Sunday offers up another loaded 12-game featured slate of NFL action.With so many teams taking the field, setting a fantasy football lineup in DFS or season-long formats is no easy task. Still, that also gives managers plenty of options to work with. Here are three value plays to consider in all DFS contests before the start of Week 2.
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QB Drake Maye, New England Patriots at MIA ($5,200)
After an off-season filled with hype, Week 1 was a disappointment for the Patriots. Their offense struggled en route to a 20-13 loss vs. Las Vegas. Second-year quarterback Drake Maye wasn’t terrible, but 16.8 fantasy points left plenty to be desired. It’s easy to see why New England fans had high hopes for their young gunslinger. The former third overall pick pieced together 2,276 passing yards, 15 touchdowns, and ten interceptions in just 13 games last season. In addition, he scrambled for 421 yards and two scores.
A young dual-threat passer against the Dolphins? It certainly worked out for Daniel Jones ($5,200) in Week 1 (29.5 FPTS). Despite his poor season opener, it’s fair to call Maye a more talented QB than Danny Dimes. On paper, Miami might end 2025 as the NFL’s worst defense. That makes any opposing passer worth fantasy consideration. In half of his outings in 2024, Maye recorded at least 18 fantasy points. A similar performance should be expected on Sunday.
TE David Njoku, Cleveland Browns ($4,900)
Cleveland might not be good, but this should be a fantasy-friendly offense. That’s due to the presence of Joe Flacco ($5,000). Even at 40 years old, the quarterback remains one of the NFL’s most prolific gunslingers. This pass-first Cleveland offense opted to use 12 personnel last week against the Bengals. That meant tight ends Harold Fannin ($3,100) and David Njoku both shared the field.
Fannin has been a trendy waiver wire pick, but Njoku remains Cleveland’s TE1. That’s especially true when there’s a pass-first QB in the pocket. Over six career games with Flacco, the ninth-year pro has averaged 5.5 receptions and 71.2 yards while scoring four touchdowns. A ferocious Ravens defense could make things tough. However, Baltimore ranked inside the bottom ten last year in catches and yards surrendered to tight ends. Njokiu, at a modest price, is poised for another stellar showing on Sunday.
RB Trey Benson, Arizona Cardinals ($4,600)
Among the many crowded backfields in football, Arizona offers major fantasy upside. James Conner ($6,600) has been a bell cow for the Cardinals over the past few seasons. Still, there’s enough room in this potent offense to support two dynamic rushers. To give this running game an added jolt, Trey Benson could see more work going forward. A third-round pick last season, the Florida State alum was unimpressive as a rookie (291 yards, 1 TD). However, Sunday’s 69-yard outburst suggests a more productive Year 2.
It’s too early in the season to assume Benson will overtake Conner as Arizona’s RB1. Therefore, it needs to be an ideal game environment for the youngster to produce. That should be the case this week against the Panthers. Last season, this group allowed the most fantasy points to opposing running backs. It looked like more of the same in Week 1; Jacksonville’s Travis Etienne ($5,700) notched 21.6 fantasy points. At just $4,600, Benson doesn’t need to do nearly as much to make a difference for fantasy managers.
