The current week of NFL DFS is always my favorite week. The slate is clean, and we are not forced to deal with our draft day mistakes like we do in managed seasonal leagues. It is all about honing in on value plays and which ones to slot in our DFS lineups.
This article aims to decipher values in the lobbies. It is not meant to be a roster builder. Instead, it will help identify key players priced below their production potential based on various factors for DraftKings and FanDuel.
NFL DFS Value Plays: Week 2
Quarterbacks
Drake Maye did not do much to impress in their Week 1 loss to the Raiders. He finished as the QB18, throwing for a touchdown and an interception apiece. However, most of the peripherals were more encouraging than his fantasy production suggested. He completed 65.2% of his passes for 287 yards and added 11 yards on the ground on four carries. The real downside was the lack of scoring, throwing for only one touchdown.
This week, the Patriots draw a matchup against a Dolphins defense that got shredded last week against Daniel Jones and the Colts. They allowed Jones to throw for 272 yards and a touchdown, while adding 26 yards on the ground and two more scores. Yes, it’s a small sample size, being only Week 2, but it is certainly worth noting what trends and data we are presented with.
Maye looked sharp as a thrower of the football and still has production available with his legs. Maye is currently showing a 3.5% rostership rate on DraftKings, per GoingFor2.com, making him a viable GPP target that is easy to stack and best utilized in multiple lineup entries. His cost also allows for paying up at other positions.
Despite a Week 1 loss, there were some great plays orchestrated by second-year quarterback Caleb Williams. In all fairness, there were some poor ones as well. However, Williams finished Week 1 as the QB9 overall, largely based on his rushing. He finished that game with 210 passing yards, one touchdown, 58 rushing yards and another score on the ground.
Detroit suffered a divisional loss against an impressive Green Bay defense. They’re not looking to start their season 0-2, especially within the division. The Bears’ defense is also good, so this game has sneaky shoot-out potential. Expect Detroit to put up some points, putting the Bears’ offense in catch-up mode.
Williams can be used in both cash and GPP contests, but is preferred in GPP and has several stacking options available.
Running Backs
Let us start with the good. Breece Hall finished Week 1 with over 70% of the rushing attempts on 58% of the offensive snaps. He saw four targets and finished the week as the RB7 overall. Now for the bad. The Jets had six red-zone carries, only two of which went to Hall. Overall, it was encouraging to see Hall look like his former self after a disappointing 2024 season.
The Jets draw a matchup against the Bills, who just got gashed by Derrick Henry for a huge amount of rushing yards. Hall is not Henry; however, the usage and matchup are too good to ignore. Hall is also less likely to be impacted by a negative gamescript if the Bills jump to an early lead. He can, and has been, used as a pass-catcher out of the backfield.
With a 47.5 over/under, this game should feature some scoring on both sides and feature some viable DFS options. Hall fits in as a value based on cost and potential production. He can be used in both cash and GPP contests.
Travis Etienne impressed in Week 1, finishing as the RB5 overall. He saw 19 total touches and averaged an unsustainable 8.9 yards per carry. Of the 19 total touches, three of them were targets, all three of which he secured, adding to his overall stat line. After disappointing fantasy managers last season, Etienne showed up as an integral part of the offense last week. In related news, the Jaguars traded the running back he split time with last season, moving Tank Bigsby for a couple of future draft picks.
This week, the Jaguars face off against a Bengals defense ranked 18th against the run. Etienne has been known to operate well between the tackles and can also operate as a pass-catching threat. His dual usability is part of the value of this DFS selection. The Bengals’ defense is not their strong suit, and if they’re putting up points, Etienne does not suffer the loss of them being more pass-heavy. His role in this offense is currently secure.
Etienne operates as a value in both cash and GPP contests, and due to the price point, more in cash. He seems to be a screaming value in both formats this week until FanDuel catches up to his expected involvement. For those looking for the deep play value, Bhayshul Tuten is expected to be his immediate backup and is only $4,500.
Wide Receivers
Cedric Tillman did not have the strongest Week 1 performance, but he split the target share with Jerry Jeudy almost evenly. Both had eight targets; Jeudy finished with more yards, and Tillman came down with the touchdown. Now, touchdowns are not a reliable means of stat projection. But target share is certainly more sticky. With Joe Flacco slinging it from behind the line, all pass-catchers in this offense get a slight bump.
The big difference is the $1,000 price discrepancy between Jeudy ($5,300) and Tillman. For a similar expected target rate, the cheaper one is the one that works best in a DFS environment. Baltimore is going to score, and the Browns are expected to be playing from behind, which leads to more pass attempts. If Jeudy is drawing the top corner, as he is expected to, that leaves Tillman as the preferred target at his cost. Softer coverage, cheaper cost, similar target share.
It’s also worth mentioning that the Ravens’ pass defense is currently ranked as the second-best matchup for wide receivers. (Based on Week 1 data).
Tillman can be used in both cash and GPP contests for this slate.
This is a bit of a deeper option, but it’s worth mentioning. Kayshon Boutte operated as Maye’s preferred target in Week 1. He boasted just over a 17% target share and just over a 23% first-read share for the Patriots. After rewatching this game (and several others), he also looked good in the process. Boutte consistently created separation, found creases in coverage and added some yards after the catch. Basically, from a statistical standpoint, he checked all the boxes.
Miami’s secondary looks better on paper than in person after getting manhandled by the Colts last week. They allowed the 11th-most yards to the position for the week.
Stefon Diggs‘ usage and production should start to tick up as he continues to get healthier. Even then, if Boutte continues to see a solid number of targets and produces with them, he could carve out a healthy role. For the time being, Boutte looks like his role is healthy from a target and a peripheral standpoint.
Boutte is better utilized in GPPs due to low cost and sub-3% current rostership, but is not completely out of the mix in cash games either, as he would allow for flexibility at other positions.
Tight Ends
This is truly digging for participation, potential volume and divided by cost. Brenton Strange only had four targets last week, but he secured them all for 59 yards (14.8 yards per reception). He almost hit a 13% target share in an offense that showed lower pass volume than anticipated. As previously mentioned, the script could be more pass-heavy in this matchup.
The Bengals have traditionally been susceptible to tight end production, and with the expected bump in pass attempts, Strange’s role could be more integral in this contest.
The price point is below the potential, and the rostership percentage is low. It puts Strange in the GPP multiple lineup user conversation. It’s far from a lock, but he will be in some of my lineups as that one-off, low-cost option that has the potential to break a slate.
Strange is not a lock for anything other than being present and running routes. However, the usage in Week 1 shows he has streaming potential that exceeds his current salary cost and provides upside potential. A touchdown this week would surprise me less than the lack of one.
For frequent readers, the unspoken rule at tight end is to either pay up for the role/volume/matchup or pay down for a plus matchup. Chig Okonkwo is a paydown option operating under the radar. Last week, he had a 14% target share and a 76% route participation. Simply put, he is on the field and targeted within the average range for the position.
The Rams are a plus matchup against the position. Yes, we are dealing with a rookie quarterback. We are also dealing with a vital role that could serve as a safety valve in the intermediate and middle area of the field.
Okonkwo is better used in GPP contests due to cost and rostership, but works in cash contests with a loaded skill position roster build.
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John Hesterman is a featured writer and Expert Consensus Ranker at FantasyPros. He also writes for DynastyLeagueFootball.com. For more from John, check out his archive and follow him on Bluesky @John-Hesterman or Twitter/X @John_Hesterman.
