Daily fantasy football is set to chug along into Week 2, and DFS players now have more data to work with. After seeing each team in action and watching a couple of key guys go down, there are plenty of value picks and sleepers available for savvy players to pick up on. Our Week 2 DraftKings cash lineup will try to sort through all the latest fantasy football injury news and player updates to craft a winning lineup.
Our strategy this week was to pay up at quarterback, both running back spots, and one wide receiver spot. That would give us enough studs to give this lineup a high floor. Further down, the goal was to get lower-cost players that had either seen a lot of targets in Week 1 or were underpriced because they played on Monday night. Thankfully, there were plenty of options for us as we took that path, and we were even able to land a solid QB-WR stack.
WEEK 2 STANDARD RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
DraftKings Week 2 Picks: NFL DFS cash lineup
QB Aaron Rodgers, Packers vs. Lions ($6,900). Only Russell Wilson had more DK points than Rodgers' 33.6 last week. Rodgers looked like his old self against a young Vikings secondary, and he should have a chance to repeat his success vs. Detroit. The Lions allowed Mitchell Trubisky to hang 24.3 DK points on them, and they lost top slot-man Justin Coleman to an injury. Rodgers should have a chance to repeat his success and make some deep plays in his second consecutive game against a divisional rival.
RB Ezekiel Elliott, Cowboys vs. Falcons ($8,200). The Falcons allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to RBs last week, setting a mark of 35.2 DK points thanks to Chris Carson's prowess as a receiver. Elliott and the Cowboys had similar success against the Rams, as Dallas' RBs racked up 32.9 DK points. The Falcons have a weaker defense and may struggle to contain Elliott as a receiver, so that should give him a chance to put up big numbers.
WEEK 2 NFL DFS CASH LINEUPS:
Yahoo | FanDuel
RB Austin Ekeler, Chargers vs. Chiefs ($6,500). In a strange turn of events, Ekeler had a team-high 18 carries for the Chargers in Week 1 but had jus tone target. Anthony Lynn can't let that happen again. Ekeler shredded the Chiefs as a receiver last year, catching 17 passes for 151 yards in two games while Melvin Gordon handled more of the work on the ground. The Chiefs allowed 100 catches to RBs last season, so that's the weakness that Los Angeles should attack. That makes Ekeler a good upside play at this price.
WEEK 2 PPR RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
WR DeAndre Hopkins, Cardinals vs. Washington ($7,700). It's safe to say that Kyler Murray likes throwing to Hopkins. He was targeted 16 times and caught 14 passes for 151 yards against the 49ers. Against an inexperienced secondary, Hopkins should feast, provided that Murray can avoid pressure. Either way, his floor is sky-high.
WR Diontae Johnson, Steelers vs. Broncos ($4,500). Some may knock Johnson for his muffed punt and because JuJu Smith-Schuster and James Washington caught the three Ben Roethlisberger touchdowns against the Giants. That said, Johnson led the team in targets with 10, tied for the team-high in catches with six, and had 57 receiving yards, good for second on the team. He should have a chance to outplay this price tag, and if Broncos CB A.J. Bouye can't play, Johnson's outlook would be even better.
WEEK 2 NFL DFS TOURNAMENT LINEUPS:
Yahoo | DraftKings | FanDuel
WR Corey Davis, Titans vs. Jaguars ($4,000). Here's another underpriced receiver who played on Monday Night Football. Davis looked like Ryan Tannehill's favorite target for most of the game against the Broncos. Davis led the team in targets (8), catches (7), and yardage (101). Four players had seven-plus targets for the Titans, so Tannehill does spread it around a bit, but Davis is a good option in a matchup with a mediocre Jacksonville secondary. (Update: With A.J. Brown out because of a knee injury, Davis should get even more target.)
TE Chris Herndon, Jets vs. 49ers ($3,400). Is Herndon emerging as the Jets' No. 2 target? It seems that way. Herndon racked up seven targets (trailing only Jamison Crowder's 13) and caught six passes for 37 yards in Week 1. The 49ers have a great defense, but all Herndon needs to be effective at tight end is a handful of catches or a TD. If we're spending down at the position, he is one of the better options available.
MORE WEEK 2 DFS: Best stacks | Best values | Lineup Builder
FLEX Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Packers vs. Lions ($4,600). We'll round out or skill position players by stacking a wideout with Aaron Rodgers. MVS tied for second on the Packers in targets with six, and he turned those targets into four catches, 96 yards, and a TD (19.6 DK points). Valdes-Scantling could find plenty of open room against the Detroit defense, so we'll take a shot on the cheapest of Green Bay's three top receiving options.
D/ST San Francisco 49ers @ Jets ($4,000). For the second straight week, we're going with the defense that comes in at No. 1 in our Week 2 D/ST rankings as our cash-game defense. The 49ers will be hungry for a win after a disappointing loss to the Cardinals and the Jets offensive line will have trouble blocking San Francisco's prolific pass rush. Expect several sacks of Darnold that could cause some turnovers.
