Football is a game of matchups. There is a saying in fantasy football to “start your studs,” but we really want to rely on the players who will score the most fantasy points. Talent plays a large factor in which players score the most, but matchups also heavily contribute.
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Digging deep into the PFF database, here are four cases where the combination of how the two teams play or use their players will lead to bigger games by the offenses involved.
Taylor Heinicke’s time to shine
Washington’s quarterback has been able to find fantasy success even if his play on the field hasn’t been great: He has scored the 16th-most fantasy points this season despite Ryan Fitzpatrick starting Week 1. But Heinicke's 54.2 PFF pass grade is the lowest aside from some rookie quarterbacks.
He should be able to put up fantasy points this week against the Kansas City defense. The last four quarterbacks to face the Chiefs all ranked among the top four fantasy quarterbacks that week. These were all good quarterbacks, but the Kansas City defense did little to slow them down.
The Chiefs' 61.5 team pass-rush grade is the third-worst in the league, and their best pass rusher ranks 44th in total pressures this season. All quarterbacks are worse under pressure, but Heinicke has been particularly bad. He completes less than half of his passes, and his 8.2% turnover worthy play rate is third-worst among quarterbacks under pressure. The Chiefs' lack of pass rush should allow Heinicke to play his best. The game script should also keep his number of attempts high, all maximizing his fantasy value.
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