DraftKings NFL Week 2 Picks, Sleepers and Strategies

After a wonky Week 1, we turn our focus to Week 2’s slate and get ready once again. There were a lot of big names that had underwhelming performances so it’s essential to dig deep and find those gems to take you to the next level.

Per usual, these follow standard Draftkings prices containing games in the Millionaire Maker (No Thur/Mon games)

Quarterbacks

• Top Shelf
  • Tom Brady ($7,900) – After a very shaky Week 1, there’s nothing Tom Brady and the Patriots want to do more than come out and blow the doors off all the haters. What better way to start that then against the New Orleans Saints defense who were just SHREDDED by Sam Bradford (lol) and the Vikings offense.
  • Matt Ryan ($7,500)  – In an NFC championship rematch, give me the QB who went for 40+ and shredded the Packers defense. After a more quiet offensive performance, look for Ryan and the Falcons to turn it up in their home opener.
• Retail Price
  • ***Jameis Winston ($6,300)*** – The Bucs had their opening game cancelled because of Hurricane Irma. With starting RB Doug Martin out with a suspension, Winston will be looked upon to carry even more of the offense in his absence. Also to note, the Bucs have had two weeks to scout for the Bears while Chicago has no regular season film to study on Tampa Bay. Something likely to be overlooked.
  • Philip Rivers ($5,800) – Rivers has always been an undervalued but consistent scoring option. He played surprisingly well against a stout Broncos pass defense and almost led the team on a fourth quarter comeback. At home against the Dolphins with his abundance of receiving weapons allows you more roster flexibility thanks to a cheaper price.
• Bang For Your Buck
  • Jared Goff ($5,100) – Sure there’s a little recency bias here, but Goff looked solid and gets another tasteful matchup against the Redskins at home. Washington had trouble containing Carson Wentz last week, while Los Angeles and the Rams offense seems to be humming at the moment (very weird to think about).

Running Backs

• Top Shelf
  • Ezekiel Elliott ($7,800) – The thing about the Denver defense is that they are so good against the pass, they almost force you to just run. Melvin Gordon looked great Week 1, and I can’t see Dak consistently pushing the ball downfield against the Broncos. The offense should run through Zeke as the Cowboys best shot at winning the game.
  • Melvin Gordon ($7,000) – Mentioned above, Gordon looked good versus Denver. He looked quick and was decisive in his cuts, while also being used in the passing game. This week against the Dolphins should be a much better time for Gordon, who was already solid enough to begin with.
• Retail Price
  • Jay Ajayi ($6,400) – A fresh Ajayi is looking to be the face of the Dolphins offense in 2017. Matched up against the Chargers, Los Angeles allowed an abundance of rushing touchdowns in 2016, while CJ Anderson rushed for 81 yards on 20 carries.
  • Marshawn Lynch ($6,000) – Oakland welcomes the abysmal New York Jets team to the Bay Area in what should be a convincing victory. The Jets offense simply cannot keep up with Oakland on the road, leaning towards a favorable game script where Lynch and the Raiders rush heavy in order to keep the clock moving.
  • ***Ty Montgomery ($5,800)*** – Montgomery saw an extremely high usage rate in Week 1 against Seattle with 19 carries and 4 targets. He looks like a true workhorse in Green Bay and should continue to see plenty of touches in what’s going to be a high scoring affair against the Atlanta Falcons.
  • Mike Gillislee ($5,700) – It became evident that Gillislee has taken over the LeGarrette Blount/goal line back role for the Patriots after rushing for three touchdowns in the opener. The Patriots figure to be in the red zone frequently against the Saints, so Gillislee could see plenty of action down on the goal line again in Week 2.
  • Terrance West ($5,100) – West handled the ball on 19 carries for 80 yards and a touchdown in a pretty impressive feat against the Bengals. What was interesting was Buck Allen out-touching West, most likely because of the game flow and huge lead the Ravens had all game. Now facing the Browns, West and the Ravens should roll over the competition allowing Baltimore to dictate the game flow once again.
• Bang For Your Buck
  • CJ Anderson ($4,700) – Anderson dominated touches with 20 rushes against the Chargers Week 1. Siemian still hasn’t become that high volume passer for the Broncos, not that we expect him to. Anderson sets the tone for the offense and was given plenty of chances to run. Week 2 should look more or less the same when Dallas comes to Mile High.
  • Jacquizz Rodgers ($4,400) – Rodgers finally gets his chance to take the reigns in Tampa Bay after weather delayed their season opener. When Jacquizz was the featured back last year, he received plenty of touches and was a big time part of the offense in those games. You can get RB1 numbers and touches for a discounted price from Rodgers’ opportunity here.
  • Tarik Cohen ($4,100) – Cohen exploded onto the scene much faster than anticipated. What was so surprising was the amount of targets he got in the receiving game. With Cameron Meredith, and now Kevin White done for the year Chicago is very thin at the receiver spot. Cohen could see plenty of passing game action for weeks to come, and seems to be capitalizing on every touch that he gets.

Wide Receivers

• Top Shelf
  • Julio Jones ($9,200) – A sub par performance in Week 1 only sets up a ricochet return for Julio in Week 2. A shootout with the Packers is looming, and while Russell Wilson and the Seahawks struggled to move the ball through the air, Ryan and company shouldn’t have those same problems at home. Julio exploded 9-180-2 in the NFC title game against the Packers last year. Plus, if these two tweets don’t get you rock hard thinking about Julio’s ceiling this week, then I don’t know what will.

Julio Jones gets these cornerbacks after a five target game.

Someone who is good at this stuff, what is the appropriate gif to use here? pic.twitter.com/SD5bXyTWK3

— Scott Barrett (@ScottBarrettDFB) September 12, 2017

Julio was under 70 yards 6 times last year. His lines in game immediately following: 5-106-1, 12-300-1, 7-139-1, 8-111-1, 7-113-0, 7-96-1.

— Adam Levitan (@adamlevitan) September 13, 2017

• • Brandin Cooks ($8,200) – Cooks has probably the biggest revenge narrative game of the season on deck here coming back to play against the Saints. We just watched New Orleans get torched by Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen, so the thought of Cooks and Brady carving up the receiver’s former team are mouthwatering. Cooks was scarcely used against the Chiefs because of Marcus Peters and KC’s solid corners. New Orleans doesn’t possess the same talent in their secondary allowing Cooks to run more free.
  • Jordy Nelson ($7,900) – Per usual, Jordy was very reliable for Rodgers and the Packers reeling in 7 catches for 79 yards and a beautiful score. Similar to Julio, this will be a high scoring game and Jordy is as good a bet as anyone to come through with another touchdown and some big numbers for the Packers.
• Retail Price
  • Doug Baldwin ($6,700) – Baldwin put up some paltry numbers in an enticing spot against the Packers. He’s historically been much more productive at home, and a cake matchup against the 49ers could be exactly what’s needed to get Dougie Fresh going in 2017.
  • ***Tyreek Hill ($6,200)*** – Nobody was happier to see Tyreek Hill explode Thursday night than our guy The Wolf. After pumping him up all off-season the results spoke for themselves in a big time way. Hill’s usage in both the running and passing game was very enticing as he’s clearly a top priority in the Chiefs offense. Now Hill takes on an Eagles defense that is strong at all spots minus cornerback. Also, the Eagles lost new corner Ronald Darby to a freaky and gruesome ankle dislocation leaving that position weaker than it already was. I like Hill to leave his fingerprints all over this game with some more eye popping numbers.
  • Terrelle Pryor ($6,000) – Pryor came out and established himself as the true WR1 in Washington, drawing 11 targets and 6 catches for 66 yards. Pryor let a sure touchdown slip through his arms in the end zone on a beautiful deep ball from Kirk Cousins so we know the volume is going to be there all year. The Rams secondary looked great, however that came against Scott Tolzien and the Colts. Cousins should be able to get Pryor the ball enough on Sunday.
  • Keenan Allen ($5,800) – Allen returned to NFL action and managed to not get injured during his first game so that’s a win in our book. Then he put up 5 catches on 10 targets for 35 yards and a touchdown. He’s Rivers’ favorite target and a true WR1 for a relatively cheaper price. A home contest against the Dolphins is much more inviting than a road trip against the elite Denver secondary.
• Bang For Your Buck
  • DeSean Jackson ($4,900) – Jackson was a big off-season acquisition for the Bucs, giving them a big play threat that stretches the defense. An intriguing note here is that facing the Bears benefits Jackson this week. Chicago has had success in clamping down on opposing WR1s, as evidenced by Julio Jones’ Week 1 stat line. With Mike Evans likely to get that same treatment, Jackson is the likely benefactor in a pass heavy offense.
  • Cooper Kupp ($4,100) – I liked Kupp last week, and he came through with a touchdown in his opening game. The talk of Kupp and Goff’s chemistry was not smoke at all as the two were on the same page pretty much all game. Kupp had some impressive grabs in the game and now gets the Redskins defense that struggled to contain Nelson Agholor and the Eagles offense.
  • Allen Hurns ($3,900) – The injury to Allen Robinson forced Hurns into the WR1 role in Jacksonville. The Jags are riding high after a Week 1 rout of Houston. Aside from Fournette being the focal point of the offense, Hurns would be Bortles’ top option in passing situations. For this low a price, the upside is there for more roster flexibility.

Tight Ends

• Top Plays
  • ***Rob Gronkowski ($6,900)*** – Gronk was virtually shut down by Eric Berry of the Chiefs in the season opener. It was noted pretty heavily how little Gronk was used along with his impact in the game. I’d expect a major bounce back game for Gronk against a weaker Saints defense. A multiple touchdown game certainly isn’t out of the question especially when the Patriots appear likely to be in the red zone frequently on Sunday. Also, it has to be a sign from above that Gronk is priced at 6,900 this week. He wouldn’t have asked for anything else.
  • Jimmy Graham ($4,900) – Similar to Baldwin above, Graham was very underwhelming in the team’s opener. A home contest against the 49ers should solve those problems for the hulking tight end.
• Bargain Plays
  • Austin Hooper ($3,500) – Hooper turned in a highlight reel touchdown with a devastating stiff arm to a Bears defender. Despite only having two targets, Hooper made the most of them and turned in a quality game. With more offense coming in Week 2, Hooper looks should rise considerably.
  • Charles Clay ($3,000) – Clay had nine targets from Tyrod Taylor in the opener and established himself as a red zone option against the Jets. The Bills have limited receiving options on their roster, and Clay is one familiar face that Taylor has already built some kind of chemistry with. The Panthers have a solid defense, so I’m not expecting the Bills to really air it out. Clay could see a handful of dump passes or short routes to try and move the chains.

Defense

• Top Plays
  • Seattle Seahawks ($4,000) – The Seahawks are generally a dominant team at home and now welcome the 49ers coming off a loss. Seattle did well to hold Green Bay in check in Lambeau, so the Seahawks shouldn’t have much trouble with Brian Hoyer at home.
  • ***Baltimore Ravens ($3,700)*** – The Ravens just shut out Andy Dalton and the Bengals in Cincinnati which was very impressive. Dalton looked like utter shit and couldn’t get anything going on the day. Now enter Deshone Kizer and the Browns offense to Baltimore, and we might have another shut out on our hands here.

• Bargain Plays

  • Jacksonville Jaguars ($3,100) – Jacksonville was mighty impressive on the road against Houston racking up TEN sacks on the day. Playing with a winning record for the first time in what seems like forever, there’s a little buzz in the air in Jacksonville. Marcus Mariota and Tennessee had trouble keeping up with Oakland and only managed to put up 16 points against a below average defense. The Jags could be a sneaky good play once again.
  • Pittsburgh Steelers ($3,000) – Sure the Vikings looked great Monday night, but that was against the Saints defense. I’m not sure I trust Minnesota to have similar success against a much better team and playing on the road. Pittsburgh adding Joe Haden to their secondary is a huge plus, and the Steelers could be a decent play down from the expensive guys above to give you an extra thousand dollars to spend elsewhere on your lineup.

Be sure to let me know how much money I won you, @theJMcGuinness.