Now that we have our first data point of the season, crafting an NFL DFS lineup for Week 2 is significantly easier. Of course, we don't want to fall victim to recency bias and overreact to a one-game sample, but having some initial numbers aids in our process of pinpointing high-usage studs, sleepers, and undervalued gems in DraftKings tournaments.
Our Week 2 DraftKings lineup features a rookie QB in a plus matchup, a couple of high-priced studs, and several underpriced skill position sleepers. For those entering their lineup into DraftKings' GPP tournaments, specifically Sunday's Fantasy Football Millionaire tournament, our primary objectives are to help you stand out from the majority and land in the money.
Before we break down all of our picks, here are the most notable scoring rules for DraftKings contests: Full-point PPR, four-point passing TDs, three-point bonuses for 100 rushing yards, 100 receiving yards, and 300 passing yards.
DraftKings Picks Week 2: NFL DFS lineup for GPP tournaments
Sunday main slate, $50,000 budget
QB Anthony Richardson, Colts @ Texans ($6,300). Although Richardson exited the latter stages of Sunday's game with a bruised knee, all signs point toward the rookie QB suiting up against Houston. While he won't be 100 percent, we still have faith in the Indianapolis QB1 to post another 20-plus-point DK showing against a Texans defense that graded out below league average in Week 1, per PFF. He has top-five upside but isn't priced like it, so we'll gladly dish out $6,300 to roster the dual-threat QB.
RB Christian McCaffrey, 49ers @ Rams ($8,900). Run CMC did his part in the 49ers' 30-7 drubbing over the Steelers, putting up 28.9 DK points thanks to 152 rushing yards and a TD on 22 carries. He didn't make nearly as profound of an impact in the receiving game (three receptions, 17 yards), but his 85-percent snap share in such a lopsided game is a strong sign of his chances to finish as the overall RB1 this season. Expect a more CMC-like receiving total in Week 2, as San Francisco's centerpiece remains a solid bet to pad the stat sheet.
WEEK 2 STANDARD RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers
RB Rachaad White, Buccaneers vs. Bears ($5,500). White totaled just 6.9 DK points in the Buccaneers' road upset of the Vikings, but his high snap share (79 percent) and usage (17 carries, two receptions) should lead to a better showing in Week 2. Chicago's defense did a solid job of bottling up the Packers' run game, holding Green Bay to 2.9 yards per carry, but will that carry over to Week 2? It's hard not to roster an RB with 20-touch potential at just $5,500.
WR Calvin Ridley, Jaguars vs. Chiefs ($7,200). In his first game as a Jaguar, Ridley drew 11 targets, turning them into an eight-catch, 101-yard, one-TD effort (27.1 DK points). In what's likely a high-scoring contest between two of the league's most efficient offenses, Ridley has a real shot to record 100-plus receiving yards for a second consecutive game. Ridley will undoubtedly be owned at a significantly higher clip in DraftKings' GPPs after having a 16.9 ownership percentage in Week 1, but how can we not roster Jacksonville's unquestioned WR1 here?
WEEK 2 PPR RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers
WR Puka Nacua, Rams vs. 49ers ($4,900). Like Ridley, Nacua will see a much higher ownership percentage this week, but for good reason. Cooper Kupp Jr. saw a league-high 15 targets in his NFL debut, and despite a tough matchup against a stout 49ers' pass defense, Nacua's a must-have at $4,900.
WR Romeo Doubs, Packers @ Falcons ($4,800). Although his DK-point output was inflated thanks to two TDs, Doubs managed to draw five targets despite being limited to just 29 snaps. With Doubs' snap count likely to increase as his workload ramps up, he could see a high target share with fellow WR Christian Watson's (hamstring) status for Week 2 in doubt.
TE Sam LaPorta, Lions vs. Seahawks ($3,900). LaPorta's vastly underpriced after playing in 83 percent of the Lions' offensive snaps in Week 1. With 20 of Jared Goff's 29 pass attempts in Week 1 coming from either behind the line of scrimmage (five attempts) or between zero and nine yards (15 attempts), LaPorta should see plenty of targets this week as an underneath option. At $3,900, the rookie tight end is a must-have on a point-per-dollar basis.
FLEX RB Gus Edwards, Ravens @ Bengals ($5,300). While Justice Hill outscored Edwards in Week 1 thanks to two rushing TDs, we expect Edwards to lead the team in carries against Cincinnati. Hill will see most of Baltimore's third-down snaps, but look for the veteran to be the team's primary short-yardage and goal-line back, boosting his floor in GPPs. We could see Edwards total 75-plus rushing yards with a score against a Bengals defense that surrendered 206 rushing yards last week.
DEF Buccaneers vs. Bears ($3,200). Chicago's lack of a vertical passing game gives us confidence Tampa Bay can limit the Bears' offensive output this week. Per PPF, Tampa's defense graded out with the best-tackling grade in Week 1 (89.9). Their fundamentally sound nature makes them a stable addition to DFS lineups, especially when matched against an offense with glaring holes.
Best SuperDraft NFL DFS Picks for Week 2
This season, we're also listing our favorite Week 2 DFS lineup on SuperDraft, with some of our picks and analysis overlapping.
For those unfamiliar, SuperDraft's DFS scoring involves point multipliers as opposed to traditional salary-capped or tiered contests. A winning lineup will likely feature a strong mix of stud fantasy contributors with 1x-1.6x boosts, as well as a few matchup-based sleepers with larger multipliers. Each player is assigned a scoring multiplier based on their value as determined by SuperDraft. Users can roster any player in their lineup with no restrictions.
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Here are the most notable scoring rules for SuperDraft NFL contests: Half-point PPR, four-point passing TDs, two-point bonuses for 100 rushing yards, 100 receiving yards, and 300 passing yards.
MORE SUPERDRAFT DFS: How to play SuperDraft
- QB: Anthony Richardson, Colts (Multiplier 1.3x)
- RB: Christian McCaffrey, 49ers (Multiplier 1x)
- RB: Rachaad White, Buccaneers (Multiplier 1.3x)
- WR: Calvin Ridley, Jaguars (Multiplier 1.1x)
- WR: Puka Nacua, Rams (Multiplier 1.3x)
- WR: Michael Wilson, Cardinals (Multiplier 1.7x)
- TE: Sam LaPorta, Lions (Multiplier 1.45x)
- FLEX: Travis Kelce, Chiefs (Multiplier 1x)
Since there's no salary cap restriction on SuperDraft, we opted to make a couple of tweaks relative to our DraftKings lineup. We're taking a flier on Cardinals' rookie Michael Wilson, who has a generous 1.7x multiplier in a favorable matchup against a Giants defense running out two rookie cornerbacks. Although his multiplier is at 1x, Kelce's as close to a shoo-in for a double-digit target day as it gets, especially considering Patrick Mahomes' perceived lack of confidence in the rest of the Chiefs' pass catchers.
