How exciting was that Week 1? NFL RedZone was back in full force, and it was a fantastic day of football. The results from last week’s article were all over the map, but that’s going to be typical for a guaranteed prize pool (GPP) article. With that said, we got some gems from guys like Antonio Gibson, Saquon Barkley, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Michael Thomas and Michael Pittman, so I really can’t complain much. There’s a ton to discuss with this Week 2 card, so let’s get started with the signal callers!
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The players below are the ones I’m looking at for GPP considerations for Week 2:
Quarterbacks
DraftKings
Matthew Stafford (LAR): $6,300 vs. ATL
Many people were worried about Stafford after his Week 1 dud, but this Super Bowl champ will bounce back here. The Pro Bowler still attempted 41 passes in that defeat and looked thoroughly in synch with Cooper Kupp. The main reason we believe he can get the rest of his offense going is this matchup, with Atlanta owning a 19th opponent rank vs. position (OPRK) against opposing quarterbacks last season. They also have the highest-projected team total on this slate!
Jameis Winston (NO): $5,500 vs. TB
We had Winston last weekend, and we’re returning to the well. This guy was a top-five fantasy quarterback in his days with Tampa, and it looks like they’re going to let him sling it to Michael Thomas, Jarvis Landry, Alvin Kamara and Chris Olave. That’s one of the best pass-catching corps in the NFL, and we loved watching Jameis throw for 269 yards and two touchdowns in his debut. The Buccaneers’ pass defense is nothing to write home about either, posting a 26th OPRK against opposing signal-callers last season.
FanDuel
Trey Lance (SF): $7,500 vs. SEA
There’s no doubt that the 49ers’ offense looked terrible last week, but the weather and Eli Mitchell‘s injury ruined everything. I was still pleased to see Lance throwing the ball relatively well while attempting 13 rush attempts. Any quarterback rushing double-digit times is a beautiful GPP play, especially since he faces a 25th-ranked Seattle defense from last season. They also lost Jamal Adams on Monday and were shredded to the tune of 433 total yards.
Derek Carr (LV): $7,300 vs. ARI
Many people might not realize it, but Carr was a top-eight quarterback in fantasy last season. This pricing would indicate he’s a bit too cheap, mainly since he added one of the best wide receivers in football. Carr fed Davante Adams with 17 targets in his debut, and it’s scary to see how good Carr will look once he gets Hunter Renfrow and Darren Waller more involved. That should happen here, with Arizona surrendering 360 passing yards and five passing touchdowns in their Week 1 meltdown.
In Consideration: Kyler Murray (ARI): DK $7,500/FD $8,500 vs. LVR
Kyler is the highest-priced quarterback on this slate, and it might keep his percentage lower than it should be. Murray is a lock for 20-plus fantasy points in pretty much every game.
Running Backs
DraftKings
Jeff Wilson (SF): $5,100 vs. SEA
This pricing was made before the Mitchell announcement. The 2021 breakout will be out two months, leaving Wilson as the primary ball carrier. Once Mitchell was out of the game, Wilson led the team with nine carries while playing nearly 70% of the snaps after the injury. Not many running backs are getting a workload like that. In the four games Wilson played at least 20 snaps last year, he averaged 16.8 carries and 65.3 yards per game. He also averaged 19 DK points per game as a starter in the final four games of 2020 and looks poised to carry the load for the next two months.
Kenyan Drake (BAL): $4,800 vs. MIA
With J.K. Dobbins in injury limbo, it looks like Drake is the top option in Baltimore. He led the team with 11 carries and a 59% snap share, which could have been higher if that Week 1 game had stayed close. A top runner in Baltimore’s offense is always an intriguing option, especially since Drake averaged 13.3 DraftKings points per game as a starter just two years ago. We also don’t mind that Baltimore is a favorite in this game against a 17th-ranked Miami defense.
FanDuel
Antonio Gibson (WAS): $7,400 vs. DET
People will see this $7,400 price tag and scroll right past Gibson after all of his off-season question marks. So many of those questions were answered for me in Week 1, though, with Gibson gobbling up 14 carries and seven receptions for 130 total yards. He’s also expected to see the bulk of the goal-line work, and it looks like Gibson is the top-10 back we saw in the past. A matchup with Detroit is the best part of this, with the Lions allowing 455 total yards and 38 points in their Week 1 defeat.
Cam Akers (LAR): $5,500 vs. ATL
Cam Akers is our riskiest recommendation in this article, but something tells me the Rams will ask for more from Akers after three carries in Week 1. This guy was a top-50 pick in most season-long leagues for a reason, averaging 17 carries per game across the final four games of last season. He also received 22 carries per game across the closing seven games of 2020 and was an elite fantasy option in that span. One has to believe he’ll get more work as the season progresses, and a matchup with one of the worst defenses in football could get him rolling. The blowout potential is intriguing, too, because Akers should get plenty of work with the Rams leading for most of this game.
In Consideration: Nick Chubb (CLE): DK $7,100/FD $8,500 vs. NYJ
Chubb will be under-rostered after Kareem Hunt‘s monster Week 1, but he should be in line for 20 carries and at least one touchdown against the worst run defense in football last season.
Wide Receivers
DraftKings
Cooper Kupp (LAR): $9,900 vs. ATL
Not enough people use Kupp in GPP tournaments. Most people prefer to pay up at running back, but Cooper is the most reliable option in fantasy right now. He led the league with 28.3 DK points per game last season, scoring at least 24 fantasy points in 17 of his 23 games. Not many quarterbacks are posting a floor like that, and getting 13 catches for 128 yards on 15 targets in Week 1 indicates that he’s the top option in this offense once again. Not to mention, the Falcons surrendered the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing pass-catchers last season.
Jarvis Landry (NO): $5,000 vs. TB
We had Landry in this section last weekend, and we’ll keep riding him until his price gets to where it should be. He has always been one of the most reliable receivers around, averaging 86 catches on 131 targets throughout his eight-year career. He’s also just shy of 1,000 yards per season, and it’s incredible how overlooked this stud has become. Tampa’s secondary is their one weakness, and there could be plenty of opportunities for him, with the Saints likely playing catch-up against the Bucs.
FanDuel
D.J. Moore (CAR): $6,200 at NYG
Moore was horrible in Week 1, but this guy is too good to be this cheap. He had 93 catches on 163 targets last season and is expected to do better with Baker Mayfield behind center. The Week 1 dud looks concerning on the surface, but Moore still played every snap in that defeat. If he’s doing that, Moore should be $7K against a subpar Giants defense.
Allen Robinson (LAR): $5,700 vs. ATL
Robinson had just one catch in his Rams’ debut last Thursday, but this dude was open all night. He still played 97% of the team’s snaps and could have had a monster night if Stafford had some time in the pocket. Robinson is a receiver who used to be $7K, and we expect him to play at that level once Stafford gets some better protection. That should happen here against one of the worst defenses in the NFL, with the Rams projected for nearly 30 points in this magical matchup.
In Consideration: Corey Davis (NYJ): DK $4,600/FD $5,900 at CLE
Davis had six catches for 77 yards in Week 1 and looks like the Jets’ top receiver. He’s not exciting, but he should get a large target load since NY will likely be trailing most of this game.
Tight Ends
DraftKings
O.J. Howard (HOU): $3,000 at DEN
O.J. Howard is extremely risky, but this price tag is nuts. The Texans made a flier by acquiring this man through waivers after training camp, and he rewarded them with two touchdowns in Week 1. He didn’t play much, but it’s clear that Howard will be one of their primary targets in the red zone. His big body has always been a beast in that area, and we’re willing to take a GPP shot on him at $3K with that touchdown potential.
FanDuel
Zach Ertz (ARI): $5,200 at LVR
Ertz was carrying an injury into Week 1, but we were encouraged by his role. The former Pro Bowler played 60% of the team’s snaps while catching a late touchdown in that loss. Getting a 60% snap share is enormous since he was supposedly nicked up, and he’ll have that number rise as the season progresses. This guy used to flirt with double-digit targets every week, and he could return to that stud with DeAndre Hopkins out of the picture. We love all of that in the highest-scoring matchup of the week.
In Consideration: Darren Waller (LVR): DK $5,600/FD $6,800 vs. ARI
People are panicking about Waller, but Davante Adams will not get 17 targets every week. Look for Waller to pick more up in what’s projected to be the highest-scoring game of the weekend.
Defense/Special Teams
DraftKings
Indianapolis Colts: $3,500 at JAX
The Colts finished last season top-five in takeaways, and all the same pieces are there. That’s rough news for the Jaguars, who surrendered the second-most fantasy points to opposing D/STs last year. In their two matchups last season, Indy allowed less than 200 passing yards per game to this ineffective offense.
FanDuel
Los Angeles Rams: $4,600 vs. ATL
L.A. is a 10.5-point favorite in this game, and you better believe they’ll have a bounce-back game against Marcus Mariota‘s Falcons. This is one of the most talented defenses in the NFL facing one of the worst offenses, and they’ll be hungry after that Week 1 embarrassment.
In Consideration: Cincinnati Bengals: DK $2,200/FD $3,900 at DAL
This was one of the best defenses in the NFL last season, and they should have no problems getting to Cooper Rush behind an offensive line that’s missing Tyron Smith. The $2,200 price tag on DraftKings is laughable.
Joel Bartilotta is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Joel, check out his archive and follow him @Bartilottajoel.