It's a basic rule of fantasy football: trust the building blocks on your roster, no matter how daunting the matchup might appear to be.
One major takeaway from Week 1 was Cincinnati Bengals WR A.J. Green showing his matchup-proof upside in what was deemed a tough test lining up across from New York Jets DB Darrelle Revis. Green dominated the matchup, grabbing 12 of 13 targets for 180 yards and a score.
Here are three stars to lean on in Week 2 despite their unfavorable matchups:
QB Andrew Luck, Colts (at Broncos)
Waiting on quarterbacks is a heavily inked draft strategy, and Luck's Week 2 matchup serves as a perfect example of ammunition in the argument against targeting a QB early. Yet Cam Newton fared just fine in Denver last week (21 standard fantasy points), and it's reasonable to suggest Luck has a better compliment of receiving weapons surrounding him.
Denver's pass rush is concerning (three sacks in Week 1), but overall, the Broncos weren't as impressive defensively against Carolina last week as the unit that dominated in 2015. The Broncos have also allowed 51 points to the Colts in Luck's last two regular-season starts against Denver.
Luck went to the air 89 times in those two games, and the porous Indianapolis defense forced him to attempt 47 passes against Detroit in the Week 1 shootout. It was the 13th consecutive game Luck has attempted at least 30 passes, including the playoffs. There is little risk of negative game script limiting his volume through the air this week, which keeps his floor high.
Add Luck's ability to pad his fantasy point total with rushing yards, and it's easier to stomach the difficult matchup. Fantasy results don't have to mirror real-world success, and there is a better than zero chance Denver isn't as stout defensively as last season. Look for Luck to attack vertically early and often en route to a solid virtual showing.
RB Arian Foster, Dolphins (at Patriots)
The veteran returned to practice Thursday, putting to rest some concerns over his prospects in another tough road test against New England. The Patriots allowed under 100 rushing yards per game last season (98.8) and yielded just eight rushing scores - both top-10 marks in the league.
Additionally, outside of David Johnson's 45-yard scamper in Week 1, the Patriots allowed just 2.88 yards per tote to running backs in Week 1. And New England hasn't allowed an opposing back to post a 100-yard rushing day in any of its past eight games, including the playoffs.
Even with the tall task ahead of him, Foster is an intriguing fantasy asset because of his high floor and red-zone savvy. In a nightmare scenario against Seattle last week, Foster managed 100 yards from scrimmage on 13 rushes and three receptions while playing 46 of 53 offensive snaps (86 percent).
Foster is locked into a high-volume role with little competition for carries in the Miami backfield, and his ability to pad his fantasy point total through the air can't be ignored. Plus, dating back to the 2014 season, Foster has hit 100 total yards or scored a touchdown in 16 of 18 contests with 16 total scores.
WR Randall Cobb, Packers (at Vikings)
There will be a few narratives working against Cobb this week. He underwhelmed against Jacksonville in the opener with six receptions and just 57 yards, and grabbed just eight of 17 targets for 61 yards and a touchdown in two games against the Vikings last year.
The Minnesota defense held Tennessee receivers to just 153 yards without a touchdown in Week 1 - a nice follow-up to 2015, when the Vikings allowed the 12th-fewest passing yards (3,759) and 11th-fewest scores (24). Overall, Minnesota allowed the fifth-fewest points per game (18.9) last year and held Tennessee to 16 last week.
Still, the Packers posted an encouraging 27 points in Week 1, and Cobb finished second in targets. Minnesota is expected to be without top cornerback Xavier Rhodes (knee) again in Week 2, which should force an underwhelming trio of Terence Newman, Captain Munnerlyn and Trae Waynes to account for Jordy Nelson, Cobb and Davante Adams.
Look for Cobb to gobble up short and intermediate targets as a tactic to mitigate the pressure from Minnesota's strong defensive line. Cobb obviously has a higher floor in PPR formats, but this isn't the daunting matchup it appears to be on the surface.
