Steelers @ Bengals (Thursday Night)
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Key Matchup: Pittsburgh’s offense vs. Cincinnati’s struggling defense & QB Joe Flacco
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Line & Context: Steelers open as favorites vs. Bengals.
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Storyline: The Bengals are still dealing with instability at quarterback. This is a chance for Pittsburgh to flex and for Cincy to show resilience.
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Fantasy Watch: Steelers’ receivers and RBs could be in for big usage; Bengals’ skill players are boom/bust given offensive uncertainty.
Rams @ Jaguars (International / London)
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Key Matchup: Rams’ passing attack vs. Jags’ pass defense
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Line & Venue: Rams are favored in this London matchup.
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Storyline: The Rams get a neutral-site game, which levels some field advantages. Jacksonville will try to channel home crowd energy abroad.
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Fantasy Watch: WRs in this game have upside; traveling teams often mix up scripts—look for mismatches exploited.
Eagles @ Vikings
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Key Matchup: Jalen Hurts & Philly’s balanced offense vs. Minnesota’s defense
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Line & Context: Eagles are slight favorites (≈ -3).
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Storyline: A marquee NFC-level clash — both teams want to seize momentum. Eagles need to prove consistency outside Philly.
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Fantasy Watch: Dual-threat QBs (Hurts) carry added value; matchups for WRs and TEs in middle of the field will be critical.
Raiders @ Chiefs
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Key Matchup: Raiders’ offense vs. Chiefs’ defense
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Storyline: Kansas City needs to reassert itself; Las Vegas could surprise if it controls pace and capitalizes on turnovers.
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Fantasy Watch: Kelce and Chiefs WRs are still starts; Raiders WRs are matchup dependent.
Dark-Horse & Game-Swing Potential
These are games that may fly under radar but have upset or swing potential:
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Any road underdog with a weak opponent or QB issues
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Neutral site games (Rams vs Jags in London) — wind, travel, and unfamiliarity can upset expectations
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Teams coming off big wins or losses — emotional hangover or bounce-back energy
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Games where defenses are injured or depleted — skill players may break loose
Fantasy Angles & Player Matchups to Watch
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WR & TE matchups will be crucial in games like Eagles-Vikings, Rams-Jaguars, where passing attacks and defensive secondaries clash
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RB workloads in division/physical games often increase — expect ground games to matter
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QB consistency matters — games with backup QBs will shake volatility
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Game scripts: blowouts may kill some value, comebacks may create garbage-time boosts
