Last week was a great start to another awesome season of fantasy football, and this week DraftKings has another 13-game Sunday NFL main slate. Even though popular fantasy plays from the Green Bay Packers, Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens aren’t on this slate due to primetime appearances, the player pool is still well-stocked with many solid value options to consider as you plot your path to another afternoon of fantasy football production.
Just like last week, nine games get the party kicked off at 1:00 p.m. ET with four games in the later window. Now that we have a week of real results to evaluate, there are some great value plays that have started to emerge. Let’s dive into the cheaper end of the player pool and find some bargain options for Week 2.
Set your DraftKings fantasy football Millionaire lineups here: NFL $4.5M Fantasy Football Millionaire [$1M to 1st]
QUARTERBACK
($6,000 and under)
Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals at Chicago Bears, $5,800 – Burrow looked sharp in his first game back from a brutal knee injury, leading his team to a 27-24 overtime win with 18.64 DKFP. He had 261 yards on 20-of-27 passing with two touchdowns, including a 50-yard strike to Ja’Marr Chase ($5,000). Burrow should be set up for another strong showing against the Bears, who allowed the Rams to run a league-high 92 offensive plays in Week 1. Matthew Stafford ($6,400) hung 27.3 DKFP on the Bears in Week 1, including the kind of deep plays Burrow and Chase seem poised to thrive on this season.
Mac Jones, New England Patriots at New York Jets, $5,400 – While his final numbers weren’t earth-shattering, Jones was very solid in his NFL debut, totaling 15.2 DKFP and completing 29-of-39 passes for 281 yards. He put his team in a position to win the game but costly fumbles led to a Patriots loss. They’ll look to bounce back against the Jets, who allowed Sam Darnold ($5,200) to post 20.1 DKFP in Week 1. Jones showed poise, timing and anticipation that made him seem experienced beyond his years, and he is actually a relatively safe value QB in this matchup.
Other Options: Tyrod Taylor ($5,500), Zach Wilson ($5,100)
RUNNING BACK
($5,000 and under)
James White, New England Patriots at New York Jets, $4,600 – After playing 37% of plays in Week 1, White could get more work due to fumbling issues for other Patriots RBs. While he will probably never be a threat to take over as the primary early-down option, he is locked in as a passing-down specialist and had six catches and 12.1 DKFP as one of my value picks last week. White’s role as a check-down safety valve gives him a high floor, and he even had a few plays specifically designed for him including a beautiful 26-yard wheel route last week.
Kenneth Gainwell, Philadelphia Eagles vs. San Francisco 49ers, $4,000 – I love Gainwell in this matchup at the cheapest RB salary after he totally took over the Eagles’ second RB spot. In Week 1, Boston Scott ($4,300) didn’t play an offensive snap while Gainwell had 35% of the snaps, 38% of the RB carries and the only rushing touchdown of the day. He even had a second score wiped out by a penalty. He dominated passing-down work and the hurry-up offense, so could be even busier depending on game script. Last week, the 49ers gave up big plays to both Lions RBs, so the matchup isn’t as formidable as it appears.
Other Options: Trey Sermon ($4,600), Javonte Williams ($4,400)
WIDE RECEIVER
($5,000 and under)
Marvin Jones Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Denver Broncos, $4,700 – In his Jags debut, Jones was a key target for the Jags and received a league-high three end zone targets as part of his nine total targets, which he converted to 77 yards and 18.7 DKFP. Last season, Jones averaged a solid 7.1 targets and 14.8 DKFP per game in Detroit and looks to be locked in to another high-volume role on a team that will throw a lot when trailing late in games.
KJ Hamler, Denver Broncos at Jacksonville Jaguars, $3,800 – On the other side of the same matchup, Hamler is a candidate to step into a larger role after an injury to Jerry Jeudy (ankle). The second-round pick has always provided big-play potential due to his speed and had three catches for 41 yards in Week 1. He also could have had another 50 yards and a touchdown if he hadn’t dropped a long over-the-shoulder opportunity. Pre-injury, Jeudy had been lining up primarily in the slot and had gotten seven targets. If Hamler takes that role, he’ll be a great play under $4K.
Hunter Renfrow, Las Vegas Raiders at Pittsburgh Steelers, $3,600 — Renfrow is another high-volume play as his team’s primary slot receiver, and his price is still reduced since salaries were released before his big Monday performance. He caught 6-of-9 targets for 70 yards and was the most-targeted Vegas WR. The sure-handed receiver is always a red-zone option and will look to exploit the same matchup against the Steelers in which slot WR Cole Beasley ($4,600) produced eight catches last week.
Jalen Guyton, Los Angeles Chargers vs. Dallas Cowboys, $3,100 – The Chargers’ third WR in Week 1 was clearly Guyton, who logged 53-of-81 offensive snaps, trailing Mike Williams ($6,100) by only 10%. Guyton has been a deep threat over the past few seasons in Anthony Lynn’s system, but he looks like he’ll be more involved at all levels under new OC Joe Lombardi. He caught 3-of-5 targets for 49 yards and could be in for an even bigger game if he stays so involved in what should be a high-scoring game against the Cowboys. The matchup’s over/under is 55, the highest of any game on the main slate, per DraftKings Sportsbook.
Other Options: Nelson Agholor ($4,800), Tim Patrick ($4,600), Rondale Moore ($4,000), Donovan Peoples-Jones ($3,000)
TIGHT END
($4,000 and under)
Jared Cook, Los Angeles Chargers vs. Dallas Cowboys, $3,900 – Another Chargers pass-catcher who was very involved in Week 1, Cook had eight targets in his Bolts debut and played 58% of the snaps on his way to 10.6 DKFP. The Cowboys look to be a matchup to attack at multiple spots including TE after getting crushed by Gronk and the Bucs in the opener.
Cole Kmet, Chicago Bears vs. Cincinnati Bengals, $3,700 – Kmet took over as starter from Jimmy Graham ($3,200) last season and continued to outpace the veteran this year, playing 74% of offensive snaps and getting seven targets to Graham’s two. Kmet turned those targets into five catches for 42 yards. While the numbers aren’t eye-popping, they’re good enough to make him a solid play under $4K this week against the Bengals.
Other Options: David Njoku ($3,600), Adam Trautman ($3,000)
DEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS
($2,800 and under)
Miami Dolphins DST vs. Buffalo Bills, $2,500 – The Dolphins produced an NFL-high 29 takeaways in 2020 and started 2021 by forcing two key fumbles against the Patriots and allowing only 16 points. The Bills’ offense looked a little off in their loss to the Steelers, and now they’ll be on the road in Miami. The Dolphins have enough big-play potential to be a boom-or-bust bargain option as they battle the Bills.
Philadelphia Eagles DST vs. San Francisco 49ers, $2,400 — The Eagles dominated the Falcons’ offense last week, but it’s a little hard to tell whether Atlanta’s offense is that bad or Philadelphia’s defense is that good. The Eagles didn’t allow a touchdown on their way to 10.0 DKFP and finished with three sacks and two takeaways while totaling nine QB hits, third-best in the NFL in Week 1. The 49ers will definitely be a tougher test, but the Eagles showed they have enough potential to be a flier under $2.5K.
Set your DraftKings fantasy football Millionaire lineups here: NFL $4.5M Fantasy Football Millionaire [$1M to 1st]
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