Cardinals @ Broncos

Cardinals(+3) @ Broncos(-150) O/U 36

Key storylines/What to Watch

It’s hard to imagine the Broncos as favorites against anyone besides the Texans, but here they are as three-point favorites against the Colt McCoy-led Cardinals. Russell Wilson likely won’t play in this game which may have led to the Broncos being favored. The Cardinals’ defense is terrible, and the Broncos’ defense should be able to run all over them, and Colt McCoy could have a hard time if James Conner can’t get going. Watch for Broncos’ running backs Latavius Murray and Marlon Mack, as they’ll likely correlate with the success of the team.

Top Starts

James Conner: The Broncos’ rush defense may actually be the weak point of their strong defense, as they’re fairly neutral when it comes to allowing fantasy production to running backs. James Conner saw 21 touches last week in a game where they were trailing for nearly all of it. Conner saw seven targets with Colt McCoy at quarterback, and if the Broncos can make McCoy uncomfortable, he may see even more. This seems like a game where Conner may not have the best efficiency, but he sees enough volume to get the job done for fantasy managers.

Latavius Murray: Murray only saw 11 touches last week, but they were trailing for the entirety of the game. In the three games before, Murray saw a total of 56 touches, with each of those games being close. This game likely will be tight, and the Cardinals are bottom-10 in fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs. The Broncos will likely want to lean on their run game to avoid putting pressure on Brett Rypien, giving Murray a 20-plus touch upside. 

Boom/Bust Dart-Throw

Deandre Hopkins: Since returning from suspension, Hopkins has seen an average of almost 11 targets per game. Kliff Kingsbury has made getting the ball in his hands a focal point of his offense, even when Kyler Murray didn’t play last week. The Broncos allow the second least amount of fantasy points to opposing receivers, making this the hardest matchup that Hopkins has seen all year. This doesn’t come at a good time, as Colt McCoy will be starting. Hopkins will see his targets in this game, but the possibility of him getting neutralized is very real. 

Jerry Jeudy: Jeudy had a career fantasy day last week, catching eight of nine targets for 73 yards and three touchdowns. The vast majority of this production came with Russell Wilson at quarterback, as Brett Rypien only threw for 16 yards and a score. Wilson has already been ruled out, meaning Rypien will have to get the ball in Jeudy’s hands. After his big game, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Cardinals try and take him away. Also, the Broncos will likely want to run the ball and control the clock in this game.

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Patriots @ Raiders

Patriots(-110) @ Raiders(-110) O/U 44.5

Key storylines/What to Watch

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