With one week in the books, we finally have some 2020 action on the field to base our plays off of, which really helps us build DraftKings lineups. Without overreacting to Week 1, here are some plays that standout in the Week 2 main slate.
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Quarterback
Expensive
Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens at Houston Texans ($8,200) — Jackson was considered the safest play on the Week 1 slate, and he didn’t let us down — tossing three touchdowns on his was to 27.5 DKFP. No reason we shouldn’t see more of the same against the Texans, who he torched for four touchdowns and 32.78 DKFP in Week 11 last season. Houston allowed the second-most DKFP to the QB position in 2019, and gave up three passing touchdowns to Patrick Mahomes ($7,700) in the season opener.
Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys vs. Atlanta Falcons ($6,800) — Dak had a modest 17.0 DKFP in Week 1 against the Rams, but he had a touchdown overturned and well as another deep completion negated towards the end of the game. There’s a ton of upside for Prescott in this offense, particularly at home, where he averaged 27.5 DKFP in eight games last season. The Falcons got shredded for 322 yards and four touchdowns (34.78 DKFP) by Russell Wilson in Week 1, and ranked 23rd in DKFP allowed to QBs in 2019.
Cheap
Mitchell Trubisky, Chicago Bears vs. New York Giants ($5,500) — Trubisky won the starting job in Chicago, and proved why in Week 1. The Lions were without a couple key pieces in the secondary, but Trubisky still took advantage, throwing for three touchdowns and 24.28 DKFP. Given the matchup against the Giants, who gave up three passing touchdowns on MNF and ranked 26th in DKFP allowed to the position in 2019, I think we can go back to this spot at a discount.
Other Options: Kyler Murray ($6,100), Philip Rivers ($5,900)
Running Back
Expensive
Christian McCaffrey, Carolina Panthers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers ($10,000) — CMC needed a big second half to get his numbers in Week 1, but did wind up finding his way to 28.4 DKFP. I’m hoping that drives up ownership on him in Week 2, because his overall role was not encouraging for this $10K price tag. Under new coaches and a new QB, CMC was targeted just four times in the passing game. Tampa did give up a good game to Alvin Kamara in Week 1, but allowed the fewest DKFP to RB in 2019. McCaffrey averaged just 14.5 DKFP in two matchups against the Bucs last season. Give me any of the other six RB priced over $7K on the Week 2 slate before I pay up for CMC.
Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans vs. Jacksonville Jaguars ($7,900) — After a poor game in Denver last season, Henry plowed through this matchup on MNF, getting the insane volume we expected from him. Henry turned 31 carries into 116 yards, also hauling in all three targets for another 15 yards. He should see another healthy workload as a huge favorite in a home matchup against the Jags. Henry has dominated this divisional matchup, including a 19-159-2 line for 32.5 DKFP back in Week 12 of 2019.
Cheap
Benny Snell, Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Denver Broncos ($4,500) — The oft-injured James Conner ($6,800) suffered an ankle injury in Week 1, and while the outlook is positive, he still might not be ready to lead the backfield in Week 2. Another reason to give Conner more time to recover was how good Snell was in Week 1, ripping off 113 yards on 19 carries against the G-Men. The Steelers are favored by more than a touchdown against Denver, setting up a game script for more late runs. If it turns out Conner will be getting his fair share of work, then just capitalize on the massive Marlon Mack injury in Indy instead.
Other Options: Jonathan Taylor ($5,700), Nyheim Hines ($5,300), Ronald Jones ($5,200)
Wide Receiver
Expensive
Davante Adams, Green Bay Packers vs. Detroit Lions ($8,100) — Adams had an ideal Week 1 matchup against a brand new Minnesota secondary, but he could be just as lucky in Week 2. Detroit is also banged up in the secondary, and if it remains that way on the Week 2 injury report, Adams is the clear-cut top WR play on the slate. Adams hauled in an insane 14-of-17 targets on Sunday, finishing with 156 yards and a pair of touchdowns (44.6 DKFP). No reason not to go right back to him in a similar matchup.
DeAndre Hopkins, Arizona Cardinals vs. Washington Football Team ($7,700) — We had no clue how involved Hopkins would be in his first game with the Cardinals, or how he’d deal with a tough matchup in San Francisco. We got answers — 14 grabs on 16 targets for 151 yards (32.1 DKFP). Washington has a very good defensive line to get some pressure on Murray, but his mobility should still allow him to attack this poor secondary. Hopkins should also see lower ownership with Adams sitting right above him. This is a nice tournament pivot with a Kyler/D-Hop stack.
Cheap
Mike Williams, Los Angeles Chargers vs. Kansas City Chiefs ($4,200) — We’ll see how the news progresses throughout the week, but it’s slim pickings for value in the early look. Williams wasn’t spectacular in Week 1, but drew nine targets and wound up with four grabs for 69 yards against the Bengals. The Chiefs are heavy favorites here, which could lead to more deep targets for Williams.
Other Options: T.Y. Hilton ($5,700), Marvin Jones Jr. ($5,700), CeeDee Lamb ($4,700), Dionte Johnson ($4,500)
Tight End
Expensive
Mark Andrews, Baltimore Ravens at Houston Texans ($6,300) — Andrews is still Jackson’s go-to-guy, particularly in the red zone. Andrews was targeted six times, finishing with a 5-58-2 line for 22.8 DKFP. Houston ranked 27th in DKFP allowed to TE last season, and gave up 17.5 DKFP to Andrews in last year’s matchup.
Cheap
Chris Herndon, New York Jets vs. San Francisco 49ers ($3,400) — The Jets looked putrid in all aspects in Week 1, but Herndon was a consistent check down option, bringing in 6-of-7 targets for 37 yards. Without much value at WR, we at least need to consider taking a cheap 10.0 DKFP here, particularly in cash games.
Other Options: Hayden Hurst ($4,600), Logan Thomas ($3,600)
D/ST
Expensive
Bears D/ST vs. New York Giants ($3,700) — The Giants didn’t look all that sharp on MNF against the Steelers, and they now travel to Chicago to face another strong defense. This is the spot that stands out if you do have money leftover to pay up, but D/ST is pretty consistently a pay down position. It’s pretty simple to find a spot with upside.
Cheap
Rams D/ST at Philadelphia Eagles ($2,800) — The Rams looked pretty solid on SNF, limiting the Cowboys to 17 points. The defense came up with three sacks, which should see an uptick in Week 2 in Philly. Lane Johnson is likely to return to the O-line for the Eagles, but that still might not be enough to stop Aaron Donald and company. Philly allowed eight sacks to Washington in Week 1, and Washington also forced a fumble and grabbed two interceptions. The Rams boast even more talent up front.
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