NFL DFS game by game breakdown: Week 2
By Joe Metz
NFL DFS: San Francisco 49ers @ Cincinnati Bengals
San Francisco 49ers
While the 49ers defense did the brunt of the damage in week 1, the offense had moments where it looked like a usable asset for DFS and we could see that continue in week 2.
Jimmy Garoppolo expectedly looked rusty in his return from injury but had an efficient outing (18/27) while tossing 1 touchdown and 1 interception. It could have been a lot better, however, if two George Kittle touchdowns weren’t called back due to penalties. Obviously speaking in hypotheticals here, the additional yardage and TDs would have done wonders for both players. Kittle, in particular, still had an impressive outing. He recorded 8 catches on 10 targets, blowing the rest of the receivers out of the water. Both of them are viable against a Bengals defense that was bottom-5 in the league in both rush and pass defense last season.
Matt Breida also saw a healthy share of usage, recording 15 carries on the ground, albeit only converting that into 37 yards. With Tevin Coleman out for the foreseeable future and Jerick McKinnon on IR, we could see Breida push 20 touches for a reasonable salary, making him another viable asset. While the Bengals held Chris Carson in check last week, I would rely on the overall body of work as they ranked 31st in yards-per-carry allowed (4.94) and 30th in overall run blocking last season.
Their defense also recorded 2 interceptions last week, which matches their total from the entire 2018 season. With the efforts they’ve made to improve the unit and the ineptitude of the Bengals offense, they could be worth a flyer in GPPs.
Cash Plays: Kittle, Breida
GPP Plays: Garoppolo, 49ers D/ST
Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals came out and shocked the Seahawks and were able to keep this game relatively close, thanks to the explosion of 3rd-year receiver John Ross. He had a career-day, recording a 7-158-2 line. Both of his touchdowns were on 30+ yard plays, showing a seamless deep-ball connection with Andy Dalton. Dalton threw a total of 51 times last week and while I highly doubt we see that number again, it’s encouraging for not only Ross, but Tyler Boyd as well. He finished 2nd on the team in targets (11) behind Ross (12) while leading the team in catches (8). He remains the most reliable option in the passing game and should continue to see a heap of volume against a beatable secondary.
Joe Mixon was a flat-out disappointment, rushing only 6 times for 10 yards and recording 2 catches on 3 targets for an additional 10 yards before leaving the game with an ankle injury. Whether he’s able to suit up or not will be news to follow throughout the week. If he’s unable to go, Giovani Bernard would slot in as a prime value play at a dirt cheap price, seeing that Zac Taylor loves to keep the running back involved. This could also lead to Dalton seeing similar volume in the pass attempts this week, making him a worthwhile dart in GPPs.
Cash Plays: Boyd, Bernard (if Mixon is INACTIVE)
GPP Plays: Ross, Dalton