Week 1 gave us our first real data points of the 2026 season, but NFL DFS tournaments on DraftKings still require more than simply chasing last week’s box scores.
In GPP contests, ownership, ceiling, correlation, and roster construction can be just as important as identifying the highest-projected players. Week 2 also gives us an opportunity to take advantage of salaries that were released before some of last week’s roles and usage became clear.
That doesn’t mean we need to fade every popular option. Good chalk is still good chalk. However, we’ll also look for cheaper players with expanding roles, lower-owned options in strong scoring environments, and lineup constructions that can separate from the field.
Below are my top NFL DFS tournament picks for Week 2, including a contrarian game stack and high-upside DraftKings GPP plays at quarterback, running back, wide receiver, tight end, and defense/special teams.
NFL DFS Tournament Strategy for Week 2
One week isn’t enough to completely change our preseason opinions, but ignoring what happened in Week 1 isn’t a great strategy either. Snap rates, targets and backfield usage can give us clues about roles before DraftKings has fully adjusted salaries.
For tournaments, I’m looking for a combination of those salary discrepancies, big-play ability and game environments capable of producing multiple big fantasy performances. We also don’t need every player to be contrarian. Sometimes the best approach is to eat good chalk in one spot and find leverage elsewhere.
Best Contrarian Stack for NFL DFS Tournaments in Week 2
Game Stack: Washington Commanders vs. Dallas Cowboys
Dak Prescott ($6,400) – CeeDee Lamb ($7,300) – Jake Ferguson ($3,800) – Stefon Diggs ($5,300)
Washington-Dallas should be one of the best game environments on Sunday’s slate. Dallas enters as a 4.5-point home favorite with an implied team total around 27 points, despite the poor opener for their offense. Dak Prescott should have plenty of touchdown upside in this spot against a Commanders defense that faced an inefficient Eagles passing game in Week 1 but still allowed plenty of monster catch-and-run plays, including two TDs to TE Dallas Goedert. CeeDee Lamb remains the obvious stacking partner, but adding in Pickens or TE Jake Ferguson makes this construction the best play for upside in tournaments.
While Pickens could easily erupt this week, I do lean toward Ferguson ($3,800) as the second Dallas pass catcher, for the savings he provides and the matchup. Ferguson did virtually nothing in Week 1, catching both of his targets for six yards, but he’s coming off an 82-catch, eight-touchdown season and now gets a Washington defense that again looks vulnerable to tight ends.
Dallas Goedert showed us that immediately in Week 1, going for 23.7 DraftKings points against Washington. Ferguson is obviously coming off the opposite kind of performance, but DraftKings has him at just $3,800, while Washington ranked 30th in DK points allowed to tight ends last season. Ferguson also scored three times in two meetings with Washington last year, including a two-touchdown game. If the matchup produces another big TE performance, the Prescott-Lamb-Ferguson combination gives us access to most of Dallas’ passing-game upside without paying for Pickens as a third expensive piece.
On the other side, Diggs ($5,300) is my preferred bring-back. Washington should have to throw if Dallas hits its scoring expectations, while the Cowboys are dealing with injuries on defense, including Malik Hooker’s fractured forearm and DeMarvion Overshown’s hamstring injury. Jayden Daniels ($6,300) can also be used to reverse the stack if you want to build around Washington instead.
Alternatives I’m considering:
- Bryce Young ($5,400) + Jalen Coker ($5,100) + Tetairoa McMillan ($6,100) + Drake London ($6,000)
- C.J. Stroud ($5,500) + Nico Collins ($7,000) + Ja’Marr Chase ($7,600)
NFL DFS Tournament Quarterback Pick
Bryce Young ($5,400)
Young is an obvious candidate for some Week 1 regression, but at $5,400 we don’t need him to replicate his monster opening performance. He produced 32.4 DraftKings points against Chicago and remains one of the cheapest viable tournament quarterbacks on the slate. Carolina is also a slight road favorite against Atlanta with an implied team total around 22.5 points.
The bigger attraction is what Carolina’s passing game looked like around him. Jalen Coker saw nine targets, including three 20+ yards downfield, while Tetairoa McMillan also had eight targets. That gives Young two legitimate stacking partners with big-play ability, and his salary makes a Young-Coker or Young-McMillan stack easy to build around. The matchup suggests this is a good spot to pay down with Young as well. Atlanta continued to look like an obvious pass-funnel defense against Pittsburgh in Week 1, and last year Young had a career game of sorts, throwing for 448 yards and 3 TDs vs. them in Week 11.
Alternatives I’m considering:
- C.J. Stroud ($5,500)
- Jordan Love ($5,900)
NFL DFS Tournament Running Back Picks
Higher End: Derrick Henry ($7,200)
There isn’t much subtle about this one. Henry scored 38.3 DraftKings points in Week 1 and still only costs $7,200 against New Orleans, who gave up 156 rush yards and two rushing TDs to Jahmyr Gibbs in Week 1. Henry comes at a $1,000 discount to Bijan Robinson ($8,200), and while he doesn’t carry the same PPR upside as the Atlanta RB, the chance for 2+ TDs makes giving up those PPR points much easier to digest.
RB has all sorts of interesting plays this week, with names like Jeanty and Swift also in the mix for best value/upside, but Henry’s TD equity this week is the biggest factor for me. Baltimore is an 8.5-point favorite at home in a game with a total of 46.5, and a rookie head coach who will likely want to make fans happy in his Baltimore home debut. Pounding Henry all game and getting the back into the end zone as much as possible is likely the best way to accomplish that goal, making him the preferred pay up target at RB for me this week.
Alternatives I’m considering:
- Ashton Jeanty ($6,800)
- D’Andre Swift ($6,300)
Lower End: Quinshon Judkins ($5,400)
Judkins didn’t do much with his opportunities in Week 1, finishing with 12 carries for 33 yards and two catches for 17 yards, but the workload was more encouraging than the final numbers. He handled 12 of Cleveland’s 13 RB carries despite the Browns falling behind early, and now gets a Tampa Bay defense that showed some vulnerability against the run in Week 1. The Bucs allowed 106 rushing yards and ranked 11th-worst in rushing success rate allowed, giving Judkins a potentially better matchup than it initially appears.
The bigger attraction is Cleveland’s offense. Deshaun Watson struggled again in Week 1 and took five sacks, so it makes sense for the Browns to lean on Judkins as much as possible and avoid putting the entire offense on their quarterback. Cleveland’s offensive line actually ranked seventh in run-block win rate last week, while Judkins is projected for 12.3 carries and 3.3 targets. At just $5,400, a workload in the 15-18 touch range with some receiving and goal-line work gives him a realistic path to a much bigger fantasy day if Cleveland can stay competitive.
Alternatives I’m considering:
- Jaylen Warren ($5,400)
- Kyle Monangai ($5,300)
NFL DFS Tournament Wide Receiver Picks
Higher End: Chris Olave ($7,200)
Olave isn’t necessarily getting an easy matchup this week. Baltimore’s secondary looked strong in Week 1, holding Daniel Jones to 166 passing yards, and CB Nate Wiggins didn’t allow a reception in coverage. That’s enough to potentially scare some DFS players away from Olave at $7,200, but his Week 1 usage is difficult to ignore. He caught 10 passes for 182 yards on 13 targets, including gains of 47 and 43 yards, immediately showing the combination of volume and big-play ability that can produce a tournament-winning score.
The game flow may be just as important as the individual matchup. New Orleans is an 8.5-point road underdog against a Baltimore team with an implied total of 28 points, so there is a good chance Tyler Shough is forced to throw throughout the second half. He attempted an NFL-high 56 passes in Week 1, and while we obviously can’t expect that every week, another pass-heavy script would give Olave plenty of opportunities to overcome the tougher coverage. At $7,200, I’m willing to bet on volume and big-play ability in a game where the Saints may be chasing points for most of the afternoon.
Alternatives I’m considering:
- Christian Watson ($6,200)
- Justin Jefferson ($7,800)
Lower End: Jalen Coker ($5,100)
Coker’s price rose, but probably not enough. He caught eight of nine targets for 138 yards and two touchdowns in Week 1, while also leading Carolina with a 23.7% target share and three targets of 20+ yards. Most importantly, this wasn’t a fluky three-catch performance built entirely around touchdowns. The volume was legitimate and he’ll get another solid matchup vs the Falcons, who allowed the third-most receiving TDs to WRs last year.
His ankle is worth monitoring after he was spotted in a walking boot Monday, but Coker called the boot precautionary and said he didn’t expect to miss time. Assuming he’s cleared, we’re getting an every-down receiver with legitimate downfield involvement for $5,100. The big Week 1 performance will bring in some ownership, but the injury concerns will likely cap that to a degree as well. The combination of his big target-share, big-play ability, and price makes this another spot where I’m willing to eat some chalk rather than getting too cute.
Alternatives I’m considering:
- Stefon Diggs ($5,300)
- Dontayvion Wicks ($4,300)
NFL DFS Tournament Tight End Pick
Dalton Schultz ($3,200)
Schultz didn’t produce a big Week 1 score, catching four passes for 35 yards, but his usage was far more encouraging than the final stat line. He saw eight targets, second-most on Houston, and ran a route on 74% of the Texans’ dropbacks. Now Nico Collins is dealing with a hamstring injury and Jayden Higgins is already out for the season, potentially leaving Schultz with an even larger role in the passing game.
The matchup also makes this an intriguing spot to buy low. Cincinnati allowed the most fantasy points to opposing tight ends last season, while Schultz costs just $3,200 and saw enough Week 1 volume to produce a much bigger game. If his volume continues and he adds a touchdown, there is enough for a 5x day. He doesn’t have the explosive upside of the expensive tight ends, but five or six catches with some red-zone work would be plenty at this salary and creates significant flexibility elsewhere.
Alternatives I’m considering:
- Mike Gesicki ($3,600)
- T.J. Hockenson ($3,500)
NFL DFS Tournament Defense Pick
Denver Broncos ($2,800)
Defense is still the position where I’m most comfortable embracing volatility, and Denver gives us a potentially high-upside unit without forcing us to spend over $3,000. Jacksonville’s offense can score, but Trevor Lawrence’s aggressive style also creates opportunities for sacks and turnovers against a strong Broncos defense.
The matchup and the fact that Denver got busted up on the ground last week vs the Chiefs should also keep ownership very reasonable. While it’s possible the Broncos have an issue up front that can’t be fixed in a week, Jacksonville also didn’t produce gaudy rush numbers last week vs. the Browns, suggesting this is a far better matchup for them. At $2,800, a few sacks and two turnovers would be enough for a solid return. However, Denver’s secondary and special teams still have the talent to produce a defensive touchdown which gives Denver the kind of upside that can separate it from the more expensive defenses.
Alternatives I’m considering:
- Carolina Panthers ($2,700)
- Jacksonville Jaguars ($2,400)
NFL DFS Tournament Picks FAQ
What is a GPP in NFL DFS?
A GPP, or guaranteed prize pool tournament, is a DFS contest that generally rewards high-ceiling lineups capable of finishing near the top of a large field. Unlike safer lineup constructions, tournament lineups often place more emphasis on ceiling, correlation, ownership and leverage.
What should I look for in NFL DFS tournament picks?
Strong NFL DFS tournament plays should offer a combination of upside, salary value and a realistic path to outperforming their expected ownership. Correlated game stacks and lower-owned pivots from popular players can also help differentiate lineups in larger contests.
How are NFL DFS tournament picks different from cash-game picks?
Cash-game lineups generally prioritize projection, workload and consistency, while tournament lineups can take on more volatility in exchange for a higher ceiling. GPP players may also consider ownership and leverage more heavily when deciding between similarly projected options.
What is the best DraftKings NFL DFS tournament stack for Week 2?
My favorite Week 2 tournament stack is Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, Jake Ferguson and Stefon Diggs. The combination provides exposure to one of the slate’s higher projected scoring environments while offering several pieces that could come in at lower ownership than other popular Week 2 options.
