Dave Richard just dropped his Week 2 fantasy football rankings, and if you aren’t digging into the matchups, you’re already behind. This isn’t about who you drafted first; it’s about making smart calls with healthy personnel and exploiting defensive schemes. You have to put the right guys in and leave the wrong ones on the bench, especially when the early season trends start to emerge.
The Lions’ Defensive Woes Make Kincaid a Must-Start
The Detroit Lions got five sacks on Tyler Shough last week, more than any other team, which sounds great. But don’t let that fool you! Their pass rush pressure rate was only 35.5%,solid, sure, but not spectacular. This Thursday night road game in Buffalo, against a charged-up Bills squad, is going to be a different animal entirely. Richard expects the Lions to run a lot of zone coverage, eventually switching to man-to-man to blitz Allen and force turnovers. This is huge for Dalton Kincaid. Last week, he absolutely feasted against Houston’s zone defense, posting a 29.4% target per route run rate and racking up 22.5 yards per catch. And get this: the Lions’ defense gave up a combined 7 catches for 87 yards and 2 touchdowns on 15 targets to New Orleans’ top two tight ends just last Sunday. Kincaid is set up to feast again.
Goff and the Lions’ Offensive Line Are in for a Long Night
Jared Goff is heading into one of only six outdoor games this season, and it’s against a Bills defense that C.J. Stroud knocked around last Sunday, especially in the middle of the field. You might think that’s good news for Goff, but not so fast. Richard predicts Buffalo will stick with zone-heavy coverage, but they’ll blitz plenty, just like they did against Stroud. Their pass rush pressure didn’t make a difference until late in that game, but this week could be different. The Lions will be without two offensive line starters from Week 1, and potentially three if you count center Cade Mays. Goff has a track record of struggling under pressure, and last week was no exception; he was only 2 of 6 passing for 30 yards when pressured, outside of that nice red-zone touchdown pass to Amon-Ra St. Brown. This matchup is brutal, and it’s going to hit Goff hard.
These Week 2 matchups are where leagues are won and lost early on. Pay attention to these details from Dave Richard, because ignoring the Lions’ defensive struggles and the Bills’ pass rush potential could sink your team before the season even gets going.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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