NFL DFS DraftKings Week 2 Ownership Projections
Every week of the NFL season, I will provide you with my projected ownership of each position for the DraftKings main slate. These DraftKings Week 2 Ownership projections are based on social trends, pricing, injury reports, match-ups and so on. Sources include beat reporters, weather reports, individual team injury reports, Pro Football Reference and FanShare Sports.
Each and every week, I will be your ownership guru here at Fantasy CPR. On Saturday’s, you will have access to my projected DraftKings Week 2 Ownership for the week and we will recap the results on Mondays/Tuesdays.
For clarity, we will only be analyzing the main slate of the week (1PM and 4PM EST games) on DraftKings which includes the new version of the Millionaire Maker, Roman’s Fantasy Football Millionaire.
The best thing that can happen to your lineup is finding a low owned, high reward player who can separate you from the competition. There is no better feeling than seeing your top WR score two touchdowns and noticing he is only owned by 2% of the field.
This season, I will provide you with who I expect to be the highest owned players at each position along with some of the top expected performers with low ownership expectations. I will also provide my picks per position based on the ownership and pricing relationship and isolate a few hidden gems.
"A contrarian is a person that takes up a contrary position, especially a position that is opposed to that of the majority."
Let’s break down the expected ownership for QBs, RBs, WRs and TEs…
DraftKings Week 2 QB Ownership: HIGHEST OWNED QUARTERBACKS
DraftKings Week 2 QB Ownership: Top Tier (Around 10% owned)
One week after the highest owned QB (Drew Brees) only registering for 11.86% ownership, we are heading for another week of the same results. I wouldn’t be shocked if no QBs are over 10% owned. Tyrod and Ben Roethlisberger will be the only two who flirt with that number.
Tyrod Taylor ($5900) helped the Browns to their first W.. Non Loss in three years against a Steelers team without Le’Veon Bell. Taylor now heads to New Orleans to battle a team that just let Ryan Fitzpatrick destroy them for 45.3 DK points. You better believe the public is leaning towards that trend.
Taylor had a successful Week 1 with 24.6 DK Points mostly due to his 77 yards on 8 rushes with a TD and a fumble. He was an awful 15 for 40 (37.5%) for 197 yards with 1 TD and an INT. Water will find it’s level for both. Taylor has 30.3 rushing yards per game over his career and has a completion percentage of 61.6%.
Ben Roethlisberger ($6900) has been cleared to play this Sunday vs. the Chiefs. In a game that the public loves as a shootout, Roethlisberger will try to pick up the first win on the season after a tie with the Browns. The Chiefs allowed Philip Rivers to throw for 418 yards despite defeating the Chargers 38-28 so we may be in another situation where it is totally possible that the Chiefs win and Big Ben still has a great performance.
In Week 1 he threw for his typical 335 yards on 41 attempts but had a poor TD/INT ratio of 1/3. He clearly lost a huge piece in Le’Veon Bell being there for what seems like hundreds of checkdowns a game. I also didn’t see the typical connection between Big Ben and Antonio Brown and JuJu Smith-Schuster has yet to get going. Still, the potential is there and the public is riding with Big Ben.
Middle Tier (7-10% owned)
Deshaun Watson ($6300) is clearly still working his way back. After an off season of recovering, Watson saw the Patriots in Week 1 where he completed 17 of 34 passes for 176 yards, a TD and an INT. He added 40 rushing yards but he also fumbled the ball. Thankfully, the Texans get to play the Titans this week who are ravaged by injuries. After losing Delanie Walker for the season and Marcus Mariota will be in rough shape if he does indeed suit up.
Watson is also likely to get his second favorite target back this weekend in Will Fuller. The Watson-Fuller connection last year was electric for a few weeks before the ACL injury.
Jimmy Garoppolo ($6000) will go up against his former co-worker during his time in New England, Matt Patricia and the Detroit Lions. Garoppolo looked a little lost out there in Week 1 against the Vikings and their Top 3 defense. On the other side, the Lions made rookie Sam Darnold look like a pro bowler. Say all you want about Patricia ‘knowing’ Jimmy Garoppolo better than anyone…I’ll need to see the Lions show up first before making an assumption based on that. Garoppolo could be in line for a big bounce back week and will only be modestly owned despite a relatively low cost.
Patrick Mahomes ($6100) being around 7-8% this week is mind boggling. His price only rose $100, he is in a game with the highest total of the week, he is facing a defense that is likely worse than the Chargers and he scored 28.34 DK Points with only 27 pass attempts last week? Not to jump the gun on my picks but SIGN ME UP. Getting Mahomes for less than 10% owned will be very hard to avoid this weekend.
Alex Smith ($6000) is getting a little buzz after a solid first week completing 21 of his 30 passes for 255 yards and 2 TDs. Of course, he was 6 of 7 to Chris Thompson out of the backfield but I don’t care how you get it done, points are points. With a healthy Jordan Reed and a pair of running backs to draw attention away from Smith, he has a favorable matchup at home vs. the Colts. Priced the same as Garoppolo, I would be surprised if there wasn’t a little separation between the two as we head into tomorrow making Smith a decent pivot play.
Who should I play out of the expected ‘chalk’?
Similar to last week, the ownership will stay low across the board this weekend which allows you to play a chalk-y quarterback if you choose to do so. That being said, there are a handful of QBs under 5% expected ownership who can give you the separation you need to excel in GPP tournaments. Out of the chalk, I would lean towards Tyrod Taylor and Patrick Mahomes to have have the best value in Week 2.
DraftKings Week 2 QB Ownership: Low Ownership Targets – Week 2 Quarterbacks (5% Owned or Lower)
There are a TON of premiere quarterbacks this week who I expect to be under 5% owned. This is the ‘short’ list but the list goes on and on. As I mentioned, you can really create separation in your GPP tournaments and even cash games by playing one of these low ownership targets in Week 2.
Drew Brees ($7200) is once again our highest priced QB this week after stringing together 37 of 45 passes (for a 82.2% completion percentage!) with 439 yards and 3 TD. Those are insane numbers for a guy many believed to be on the downside of his career. Of course, his team was embarrased by Ryan Fitzpatrick and the Bucs in Week 1 but that doesn’t take anything away from Brees’ performance.
Brees will face a Browns defense that slowed down Big Ben last week in a 21-21 tie. His connection with Michael Thomas is stronger than ever and Kamara should be considered an elite WR as well as a RB for DFS purposes.
Cam Newton ($6600) and the Panthers will take on a depleted Falcons defense this week in a NFC South showdown. This division will be tight all season and these divisional games will take on a little extra meaning. Similar to Brees and the Saints, the Panthers have a running back who is much more of a receiver than a true back giving Cam an extra weapon to produce passing statistics. The absence of Greg Olsenwill be huge and Devin Funchess will need to step up his game or there may be a good reason the public is fading SuperCam. Without Devonta Freeman, the Falcons lack a RB who can eat away the clock which should give the Panthers a few extra positions and snaps this weekend.
Tom Brady ($6500) has been historically good against top tier or #1 defenses. In the AFC championship against the Jaguars last season, Brady completed 26 of 38 passes for 290 yards and 2 TDs. In that game, Rob Gronkowski only had 1 catch for 21 yards. I don’t know if you have been paying attention to the tabloids but the Jaguars are hyping this game up to the level of ‘Regular season super bowl’. Myles Garrett said it was the biggest game of his life and Jalen Ramsey has been very vocal about his expected dominance of Gronk. I don’t know if you have paid attention to the Patriots in years past but they typically don’t take too kindly of public trash talking. Motivation is a hard metric to calculate in DFS but I wouldn’t bet against Brady and the Patriots putting up points this weekend.
Philip Rivers ($6700), similar to Drew Brees, put up huge numbers (33 DK Points) in a loss in Week 1. His opponent, the Buffalo Bills, were demolished by the Ravens 47-3 in Week 1 by a Baltimore team that didn’t look that great on Thursday Night vs. the Bengals. Rivers and the Chargers will be desperate to avoid the 0-2 start and I find it hard to fade Rivers in this situation. You can get him right around 2-4% owned this week if you want to buy into how perfect of a situation this is for Rivers.
Jared Goff ($6300) really heated up in the 2nd half against the Raiders on Monday Night and threw the ball 33 times despite having a top 2 running back in the world. Brandin Cooks is clearly a deadly target to add to this roster and Cooper Kupp is becoming a reliable slot man for Goff and this offense. Facing an Arizona team that was handily taken care of by Alex Smith and the Redskins last week, Goff should be as productive as any QB with a projected ownership of 1-2%.
A Star is Born in NY! Sam Darnold ($5100) is your cheap and low owned option this week who will face a division rival for the first time of his career. The Dolphins defense looked pretty good against the Titans, but it is hard to get a good read after hours of weather delays and Tennessee injuries scattered across the gridiron. After an impressive debut, you really only need around 15 DK Points for Darnold to hit value this week who is expected to see the return of another WR in Kearse.
DraftKings Week 2 QB Ownership: Which Low Owned QBs Should I Consider This Weekend?
I see two glaring opportunities within the batch to see amazing return under 5% ownership. Drew Brees and Philip Rivers are desperate to avoid a 0-2 start for teams that are expected to make playoff runs this season. They have favorable match ups (Browns and Bills) and have well oiled machines on the offensive side of the ball. I am worried about game script if either game gets out of hand but I think the juicy ownership opportunity for both is too hard to pass on. Not on this list, but read more if you want to see why I think Josh Allen is a great option for those looking to take a leap of faith in Week 2.
On to Running Backs!
Draftkings Week 2 RB Ownership: HIGHEST OWNED RUNNING BACKS
Draftkings Week 2 RB Ownership: Top Tier (20-30% Owned)
Tevin Coleman ($5300) is the moving variable in the group who I expect to take a huge chunk of ownership away from the others. After it was announced that Devonta Freeman will miss the Panthers/Falcons match up, the public is flooding towards Coleman as a proverbial chalk play this week. Despite only accumulating 45 yards all-purpose in week 1, Coleman was responsible for 2 TDs, 1 rushing and 1 receiving. With Freeman healthy, Coleman always seems to find away to make an impact and he will have his fair share of opportunities this weekend against the Panthers.
He is incredibly chalk-y heading into Sunday and for good reason. Devonta Freemanmissed Weeks 9, 10 and 11 last season due to injury and Coleman took advantage. Over three games, Coleman ran the ball 59 times for 223 and 4 touchdowns. My only concern would be the Panthers defense which only allowed Ezekiel Elliott to rush for 69 yards.
James Conner is still priced within reason at $6700. He was the only running back to see a snap in Week 1 and his production was off the charts. Originally, I expected Conner to come in again at around 30% owned but the Coleman/Freeman situation will alleviate that quite a bit. After rushing for 135 yards and 2 touchdowns while catching 5 balls for 57 yards, he will crack value with even 60-70% of that production.
Alvin Kamara ($9500) will be a must play every single week until they jump the gun and price him at $12000. He is arguably the best running back and football and is in one of the leagues most potent offenses. As long as he is under $10000, hitting value is within reason for Kamara who can provide anywhere between 30-45 DK points week in and week out. Don’t be stupid, play him again.
Christian McCaffrey ($7000) is also someone who will be effected by the Coleman news. After rushing for 50 yards and catching 6 balls for 45 receiving yards, he is expected to make that next step in Week 2 against the Falcons. Despite already seeing 9 targets from Cam Newton in Week 1, I expect to see that number rise with the lack of Greg Olsen and the inability to find a consistent connection with Devin Funchess. McCaffrey is much less reliant on game script than most which will make him a consistant visitor of the top owned backs.
Draftkings Week 2 RB Ownership: Middle Tier (10-15% owned)
Melvin Gordon ($7400) will likely be the most consistent back all season. He is much less volatile than most elite running backs and is completely game script proof. Despite seeing Austin Ekeler go off in Week 1 for 23.6 DK Points, Gordon still rushed for 64 yards while catching 9 balls for 102 yards. In a friendly match up against Buffalo, Gordon should see the ball 25+ times en route to an easy win.
Todd Gurley ($9200) had an off week on opening night by his standards, only rushing for 108 yards and catching 3 balls for 39 yards and a TD. Gurley always has the potential to match Alvin Kamara in ridiculous stat lines which shows having both Gurley ($9200) and Kamara ($9500) over $9000. Gurley didn’t really get going until the 2nd half of Monday Night’s match up vs. the Raiders and I don’t expect the Rams to slow play their greatest weapon in Week 2 vs. the Cardinals
The best is yet to come with Dalvin Cook ($6500). At a friendly cost for such an explosive back, Cook will look to ramp it up in his second week returning from his ACL injury. He only rushed the ball 16 times for 40 yards but was still able to catch 6 passes for 55 yards to have a respectable first week (14.5 Points). In a HUGE divisional game vs. the Packers, I have to expect Cook will be the center of the Vikings game plan as they try to control the clock and limit Aaron Rodgers (if he plays) opportunities.
Who should I play out of the expected ‘chalk’?
Woof…I see an argument to be made for every ‘chalk’ option this week. I try my best to find the best options at the lowest ownership possible, but that is not always the best decision. James Conner was a great example from last week and I believe Tevin Coleman will be that guy this week. I like Todd Gurley as a pivot off of Alvin Kamara as well.
Draftkings Week 2 RB Ownership: Low Ownership Targets – Week 2 Running Backs (Under 10% owned)
I hate to fall for the trap but Adrian Peterson ($5500) looked pretty damn good in Week 1 for his new team, the Redskins. After having limited time to prepare, Peterson ran the ball 26 times for 96 yards with a TD. He also ripped off 70 receiving yards to boot. Despite Alex Smith clearly seeing Chris Thompson as a legitimate weapon in the passing game, Peterson will get his. 26 rushes for a 33 year old injury prone back is hard to sustain but it could certainly work early on this season. He faces a Colts defense which has been porous against the run the last few seasons.
James White ($4500) will see additional opportunities this week with the absence of Rex Burkhead, but he always seems to be a safe punt no matter what the situation is. White is one of the few guys Brady trusts in the passing game and it showed with his 9 targets in Week 1. White is a great replacement of a security blanket for Tom Brady in Julian Edelman‘s absence and I see that continuing this week against a great pass rush.
David Johnson ($8200) just couldn’t get it going in Week 1. After missing an entire season with a wrist injury, it will take some time for DJ to return to form. Don’t forget, when David Johnson is right, he is a Top 3 running back right up there with Gurley and Kamara. I am fearful of being on the wrong side of the wall when he goes off. Despite his below average performance in Week 1, he still managed to put together 17.7 DK points in a loss. I actually REALLY like DJ as a pivot play in that $8000 plus range.
LeSean McCoy is at the lowest point you will find him on Draftkings at only $5700. His Bills are in a state of disarray as they put the ball in the hands of a rookie. With that being said, while you are constructing an offensive game plan for a rookie in his first start, don’t you think it would be wise to utilize McCoy as Allen’s emergency plan on every play? It may be ugly vs. the Chargers, but this could be a scenario whereMcCoy sees 15 targets in just check downs.
Which Low Owned RBs Should I Consider This Weekend?
James White and LeSean McCoy. I think this is a week where you should be spreading out your payroll among all positions and finding value in each available slot is key. James White and McCoy are valuable cogs in their offenses this weekend and their price tag is incredibly friendly. Rostering one or both will allow you to pay up for Kamara or Gurley without sweating and still allow you to roster a few great WRs. Let’s wait another week on DJ and AP to see where their conditioning is at.
On to Wide Receivers!
Draftkings Week 2 WR Ownership: HIGHEST OWNED NFL DFS WIDE RECEIVERS
Draftkings Week 2 WR Ownership: Top Tier (Around 20% Owned)
Antonio Brown
Jarvis Landry
Antonio Brown is only $8800 this week? Yeah, no kidding he will be the highest owned. A receiver who consistently has been a $9000 or more commodity on DraftKings over the years was overshadowed by James Conner and a Steelers/Browns tie in Week 1. Antonio Brown had a disappointing opening weekend and by that I mean 9 catches on 16 targets for 93 yards and a TD. The Steelers/Chiefs game in Week 2 has the highest Over/Under on the slate and you better believe Antonio Brown will be a part of that. Brown has been best with the threat of Le’Veon Bell in the backfield in years past and the Steelers may have found a solid replacement to keep the threat alive in James Conner.
Jarvis Landry ($6300) is a target MACHINE. He had 15 targets from Tyrod Taylor, good for 37.5% of Taylor’s pass attempts. With the late breaking news in the Josh Gordon situation, Landry is the clear #1 moving forward. Both DeSean Jackson and Mike Evans had a field day with the Saints secondary last week and Landry is certainly in line to match those performances. I also believe the lack of great options between $6000-$7000 help Landry’s popularity this week.
Draftkings Week 2 WR Ownership: Middle Tier (15-18% owned)
The quarterback situation in Denver has clearly effected Emmanuel Sanders ($6200) and Demaryius Thomas over the years. After Peyton Manning left, it was a sad parade of mediocre and sometimes dreadful QB play which ate into Sanders and Thomas’ production, two crazy talented receivers who just never had a chance.
With the addition of Case Keenum, the finally have a competent to good quarterback at the helm. After working with Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs, Keenum seems to have transitioned seamlessly into another offense with two weapons at receiver. Sanders ended up with 10 catches on 11 targets for 135 yards and a TD. The only worry with Sanders of course is his size and presence in the red zone which does affect his TD expectations. The Broncos face a Raiders team that was visibly worse without Khalil Mack in their opening game on Monday night.
In years past, a performance like the one Tyreek Hill ($7600) had in week 1 would send a shockwave through the DFS world and most would overreact and lock him in the following week. In recent years, there is a clear shift towards not jumping on a players bandwagon hoping he replicates his performance the next week. Instead of being 20-30% owned, Hill looks like he will land right around 13-15%. To me, it is ABSOLUTELY worth it to take a shot with Mahomes and Hill again in Week 2 with their low ownership share. Again, the Steelers/Chiefs game has the highest Over total and Tyreek Hill’s speed isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
Draftkings Week 2 WR Ownership: Lower Tier (10-15% owned)
Devin Funchess
Juju Smith-Schuster
Kenny Golladay
Julio Jones
Quincy Enunwa
I know DraftKings is goading people in with Devin Funchess‘ pricetag ($4700) but I don’t know how you can be confident with this pick going into week 2. Greg Olsen will not be on the field and the Falcons have some major injuries on defense but Funchess showed nothing in Week 1 for someone who is supposed to be the #1 guy. This will be a McCaffrey game and I will definitely be avoiding Funchess and his near 15% ownership.
Juju Smith-Schuster ($6400) was electric when he popped up on the scene last season. Despite not seeing more than 6 targets in a game prior to Week 8 last season, Schuster still posted 917 yards on 58 catches and 7 TDs. That means he averaged 15.8 yards per catch and scored a TD every 8 catches. He will lose some interest as he is $100 more than Jarvis Landry, but he did put up 119 yards on 5 catches in week 1. With the shootout impending in the Chiefs/Steelers game, I’m comfortable predicting around 10 targets for Schuster in Week 2 which should be plenty for the former USC Trojan.
Kenny Golladay ($4800) was one of the lone bright spots in the Lions disaster on Monday Night vs. the Jets. Grabbing 7 balls for 114 yards, the 6’4″ target was a clear presence on the field. Stafford was best when he had 6’5″ Calvin Johnson and you can slowly see the interest in just tossing it up to the giant Golladay. At $4800, he’s clearly one of the better value plays on the slate.
After the Freeman news, I assume Julio Jones ($8400) will climb in ownership closer to the 15%+ range but he definitely wont be in the same air as Brown, Landry, Sanders and others. Tevin Coleman has clearly proven his prowess when given the opportunity alone in the Falcons backfield but this will very clearly be a Ryan-to-Julio game in the NFC South showdown. Julio had NINETEEN targets in Week 1 and only brought in ten for 169 yards. He should certainly be in that 15+ target range again this week. He is also $400 cheaper than Antonio Brown.
Quincy Enunwa ($4700) has returned to the gridiron and made an impact immediately, assisting rookie Sam Darnold in routing the Detroit Lions. On 10 targets, Quincy caught 6 for 63 yards and a TD. With Robby Anderson still trying to find his former magic, Enunwa will be a bit of a blanket for Darnold as he navigates through his rookie campaign. More importantly, Enunwa is a great option for those looking to get some relief on the payroll.
Who should I play out of the expected ‘chalk’?
With an elite string of high-priced running backs filling the market in Week 2, I think it is pretty clear that you will have to decide on just one in the $8000+ range (Brown, Thomas, Jones and Hopkins). I think the lower ownership gives Jones the edge over Brown and will be my pick in Week 2. I also LOVE Juju Smith-Schuster not only as an option in the mid-tier pricing but as a pivot play on his own team (away from Antonio Brown).
Draftkings Week 2 WR Ownership: Low Ownership Targets – (Under 10% owned)
Texans WRs
Dante Pettis
Michael Thomas
Kenny Stills
Cooper Kupp
Phillip Dorsett
Keenan Allen
Brandin Cooks
Tyrell Williams
My lord are there a TON of options under 10% ownership for Week 2. If you are going with the chalk at RB (Kamara, Coleman, Conner, etc.), then this is where you should be working from when selecting WRs.
With both DeAndre Hopkins ($8000) and Will Fuller ($5300) expected to go in Week 2, the Texans offense will have the triple-headed monster that looked so good early on in 2017. After a modest game in week 1 of 8 catches and 78 yards, Hopkins has been on most DFS players fade list heading into this week remaining as one of four receivers at $8000 or more. Will Fuller only played 10 games last year and only managed to grab 28 receptions in an injury plagued season. However, out of those 28 catches, SEVEN were TDs. Deshaun Watson loves Will Fuller near the endzone. You can get either between 3-7% owned if you want to try something different.
Although George Kittle will receive most of the bump form the Marquise Goodwininjury, Dante Pettis ($4000) seems to be next in line for Jimmy Garoppolo targets. Pettis did manage to show off his ball skills on a 39 TD pass but only was able to collect 1 more catch on 5 targets for the game. He’s not going to bring in all of his targets but he clearly has big play potential.
Michael Thomas ($8600) put together 16 catches on 17 yards for 180 yards and a TD, only went up $800 and is facing Cleveland in an early must-win for the New Orleans Saints. It is pretty shocking that he is likely only going to be in the 10% owned range. If you want to completely pivot away from Julio and Antonio Brown and don’t trust Hopkins, THIS is your guy in the $8000 range.
Kenny Stills ($5700) is an absolute burner. Huge upside but also huge risk week in and week out. He only caught 4 balls last week but ended with 106 yards and 2 TD. In a weird, weather delayed opening weekend vs. the Titans, Stills still managed to shine despite his limited opportunity (5 targets). He is clearly the guy Tannehill is going to trust now that Jarvis Landry is gone but how much of the target share will he receive.
Cooper Kupp ($5500) is in an opposite role. With 9 targets, 5 receptions, 52 yards and a TD, Kupp is much more of a typical slot receiver who will be a reliable target for Jared Goff all season. He doesn’t have the big play potential but he will sit around 7-11 targets per week from Goff. If you are looking for a safe bet at a reasonable cost, Kupp is your guy at low ownership this week.
Phillip Dorsett ($4500) finally had his breakout game for the Patriots more than a year after he was traded for Jacoby Brissett. A perfect 7 receptions on 7 targets for 66 yards and a TD, Dorsett looks comfortable in his role while Julian Edelman is suspended. Tom Brady LOVES a reliable target so catching all 7 passes that went his way will be a stepping stone for Dorsett. Most of the Jaguars attention will be on Rob Gronkowski and Chris Hogan on Sunday which should allow for Dorsett to flirt with similar results.
Keenan Allen ($7800) might be under 5% owned this week! That is insane for a guy who is one of the deadliest threats in the league when healthy. He had 8 catches on 11 targets for 108 yards and a TD in week 1. The Chargers will face the Bills this week who allowed the Ravens to put up 47. His price, $7800, is clearly scaring some DFS players away, but what a pivot play this could be.
Brandin Cooks ($6100) looked great in his debut with the high-powered Rams offense. He ended with 5 catches for 87 yards on 8 targets and looked to be an immediate favorite of Jared Goff. Cooks is similar to Stills in that he has huge upside ability which he showed last season with the Patriots but I am more confident in Cooks getting his looks no matter the game script in weeks to come.
I’ve also identified a valuable ‘punt’ play on this slate in Tyrell Williams ($4400). His week 1 performance was salvaged by a TD as he ended with only 2 catches on 5 targets for 8 yards. However, he played significantly more snaps than Travis Benjamin and Mike Williams. In a crowded offense, it will be hard to trust anyone other than Keenan Allen or Melvin Gordon consistently but I think you can take a shot with someone like Williams in a game that will be dominated by the Chargers.
Which Low Owned WRs Should I Consider This Weekend?
There are a lot of options available in this range of sub-10% owned guys coming into Week 2. The only one I am all in on is Michael Thomas. You can not just ignore a guy of that magnitude who may sink below 10% ownership. I also think you should have some exposure to Dante Pettis and Phillip Dorsett if you are looking for cheaper contrarian plays.
On To Tight Ends!
Draftkings Week 2 TE Ownership: HIGHEST OWNED TIGHT ENDS
Draftkings Week 2 TE Ownership: Top Tier (10-15% Owned)
George Kittle
Jared Cook
Jordan Reed
It is very conservative to say George Kittle ($3800) will land around 15% owned this week as the 49ers head home for the first time this season to host the Lions. At $3800, you are not going to find greater value this week across the board. After being targeted on 9 pass attempts, Kittle reeled in 5 catches including a game-long 36 yard completion for 90 yards total. A tight end that can stretch the field vertically is rare and the 49ers may have one with Kittle.
Both Kittle and Cook are under $4000 this weekend and you better believe the DFS public is jumping all over the pair of TEs who were shining stars in week 1. In a favorable match up vs. the Lions, Kittle will certainly see 9 or more targets this week while Goodwin remains sidelined.
Jared Cook ($3600) was a BRIGHT spot for the Raiders in Week 1. On 12 targets, Cook wrangled in 9 catches for 180 yards. Thanks to the Rams funnel defense, Cook was able to gash LA for a career high in reception yards. This is clearly a pace that Cook can not keep up but there is reason to believe he will continue to be a big part of Jon Gruden’s plan. Michael Crabtree is gone, Marshawn Lynch is still 32 and there is a clear disconnect between Derek Carr and Amari Cooper. Cook should remain a safety blanket for Carr for the foreseeable future.
Jordan Reed ($5000) is one of the best tight ends in the league WHEN HEALTHY. Alex Smith had a great career in Kansas City while deploying the assistance of Travis Kelce and he seamlessly moved that role to Reed. After a pretty good start to the season (4 catches for 48 yards and a TD), Reed should progress with Smith throughout the season as his #1 target. In week 1, the ball was dominated by Adrian Peterson and Chris Thompson but that should be spread out in week 2.
Draftkings Week 2 TE Ownership: Middle Tier (7-9% Owned)
Rob Gronkowski
David Njoku
Jack Doyle
Rob Gronkowski ($7000) will always garner some interest in DFS because he is essentially an elite WR with an elite TEs price tag. He has been unmatched in pricing and DFS interest since the brief period of time where Jimmy Graham was lighting the world on fire. This week he is in a situation where he is almost double the cost of two TEs with major interest (Cook and Kittle) implying he must double the production of the two of them. He also faces a stout defense in the Jacksonville Jaguars in a Week 2 rematch of last seasons AFC Championship showdown. He has also had some extra motivation this week spewed from the mouth of Jalen Ramsey and is always a threat for a ridiculous stat line.
The interest in David Njoku ($3000) is based on pure potential. Njoku had 3 catches for a mere 13 yards but had 7 targets in Week 1. With the permanent absence of Josh Gordon going forward and the need to find another go-to guy outside of Jarvis Landry for Tyrod Taylor, Njoku is a talented weapon that has gone relatively under utilized. He joins both Landry and Taylor as targets of interest this week as Cleveland heads to New Orleans to face a clearly struggling Saints defense
David Njoku in Week 1:
— Jim Sannes (@JimSannes) September 13, 2018
- 7 targets (3 at least 16 yards downfield)
- 87.8% of snaps (high was 58.6% last year)
Just $5,300 this week. Good pivot off Kittle chalk.
Jack Doyle ($4000) was a top owned TE in Week 1 thanks to the high expectations of Andrew Luck’s return. Eric Ebron had a pleasant start to his Colts career including a TD that frustrated many who had hoped would be Doyle’s. Despite the presence of another talented TE, Doyle still saw 10 targets and caught 7 for 60 yards. Doyle should be a safe play in all Colts match ups this season but he runs into a bit of a buzzsaw being priced closely to Kittle and Cook.
Who should I play out of the expected ‘chalk’?
There is a guy I have identified in the low-ownership group who I am very favorable of this week so I will likely be avoiding a lot of the chalk. The one guy that I will have exposure to just because of the absurd likelihood of success is George Kittle.
Draftkings Week 2 TE Ownership: Low Ownership Targets (Under 7% owned)
Ricky Seals-Jones
Travis Kelce
Zach Ertz
Ricky Seals-Jones ($2900) will definitely flirt with the 7%+ owned range but I think he will slide right under it this week vs. the Rams. At $2900, he is an even bigger leap down the board from Kittle and Cook. On 6 targets, he only brought in 3 balls for 19 yards in an abysmal performance by the Cardinals in week 1. However, he dominated the snap count and is proving to be a main stay in the offensive plans moving forward for Arizona
#Cardinals TE Ricky Seals-Jones played 92% of the offensive snaps in the opener. He reached 38% just once last year and never topped 54.4%.
— Jared Smola (@SmolaDS) September 13, 2018
Gets the #Rams' TE funnel defense in Week 2.
The Rams TE funnel defense was brutalized in Week 1 with the aforementioned Jared Cook exploding for 180 yards. I believe Seals-Jones is a legitimate WR-type tight end who can be as essential to the passing as Larry Fitzgerald and David Johnson.
Travis Kelce ($5900) and Zach Ertz ($6100) are generally considered the two best tight ends outside of Gronk in the NFL. Athletic freaks with un-defensable size, strength and speed who have tore up this league in recent years. Both had very rocky starts to the season as Kelce could only scramble for 6 yards on 1 catch and Ertz only caught 5 of 10 targets for 48 yards. Both Kelce and Ertz sit in the low $6000 range and would be excellent pivot plays this week with crazy high potential.
Which Low Owned TEs Should I Consider This Weekend?
I am just going to jump right to the point, I am all in on Ricky Seals-Jones this week. I think he has a legitimate role in the Cardinals offense and can kick that off this week for only $2900.