AAF DFS Week 2 Fanball Plays

AAF Week 2 Fanball DFS Plays

The Alliance of American Football (AAF) made its debut last weekend, and by and large, the results and reviews were positive. Naturally, the quality of play should only improve as teams reap the benefits of additional practice and game reps. So, are there AAF DFS options?

Luckily for those still craving pro football DFS action now that the CFL and NFL have wrapped up their seasons, Fanball has stepped up to the plate with a full array of AAF DFS based cash games and GPPs.

As such, we’ll chime in each remaining week of the 2019 AAF DFS season with suggestions at each position for those contests. Before getting into our AAF DFS Week 2 plays, a summary of some of the most significant ways in which AAF rules depart from those of the NFL:

• No kickoffs; each team begins any game-opening/second-half-opening and post-score drive at its own 25-yard line.
• No extra points; teams will be required to attempt a two-point conversion play after each touchdown.
• No onside kicks; teams will have the option of running a “4th-and-12” play from their own 28-yard line in lieu of onside kicks. The play will only be made available if a team is trailing by 17 points or more or if they’re trailing with 5 minutes or fewer left in regulation.
• Teams that are scored upon via a safety also have the option of attempting to gain possession by running this same play from their own 18-yard line.
• 35-second play clocks, as opposed to the 40-second clocks utilized in the NFL.
• All overtime periods played under “Kansas Playoff” rules. Each team begins on the opponent’s 10-yard line and given four chances to score. No field goals are allowed in overtime. If the score remains tied after each team has had a possession, the game ends in a tie.
• Only one foot in-bounds is required for a reception.
• No more than five defensive players may rush on any one play. Any players on the defensive side of the line of scrimmage at the snap count towards those five players whether they rush or not.
• Pass rushing from a starting position that is more than two yards outside the widest offensive lineman and more than five yards from the line of scrimmage (defensive pressure box) is prohibited. However, there are exceptions to this rule on play-action or run-pass option plays, or if the ball leaves the tackle box.
• Violations of the aforementioned defensive alignment rules will prompt a 15-yard illegal defense penalty.
• Finally, a “sky judge” situated in a suite above the field acts as the ninth member of the officiating crew and will have access to review each play. The sky judge will have the ability to correct any on-field officiating errors that it deems “egregious.”

AAF DFS Week 2 Fanball Plays-Quarterbacks

John Wolford, ARI at MEM ($6,600):

Wolford wowed in Week 1 with a four-touchdown effort versus the Stallions. The Wake Forest product added a pair of two-point conversion passes and 23 rushing yards for good measure on his way to 33.3 fantasy points. Just as impressive was Wolford’s target distribution.

He connected with seven different pass catchers and targeted nine overall. What’s more, he racked up the impressive numbers without even leveraging some of his most experienced weapons, as former NFLers Josh Huff and Freddie Martino brought in just one (Huff) of six targets for three yards.

With another week of practice time together and a match-up versus an Express defense that allowed 252 passing yards to Luis Perez in Week 1, Wolford shapes up as a top play at QB in Week two.

Garrett Gilbert, ORL at SA ($6,300):

Speaking of appealing Week 2 plays under center, Gilbert isn’t far behind Wolford by any stretch. The former Carolina Panther got off to a slow start against the Legends in the first quarter of the opener, but a combination of Gilbert’s own experience and coach Steve Spurrier‘s play-calling kicked in from that point onward.

By the time the clocks hit zeros, Gilbert had compiled a solid 227 passing yards, two touchdowns, a two-point conversion pass and 10 yards on the ground. That led to 27.6 fantasy points, behind only Wolford and Hotshots receiver Rashad Ross for the week.

Spurrier proved to be just as rewarding for fantasy purposes as anticipated, keeping the Apollos on the attack for the majority of the contest.

Granted, the Commanders have looked formidable in the secondary in both their preseason game and the opener versus the Fleet (five total interceptions), but Gilbert appears to be a cut above the quarterbacks San Antonio victimized in those games — Aaron Murray, Mike Bercovici and Philip Nelson.

With a strong array of pass catchers at his disposal that includes Charles Johnson and Jalin Marshall, Gilbert is certainly a viable option despite the seemingly tough match-up.

Luis Perez, BIR vs. SL ($6,00):

Despite the impressive exploits of Wolford and Gilbert in Week 1, Perez has generated plenty of buzz in his own right with a 252-yard effort against the Memphis Express.

An underdog type seemingly straight out of Central Casting, the undersized Perez nevertheless stood tall against Mike Singletary‘s defense in the opener and displayed some impressive touch and accuracy on the way to 13.3 fantasy points.

The relatively modest total has helped keep his salary down to an extent in Week 2, as the Iron opted to pound the ball in the red zone with Trent Richardson against Memphis, leaving Perez without any touchdown passes.

However, that could certainly change  against a Stallions secondary that allowed four touchdowns to Wolford in Week 1. Moreover, Perez showed excellent rapport with the talented Quinton Patton — who brings a 73-catch NFL resume into the AAF — and he also has a pair of talented pass-catching backs in Richardson and Ladarius Perkins to serve as outlet options.

AAF DFS Week 2 Fanball Plays-Running Backs

Trent Richardson, BIR vs. SL ($7,000):

Week 1 yards weren’t easy to come by for the 2012 first-round pick of the Cleveland Browns, but Richardson still found his way to 20.2 fantasy points on the strength of a two-touchdown effort.

Additionally, the lack of efficiency on the ground wasn’t exactly surprising, considering that offensive line play is likely what will endure the most arduous path to cohesiveness in the new league.

The good news is that coach Tim Lewis clearly was willing to commit to the running game in Week 1, with Richardson leading the AAF in carries (23) and running back snaps (48) during the inaugural games.

As a welcome bonus, Richardson also saw three targets and brought in a two-point conversion pass, underscoring how big a part of the offense he’s likely to be moving forward.

The Stallions allowed a combined 110 yards on 25 carries to the Hotshots’ Jhurell Pressley and Justin Stockton in Week 1, lending credence to the notion that Richardson could build on last week’s already strong numbers.

Jhurell Pressley, ARI at MEM ($6,900):

On the subject of Pressley, the New Mexico product checked in only behind Richardson in carries (18) and RB snaps (41) in the AAF’s opening weekend.

The University of New Mexico product displayed quite the nose for the end zone during his college days, tallying 23 of his 35 rushing touchdowns over his junior and senior campaigns. Pressley generated 94 total yards from scrimmage (64 rushing, 30 receiving) and a two-point conversion rush in Week 1 against the Stallions, leading to a solid 18.4 fantasy points.

He appeared to be the clear every-down back for Arizona in the opener, and the Hotshots’ seemingly strong air attack appears set to keep defenses honest.

The Express make for an appealing target as well based on their defensive performance in the opener, as they allowed 71 rushing yards and seven catches to running backs versus Birmingham.

Branden Oliver, SL at BIR ($3,900):

The same shiftiness and efficiency that led to an impressive rookie 2014 season for Oliver with the then-San Diego Chargers was on display again in the AAF opener.

Despite the losing effort for the Stallions, Oliver averaged a nifty 5.0 yards per carry on eight rushing touches, no small feat in an opening weekend when running lanes were hard to come by around the league.

In comparison, Salt Lake’s every-down back Joel Bouagnon managed just 2.4 yards per rush on 16 totes. Oliver also brings plenty of pass-catching prowess to the table, and although that only resulted in one Week 1 grab, it’s encouraging to see Oliver was targeted on three occasions overall.

Bouagnon projects to continue in the workhorse role and Matt Asiata is around to vulture goal-line opportunities, but Oliver offers some big-play upside. Additionally, his acumen as a receiver affords him extra value at his price due to Fanball’s full-point PPR scoring.

AAF DFS Week 2 Fanball Plays- Wide Receivers

Quinton Patton, BIR at SL ($6,300):

As alluded to earlier, Patton is one of the more accomplished names coming into the AAF’s inaugural campaign. The 28-year-old wide-out parlayed his savvy into a highly productive fantasy outing in Week 1, as his 4-107 line led to 16.7 fantasy points.

Just as encouraging, Patton’s nine targets were the second most among receivers in Week 1, and they came on 47 snaps overall. Given the clear chemistry Patton already seems to have with quarterback Luis Perez — not to mention his downfield speed — the former San Francisco 49er is likely to be a centerpiece of the receiving corps once again in Week 2.

As mentioned in Perez’s entry, the Stallions provided highly vulnerable on the back end in Week 1, and they notably allowed five catches of over 20 yards to Arizona receivers.

Jalin Marshall, ORL at SA ($5,200): 

As the opener demonstrated, it’s going to be prudent to have some exposure to the Apollos’ air attack each week. Marshall, an Ohio State product who showed some promise with the New York Jets back in 2016, was one of the beneficiaries of Spurrier’s aggressive philosophy in Week 1.

He scored 18.3 fantasy points on the strength of a three-catch, 51-yard, one-touchdown effort against the Legends, with the score coming on an acrobatic play that survived an initial ruling of incomplete.

Marshall had also enjoyed a strong showing in Orlando’s one preseason game (2-33), and the chemistry with quarterback Garrett Gilbert should be even stronger after another week of work on the practice field.

Marshall (four targets) checked in behind only Charles Johnson (five) in looks versus Atlanta, and his price is right if you’re looking for some upside at a discounted salary.

Brian Brown, SD vs. ATL ($3,000): 

Brown’s minimum price belies his solid role in the opener against San Antonio, one that saw him check in second in targets for the Fleet with six. With plenty of attention surrounding Steve Spurrier‘s pass-happy attack down in Orlando, it may be easy to forget that San Diego coach Mike Martz can be just as aggressive.

Accordingly, the Fleet put the ball up 35 times overall versus the Commanders in Week 1, and the same could well be in store for the Legends, whose secondary unquestionably drew the proverbial short straw in opening the campaign versus what could turn out to be the two most pass-centered offenses in the AAF.

Brown’s successful showing to start the season (5-66) isn’t exactly surprising when considering the 24-year-old wrapped up his college career at Richmond with a pair of 1,400-yard seasons and 17 total touchdowns, and that he posted a trio of 1,000-yard seasons there overall.

Atlanta gave up a pair of passing scores and a two-point pass to the Apollos’ Gilbert last week, which bodes well for Brown paying off his bargain cost Sunday night.

                        AAF DFS Week 2 Fanball Plays- Flex Options

Rashad Ross, ARI at MEM ($6,100):

Naturally, the Commanders’ Mekale McKay ($6,800) is also an AAF DFS option here if you have the cash, given he led the AAF in Week 1 targets. However, Ross comes at a nice discount, and he was far from shabby in his Week 1 contest.

Ross actually paced all non-QB skill players in Week 1 fantasy points (29.3) and checked in second only to his signal-caller John Wolford in the entire league. Ross paced the Hotshots in targets (seven) as well, and he’ll be poised for a successful encore in Week 2.

The Express were targeted successfully early and often by the Iron’s Luis Perez in Week 1, allowing 107 receiving yards to Quinton Patton in the process.

The 29-year-old Ross brings 20 games of NFL experience to Arizona, and with Hotshots head coach Rick Neuheisel already proving he won’t be shy about airing it out, Ross makes for an intriguing Week 2 play.

Ja’Quan Gardner, SD vs. ATL ($5,400): 

The Hotshots’ Justin Stockton ($3,600) makes for an interesting alternative if you’re looking for an even cheaper running  back here, but Gardner has some nice upside in his own right.

The Humboldt State alumnus dominated at the Division II level, putting together an eye-popping 2,266-yard, 25-touchdown campaign in 2015 and following that up with 1,300 and 1,259 rushing yards, respectively, over his junior and senior seasons.

Gardner is no slouch as a receiver out of the backfield, either, as he particularly demonstrated with a 42-324-1 line through the air in 2016. Gardner’s AAF career got off to a solid start in Week 1 despite the Fleet’s loss, as he gained an impressive 55 yards on just eight totes and added a pair of grabs for 17 yards.

Despite his 5’7, 205-pound frame, Gardner took on lead-back duties for San Diego in the opener, out-touching Terrell Watson by five carries. The Legends also proved porous on the ground in the opener, allowing the Apollos’ Akeem Hunt and D’Ernest Johnson to gain a combined 108 yards on just 15 rushes.

With a game script that could see the Fleet take a second-half lead against what looks to be a shaky Atlanta squad, Gardner could be in for a bigger workload than when his team was playing from behind in Week 1 versus the Commanders.

Stick with FantasyCPR as we continue to cover AAF DFS all season long, as well as your other fantasy sports needs during the Spring 2019 season.