Current line (KC -3.0 | O/U 46.5)

Thursday night is the start of regular season football again, and what better way to kick off the season than Patrick Mahomes vs Lamar Jackson. 

Chiefs vs Ravens can turn out two ways in my opinion. Either super high scoring or a chess match, medium scoring game. Let’s take a look at both ways and who I think will win.

If the game ends up to be high scoring I would take the Ravens. I think the Ravens have the firepower to outscore the Chiefs with Mark Andrews, Zay Flowers and Lamar Jackson. 

If it’s a chess match give me the Chiefs, I think the defense and Mahomes ability to control the clock could hurt the Ravens. 

Overall, give me the Chiefs 27-23 over the Ravens in a thrilling opener.

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Houston Texans @ Baltimore Ravens -9.5 (4:30 PM EST on ABC/ESPN)

This Houston Texans team continues to impress led by C.J. Stroud. Stroud once again had a near perfect performance against the Cleveland Browns in a blowout win. Going into the game the Browns had the #1 ranked defense in the league but had no answers for the Texans offense. Up next will be a much tougher test in Baltimore with a fresh Ravens team looking to start its Super Bowl run.

The Ravens are stacked on both sides of the ball and quarterback Lamar Jackson is putting up MVP numbers this season. Lamar finally has some legit threats on the outside including stud rookie receiver Zay Flowers. Jackson and the Ravens offense will look to control the clock and keep the Texans offense off the field.

In the end, the Ravens will be too much to handle for Houston putting an end to its Cinderella run. The future is bright for the Texans who have a star head coach and a legit quarterback to build around.

Game Pick: Ravens 31 – Texans 17

Green Bay Packers @ San Francisco 49ers -9.5 (8:15 PM EST on FOX)

In the Saturday nightcap, the Packers will look for another upset against the best in the NFC. San Francisco has looked the part of a potential champion all year and show no signs of slowing down. The 49ers will be rested and mostly healthy except for Dre Greenlaw who is questionable for the game.

Green Bay was the most impressive team last weekend and it’s hard not to be in awe with what Jordan Love is doing. Love is running this offense to perfection with great accuracy and pocket movement. The Packers will need another big game from Aaron Jones as balance will be a key against this 49ers defense.

I see the Packers continuing their momentum and hanging with the 49ers for most of the game. San Francisco will pull away late but this will be closer than most expect.

Game Pick: 49ers 27 – Packers 20

Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Detroit Lions -6.5 (3:00 PM EST on NBC)

Another surprise result from Wild Card weekend was Tampa Bay dominating the Eagles. I did pick the Bucs to win but was impressed at how well they looked and how bad the Eagles played. The Eagles looked like they already checked out and had issues tackling all night long. Up next for Tampa Bay will be the Lions at home and don’t expect the same tackling issues for the Lions defense.

In Detroit, everything is coming together. Their offense is one of the best in the league led by OC Ben Johnson and on defense, they are night and day better than they were last season. The Lions will need a better 2nd half performance than last week as they barely held on to get by the Rams.

Baker Mayfield looks to have found a home in Tampa Bay and I expect him to sign a long-term deal with the Bucs this offseason. Mayfield and the Bucs will keep it close for the first 3 quarters but Detroit will be too much to handle at home.

Game Pick: Lions 28 – Bucs 17

Kansas City Chiefs @ Buffalo Bills -3 (6:30 PM EST on CBS)

The best game in the Divisional round will be in Buffalo. Josh Allen and the Bills will look to finally get past Patrick Mahomes in the playoffs and they get them at home. This will be Mahomes first road playoff game which just shows how dominant the Chiefs have been lately.

Buffalo has finally found its form and continued its run with a 31 – 17 win against the Steelers last weekend. The Bills have now won 6 straight games and are one of the hottest teams in the league. What has been the winning formula for Buffalo? The ground game. The Bills are relying more on James Cook and running the ball which is putting less on Josh Allen’s shoulders.

This has been a strange year for the Chiefs who for the first time are relying more on their defense. Kansas City’s offense is just not as explosive as years past and it’s clear they miss former OC Eric Bieniemy. The Chiefs will need to break out of their offensive funk to have a chance in Buffalo.

In the end, I see Buffalo moving on as they prove to be too much at home for the Chiefs. This game will be a huge confidence boost for the Bills as they look to continue their run.

Game Pick: Bills 27 – Chiefs 24

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Quarterbacks

Start ‘Em

Sam Howell (vs. Chi) – Howell bounced back from a rough outing against the Bills and almost led the Commanders to an overtime victory versus the Eagles. Next up is the lowly Chicago Bears who are in complete disarray. The Bears defense is allowing 22.1 fantasy points per game to quarterbacks and they will be without DBs Eddie Jackson and Jaylon Johnson. Expect a big game from Howell and also the Commanders receivers.

Sit ‘Em

Trevor Lawrence (@ Buf) – Lawrence started to show signs of life in the week 4 victory against the Falcons but next up are the red-hot Bills. Even though this game will be in London it could be a long day for the Jaguars offense. The Buffalo defense is for real and they were able to keep the high-powered Dolphins offense in check last week. I do like Lawrence’s prospects for the rest of the season just not in this game.

Running Backs

Start ‘Em

Breece Hall (@ Den) – Hall has disappointed thus far but that will change Sunday when the Jets travel to Denver. According to reports Hall will no longer be on a snap count and this is the perfect game to unleash him. The Broncos defense has been dreadful against the run allowing an average of 38.0 fantasy points per game to running backs. Don’t forget about last year when Hall torched the Broncos for a 62-yard touchdown before he went down with an ACL injury.

Sit ‘Em

Kyren Williams (vs. Phi) – Williams has been a nice surprise this season but he will take a step back Sunday versus the Eagles. Williams is dealing with a hip injury that may hamper his effectiveness. He is also up against the vaunted Eagles d-line that is also tough to run against. Sit Williams but just for this week.

Wide Receivers

Start ‘Em

Michael Pittman Jr. (vs. Ind) – Pittman was quiet on Sunday versus the Rams. He had a season-low 5 targets and only 15 receiving yards. That will change when the Titans come to town in week 5. Pittman has yet to eclipse the 100-yard receiving mark but I believe this is the game he does it. The Titans defense is allowing an average of 26.2 fantasy points to wide receivers so far this season.

Sit ‘Em

George Pickens (vs. Bal) – What has happened to the Steelers offense? Pittsburgh laid another egg last Sunday when they were dominated by Houston. Up next is Baltimore who will be looking to add to the Steelers misery. Quarterback Kenny Pickett is dealing with a bone bruise in his knee but is still expected to play. Even when he was healthy Pittsburgh’s offense just looks off. It could be another long day for Pickett and Pickens.

Tight Ends

Start ‘Em

Zach Ertz (vs. Cin) – Ertz had his second 10-target game in week 4 as the Cardinals continue to look his way. I can see Ertz grabbing his first touchdown of the season versus a struggling Bengals defense. Cincinnati is allowing an average of 10 fantasy points per game to tight ends thus far. Ertz should be a big part of the game plan again this week.

Sit ‘Em

Cole Kmet (@ Was) – It’s hard to start anyone on the Bears offense this week against Washington. Kmet had a huge game versus the Broncos in week 4 where he hauled in 2 touchdowns. The momentum won’t continue on Thursday night as Washington has allowed minimal production to opposing tight ends.

Start of the Week

Zay Flowers (@ Pit) – Despite decent production, Flowers has yet to find the end zone. That will change on Sunday versus the Steelers. The volume has been there for Flowers but he has yet to have a breakout game. Pittsburgh is allowing an average of 31.3 fantasy points to opposing wide receivers and just gave up 168 yards to the Texans Nico Collins. This is the week we see big returns for Flowers.

The post 2023-24 Fantasy Football Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em Week 5 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

Kansas City Chiefs (-3.5) @ Jacksonville Jaguars (1 PM EST on CBS)

The best game of the NFL week 2 schedule is when the Chiefs go on the road to take on the Jaguars. It was a disappointing opening game for Kansas City as they struggled against the Detroit Lions at home.

Quarterback Patrick Mahomes put up rather pedestrian numbers in week 1 but he was without Travis Kelce. Kelce and stud defensive tackle Chris Jones are set to return for the Chiefs in this one. Jones will be needed to help stop the rushing attack of Jacksonville led by Travis Etienne Jr. and rookie Tank Bigsby. Etienne and Bigsby each found the end zone in week 1 against the Colts.

On the outside, Calvin Ridley made a splash in his debut for the Jaguars. Ridley did not look rusty after his 1 year suspension as he hauled in 8 receptions for 101 yards and a touchdown. Ridley will be a challenge for the Chiefs secondary all game long.

Baltimore Ravens (+3) @ Cincinnati Bengals (1 PM EST on CBS)

Cincinnati would very much like to burn the tape of their week 1 performance against the rival Browns. Joe Burrow and the Bengals offense could never find a rhythm as he was held to under 100 yards passing. It was the first time in his career that Burrow was held under the 100-yard passing mark. Burrow will look to get back on track versus the rival Ravens at home.

Meanwhile, the Ravens are coming off a dominating performance against the Houston Texans. Baltimore may have found its next star in rookie Zay Flowers. Flowers looked electric in his debut as he had 87 yards from scrimmage in week 1 including 9 receptions. Lamar Jackson and the Ravens will be without J.K. Dobbins who is now out for the season. Expect another classic AFC North battle in this one.

Seattle Seahawks (+4.5) @ Detroit Lions (1 PM EST on FOX)

Jared Goff and the Lions looked like an NFC contender in their week 1 win at Kansas City. Their defense which struggled all last season looked completely different in the opener. If they can get this type of performance consistently from their defense the Lions will be a threat come playoff time.

Seattle on the other hand looked lackluster as they were beat at home in week 1 by the Rams. Geno Smith who was the Comeback Player of the Year in 2022 struggled with a Rams defense that lacks playmakers. It was troubling to see for a Seahawks team that was set to take the next step this year. Look for this one to be another high-scoring affair. The Seahawks won 48-45 when the two teams met last season.

San Francisco 49ers (-7.5) @ Los Angeles Rams (4:05 PM EST on FOX)

Before the season started this looked to be an easy win for the 49ers. Now they may have more of a battle on their hands when they visit LA. This game will be a classic example of whether week 1 was a fluke or not. If the Rams keep it close many will start to give them respect. The problem is they will be dealing with the elite 49ers defense who will put pressure on Matthew Stafford all day long.

Rams rookie wide receiver Puka Nacua was the story of week 1 as he seemingly came out of nowhere. The Rams will need a repeat performance from Nacua who hauled in 10 receptions for 119 yards in his debut.

Washington Commanders (+3.5) @ Denver Broncos (4:25 PM EST on CBS)

Washington is looking to start 2-0 when they travel to the Mile High City on Sunday afternoon. The Commanders looked a bit shaky in their week 1 win against the Cardinals. Washington’s defense was dominant but the offense struggled at times. Quarterback Sam Howell had two costly turnovers but showed poised in leading Washington to a come-from-behind victory. Howell will need to be mistake-free on the road in Denver for Washington to have a chance.

The Broncos will be getting one of their best weapons back in Jerry Jeudy on Sunday. This is exactly what Russell Wilson and this offense needed as they look to bounce back from their week 1 loss. Wilson did have 2 touchdowns in the opener but the offense lacked explosiveness. They will need big plays to be able to beat the stingy Washington defense.

The post 5 Biggest Games of NFL Week 2 (2023) appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

TENNESSEE TITANS TRADE UP TO THE TOP 10

Tennessee has become a target for trade talks as there are rumors that Derrick Henry could be traded very soon. Other than that, the QB situation seems even worse. The Titans feel they are done with Ryan Tannehill and Malik Willis hasn’t developed as they hoped he would. Trading up would give them a chance with C.J. Stroud, Will Levis, and Anthony Richardson. With the AFC South as one of the weakest divisions in the NFL, a rebuild can show fruitful results very soon.

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS TRADE UP FOR NUMBER 2

The Indianapolis Colts have been linked to so many quarterbacks at the number four spot. It feels like the front office is split between C.J. Stroud, Will Levis, and Anthony Richardson. Now, talks are Houston could draft a non-QB with the second pick. However, this could be used to swerve other teams and keep people guessing. With the Colts having trouble searching for that franchise QB, moving up may hurt them picks-wise, but it will make the future much clearer.

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS MAKE THE CROWD ROAR

With Kansas City being the host for the NFL Draft, the city will erupt if their team trades up in the draft, instead of waiting at the end. A player that has been linked to the Chiefs is Zay Flowers, one of the best wide receivers in the draft. With the Chiefs losing JuJu Smith-Schuster to the Patriots, a wide receiver would be a good pick for them. Zay would give them production and his speed would give nightmares to opposing teams.

We’re all excited to see how the NFL Draft will fold. Get your predictions ready as this feels much more uncertain compared to past years.

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BACKGROUND

Zay Flowers is a wide receiver prospect out of Florida. Coming out of NSU University School, he wasn’t heavily recruited by the big schools. Multiple websites had him ranked as a three-star prospect. He decided to commit to Boston College.

COLLEGE CAREER

Zay had a steady rise in his college career. In his first season, he caught 22 passes for 341 yards and three TDs. He made the leap in his second season with 56 catches for 892 yards and nine touchdowns. This year got him his first First-team All-ACC. There was a slight decline in performance in his junior season. In year three, Flowers only caught 44 passes for 746 yards and five TDs. He was named to the Third-team All-ACC.

2022-2023 COLLEGE CAREER

Flowers saved his best season for last as he had career-high numbers across the boards. In his final season, Zay had 78 receptions for 1077 yards and 12 touchdowns. This put him back for his second First-team All-ACC. He had gotten a reputation as one of the most electrifying wide receivers in college football.

STRENGTHS: Electric In The Open Field

Few are as impactful and exciting to watch when Zay is in the open field. His speed and tempo make him a tough player to cover. His balance and route running are crisp and he can make catches down the sidelines. There is a path for him to make an impact on a contending team.

WEAKNESSES: Size

He has been listed as 5’9″ and 182 lbs, so his size will definitely be in question as he is undersized and played as a WR 1. Teams will not want an undersized WR 1 for their team. Another problem with his size is his potential as a blocker. His arms are small also which can affect his catch radius.

PLAYER COMPARISON: Tyler Lockett

TEAMS WHO COULD DRAFT HIM

Zay will have a lot of suitors in the 20s in the first round. He played super well with a QB who wasn’t that good so he can shine in a team who takes him. The Chargers at #21 and Minnesota at #23 are good places to look at as they need WR help.

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