FanDuel NFL Lineups: Week 2
By Matt Rogers
Welcome back to the FanDuel NFL Lineups column for the second week of NFL action. We’re a Daily Fantasy Football column focused on top picks and best value for your weekly FanDuel NFL lineups. We arm you with information for a big FanDuel NFL payday each week.
Last week, Aaron Rodgers ($8,300) didn’t drop the 20+ performance against the Seahawks like we had expected. However, he still had a decent game with 311 yards and a touchdown. The INT hurt us, totaling a decent 17.54 FanDuel NFL points. However, our ‘Other’ option, Matthew Stafford ($7,600), had a huge day against the Cardinals piling up four touchdowns for 28.08 FanDuel NFL points. Our quarterback picks were pretty solid.
Unfortunately, David Johnson ($9,400) got injured and is likely out for an extended period of time, and Le’Veon Bell ($9,300), nor any Steelers running back, didn’t get much out of the run game against the Browns. Those picks were disappointing, but our ‘Other’ pick, Melvin Gordon ($7,000) saved some of our lineups with 16.4 FanDuel NFL points.
As expected, Jordy Nelson ($7,700) was Rodgers favorite target last week and he’ll cotninue to be a great FanDuel NFL option every week. But Torrey Smith ($5,100) and Jermaine Kearse ($5,100) each had disappointing debuts with their new teams. Still, Smith and Kearse will continue to be solid picks, as they expect to see several targets each week, especially Jermaine.
Our big pick of the week was on defense. We expected the Jacksonville Jaguars to dominate the poor Houston Texans offensive system, and boy did they ever. The Jags piled up an amazing 28 FanDuel NFL points and allowed us to cash in almost every play where they were used last week.
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Once again, FanDuel is offering several slate options, including a Thursday through Monday slate covering all 16 games. We’re going to review the top players for all 16 games, but discuss several great options, for different reasons, at each position. Hopefully this helps you cover the slates you’re targeting this weekend.
Now, let’s get starting with the Quarterbacks…
FanDuel NFL Lineups: Week 2 – Quarterbacks
Top Pick
Last week we were able to save some money with affordable top quarterback options. But this week, the most expensive option, Tom Brady ($9,200), is very hard to avoid. On the surface, there are two very good reasons to like Brady this week. Tom is pissed off with his, and his team’s, performance against a good Chiefs defense in New England last week. Also, the Patriots are playing a terrible Saints defense in New Orleans, setting us up for the perfect fantasy football match up.
The Patriots were able to move the ball last Thursday, but they were getting short, 7.42 yards per reception, movements from the passing game. Brady had some pressure, getting sacked three times in 40 drop-backs, and only completed 16 of 36 passing attempts. Still, Tom managed 267 yards and did not throw a pick. With less pressure and more space to throw, Brady is going to have a very good day against a terrible Saints secondary.
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Aside from edge-rusher Cameron Jordan and linebacker Alex Anzalone, the Saints struggled to defend the Vikings passing game. Sam Bradford and Stefon Diggs seem to have a refocused, and better, connection this season, but the Saints made Bradford look like Brady last week. Even in New Orleans, where the Saints typically play better football, the Pats will exploit all of the Saints weaknesses defending the pass this week, and Brady is a must-own in DFS.
Other Top Option
Marcus Mariota ($7,900) – After recommending the Jaguars as the top defense last week against the Texans, followed by their dominating performance, I’m actually expecting the Jags to take a step back this week.
Yes, the Jaguars defense is real this season. But Jalen Ramsey, their top defensive back, is nursing an ankle injury and his status is questionable. Also, the Jags will be tested after facing a Texans offense which could be one of the worst in the NFL.
Mariota had 18.84 FanDuel NFL points last week against the Raiders, including three scrambles for 26 yards and a touchdown. Mariota clearly has talented weapons to target on the field this season. In 41 passing attempts, Marcus connected 25 times for 256 yards. Marcus didn’t connect for a passing touchdown last week, but is targeting Delanie Walker often again, nine times last week, and has Decker on the field for the majority of the snaps.
Mariota will have low ownership on FanDuel this weekend and is a great option for GPP’s, but could be a sneaky way to climb to the top of the cash boards as well.
Fades
Dak Prescott ($7,700) – I didn’t like Dak last week against a solid Giants passing defense, and I like him less in Denver against the Broncos. Prescott had over 17 FanDuel NFL points last week, mostly because he was able to protect the football. That should be Dak’s ceiling this week, which isn’t great for $7.7K. There are too many better options available.
Matthew Stafford ($7,900) – Yes, I loved Stafford last week against a typically great Cardinals defense. But like we said in our previous article, the Cards defense seems to be showing signs of buckling since the middle of last season, and Stafford exploited those issues. This week, Matthew and the Lions will struggle against a defense who just keep Prescott fairly quiet. A lot of FanDuel NFL players will mistakenly flock to Stafford, don’t be one of them!
FanDuel NFL Lineups: Week 2 – Running Backs
Top Picks
Last week, Melvin Gordon ($7,600) was an ‘Other Top Option’ for our FanDuel NFL lineups. This week, Gordon is moving toward the top of the board. Against a solid pass defense, Melvin was targeted six times for five receptions, 25 yards, and a touchdown. Gordon only had 54 yards on 18 carries last week, but against the Broncos, in Denver, that wasn’t surprising. Also, Melvin had 23 of the total 29 touches for the Chargers running backs, so he’s developing into a bell-cow role in San Diego.
Against the Dolphins, Gordon should remain a factor in the passing game, likely getting at least three targets and receptions for over 20 yards. But on the ground, Melvin should be a bigger role this week. Gordon should see another 20+ carries for over 100 yards and has a higher chance of running into the end zone this week. For $7.6K, this feels like a bargain!
Last week, many fantasy owners were curious to see how often the Raiders used recent retiree Marshawn Lynch ($7,200) in their offense against the Titans. The short answer is, often. Lynch saw 15 hand-offs, the majority of the 25 carries for the Raiders running back corps. Even though he didn’t see the end zone, two of those carries were inside the five yard line.
Lynch totaled an impressive 76 rushing yards, along with an additional 16 yards from a passing catch. Those numbers could explode this week against a Jets run defense that appears to have fallen off a cliff, after last season. The Jets pass defense has been bad for over a year now, but last year they were still able to stop the run. But against McCoy and the Bills last week, the Jets run-D looked like a sieve. Again, we’re getting another bargain, here, at running back for only $7K.
Other Top Option
Jay Ajayi ($7,900) – We’ve had to wait an extra week to see if Jay Ajayi can continue his impressive rushing performance from the later part of the season, last year. This week, we’ll finally see Ajayi against a Chargers defense who’s struggled against the run, especially last week against the Broncos. Jay should be in for a big day, but is a little pricey compared to Gordon or Lynch.
Leonard Fournette ($7,600) – For the fantasy season, I’m nervous about Fournette’s injury issues. I also faded Leonard against a good Texans defense last week, waiting to see if his rookie season will play out the way his potential signals. So far, it looks like Fournette is an absolutely beast running the football. With 26 carries, Leonard had 100 yards and a touchdown, but also added three receptions for 24 yards. If he can keep this performance up against the Titans, we’re getting a cheap top FanDuel NFL pick early in the season.
Fades
Jordan Howard ($7,400) – Howard is no longer a great pass-catching option out of the backfield and will struggle against McCoy and the Bucs run defense this week.
Carlos Hyde ($6,400) – This isn’t a great bargain pick. Hyde is cheap for a reason, don’t fall for the value option here. The Seahawks just stymied the Packers run game, and they’ll do an even better job stopping the 49ers run.
FanDuel NFL Lineups: Week 2 – Wide Receivers
Top Picks
Brandin Cooks ($7,900) was targeted by Brady seven times against the Chiefs, last Thursday. Unfortunately, Brandin was only able to haul in three for a reception, but still piled up 88 yards given his big-play routes. The Chiefs have a tremendous corner in Peters, and one of the top safeties in the NFL, before an injury. So three receptions for 88 yards is a solid result for a big-play threat against that defense.
I like how Brady and Cooks appear to be connecting often, regardless of the home-run route options. That increases Brandin’s ability to pile up receptions and 100+ yard games this year. As discussed with the Brady pick, the Saints pass defense continues to be awful, and Tom will have a great day. We’re going to stack Cooks with Brady this week, expecting big points from each, even though they’re both pricey for week two.
With the potential for Amendola to be out this week, Chris Hogan ($6,200) is also a solid option from the Patriots, and is a better bargain consideration. But for the rest of my receivers, I am going to target Kelvin Benjamin ($6,600) and Stefon Diggs ($6,500).
Last week, in San Francisco, Benjamin was surprisingly quite, getting only one reception for 25 yards. However, Kelvin still saw a decent five targets, including in the end zone. So we know Cam and the Panthers are trying to target Benjamin often, each game, and especially in the end zone. That bodes well for Benjamin’s fantasy value this season, even after a quiet first week.
This week, the Bills will likely line up E.J. Gaines with Benjmain, who according to PFF, piled up a catch on 75% of his targets last season. That’s an incredibly high rate, and signals a very big fantasy football day for Kelvin in week two.
As we mentioned earlier in the article, Bradford and Diggs connected well last week against the Saints. Stefon had 8 targets, hauling in seven receptions for 93 yards and two touchdowns. It’s hard to believe the Vikings will have that same level of success against the Steelers, but there is still solid fantasy opportunity from Diggs in Pittsburgh this week.
The Steelers are still struggling to find their defensive back corps. They brought in Joe Haden, who’s a big name and all-pro at the position, but Haden’s performance began to decline last season, and hasn’t improved yet through week one. Diggs will likely mostly line up with Artie Burns, who’s an average defense back, at best, presenting plenty of opportunity for Stefon and Sam to sync up this week.
Other Top Picks
Mohamed Sanu ($5,300) or Taylor Gabriel ($4,900) – You could add Julio Jones ($8,800) to this list as well. While the Packers shutdown the Seahawks passing game last week, the Falcons have a better system and the Packers struggled with the past all last season. Sanu and Gabriel are great bargain options, and if you can afford Jones, he’s one of the best expensive options on the board.
Tyreek Hill ($7,200) – Hill had a great night against the Patriots defense backs last week, and now faces an Eagles DB corps who lost their top, new, corner with the Darby injury. The Eagles likely have Jalen Mills on Hill this week. Mills is a promising young cornerback from LSU, but he’s still giving up too many yards per route. Still, Mills performed better against the Redskins last week, so there is some risk here.
Marqise Lee ($5,900) – Lee was quiet last week and has yet to meet the fantasy potential many thought he had when the Jags got him. But with Allen Robinson now down with an injury, Lee should see many targets against the Titans this week.
Fades
Mike Evans ($8,500) – I know we haven’t, yet, seen if the Bucs will progress on offense this season. And Evans is a fantasy football beast of a wide receiver. But the Bears quietly have a great passing defense, with solid corners, and paying $8.5K for Mike this week is going to be a rip-off.
Dez Bryant ($7,600) – I didn’t like Dez last week, and I don’t like him again this week. Bryant is one of the most talented wide receivers in football, but he’s drawing elite talent at cornerback in the first eight weeks of football this season. I probably won’t touch Bryant for my FanDuel NFL lineups until November.
Allen Hurns ($5,600) – I get that Allen Robinson going down should increase the possibility of Hurns seeing more targets. However, Hurns struggled to even make the WR depth chart for the jags this season and is highly-overrated for fantasy football. It’s more likely Lee gobbles up the targets most expect for Hurns.
FanDuel NFL Lineups: Week 1 – Tight End / Kicker / Defense
With Gronkowski ($8,100) in New Orleans, Travis Kelce ($6,700) facing the historically poor Eagles passing defense, and Greg Olsen ($6,500) hosting the Bills, there are many elite options at tight end for week two. However, those options for one tight end pick can limit your ability to drive large amounts of points at QB, RB, and WR.
So I’m looking for more value from guys like Delanie Walker ($6,200) or Martellus Bennett ($5,800). Of the two, I like Bennett the most. Martellus only had three receptions for 43 yards against the Seahawks last week, but saw six targets. Against a more vulnerable defense like, say the Falcons, Bennett is more likely to capitalize on that high level of targets from Rodgers. There’s decent potential for 10+ points this week from Bennett on a low $5.8K salary.
I don’t typically spend too much time focusing on the kicker position for FanDuel NFL. Each kicker will have multiple opportunities for field goals and extra points. My focal point is usually who can move the ball down field, may get shut out of the end zone the most, but has the highest FG completion rate.
This week, that’s Wil Lutz ($4,700). Wil has been incredibly accurate since preseason, and last week Lutz hit four of four field goal attempts, along with an extra point. That scenario very likely plays out, again, against the Pats this week.
Again, do not waste your salary on an expensive defense. Like last week with our Jags pick, there’s plenty of affordable defenses playing a terrible offense. This week, I’m target the Tampa Bay Buccaneers hosting the Bears. With Glennon at QB, and the Bears struggling with the run game, the healthy and fresh Bucs defense should force turnovers and have a shot at a touchdown this week. For only $4.5K, that sounds like a bargain to me.
So after reviewing all the options, we put together our favorite lineup for the week. Here’s a look at our Final FanDuel NFL Week 1 lineup:
QB – Brady (NE $9,200)
RB – Gordon (LAC $7,600)
RB – Lynch (OAK $7,200)
WR – Cooks (NE $7,900)
WR – Benjamin (CAR $6,600)
WR – Diggs (MIN $6,500)
TE – Bennett (GB $5,800)
K – Lutz (NO $4,700)
D – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
This leaves us with $0 left, maximizing our picks using value in two receiver positions, defense, and kicker and loading up on some big point potential at quarterback, running back, and receiver.
Next: Fantasy Football: Week 2 Waiver Wire Targets
Good luck with your FanDuel NFL plays week 2, and stay tuned to Fantasy CPR on Twitter for all the late breaking lineup news and roster updates!