Alright people, we’ve got football, tons of it for the next 16 weeks. It doesn’t get much sweeter than that! Week 2 of the NFL season kicks off tonight with Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles hosting Kirk Cousins and the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday Night Football.
Game
Philadelphia Eagles vs. Minnesota Vikings, 8:15 pm ET
Betting Odds (DraftKings)
- Line: Vikings +6.5, Eagles -6.5
- Moneyline: Eagles (-265), Vikings (+215)
- Over/Under: 49.5
Team Ranks (2023)
Eagles
- Points for: 25.0 (8th)
- Points Allowed: 20.0 (14th)
Vikings
- Points For: 17.0 (20th)
- Points Allowed: 20.0 (14th)
Key Injuries to Watch
Eagles
- Reed Blankenship (S) – Out
- James Bradberry (CB) – Out
- Kenneth Gainwell (RB) – Out
- Fletcher Cox (DT) – Questionable
Vikings
- Garrett Bradbury (C) - Out
- Christian Darisaw (OT) – Questionable
- Marcus Davenport (LB) - Questionable
Week 1 saw accumulated injuries across the NFL. The Eagles and Vikings are no exception. Bradbury’s absence will arguably have the biggest impact on tonight’s game. Minnesota will miss its starting Center against one of the best interior defensive line groups in the NFL. The Vikings are desperately hoping Darisaw will be able to suit up to help on the offensive line.
The Eagles will miss running back Kenneth Gainwell, who surprised in Week 1 by dominating touches out of the backfield. There’s plenty of depth at RB with D’Andre Swift, Rashaad Penny and Boston Scott.
With corner James Bradberry out due to a concussion, there is an inexperienced group in the Eagles defensive backfield outside of Darius Slay and Avonte Maddox.
Captain Prices (DraftKings)
- Justin Jefferson, WR, $18,600
- Jalen Hurts, QB, $17,100
- A.J. Brown, WR, $15,900
- Kirk Cousins, QB $13,800
- DeVonta Smith, WR, $13,500
- Alexander Mattison, RB, $11,400
- T.J. Hockenson, TE, $10,200
Flex Prices (DraftKings)
- Justin Jefferson, WR, $12,400
- Jalen Hurts, QB, $11,400
- A.J. Brown, WR, $10,600
- Kirk Cousins, QB $9,200
- DeVonta Smith, WR, $9,000
- Alexander Mattison, RB, $7,600
- T.J. Hockenson, TE, $6,800
According to the Contrarian Edge Optimizer, Jalen Hurts is projected to be the most owned Captain on the slate over at DraftKings. Kirk Cousins finds himself in the most lineups in over 57%.
With the Eagles playing without RB Kenneth Gainwell, many will try to guess which Eagles running back will dominate touches. My guess is they run out a true committee approach. Many DFS players are expected to have Rashaad Penny in their lineups as his salary is just $1,600!
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Hurts is probably the Eagles’ best option near the goal line and sportsbooks give him the best chance to score a touchdown. It’s wise to find a way to get Hurts in your lineup.
Kirk Cousins is notoriously bad in primetime with a record of 8-10. It may be best to avoid him on the road with a banged up offensive line.
Sneaky Options
T.J. Hockenson, Vikings TE, $10,200 – Captain Slot
The Vikings uber athletic tight end is in a bit of a smash spot here. According to the Contrarian Edge Optimizer, his roster percentage as Captain is just 5.3%. He was second in targets in Week 1, a trend carrying over from last season.
In Week 1, the Patriots’ Hunter Henry was the top scoring tight end in the NFL against the Eagles. Philly will be without Bradberry on the outside, and Slay will shadow Jefferson. The Eagle D will also be without top cover linebacker Nakobe Dean, which opens the door wide open for Hockenson to produce big numbers.
DeVonta Smith, Eagles WR, $9,000
I’m not sure I can truly define Smith as “sneaky” but he isn’t at the top of tonight’s board due to teammates A.J. Brown and Justin Jefferson on the other side of the field. The Eagles’ wide receivers are set up for success. Dating back to the start of last season, the Vikings have the third-highest yards per attempt allowed and the fifth-highest explosive pass play rate.
In Week 1 under new defensive coordinator Brian Flores, the Vikings played the most zone of any team in the NFL. This is important because in 14 games in which Brown, Smith, and Goedert played together, Smith leads the trio with a 25% target share when facing zone defense.
Eagles Defense/Special Teams $4,400
The Eagles defense struggled on the road in Week 1, but in their home opener we can expect that group to come out with their hair on fire. Particularly up front, the Eagles have a massive advantage.
I know what you’re thinking, the Eagles are missing three starters on defense. I’m not sure that matters as slay will be tasked with shadowing Jefferson. If he can slow him down like he did last season (6 catches, 48 yards vs. Eagles), Cousins and the Vikings are in for a long night.
It woudn’t be surprising if the Eagles matched what the Cowboys did Sunday night, racking up 7 sacks. The Eagles had 70 sacks last season and their front seven might be even better in 2023.
Prediction
I expect we will see an MVP-caliber performance from Jalen Hurts. I’m also confident the Eagles defense will make its mark against a banged up offensive line. The Eagles had the highest implied team total of 28 points in Week 2.
We should expect Hurts to throw for multiple scores against the inexperienced Vikings secondary. I’m also predicting Dallas Goedert to not produce another goose egg in Week 2!
Final Score: Eagles 31, Vikings 17
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