If you enjoyed the first week of the NFL season, then you're sure to enjoy Week 2, especially if you're an avid NFL DFS player. There are plenty of Week 1 overreactions (and underreactions) that fantasy owners can take advantage in both year-long leagues and daily fantasy football contests. One of the best ways to do this on DraftKings and FanDuel is to take advantage of prime stacking opportunities.
Stacking is a preferred strategy of most fantasy football aficionados. Many use it in redraft leagues, but it can be more viable than most realize in DFS lineups, as well. Why? Well, if you have two players on the same team, they can both score on the same play. That creates opportunities for double points and raises your lineup's ceiling.
There are a few different ways to approach stacking opportunities. The safest way is to look at good offenses and target their players in contests where the game scripts are in their favor. Of course, you can also look to fade bad teams and pick opposing players. That can be risky if the offense is merely middling, but contrarian plays count for differentiation, which is key in both DraftKings and FanDuel tournaments.
WEEK 2 DFS LINEUPS: FanDuel | DraftKings | Yahoo
DraftKings and FanDuel remain the top DFS platforms worldwide, but DraftKings has the more variable pricing. That makes it a bit easier to make stacks, especially when targeting cheaper receivers. That's not to say you can't stack on FanDuel; it's just sometimes harder to find value when doing so.
Below are some of our favorite sets of teammates for Week 2 DraftKings and FanDuel lineups.
WEEK 2 DFS: Best values
Week 2 NFL DFS Picks: Top cash game stacks for DraftKings, FanDuel
QB Derek Carr, WR Davante Adams, and TE Darren Waller, Raiders vs. Cardinals (DK/FD stack)
This is a juicy matchup for Carr and Adams. The Cardinals have lost a lot of talent on defense and just struggled to contain Kansas City's revamped passing attack. The Raiders may not have Patrick Mahomes, but Carr's weapons should carry him to a solid outing in Week 2.
Adams led the NFL with a ridiculous 17 targets in his first game with his college teammate. Arizona won't be able to cover him, so he could be in for another outing of 30-plus fantasy points. Adding Waller to the mix gives this lineup another big-play and touchdown threat who will buoy any lineup.
Paying up for Adams and Waller won't prove too costly considering the mid-tier price of Carr, who was just decent against the Chargers. He should bounce back this week and help many to win their cash games with ease.
WEEK 2 PPR RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/ST | Kicker
QB Russell Wilson, WR Courtland Sutton, and WR Jerry Jeudy, Broncos vs. Texans (DK stack)
Think Russell Wilson is happy that he lost to Seattle? I'd seriously doubt it, and he may be extra peeved that the ball was taken out of his hands on Denver's last play of the game, a 64-yard field goal attempt by Brandon McManus.
Wilson will get a chance to take out his rage on a Texans' defense that just allowed Matt Ryan to throw for 352 yards and run for 12. These numbers were bolstered a bit by overtime, but given Wilson's explosiveness, he could match them.
Meanwhile, Michael Pittman Jr. racked up nine catches for 121 yards and a touchdown, so one of Sutton or Jeudy should be able to match that. Or maybe both could cross triple digits. Either way, this spot has a lot of upside for the Broncos, who will be riled up and looking for their first win of the Wilson era at home.
WEEK 2 STANDARD RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/ST | Kicker
RB Jonathan Taylor and D/ST Indianapolis, Colts at Jaguars (DK/FD stack)
Is it boring? Yes, but if you're looking for something to raise the floor of your lineup, this is the move.
Taylor handled a whopping 35 touches and generated 175 yards and a touchdown against the Texans in Week 1. Granted, that game went into overtime, but the point is that Taylor is still the driving force in the offense and did well against a weaker defense. Jacksonville just surrendered 28 points to the Commanders, so Taylor should be in for another big day.
Some may be scared off by the Colts' defense after they allowed 20 points to the Texans and faltered in Week 18 against the Jaguars last year, but that's precisely why they can be trusted. They have talent -- especially with LB Shaquille Leonard (back) expected to return -- and will be out for revenge, so they should have a solid week.
Week 2 DraftKings, FanDuel Picks: Best stacks for daily fantasy football tournaments
QB Carson Wentz, WR Terry McLaurin, and WR Jahan Dotson, Commanders at Lions (DK/FD Stack)
Is Carson Wentz going to throw four touchdowns every game? No, but the Lions just let the Eagles score 38 points against them. Granted, Philly scored four rushing touchdowns, but they skew far more run-heavy than the Commanders do. As such, Wentz could still have a good game, especially if he can get even a quarter of the 90 rushing yards Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts posted against Detroit.
Elsewhere, the Lions had immense trouble covering A.J. Brown last week (10 catches for 155 yards), so McLaurin should have a strong game and eclipse 100 yards. Dotson could do the same. He is coming off a two-TD outing during which Wentz looked his way five times.
The Lions may be better against the Commanders, who are weaker than the Eagles as currently constructed. Even still, none of Washington's passing weapons are expensive, which makes them a nice value play in Week 2.
QB Daniel Jones, RB Saquon Barkley and WR Sterling Shepard, Giants vs. Panthers (DK Stack)
Two quarterbacks in the NFL finished with an on-target percentage of 90 or better in Week 1, per Sports Info Solutions. One was Josh Allen; the other was Daniel Jones.
Week 1 on-target % 🎯
— Bills QB Watch (@BillsQBwatch) September 13, 2022
1) 96.8% Josh Allen 🔥
2) 90.0% Daniel Jones
3) 85.3% Justin Herbert
4) 84.6% Patrick Mahomes
via @SportsInfo_SIS #NFL pic.twitter.com/YeBnpEjCNI
Let that sink in. Jones was one of the most accurate quarterbacks in the NFL last week. Sure, he still had a brutal interception and didn't eclipse 200 passing yards, but he still was accurate. That could pay dividends against the Panthers.
Carolina has a solid secondary, but it proved it could be beaten last week. It wasn't necessarily by big-time throws from Jacoby Brissett; it was more about check-downs to Kareem Hunt and Nick Chubb out of the backfield.
With that said, Barkley has a nice matchup here. If Jones can continue to get him the ball on time and on target, he could have a big day. That could help Jones give a higher floor than most expect at his $5,100 DK salary.
Add Shepard to the mix here as Jones' No. 1 target, and this three-man stack will allow you to spend up elsewhere while taking some fliers. Pairing this stack with the WR and TE portion of the Raiders stack could be a nice way to create a lineup with a high floor and a high ceiling.
RB Damien Harris, RB Rhamondre Stevenson, and New England D/ST, Patriots at Steelers (DK/FD Stack)
The Patriots just lost to the Dolphins in Week 1, but people shouldn't be down on them too much. Sure, their offense struggled, but their defense was great. It allowed just 13 points to the Dolphins, as Miami scored one of its touchdowns on a strip-sack fumble recovery.
With that said, the Patriots defense is being undervalued against a Pittsburgh offense that just won but generated just 267 yards. New England should be able to make life difficult for Mitchell Trubisky and Najee Harris, so having the Pats as a mid-tier defense in DFS makes sense.
Plenty will like that strategy, but not nearly as many will trust the Patriots' two running backs. The team averaged just 3.5 yards per carry against the Dolphins, but Harris had 48 yards on nine carries while Stevenson is always a threat as both a runner and receiver. They will likely split carries against a Steelers defense that will be without T.J. Watt (pec), so they may be able to find enough space to both be fantasy relevant.
This approach is a rather weird one, but if Harris goes over 100 yards and Stevenson finds the end zone, it could pay off. Maybe it lowers the ceiling a bit considering the lack of differentiation, but taking mid-tier values will allow DFS players to spend up for the likes of Barkley and Adams.
So, let's get weird.
