The first week of the preseason is in the books, and football is officially back. Man, does that feel good to write. With the allure of lucrative regular-season NFL DFS prize pools right around the corner, the preseason offers an opportunity for daily fantasy football lovers to get in the action even sooner. What better way to boost your early-season wallet than winning a Week 2 preseason tournament, be it on DraftKings or FanDuel?
Unlike regular-season contests, preseason research is centered around two main factors: Playing time and relative offensive opportunity. The following tournament-specific plays keep those factors in mind. Both Draftkings and FanDuel price every player equally during the preseason, so there won't be any value to be gained from cheaper, value plays. You just want the most points from whichever starter or fourth-stringer will get them.
DOMINATE YOUR DRAFT: Ultimate 2019 cheat sheet
Without further ado, let’s get into this week’s slate.
Preseason Week 2 NFL DFS Picks
Kyler Murray (QB, Cardinals)
We’ve all heard the same criticisms of Murray since he was drafted first overall in the 2019 NFL Draft. He’s too short. He’s too frail. The system he played in at Oklahoma won’t translate to the NFL. Blah, blah, blah.
It took him one drive to quiet some of his naysayers last week, as he completed all but one of his seven passes for 44 yards within offensive guru Kliff Kingsbury’s air raid offense. Murray took all 10 of his snaps from the shotgun, and his only incompletion was actually caught (out of bounds). He looked poised, was completely in control, and was in a comfortable rhythm.
Kingsbury publicly indicated that Murray will play more than one drive in Arizona’s Week 2 matchup against the Oakland Raiders. The coach was also outspoken about Murray’s willingness to take risks down the field in order to figure out what he can and can’t get away with.
Some combination of Brett Hundley, Chad Kanoff and Drew Anderson will likely enter the game after Murray. With that being said, Murray’s multi-dimensional capability to affect the game in the air and on the ground, added to his increased playing time and general aggression, makes him a stellar DFS target this week.
More RotoQL: NFL Projections | Lineup Optimizer
Jarrett Stidham (QB, Patriots)
In Week 1, Brian Hoyer and Jarrett Stidham split the quarterbacking duties for the Patriots, and the former Auburn standout impressed, going 14-for-24 for 179 yards and a touchdown. Bill Belichick raved about the performance to reporters, and there have already been rumblings that Stidham’s standout play might force New England to move Hoyer before the regular season starts.
Tom Brady will likely sit out this week against the Titans, which would most likely lead to a similar allotment of playing time for the rookie. In preseason DFS, volume is one of the key factors for success, and it seems like Stidham will be one of the few quarterbacks with an opportunity to stay on the field for a full half or more.
2019 STANDARD RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide Receiver | Tight End | D/ST | Kicker | Top 200
Drew Lock (QB, Broncos)
Since the Broncos already know that Joe Flacco is their starting quarterback, their "QB competition" is focused solely on who will earn the backup job. After splitting Hall of Fame Game duties with Brett Rypien and Kevin Hogan, Lock dominated the playing time in Week 1, going 17-for-28 with 180 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Flacco played just one drive while Hogan (3-for-7, 27 yards) didn’t see nearly as much action.
By all accounts, Denver wants Lock to win the backup job over Hogan. Therefore, expect a similar workload against the Bengals in Week 2. Cincinnati just allowed the Kansas City Chiefs to hang 38 points on them, 31 of which came without Patrick Mahomes in the game. There should be plenty of opportunity for Lock and company to find the end zone.
2019 PPR RANKINGS:
Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | Top 200
Preston Williams (WR, Dolphins)
Williams has seemingly turned heads since the moment he signed on the dotted line as an undrafted free agent. The 6-5 physical specimen possesses 4.50 speed, the ability to come down with jump balls, and big-play ability, as evidenced by his four-reception, 97-yard outing in Week 1.
Due to the many question marks surrounding the wide receiver position in Miami, there’s a chance that Williams could end up starting for the rebuilding squad if he continues to impress. Expect him to receive a sizable workload in Week 2 as the Dolphins continue to weigh their options at the position.
FANTASY SLEEPERS:
8 QBs | 14 RBs | 11 WRs | 11 TEs | 6 D/STs | One from each team
James Washington (WR, Steelers)
After Antonio Brown was traded away, JuJu Smith-Schuster became the de facto No. 1 wideout on the Steelers. The team now needs someone else to emerge at the position. Washington made quite the case for himself in Week 1, hauling in four passes for 84 yards, including a 43-yard reception on the second play of the game. He was also inches away from hauling in a touchdown catch, but his toe was just out of bounds. All in all, he was dominant and made his mark.
Washington should also continue to benefit from the presence of quarterback Mason Rudolph, who was his college teammate at Oklahoma State. The two looked in sync in Week 1 and could continue their connection against the Chiefs this week.
Just for kicks: In Week 2 of last year’s preseason, Washington torched the Green Bay Packers for five catches, 114 yards and two touchdowns. He’s no stranger to putting up massive preseason numbers.
DRAFT STRATEGY AND RANKINGS TIERS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST
Jakobi Meyers (WR, Patriots)
In Week 1, Meyers hauled in six passes for 69 yards and two touchdowns in just more than two quarters of play. He has climbed up New England’s depth chart and has even lined up with first-teamers at practice. If Week 1 was any indication, Meyers’ route-running ability will be coveted by Josh McDaniels and a Patriots offense that relies on quick-hitting passes in high-percentage areas of the field. Both of Meyers’ touchdown catches came on slants over the middle of the field last week.
Since fellow rookie N’Keal Harry will likely miss this week’s contest due to an injury sustained in the preseason opener, Meyers will likely receive another multi-quarter opportunity to prove himself to the coaching staff.
SEASON PREVIEW PODCASTS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST
Week 2 Preseason NFL DFS sleepers
Damien Harris (RB, Patriots)
Let’s go back to last summer for a second. In Week 1 of the 2018 preseason, the Patriots’ three-pronged rushing attack looked like this:
Jeremy Hill: 11 rushes, 51 yards, TD
Ralph Webb: 14 rushes, 46 yards, 2 TDs
Mike Gillislee: 14 rushes, 43 yards
In Week 2, here’s how those same three players fared:
Hill: six carries, 31 yards
Webb: five carries, 15 yards
Gillislee: nine carries, 22 yards.
Nick Brossette logged 22 carries for 66 yards and a touchdown last week and is sure to be ultra-chalky in DFS. Sony Michel, James White and Rex Burkhead are not expected to log many (if any) snaps in Week 2 against the Titans, which leaves Brossette, Brandon Bolden and Harris as the three remaining options to receive the bulk of the carries. It’s highly unlikely that Brossette will receive a similar workload, if history is an accurate indicator.
While projecting running back playing time under Bill Belichick is never a fun proposition, it seems logical that Harris, the team’s third-round pick in this year’s draft, will see some action this week after not recording a single carry in Week 1.
If he is featured out of the blue like Brossette was last week, he has the potential to win someone a large-field GPP. Since running back production is hard to come by in the preseason regardless, Harris isn’t a gigantic risk.
More RotoQL: NFL Game Hub | NFL Player Hub
Karan Higdon (RB, Texans)
Ever since the Texans surprisingly released running back D’Onta Foreman, their backup running back job has been wide open. Although the team traded for passing-down specialist Duke Johnson Jr., coach Bill O’Brien is still trying to figure out who will back up Lamar Miller on first and second downs, if needed.
Enter Karan Higdon. Competing with Buddy Howell, Taiwan Jones, Josh Ferguson and Damarea Crockett, Higdon carried the ball a team-high eight times for 37 yards in Week 1 against the Packers. This Week 2 contest will be a career-defining event for Higdon, Jones and Crockett, who shared the bulk of the carries last week. Based on Hidgon’s Week 1 usage, a double-digit carry opportunity in Week 2 isn’t out of the question.
Ross Dwelley (TE, 49ers)
Since Garret Celek is injured, San Francisco’s backup tight end spot behind George Kittle is up for grabs, and second-year pro Dwelley and rookie Kaden Smith are in a competition for it. Last week, Dwelley had one catch for 21 yards, while Smith had a catch for 17 yards, but Dwelley’s pass-catching ability makes him a threatening option in San Francisco’s next-level offense.
In the offseason, Dwelley trained alongside Kittle and worked on his route-running and blocking skills. He has a lot to accomplish in the run-blocking perspective, but for DFS purposes, he could be a useful low-owned commodity in a Week 2 large-field GPP.
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