Matchups: MNF Doubleheader

Monday Night Football

NY Giants @ Detroit

Much has been made of the Giants' offensive dysfunction, which was evident all August. Less has been made of the Lions' lack of confidence in their own secondary, made clear by a recent workout of 36-year-old street free agent Champ Bailey. Although Eli Manning is a poor fantasy bet, there should be enough openings in Detroit's defense for Victor Cruz to turn in a serviceable WR2/3 stat line on Monday night. As the Giants lack a viable tight end and first-round pick Odell Beckham (hamstring) remains on the shelf, Cruz should be heavily targeted on high-percentage routes under new OC Ben McAdoo, an ex-Packers assistant who will utilize Cruz a la Randall Cobb. ... Only three members of New York's offense are worth Week 1 fantasy consideration. The first is Cruz, and the second is Rueben Randle. 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds with nine touchdowns among 60 career catches, Randle is a proven TD scorer who just turned 23, and will be Eli's No. 2 pass option versus a vulnerable cornerback corps of shaky sophomore Darius Slay and 34-year-old Rashean Mathis. Promisingly, the Giants threw bubble screens to Randle in camp practices and exhibition games. Those are extremely fantasy-friendly passes. Like Cruz, Randle benefits from New York's tight end shortage and should ascend to the No. 1 option on red-zone plays because of his size. He's a cheap, high-ceiling FanDuel option and a boom-or-bust re-draft WR3.

The third fantasy-viable Giant is Rashad Jennings, although he has the most difficult matchup of the trio against a Detroit team that returns every critical front-seven member from last year's top-six run defense. Jennings will likely also lose goal-line work to rookie Andre Williams, a mack-truck power back at 5-foot-11, 230 with deceptive burst and foot quickness. I'd view Jennings as a safe, if low-ceiling RB2 against the Lions, but expect it to be only a matter of time before Williams begins cutting heavily into his early-down carries. Especially with the pass game coming along slowly, Williams' Michael Turner-like running ability is going to be difficult for coach Tom Coughlin to keep on the bench. ... The Giants are expected to use a three-tight end rotation of Daniel Fells, Larry Donnell, and Adrien Robinson to open the season. Fells is a 31-year-old journeyman. Donnell runs like a dad. Robinson isn't good at football. ... Third receiver duties will either go to pint-sized Jerrel Jernigan or impressive UDFA Corey Washington, who scored four touchdowns in the preseason. 22-year-old Washington should be owned in all Dynasty leagues. After a productive finish to 2013, the Giants expressed disappointment in Jernigan's development this summer.

Matthew Stafford finished the exhibition season 21-of-30 passing (70%) for 204 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception. He only had Calvin Johnson on 20 of his snaps. Although the Giants' secondary has improved with FS Stevie Brown back healthy and LCB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie now flanking RCB Prince Amukamara, New York's pass rush remains a question mark, and Detroit's 2014 offense is going to be difficult for even the league's top defenses to stop. I'd feel good about Stafford's floor and ceiling entering Monday night's affair. ... Rodgers-Cromartie is coming off an outstanding season in Denver, but the only cornerback in the NFL who can legitimately claim to have shut down or stopped Megatron is Darrelle Revis. ... Although Johnson is an obvious must-start stud, there is a conceivable scenario in which he is slowed or contained by DRC and the Giants' coverage schemes. Golden Tate would become the primary beneficiary, as the sort of Welker to Johnson's Moss. Expected to be utilized both outside and in the slot by new OC Joe Lombardi, Tate is a sneaky candidate for double-digit targets against the G-Men. I've got some exposure to Tate this week and think he has WR2 upside, especially with rookie tight end Eric Ebron coming along slowly.

Ebron, Brandon Pettigrew, and Joseph Fauria all figure to be active on Monday Night Football. None of the three is a good bet to see a high volume of targets, at least not to open the season. Only 21 years old, I think Ebron would do well to finish his rookie campaign with 45 catches. Pettigrew will play the Ben Watson role under ex-Saints assistant Lombardi. Fauria is a limited-snap, 6-foot-7 red-zone specialist. ... Joique Bell and Reggie Bush both finished 2013 as top-17 fantasy backs, and I expect each of them to remain 2014 every-week starters. The Lions demonstrated their belief in Bell by signing him to a three-year, $9.3 million extension when they could have otherwise kept him on a $2.187 million restricted free agent tag. Bell is a superior inside runner to Bush and a candidate to lead Detroit in rushing attempts while also handling most goal-line work. A complete back, Bell has 50-plus receptions in back-to-back years. In Lombardi's Saints-style attack, Bell could be a cross between Mark Ingram and Pierre Thomas. Bush will be utilized in Sprolesian fashion, with fewer carries and more catches. Bush is most effective in space, so the role suits him. He'll be a weekly big-play threat. The Giants' run defense is solid, but not to the extent that it's worrisome for either Lions runner. Fire up Bush and Bell as RB2s.
Score Prediction: Lions 27, Giants 17

San Diego @ Arizona

Carson Palmer was my favorite QB1 streamer and cheap FanDuel option of Week 1. Palmer quietly took off in the second half of last season -- his first in Bruce Arians' offense -- compiling a 16:9 TD-to-INT ratio and 65.7% completion rate over Arizona's final nine games. Long a high-volume pass-game believer, Arians will have to lean on Palmer's gunslinging arm after the Cardinals' defense lost All Pro-caliber ILBs Daryl Washington (suspension) and Karlos Dansby (Browns), as well as LE Darnell Dockett (ACL). Armed with Larry Fitzgerald, ascending 24-year-old WR1 candidate Michael Floyd, and lid-popping rookie John Brown, Palmer is a sleeper for 30-plus touchdown passes. San Diego's pass defense should be slightly better than last year's bottom-four group, but I expect Palmer to have a productive Monday night. ... Every member of the Chargers' cornerback corps looks exploitable on paper. New LCB Brandon Flowers struggled this preseason after ranking 94th among 110 qualifiers in Pro Football Focus' 2013 coverage grades. RCB Shareece Wright also had a rough August after placing an even-worse 105th. Nickel back Jason Verrett is an undersized rookie. Both Fitz and Floyd are high-upside plays. 4.34 burner Brown is more of a WR5, but could eventually enter the WR3 mix.

Tight ends primarily block in Arians' offense, leaving Arizona's John Carlson-Troy Niklas-Rob Housler triumvirate without fantasy appeal. The Cardinals' website lists Carlson and rookie Niklas as starters. Housler is on the second team. ... Andre Ellington's latest foot injury has made him a game-time decision on Monday night. FOX's Jay Glazer reported Sunday that Ellington will be "limited" even if he plays. Fantasy owners can wait until game time to decide on Ellington versus Jonathan Dwyer, but my guess is Ellington will be inactive and Dwyer will push for 15 carries plus goal-line work versus San Diego. Dwyer outplayed inferior talent Stepfan Taylor this preseason, earning No. 2 running back duties. From a season-long standpoint, Dwyer seems unlikely to fully take on Rashard Mendenhall's 2013 role (235 touches), but could come surprisingly close. The Cards' top power runner, Dwyer has an outside chance to flirt with standalone flex value during the bye weeks, even when Ellington returns. I consider Dwyer a decent bet for a touchdown on Monday night.

After playing methodical, ball-control football under outgoing OC Ken Whisenhunt, the Chargers spent the spring and summer upping the tempo under new playcaller Frank Reich. Don't expect San Diego to play as fast as the Eagles or Broncos, but the offense will definitely be more voluminous, which is good news for their skill-position players. They noticeably made more use of no-huddle packages this preseason. ... As mentioned above, the Cards no longer have a defense to fear after so many back-breaking losses. Additionally, top Arizona pass rusher John Abraham is 36 years old, and didn't get out of rehab until mid-August. Difference-making FS/slot CB Tyrann Mathieu is coming off two torn knee ligaments. I think Palmer offers a higher ceiling on Monday night, but Philip Rivers is an attractive QB1. ... Keenan Allen theoretically gets the toughest draw in San Diego's pass-catching corps, doing battle with shadow corner Patrick Peterson. It's worth noting, however, that receivers who excel in the short to intermediate range with crisp route running historically give plus-sized Peterson (6'0/220) the most trouble. Michael Crabtree is the best example of this; he's had Peterson's number since the two entered the league. Perhaps downgrade Allen from a borderline WR1 into the WR2/3 vicinity, but he remains a quality start. Only 22 years old, Allen has a 76-1,179-10 stat line over his last 15 games.

Arizona is still likely to be most vulnerable in the middle of the field, where 34-year-old retread Larry Foote and sophomore Kevin Minter (one career snap) will attempt to "replace" Washington and Dansby, and Mathieu may struggle after his devastating ACL/LCL injury. (This assumes Mathieu plays at all in Week 1; I personally don't think he will.) Even with those three players in the lineup for most of 2013, there wasn't a defense more easily burned by tight ends than the Cardinals. Antonio Gates is an intriguing spot start due to the cake matchup. The preseason indicated Ladarius Green remains a limited-snap player, but this is the kind of game where he could go off. He's a boom-or-bust TE1 gamble. As Gates (hamstring) was listed as questionable on Saturday's injury report, Green could explode if Gates does not play. ... 33-year-old perimeter role player Malcom Floyd and slot man Eddie Royal round out San Diego's pass-catching corps. If the Bolts lean heavily on Gates and Green in two-tight end sets, Royal's playing time will be adversely affected. ... The 2013 Cardinals finished No. 1 in run defense, but their stoutness is fair to question without Dansby, Washington, and Dockett. Arizona's first-team defense did hold Giovani Bernard to 17 yards on 10 carries in the third preseason game. Ryan Mathews remains a good bet to flirt with 20 touches and will get any goal-line work. In passing situations, Danny Woodhead may lose usage to Donald Brown.

Score Prediction: Chargers 28, Cardinals 24