RealTime DFS Strategy: Week 2

Fri Sep 18 8:57am ET
By MIKE BARNER
Contributing Writer

Price is worth a look Week 2

Points weren't difficult to come by during Week 1. There were 15 teams who put at least 27 points on the board, led by the Bears scoring 59 points. As we turn our attention to Week 2, we have the potential for more high-scoring affairs. Let's highlight some players at each position who could thrive in DFS, as well as some to potentially avoid because of their matchups.

Quarterbacks

Brock Purdy, SF vs. MIA ($6,200):
Purdy led the 49ers to a win over the Rams in Australia, completing 73.5% of his passes and posting three touchdowns. He also ran five times for 29 yards. The 49ers lost De'Zhaun Stribling (ankle) in the process, but Deebo Samuel Sr. looked good in his return to the team. The added time off between games means that we could see more of George Kittle this week, after being limited to 30 snaps against the Rams. The Dolphins, who should have one of the worst defenses in the league, gave up three touchdowns to Kirk Cousins last week, despite Brock Bowers not playing. With much better weapons at his disposal, this is a matchup for Purdy to exploit.

Tyler Shough, NO at BAL ($5,300): Shough struggled at the start of his Week 1 matchup against the Lions, but got back on track later in the game and almost helped the Saints pull off the upset. He attempted 56 passes in the overtime loss, throwing for 410 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. The Saints go from facing one high-powered offense to another when they take on the Ravens, who scored 41 points against the Colts on Sunday. In what should be a pass-heavy game script, Shough can provide significant value at his cheap salary.

Player to Avoid
Trevor Lawrence, JAX at DEN ($5,800): The Broncos were dismantled by the Chiefs in Kansas City in Week 1, allowing 31 points along the way. That was unexpected, considering they allowed just 18.3 points per game last season. They will look to bounce back at home and will provide a difficult matchup for Lawrence, considering they gave up the seventh-fewest passing yards per game in the NFL last year. While the Chiefs destroyed the Broncos on the ground, Patrick Mahomes produced a modest 184 passing yards, two touchdowns and one interception, while completing just 55.6% of his passes. This is not a matchup to feel confident in Lawrence.

Running Backs

Derrick Henry, BAL vs. NO ($7,200): Talk about two difficult running back matchups for the Saints out of the gate. Jahmyr Gibbs ran all over them in Week 1, rushing 29 times for 156 yards and two touchdowns. Now they will face Henry, who posted 144 yards and three touchdowns over 24 carries against the Colts last week. Dating back to last season, Henry has five straight games with at least 100 rushing yards. With plenty of carries likely coming his way again Sunday, Henry provides a high floor in DFS.

Jadarian Price, SEA at ARI ($5,500): Price finished with 10 rushing attempts in Week 1, racking up 52 yards on the ground. George Holani cut into his workload with eight carries of his own, but he only ran for 29 yards. Holani struggled with efficiency last season, averaging 3.6 yards per carry. Emanuel Wilson was given two carries in short-yardage situations, but he only came away with three yards and did not reach the end zone. At some point, the Seahawks must use Price more. They could start that process this week with Sam Darnold (glute) out. The Cardinals pulled off an upset over the Chargers last week, but Omarion Hampton did at least reach the end zone. If Price can receive closer to 15 carries in Week 2, he could be a bargain.

Player to Avoid
Tony Pollard, TEN vs. PHI ($5,300): The Titans offense looked anemic in Week 1, scoring just 10 points in a loss to the Jets. Pollard wasn't left with much work, turning seven carries into 35 yards. The Titans are significant underdogs against the Eagles and have the potential to be trailing by double digits early in this game. If that happens, Pollard could be left with limited rushing attempts again. Price has a similar salary and a much better matchup, so there's no need to consider Pollard for your lineups.

Wide Receivers

Garrett Wilson, NYJ vs. GB ($6,000): I really wanted to go with Ladd McConkey ($6,200) in this salary range, who was great against the Cardinals last week before leaving with a rib injury. However, he hasn't practiced this week and is trending towards being sidelined. I'll pivot to Wilson, who had six receptions for 79 yards in Week 1 and could see a heavy workload in Week 2 as the Jets try to keep pace with the Packers. Last week, Vikings backup quarterback Carson Wentz posted three touchdown passes against them, two of which went to Justin Jefferson.

Devaughn Vele, NO at BAL ($4,200): Chris Olave led the way for the Saints last week, catching 10 of 13 targets for 182 yards. Although he grabbed all the headlines, Vele was also excellent. He was targeted nine times with Jordyn Tyson (hamstring) on IR, recording seven receptions for 69 yards and one touchdown. Olave commands the attention of the opposing team's best cornerback, which puts Vele in a spot to thrive against lesser defenders. Given his upside, he feels like a must at his cheap salary.

Player to Avoid
Jaylen Waddle, DEN vs. JAX ($6,500): Waddle's Broncos debut was a disaster. He was only targeted three times against the Chiefs, catching one of them for two yards. His average depth of target was a paltry 4.0 yards. Not only did Courtland Sutton receive more targets (five) than Waddle, so did Pat Bryant (six). Even tight end Evan Engram was more involved with his five targets. Last season, the Jaguars allowed the third-fewest yards per target to wide receivers in the league. Waddle is a risky fantasy option.

Tight Ends

Isaiah Likely, NYG at LAR ($4,500): Likely hit for us last week, catching all eight of his targets for 78 yards and two touchdowns against the Cowboys. Malik Nabers received nine targets, but no other receiver emerged from the matchup with more than four targets. Likely has the potential to finish the season second on the Giants in targets, while also being one of the team's best red zone targets. The Rams' vaunted defense might shy some people away from deploying Likely in DFS, but his cheap salary and significant role on the Giants makes him worth taking a chance on in tournament play.

Juwan Johnson, NO at BAL ($3,900): With the Saints lacking depth at wide receiver last year, Johnson set career highs in targets (103), receptions (77) and receiving yards (889). With Tyson out to begin this season, Johnson remained busy with seven targets in Week 1. He caught three of them for 54 yards and one touchdown. In a game in which the Saints should throw a lot, Johnson could provide significant value in DFS.

Player to Avoid
Kyle Pitts Sr., ATL vs. CAR ($4,500): The Falcons' mess at quarterback impacted Pitts in their Week 1 loss to the Steelers. He didn't post any receptions and was targeted just one time. If Cooper Rush starts again, the Falcons' offense should remain limited. Even if Tua Tagovailoa (oblique) or Michael Penix Jr. (knee) can return, they don't instill a ton of confidence coming off injuries.

Mike Barner has been covering fantasy sports since 2007. His work has appeared in Sports Illustrated, Yahoo, SportsLine and RotoWire. Mike was also a finalist for the 2018 FSWA Basketball Writer of the Year award. Follow Mike on Twitter @rotomikebarner.

RealTime DFS Strategy: Week 2

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