NFL DFS Week 2: Fantasy Lineup Optimizer Picks for DraftKings and FanDuel
NFL DFS season is in full swing as Week 2 approaches, and our expert analysts are breaking down NFL DFS lineup optimizer picks and projections for FanDuel and DraftKings. Sign up for RotoGrinders Premium for full access to our NFL lineup optimizer and fantasy football projections all season long.
The expected chaos of week 1 NFL DFS did not disappoint, as pretty much all the expensive QBs underproduced, while cheaper guys like Tua Tagovailoa, Anthony Richardson, Mac Jones, Jordan Love, and Sam Howell we’re all strong p/$ plays. The Rams were the biggest eye-opener for me, as both Puka Nacua and Tutu Atwell were fantastic value plays at WR, and Kyren Williams looks like the RB1 after scoring 2 TDs on 15 touches. He could have had a much bigger line if the score didn’t get so lopsided. Expected top offenses like the Bengals, Ravens, Eagles, and Bears were big disappointments, and yes weather played a role for CIN and PHI, but we did get the expected shootout between the Dolphins and Chargers that led to Tyreek Hill being the guy you needed to have any shot at winning GPPs.
Of course, we had some big injuries, headlined by JK Dobbins and Aaron Rodgers both tearing their achilles. We’ll see how the Ravens backfield shakes out this week between Gus Edwards and Justice Hill, and Zach Wilson will take over at QB for the Jets in a brutal road matchup with Dallas, who will be a very popular DST coming off a 40-0 shutout of the Giants. Austin Ekeler is another big injury concern we need to monitor this week, as a potential high ankle sprain could lead to Joshua Kelley becoming the lead back for LAC and a top value play of the slate. Travis Kelce and Mark Andrews will both be looking to make their 2023 debuts after missing week 1, and if Kelce does play it will make it virtually impossible to trust any KC WRs for consistent targets after all seven saw at least one target last week.
KCC/JAX is currently the highest projected game total of the slate at 51.5 with a close 3.5 point spread, so the Mahomes/Kelce duo should be pretty popular in DFS, along with all four of Lawrence, Etienne, Ridley, and Engram. SEA/DET is another game with shootout potential, and the Bills lead everyone in projected team total at 27.75 in a great bounce-back spot at home vs. the Raiders. GB/ATL is my favorite “sneaky game stack” of the slate as it only has a 40.5 total right now, but with just a 1.5 point spread and elite playmakers on both teams I think we could see fireworks, especially if Christian Watson plays and the Falcons realize they have Drake London and Kyle Pitts to throw to. IND/HOU is another game I’m super excited to watch, as we’ll see rookie QBs Richardson and Stroud fight for their first career wins, and BAL/CIN should be another great divisional watch with both QBs looking to bounce back after ugly week 1 fantasy performances.
NFL DFS Lineup Optimizer Picks for DraftKings
With no Tyreek Hill on the main slate, I’m expecting a lot of salary going to QB and RB in cash games, as every WR is $8k or less. If Kelce and Andrews play they will definitely draw some of that salary away from other spots, but I still think a lot of people will go with a TE under $4k in order to fit in guys like McCaffrey, Diggs, St. Brown, Ridley, Mahomes, and/or Allen.
It’s also looking like a spend up week at DST, as the Cowboys ($4,000) are coming off a 37 FP domination of the Giants, and now get to come back home to face Zach Wilson and the Jets who currently have the lowest projected team total of the slate at just 14.5 points. The 49ers ($4,100) are another great option against the Rams, and should be lower-owned than the Cowboys in GPPs, while the Commanders ($3,100) and Cardinals ($2,600) are a couple of cheap DSTs to consider if you need the extra salary.
Calvin Ridley ($7,200)
After putting up 27.1 FP on an 8-101-1 line last week, Ridley’s price only went up $700, and as the seventh most expensive WR on the board, he is by far my top cash game play. He’s 6th in WR FP projections at 16.88, and has the 5th highest ceiling projection at 30.52, yet is cheaper than all the other WRs projected slightly higher. The Jaguars are in one of the best spots possible playing at home against the Chiefs in the highest projected game total of the week, and they should have the foot on the pedal all game, assuming the Chiefs put up their usual 20+ points. Stacking Ridley with Trevor Lawrence ($6,700) makes a ton of sense just in case Lawrence spreads out the TDs to other WRs, and I can’t blame anyone for even including Travis Etienne ($6,900) for a full Jags stack as all three guys have a great shot of going for 25+ FP.
James Cook ($6,100)
The RB position is loaded with strong plays in the $5.5k-$6.5k range, but my favorite target is Cook, who gets a home matchup with the Raiders that should lead to an extremely favorable game script for him to see big usage and likely find the endzone at least once. Cook drew one of the toughest matchups last week on the road vs. the Jets and still managed to score over 10 FP on 16 touches, including a great chance at a reception TD that Allen just missed him on in solid coverage. This week should be much easier sledding against the Raiders, and to get a bell-cow RB on the projected highest-scoring offense of the slate for just $6,100 is something I would highly recommend taking advantage of.
Luke Musgrave ($3,200)
I highlighted Musgrave on FanDuel last week and he scored a respectable 6.5 FP there, but oh what could have been had he not fallen down after making a wide open catch near the endzone, along with Love overthrowing him on a big chunk play that he could have possibly scored on as well. Only seeing four targets was also a bit deceiving as he would have likely seen 6-8 if the Bears had kept the game closer, so going against Atlanta as 1.5 point underdogs is a great opportunity for Musgrave to see a full games worth of opportunities. It’s also not a guarantee that Watson returns from his hamstring injury, and now Aaron Jones is dealing with a hamstring injury of his own, so there could be even more targets available for Musgrave this game if Watson and/or Jones are out. If you do go with Musgrave in cash games, then I don’t mind stacking him with Jordan Love ($5,500), as his price only went up $500 after throwing 3 TDs last week, and if Watson sits I think Romeo Doubs ($4,800) can also be in cash game consideration coming off a 2 TD game and a likely expanded role after being somewhat limited last week coming off his own hamstring injury.
NFL DFS Lineup Optimizer Picks for FanDuel
It’s going to be harder to fit in McCaffrey, Ridley, and another $8k+ skill player on FanDuel compared to DraftKings, so I think going cheaper at RB, TE, and even QB is the play this week for cash games. Trevor Lawrence ($7,800) is over $1k cheaper than Allen/Mahomes, and he’s my top cash game QB that I will stack with Ridley ($8,300). The Cowboys DST ($4,500) remains my favorite defense play, especially as the sixth most expensive option, and just like last week, I’m still going to be on Luke Musgrave ($5,000) at TE. Picking the right value RBs is going to be key this week, as there are at least four under $7k that I’m considering in my main build, but if Ekeler ends up sitting out with his ankle injury, then Joshua Kelley ($6,300) will be my top choice.
Stefon Diggs ($8,000)
Diggs is the exact same price on both FanDuel and DraftKings, but he’s the fourth most expensive WR on FanDuel (most expensive on DraftKings), so I prefer him here for cash games. With the Bills having the highest team total of the slate, we definitely need some exposure to them, and with Allen a bit too pricey at over $9k, Diggs is my favorite way to do that. I still like Cook for $6,600, but I like doing a cross-site cash game hedge between him and Diggs using one of each in my main builds. Coming off a 10-102-1 line on 13 targets against a much tougher Jets defense than Diggs will face against the Raiders, I’m expecting that line to be his floor this week, and his ceiling to be what Hill did for Miami last week.
Kenneth Walker ($6,700) & David Montgomery ($6,300)
I wanted to write up both of these guys for DraftKings too, as they’re great values there as well at $5,800 each. With so many RBs priced at $8k+ on FanDuel though, and not many RBs I’m liking in the $7k range, Walker and Montgomery are really standing out as top FanDuel cash game RBs in a game with a 47.5 total. Walker played 32 of 51 snaps with 16 touches last week, while his two backups combined for just 6 touches, so for now, this backfield is Walker’s to dominate. Montgomery was also the clear RB1 as he played 55 of 70 snaps, and had 21 touches compared to the 9 touches Gibbs got. Suppose you only end up going with one of these two in cash games. In that case, I prefer Montgomery, as he’s slightly cheaper and I like his matchup against a Seattle defense that just allowed three rushing TDs to the Rams, and he is a home favorite that usually favors that team’s RB.
Michael Pittman ($7,200)
Pittman was a fantastic tournament play last week, as he drew low ownership with the uncertainty of Richardson at QB, but this week I think he’s absolutely cash game viable coming off an 8-97-1 line on 11 targets. The matchup with Houston is also pretty juicy as we saw what Zay Flowers did last week against them, and currently, it’s just a 1.5 point spread, so I’m not worried about Pittman being game-scripted out of targets or anything. Pierce and Downs combined for less targets than Pittman last game, so it’s obvious Richardson found his go-to guy, and as long as Taylor remains out for them, I think Indy will rely pretty heavily on the passing game, and this could be the cheapest salary we see Pittman at for the rest of the year. If you need another cheap WR then I’d strongly consider Nico Collins ($6,200) as a bring-back in this game, as he too saw 11 targets last week and his price only went up $400.
Use Our DFS Lineup Optimizer for Week 2
Make sure to check out our in-house NFL DFS lineup optimizer, LineupHQ, to get a great look at even more top projected plays. It is by far the best place to build a large number of lineups quickly using your personalized build rules, ownership preferences, and stacks you want covered. You can also look at projected ownership to help you decide between players if you’d rather get leverage on the field with someone likely to see much lower ownership than similar plays at his position or price point.
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