5. Russell Wilson vs. Colin Kaepernick
We start off our top five matchups with a rivalry battle of the NFC West. Russell Wilson has been outstanding this season and has thrown multiple touchdowns in his past six games with only two interceptions in that span. The 49ers defense has done quite well the past few weeks against opposing quarterbacks with only two touchdowns passes the past four games.
Back in Week 2 when these teams met up the 49ers defense did a good job shutting down Wilson but failed to shut down running back Marshawn Lynch. Being that the game is in San Francisco, there is a good chance the 49ers will be able to hold Wilson in check like they did the first time they met in Seattle. Wilson’s fantasy streak may come to an end this week.
Kaepernick has been inconsistent all season but was solid in his last two starts with over 200 yards in each game and four touchdown passes. In the Week 2 matchup, Kaepernick had one of his worst games in his career with 127 passing yards, three interceptions, one fumble and no touchdowns. Granted, the game was in Seattle and it seems most all quarterbacks struggle in Seattle and against that Legion of Boom defense. Kaepernick will do a little better than his Week 2 performance but it won’t be a significant increase.
Projections:
Russell Wilson – 200 passing yards, 30 rush yards, one touchdown, one interception
Colin Kaepernick – 130 passing yards, 40 rush yards, one touchdown, two interceptions
4. Brandon Marshall vs. Dez Bryant
The numbers really alternate week by week between Marshall and Alshon Jeffery but Marshall sees most of the touchdowns and have four more on the season.
He also hasn’t posted back to back poor performances all season so there is a great chance that Marshall will have a great game; especially since the Cowboys defense has allows the second most yards passing this season.
Josh McCown seems to be the starting quarterback this week and really shouldn’t affect Mashall’s number of targets for this week.
Bryant has been relatively quite his past few games with only one touchdown in four weeks.
It seems like he is ready for one of those breakout games and start a scoring streak we have seen in the past. The Bears defense has given up five passing touchdown over the past four weeks so Bryant is in the running for a good day. Tony Romo will look his way often and hopefully get in the end zone once or twice.
Projections:
Brandon Marshall – Five receptions, 83 yards, one touchdown
Dez Bryant – Seven receptions, 70 yards, one touchdown
3. Matthew Stafford vs. Nick Foles
As of recent, it seems Stafford is forcing the ball too much into tight windows. This is leading him to throwing many interceptions and he has 10 of them in his past five games. Luckily he somewhat makes up for those interceptions by having 12 touchdown passes in the same span. If Stafford was able to eliminate his interceptions, his fantasy points per week would be much higher.
This week he is against an Eagles defense that hasn’t performed well against opposing quarterbacks this season and has surrendered six touchdown passes in the past three games. Stafford is a solid fantasy start and should perform well but his interceptions keep him in the great category instead of the elite category.
Unlike Stafford, Foles has yet to throw an interception this season. He has 13 touchdown passes the past four games and averages almost 300 yards per game in that span. He is definitely the spark that Philadelphia has been seeking and is trying to make a run for the division. The Lions defense is very suspect to opposing quarterbacks and is known to give up plenty of yards and touchdowns through the air. The way Foles has been playing, he should have a great day at home.
Projections:
Matthew Stafford – 280 passing yards, two touchdowns, one interception
Nick Foles – 250 passing yards, two touchdowns, zero interceptions
2. Chris Johnson vs. Knowshon Moreno
Johnson’s fantasy scoring has been literally up and down almost all season. His inconstancy has been frustrating for fantasy owners who want more of a consistent scoring platform week after week.
He only has four rushing touchdowns all season and they occurred in just two games. Last week he was able to get a receiving touchdown that boosted his fantasy points for that game.
Even though all of this is true, Johnson is against a Broncos defense that has given up a rushing touchdown in 10 out of the 12 games they have played this season. The Broncos defense has also given up over 100 rushing yards in four of their last five games. Expect Johnson to touch the ball early and often.
Moreno’s number of touches were cut in half last week from 37 from the week before, to only 15. What gave him a good fantasy day was his number of receiving yards and a receiving touchdown.
If you thought the Denver run defense was bad, the Titans run defense is worse giving up and average of over one touchdown per game. Moreno should continue having a great breakout season and find himself in the end zone more than once.
Projection:
Chris Johnson – 70 rush yards, four receptions, 30 receiving yards, one touchdown
Knowshon Moreno – 75 rushing yards, five receptions, 25 receiving yards, two touchdowns
1. Cam Newton vs. Drew Brees
The matchup of the week seems to be the start of a new division rivalry. Cam Newton and the 9-3 Carolina Panthers will travel to the Superdome and take on Drew Brees and the 9-3 New Orleans Saints in primetime fashion on Sunday night for first place in the NFC South.
The Panthers are hoping to extend their winning streak to nine games and it all starts with Newton. He has done an excellent job in controlling the game and making plays when needed. He doesn’t throw many touchdowns but his dual threat ability makes him a dangerous weapon and in the past 6 weeks he has 13 total touchdowns. The Saints defense has done well against opposing quarterbacks but must be careful to not let Newton escape the pocket and make plays with his feet. Being that the game is in New Orleans, it will be a true test for Newton to stay poised and perform well.
Last week Brees had his worst game and fantasy performance in a very long time. The Seahawks defense was able to completely shut down the Saints offense even though Brees was able to get one touchdown pass. Now that the Saints come back home, Brees and that offense should be able to come back to life. 19 of Brees’ 29 touchdown passes came in the Superdome this season which means the Panthers defense will have a lot on their hands. The Panthers rank first against opposing quarterbacks and have not given up multiple touchdown passes all season and Brees was held to one all year just last week. Brees will be tested but the home field advantage will most likely prevail.
Projection:
Cam Newton – 210 passing yards, 45 rush yards, two total touchdowns
Drew Brees – 290 passing yards, three touchdowns