lead a receiving corps on the field but also into the training room this week. Even if Tampa Bay was at full health, the Saints' defense has repeatedly proved it has some keys to slowing Tom Brady and Co., particularly in the regular season.It's not a secret that Cameron Jordan and Marcus Davenport rush from multiple angles, and a relatively new Tampa offensive line was better in run-blocking than pass-blocking against Dallas. However, the Saints have regularly been top-five against the run.The Bucs' defense is not to be trifled with, but the Saints have so many different options - both in personnel and scheme. Thanks to a good touchdown conversion rate in the red zone, they can find just enough points to knock off their division rival.Colts -3.5It's a bargain basement sale on the Indianapolis Colts after another disappointing season opener, but this line should be closer to the seven points they were favored by against the Texans last week because their 5.7 yards per play and 4.4 against suggests the line wasn't that wrong.Matt Ryan's group couldn't convert enough of their five red-zone trips last week, but if the Colts get the same amount this week, the Jaguars are in trouble. Shaq Leonard is likely to return as the centerpiece for Indy's defense, which makes everyone on that side of the ball better. Well aware of what happened in Week 18 last season, the Colts get revenge comfortably in a game where the price is lower than it should be because of an unfortunate history.Bills -9.5The line is under -10 as of this writing for the first time all week. The numbers bettors may have seen value on the Titans given it's been years since Tennessee was rated low enough to be a double-digit underdog to anyone. However, now that may be appropriate.The Bills just dealt with an All-Pro defensive tackle in Aaron Donald, and that game plan should be in place for Jeffery Simmons. In a raucous Monday Night Football atmosphere in Buffalo, I expect Tennessee's offense to sputter, unable to keep up with Josh Allen and the well-rested Bills.Moneyline upset of the weekOur defined parameter for this section is underdogs paying at least +150.Cardinals (+190)It's starting to slowly correct down toward a field goal, but the peak 6-point spread for this game was always too high, and it had an inflated moneyline to go with it. Kyler Murray should be able to move the ball against the Raiders' defense, and if the Cardinals' defense gets any healthier, it can hold up just enough to make this a back-and-forth affair. At that point, one bounce going the Cardinals' way could be the difference in scoring Arizona the upset.Best total betFalcons/Rams under 47 (-110)Whether it's taking the under or the Falcons (+10.5), the handicap is the same. Atlanta works its ground game to run the clock and shorten the contest. That might not translate to touchdowns, but field goals will keep the Falcons within the number without threatening the over.The Rams' offense is lacking high-end talent outside of Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp right now. Depending on how the Falcons play it, they have an excellent corner in A.J. Terrell to follow Kupp. A strategy of not blitzing Stafford and focusing on Kupp can force L.A. into a more methodical approach that will assist in slowing the pace as well.Best 6-point teaserSteelers +8.5 / Panthers +8 (-120)I can take or leave the spread in the Patriots-Steelers game, but I'll dare New England's offense to generate enough points to win by more than a score.As for the Panthers, if a made 58-yard field goal was missed in Charlotte and a missed 47-yard field goal was made in Nashville, we're probably looking at Carolina being the favorite in its game with the Giants. Instead, we're getting two points that we could take on their own or bump up to +8 in what has to be valuable in a two-team six-point teaser.Matt Russell is a betting writer for theScore. If there’s a bad beat to be had, Matt will find it. Find him on Twitter @mrussauthentic.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Fifty-six percent.In Week 1, roughly 56% of survivor pool competitors were knocked out. We knew that week's slate was going to be a problem. All we could do was hope for the best.Our "Path A" pick - the Ravens - helped us survive, but the 49ers brought an early end to "Path B." With one entry moving on, we still have to play strategically to last through 18 weeks.Every week until we get knocked out, we'll map our remaining path to make it to the end of the season. As long as we have an entry standing, we'll use the moneylines for our picks to show the odds of making it the distance. Once we're out, though, we're out.While we could provide a series of theoretical rules to follow - like "never take a road team" - a club's likelihood of winning each game is reflected in its moneyline. We can easily translate that into an implied win probability, listed in descending order in the chart below.Week 2 moneylinesGAMEMONEYLINEIWPRams (vs. ATL)-60085.7%Broncos (vs. HOU)-55084.6%Packers (vs. CHI)-50083.3%Bills (vs. TEN)-50083.3%49ers (vs. SEA)-42581%Bengals (vs. DAL)-35077.8%Browns (vs. NYJ)-30075%Raiders (vs. ARI)-22068.8%Chiefs (vs. LAC)-20066.7%Ravens (vs. MIA)-19065.5%Colts (@ JAX)-19065.5%Buccaneers (vs. NO)-14559.2%Eagles (vs. MIN)-13557.4%Patriots (vs. PIT)-13056.5%Giants (vs. CAR)-12555.6%Lions (vs. WSH)-12054.5%Many underdogs won outright in Week 1, which might suggest there aren't as many bad teams as we've had the last few years. That's terrifying for survivor players. Four of the five biggest underdogs above won last week, and the fourth was favored by almost a touchdown. Parity is fun, but it's also scary.Survivor PathWEEKUSEDMONEYLINEBET1Ravens-300+.33We didn't fear the Ravens on the road because their environment wasn't as daunting as the other big traveling favorites. The 49ers had to deal with peak Soldier Field sloppiness, while the Broncos and Russell Wilson had to play in the Seahawks' personal Super Bowl. At -300, you could've thrown a unit down on Baltimore and had 1.33 units to roll over on our Week 2 pick.With so many double-digit favorites on the board, this week's pick may be controversial, but it shines a light on our strategy.To make it to the end of the season, you'll have to rely on 18 teams. At some point, whether it's in Week 17 or Week 2, you need to use the NFL's 18th-best team.This week's question: Are the Cleveland Browns a top-18 club?If you trust 18 teams more than Cleveland, go ahead and select another team. But if the Browns are in your top 18, now is the time to use them. A home game against the Jets is the best matchup they'll have all season, even with Deshaun Watson returning for a road contest against the Texans.You already know there are teams that are more likely to win this week - that list can be found above. However, you can take those clubs at numerous other times this season. The Browns were assigned a win total of eight before the campaign, which suggests it's viable to use them at some point. Doing so now means a future week where we can use a better team.If the Jets can get a rare road win against a quality roster, then we'll tip our cap. However, if Cleveland survives, we'll have burned a back-end top-18 team early and differentiated ourselves from the dozens, hundreds, or thousands of other contestants in a competition designed to have a singular winner.Pick: BrownsMatt Russell is a betting writer for theScore. If there’s a bad beat to be had, Matt will find it. Find him on Twitter @mrussauthentic.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Patrick Mahomes made several signature otherworldly plays to help guide the Kansas City Chiefs to a comeback win Thursday night over the Los Angeles Chargers, but the quarterback also came close to throwing multiple interceptions.Mahomes admitted postgame that he was lucky not to turn the ball over."First off, I'm living right," Mahomes said, according to NFL.com's Kevin Patra. "Because I had a couple interceptions that didn't get called with flags - because there were flags - and then that one got overturned when it hit the ground."The former MVP's most controversial near-interception came midway through the third quarter.With the Chiefs down 17-7, Chargers cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. undercut a route but struggled to control the ball as he went to the ground. Officials overturned the play to an incomplete pass after initially ruling it an interception, and Mahomes cut the deficit to three points later in the drive with a deep touchdown pass to Justin Watson.

SSSQ is a weekly look at under-appreciated fantasy players to consider starting and potential busts you should leave on your bench. We also identify breakout candidates to stash on your roster and players you can safely cut.For the rest of your lineup decisions, consult our Week 2 rankings. You can also listen to the Week 2 preview episode of theScore Fantasy Football Podcast.StartDerek Carr, Raidersvs. Cardinals Ethan Miller / Getty Images Sport / GettyEven with Davante Adams accounting for 10 catches, 141 yards, and a touchdown in his Raiders' debut, Carr still had a subpar fantasy line against an ascending Chargers defense.Fortunately for him, he returns home to face a banged-up Cardinals team with one of the worst cornerback depth charts in the league. Arizona was helpless against Patrick Mahomes in Week 1, allowing the Chiefs QB to throw for 360 yards and five touchdowns en route to an easy win.Carr should have no problem posting low-end QB1 numbers this week.Boone's projection: 324 passing yards, 3 passing TDs, 9 rushing yardsOther QBs to start

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Cooper Rush is feeling confident ahead of his second career start in Week 2 against the Cincinnati Bengals.The 28-year-old is starting under center after starter Dak Prescott suffered a thumb injury late in Dallas' season-opening 19-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.Rush said he believes that he has the locker room's support and the team is set to turn their fortunes around."I think it's more about the teammates," Rush said, according to ESPN's Todd Archer. "They have my respect. I think they respect me. I think we've got a good group. I think we're ready to roll."Rush led the Cowboys to a 20-16 victory against the Minnesota Vikings in his first career start last season. He threw for 325 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception with a 60% completion rate.As he prepares to start for an extended period, Rush said he understands that the Cowboys are attempting to put a poor showing behind them and avoid going 0-2."We have a bad taste in our mouth after losing a game," Rush said. "You can't wait to get back out there the next week. We were 0-1 last year, too, though. This is the first step."Star receiver CeeDee Lamb highlighted Rush's experience in the offense and familiarity with the personnel as an asset moving forward."We know how he maneuvers, we know what he likes," Lamb said.Sunday's game will mark just the 13th contest Dallas has played without Prescott since drafting him in 2016. The Cowboys sport a 5-7 record in those games.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Seattle Seahawks safety Jamal Adams will undergo season-ending surgery to repair a torn quadriceps tendon, sources told Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.Adams was hurt while trying to sack Russell Wilson in Monday's win over the Denver Broncos. Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll said postgame that the team feared the defensive back had suffered a significant injury.

Find positional rankings, additional analysis, and subscribe to push notifications in the NFL Fantasy News section.theScore's Justin Boone was first overall in FantasyPros' Most Accurate Expert Competition in 2019 and finished among the top seven each of his last seven years in the contest. Follow the links below to see his rankings for Week 2.The final rankings will be released Sunday morning.Half PPR

Find positional rankings, additional analysis, and subscribe to push notifications in the NFL Fantasy News section.Welcome to theScore Fantasy Football Podcast, hosted by Justin Boone.Find the show on iTunes, Spotify, Google, Stitcher, and Anchor.In this episode, Boone discusses his Week 1 takeaways for every NFC team and gives his thoughts on the Seahawks' surprising win over the Broncos.

Find positional rankings, additional analysis, and subscribe to push notifications in the NFL Fantasy News section.theScore's Justin Boone was first overall in FantasyPros' Most Accurate Expert Competition in 2019 and finished among the top seven each of his last seven years in the contest. Follow the links below to see his rankings for Week 2.Updated rankings (including Standard and PPR) will be released Thursday, with the final version coming down Sunday morning.Half PPR

Find positional rankings, additional analysis, and subscribe to push notifications in the NFL Fantasy News section.In an effort to help you find trades that could improve your fantasy team, we present the Trade Value Chart.You can use this chart to compare players and build realistic trade offers. Values are based on 12-team leagues.Follow the links below to see the trade values and rest of season rankings for each position.Trade Values

Find positional rankings, additional analysis, and subscribe to push notifications in the NFL Fantasy News section.Welcome to theScore Fantasy Football Podcast, hosted by Justin Boone.Find the show on iTunes, Spotify, Google, Stitcher, and Anchor.In this episode, Jeff Ratcliffe of FTN joins Boone to discuss the biggest fantasy questions heading into Week 2.

Last season, we rock and rolled our way to the Super Bowl with music-themed Thursday night player props, joyfully celebrating the start of a new NFL week. This year, we'll use an episode from "Must See TV" cornerstone "Seinfeld" each week to remind us that betting is supposed to be fun, even when an absurd series of events leads to a losing bet."Why don't we just saw each other in half and call it a night, OK?"In Jerry's stand-up bit at the end of the second episode of the 90s sitcom, he describes how exes who become friends know each other's secrets like two magicians trying to entertain each other. Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert might as well be those illusionists, and they'll try to outdo each other with on-field sorcery on the big stage Thursday night. Both should trade tricks with help from a cast of assistants in a highly entertaining contest."The Stake Out""Simon, Bennett, Robbins, Oppenheim, and Taft" may not be offensive weapons for the Chargers, but "Ekeler, Kelley, Michel, Palmer, and Horvath" are certainly reliable representatives. While Herbert spread the ball around to 11 different receivers last week, he also handed it off to his representatives, showing just how many targets the high-powered offense has.A second-half lead allowed Austin Ekeler to get 14 carries overall, but a game against the Chiefs likely has a different script. In his two meetings with Kansas City last season, Ekeler had 11 and 12 carries.Since the Chiefs' defensive line is much better than it's been in recent years, the Chargers will likely go to the air, which will also allow them to take advantage of K.C. starting a seventh-round rookie cornerback. Ekeler's receiving ability will keep him dangerous, albeit not via the ground.Pick: Austin Ekeler under 12.5 rush attempts (-115)A TD that's definitely going to happenIn "The Stake Out," George asserts that he can pretend to be an architect for the first time in what would become a recurring gag. Depending on the game, Mike Williams can play the role of No. 1 receiver well, and he doesn't need a fancy fake name like Art Vandelay.Williams had nine targets in each game against the Chiefs last year but only had big stats in one of the contests. Keenan Allen will miss Thursday's game, so his double-digit targets and red-zone reliability have to go somewhere. With Trent McDuffie already on the injured reserve, the Chiefs' secondary might be thin enough for Williams to be the George to Herbert's Jerry, helping him score points in dangerous territory.At better than even-money for a 50-50 shot, we'll back the big end-zone target to haul one in for the type of big score that Jerry's mom went for in their Scrabble game. If he doesn't come through, we'll need someone to comfort and "quone" us.Pick: Mike Williams anytime touchdown (+120)A TD that probably won't happen ... but maybe it doesDuring a chance meeting at a party that he wasn't supposed to attend, Jerry learns just enough information about a woman he speaks with to later secure a date. While I probably shouldn't have been watching the Chiefs' preseason game with the Commanders, I gleaned enough to know that K.C. has high hopes for receiver-turned-tight end Jody Fortson.Fortson had two touchdowns on that mid-August afternoon and then scored in Week 1 against the Cardinals. With one more score, the red-zone threat will no longer be available at 5-1 or better. We'll bet that he gets at least a target in the paint and hope he hauls it in for a decent payout.Pick: Jody Fortson (+500)How to bet: The first two bets should be single-unit wagers - to win a unit on minus prices and more than a unit on a plus-money bet. The last wager should be smaller, trying to win back your standard unit size.Matt Russell is a betting writer for theScore. If there’s a bad beat to be had, Matt will find it. Find him on Twitter @mrussauthentic.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

theScore football editors Jack Browne, Caio Miari, Daniel Valente, and Dan Wilkins make their weekly predictions for every game on the NFL calendar.Last weekBrowneMiariValenteWilkins7-8-111-4-19-6-111-4-1Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

This is, fundamentally, an exercise in value. As painful as it is to see the Falcons blow a 16-point lead and the Texans' 17-point lead evaporate to a tie that at least salvaged a break-even bet, it serves as a reminder of what those close calls mean. If something priced higher than 66% becomes a coin-flip game (or better) late, then we've gotten good value on our bets regardless of the outcome. (This was certainly the case last week when we went 4-1 against the spread.)This week's slate is much different from Week 1, where more on-paper mismatches occur with the favorite at home, resulting in a handful of double-digit underdogs. With the usual collection of games lined under a field goal as well, there's less to choose from in that sweet spot of carnage: the vulnerable touchdown favorite.How it worksWe parlay five underdogs together - whom we like against the spread - in 10 different three-team parlays. Using every combination of a three-team parlay is called a round robin, so we're going to use a total of 1.1 units to make 11 different bets: 10 three-team parlays and one five-team parlay, each for .1 units. You'll likely double your money if three teams pull off the upset. If four teams win, you're connecting on four separate parlays and will be very pleased with the return. If all five teams win, as they did for us in Week 1 last season, you'll be diving into a gold doubloon silo like a young Scrooge McDuck.Who to playChargers +170Why not start the week off with a bang? The Chiefs are getting a little extra credit for destroying a playoff team on the road last week, but the aggressive line move from -3 to as high as -6.5 against the Cardinals was more about the market's distaste for Arizona leading up to the season. Now, the Chiefs have moved to -4 against the Chargers based on two things:

New York Giants wide receiver Kadarius Toney isn't upset that he wasn't much of a factor in his team's 21-20 win over the Tennessee Titans in Week 1."Disappointed in victory? Disappointed in a victory?" he said, according to ESPN's Jordan Raanan. "That sounds crazy."The second-year wideout played just seven snaps on offense last Sunday. He finished the game with 23 rushing yards on two carries.Toney said he's unsure why he didn't see a larger role but plans to work hard for when his number is called."I get paid to play, not coach," he said. "At the end of the day, I have to prepare as if I was going and playing every play."The Giants didn't focus on Toney despite losing receiver Wan'Dale Robinson to a knee injury in the second quarter.Head coach Brian Daboll said Toney was part of several specific packages that New York didn't get to in the game.Toney joined the Giants with heightened expectations after being selected 20th overall in the 2021 NFL Draft. He racked up 420 receiving yards in his rookie campaign but has yet to score a touchdown.Toney will have to prove he deserves a longer look on the field behind a receiving corps that features Kenny Golladay, Sterling Shepard, and Richie James.Numerous injuries marred Toney's 2021 season, including testing positive for COVID-19 twice and leaving practice after wearing the wrong-sized cleats. Knee surgery this past spring knocked the Florida product out of offseason workouts. A hamstring injury also forced him to miss time during training camp.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Denver Broncos placed safety Justin Simmons on injured reserve with a quad injury, the team announced Wednesday.The move will sideline Simmons for at least four games. He'll be eligible to return for Denver's Week 6 game against the Los Angeles Chargers.Simmons sustained the ailment in the second half of the Broncos' 17-16 loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Monday night but finished the game.The two-time All-Pro enjoyed a solid performance in Week 1, racking up nine tackles and one fumble recovery while playing all of Denver's defensive snaps.The star defensive back has started every game for the Broncos over the last four seasons.Simmons has been an integral part of Denver's secondary since entering the NFL as a third-round pick in 2016, averaging 88 tackles, nine pass breakups, and four interceptions per 17 games played throughout his career.The Broncos, who have one of the league's top safety duos in Simmons and Kareem Jackson, also roster Caden Sterns and P.J. Locke at the position."It's hard to replace a guy like Justin Simmons," Jackson said Wednesday, according to Zac Stevens of DNVR.The Broncos are signing veteran safety Anthony Harris to their practice squad, according to Ryan O'Halloran of The Denver Post. The 30-year-old Harris started 14 games with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2021, amassing 72 tackles and one interception.Denver will host the Houston Texans on Sunday.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Los Angeles Chargers confirmed Wednesday that wide receiver Keenan Allen won't play Thursday night against the Kansas City Chiefs due to a hamstring injury.Allen suffered the ailment in the Chargers' season opener last Sunday. Team officials are optimistic following tests that the injury isn't serious, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.DeAndre Carter replaced Allen on Sunday and contributed three catches for 64 yards and a touchdown.Allen has spent his entire nine-year career with the Chargers. The five-time Pro Bowler signed a four-year, $80.1-million extension with the team in 2020.Los Angeles also listed tight end Donald Parham out for Thursday, while cornerback J.C. Jackson is questionable.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

There's a theory that you should never tease in Week 1 because there's so much uncertainty for a bet that relies on an accurate point spread. On Sunday, the final scores were just over nine points off of their closing point spreads on average. As a result, the six-point teasers in Week 1 were unsuccessful due in large part to upsets by the Steelers, Bears, Giants, and Seahawks, as well as a tie by the Texans. In order to make your -270 teaser legs valuable, you need to win 75% of the time.Some games don't have a teaser-worthy point spread. For example, the Chiefs are 3.5-point favorites at home to the Chargers on Thursday. Teasing Kansas City would see the spread go through zero, which is wasting valuable price points around the improbable chance of a tie. Teasing Los Angeles up to +9.5 would get the key numbers to around a touchdown, but you're already winning on a 3-point margin at a -110 price. Getting those numbers over a long sample size isn't worth the price hike.Let's use the 7.5-point spread in Bengals-Cowboys - the game with the biggest shift in its projected line - as an example of how teasing a contest can be valuable.ALT. SPREADODDSCIN -6.5-145CIN -5.5-175CIN -4.5-188CIN -3.5-210CIN -2.5-315CIN -1.5-325You can see how the pricing significantly jumps once you move across the key number of 3 - showing the importance of capturing that number in NFL betting. But more importantly, the Bengals' alternative spread (-1.5) is priced at -325, which is obviously a much larger price to pay than getting CIN -1.5 with our teaser leg at -270.To get a good deal on the Bengals (-1.5), we must pair them with something else and win both to cash the ticket. Fortunately, we can choose that other leg from our weekly "teaser basket" using what we know about key numbers.Teaser basketLet's look at the mathematically optimal plays available for Week 2:TEAMSPREADTEASER LEGCommanders+2+8Steelers+2.5+8.5Panthers+2.5+8.5Bengals-7.5-1.5Vikings+2.5+8.5Unlike last week, there are four games that have point spreads hovering around double digits. Since we can't tease those teams under a field goal, they're not worth moving. The Browns and Raiders are 6-point favorites, but a teaser down to pick'em creates a moneyline bet at -270. That's a worse price than the -240 or -250 that's widely available on those teams' moneylines.What's left is two-way traffic that moves the line across -3, -6, -7, and -8. The Commanders, Steelers, Panthers, and Vikings should expect to be in close games, so taking those teams to stay within a score is valuable. Meanwhile, the aforementioned Bengals can be taken down under a field goal.With totals in the low 40s, the Steelers as home underdogs and the Panthers on the road against the potentially overvalued Giants are probably the safest bets. They can be paired in games unlikely to have big margins.Matt Russell is a betting writer for theScore. If there's a bad beat to be had, Matt will find it. Find him on Twitter @mrussauthentic.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mitchell Trubisky wants his offense to change its mindset in Week 2 against the New England Patriots after its struggles in the season opener."When your defense is playing that well and they're getting turnovers, you just want to take care of the football. But we've got to have that killer mindset, that aggressive mentality to really take teams out of the game and just not allow them to keep it close," Trubisky said Wednesday, according to ESPN's Brooke Pryor.The Steelers' defense put on a show in Week 1 versus the Cincinnati Bengals, intercepting Joe Burrow four times and amassing seven sacks. Despite losing the turnover battle 5-0, the Bengals still had multiple opportunities to win the game. They missed an extra point with two seconds left in the fourth quarter with the contest tied 20-20 and a 29-yard field goal in overtime.Steelers kicker Chris Boswell, who also missed a field goal in the final frame, drilled the game-winner from 53 yards as the clock expired to give Pittsburgh a 23-20 victory.Cincinnati outgained Pittsburgh 32-13 in first downs and 432-267 in total yards."When our defense gets turnovers, we need to turn those into points," Trubisky said. "That's my mindset. And that's what we're thinking about when we get the ball taken away - we've got to turn it into touchdowns and not just field goals."Trubisky completed 21 of 38 pass attempts for 194 yards and one touchdown in his Steelers debut. Only four of Pittsburgh's passing plays gained more than 10 yards, according to Chris Adamski of TribLIVE.com.The Steelers also struggled to move the ball on the ground, rushing for only 75 yards on 22 carries.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

A lot happened in Week 1 of the NFL season - and for every two things we were ready for, there was an unexpected occurrence. The season-long props and futures markets have been shuffled up, and after going over the oddsboard, there are a few bets worth adding based on even the smallest of lessons we've learnt from the first week.Saints to win NFC South (+300)When we looked at the divisional odds in our pair of "Pass or Play" pieces to start the season, we stopped just short of grabbing a team other than the Buccaneers in the NFC South. We needed to see the Saints - particularly their offense - before we were willing to back them to get back on top of the division.As expected, the group started slowly Sunday, but Jameis Winston played well, avoiding turnovers and showing incredible chemistry in the red zone with Michael Thomas - who appears back healthy. New addition Jarvis Landry had a big game, and first-round pick Chris Olave chipped in with 41 yards and a two-point conversion. That's before mentioning the 8.35 yards per carry New Orleans got from Alvin Kamara, Mark Ingram, and Taysom Hill.The Saints struggled against the Falcons' multi-dimensional run game, but that's a tricky matchup to prepare for in Week 1 without much film on how Atlanta would deploy Marcus Mariota and Cordarrelle Patterson. New Orleans pulled out a victory from down 16 points and can get a leg up this weekend with the Bucs coming to town. Now's the time to buy the Saints.Defensive Player of the Year: Devin White (+5000)Through three quarters, I was ready to hand another Defensive Player of the Year award to T.J. Watt, who caused havoc and led the way for a Steelers defense that tormented the Bengals. Then Watt tore his pectoral, dashing his hopes for back-to-back awards given how much time he'll miss. With one of the favorites out of contention, the DPOY race is a little more open.The Buccaneers' defense accentuated the Cowboys' offensive troubles Sunday night, and White's a big enough name to get some attention if Tampa's defense dominates this season. Vita Vea and Akiem Hicks are consuming blockers, opening things up for White. The Bucs linebacker sacked Dak Prescott twice, suggesting he'll have more opportunities for counting stats to go along with the reverence football experts have for his side-to-side coverage of the field. At 50-1, 10-plus sacks and 150 tackles are in play, which makes this a shot worth taking to replace Watt in your DPOY portfolio.Most receiving yards: Justin Jefferson (+600)We already covered Jefferson before the season - which is more than we can say for what the Packers did Sunday - in our best bets to lead the league in receiving yards. The hope was that Kevin O'Connell's offense would get him open even more this season, and at +750, we were willing to bet on that uncertainty.Two things occurred Sunday:

How would history remember Matt Ryan if the Atlanta Falcons didn't blow that 28-3 lead?Ryan was the league's MVP in 2016 and maintained that form in Super Bowl LI, when he threw touchdowns on either side of halftime to push Tom Brady's New England Patriots to the brink of embarrassment. A six-yard swing pass to Tevin Coleman gave Atlanta its 25-point edge midway through the third quarter. Ryan raced to mob Coleman in the end zone, justifiably thrilled.Everyone knows disaster ensued. After the Coleman score, the Falcons punted three times, Ryan lost a fumble while being sacked, and Brady authored TD drives of 75, 25, 91, and 75 yards. New England's 34-28 overtime victory sealed the largest comeback in Super Bowl history and secured the fifth of Brady's seven rings. Like Ryan, the Falcons still own zero. Icon Sportswire / Getty ImagesThat's in the past for Ryan, now a 15-year veteran who's embracing fresh challenges at age 37. The Indianapolis Colts swapped a third-round draft pick to acquire him in March, leveling up in an attempt to edge the Tennessee Titans for AFC South supremacy. Few offseason additions were splashier.Milestones were in reach for Ryan when Indianapolis traded for him. He debuted for his new team on the same afternoon that he joined historic company.By throwing for 352 yards on Sunday as the Colts rallied to tie the Houston Texans, Ryan became the eighth passer ever to eclipse 60,000 career yards. Only Drew Brees reached the benchmark in fewer games.The same 10 quarterbacks top the all-time leaderboard for passing touchdowns. Aaron Rodgers vaults Ryan in that category, but the Colts QB is 32 TD throws away from slinging his 400th. Ryan averaged 25.4 TDs in the five seasons that followed his MVP campaign, so it may not happen this year.By these standards, Ryan is the NFL's third-most productive quarterback to never win a Super Bowl. Time is running short for him to overtake Philip Rivers and Dan Marino - or to win a ring before he retires.Once a Heisman Trophy contender at Boston College, Ryan won the 2007 Johnny Unitas and Manning awards as the NCAA's top quarterback. The Falcons picked him third overall in 2008, tapping Ryan as the face of the franchise while Michael Vick was imprisoned for dogfighting.Ryan started immediately and proceeded to dominate his draft class in weighted career approximate value, as tracked by Pro Football Reference. He led Atlanta to three division titles and six playoff trips in 14 seasons. Todd Kirkland / Getty ImagesHis chemistry with Julio Jones and Roddy White - those All-Pro wideouts caught 111 (30.2%) of Ryan's TD passes in Atlanta - compensated for some roster holes. Atlanta was a top-10 scoring team in six seasons during the Ryan era but finished in the bottom 10 in points allowed just as many times. The NFL-best offense he guided to Super Bowl LI was undercut by a defense that ranked 19th in DVOA, per Football Outsiders.Ryan was a decent playoff performer in Atlanta. His passer rating (100.8), completion percentage (67.5%), and adjusted net yards per attempt (6.92) are better than his regular-season career averages, if not the scorching stats he put up at his peak.At least he lost to worthy opponents. The five NFC teams that bounced Ryan from the playoffs all reached the Super Bowl. Three of them won it.Moving on from Atlanta could enliven Ryan. While the Falcons rebuild, he gets the chance to finish atop what's supposed to be a weak division - Indianapolis faces the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 2 and Week 6, plus Houston again in Week 18. He also has the opportunity to stabilize his new offense. Ryan is the Colts' fifth starting QB in five seasons, stepping into the void that Andrew Luck created by retiring and that Jacoby Brissett, Rivers, and Carson Wentz didn't fill for long.He inherits young playmakers who broke out in 2021. Michael Pittman Jr. cleared 1,000 receiving yards on 88 catches, while Jonathan Taylor led the league with 1,811 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns. Both players scored Sunday while accounting for 296 total yards from scrimmage.Meanwhile, when The Ringer's Steven Ruiz rated Ryan the league's 12th-best QB recently, he exalted Ryan's wisdom and steadiness: "(He's) that old dude getting buckets at a YMCA pickup game - only he's a good NFL quarterback.""He's like gravity," Sam Ehlinger, the Colts' third-string QB, said about Ryan ahead of the season to The Athletic's Zak Keefer. "He's the centerpiece that holds everything together." Carmen Mandato / Getty ImagesIs he a Hall of Famer? Ryan's longevity enhances his case, and he benefits from this era's emphasis on passing.He's thrown more than twice as many balls (8,053) as Bart Starr, Joe Namath, Roger Staubach, and Terry Bradshaw, Hall of Fame QBs who combined for a dozen NFL titles in bygone decades. Dan Fouts, the Canton honoree who helmed the freewheeling Air Coryell offense through the '70s and '80s, attempted about five fewer passes per game than Ryan.Empowered to air it out, Ryan, Rivers, and Ben Roethlisberger have compiled the numbers to merit gold jackets, according to Pro Football Reference's Hall of Fame Monitor.This season is his immediate concern, though. Ryan entered Year 15 wanting to reaffirm that he can win, telling reporters before the Houston game, "My motivation is as strong as it's ever been." He threw a pick Sunday and lost one of his four fumbles as the Colts dug a deep deficit, but Ryan hit Pittman on the late curl route that the receiver housed to tie the score.Ryan raced to the end zone to mob Pittman, justifiably relieved.Nick Faris is a features writer at theScore.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said the Arizona Cardinals' turf was a factor in the injuries that Chiefs rookie cornerback Trent McDuffie and kicker Harrison Butker suffered Sunday.Reid described State Farm Stadium's turf as "a little bit loose" after the Cardinals had resodded it."It was part of the Butker injury and McDuffie injury," Reid said Tuesday, according to ESPN's Adam Teicher. He added, "The turf picked up and I would tell you that that did have something to do with it. If it didn't, I would tell you that, too. So it's not an excuse by any means, but I mean, you all can see it. Watch the tape."The Cardinals later pushed back at Reid's comments."The entire field was replaced on Monday, August 22nd - the day after the last home preseason game vs. Baltimore - so it had it almost three full weeks before the Week 1 game vs. Kansas City," team spokesman Mark Dalton told Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio."That’s more than enough time for the Tifway Bermuda 419 hybrid sod to take root," he continued, "especially in 109 degrees and abundant sunshine.”Butker injured his ankle in the contest, forcing the Chiefs to use safety Justin Reid as their kicker. He made one of his two extra-point attempts in the 44-21 win. Kansas City signed Matt Ammendola to the practice squad as insurance if Butker is unable to play Thursday against the Los Angeles Chargers.Meanwhile, McDuffie will miss at least the next four games after landing on injured reserve with a hamstring ailment.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Denver Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett changed his tune on the decision to attempt a long field goal instead of going for it on fourth down in Monday's 17-16 loss to the Seattle Seahawks."Looking back at it, we definitely should have gone for it," Hackett said Tuesday.He added: "One of those things, you look back at it, (and) you say 'Of course, we should go for it, we missed the field goal.' But, in that situation, we had a plan. We knew (the 46-yard line) was the mark."Hackett drew criticism after he opted for kicker Brandon McManus to attempt a potential game-winning 64-yard field goal on fourth-and-5 instead of keeping Russell Wilson and the offense on the field. Denver also allowed time to run following a third-down reception by Javonte Williams before Wilson called a timeout just before the play clock expired.The first-year head coach added that there's no excuse for allowing the clock to drain, according to Zac Stevens of DNVR. He also explained that there are many people involved in the decision to attempt a field goal, but that responsibility belongs to him."In the end, it lies on me. I made the decision," Hackett said.Hackett said following the game Monday that they opted for the field-goal attempt because it was in McManus' range.Wilson, who was making his Broncos debut in the prime-time contest, also came to his coach's aid, telling reporters postgame that he didn't believe it was "the wrong decision."Acquired from the Seahawks in an offseason trade, the nine-time Pro Bowl quarterback received a cold response in his return to Seattle. He threw for 340 yards with one touchdown and zero interceptions.Hackett and the Broncos will now turn their focus to a Week 2 matchup against the Houston Texans."I've already moved on forward," Hackett said, per Brandon Krisztal of KOA Colorado. "We've already started game planning; we've got to get to next week."Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Indianapolis Colts waived kicker Rodrigo Blankenship after he missed a potential game-winning 42-yard field goal in overtime against the Houston Texans in Week 1 on Sunday, the team announced Tuesday.The Colts ultimately settled for a 20-20 tie against their AFC South rivals after erasing a 17-point deficit in the fourth quarter.Blankenship also sent two fourth-quarter kickoffs out of bounds to give Houston prime field position.Indianapolis signed kickers Chase McLaughlin and Lucas Havrisik to its practice squad. It plans to elevate one of them to the active roster for Sunday's Week 2 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, a source told Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.McLaughlin played four games for the Colts in 2019, hitting five of his six field-goal tries. He spent the 2021 season with the Cleveland Browns. Havrisik participated in Indianapolis' rookie camp.Blankenship, 25, has struggled after a strong rookie season in 2020, making just 76.5% of his field-goal attempts over the past two campaigns.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Pittsburgh Steelers pass-rusher T.J. Watt's pectoral injury is not believed to be season-ending and he will not require surgery, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero report.Watt, who is still gathering additional opinions, could return before the end of October, Pelissero adds. He tore a pectoral muscle but did not tear the tendon, according to Rapoport, and the injury needs about six weeks of rehab.On Tuesday, Watt appeared to confirm via Twitter that he'll return this season.

theScore's NFL Power Rankings take a weekly spin around the league to assess where every team stands.1. Buffalo Bills (1-0) Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyPrevious rank: 1After Week 1, no one can say that the Bills didn’t put the NFL on notice. By humiliating the reigning Super Bowl champion Rams on the road, Buffalo has sent a warning shot to the rest of the league.2. Los Angeles Chargers (1-0)Previous rank: 2The Chargers struck first in an early battle of AFC West heavyweights with a victory against the Raiders. Justin Herbert did Herbert-like things with his three touchdown passes before offseason acquisition Khalil Mack put the game on ice with a fourth-down strip sack.3. Kansas City Chiefs (1-0)Previous rank: 3Does the Chiefs’ offense miss Tyreek Hill? If it does, it was hard to tell after Patrick Mahomes threw for 360 yards and five touchdown passes in an absolute beatdown of the Cardinals.4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-0)Previous rank: 4A convincing win over the Cowboys should put to rest any questions about whether Tom Brady's mysterious vacation from training camp would negatively impact the Bucs. A Brady-led team is inevitable. Them's the rules.5. Baltimore Ravens (1-0) Mitchell Leff / Getty Images Sport / GettyPrevious rank: 7Just days after failing to come to an agreement on a contract extension, Lamar Jackson put on a show for the entire NFL landscape to see. Rashod Bateman's and Devin Duvernay's performances should also inspire confidence in the Ravens’ receiving corps.6. Los Angeles Rams (0-1)Previous rank: 5The Rams slide a bit after a terrible showing to kick off the season, but we can't knock the defending champs too much. Here's to assuming they'll look much better this week when they're not facing the juggernaut Bills.7. Philadelphia Eagles (1-0)Previous rank: 8There was a lot to like about Philly's season-opening win over the Lions, including the way the offense is taking shape with A.J. Brown in the mix. If the defense can play closer to its talent level, this ranking might be the floor for the Eagles.8. Green Bay Packers (0-1)Previous rank: 6Make it two years in a row for the Packers opening the campaign with an absolute dud. We'll give Aaron Rodgers and Co. every opportunity to bounce back, but it's tough not to be extremely concerned by his receiving corps.9. Cincinnati Bengals (0-1)Previous rank: 9The Bengals could chalk up their Week 1 gong show to a Super Bowl hangover after a disastrous performance from Joe Burrow and the offensive line. Thankfully, they should be able to recover quickly with matchups against the Cowboys and Jets on the horizon.10. Minnesota Vikings (1-0) Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyPrevious rank: 15A win over the Packers doesn't mean the Vikings get ranked higher than their division rivals - as we try not to overreact to Week 1 - but they're on the rise nonetheless. Justin Jefferson may be the best playmaker in football.11. Las Vegas Raiders (0-1)Previous rank: 11The good news? Davante Adams looked well worth his price tag in his first game donning silver and black. The bad news? It still wasn’t enough to overcome Derek Carr’s three picks in a tight loss to the Chargers.12. Miami Dolphins (1-0)Previous rank: 17Mike McDaniel earned a victory in his head coaching debut, and while all eyes were on how his offense would look with Tua Tagovailoa and Hill, it was actually his defense that stole the show after limiting the Patriots to just seven points.13. Indianapolis Colts (0-0-1)Previous rank: 13Arguably no team despises Week 1 more than the Colts. For the ninth straight season, Indianapolis left the opening week without a win after coming out flat in a tie with the Texans.14. Denver Broncos (0-1)Previous rank: 10Russell Wilson didn't receive a warm welcome in his return to Seattle. It only got worse as he was forced to watch his running backs fumble twice on the goal line and his head coach opt for a long field goal instead of putting the ball in Wilson's hands with the game on the line.15. San Francisco 49ers (0-1) Michael Reaves / Getty Images Sport / GettyPrevious rank: 12Losing to the Bears in the opener is just about as embarrassing as it gets for the 49ers, but we're not going to panic on their behalf just yet. There's a good chance we look back at this game and chalk up the weird result to some brutal weather conditions.16. New Orleans Saints (1-0)Previous rank: 16Michael Thomas leading the comeback charge for the Saints and helping them avoid the upset in Atlanta was impressive. What's not so impressive is needing a 16-point fourth-quarter comeback against the Falcons in the first place.17. Pittsburgh Steelers (1-0)Previous rank: 21While the offense was still hard to watch at times, the Steelers' defense was nothing short of dominant against the current AFC champions. Whether that can continue might ride on how long T.J. Watt will be on the shelf with his pectoral injury.18. Dallas Cowboys (0-1)Previous rank: 14The Cowboys dropped the Sunday night opener to the Bucs and lost Dak Prescott for the next six-to-eight weeks in the process. It's tough to see Dallas pulling out more than a handful of wins without its star quarterback.19. Cleveland Browns (1-0)Previous rank: 20Nick Chubb put up 141 yards on the ground and Jacoby Brissett didn’t turn the ball over as the Browns spoiled Baker Mayfield’s quest for revenge in Week 1. That’ll be the blueprint for success if this Cleveland team hopes to stay afloat through the first half of the season.20. Arizona Cardinals (0-1) Norm Hall / Getty Images Sport / GettyPrevious rank: 19Arizona's defense certainly isn't the first unit to be completely outmatched against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs. The more concerning development was the Cardinals' high-powered offense not even coming close to hanging around. Heading into the fourth quarter with seven points on the board isn't going to get it done.21. New York Giants (1-0)Previous rank: 28It was the Saquon Barkley show for the Giants in a Week 1 upset of the Titans. The former top pick looked to be back in superstar form, putting up 164 yards on 18 carries while adding six catches for another 30 yards.22. Tennessee Titans (0-1)Previous rank: 18The Titans were only a missed field goal away from coming out of Week 1 with a win. However, there’s a lot to worry about after they surrendered over 200 rushing yards in their loss to the Giants.23. Washington Commanders (1-0)Previous rank: 24Struggling to put away the Jaguars isn't exactly the most inspiring start to the season. But a win is a win, and the Commanders should be thrilled with the immediate impact of first-round receiver Jahan Dotson.24. Seattle Seahawks (1-0)Previous rank: 29The difficult season we're forecasting for the Seahawks is still heavily weighted in this ranking, but they had to move up after an incredible Monday night win over the Broncos. If Seattle can make it two straight with a win over San Francisco next week, we'll all have to consider whether we were sleeping on this team too much.25. Detroit Lions (0-1) Nic Antaya / Getty Images Sport / GettyPrevious rank: 25Give the Lions credit - they refused to go away and stayed alive against a good Eagles team until the very end. They're heading in the right direction, but the next step is turning moral victories into real ones.26. Carolina Panthers (0-1)Previous rank: 23Mayfield came up just short in his effort to get revenge over the Browns. But the more important story here should be that the Panthers' game plan somehow only led to 10 carries for Christian McCaffrey throughout a close contest. That's not a recipe for success in Carolina.27. Jacksonville Jaguars (0-1)Previous rank: 27There were a lot of positives to take from the Jaguars' outing despite a one-possession loss to the Commanders. James Robinson and Travis Etienne combined for 113 yards on the ground while No. 1 overall pick Travon Walker shined in his NFL debut.28. New England Patriots (0-1)Previous rank: 22The Patriots will have to do a lot of soul-searching - especially on offense - after a lifeless loss to the Dolphins. Three turnovers and seven points marked a rough debut for play-caller Matt Patricia. It could be an unusual season in New England unless its offense gets into rhythm.29. Chicago Bears (1-0)Previous rank: 31Starting the campaign and the Matt Eberflus era by beating the 49ers for the biggest upset of the week has to be a great feeling. We're not going to put too much stock in that result, though. It still feels like it'll be a long season in Chicago.30. Houston Texans (0-0-1) Bob Levey / Getty Images Sport / GettyPrevious rank: 32Nobody wins in a tie. The Texans appeared well on their way to a major upset before surrendering 17 unanswered fourth-quarter points to the Colts. Regardless, credit is due to a Houston side that looks improved from last season.31. Atlanta Falcons (0-1)Previous rank: 30Blowing a 16-point fourth-quarter lead against the division-rival Saints really is the most Falcons thing ever. At a certain point, this team has to shake the reputation for doing anything it can to lose a game, right? ... Right?32. New York Jets (0-1)Previous rank: 26Joe Flacco has no business being a starting quarterback in the year 2022. Unfortunately, though, that's the situation the Jets find themselves in until Zach Wilson returns.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Following his brief retirement, and while playing in his age-45 season, Tom Brady says he's dealing with some heightened emotions during his 23rd NFL campaign."I'm feeling more than things in the past for some reason," the Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback said on his "Let's Go!" podcast Monday."You know, I'm just really feeling intensely my emotions. And I feel like I always have that, but I think when you get close to the end - and I don't know exactly where I'm at with that, and there's no decision to be made, (but) it's not like I have 10 years left."I definitely don't have that. So, all these, I just am never gonna take for granted, you know?"Brady announced his retirement in February but decided to return for the 2022 season just 40 days later. The 45-year-old then said in July that he's taking a "year-to-year" approach to the end of his career.Brady had long said his goal was to play until age 45. On Sunday, reports emerged that he's expected to retire again following this season.The future Hall of Famer became the oldest quarterback in NFL history to start a game after leading Tampa Bay to a 19-3 win Sunday over the Dallas Cowboys. Brady and the Bucs will now head to New Orleans to take on the Saints in Week 2.- With h/t to ESPN.comCopyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Justin Jefferson was unstoppable Sunday.The Minnesota Vikings receiver is doing things that not even the great Randy Moss accomplished in his time there.After one of the greatest two-season stretches to begin an NFL career, Jefferson opened Year 3 with a personal-best 184 yards and two touchdowns versus the Packers. But it's no surprise to those closest to him. Take his brother/manager Jordan Jefferson, who played quarterback at LSU from 2008-11."It really starts from childhood, just being a student, elevating your football IQ," Jordan Jefferson told theScore on Monday. "Justin had a lot of opportunities to be observant of his older siblings. He spent a lot of time coming to camp - spring, summer, and fall - being around that level of working out."He's been in the LSU weight room since he was a kid. Seeing Tyrann (Mathieu) and (Odell Beckham Jr.) going at it in spring ball. He was able to witness these competition battles and understand what it's like in this environment. He's been around Patrick Peterson, my roommate, since my freshman year in 2008, when he was 8, 9 years old."Aaron Rodgers strugglesSpeaking of Minnesota, what happened to Green Bay? Two-time reigning league MVP Aaron Rodgers was shut out of the end zone and visibly frustrated during a 23-7 throttling from the Vikings. Rodgers completed just 22 of 34 passes for 195 yards, and he threw an interception against an NFC North opponent for the first time since December 2019.

How much importance do you put on one game? Sure, it's currently each NFL team's only on-field data point, but would you react as aggressively with leagues that play 82 or 162 contests? Just ask last season's Packers and Titans whether their first game was indicative of their quality. Reliable ratings don't care about the result of one matchup.The ratings don't care about last year's playoffs, either. Playing in the Super Bowl doesn't win a team any bets this season. Just ask the Rams and Bengals.How ratings workEvery week, we'll look at what the betting market thinks of each team based on the closing lines from that week's games, along with what we think each club is capable of going forward. The "rating" column is an educated guess at the oddsmakers' rating to create a point spread. The number itself is the percentage chance that a team beats an average one on a neutral field.Ratings are not rankings. Oddsmakers and bettors had the offseason to shape the point spread on the Bills, Ravens, and Chiefs - who all covered comfortably - but their closing lines were still -2.5, -6.5, and -6.5, respectively. That's a better reflection of a team's value than one 60-minute game.The range column is my evaluation of what each team could be after seeing them play this past week. Obviously, clubs don't play to the same level every week - the players are human after all. They play within a range, and it's our job as handicappers to decide how they'll perform based on things like the situation, on-field matchups, and roster/injury issues. The earlier in the season, the wider a range a team may have.TEAMRATINGRANGEBills7760-85Chiefs7260-85Buccaneers7260-80Chargers6655-8549ers6645-75Broncos6550-80Packers6555-75Rams6555-75Vikings6345-80Ravens6250-80Bengals6050-80Colts5945-70Cowboys5830-70Eagles5840-70Saints5540-70Raiders5540-70Titans5340-70Dolphins5240-70Patriots5040-60Commanders4430-50Cardinals4330-65Steelers4235-60Panthers4230-50Giants4125-55Browns4040-80Jaguars3520-50Bears3420-45Jets3420-40Lions3320-50Seahawks3220-40Texans3120-40Falcons2920-50Notable Week 1 resultsWith a -6.5 point spread on the road, the market established that there's an equal distance between the Chiefs and Cardinals as there is between the Ravens and Jets. With Kansas City and Baltimore in the league's upper echelon, this implies the Cardinals are much worse than their 8.5-win total from the offseason. Both favorites covered easily, suggesting either a bump in their ratings or a drop needed on the Cardinals and Jets. Interestingly, that same gap applied to the 49ers and Bears as well as the Broncos and Seahawks. However, Chicago and Seattle won outright as home touchdown underdogs - a potential example of a situation causing a team to play at its floor or ceiling.The Chargers and Vikings (even after a big move to favorite) had a modest rating that created their respective point spreads. But if their defenses can win them games the way each did Sunday, we have to be open to the idea that their ceilings could be on the same level as the Bills' and Chiefs'.Then there are the Cowboys. The offense looked horrific even before Dak Prescott got hurt. With their quarterback out, Dallas' rating won't be 58 anymore. The Cowboys have gone from 2.5-point favorites in the lookahead lines for their Week 2 game with Cincinnati all the way to 7-point underdogs. That suggests that with Cooper Rush at the helm, Dallas has a rating of around 30/100. That's understandable after what we saw in 2020.Conversely, the Browns' rating has to go up from 40 after they showed they can be solid with Jacoby Brissett at the helm. If you recognized that Cleveland was being rated at its absolute floor, you got a deal on that team as 2-point underdogs. You wouldn't have even needed the Browns' late game-winning field goal to go through the uprights.Lastly, the market hated the Falcons all offseason, which is why they were 5.5-point home 'dogs to the Saints. That created value in Atlanta, as the team didn't look like the worst in the league. The Falcons' performance in a near-win moves them from 13.5-point underdogs against the Rams this week to +10, the biggest non-injury-related change from the lookahead lines.Matt Russell is a betting writer for theScore. If there’s a bad beat to be had, Matt will find it. Find him on Twitter @mrussauthentic.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Russell Wilson is the winningest quarterback in Seattle Seahawks history, owns every major franchise passing record, and he led the team to its lone Super Bowl win.But none of that mattered to the Seahawks crowd Monday night. Wilson, now a member of the Denver Broncos after a blockbuster offseason trade, was welcomed back by his former fans with a chorus of boos as he exited the tunnel and when he took the field for the first time."It didn't bother me. You know, it's a hostile environment, it always has been, I didn't expect them to give a round of applause every once in a while," Wilson said, according to NFL.com's Coral Smith.Wilson's return to Seattle was spoiled as his former backup, Geno Smith, stole the starring role in a 17-16 win for the NFC West club. Starting in Week 1 for the first time in eight seasons, Smith had a strong first half before finishing 23 of 28 with 195 yards and two touchdowns.While Wilson got hot in the second half and finished the game with 340 yards and one touchdown, he wasn't given the chance to complete a comeback drive against his former team.Trailing by one and facing a fourth-and-4, Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett decided to allow kicker Brandon McManus to attempt a 64-yard field goal with 20 seconds left instead of putting the ball in the hands of his $245-million quarterback.Wilson defended Hackett's call after the loss."We got the best field-goal kicker maybe in the game,'' Wilson said, according to ESPN's Jeff Legwold.He continued: "We got there and, unfortunately, it didn't go in. ... I believe in coach Hackett, I believe in what we're doing, I believe in everything."Wilson added: "I don't think it was the wrong decision."Wilson will look to get his first win with the Broncos at home against the Houston Texans on Sunday. Meanwhile, the Seahawks will travel to face the San Francisco 49ers for their first divisional game of the year.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find positional rankings, additional analysis, and subscribe to push notifications in the NFL Fantasy News section.Every Monday during the season, theScore's Justin Boone runs down the recommended waiver wire pickups.Roster percentages are based on Yahoo leagues. Free Agent Budget (FAB) amounts are based on a $100 salary cap. Only players rostered in less than 50% of leagues are considered.Quarterbacks Carmen Mandato / Getty Images Sport / GettyMatt Ryan, ColtsNext UpRosteredFABat JAX43%$1In his first game with the Colts, Ryan threw for 352 yards and a score with some help from a full period of overtime. It was still a solid showing, and his connection with Michael Pittman is evident.Next up is a Jaguars defense that gave up 313 yards and four touchdowns to Carson Wentz and the Commanders in Week 1. If Ryan is truly an upgrade on Wentz in Indianapolis, he should have no problem putting up big stats on his new division rival.If you're looking for a Dak Prescott replacement, Ryan is the first place to start.Carson Wentz, CommandersNext UpRosteredFABat DET13%$1If Ryan is already rostered, you could turn your focus to the man he replaced in Indy.It's not just due to Wentz's big Week 1 stat line. The situation in Washington is loaded with fantasy potential thanks to the presence of an underrated offensive line, star wideout Terry McLaurin, first-round rookie Jahan Dotson, a rejuvenated Antonio Gibson, pass-catching specialist J.D. McKissic, as well as versatile weapon Curtis Samuel and tight end Logan Thomas, who are finally healthy and contributing to the Commanders' attack.Prior to the conclusion of Monday Night Football, Wentz has the third-most fantasy points among quarterbacks in Week 1. He'll have a chance to post a second straight top-10 performance against a Lions squad that allowed the Eagles' offense to move the ball with ease on Sunday.Risky streaming options: Jameis Winston vs. TB (46% rostered), Jared Goff vs. WAS (21% rostered), Baker Mayfield at NYG (18% rostered)Dart-throw streaming options: Daniel Jones vs. CAR (25% rostered), Marcus Mariota at LAR (9% rostered), Davis Mills at DEN (6% rostered), Mitch Trubisky vs. NE (7% rostered)2QB/Superflex considerations only: Jacoby Brissett vs. NYJ (2% rostered), Joe Flacco at CLE (1% rostered), Geno Smith at SF (3% rostered), Cooper Rush vs. CIN (0% rostered)Long-term stashes: Zach Wilson (5% rostered), Kenny Pickett (5% rostered)Running backs Thearon W. Henderson / Getty Images Sport / GettyJeff Wilson Jr., 49ersNext UpRosteredFABvs. SEA16%$24Kyle Shanahan's love of speedy, 200-pound running backs has led to some incredible fantasy games, with the likes of Raheem Mostert, Matt Breida, and Elijah Mitchell. Unfortunately, none of them were able to stay healthy for long once they were given bigger workloads.After Mitchell missed six games last season, he suffered an MCL injury in the opener that'll keep him on the sidelines for the next two months.The next man up is Wilson, who had re-established himself as the No. 2 back in San Francisco by the end of the summer and handled all the backfield snaps when Mitchell left this week's game.If this offense can find its rhythm away from the monsoon-like conditions it dealt with in Chicago, Wilson could produce top-25 fantasy stats as the team's starter.Mitchell's absence also means rookies Tyrion Davis-Price (3% rostered) and Jordan Mason (1% rostered) could be one injury away from a starring role. Mason was active over Davis-Price this week, but it's unclear if that's because he's ahead of him on the depth chart or due to the former's special teams value. If you're choosing between them, Davis-Price would be my stash over Mason - but they both should be rostered now.Jaylen Warren, SteelersNext UpRosteredFABvs. NE4%$5Warren is the other notable injury add this week after Najee Harris was forced from Sunday's game with a foot issue.The injury isn't believed to be serious, and the Steelers are holding out hope Harris will be able to play in Week 2, a source told Jordan Schultz, theScore's NFL insider. However, his practice participation will need to be monitored throughout the week until we know for sure if he's ready to suit up against the Patriots.Either way, Warren needs to be picked up since he's the immediate backup in Pittsburgh. The undrafted free agent beat out veterans Benny Snell and Anthony McFarland Jr. to secure the role and was the only other back to see touches in this week's contest.If Warren does get a start, he would be an RB3 flex option in fantasy, with his upside capped by the Steelers' weak offensive line. Pittsburgh's blockers did their backs no favors on Sunday, as both Harris and Warren averaged an embarrassing 2.3 yards per carry versus the Bengals.Khalil Herbert, Kenneth Gainwell, Jamaal Williams, and Brian Robinson are close to or above the 50% rostered mark but should be rostered in most leagues.High-upside backups like Rachaad White (38% rostered) and Isiah Pacheco (31% rostered) should be rostered in most leagues.Risky flex options: Kenyan Drake vs. MIA (12% rostered), Rex Burkhead at DEN (13% rostered), Eno Benjamin at LV (8% rostered), J.D. McKissic at DET (28% rostered)Dart-throw flex options: Zack Moss vs. TEN (6% rostered), Dontrell Hilliard at BUF (7% rostered), Boston Scott vs. MIN (5% rostered), Brandon Bolden vs. ARI (0% rostered)Other backups to consider: Mark Ingram vs. TB (27% rostered), Tyler Allgeier at LAR (21% rostered), Samaje Perine at DAL (7% rostered), Matt Breida vs. CAR (1% rostered), Josh Kelley at KC (1% rostered), Sony Michel at KC (9% rostered), D'Onta Foreman at NYG (9% rostered), Zamir White vs. ARI (14% rostered)Injury stashes: Gus Edwards (13% rostered)Wide receivers Rob Carr / Getty Images Sport / GettyJahan Dotson, CommandersNext UpRosteredFABat DET23%$7Welcome back, Mr. Dotson.For the second straight week, the Commanders rookie wideout headlines our receiver section - only this time he's coming off a 40-yard, two-touchdown debut.It still boggles the mind how a player with first-round draft capital and a ton of positive training camp and preseason buzz could be so undervalued by the fantasy community, but it seems like that'll be rectified during this week's waiver run.Treat Dotson as a WR3/flex moving forward.Robbie Anderson, PanthersNext UpRosteredFABat NYG23%$3Anderson surprisingly led the Panthers in targets during their close loss to the Browns, en route to a 5-102-1 stat line that featured a 75-yard score.Though DJ Moore will normally have the biggest target share in most games, it was still a good sign that Anderson has something to offer to this offense. He's currently the WR10 with only two teams left to play, giving him a strong shot to earn WR1 fantasy honors on the week.With the depth at receiver, you shouldn't go overboard bidding on him, but Anderson is worth adding to see if he can keep up this hot start.Josh Palmer/DeAndre Carter, ChargersNext UpRosteredFABat KC21%/1%$3/$1While we wait for the results of the MRI on Keenan Allen's hamstring, fantasy managers need to prepare for the veteran wideout to miss Thursday's game versus the Chiefs and maybe longer.If he's sidelined for any amount of time, Palmer would handle the bulk of the outside snaps across from Mike Williams, with Carter picking up some of the slot work.It was Carter who paced the receiving corps after Allen left, resulting in a four-catch, 64-yard, one-touchdown performance. He's a quick-twitch weapon who adds a different wrinkle to the offense.Palmer is the more intriguing option as a versatile third-round pick who flashed when given the opportunity during his rookie campaign last season.Rostering pass-catchers attached to Justin Herbert is a smart move for fantasy managers most weeks, and if Allen is held out, Palmer could sneak into the WR3 conversation while Carter provides flex value.Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Tyler Boyd, Isaiah Mckenzie, Treylon Burks, and Russell Gage are close to or above the 50% rostered mark but should be rostered in most leagues.Risky flex options: Jarvis Landry vs. TB (42% rostered), Jakobi Meyers at PIT (38% rostered), Curtis Samuel at DET (5% rostered), D.J. Chark vs. WAS (40% rostered), Donovan Peoples-Jones vs. NYJ (4% rostered)Risky flex options (if healthy): Rondale Moore at LV (25% rostered)Dart-throw flex options: Kyle Philips at BUF (1% rostered), Sterling Shepard vs. CAR (1% rostered), Corey Davis at CLE (6% rostered), Romeo Doubs vs. CHI (34% rostered), Devin Duvernay vs. MIA (31% rostered)Long-term rookie stashes: Garrett Wilson at CLE (21% rostered), Christian Watson vs. CHI (11% rostered), Skyy Moore vs. LAC (38% rostered), Alec Pierce at JAX (8% rostered)Other receivers to consider: Nico Collins at DEN (33% rostered), Marvin Jones vs. IND (7% rostered), Zay Jones vs. IND (12% rostered), K.J. Osborn at PHI (10% rostered), Parris Campbell at JAX (6% rostered), Mecole Hardman vs. LAC (30% rostered), KJ Hamler vs. HOU (5% rostered), Greg Dortch at LV (0% rostered), Olamide Zaccheaus at LAR (0% rostered)Injury stashes: Jameson Williams (24% rostered), Michael Gallup (39% rostered), Tyquan Thornton (1% rostered), Odell Beckham Jr. (9% rostered)Tight ends MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images / MediaNews Group / GettyGerald Everett, ChargersNext UpRosteredFABat KC27%$3We're going back to the Chargers' passing attack for our top tight end pickup of the week.Everett put up the fourth-most fantasy points among tight ends so far this week (pending MNF), and his underlying metrics provide hope that kind of production could continue.

Seattle Seahawks safety Jamal Adams suffered a "serious" quad injury in Monday's 17-16 victory over the Denver Broncos, head coach Pete Carroll said postgame, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.Adams was carted to the locker room in the second quarter and did not return. The star safety limped off the field after generating pressure on a third-down play.The 26-year-old missed time earlier this offseason with a broken finger, and his 2021 campaign was also cut short after 12 games due to a torn labrum.A former Pro Bowler, Adams recorded 87 tackles, four tackles for loss, and two interceptions last season.The 2022 campaign marks Adams' third season in Seattle after the team acquired him in a trade from the New York Jets in 2020.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Seattle Seahawks spoiled Russell Wilson's return to Lumen Field by edging the Denver Broncos 17-16 in the first Monday Night Football game of the season.Seattle held on for the victory after Brandon McManus missed a 64-yard field goal late in the fourth quarter.More to come.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

San Francisco 49ers running back Elijah Mitchell will be out approximately eight weeks after suffering a sprained MCL in Sunday's game against the Chicago Bears, head coach Kyle Shanahan announced Monday, according to The Athletic's Matt Barrows.The injury will not require surgery, Shanahan adds.Mitchell rushed for 41 yards on six carries before being ruled out of the remainder of the 19-10 loss to Chicago. He was spotted wearing a brace over his right leg postgame, according to NBC Sports' Jennifer Lee Chan.With the 24-year-old sidelined, Jeff Wilson Jr. is expected to take over as the team's lead back. Wilson averaged 2.4 yards per carry on nine attempts in Sunday's game. Quarterback Trey Lance finished the matchup as the 49ers' leading rusher with 54 yards, followed by Deebo Samuel with 52 yards.Mitchell ended last season as the 49ers' top rusher after notching 963 yards in 11 games.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is expected to be out six-to-eight weeks following surgery on his throwing hand due to an injury suffered in Sunday night's loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, sources told ESPN's Todd Archer.Prescott, who sustained a fracture near his thumb, underwent successful surgery Monday to address the ailment, a source told NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.The signal-caller collided hands with a Buccaneers defender while attempting a pass late in the fourth quarter. He jogged to the locker room to get X-rays after having his hand looked at on the sideline.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin could be sidelined for a few weeks after he suffered a hamstring strain in Sunday's win over the Dallas Cowboys, a source told NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.There's optimism the ailment isn't serious, Pelissero adds.The 26-year-old was playing in his first game since tearing his ACL and MCL last December. There's no concern regarding the health of Godwin's knee following his latest setback, Pelissero reports.Godwin exited Tampa Bay's season opener after attempting to catch a low pass from Tom Brady in the second quarter. He finished with three receptions for 35 yards, including a 24-yard catch."I don't think it's as serious as we thought it was, but it all depends on how his treatment goes and how he heels," said head coach Todd Bowles. "Hopefully we'll have him back sooner than later."The Philadelphia native signed a three-year $60-million extension with Tampa Bay in March. Despite his injury last season, Godwin surpassed 1,000 yards receiving for the second time in his career.If Godwin misses an extended period, the Buccaneers will lean on a receiving group that includes Jaelon Darden and Breshad Perriman behind Mike Evans and Julio Jones.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.