Recommending cash game players is more difficult in Week 1 than any week all year. There are more uncertainties than at any point during the season, making it the most unpredictable week of the year. That led to some mixed results, but we were happy stacking the Miami-Los Angeles matchup. With that in mind, let’s start with one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL.
NFL Week 2 DFS Cash Game Lineup Advice & Picks
The players below are ones I’m looking at for cash game considerations for Week 2:
Quarterbacks
DraftKings
Josh Allen (QB – BUF): $7,900 vs. LV
Allen looked dreadful in Week 1, committing four turnovers in that ugly Monday night loss. An elite Jets defense might make many opposing quarterbacks look like that all season, but it’s an outlier for Allen. The perennial Pro Bowler averaged 27 DraftKings (DK) points per game in the regular season last year, and we expect something similar here. The Raiders allowed the seventh-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks last year, and Allen should never be below $8K.
Trevor Lawrence (QB – JAC): $6,700 vs. KC
Fantasy managers expect big things from Lawrence this season, and this is the perfect opportunity to show his growth. The Chiefs allowed the most points in the NFL last year while surrendering the second-most fantasy points to opposing signal-callers. That’s scary with all the new weapons T-Law has, especially since he dropped 19 DK points in Week 1. Not to mention, this 51-point total has this projected to be the highest-scoring game of the week.
FanDuel
Justin Fields (QB – CHI): $8,000 at TB
Fields was terrible in Week 1, but he still had 16 FanDuel points. Few people can play that poorly and finish with 16 fantasy points, but it shows the floor Fields provides with his rushing. That made him the highest-scoring player in the second half of last season, and we expect him to bounce back here. Tampa owns a 24th OPRK against opposing quarterbacks, allowing Baker Mayfield to shred them in Week 1.
Joe Burrow (QB – CIN): $7,400 vs. BAL
It was wild to see Burrow sitting at $7,400. Everyone knows just how bad he was, but there are going to be tons of fantasy managers who use him at this diluted salary. This guy was one of the league leaders with 22 FanDuel points per game last year and won’t have another outing like he did in Week 1. A resurgence looks even more likely against Baltimore, with Burrow averaging 24 FanDuel points per game against them in their last five matchups.
Running Backs
DraftKings
Christian McCaffrey (RB – SF): $8,900 at LAR
McCaffrey might be in this section every week. This man finishes near the top in fantasy points scored every season, and he now plays for one of the best offenses in football. That was on full display when he had 29 DraftKings points in Week 1. We truly believe he has a 20-point floor in this offense, and it’s not like he will struggle against a rebuilt Rams defense.
Derrick Henry (RB – TEN): $7,400 vs. LAC
Everyone is going to be using Henry, and rightfully so. This is the leading rusher over the last five years, and there’s no chance he only plays 28 snaps this week. It’s hard to understand why the Titans did that in Week 1, mainly since he played nearly 40 snaps a game last year. In the 14 games he had at least 17 carries last year, Henry averaged 23 DK points per game. That should be his floor against LA, allowing the most yards per carry in the NFL last season.
FanDuel
Austin Ekeler (RB – LAC): $9,200 at TEN
Much like McCaffrey, Ekeler will be a regular in this section. This stud scored at least 14 FanDuel points in 13 of 18 games last year and dropped 24 fantasy points in Week 1. He was also the league leader in fantasy points last season and should be right there again for this high-powered offense. Tennessee is usually stifling against opposing backs, but it doesn’t matter with Ekeler because he can also be an elite option catching the ball. If Ekeler is unable to go, look for Josh Kelley to be widely rostered as well!
David Montgomery (RB – DET): $6,300 vs. SEA
Everyone watched the Thursday Night Opener and saw Montgomery dominate touches in Detroit. That makes it hard to believe that he’s just $6,300, with Montgomery getting 21 carries for 74 yards and a touchdown. Those 21 totes are one of the highest totals of Week 1, and we love it since Montgomery is also the goal-line back. Seattle is a sensational matchup, too, surrendering three rushing touchdowns in Week 1 to a rubbish Rams backfield.
Wide Receivers
DraftKings
Calvin Ridley (WR – JAC): $7,200 vs. KC
Um, what is DraftKings thinking? This is the most egregious pricing on this slate, and it will have Ridley in everyone’s lineup. This guy was a stud before his suspension and looked better than ever in Week 1. He had eight catches for 101 yards on 11 targets and scored a touchdown. More importantly, he’s the top option in this offense and should be heavily utilized since KC had the worst defense in the NFL last year.
Puka Nacua (WR – LAR): $4,900 vs. SF
This 49ers matchup is dreadful, but it will be tough to fade Nacua after what we saw in Week 1 at this salary. He filled the Cooper Kupp role brilliantly, collecting 10 catches for 119 yards on 15 targets. That’s the highest target share of any player in the league, and it’s criminal that DK is still keeping him below $5,000 after that sort of masterpiece.
FanDuel
Stefon Diggs (WR – BUF): $8,000 vs. LVR
If people are going to use Allen, they’re going to stack him with Diggs. This guy was the top receiver in fantasy two years ago and looked as dangerous as ever in Week 1. Diggs finished with 10 receptions for 103 yards and a touchdown on 13 targets. That’s the workload we’ve come to expect from Diggs, which is fantastic since the Raiders ranked 29th in passing yards allowed last year.
DeAndre Hopkins (WR – TEN): $7,100 vs. LAC
The Titans passing game was a disaster in Week 1, but Hopkins looked solid in his debut. The veteran had seven catches on 13 targets! He didn’t do much with them, but getting 13 targets is huge from such an affordable player. People know just how good D-Hop has been in the past, and they’ll want to use him against a Chargers team that allowed Tyreek Hill to go nuclear in Week 1.
Tight Ends
DraftKings
Travis Kelce (TE – KC): $7,600 at JAX
We’re not so sure Kelce will even play, but he’ll be rostered everywhere if he suits up. Kelce lapped the field among tight ends in fantasy points last season and could be even better this year. There are no weapons in this KC passing attack, and the tight end position is the worst it’s ever been. If he can suit up, people will want the reliability that Kelce provides at such a volatile position.
FanDuel
Luke Musgrave (TE – GB): $5,000 at ATL
If Kelce and Mark Andrews are out, people will look to punt the tight end position. There’s no better cheap option than Musgrave because he was one of the focal points of Green Bay’s passing game in Week 1. He finished with three catches for 50 yards and was one of the league leaders in routes run. That’s an encouraging sign, especially since many of these Packers receivers are beat up right now.
Defense/Special Teams
DraftKings
Arizona Cardinals D/ST: $2,600 vs. NYG
We had Arizona as a GPP option last week, and we wouldn’t be surprised to see them rostered everywhere after their Week 1 gem. They scored 19 DraftKings points and remain way too cheap against the Giants. New York looked like the worst offense in Week 1, allowing the Dallas D/ST to score nearly 40 fantasy points! Everyone knows that, and it’ll likely have Arizona rostered in numerous DFS lineups at this diminished salary.
FanDuel
Dallas Cowboys D/ST: $4,500 vs. NYJ
We just talked about how the Dallas D/ST dropped a record-breaking total on Sunday Night, and people will want to pivot to them here. That becomes even more likely when examining the Jets because they just lost Aaron Rodgers for the year. What’s even more shocking is that the Cowboys are sixth in salary at the position despite having a historical Sunday Night game.
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Joel Bartilotta is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Joel, check out his archive and follow him @Bartilottajoel.
