Week 2: New England Patriots @ Pittsburgh Steelers
The New England Patriots will look to turn the page after a demoralizing loss to the Miami Dolphins, 20-7. They only generated 271 yards of total offense. They now look to right the ship as they head to Pittsburgh to take on the Steelers.
The Steelers are coming off a wild win in overtime over the Cincinnati Bengals, 23-20. They likely should have lost if the Bengals made a 29-yard field goal in overtime or had the Bengals challenged a would-be TD catch by Ja’Maar Chase with 2:54 left.
Pittsburgh lost TJ Watt to a pectoral injury, but their defense is still solid. Najee Harris, who was in a boot at one point, is optimistic about playing. Mike Tomlin says he will have to prove he can play at practice this week, though. If the Steelers are going to win this game, it will likely be because of their defense and Mitch Trubisky spreading the ball around.
READ MORE: How the Patriots Can Build on Their Strengths
Best Bets:
Pittsburgh Steelers +2 points (-110)
Pittsburgh Steelers Moneyline (+110)
New England Patriots under 20.5 points (-115)
(Odds by DraftKings SportsBook, and they fluctuate)
Same Game Parlay:
Steelers Moneyline
+
New England Patriots under 20.5 points
+
Under 40.5 points total
ODDS +300
This is the best bet parlay, meaning most likely to win. For longer odds, use Patriots under 17.5, or shop around at different sports books.
Fantasy Football: Start or Sit
Start:
Diontae Johnson, WR, Steelers: Johnson is the best receiver in this matchup. He had seven catches for 55 yards on 12 targets last week.
Najee Harris, RB, Steelers (foot injury): Harris expects to play, so you have to start him unless you are in an eight-person league or somehow have a better option. Even if he plays through pain, he will be facing a solid run defense that only gave up 65 yards rushing to the Dolphins last week. Harris was in a walking boot after the game, and it is hard to imagine he will not be limited. However, Harris also catches passes, which is how he could beat the Patriots defense.
Pat Freiermuth, TE, Steelers: Freiermuth is a top 10 tight end, so he is a must-start. He had five catches for 75 yards on 10 targets last week! He is also a great play in daily fantasy.
Chris Boswell, K, Steelers: This game looks like it will be a field goal contest, and the Steelers will likely have the most opportunities.
Nick Folk, K, Patriots: Folk is a very reliable kicker inside 40-yards. It is easy to see the Patriots offense stalling against this defense and having to kick often.
Steelers Defense/ Special Teams: The Steelers are a top 10 defense this week, even without Watt. The Patriots have struggled on offense all preseason and week 1, which should continue.
Sit:
Damien Harris, RB, Patriots: It is hard to sit Harris, but this feels warranted, and it is not his fault. He has been running hard and looks great. It is just that the Patriots offense is not clicking, and Harris is not getting enough opportunities. He had nine carries for 48 yards and two catches for 10 yards against Miami. It feels like that stat line is going to repeat itself.
Rhamondre Stevenson, RB, Patriots: Stevenson is another player that is tough to sit. He also looks great but is not getting enough opportunities in a weak offense that is likely to be trailing.
Jakobi (Wan-Kenobi) Meyers, WR, Patriots: Meyers had four catches for 55 yards on six targets and was the leading receiver. He looks solid, but those stats will likely repeat with this offense.
Hunter Henry, TE, Patriots: Henry had three targets and caught two for 20 yards. He is also competing for targets with Jonnu Smith, who had four. There are not enough balls to go around in New England.
Daily Fantasy Sleeper Picks:
Kendrick Bourne, WR, Patriots ($4,000 on DraftKings)
Yes, he played two snaps against Miami and was targeted once. That sounds terrible for fantasy purposes. However, it was a 41-yard reception where he beat his man badly down the sideline. They only sat him for what seems like disciplinary reasons. Bourne was their second-leading receiver last year and one of Mac Jones’s favorite targets.
Jones and Bourne spent a lot of time working on their timing this offseason, and Jones did not have him for most of this game. Bourne was also taking handoffs in the preseason, so we should see those plays at some point, hopefully, this week around the goal line. With Bourne’s big play potential, he is an excellent value at 4k with low ownership.
Jaylen Warren, RB, Steelers ($5400 on DraftKings)
Warren is the clear favorite if Najee Harris cannot go or is limited. He is listed second on the depth chart and got all the snaps when Harris went down. He may not gain a lot of yards against the Patriots run defense, but he will have opportunities to score.
