Here are 20 whimsical factoids — some positive, some negative — to digest before the Sunday/Monday slate of Week 2 games:
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1. There are only three certainties in life — death, taxes and Arian Foster posting big numbers against the Titans. Of his last five games against Tennessee, Foster has averaged 132 total yards and one touchdown.
2. Colts QB Andrew Luck boasts per-outing averages of 322 yards passing and 1.3 TDs against AFC East foes — including last year's personal best of 433 yards passing vs. Miami.
3. In his somewhat brief career, Ray Rice has a looooong history of terrorizing the Browns — home or away. For starters, of his last four games against Cleveland, Rice has averaged 137 total yards and 0.8 touchdowns.
4. The Bills have allowed a staggering 743 team rushing yards in their last four games (dating back to last year), for an average of 186 yards. That bodes well for Carolina's DeAngelo Williams, who boasts per-outing tallies of 124 total yards and 0.8 TDs in his last five games.
5. Saints quarterback Drew Brees (18 career outings of four-plus TDs) averaged 342 yards passing and four touchdowns against the Buccaneers last year.
6. Of his last eight clashes with the Texans, Chris Johnson has averaged 120 total yards and 0.5 touchdowns. And that impressive figure includes a pair of seven- and 45-yard clunkers from 2010 and '11.
7.Before Patrick Peterson started his pro career in the desert, Calvin Johnson had averaged only three catches and 36 yards against the Cardinals. Last year, Johnson notched 10 receptions and 121 yards against Arizona (and Peterson).
8. For the time being, let's tap the brakes on deifying the Cowboys run defense (only 50 yards allowed last week). Of its final six games last season, Dallas surrendered 140-plus rushing yards four times.
9. Fresh off a three-TD effort against the Lions last week, Minnesota's Adrian Peterson has averaged 115 total yards and 1.1 TDs in his last eight games against Chicago.
10. There's a good news/bad news proposition regarding the Falcons defense: The unit has allowed an average of 360 yards in their last five games (including the playoffs). However, in that span, Atlanta has yielded only six passing touchdowns.
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11. It's worth noting that Browns tight end Jordan Cameron has never collected more than three catches, six targets or 30 yards in any road game for his career.
12. Bucs tailback Doug Martin missed a golden chance at stardom last week against the Jets (65 total yards, one TD). But fear not, fantasy owners, for Martin averaged 110 total yards and 0.7 TDs against NFC South foes last year.
And those tallies include one blah outing of 35 yards.
13. Of the previous four seasons (2009-12), Chargers QB Philip Rivers has played 13 games in the Eastern Time Zone, with per-outing averages of 262 yards passing and 2.1 TDs. Digging deeper ... Rivers has racked up three TDs six times in that span.
14. Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan has thrown for either 290 yards or three touchdowns in his last four games against NFC West foes (including the playoffs). And for his last three home openers, Ryan has averaged 213 yards passing and three TDs.
15. This might be the right week to "rest" Andy Dalton: He has painfully mediocre averages of 172 yards passing and one touchdown against the Steelers (four games).
16. How's this for quirky: Packers wideout Jordy Nelson (seven catches, 130 yards, one TD last week) has faced either the Vikings (three times) or 49ers (twice) in his last five games.
17. Four long years have elapsed since Miles Austin first took the fantasy world by storm, rolling for 10 catches, 250 yards and two touchdowns against the Chiefs.
But he's hardly a fading star when healthy: Austin (10 catches, 12 targets, 72 yards in Week 1) has posted five outings of double-digit targets in his last 11 games.
18. Of his last eight games against the Bears (all with the Packers), new Vikings wideout Greg Jennings tallied 97 yards and/or one TD six times.
19. For what it's worth ... Jaguars tailback Maurice Jones-Drew, a Pinole, Calif. native, has never logged more than 15 carries for a pro game in his home state. And of his previous four road openers, MJD has modest averages of 95 total yards and 0.25 TDs.
And last but not least ...
20. Here's our Mixed Message Alert Of The Week (we're still chasing a corporate sponsor for this bit):
Enigmatic wideout Mike Wallace, who has three one-catch outings in his last six games (with the Steelers and Dolphins), caught five balls for 144 yards and one touchdown in his only career meeting against the Colts (2011).
