The 3 worst values at running back in Week 2 DFS

Seven months waiting for football, and all of a sudden we’re already headed to Week 2 of the season. Time flies, and that means you can’t lose a minute identifying upcoming busts to avoid rostering in your next daily fantasy lineup. Some big names didn’t produce during the first game of the season and could be on the verge of a rebound to rosier outcomes, but the following players have different concerns attached to them entering Week 2.

You can always pay big money for big producers, and in most cases you will get the expected results. You can’t afford to build your lineup around a supposed stud that ends putting up a dud.

So here are three running backs to fade given their salary and the true outcome they may end offering in Week 2. Just fade them and look for better values!

Todd Gurley II (LAR) - $7,000

We all knew Gurley entered the season with a big question mark over his head. Turns out, the question mark was for real. Gurley carried the ball 14 times for 97 yards against Carolina, and caught a pass for four more yards. He finished the game with 15 touches after averaging 22.5 last season (in which he played not fully-fit at least a couple of games).

Adding fuel to the fire, Los Angeles used Malcolm Brown in the red zone and he stole two touchdowns from Gurley. Although Gurley’s salary has dropped $900 from Week 1, if the Rams plan on taking chances from him you’d be better off without him — plus Week 2’s matchup against New Orleans doesn’t do any good for LA’s backfield.

Leonard Fournette (JAX) - $6,300

While Fournette’s salary is not going to break your team the way others could, he doesn’t scream upside to me for Week 2. Fournette finished Week 1 out of the RB1 group in points while facing one of the better matchups against Kansas City’s rush-defense (worst league-wide in 2018) — logging only 12.4. Fournette also committed a fumble (and lost it). No matter what, DK’s algorithm raised his salary $200.

The Jaguars saw Nick Foles get injured and that impacted Fournette’s opportunities going forward with Jacksonville playing catch-up. The problem is Foles may be out for the first half of the season and every defense will focus on Fournette until the quarterback returns (the acquisition of Joshua Dobbs won’t make things better.) At his price, the risk is obvious. Not to mention Houston is on the line for Week 2 and they allowed the second-fewest yards to RBs in 2018.

Joe Mixon (CIN) - $6,500

You may think I’m cheating with this pick. Bear with me for a minute. I know Mixon left the game early with an injury against Seattle in Week 1, but what he had done up to that point wasn’t really encouraging. By the moment he was injured (start of the third quarter) he had six carries for 10 yards, and two receptions for an seven yards. Call me crazy, but 17 yards on eight touches don’t cut it for me.

Mixon’s ankle injury shouldn’t be of great concern heading into Week 2, but keep an eye on it. Perhaps more worrying is the fact that Giovanni Bernard is Cincinnati’s RB2, looks as ready as ever to eat snaps from Mixon, and is a good option in the passing game. Do you know who was worse at preventing receiving yards from RBs instead of rushing yards? San Francisco, the Bengals’ next opponent.

Cincinnati won’t risk a long-term injury on their stud tailback this early, so don’t put him in your lineup.

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