McLaurin got off to a rough start to his season, with rookie QB Jayden Daniels making his debut against a tough Todd Bowles defense. This week should be easier against this Giants defense that gave up 28 points to Sam Darnold and the Vikings. Darnold was efficient and one of the few quarterbacks to throw for over 200 yards in Week 1. McLaurin thrives against zone defense, winning just over 52% of his routes against zone, according to Player Profiler. Despite the many quarterbacks he has had throwing him the ball. Despite the lackluster stat line of two catches for 17 yards, McLaurin was tied for the most targets on the team with four. Daniels is looking for him, but it will take time to build the chemistry. Week 2 will be a perfect opportunity for the rookie quarterback and veteran wide receiver to build some rapport.
McConkey was targeted seven times in his first game, which was good for first on the team. He was able to haul in four of those targets and scored his first NFL touchdown after a couple of shifty moves. He now faces off against Jaycee Horn, who has struggled to stay on the field due to injuries, and the abysmal Carolina Panthers defense. Panthers DC Ejiro Evero is one of the league’s brightest defensive coaches, but his defense was not ready to play last Sunday as Derek Carr threw for 200 yards and three touchdowns. Evero likes to run a zone defense, primarily allowing his rushers to get to the quarterback, but they recently placed their best rusher, Derrick Brown, on IR. McConkey is a guy who finds the holes in the defense and produces great YAC. Fire up McConkey as he looks to build off a solid Week 1.
After an embarrassing performance on Sunday against the Cowboys, the Browns will look to bounce back, including Cooper, who only had two catches for 16 yards. This is the game for QB Deshaun Watson to prove he can still play at a high level, and Cooper should be at the forefront of this proving ground game. Jacksonville’s top corner Tyson Campbell is out for this game, leaving veteran Ronald Darby to step in to be CB1. Last week, we saw how press coverage worked out for the Jaguars against Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. Cooper is a different type of receiver than Hill and Waddle. Instead of being quick and shifty, Cooper is a crisp route runner who can come down with catches even against tight coverage. Fire up Cooper, but this could be the last time we say that with Watson under center.
Titans QB Will Levis was mostly a disaster on Sunday against a good Bears defense. The Jets will come into Week 2 wanting to prove that their defense is not as bad as it was in San Francisco. Sauce Gardner was the bright spot in the Jets’ MNF defeat. He was targeted twice and did not allow a catch. Most quarterbacks will not throw toward Gardner for that very reason. Jets HC Robert Saleh’s defense relies on man-to-man coverage mostly, and he has the right player for the job in Gardner. Calvin Ridley was signed to play alongside De’Andre Hopkins as he continues to age. Ridley hauled in just three catches as Hopkins played in limited action due to injury recovery. Gardner will have Ridley in a straitjacket all afternoon, even before the Jets pass rush reaches Levis.
Pittman is the Colts’ most reliable receiver; however, other teams expect the Colts to try to get him the ball. Pittman only had four catches for 31 yards against the Texans, and he drew another tough matchup against one of the best lockdown corners in the league in Jaire Alexander. New Packers DC Jeff Hafley plays an aggressive style of defense that plays a mix of man and zone match-ups, and he has the perfect personnel to do so. Alexander was given the big contract, as was S Xavier McKinney this offseason, to draw him away from the Giants. With Alexander and McKinney both back there, Pittman could be in for a quiet night.
Bo Nix had a first game that he would like to forget, which included throwing two interceptions. Nix was often looking for Sutton as Sutton accumulated 12 targets, but that only resulted in four catches for 38 yards. It does not get any easier for Nix against Pittsburgh this weekend. The Steelers defense produced three turnovers and two sacks against the Falcons. The Steelers like to lean on man-to-man coverage because of their elite pass rush spearheaded by DE T.J. Watt. Porter is a bright young corner who will give Sutton issues throughout the game. Even if Denver HC Sean Payton tries to move Sutton around, veteran corner Donte Jackson is there waiting for him. I would steer clear of starting Sutton if you can.
