One week of NFL football is in the books, which sets the stage for the exciting season set to come. A Thursday Night Matchup between the Washington Commanders and Green Bay Packers will kick off the Week 2 action. Each of these teams is coming off a convincing Week 1 win and is considered a threat to dethrone the Eagles in the NFC. This will be an interesting measuring stick matchup for both teams as the hierarchy of the NFL continues to be established.
There are plenty of ways to get involved in the action with DraftKings Sportsbook and Daily Fantasy Lobby. As you seek to maximize your DFS lineups, here is a look at a few players in line to outperform their price point to help give you an edge. Capitalizing on the Captain’s pick is essential, and here are my top picks and players to avoid for the Thursday Night thriller.
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Captains Play:
Hitting on your captain (CPT) is essential to having Showdown DFS success on DraftKings. Players drafted as the captain earn 1.5x fantasy points, so they can make or break your slate. Here are my favorite captain plays for this week’s TNF slate:
Jayden Daniels ($16,500)
The Washington Commanders quarterback enters as the top-priced player on the slate, and for good reason. Jayden Daniels burst onto the scene last year and emerged as one of the brightest quarterbacks in the NFL, especially from a DFS perspective. He finished last season ranked fifth among all quarterbacks and eighth among all players in total fantasy points. Daniels averaged 21.8 fantasy points per game last year based on DraftKings scoring, and tallied 20.1 fantasy points in the Week 1 victory over the Giants.
Daniels’ ability with his legs gives a high floor for fantasy football production. He led the Commanders in rushing yards last year with 891 rushing yards and six touchdowns on the ground, while also throwing for 3,568 yards and 25 passing touchdowns. If Daniels plays to his best, he will lead this game in fantasy production. The Packers’ defense was impressive in the opening game, generating pressure throughout and limiting the Lions to just 13 points and 246 total yards. But it felt Detroit had plenty of self-induced problems and growing pains with the new coordinators. Green Bay has a solid defense, but not one that has me concerned with Daniels’ outlook at this point in the game. The $16,500 price point is steep, but it is worth paying in this case.
Deebo Samuel Sr. ($12,900)
A lower-priced option that jumps out to me is Deebo Samuel Sr. at $12,900. Washington made a splash this offseason by trading for Samuel. He got off to a strong start to his Commanders tenure, producing 22.6 fantasy points in Week 1, which ranked 19th among all players based on DraftKings scoring. Samuel had seven receptions on 10 targets for 77 yards and added a 19-yard rushing touchdown.
The Washington backfield is still up for grabs, with four players receiving carries in Week 1, and it would not be surprising to me if Samuel plays a larger role in the running game as the season progresses. Terry McLaurin is still the clear top wide receiver, but Samuel has a different skillset, which is important for the shorter yard receptions and impact in the screen game. At 29 years old, Samuel still has plenty left in the tank and is a playmaker that Washington will look to put the ball in his hands. He is a bit more touchdown dependent than I would like for this price point, but I feel more confident about Samuel seeing a guaranteed 7+ touches than the other options in this range. If you are looking to save some top dollar for the rest of your roster, Samuel is a solid swing.
Value Picks:
Matthew Golden ($6,400)
The Green Bay Packers selected Matthew Golden with the 23rd overall pick in this year’s draft. This made him the first wide receiver drafted in the first round by the organization since 2002. He tallied just two receptions for 16 yards in the opener, which comes out to just 3.6 fantasy points. Golden is coming off 987 receiving yards and nine touchdowns last year at Texas. He has the talent to make an impact and just needs to settle into his role.
Washington allowed just 157 passing yards in Week 1, but Russell Wilson had just as much to do with the strong showing. Jordan Love should improve this outlook, and Green Bay will lean on its widespread passing attack. As more of the season passes, expect Golden to climb the offensive pecking order. While Week 2 is early, it is important to get ahead, and his breakout could be in any matchup. Six different players tallied 29+ receptions last year for the Packers, but no player had more than 857 receiving yards. Based on the price difference of the wide receivers, Golden is a worthy target at $6,400.
Zach Ertz ($5,800)
Now in his 13th NFL season, Zach Ertz is still performing at a high level. While he may not be regarded as a top tight end and record 1100+ receiving yards the way he once did with the Eagles, Ertz remains a key part of this Commanders offense. Last season, he averaged 10.4 fantasy points per game based on DraftKings scoring, which ranked 10th among tight ends. He got off to a strong start again this year, recording three receptions for 26 yards and a touchdown. He tallied 11.6 fantasy points in Week 1, which was fourth on the team.
Ertz will continue to be one of the top red zone options for the Commanders, and a six-point swing can make a world of difference in DFS competitions. Daniels also completed just 19 passes in the season opener, and will likely need to air it out more against this Packers team. He is not a big play threat, but Ertz will see reliable targets and gradually add to his stat total throughout. Look for him to exceed the $5,800 price point this week and be in the mix for the top-performing tight ends when it is all said and done this season.
Romeo Doubs ($4,000)
To take a bigger swing, Romeo Doubs is the cheapest of the noteworthy Packers wide receivers at $4,000. The fourth-year wideout has tallied 600+ yards in back-to-back seasons and opened the year by leading the team with 68 yards receiving. 48 of these came on one catch, but Doubs was tied for second on the team in targets in Week 1. His 8.8 fantasy points ranked sixth on the Packers.
Doubs is a big-play threat who broke free for 17+ fantasy points in three games last year. He will not get as consistent a workload, but he has a chance to break free for a game-changing play on every drive. Having this type of potential for a breakout game in the lower price points can be an advantage if the game script breaks correctly. For $4,000, Doubs is worth taking a chance on in what should be an entertaining offensive battle.
Player to Avoid:
Jayden Reed ($8,200)
Jayden Reed enters as the highest-priced Packers’ wide receiver after coming off a respectable opening week. He tallied three receptions for 45 yards and a touchdown. This came out to 13.5 fantasy points on DraftKings scoring, which ranked 69th among all players in Week 1 and 20th among wide receivers.
But the strength of this Packers team is the depth at the wide receiver position. Rather than having one guy who is the clear top pass-catching option, any given pass-catcher can step up on any given week. Matthew Golden, Romeo Doubs, and Dontayvion Wicks are also capable of leading the team in wide receiver production in any given week. Reed led the team in targets in the opening week with five, but no individual wide receiver seeing more than this is a concern to me.
Across the board, I will be fading the top Packers wide receiver option in the offense, even if the price point does change throughout the year. This thought process still stands up in the matchup with the Commanders. Expect Green Bay to lean on a widespread passing attack and for Jayden Reed to not be worth shelling out the $8,200 cost.
