If it weren’t for a dud from TJ Hockenson last week, I would have felt pretty good about our picks. All of the injuries in Week 2 has opened up a ton of value for certain players and we even have a couple of dirt-cheap QBs entering the fold with Drew Brees and Ben Roethlisberger sidelined. That puts Teddy Bridgewater and Mason Rudolph directly in play but we’re going with a stud as our top QB option of the week… 

Create Optimal DraftKings lineups using our DFS Lineup Optimizer tool

QB of the Week 

Lamar Jackson (BAL) $7,000 at KC
Guys, how special is this kid? As someone who fell into love with football because of Michael Vick, it’s hard not to get excited about this stud. He actually became the first player in regular-season history to record at least 250 passing yards and 120 rushing yards in last week’s game. That came after a 324-yard, four TD performance in Week 1 and it’s becoming apparent that the breakout is real. That’s got to be scary for a Chiefs defense who allowed the second-most fantasy points to opposing QBs last season. The 55-point total and 6.5-point spread in favor of KC indicate that we should see a ton of points on the board for both teams and could see Jackson playing catchup. That’s a recipe for a monster game and he should be in line for another 30-point gem.  

Cash Game Running Backs 

Dalvin Cook (MIN) $7,800 vs. OAK
Cook has been the best RB in the league over the first two weeks, recording 265 rushing yards and three TDs on 41 rushing attempts. That equates to an absurd 6.5 YPC average, which ranks top-5 in the NFL. It’s not just the stats though, as Cook simply looks like an elite talent with his elusiveness and dominant speed. That skillset is bad news for the Raiders, with Oakland ranking dead-last in points allowed and 28th in rushing yards surrendered last season. The fact that Cook and the Vikings enter this matchup as a 7.5-point favorite is the icing on the cake, as Cook should carry the ball at least 20 times with Minnesota milking the clock and protecting their lead.  

Sony Michel (NE) $6,000 vs. NYJ 
Game scripts are going to become very critical for Michel’s value and the Week 2 game script is exactly what we’re looking for when using him. He entered that matchup as a 19-point favorite against a terrible Dolphins defense and rewarded us with 21 carries for 85 yards and a TD. Anytime the Patriots enter a game as a monster favorite, Michel should be one of the first guys you consider. That’s just what we have here, with the Jets entering this matchup as a 20.5-point underdog. New York’s run defense has really struggled the last two years too, allowing the seventh-most rushing yards last season. That was clear when Michel collected 183 rushing yards and a TD on 35 attempts in his two games against them last season.  

GPP Running Backs 

Matt Breida (SF) $5,400 vs. PIT
While I don’t trust the 49ers at all, this price is too cheap for someone of Breida’s ability. The 27 rushing attempts for 158 yards this season tells you everything you need to know about this guy, as he actually ran for 814 yards on 153 rushing attempts last year. That equates to a 5.5 YPC, which is quite the absurd rate in a two-year span. That ability is even more promising considering that Tevin Coleman is expected to miss this game, garnering Breida a minimum of 10-15 touches. That’s huge with the 49ers entering this game as a 6.5-point favorite against a Pittsburgh defense who just allowed 151 rushing yards in Week 2.  

Carlos Hyde (HOU) $4,500 at LAC 
Don’t look now but Hyde is starting to Wally Pipp Duke Johnson yet again. Many people expected Duke to be the every-down back for the Texans but the trade for Hyde appears to have ruined that for Johnson. After recording 10 carries for 83 rushing yards in Week 1, Hyde backed that up with 20 carries for 90 yards in Week 2. More importantly, he played nearly 15 more snaps than Johnson in that game, handling the early-down and goal-line work. That’s fantastic news against a Chargers defense who allowed the ninth-most fantasy points to RBs last season and the fifth-most so far this year.  

Cheap Wide Receivers 

D.K. Metcalf (SEA) $4,700 vs. NO 
Metcalf was all the rage when he set records at the combine and he’s showing some of that talent on the field. Not only does he have 13 catches for 150 receiving yards in his first two games combined, but he’s also been targeted at least six times in each fixture. That’s really all you can ask for from a gifted rookie like this, especially considering he led all Seattle WRs in snaps last week. That makes him a superb selection against this bad secondary, with the Saints allowing the sixth-most fantasy points to WRs this season after allowing the most fantasy points in the league to them last year.  

Nelson Agholor (PHI) $3,600 vs. DET 
This is all about checking the status of his teammates because Agholor could find himself as the number-one receiver if Alshon Jeffrey and DeSean Jackson are both out. In the Week 2 loss where both players went out early, Agholor led all the Eagles WRs with eight receptions for 107 yards and a TD on 11 targets. Those 11 targets might be the floor here if both of those guys are out and that would make Agholor a must-play below $4,000. We’re certainly not concerned about this Lions secondary either, allowing at least 275 passing yards in each of their first two games.  

Tight End of the Week 

Evan Engram (NYG) $5,200 at TB
Engram is going to be tough to fade for the first two weeks, simply because he’s the only option in the passing game. With Odell Beckham out of town, Golden Tate suspended, and Sterling Shepard injured, it’s Engram all day. That’s evident by the fact that he ranks second among all tight ends with 22 targets, collecting 17 receptions for 164 receiving yards in his first two fixtures. That’s a ridiculous workload, especially considering that equates to 25 percent of the team’s target share. That role leads to inevitable fantasy production and that’s huge at a volatile position like tight end. The icing on the cake is this matchup, with Tampa allowing the second-most fantasy points to opposing TEs last season while sporting one of the worst secondaries in the NFL.

We’re going to go ahead and avoid the Thursday night game because those tend to be ugly. That should be the case again here, with two good defenses facing two bad offenses. If you’re desperate to make a play, Leonard Fournette is in a good spot as his respective price tag to bounce-back.