After a successful Week 1 in daily fantasy football, we’re already beginning the second week of the season. The Steelers take on the Ravens tonight in what promises to be an exciting AFC North matchup. As far as daily fantasy is concerned, DraftKings has another week of exciting contests, and money to be one. Get your lineups set right away.
XN Sports will present values and picks for DraftKings each and every week throughout the season for all your daily fantasy needs. Check out all the contests at DraftKings here, and be sure to enter the Week 2 freerolls right away.
If you have not played on DraftKings yet, be sure to make your first deposit which will earn you a free spot in a paid tournament. Why play DraftKings? In addition to being one of the most aesthetically-pleasing websites on the internet, DraftKings offers user-friendly scoring and rules which can be found in full here. In addition, there is no kicker so any of those six field goal days will not ruin your weekend.
The details of this week’s contest:
Contest Details
-NFL Week 2 Sunday Million
-$1,000,000 in Guaranteed prizes
-$100,000 to first place, top 8,500 scores paid out
-$27 entry fee, 42,000 total entries
You are given $50,000 in cap money to start a quarterback, two running backs, three wide receivers, a tight end, a flex, and a defense/special teams. There is no right or wrong strategy, but there are many ways to win. Be sure to check DraftKings out today to be the next big winner in daily fantasy football.
Without further ado, Week 2 values and picks.
Value Plays
Quarterback
Brian Hoyer, Cleveland Browns vs. New Orleans Saints $5,000
Last week, the Saints defense allowed 448 passing yards to Matt Ryan and the Falcons. While the Browns’ passing attack is nowhere near the Falcons’, Hoyer only costs the minimum on DraftKings and the Saints defense has struggled immensely against the pass in one game this season. Last week, the Saints had newly-acquired safety Jairus Byrd between 20 and 30 yards off the line of scrimmage. If that continues to happen, Hoyer will accumulate serious yardage underneath for a solid fantasy day.
Ryan Fitzpatrick, Houston Texans vs. Oakland Raiders $5,000
Like Hoyer, Fitzpatrick only costs the minimum on DraftKings this week. Giving your lineup added flexibility in a PPR scoring system is always a beneficial idea, but with Fitzpatrick taking on the Raiders, who allowed Geno Smith to complete 23 of 28 passes, Fitzpatrick is another good value this week. He has an excellent offensive line, two very good receivers in Andre Johnson and DeAndre Hopkins, and an excellent safety valve in Arian Foster. For just $5,000, you cannot get more of a bargain.
Running Back
Ahmad Bradshaw, Indianapolis Colts vs. Philadelphia Eagles $4,000
Last week, Bradshaw had three carries for 15 yards. That is not the production we want to see from a running back. But, he also caught five passes for 70 yards. In a PPR format, that is excellent production. It is a matter of time before Bradshaw takes over the majority of the snaps from Trent Richardson, who had an awful week, again, against the Broncos. Will Bradshaw start this week? No one knows, but against an offensive team like the Eagles, the Colts will need to pass the ball to keep the pace. Since Bradshaw played most of the passing snaps, he will be in line to catch more passes against the Eagles this Monday night.
Wide Receiver
Jordan Matthews, Philadelphia Eagles vs. Indianapolis Colts $3,300
With the minimum salary set at $3,000, Matthews is essentially one of the cheapest options on DraftKings this weekend. Use that to your advantage. As a college player, everyone knows the story. His metrics were off the chart, those who studied the film like him as a player. He is one of the hardest working players at his age that we have ever seen. But, does that give him value this week? No. What gives him value is the fact that he is the Eagles’ starting slot receiver, and he is taking on the Colts on Monday night. Last week, Emmanuel Sanders torched the Colts secondary, and Matthews will be a target against a secondary that struggles outside of Vontae Davis. Matthews was only targeted four times last week, but was wide open at least four more times and Foles did not see him. Do not expect that to happen again, and the rookie wideout could have his first breakout performance of his career this week.
Tight End
Jason Witten, Dallas Cowboys vs. Tennessee Titans $3,800
Witten is one of the cheapest starting options at tight end this week across the daily fantasy football industry. You read that correctly. Witten has been a PPR star for years, and received six targets last week against the 49ers. He only caught two of those targets, but was defended by one of the better linebackers in the NFL in Patrick Willis. Romo has always been drawn to Witten on third downs, and that will continue this week against the Titans. Why? The Titans allowed tight ends to catch six balls for 78 yards and a touchdown last week, and the Chiefs (Titans opponent) only completed 19 passes for the entire game. Expect the Cowboys to complete more than that, and Witten will be the beneficiary. At his price, Witten could be the best value at tight end this week.
Lineup
QB – Tony Romo, DAL $6,800
RB – LeSean McCoy, PHI $8,200
RB – Shane Vereen, NE $5,900
WR – Demaryius Thomas, DEN $7,000
WR – Dez Bryant, DAL $7,100
WR – Justin Hunter, TEN $4,300
TE – Jason Witten, DAL $3,800
FLEX – Jordan Matthews, PHI $3,300
DST – Cardinals $3,300
