After two weeks of the XFL season, the caliber of teams and their tendencies are becoming more evident. Playing time is also more apparent, allowing gamers to whittle the usable player pool. Still, as the forthcoming picks will illustrate, changes on the depth chart are inevitable, even at the quarterback position.

Check out all of our 2023 NFL Draft Scouting Reports & Prospect Profiles

Quarterbacks

Ben DiNucci hasn't been perfect in Seattle's 0-2 start. Nevertheless, June Jones's pass-heavy tendencies have been mouthwatering.

Can start to get a better idea of XFL offenses after two weeks and Seattle looking like a fantasy juggernaut:

* 71.8% situation-neutral pass rate
* 71.4% RZ pass rate
* 90.0% pass rate inside the 10-yard line
* 4-WR sets on 93.3% of dropbacks
* (4) WRs > 67% routes run

— Cody Main (@cmain7) March 2, 2023

DiNucci's parlayed the offensive tendencies into an XFL-high 466 passing yards, added three passing touchdowns and rushed for 43 yards. In addition, according to Pro Football Focus (PFF), he has the second-most big-time throws (four). The floor and ceiling are sky-high for DiNucci.

Brandon Silvers also leads a pass-first offense. The Roughnecks have scored the most points (56) and allowed the second-fewest points (26). Yet, they've attempted the second-most passes (71). The Roughnecks don't take their foot off the accelerator.

Silvers has passed for the second-most yards (442) and tied for the most touchdown passes (four). He's a desirable, high-ceiling pick. Silvers has a couple of blemishes, though. First, he's rushed two times for negative-one-yard. Second, Cole McDonald has rotated in for two pass attempts and 12 rushes for 42 yards and a touchdown. McDonald is somewhat like the XFL's version of Taysom Hill as far as occasionally stealing valuable work in the red zone. Still, Silvers is an excellent DFS selection.

Jack Coan squares off with Houston's talented defense. Fortunately, he's played well. Coan is PFF's highest-graded passer, fourth in passing yards (374), tied for first in passing touchdowns (four), first in big-time throws (five) and first in completion percentage (68.3%). He's also chipped in 32 rushing yards on five attempts.

The other intriguing quarterback this week is newly minted starter Kyle Sloter. He reportedly narrowly lost the quarterback competition before the season and will get his crack after Drew Plitt was underwhelming through two games. Sloter was banged up for most of the USFL season in 2022. Nevertheless, he was second in passing yards per game (199.8) and tied for fifth in passing touchdowns (nine). Sloter also might have more rushing potential than he demonstrated while playing through injuries last year. Finally, he has a ready-made connection with a forthcoming pass-catcher, allowing him to hit the ground running against the pitiful Guardians. Orlando has been shredded for 436 passing yards and five passing touchdowns, coughing up 31 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown to quarterbacks in two games, too.

Running Backs

Sadly, Kalen Ballage flopped last week after rushing for a league-high 81 yards on 23 attempts in Week 1. He had only 23 rushing yards on 12 attempts. The former fourth-round pick in the NFL leads the XFL in rushes (35) and rushing yards (104). He's also reeled in three receptions for 13 yards. Still, he's featured in this piece as a game-stacking option with Houston's exciting offensive weapons and is an uninteresting standalone pick.

De'Veon Smith leads the Renegades in rushes (22) and rushing yards (58), outpacing Keith Ford's 14 attempts for 35 yards. Additionally, per PFF, Smith has run 41 routes with eight targets, six receptions and 47 receiving yards versus 13 routes, one target and zero receptions for Ford. According to DraftKings Sportsbook, the Renegades are 8.5-point favorites, the largest spread of the 2023 XFL season. The game script should be ideal for Smith, making him a good pick.

The stage is set for Morgan Ellison owning Seattle's backfield this week. Fellow running back Brenden Knox is listed as doubtful on their injury report.

.@XFLSeaDragons and @XFLVipers injury report. #XFL#XFL2023 pic.twitter.com/GkDsxA7IeP

— The Markcast® (@the_markcast) March 2, 2023

Ellison has efficiently rumbled for 79 rushing yards on 13 attempts and secured all four of his targets for 15 receiving yards. According to PFF, Ellison has forced six missed tackles as a runner and earned their highest Elusiveness measure among running backs with at least 10 carries. Even in Seattle's pass-heavy offense, he's an excellent value pick.

Nick Holley is a running back in the roster and DK classification only. He hasn't rushed a single time this year. However, Holley has run 63 routes and had four targets, one reception, five receiving yards and a touchdown. He's played 66 of 67 passing snaps in the slot. Holley's touchdown saved his bacon last week. Regardless, his route participation in Houston's high-octane offense provides a path to panning out as a minimum-salary punt at the unexciting running back position.

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends

Josh Gordon's production through two weeks doesn't warrant his slate-high salary among wideouts. Still, Gordon is tied for seventh among wideouts and tight ends in routes (65), tied for seventh in targets (11), tied for eighth in receptions (eight), fourth in receiving yards (107) and has a touchdown reception. Additionally, his red zone usage that Cody Main of Establish The Run pointed out on Twitter forbodes better days ahead.

Josh Gordon’s first two XFL games have been meh at best but there are absolutely going to be multi-TD games in his future.

Ben DiNucci has dropped back 15 times in the red zone, he’s targeted Gordon on 26.7% of those attempts pic.twitter.com/4Hy3lTmqvj

— Cody Main (@cmain7) March 3, 2023

Jahcour Pearson is a must-use player in cash games and an elite tournament pick as well. He leads the XFL in targets (20), receptions (16) and receiving yards (173). Pearson is also second in routes (83) and has a touchdown grab. The underlying and box-score stats are simpatico and make him a DFS stud.

Deontay Burnett and Jontre Kirklin are the most exciting pass-catchers in Houston's high-octane offense. Sadly, Burnett laid an egg after a dominant showing in Week 1. Nonetheless, he's tied for fourth in routes (77), is third in targets (15) and had nine receptions for 91 yards and one touchdown. Kirklin followed up his five receptions for 66 yards and a touchdown on eight targets in Week 1 with two receptions for 56 yards on six targets in Week 2. Burnett and Kirklin are Houston's two leading pass-catchers.

Travell Harris isn't listed on Houston's injury report after missing last week's contest. Unfortunately, the spotty nature of XFL's injury reporting makes him a risky pick. Ben Putnam is still listed as a backup. However, depth charts are also unreliable, and Putnam was a nightmare for the Renegades last week. Putnam ran only 11 routes in Week 2, creating a risk for using him. Yet, he had four receptions and 65 yards on four targets in his modest role. Will his role grow this week? That remains to be seen, but speculation can pay off for gamers who get ahead of a depth chart or role change.

While Seattle and Houston are the best sources for pass-catching options, a few one-offs from other clubs are also worth using this week. Hakeem Butler is on St. Louis's injury report. So, gamers need to monitor Butler's status. He's a fun pick if he suits up, though. Butler has reached paydirt in both games and is fifth in Yards per Route Run (2.13 Y/RR) among wideouts and tight ends targeted at least six times this year. Butler has 10 targets, seven receptions, 96 receiving yards and two touchdowns, thriving as St. Louis's jumbo slot.

Cody Latimer's salary is comically low for his production. He has 10 receptions for 89 yards, 2.12 Y/RR and two touchdowns on 14 targets. Like Butler, Latimer is a jumbo slot for the Guardians.

Sal Cannella and T.J. Vasher are stacking options with the previously discussed Sloter and Coan. Cannella is Sloter's former USFL teammate, who I teased in the quarterback's write-up. The pass-catching tight end averaged 3.8 receptions and 36.8 receiving yards per game in the USFL and caught two touchdowns, primarily catching passes from Sloter. He's hauled in 11 receptions for 108 receiving yards on 12 targets this year. Cannella is a decent one-off and the clear best stacking option on teams using Sloter.

Vasher is a punt-salaried stacking option with Coan or as part of a game stack with the Roughnecks. The big-bodied wideout is second on the Brahmas in routes (44). Vasher hasn't turned heads yet, with only four targets, three receptions and 36 yards. However, the Brahmas have spread the wealth, and Vasher's presence on the field and participation in routes could yield better results if the Brahmas are forced into comeback mode against Houston's high-scoring offense.

Defense and Special Teams

Houston's defense is humming. Defensive-minded head coach Wade Phillips has gotten the most out of his club. The Roughnecks have recorded 12 sacks and forced six turnovers. They're also favorites at home for the third time in as many weeks. It's usually unwise to pay top-dollar for defenses in NFL DFS. Yet, it's not challenging to squeeze to fit the offensive players under the salary cap in XFL DFS, allowing gamers to choose whatever defense they want without significant consideration for their salary.

The Renegades are arguably the best defense selection this week, or at least the co-best pick with the Roughnecks. First, they're the largest betting favorites and at home. Second, they've recorded four sacks and forced six turnovers. Third, the Guardians have allowed nine sacks and turned the ball over five times. As a result, the Renegades have a tasty DFS ceiling.

If you want to dive deeper into fantasy football, be sure to check out our award-winning slate of Fantasy Football Tools as you navigate your season. From our Start/Sit Assistant - which provides your optimal lineup, based on accurate consensus projections - to our Waiver Wire Assistant - that allows you to quickly see which available players will improve your team and by how much - we've got you covered this fantasy football season.

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | SoundCloud | iHeartRadio

Josh Shepardson is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Josh, check out his archive and follow him @BChad50.