There were plenty of fantasy breakout players in Week 2 — Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold, New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara and New York Jets running back Breece Hall — and there’s sure to be plenty more in Week 3.
Every week, Yardbarker will give you some of the top fantasy football matchups to take advantage of. Here are the top matchups to exploit this week:
Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen vs. Jacksonville Jaguars secondary
Allen will have a field day going against that kind of soft coverage Jacksonville has been playing this year, even with a group of wide receivers who are still finding their stride and working on building chemistry. Allen threw for 232 yards and two touchdowns in Week 1 against the Cardinals and 139 yards and a touchdown in last week’s win over the Miami Dolphins, so he’s due for a big game.
The Jaguars are allowing the third-most passing yards per game (245.5), they’re tied for the 11th-most yards per pass allowed (7.4) and safety Darnell Savage is the only defensive back to allow a completion percentage below 66 through two games, per Pro Football Focus, and Allen is primed to put up a 300-yard game against that secondary.
San Francisco 49ers RB Jordan Mason vs. Los Angeles Rams front seven
Mason has had 48 carries through two games, topping 100 yards both times. With Deebo Samuel set to miss a few weeks with a calf injury, and Christian McCaffrey out until at least Week 6, the 49ers will keep leaning on Mason to pound the rock.
The Rams have the third-worst run defense in the NFL (197 yards allowed per game) and they’ve surrendered 5.5 yards per carry through two games. Detroit’s David Montgomery rushed for 91 yards and a touchdown against them in Week 1 and Arizona’s James Conner 122 yards and a touchdown in Week 2, so there’s no reason why Mason, who ranks second in the NFL in rushing (247 yards) can’t run his streak of 100-yard games to three this weekend.
Cincinnati Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase vs. Washington Commanders defense
Chase hasn’t had his typical All-Pro form through the first two games, but that changes against the Washington Commanders this week. The good news for Cincy is Chase has caught 10 of his 11 targets, the bad news is he’s only averaging 48.5 yards per game.
However, the Commanders have one of the worst defenses in the NFL. They’ve surrendered the most touchdown passes in the league (six) and they’ve allowed the sixth-most yards per reception (8.1) this season. Chase is another player who should snap out of his funk against a defense that’s playing at a sub-par level.
Last week’s picks:
QB Matthew Stafford: 19-for-27, 216 yards, 6.64 ESPN fantasy points
RB Derrick Henry: 18 carries, 84 yards, one touchdown, 16.6 ESPN fantasy points
WR Michael Pittman: three receptions, seven targets, 21 yards, 5.1 ESPN fantasy points