NFL DFS: DraftKings Week 2 Picks
Week 2 of the NFL is here already and we have the joy of a 13 game slate on DraftKings plus the bonus of some very soft DFS pricing this week. This is both a curse and a blessing. The challenge is to find the right value and combine it with safer plays. Here are the players who I’m most interested in this week:
These are my personal opinions on the games and strategies at the time of writing this. I may employ different players and strategies than above if later or further information makes me re-evaluate my opinions.
Quarterbacks
I think you can afford to pay up for QB this week in cash and GPP lineups with all the value elsewhere. This leads me nicely into my first and very obvious pick.
Lamar Jackson, BAL - $8,200
Any week you can afford to play Lamar, it’s worth it. He started the season off with a casual 27.5 fpts and, like with Christian McCaffrey, no one seemed to notice. He’s set the bar so high that amazing fantasy performances are perceived as the norm. As he’s a dual-threat through the air and on the ground, he’s matchup proof.
Dak Prescott, DAL - $6,800
Dallas is the team with the second-highest implied team total on the slate (behind Baltimore) and play the Falcons who just gave up over 300 yards and 4 TDs to Russell Wilson. Prescott is surrounded by weapons and if this game is the expected shootout, he will score points.
Kyler Murray, ARI - $6,100
Another QB in the same vein as Jackson, Murray passed and ran himself to over 27 fpts in Week 1. This week he comes up against the Washington defense who accounted for eight sacks against the Eagles. Kyler is usually a safe floor play but I’m expecting him to earn a lot of points on the ground this week as he scrambles away from Kerrigan and company.
Running Backs
I like all the expensive options this week from CMC down to CEH (non-acronymic running backs are also available). However, there is some great value this week which allows you to pay up for players elsewhere.
Jonathan Taylor, IND - $5,700
Taylor will probably be the chalkiest play of the week but I feel that it’s good chalk. Marlon Mack ruptured his Achilles and was placed on IR on Monday. Coach Reich has confirmed JT (here we go again!) will be the starter against a disappointing Vikings defense.
“What about Nyheim Hines?” I hear you cry. I think his Week 1 performance will be an outlier as historically Hines has had these explosion weeks. JT caught six balls out of the backfield which was the only concern about him before his first game. He should end up with around 20 rushes and a handful of targets. For $5,700, you can’t ask for much more.
Malcolm Brown, LAR - $5,700
My first draft of this article had Benny Snell Jr here as he was a free square if Connor was out as expected. Then, miraculously, Connor was a full participant at Thursday practice. I guess after everything he’s been through, an ankle sprain isn’t going to stop him. So I’ve pivoted to Malcolm Brown, although it could have been David Montgomery who I also like this week. Brown has taken the starting role after Todd Gurley’s departure, and last weekend he totalled 18 carries and four targets. We were expecting a committee approach in LA so this was a pleasant surprise.
Ronald Jones II, TB - $5200
Bruce Arians told us Jones would be the starter and he was telling us the truth. Despite the presence of McCoy and Fournette, Jones rushed 17 times and received three targets. This week he faces a Carolina defense who already looks like one we will be playing RBs against every week. Whilst everyone expects Fournette to be more involved in the future, Jones’ price is currently too good to ignore in Week 2.
Wide Receivers
Once again, I think you could afford one high-priced receiver if you pay down at RB this week. Target monsters Adams and Hopkins are the two most expensive receivers and their prices are still fair. There’s so much value below $5,000 this week that choosing only three is tricky, but here goes…
Mike Evans, TB - $6,400
Wait, he’s not under $5,000! Yes, I know but I think a lot of people will play Evans teammate, Scotty Miller, at only $4,100. So Evans makes a great pivot play. Don’t get me wrong, there is a great case for playing Miller with Godwin potentially limited on Sunday. He’s starting to resemble Julian Edelman Lite (if that’s possible) with his and Brady’s connection. However, Mike Evans is just a quality receiver and he’s only $6,400. Evans is on the injury report again this week but he was last week too and he still suited up. He’s also goes up against our favourite fantasy defense, the Panthers.
Diontae Johnson, PIT - $4,500
With a plethora of offensive weapons, we weren’t sure how Ben Roethlisberger would end up distributing passes before Monday night. Well, Johnson ended up with 10 targets when it was all over. I think the Steelers offense will score a lot of points and on any week, any of the receivers can post a huge score. Johnson has the potential to reach that ceiling with the safety net of a nice floor as well.
Parris Campbell, IND - $4,500
I think I’m the first and only member of the UK Parris Campbell fan club as I keep writing about him. I’m not ashamed though, it’s too early to get off the Parris train. He had nine targets and one carry last week as the Jaguars upset the Colts. He was lined up on 82% of the offensive snaps and is already showing signs of a second-year leap. In short, he’s a bargain.
Tight Ends
I don’t like the options at TE so much this week. Kelce is a must-play if you can afford him but Kittle is a bit banged up and DraftKings have done a good job of pricing up anyone who showed promise Week 1.
Mark Andrews, BAL - $6,300
It’s very simple as far as I’m concerned, he just scores touchdowns! Stack him with Lamar. That’s the tweet.
Jonnu Smith, TEN - $4,200
Smith was targeted seven times at Denver and found the end zone once. He now faces a Jaguars defense I’m going to pick against until they do something to prove me wrong.
Logan Thomas, WAS - $3,600
Obviously, you played him last week based on my recommendation and subsequently, he’s had a price bump. He ran routes on an impressive 86% of dropbacks by Haskins and he was the target leader for the top side in NFC East (I’ll enjoy it whilst I can!) He also found the end zone once. I suspect he’ll be very chalky this week so he’s a great option for cash lineups.
Defense
This week I’m happy to play both the Jets ($2,000) and the Dolphins ($2,100). Like Washington last week, I think they both have opportunities for sacks and turnovers. At those prices, I expect them to reach value and the savings can be spent elsewhere.
Stacks
I’m sure a lot of players will be stacking the Cowboys Falcons game and there are many great combos you can create from those teams. However, the most intriguing stack to me this week is the Colts.
Rivers/Hilton/Campbell – Colts
You might already be aware of my man-crush on Parris Campbell so to add his teammates against a very porous Minnesota defense seems like the polite thing to do. The Packers ripped them to shreds last Sunday and it’s feasible that the Colts could produce similar numbers. If you like this stack, I recommend bringing it back with Adam Thielen at $7,200.
