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QB Blake Bortles, Jacksonville Jaguars
With Leonard Fournette (hamstring) out, the Jaguars put a lot of responsibility on Blake Bortles, and he responded with 377 passing yards, 4 TDs and a nearly perfect 111.1 passer rating in a win over the Patriots. Fournette may be able to return in Week 3, but Bortles remains a great option against a Titans defense that faced the most passes attempts (605) in the NFL last season. Tennessee ranks 21st in DVOA pass defense this year after ranking 24th in that metric last year. Bortles is becoming more confident with his new receiving corps while rising stars Keelan Cole, Dede Westbrook, and former Colts red zone specialist Donte Moncrief are stepping up for their quarterback.
RB Bilal Powell, New York Jets
Some may have overreacted to Isaiah Crowell’s big performance in Week 1, but Bilal Powell logged more touches than the Jets new acquisition. Powell separated as a superior dual threat in a Week 2 loss to the Dolphins, and he should continue to thrive this Thursday against a Browns defense that will also be on a short week. Cleveland ranked 30th in DVOA pass defense against opposing RBs last season and has been torched by James Conner and Alvin Kamara so far this season. Powell could be the latest back to burn the Browns defense through the air and on runs to the edge.
RB Corey Grant, Jacksonville Jaguars
In deeper leagues, Corey Grant may be worth streaming even if Leonard Fournette can return for the Jaguars tilt against the Titans. Grant caught 6-of-7 targets for 56 yards and managed 16 rushing yards on five carries against the Patriots in Week 2. The nominal starter, T.J. Yeldon, saw only two more touches than Grant in a pass-heavy approach against the Patriots. It would make sense to attack the Titans through the air as well since Tennessee seventh in DVOA rush defense last year but are allowing a 99.5 passer rating from opposing QBs so far this season.
WR Terrelle Pryor Sr., New York Jets
This Thursday Night Football matchup will be one to target in fantasy with two vulnerable defenses going head to head in Cleveland. The Browns ranked 26th in DVOA pass defense last season and struggled badly against slot receivers, where Terrelle Pryor is now operating with the Jets. Rookie QB Sam Darnold targeted Pryor eight times in Sunday’s loss to the Dolphins, and you can bet that the former Browns receiver will want to be a big part of the game plan against his former team. Luckily for Pryor, success is easy to come by against the Browns weak secondary.
WR Paul Richardson, Washington Redskins
The Redskins are very thin at wide receiver, and that gives Paul Richardson a very secure role as a downfield threat while Jamison Crowder and Jordan Reed run most of the underneath routes. The former Seahawks WR caught 4-of-6 targets for 63 yards, including a 34-yard dime from Alex Smith in a Week 2 loss to Indy. While the Colts secondary is vulnerable, the Packers have been torched at the back end, ranking 27th in DVOA pass defense last year. Now Green Bay could be without starting CB Kevin King (groin), and the Skins will look to exploit the matchup against King’s backup, Davon House, who struggled in 2017 with a back injury.
TE Austin Hooper, Atlanta Falcons
There is a lot of familiarity between the Saints and Falcons, so you can expect New Orleans to shade coverage towards Julio Jones this Sunday. That should force Matt Ryan to look elsewhere, as he did in Week 2 while hitting rookie Calvin Ridley four times and Austin Hooper five times for 59 yards and a TD. The strength of the New Orleans defense is on the outside, and the Saints allowed an above average 47 YPG to opposing TEs last season.
