My week 1 value plays were a mixed bag. Rishard Matthews was on the field for 52 snaps and 9 targets, while the Rams D/ST recorded 28 fantasy points (tied for best of the week). Kirk Cousins and Bilal Powell were better off left out of the mix.
I'm here to help you win cash games and GPP tournaments on DraftKings. Each week of the NFL season, I'm going to publish value picks for the upcoming DK slates. I'm looking for a solid value pick each week at each position. This will help you make room on your team for the more expensive players without sacrificing points with your value picks. Without further ado, here are my week 2 value picks for DraftKings.
Quarterback
Jameis Winston (TB) vs. CHI $6,300 DK
Coming off Hurricane Irma destruction, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers should be ready to impress in their home opener. I really like Winston in a cash stack (with Mike Evans) or GPP stack alongside Desean Jackson or Cameron Brate (see below). Matt Ryan chucked 30 pass attempts on the road last week against the Bears; expect the same from Winston this week. Winston in a November matchup versus the Bears last year went: 23/33, 312 yards and 2 TD's. Going against the 25th ranked OPRK, Winston last season averaged 35.4 pass attempts.
Early season trends indicate the Chicago Bears traditionally show up well at home versus dome teams. However, the Bears were 0-8 on the road last year. Be comfortable rostering almost any Bucs player this week.
Running Back
Marlon Mack (IND) vs. ARI $3,800 DK
Primarily a GPP value play here, but I still like it a ton. Mack makes would-be-tacklers miss, and will get on the field over the aging veteran Frank Gore as the season progresses (Gore's 19 snap count to Mack's 17 in week 1). Game scripts will likely play out with the Colts trailing in most games, but that suits Mack just fine as the future RB in waiting. In his regular season debut, Mack showed up in limited action:
- 10 rushing attempts/24 yards
- 1 reception/21 yards
- 1 rushing touchdown (*another reception TD was called back due to Mack being out of bounds which later was proven not to be the case)
Instead of playing the shell game with the Arizona Cardinals backfield this week (Andre Ellington - $4,000) or the more expensive C.J. Anderson ($4,700), I favor Mack slightly over those two options. Pair him with Ezekiel Elliott or Ty Montgomery which both should be heavily owned in GPP formats.
Wide Receiver
J.J. Nelson (ARI) @ IND $3,800 DK
With a matchup against the Dallas Cowboys on the horizon, the 0-1 Arizona Cardinals are in a must-win situation this week. Carson Palmer to open up the season attempted a staggering 48 passes (6 targets to Nelson for 5 receptions, 43 yards and 1 TD). Nelson only accumulated 30 snaps (lowest of the core Cardinals WR's), but that does not worry me in this particular matchup where the Cardinals should be playing from ahead or firing the ball late in a close contest with the injured David Johnson out. Many fantasy owners will be down on Palmer after a sub par week 1 performance. Stack the backup rookie running back in Mack above with a wide-out like Nelson, you'll have a lot of cash to spend elsewhere (look to $5,200 WR tier and above, lots there to like).
Tight End
Cameron Brate (TB) vs. CHI $3,000 DK
As mentioned above, I really like QB/TE team stack here. This will likely be one of the cheapest prices you'll get Brate this year if they bring along the rookie OJ Howard slowly in the passing game, acclimating him to blocking situational plays. While the Falcons torched the Bears at the TE position last week over the middle of the field (2 receptions, 128 yards, 1 TD), the Bucs could make the Bears pay in the red zone. Brate is coming off an 8 TD season, expect more of the same this season.
If you worry about "too many mouths" to feed theory in TB., Hunter Henry is GPP consideration play ($3,600). Zero targets last week mainly due to Broncos pass rushing where Henry had blocking responsibilities. His 23 snap counts last week should take a bump up this week versus a weaker Dolphins defense.
Defense/Special Teams
Kansas City Chiefs vs. PHI $2,900 DK
If you want to pay below the $3,000 level, there are solid D/ST options out there. The Eric Berry injury aside, the Chiefs sacked Tom Brady three times to open up the season. Kansas City are a different animal at home, and the Eagles should feel every bit of that this weekend. KC -5.5 is a soft line that the public should bump up against an average Eagles football team.
If I listen to this on repeat, maybe Eric Berry's injury won't be as bad as they are saying...? pic.twitter.com/LWN2Ub4daH
— Becca Perkins (@BeccaPerkins247) September 8, 2017
Likely highly owned DFS players for week 2: T. Montgomery, K.Williams, J. Rodgers, L. Fitzgerald, C. Kupp and C. Davis
Check back each week for more Draft Kings value picks. Pair these with some of the higher priced players and prepare to rule your DFS contests. For more info and insight, follow us on Twitter: @_knuckleheads and @KJ_Lups.
