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We had some good calls last week; Jayden Daniels, Brian Robinson, and Sam Darnold, and we had some bad ones; Terry McLaurin, Tank Dell, and Panthers Defense. Win some you lose some, just pray you win a few more than you lose. Here are this week’s picks…
NFL DFS Value Picks to Target: Week 2
DraftKings
Quarterback
Jayden Daniels (WAS) vs. NYG $6,200
Make no mistake about it, Daniels looked terrible as a passer in Week 1, but in fantasy, you can be a bad QB as long as you can run the football — and that’s exactly what he did to the tune of 88 yards and two touchdowns. The Giants’ defense on the other hand looked pretty bad last week, ranking 27th in pass defensive EPA (per Rotogrinders). If Daniels can improve his passing against this bad defense while also maintaining his rushing upside, he could break the slate.
Others to consider: Matthew Stafford (DET) $6,000, Justin Fields (PIT) $5,400
Running Back
Jordan Mason (SF) @ MIN $5,200
This is the chalkiest of chalk picks, but it’s so chalk that to pick anyone else in this spot would be just doing it for the clicks. Christian McCaffrey has been ruled out, leaving Mason a huge workload once again. The 49ers played on Monday night after Draftkings had already released their Week 2 pricing, so they had no time to account for Mason’s breakout performance. He will likely be 90-plus percent owned in cash, but feel free to fade in tournaments.
Others to consider: JK Dobbins (LAC) $5,400, Brian Robinson (WAS) $5,800
Wide Receiver
Greg Dortch (ARI) vs. LAR $4,600
No matter how much the fantasy community wants to discount Greg Dortch, he always seems to find a way into relevance. He received eight targets in Week 2, and while it only went for 47 yards, he led the team in targets, and yards and fell 1 reception short of sweeping all three stat categories. Maybe it’s because he is the only receiver that Kyler Murray can see eye to eye with? Short jokes aside, Dortch will find his way into a few of my lineups.
Others to consider: Brian Thomas Jr. (JAC) $4,800, Demarcus Robinson (LAR) $4,000
Tight End
Theo Johnson (NYG) @ WAS $2,600
Who?? If you don’t play Dynasty or you’re not a Giants fan, you might not know who this guy is. The rookie tight end made his debut last week and quite frankly, it was terrible. One catch for 18 yards. However, if you dive a little deeper, I can spin a positive narrative for Johnson. First, he played 86 percent of the team’s snaps, meaning he is the clearcut starter at tight end. Two, he had four targets, but dropped two of them, and the other one he didn’t catch, he was wide open and was overthrown. We can chalk up the drops to rookie jitters, and the other is on Daniel Jones, but had he caught those four passes, he’d have a much better stat line.
Matching up this week against a defense that gave up four touchdowns to Baker Mayfield, it’s within the realm of possibility that Johnson catches four-to-five passes and a touchdown.
Defense
New Orleans Saints @ DAL $2,400
Whelp, I punted my defense last week, and it did not go well. The Panthers didn’t even look like they belonged in the same league as the Saints. Well, if you can’t beat them use their defense the following week. That’s how that saying goes, right?
The Cowboys are a good offense, however, they are an offense that relies heavily on the pass. Whenever I’m picking defenses in DFS, I want the opportunity to get sacks and interceptions, and the Cowboys offer that in droves. With tight end Jake Ferguson likely out for this game, that is one fewer weapon on the field for Dak Prescott, and he didn’t have a ton of them to begin with.
FanDuel
Quarterback
Baker Mayfield (TB) @ DET $7,400
Baker had a huge game last week with four TDs against a weak Commanders defense, and while I don’t expect him to repeat that feat this week, he doesn’t have to. The Lions last week had no answer for Cooper Kupp, and a very similar player in terms of where he lines up and his play style is Chris Godwin. Mayfield and Godwin will be a popular stack for me this week, and when you couple in some of the other values on the slate, you can really pay up for some other positions.
Others to consider: Joe Burrow (CIN) $7,400
Running Back
Zach Charbonnet (SEA) @ NE $6,300
With Kenneth Walker doubtful for Sunday, Charbonnet should be in line for a huge workload. He’s a little more expensive than I would have thought, but his touchdown last week likely influenced his price tag. The Patriots’ defense looked formidable against the Bengals in Week 1, but the volume that Charbs should get in both the run and pass game makes it worth it to click his name a few times.
Others to consider: Jordan Mason (SF) $5,500
Wide Receiver
Tank Dell (HOU) vs. CHI $6,100
Dell is a bit of a post-hype sleeper. I really liked him last week, and while he did absolutely nothing, he played a ton of snaps and just got unlucky. A dropped touchdown didn’t help his cause, but, the fact remains that CJ Stroud loves Tank Dell, and I’m sure he is acutely aware that Dell did not have a good game last week.
Others to consider: Terry McLaurin (WAS) $6,000
Tight End
Brock Bowers (LV) @ BAL $5,300
The Raiders moved Bowers all over the field last Sunday. He lined up in the slot, inline, and even out wide on occasion. They want to use his versatility to the fullest, and therefore we should follow suit. It’s a tough matchup with the Ravens, but one that I think can be beaten with a guy like Bowers if he can get the right matchup.
Defense
New England Patriots vs. SEA $3,400
The Patriots’ defense shut down an offense that many believed could be a top-five offense in 2024, including yours truly. Now the Seahawks are without one of their top weapons in Kenneth Walker, I like this play even more.
Others to consider: Denver Broncos $3,400
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