Welcome to Week 2. Hopefully, you didn’t blow all of your money trying to predict what would happen last week. DFS is hard enough with adequate sample sizes, but trying to gamble based on just the preseason? Yikes. If you were one of the expected 28.1% to buy into Curtis Samuel last week, I’m sorry for your loss(es). But now it’s Saturday, so we’ve got the projected ownership data from Thursday’s full-slate games. Let’s take a look at what we can expect on DraftKings this week.
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Quarterback
It’s neck-and-neck between Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes for the QB1 slot. Allen’s cheaper price tag is attractive, as is his high-upside potential. The Bills quarterback is equipped with a cannon for an arm, and he’s also proven himself as a scrambler. Last week, he put up 254 yards through the air and 38 yards on the ground, and he notched both a passing and rushing touchdown. Patrick Mahomes, meanwhile, costs $1,200 more but has a much higher floor. Check out Paul Ghigliere’s Week 2 quarterback primer, and you’ll see why. Even without Tyreek Hill, Mahomes did not struggle against Jalen Ramsey and the Jaguars. If you’re picking between these two guys, I’d go with Allen because of his cheaper pricetag and his easier matchup. The Raiders looked good on Monday night, and while I’m sure Mahomes is a better quarterback than Joe Flacco, the Giants looked far worse against Dak Prescott. Jackson and Brady are projected to be popular alternatives to these two. Jackson, coming off of a franchise-best performance against the Dolphins, looks like a stud, and the Cardinals looked vulnerable against the Lions. Brady will square up against a collapsing Dolphins franchise coached by ex-Patriots linebackers coach Brian Flores. Flores could surprise us all and challenge his teacher, Bill Belichick, but I’d pump the brakes on Brady simply because I doubt that the Patriots will need to do much passing to beat the ‘Phins. Goff rounds out the top-5 quarterbacks, and his cheap price tag against the Saints is pretty attractive, especially with his corps of talented wide receivers.
Welcome to Week 2. Hopefully, you didn’t blow all of your money trying to predict what would happen last week. DFS is hard enough with adequate sample sizes, but trying to gamble based on just the preseason? Yikes. If you were one of the expected 28.1% to buy into Curtis Samuel last week, I’m sorry for your loss(es). But now it’s Saturday, so we’ve got the projected ownership data from Thursday’s full-slate games. Let’s take a look at what we can expect on DraftKings this week.
Create Optimal DraftKings lineups using our DFS Lineup Optimizer tool
Quarterback
It’s neck-and-neck between Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes for the QB1 slot. Allen’s cheaper price tag is attractive, as is his high-upside potential. The Bills quarterback is equipped with a cannon for an arm, and he’s also proven himself as a scrambler. Last week, he put up 254 yards through the air and 38 yards on the ground, and he notched both a passing and rushing touchdown. Patrick Mahomes, meanwhile, costs $1,200 more but has a much higher floor. Check out Paul Ghigliere’s Week 2 quarterback primer, and you’ll see why. Even without Tyreek Hill, Mahomes did not struggle against Jalen Ramsey and the Jaguars. If you’re picking between these two guys, I’d go with Allen because of his cheaper pricetag and his easier matchup. The Raiders looked good on Monday night, and while I’m sure Mahomes is a better quarterback than Joe Flacco, the Giants looked far worse against Dak Prescott. Jackson and Brady are projected to be popular alternatives to these two. Jackson, coming off of a franchise-best performance against the Dolphins, looks like a stud, and the Cardinals looked vulnerable against the Lions. Brady will square up against a collapsing Dolphins franchise coached by ex-Patriots linebackers coach Brian Flores. Flores could surprise us all and challenge his teacher, Bill Belichick, but I’d pump the brakes on Brady simply because I doubt that the Patriots will need to do much passing to beat the ‘Phins. Goff rounds out the top-5 quarterbacks, and his cheap price tag against the Saints is pretty attractive, especially with his corps of talented wide receivers.
Running Back
Jacobs blew up on Monday night, but his DraftKings salary seemingly doesn’t reflect that performance. With a matchup against Kansas City’s notoriously porous defense, he could be situated to build on his strong start to the season. That said, he could lose reps to negative gamescript if the Chiefs score too quickly for Jon Gruden’s team to keep up. Bet on him if you need the salary cap. Otherwise, I’d bet against him and his massive projected ownership. Matt Breida should be another popular selection without Tevin Coleman or Jerick McKinnon to challenge him for touches, and he has a juicy matchup against a Bengals defense that allowed Chris Carson to earn 81 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns. The knock on Breida was his lack of involvement in the passing game last week, as DraftKings uses PPR scoring. Breida averaged less than two receptions per game last season, so don’t expect too much from him in that regard. Saquon Barkley is also projected to be a popular choice, but his massive $9,200 price tag could price out some potential owners. He’ll square up against a Bills defense that allowed Le’Veon Bell to put up 92 yards and one touchdown, but the Giants will also be playing without wide receiver Sterling Shepard. With Cody Latimer questionable, the Giants could be without their second and third options in the passing game. On the one hand, that could mean more looks for Barkley. On the other, it also means more stacked boxes. Alvin Kamara and Ezekiel Elliott are also projected to be popular selections, but I’d encourage DraftKings players to look elsewhere. Some recommendations: Mark Ingram ($6,000, 11.4% projected ownership) earned 107 yards and two scores on just 14 carries, so even if he’s limited by injury on Sunday, I’d still expect him to yield some solid numbers. Adrian Peterson ($3,400, 4.8% projected ownership) was announced as the starter after Derrius Guice’s most recent injury, and he might be worth a look.
Wide Receiver
Yeah, Tyrell Williams probably shouldn’t be just $4,400. His standout performance for Oakland as Carr’s first option on the post-AB Raiders was impressive, and he should be able to perform similarly against a bad Chiefs defense. Sammy Watkins is projected to be the second-most popular option, and while his salary better reflects his on-field value, his deep-ball upside is very appealing. Also, who else is Patrick Mahomes going to throw the ball to? Sure, he’s got Kelce and some running backs, but Watkins is by far the best receiver on the Chiefs’ roster behind the injured Tyreek Hill. Michael Thomas should be another popular option as his Saints look for some revenge against the Rams. Thomas has an impressive floor, as he earned 10 receptions on 13 targets last week, numbers that were good enough for 123 yards. While Latavius Murray might vulture red-zone looks, DraftKings’ PPR format makes possession receivers like Thomas more attractive. Speaking of possession receivers, Larry Fitzgerald is projected to be the fourth-most owned wideout. He showed impressive chemistry with Kyler Murray last week, and he earned 113 yards and one score on eight receptions. However, the Ravens’ defense should deter potential Fitzgerald buyers, because Earl Thomas and Marlon Humphrey will give the rookie quarterback fits. Robert Woods, another high-floor possession receiver, wraps up the top five. He caught eight balls for 70 yards on 13 targets last week, and I expect him to see a similar target share against the Saints. If you’re looking for contrarian plays, I’d bet on rebounds from Davante Adams ($7,700, 5.6% projected ownership) and Donte Moncrief ($4,000, 0.3% projected ownership). Terry McLaurin ($3,800, 2.2% projected ownership) could be another interesting play, and his 5-catch, 125-yard performance on seven targets does suggest some stable floor.
Tight End
Another list, another Oakland Raider at No. 1. I’ll be real with you. I’m a Ravens fan, and I was thrilled when the Ravens drafted Darren Waller in the sixth round back in 2015. He was a 6’6″ wide receiver who could run the 40 in just 4.46 seconds, how could I not be excited? After two suspensions and his mid-career conversion to tight end, I had given up on him. But then Oakland plucked him off of the Ravens’ practice squad last November, and now Jon Gruden’s Raiders have finally gotten the Waller I had dreamed about. Sentiment aside, he earned an impressive seven receptions on a team-high eight targets. As long as he can keep drawing Carr’s attention, Waller should be a smart play against the porous Chiefs secondary. Delanie Walker should be another popular pick this week, but his two-touchdown performance against the Browns might have set prospective owners’ expectations a bit too high. The Titans played angry last Sunday, so I want to see if Walker and Marcus Mariota can maintain the intensity. Travis Kelce should be another popular play, but I’d save my money this week with cheap options like Waller and T.J. Hockenson available. Hockenson blew up in his rookie debut, tossing aside the conventional wisdom that rookie tight ends should be avoided in fantasy. And while Evan Engram had an impressive performance last week, the Bills defense will be able to focus on him as the Giants are without Golden Tate and Sterling Shepard. In short: pick Waller or Hock. Don’t agree with me? Check out some of our other experts. They are saying the same thing.
Defense
| Player |
Matchup |
Salary |
Ownership |
| Texans |
vs. JAC |
$2,800 |
38.8% |
| Jaguars |
at HOU |
$2,400 |
15.5% |
| Broncos |
vs. CHI |
$2,700 |
12.6% |
| Patriots |
at MIA |
$3,700 |
9.2% |
| Colts |
at TEN |
$2,500 |
8.4% |
We project over half of DraftKings users to select a defense playing in the Texans/Jaguars game this Sunday. The Texans seem like the smarter choice, as they’re matching up against a rookie backup quarterback. Sure, folk hero Gardner Minshew had an impressive debut, but what are the odds he can keep it up? The Texans held Drew Brees to three first-half points last week, and Whitney Mercilus earned both a sack and an interception. But the Texans also allowed six sacks, and if the Jaguars can limit the Texans’ total points scored, they could put together an impressive points total by getting to Deshaun Watson. The Broncos are projected to be the third-most owned option, which doesn’t make much sense after Monday night. Sure, they have Von Miller and Bradley Chubb, but I have some doubts about how much help Joe Flacco and the offense can be. The Patriots are a good-but-expensive choice at $3,700, as they square up with an embarrassingly bad Dolphins team. The Colts are also projected to be a popular pick against anemic quarterback Marcus Mariota. My take? Last week, I told people in the FanDuel version of this article to pick Cleveland, and that blew up in my face. This week, I’ll recommend that you read the DST experts. Here’s a hint: don’t forget the Ravens ($3,800, 5.4% projected ownership) and the Titans ($3,100, 0.1% projected ownership).
Get our complete projected ownership report here
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Isaiah Sirois is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Isaiah, check out his archive and follow him @is_sirois.
