The 10-week XFL regular season is nearing an end. Last week, the DFS picks in this piece flopped. Thankfully, it’s a great week to rebound. The quarterbacks, running backs and defenses are narrowed to a small pool of good options. Meanwhile, the wide receivers and tight ends are a deeper and more diverse group for mixing and matching across DFS lineups.
Check out all of our 2023 NFL Draft Scouting Reports & Prospect Profiles
Quarterbacks
Ben DiNucci and A.J. McCarron are in rarified air as safe quarterbacks. It's worth noting McCarron was on the injury report and limited this week because of a shoulder injury.
However, McCarron returned to last week's contest after suffering the injury and getting examined in the medical tent. Thus, he's likely a good bet to play, despite getting listed as questionable on the injury report.
According to Pro Football Focus (PFF), McCarron is the highest-graded passer in the league, markedly ahead of the other quarterbacks. He's second in passing yards (1,552), first in touchdown passes (17) and second in big-time throws. McCarron also has a sweet matchup this week. The Vipers have coughed up the second-most passing yards (1,623). Further, Vegas is tied for the third-most touchdown passes allowed (11).
Meanwhile, DiNucci has a softer matchup. DC has yielded the most passing yards (1,855) and tied for the third-most touchdown passes allowed (11). They were comically inept in defending the previously winless Guardians last week.
Additionally, DiNucci has been a DFS darling in June Jones's pass-happy offense. The Sea Dragons have attempted the most passes (262) in the XFL, and DiNucci's parlayed the hefty workload into the most passing yards (1,759), the second-most passing touchdowns (12) and the most big-time throws (16). The dual-threat quarterback has also rushed for the second-most yards (199) at the position and added a rushing touchdown. So, DiNucci is the top quarterback on the slate, with a dreamy combination of a high floor and ceiling.
Running Backs
Abram Smith is in a class of his own as a runner. He leads the XFL in rushing yards (649), and no one else has rushed for 400 yards. The disparity was even starker lately. Since Week 5, he's rushed for an XFL-high 441 yards and league-high five touchdowns. So, his 441 rushing yards in the previous three weeks would lead the XFL. He's getting stronger as the year marches on and is the lead back in the league's most run-heavy offense. Thus, his position-high salary is justified.
Brian Hill is a well-rounded back. He's second in the league in rushing yards (365) and averaged a robust 5.1 yards per carry. Yet, Hill's rushing contributions are only one piece of the pie. He's first at the position in routes (133), tied for first in targets (21), first in receptions (18) and second in receiving yards (169), despite missing one game. As a result, Hill is a game-script-proof, efficient and high-volume running back.
The Sea Dragons added Phillip Lindsay to their roster this week. He's rushed for more than 1,000 yards twice in his NFL career. He's rushed for 2,848 yards at 4.5 yards per carry and rushed for 18 touchdowns in his professional career.
Sadly, Lindsay is listed as a backup on Seattle's depth chart.
Nevertheless, depth charts should be taken with a grain of salt. And the starter, Darius Bradwell, has rushed for only 67 yards at 2.4 yards per carry. So, he shouldn't be a roadblock for Lindsay's path to playing time when he's up to speed. If Lindsay has a few dazzling runs, he could handle the lion's share of the backfield snaps this week. Still, he's a better target in tournaments because of his standing on the depth chart.
Rod Smith has rushed 58 times for 222 yards and two touchdowns versus 40 for 121 and one by teammate John Lovett. Smith also ran 64 routes and played 107 passing snaps compared to 77 and 92 for Lovett. Smith hasn't lit the world on fire, but he has a slight edge over Lovett in the backfield pecking order. And the matchup is ideal. Non-quarterbacks have steamrolled the Battlehawks for the most rushing yards (677) and yards per carry (4.77).
Moreover, no other defense has allowed more than 4.00 yards per carry. There is a caveat, though. St. Louis played the Defenders twice. Nevertheless, the matchup and Smith's role in Vegas's offense put him on the radar as a more cap-friendly running back than the other suggested options.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
Unfortunately, Jahcour Pearson has fallen out of the circle of trust. Additionally, he's on Seattle's injury report with an ankle injury. However, the shifty slot wideout is still first in the XFL in targets (59), first in receptions (45) and second in receiving yards (479). Pearson also torched the Defenders for 12 receptions and 95 receiving yards in Week 1. Therefore, his ceiling is tailor-made for tournaments.
Since Week 5, Blake Jackson (148 receiving yards) and Jordan Veasy (134) are first and second on the Sea Dragons in receiving yards. They also had 11 receptions and seven receptions, respectively. Juwan Green also emerged, reeling in 10 receptions for 98 yards and one touchdown in that timeframe. Pearson led the team in routes (112), followed by Jackson (110), Green (83) and Veasy (75). Josh Gordon ran only 51 routes since Week 5. Gordon is an easy fade, but Pearson, Jackson, Veasy and Green are appealing stacking partners with DiNucci and stellar standalone options.
Hakeem Butler and Darrius Shepherd are McCarron's top-two weapons. Interestingly, Shepherd has narrowly edged Butler in production in the previous three games. Butler led the team in targets (24) and receptions (18), but his 152 receiving yards and one touchdown reception were behind Shepherd's 179 receiving yards and three touchdowns on 23 targets and 17 receptions. They're outstanding stacking partners with McCarron or one-off picks in all game types.
Brandon Silvers is listed atop Houston's depth chart, perhaps indicating he'll return from his one-week absence with an injury this week. I admit it. I was wrong about Cole McDonald. He flopped in his first start. McDonald's legs will get him on the field in a niche role, but he struggled with accuracy as a passer last week. Houston's pass-catchers get a bump if the pocket-passing and more accurate Silvers returns.
Deontay Burnett is Houston's most accomplished pass-catcher. He leads the team in routes (265), targets (43), receiving yards (362) and touchdown receptions (five) and has the second-most receptions (24). Burnett also has the edge over his teammates as the club's only consistent threat on the perimeter.
Travell Harris and Cedric Byrd might face competition from Michael Bandy for slot snaps. The team added Bandy last week and immediately made him active on game day. The former Charger ran 11 routes, all from the slot. Bandy played in the regular season for the Chargers in 2022 and should be a cut above Houston's other slot receivers. He also ran routes on the perimeter for Los Angeles. Therefore, he could steal snaps from Justin Smith since Smith failed to fill the void left by Jonte Kirklin. The uncertainty about Bandy's playing time is a reason to use him only in tournaments. Still, he's an exciting option in Houston's pass-happy offense.
Quinten Dormady has elevated Orlando's passing attack. They're tied for the second-most pass attempts (247) this season. No one has benefited more from the step forward than Cody Latimer. The big-bodied tight end/wideout hybrid led the XFL in receptions (20) and receiving yards (276) since Week 5. Latimer also hauled in two touchdowns. So, he's the most exciting option on the Guardians.
Dan Williams is a nifty punt from the Guardians, too. Williams came out of nowhere in Week 6 and remained ingrained in the offense in Week 7. In the previous two games, he was third on the Guardians in routes (74), tied for third in targets (12), tied for second in receptions (nine) and third in receiving yards (93). Gamers could do worse than saving salary by using Williams.
Lucky Jackson has turned heads lately. In the last three weeks, he's tied for sixth in targets (20), tied for fifth in receptions (14), second in receiving yards (250) and tied for first in touchdown receptions (three). According to DraftKings Sportsbook, the Defenders at the Sea Dragons has the highest game total (46.5) this week. So, it makes perfect sense to have exposure to the contest. As a result, Jackson is a sweet bring-back pick from a Sea Dragons stack.
Victor Bolden is questionable because of a shoulder injury. Thankfully, he's practiced this week, albeit in a limited capacity. Bolden was productive in the USFL and joined the Renegades during the season. He debuted for Arlington in Week 6 before playing an integral role in Week 7. The diminutive slot was force-fed five targets on 16 routes last week, securing three receptions for 40 receiving yards. Gamers will get some bang for their buck at the minimum salary with Bolden if he plays.
Defense and Special Teams
The Roughnecks are 5.0-point favorites against the lowly Brahmas. They beat San Antonio 22-13 in Week 3, forced one turnover, had one sack and allowed only 162 yards of offense. The Brahmas have Jack Coan listed as their starter this week and claimed Paxton Lynch off of waivers. Their offense is an unmitigated disaster, scoring the league's second-fewest points (101). Meanwhile, Houston is first in sacks (23.0) and forced 16 turnovers.
The Guardians are the cheapest defense. They've struggled on that side of the ball. Yet, the Renegades can be the cure to what ails them. Arlington is dead last in scoring (93). Luis Perez might provide them a spark as their newly minted starter. Still, it will be challenging for him to lift them out of the basement while learning the offense on the fly as an in-season trade acquisition.
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.