The Daily Spin – NFL Cash Game Focus – Week 3

We have learned a lot over the first two weeks of the NFL season. As with every year, there have been some surprises, some emerging new stars and some veterans who have seen their careers reinvigorated. Let’s take a quick look at each team from the NFC to see what we know after the first two weeks and we’ll check out the AFC next week.

NFC North

1. Minnesota Vikings – Kirk Cousins is the real deal. His dramatic comeback in the 4th quarter against Green Bay was impressive. Thus far, most of his success has come without much help in the running game due to a beat up offensive line. They get C Pat Elflein back this week which should give that unit a lift.
2. Green Bay Packers – Aaron Rodgers is the whole team. Yes, this argument can be made for many teams with their QB, but it is amplified with the Packers. When he left the field against the Bears, the team floundered. When he returned, even with the limited ability to put much weight on his front leg, he was still able to run the offense effectively. They’ll need his knee to hold up since the run game has not impressed so far and the jury is still out on their revamped defense after giving up over 400 yards passing last week.
3. Detroit Lions – So far, it looks like the same old Lions team we are used to seeing each season. They still do not have a consistent running game and their defense ranks near the bottom of the league. On the bright side, Kenny Golladay looks like the real deal and he’s second on the team with 21 targets. We can still target the Lions passing game with regularity as they have enough weapons so that typically even if the opposing defense has a lockdown corner, they’ll have at least one matchup worth targeting.
4. Chicago Bears – Khalil Mack looks like he will be worth every penny and draft pick that it took to acquire him. The Bears have an up and coming defense and although Mitch Trubisky will struggle to put up points, the defense will keep them competitive all season.

NFC East

1. Philadelphia Eagles – Holding their collective breath with the return of Carson Wentz this week. Injuries have chewed them up at the skill positions and the defense looked shaky against the Bucs last week. The next 2-3 weeks will be big in getting back their QB and hopefully Alshon Jefrey and Jay Ajayi.
2. Dallas Cowboys – The offense continues to be a sticking point as the Cowboys lack a consistent downfield playmaker. Yes, Tavon Austin got behind the secondary last week for a long score, but after that, it was largely a grind. Zeke can carry them so far, but if opposing defenses do not respect Dak’s arm, it will be a battle all year to put up points. On the positive side, the defense looks as good as advertised and if they can keep Randy Gregory on the field, the pass rush should continue to be fierce.
3. Washington Redskins – I thought they were on their way after looking impressive against the Cardinals in Week 1, but perhaps, Arizona is just a terrible team since the Redskins really struggled in a poor effort against the Colts in their home opener last week. They continue to lack playmakers at the wideout position. Adrian Peterson showed a good burst against the Cards, but we’ll see how much he has in the tank by the middle of the season. Chris Thompson is the player to target regularly for DFS purposes as he is quickly becoming Alex Smith’s favorite target.
4. NY Giants – They have two super elite skill position players and an emerging TE which should create more scoring opportunities, but the offensive line is crumbling and Eli Manning lacks the ability to move around the pocket quick enough to avoid the pressure. Saquon Barkley is the real deal, but with a weak line, he’ll need to rely on catching the ball to generate his biggest DFS performances.

NFC South

1. New Orleans Saints – Shockingly unimpressive after the first two weeks of the season, particularly on defense. Alvin Kamara is playing well so far although his carries have been capped and it seems like 20 touches is his ceiling for now which can be a little tricky given his price. The real star thus far is Michael Thomas who has an astounding 30 targets and 28 catches through two games. I am hoping that the defense reverts to what we saw several years ago when they were at the bottom of the league as it makes the team great to target for shootouts.
2. Atlanta Falcons – Played the same game to start the season in Philly that they ended with last season. Two key defensive injuries to Keanu Neal and Deion Jones will be tough to get past this season. A big early season win over division rival, Carolina got them back on track and they get a chance to get another this week at home against the Saints. Keep an eye on Calvin Ridley who worked his way into the offense last week and looks like he has the potential to take the pressure off of Julio Jones.
3. Carolina Panthers – The loss of Greg Olsen to start the season cannot be overstated as the rest of the receiving corp for the Panthers is lacking with Devon Funchess being the one reasonable option. CJ Anderson is useless in the backfield, but that is great news for Christian McCaffrey who will continue to build up huge DK points with double digit targets every week, especially with Olsen out. The secondary is still weak and worth attacking, especially when they are on the road.
4. Tampa Bay Bucs – Ryan Fitzpatrick has risen from the dead and is now threatening to steal the job away from Jameis Winston even after he returns from suspension. The run game is a total disaster for the Bucs so if they are going to win games, it will need to be on the arm of Fitz along with the downfield threat of Mike Evans and the deep ball to DeSean Jackson. The defense is still a problem, but that should allow us to target Tampa games throughout the season when they have the right opponent (hint hint, Monday night).

NFC West

1. LA Rams – The ‘Dream Team’ of the NFL looks the part so far after two dominating performances. Todd Gurley being dominant is no surprise, but while many commentators were unsure of the role of Branden Cooks, he’s shined so far and looks even better than anticipated. The defense has been lock down through two games, but they have played a couple of cupcakes to start the year. The Chargers this week and the Vikings on Thursday night will give us a better gauge on where this team is really at this year.
2. Arizona Cardinals – Wow, I thought this team might be sneaky good and instead they are sneaky terrible. The offensive line is in shambles and that is killing the run game and the less than mobile Sam Bradford. If they get drubbed by the Bears to fall to 0-3 this week, it might be time for Josh Rosen to step in to become the 4th rookie starting QB this season. I know it has only been two weeks, and I do enjoy panicking early and often, but David Johnson worries me right now. Let’s see how the next few weeks go before jumping ship on him
3. San Francisco 49ers – Jimmy G looked every bit like a nervous, young rookie against the Vikings in throwing 3 INTs including a pick 6, but I did like the way he battled to the end. He was merely okay against the Lions. The 49ers went up by 17 points in the second half and he looked shaky late in the game in trying to close them out, but did get the win. Losing McKinnon to a season ending injury and having Goodwin banged up early have made it a struggle for this team to get reach its potential. The defense is improving and Richard Sherman has looked good in his return from injury.
4. Seattle Seahawks – This team is only a couple of losses away from going into full on rebuilding mode. They’ve already struggled with injuries to key players on both sides of the ball and the offensive line continues to have problems which is allowing Russell Wilson to take a beating each week. With everyone healthy, this feels like a .500 team at best.

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