Week 2 of the NFL season begins on Thursday night with an outstanding AFC West matchup between the Chargers and Chiefs, but after that, we also have a solid, 12-game NFL DFS main slate on Sunday afternoon that starts at 1 p.m. ET. As always, daily fantasy football players will look to stack their lineups with a few top players, but as we saw last week, there are always value players who come through in a big way. We’ll try to hit on our stars and sleepers with our Week 2 FanDuel picks.
Before we break down our picks, here are the most notable scoring rules for FanDuel contests: four-point passing TDs and half-point PPR.
WEEK 2 WAIVER WIRE: Top pickups
FanDuel Picks Week 2: NFL DFS lineup for GPP tournaments
Sunday main slate, $60,000 budget
QB Russell Wilson, Broncos vs. Texans ($7,500). The veteran quarterback is surprisingly $1,000 cheaper than the highest-priced quarterback (Kyler Murray). Wilson had a solid Week 1 outing against his former squad where he completed 29-of-42 passes for 340 yards and a touchdown (17.8 fantasy points). Wilson made sure to spread the ball around to multiple receivers, tight ends, and running backs, which is what you like to see heading into Week 2. Wilson will be facing a Texans’ defense that allowed 16.3 fantasy points in Week 1 to Colts’ QB Matt Ryan. Indianapolis doesn’t have the weapons that Denver does, setting the stage for another 300-yard passing game for Wilson.
RB Antonio Gibson, Commanders @ Lions ($7,400). Gibson is one of my favorite plays across all DFS platforms for Week 2, especially after what we saw from him in Week 1. The versatile running back posted 21 touches for 130 yards and scored 16.5 fantasy points against the Jaguars. Gibson’s performance last week reminded us of what made him so good as a rookie in 2020. The 24-year-old running back has a favorable matchup against the Lions, who gave up 216 rushing yards to the Eagles. The Commanders will get Gibson his carries and targets in the passing game.
WEEK 2 PPR RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/ST | Kicker
RB James Robinson, Jaguars vs. Colts ($6,800). Robinson did not show any signs of rust in the Jaguars’ regular-season opener against the Commanders. The third-year running back led Jacksonville with 11 carries for 66 yards and two total touchdowns (19.4 fantasy points). It was a surprise to see Robinson as the lead back since he is not even a year removed from an Achilles’ injury, but he doubled up Travis Etienne in touches (12 to 6) despite both playing about an equal amount of snaps. Robinson will now get ready to face the Colts, who were decent against the Texans’ run offense last week but had some trouble containing backs in the passing game.
WR Davante Adams, Raiders vs. Cardinals ($8,800). Adams did not disappoint in Week 1, leading the Raiders in every receiving category. Adams will not have 17 targets every week, but he’s still a great play every time he takes the field. The star wide receiver has the second-highest salary in Week 2 after scoring 25.1 fantasy points last week, but in a good matchup against a porous Cardinals’ pass defense, it would not be a surprise to see another 100-yard effort and touchdown. Pay up.
WR Jerry Jeudy, Broncos vs. Texans ($6,300). Our QB-WR stack for Week 2 will be Wilson and Jeudy against the Texans. Jeudy had a good outing on Monday night against the Seahawks and tied with Courtland Sutton (7) for the team lead in WR targets. He also wound up leading the team with 102 yards and a touchdown (18.2 fantasy points). Jeudy could be the primary playmaker on the outside for Denver, and against a Texans defense that was torched for 121 yards and a score by Michael Pittman last week, that could mean big things. Had prices been released after Monday night’s game, Jeudy would likely be closer to $7,000, so take the value here.
WEEK 2 STANDARD RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/ST | Kicker
WR Jahan Dotson, Commanders @ Lions ($5,500). Dotson was the best rookie in season-long leagues and DFS in Week 1, reeling in three receptions (five targets) for 40 yards and two touchdowns (16.5 fantasy points). Dotson is a perfect complement to what the Commanders have at the wide receiver position with Terry McLaurin and Curtis Samuel. The Lions’ defense could be a tougher matchup than anticipated, as its only allowed 21.7 fantasy points to the Eagles’ receivers (ninth-fewest points in the NFL), with the bulk of that going to A.J. Brown. However, the Eagles ran all over them and had a nice lead most of the second half, so perhaps that’s a bit fluky. With the attention that McLaurin commands, Dotson will have favorable matchups and can create a couple of big plays in the passing game.
TE Zach Ertz, Cardinals @ Raiders ($5,200). The veteran tight end had just four targets in Week 1, but he still managed to have two receptions for 14 yards and a touchdown (10.4 fantasy points). It did not look like Ertz was going to play last week due to a calf injury, but assuming he’s healthier this week, he should be more of a receiving target against the Raiders, who allowed 16.8 fantasy points in Week 1 to the Chargers’ tight ends.
FLEX Joe Mixon, Bengals @ Cowboys ($8,300). Mixon quietly had a solid performance in the Bengals’ Week 1 overtime loss. The veteran running back had 34 touches (27 carries) for 145 yards. Even though he did not score a touchdown, Mixon produced 18 fantasy points. He should be a significant factor in the passing game for Week 2, as the Bengals may not have Tee Higgins (concussion). Dallas was also carved up on the ground by Leonard Fournette last week (21 carries, 127 yards), so in a game where Cincinnati should have a second-half lead, that really bodes well for Mixon’s prospects.
DEF Panthers @ Giants ($4,200). Carolina’s D/ST only had one fantasy point last week against the Browns, which is a bit of a worry since it was at home against a Jacoby Brissett-led team. However, Cleveland pounded the run and limited Carolina’s chances for sacks and INTs. The good news this week is they are facing the mistake-prone Giants, who yielded two takeaways and five sacks to a middle Tennessee defense last week. It’s a good spot for the Panthers’ pass rush to create some pressure and hopefully cash in on a couple of turnovers.
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