Projected starter totals from ESPN, refreshed Wednesday. Spread is the gap between the two projections, nothing more.
Widest on the board
Uriel · 2-2
Balrogs
120.1
at
Tayler · 0-4
Terrible Towel, Mediocre Picks
103.3
Uriel favored by 16.8 · 223.4 combined
Uriel leans onBijan Robinson RB · 22.2 proj
Tayler leans onSam Darnold QB · 15.5 proj
Watch list: Cam Skattebo (questionable), Mike Evans (questionable), Tony Pollard (questionable)
Uriel is favored by 16.8 over a team that is 1-43 against the field, which is less a prediction than a description. Tayler has 34.7% of the lineup in Seattle against San Francisco, Darnold, Holani and Mike Evans, with Uriel's George Kittle (13.7) on the other sideline. The commissioner's bench holds Travis Kelce and Chuba Hubbard, both on bye, and Caleb Williams, out, so half the bench is decorative.
Highest projection
Dan Robot · 2-2
Dan Robot
116.1
at
Oriol · 3-1
Firebreathing Platypuses
127.8
Oriol favored by 11.7 · 243.9 combined
Dan Robot leans onTrey McBride TE · 18.7 proj
Oriol leans onJa'Marr Chase WR · 21.8 proj
Watch list: DeVonta Smith (questionable), Ja'Marr Chase (questionable), D'Andre Swift (questionable)
Oriol has the top projected score of the week, 127.8, with Ja'Marr Chase (21.8) questionable at the top of it. Dan Robot is starting DeVonta Smith, questionable and projected at 0, at flex with Matthew Golden (12.7) on the bench, because nobody has told it and nobody will. Oriol's Amon-Ra St. Brown and the bot's Trey McBride meet in Arizona, so somebody's best receiver is somebody else's problem.
Coin flip
Misa · 2-2
Obsidians
122.8
at
Yael · 2-2
Potatoe
120.1
Misa favored by 2.7 · 242.9 combined
Misa leans onPuka Nacua WR · 21.7 proj
Yael leans onJahmyr Gibbs RB · 27.0 proj
Watch list: Isaiah Likely (questionable)
Misa is favored by 2.7, the second-tightest line of the week, with 51.2 points on the bench against Yael's 10.5. That bench includes Jeremiyah Love at 15 and Patrick Mahomes on bye. Yael has 38.6% of the Potatoe lineup in one game, Gibbs and Goff at Arizona, and no starter flagged at all.
Two quarterbacks
Joe · 4-0
Photofreak
117.5
at
Jordi · 2-2
Windwaker
108.8
Joe favored by 8.7 · 226.3 combined
Joe leans onJaxon Smith-Njigba WR · 20.5 proj
Jordi leans onCeeDee Lamb WR · 19.1 proj
Watch list: Saquon Barkley (questionable)
Joe is 4-0, favored by 8.9, and has no flagged starters. Jordi is starting Saquon Barkley, questionable and projected at 0, and Jalen Hurts at 16.1 with Dak Prescott on the bench at 17.8. Barkley and Hurts play the early Sunday game in Jacksonville, Sunday's first kickoff, so the answer arrives before the main slate.
Game of the week
Sam · 1-3
Mean Machine
101.7
at
Benji · 4-0
Suzaku
99.9
Sam favored by 1.8 · 201.6 combined
Sam leans onKyler Murray QB · 17.9 proj
Benji leans onJosh Allen QB · 19.9 proj
Watch list: Malik Nabers (questionable), Breece Hall (doubtful), Tetairoa McMillan (bye)
First seed against eleventh, and eleventh is favored by 1.8, the tightest line on the board. Each side starts a zero: Benji's Tetairoa McMillan is on bye and Sam's Breece Hall is doubtful, for the second week running. Benji has 62.1% of his lineup in one Monday night game, Bills at Rams, so this may not be decided until the last snap of the week.
Bench depth
Mario · 1-3
Stairway to Seven
120.4
at
Toño · 1-3
Seitseman
114.4
Mario favored by 6.0 · 234.8 combined
Mario leans onChristian McCaffrey RB · 18.7 proj
Toño leans onBucky Irving RB · 15.2 proj
Watch list: Alvin Kamara (questionable), Zay Flowers (questionable), Tee Higgins (questionable), DJ Moore (questionable)
Two former back-to-back champions, both 1-3, ninth against tenth. Mario is favored by 6 with Justin Jefferson (18.5) on the bench and 76.2 projected there in total, the most in the league. Toño has three questionable receivers in the lineup, Flowers, Higgins and Moore, plus Lamar Jackson questionable on the bench, and a three-game losing streak to end.
Game of the week
Undefeated, unprojected
Benji has the best record in the league, the most points scored at 520.6, and this week the lowest projection of all twelve teams. Some of that is a receiver on bye in the starting lineup with 11.9 sitting on the bench. Sam is the favorite while starting a running back ESPN projects for nothing, which is also not new.
1.8the spread, the tightest on the board
99.9Benji's projection, the lowest in the league
62.1%of Benji's lineup in one Monday night game
0projected for McMillan, on bye, and Hall, doubtful
Both of these are fixable by Sunday. Whether either gets fixed is the most interesting question of the week.
Three managers whose bench is telling a different story from their lineup.
Record and all-play combined, weighted 40/60. All-play is your record against every team each week, not just the one you were scheduled against - it is what your season looks like with the schedule taken out.