We plan all summer for our NFL DFS picks, then Week 1 shakes the snow globe. Week 2 is where we adapt, and we're adapting in a big way with our DraftKings cash lineup.
Running Dalvin Cook and Austin Ekeler in cash last week gave us a fighting shot, but last week's lineup also a left a few lessons for reassessing the 2019 NFL picture. Like last week, we'll build around three mid-tier RB plays in response to relatively small price adjustments. Time to spend $50K and hit that line in DK cash games.
WEEK 2 NON-PPR RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
NFL DFS Week 2: DraftKings cash lineup picks
UPDATE: QB Derek Carr, Raiders vs. Chiefs ($5,100). Getting a piece of one of the slate’s two monster Vegas totals, and a thousands off the cost of the three other QBs taking part in Chiefs-Raiders and Saints-Rams. I couldn’t pass on the Monday night discount.
INITIAL: QB Andy Dalton, Bengals vs. 49ers ($5,400). Cincinnati leads the NFL pass rate despite hanging well within striking distance in Week 1. Zac Taylor's offense inflates the floor for cheaply priced Dalton, especially with running back Joe Mixon banged up.
RB Chris Carson, Seahawks @ Steelers ($6,400): The Seahawks followed through on their August signals of a three-down role by giving Carson 20-plus touches bolstered by six receptions. This didn't move the needle out of mid-tier price, so we'll take it.
WEEK 2 PPR RANKINGS: Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end
UPDATE: RB Leonard Fournette, Jaguars @ Texans ($6,300). Fournette showed game-flow resistance by drawing six targets in negative game script, equaling the totals of Austin Ekeler and Le’Veon Bell last week. Even with the Texans favored, Fournette stands a decent bet for 20 touches.
INITIAL RB Austin Ekeler, Chargers @ Lions ($6,100). Ekeler tied Carson for fourth in RB catches on Sunday while leading all of those RBs in receiving yards. The additional 12 carries is encouraging and means we could expect 15-20 touches in neutral-to-positive game script.
WR Sammy Watkins, Chiefs @ Raiders ($7,200). We'll ride the price jump on Watkins given Tyreek Hill's absence and the Chiefs reassertion of their status as the league's most fantasy-friendly offense, burning Jacksonville's defense to the ground in Duval.
MORE DFS: Values | Stacks | Lineup builder
WR Allen Robinson, Bears @ Broncos ($6,100): The price got capped by Mitchell Trubisky's ugly Thursday night performance, but A-Rob still ranks second in targets and 12th yards. With even halfway-decent QB play, A-Rob goes north of $7K.
UPDATE: WR JuJu Smith-Schuster, Steelers vs. Seahawks ($7,500). Bill Belichick eliminating JuJu was quite predictable. That shouldn’t be the case against a green Seahawks defense that has allowed the second-most yards through the air. Prime bounce-back spot.
INITIAL WR John Brown, Bills @ Giants ($5,200): Confirmed: Smokey is Josh Allen's guy. Brown's nine targets led the team, and his 123 yards account for nearly half the receiving market share. Allen may turn the ball over, but the Giants defense should let Brown get loose after Dak just topped 400 passing yards.
Week 2 DFS Lineups:
FD Cash | FD GPP | DK Cash | DK GPP | Y! Cash | Y! GPP
UPDATE: TE Darren Waller, Raiders vs. Chiefs ($3,300). Dial up the Monday night discount here too, with Oakland showing its offense has plenty life and doing so after DK prices were set. Waller looks to have a top-five TE market share with Gruden and Carr.
UPDATE: FLEX Michael Gallup, Cowboys @ Washington ($5,600). Per PFF’s PFF's shadow coverage matrix, Josh Norman shadowed Alshon Jeffery on 94 percent of snaps last week and held him to 4-for-44 in his coverage. Norman figures to shadow Amari Cooper, so Gallup can follow his 7-for-158 by facing the rest of a secondary that got torched in Week 1.
INITIAL FLEX Marlon Mack, Colts @ Titans ($5,900): Indy trailed throughout in Los Angeles, yet still got Mack a league-high 25 carries for 174 yards. Neutral game script could be in the cards after Jacoby Brissett's decent enough showing with the Colts just field-goal dogs.
D/ST Giants vs. Bills ($2,500). We're getting basement price for a defense that, while not good, is facing a turnover-prone quarterback. Josh Allen finished second in pick rate last season and threw two interceptions to go along with two fumbles on Sunday.