1. Russell Wilson vs Andrew Luck

This battle of sophomore quarterbacks looks to be a very interesting one early in the 2013 season.  Wilson and the Seahawks are coming off of a huge comeback win vs the Houston Texans and look to continue their pursuit of perfection.  Luck and the Colts are coming off of an easy win over the abysmal Jacksonville Jaguars. 

Luck has been a successful starting quarterback for most fantasy leagues but this week you may want to consider a different option being that he is up against a very tough defense in Seattle.  The only reason he is worth a start is because the Seahawks are the visiting team and have shown that they can be somewhat vulnerable when playing away.  Wilson has not been a solid starter for fantasy owners this year and the Colts are trying to prove themselves among the elite teams in the NFL.  This will be a tight battle between both quarterbacks but the one who makes the most mistakes will bring home the loss for their team.

Projections:

Russell Wilson - 230 passing yards, one touchdown, one interception

Andrew Luck - 250 passing yards, two touchdowns, two interceptions

2. Demaryius Thomas vs Dez Bryant

This game between the Broncos and the Cowboys look to be an old fashioned shootout.  Which means the wide receivers in this game will have a huge impact on how the game finishes out.  We all know Tony Romo and the record setting Peyton Manning will come out firing away and doing what they do best.  I expect Denver to eventually take a lead which means Manning will have spread the ball around most likely to Thomas.  The Dallas secondary allows the eleventh most fantasy points to opposing receivers which means Thomas could have a field day.  If Denver does take this lead, The Cowboys will become pass happy and try to play catch up and that is where Bryant comes in.  He may get a good amount of garbage points but in fantasy... points are points. 

Projections:

Demaryius Thomas - Seven receptions, 100 receiving yards, two touchdowns

Dez Bryant - Six receptions, 89 receiving yards, two touchdowns

3. Arian Foster vs Frank Gore

Every week Foster looks to be stronger and stronger.  Last week vs the best defense in the Seattle Seahawks, Foster had over 100 yards rushing, 69 receiving yards and a receiving touchdown.  The 49ers defense is not considered as strong but still a solid defense.  But if Foster can put up those numbers against the number one defense, he can sure do it again.  Gore is also on the rise after having a big week vs the so-called above average Rams defense.  The Texans defense is a lot tougher than the Rams so Gore will not perform as well as he did.  I see this game being a defensive battle but the running game will control the pace and the point total. 

Projections:

Arian Foster- 78 rushing yards, 30 receiving yards, one touchdown

Frank Gore - 62 rushing yards, 12 receiving yards, zero touchdowns

4. Matthew Stafford vs Aaron Rodgers

Stafford has been pretty solid so far this year but had his least productive day vs the Bears last week.  He did his fantasy owners a favor by having a rushing touchdown to go along with his passing touchdown.  The Green Bay defense is not as strong as the Bears defense which gives Stafford a good chance to get back on track.  Rodgers started off blazing hot with seven touchdown passes in the first two weeks and then had a very poor effort against the Bengals with only one passing touchdown.  He is playing in front of the home crowd and coming off the bye week so I expect Rodgers to start the fire again and have a big day. 

Projections:

Matthew Stafford - 310 passing yards, two touchdowns, one interception

Aaron Rodgers - 340 passing yards, four touchdowns, zero interceptions, one fumble

5. Jimmy Graham vs Brandon Marshall

Marshall sees tons of targets every week which is why he has over 300 receiving yards already this season and among the top 10 fantasy receivers.  The new and improved Saints defense under Rob Ryan has been playing well above average.  Marshall could have some trouble getting the yards but is always a redzone threat.  We all know that Graham is a tight end but he performs like a wide receiver.  He couldn't be any hotter averaging over 100 receiving yards per game this season and two receiving touchdown in each of the last two games.  This guy has no problem going up and getting the ball.  Anyone could throw the ball up to him and he could come down with it.  The Bears have a decent defense but that will not stop this monster tight end.  Look for him to continue the hot streak.

Projections:

Jimmy Graham - Five receptions, 95 receiving yards, two touchdowns

Brandon Marshall - Six receptions, 51 receiving yards, one touchdown