The NFL season is officially off to the races. With the opening week leading to plenty of overreactions and surprises, there is plenty more football to buckle up and be ready for.
The Buffalo Bills kicked off the second week by dismantling the Miami Dolphins 31-10 on Thursday Night Football. But with 15 games still on the schedule, there are plenty of great games ahead.
As you seek to maximize your DFS lineups, here’s a look at a few players who could have the inside track on outperforming their price point. Be sure to still get some superstars in your lineup, but here are some lower-budget names that could help you win your competitions!
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Quarterbacks:
Jayden Daniels ($6,200)
It was not a strong showing in the opening week for this season’s class of rookie quarterbacks. Commanders’ rookie Jayden Daniels led the pack with his play during their 37-20 loss to the Buccaneers. Daniels completed 17 of his 24 pass attempts for 184 yards while adding 88 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns on the ground. Based on DraftKings DFS scoring, Daniels tallied 28.2 fantasy points which ranked fifth among all NFL quarterbacks in the opening week.
He is not quite considered a bargain-bin quarterback, as he ranks ninth in cost entering Week 2. But count on Daniels to be a high-floor fantasy quarterback who makes his impact felt weekly. While it will still take him some time to work things out as a passer, Daniels’ rushing ability will keep a high baseline.
He will face off this week against the Giants who are coming off an embarrassing 28-6 loss to the Vikings in their opening game, so Daniels has a great opportunity to produce an even more effective game.
Baker Mayfield ($5,900)
The Baker Mayfield career resurgence is officially here. While many have waited for Mayfield to come back to reality after seemingly shutting the door on being a capable starter in the few years prior—he just keeps producing. In his first game since signing the massive contract extension with Tampa Bay, Mayfield completed 24 of his 30 pass attempts for 289 yards and an NFL-best four passing touchdowns. The former number-one overall pick continues to make high-level throws and ranked third in scoring among quarterbacks last week with 29.7 fantasy points.
After leading the Buccaneers to an impressive 37-20 victory over the Commanders in the opening week, Mayfield will now face off against the Detroit Lions. While the Lions are a better overall team, their secondary remains a weakness. In 2023, the team ranked 27th in the NFL in both passing yards and passing touchdowns allowed. Their 23.2 points per game allowed, which ranked 23rd in the NFL, is also the best mark the team has recorded since 2018.
Expect Mayfield to have success picking up significant chunks of yardage through the air and have another successful fantasy football week. His $5,900 price tag is tied for 12th in cost among the available options and Mayfield should surely outplay this.
Justin Fields ($5,400)
Russell Wilson seemed to have the inside track on the starting job for just about the entirety of the offseason. However, late last week a calf injury popped up which kept him off the field in the opening week presenting the opportunity for Justin Fields. This is a status to monitor leading up to the game, but the Steelers are preparing to enter the matchup with the Broncos with Fields as the quarterback once again. It was a mixed bag of results for the former Bears QB in the opening week. The 25-year-old completed 17 of 23 pass attempts for 156 yards and added 57 rushing yards on the ground. Fields was unable to produce a touchdown with either his arm or leg and did lose a fumble.
While he ranked 20th in scoring among quarterbacks in the opening week, expect more from him in Week 2. Fields settled in throughout the matchup and outplayed Kirk Cousins en route to the 18-10 victory. He now will face off against a Denver defense that has some holes and Fields will have the quarterback advantage against Bo Nix.
Expect an improved performance and for Fields to have a chance to be among the best fantasy quarterbacks this week. This is a bit more of a risk, but Fields tied for 18th in cost entering the week and should outplay this in his second start.
Running Backs
Derrick Henry ($6,700)
Derrick Henry does not fit the bargain category as he enters as the 8th-most expensive running back this week. Even still, he is worth paying the premium and has a strong chance to finish as the top running back in Week 2. The Ravens suffered a 27-20 loss to the Chiefs in the opening game and failed to get Henry going throughout the matchup. The four-time Pro Bowl running back tallied just 13 carries for 46 yards and a touchdown and did not record a reception. Baltimore is now set to face off against the Las Vegas Raiders and enter as eight-point favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook.
The Raiders allowed 176 yards rushing to the Chargers in the opening week. Expect Baltimore to make a conscious effort to get Henry rolling and for the Raiders to be a great target for this. The Ravens will not reach their peak as an offense until Henry can be the dynamic rushing partner to Lamar Jackson.
Expect this to occur. Henry will have his first 100+ yard rushing game and continue his touchdown production in a Ravens jersey.
Najee Harris ($5,500)
Najee Harris enters this week tied for 26th in cost at the running back position. This comes after a 20 carry performance in the opening week which Harris took for 70 yards. While you hope for more production with this number of carries, the level of opportunity Harris will receive is worth taking a chance on him. Looking at the Steelers running splits, Harris had 20 carries, Justin Fields ran the ball 14 times, Cordarrelle Patterson tallied four carries, and Jaylen Warren ran the ball twice.
Pittsburgh enters as 2.5-point favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook against the Broncos this week which should put them in a better position to run the ball. Harris has quietly tallied 1000 yards rushing all three seasons he has been in the NFL all while dealing with subpar quarterback play. He likely will not win you the week, but Harris can be counted on to make his $5,500 price tag worth it.
Jordan Mason ($5,200)
Pay close attention to the injury report leading up until the 49ers game. San Francisco pulled a fast one on the NFL and all fantasy football fans across the country by ruling out Christian McCaffrey shortly before the Monday Night matchup with the Jets. His status is uncertain ahead of the Week 2 matchup due to the lingering ankle/Achilles injury. The 49ers have a game in the early slate on Sunday so you will have an answer on his status before putting yourself at risk like last week.
Jordan Mason did not miss a beat in McCaffrey’s absence. The third-year running back recorded 28 carries for 147 rushing yards and a touchdown. This production level made Mason the sixth-best running back in the opening week based on DraftKings DFS scoring. If McCaffrey does not suit up, Mason will be back in line for significant carries and will be capable of producing. The 49ers are set to face off against the Vikings as five-point favorites and this is a game that holds some blowout potential. If McCaffrey cannot suit up again, the $5,200 price point will be a bargain for Jordan Mason.
Wide Receivers
Xavier Worthy ($6,100)
It was a strong start to Xavier Worthy’s NFL career. The 28th overall pick found his way into the end zone twice in his debut in addition to 47 receiving yards and 21 rushing yards. While it has not slowed down their production as a team, the Chiefs have not replaced the Tyreek Hill role within the offense. After breaking the NFL record for 40-yard dash time at the combine, no player may be equipped as well as Worthy.
Andy Reid is one of the brightest offensive minds in the sport and Patrick Mahomes remains the gold standard of quarterback play. It will be interesting to see how variable Worthy’s production is on a week-to-week basis, but his 20.8-scoring production ranked 13th among all wide receivers in the opening week. With his price total coming at 17th among wide receivers this week, it is worth a swing that Worthy’s role will only continue to grow.
Brandin Cooks ($5,600)
The Dallas Cowboys were among the biggest winners of the opening week. ‘America’s Team’ blew out the Cleveland Browns 33-17 and teased to be the dynamic offense they have been in past years. There has been plenty of attention paid to Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb, but Brandin Cooks will quietly be a weekly fantasy football threat. Cooks has recorded over 1000 receiving yards in six different seasons of his NFL career and will be settling in during his second season in Dallas. There is a need for balance in the offense with so much attention set to be paid to CeeDee Lamb.
Expect Cooks to deliver in this role and improve on the 657 receiving yards and eight touchdowns he recorded last year. The 30-year-old tallied 40 yards receiving and a touchdown in the opening week while only catching four of his seven targets. Look for Cooks to improve on this and be a name to keep an eye on in an every-week capacity.
Allen Lazard ($3,300)
My favorite bargain target for the week is Allen Lazard. At just a $3,300 price tag, Lazard is coming off an opening week in which he tallied six receptions for 89 yards and a pair of touchdowns. His 26.9 fantasy total ranked 6th among all wide receivers in Week 1.
While the Jets did not get off to the start they desired, one notable takeaway was the chemistry between Aaron Rodgers and Lazard. The two spent five seasons together with the Packers before coming to the Jets. Lazard is still just 28 years old and will be Rodgers’ safety net at times. While he will be competing for catches with Garrett Wilson and Mike Williams, Lazard’s $3,300 price tag is far too cheap.
Tight End
Isaiah Likely ($4,800)
In his third season in the NFL, Isaiah Likely is in the process of emerging as one of the premier tight ends in the NFL. Likely broke out last season during Mark Andrews’ injury, and looks to have passed the veteran in the pecking order within the Ravens’ offense. Looking at the costs, Mark Andrews holds a $5,000 price tag for the week while Likely sits at $4,800. This is coming off an opening week in which Likley tallied nine receptions for 111 yards and a touchdown. He also came within a literal inch of securing his second touchdown to tie the game in the final seconds before he was ruled out of bounds.
Likely’s 29.1 fantasy total was the most of any tight end in the opening week by more than double. In contrast, Mark Andrews had just two receptions for 14 yards. Expect both tight ends to be active in the Ravens offense, but buy into the Likely breakout. Get ahead of it and get Isaiah Likely in your lineups.
Brock Bowers ($4,400)
Brock Bowers was one of my opening week picks and we are going right back to the well. After holding a $4,500 cost last week, he enters $100 cheaper. In his NFL debut, Bowers caught six of his eight targets for 58 yards. There are hopes for more impressive games ahead, but Bowers’ 11.8 fantasy points ranked third among tight ends.
The Raiders will be facing off against the Ravens this week and likely to be playing the game from behind. Expect the team to get Bowers involved, especially as they work through the growing pains at the quarterback position. It was a frustrating start to the Raiders season, but they invested the 13th overall pick in Bowers and will look to further unlock him moving forward.
Defense & Special Teams
Washington Commanders ($3,000)
Last week we discussed the Chicago Bears’ defense due to their matchup with the Titans. Chicago finished with an NFL-best 24.0 fantasy points led by a pair of defensive touchdowns. The Washington Commanders are set to face off with the New York Giants and have similar potential on the table this week. In the 61 games he has played at the NFL level, Daniel Jones has recorded 42 interceptions and 46 fumbles. Jones threw a pick-6 in the opening week and the Giants were able to muster up just six points against the Vikings.
Expect New York to continue to struggle and for Jones to be a turnover risk throughout the game. Save some money for the skill positions and roll with the Commanders who fall outside the top-ten for most expensive defenses.
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is seanbarnard) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
