In Week 2, it’s best to suck it up and pay for the highest priced players like Alvin Kamara and Antonio Brown.
Week 1 is behind us and it’s time to take a look at the schedule for Week 2. There are some key injuries to pay attention to that change the outlook of the slate. This week the star players are priced up but the matchups and the higher prices should scare some people away.
Let’s take a look at the plays this week:
Quarterback:
Jimmy Garoppolo, San Francisco 49ers ($6,000)
There are two things to like about Jimmy G this week. First, he had an awful Week 1 and that will drive down his ownership in tournaments. Second, he gets to face the Detroit Lions; they just made the New York Jets look like a juggernaut. If you play him, you need to stack him with George Kittle ($3,800) who was his main target in Week 1. Both Jimmy G and Kittle are low priced and have big upside this week.
Andrew Luck, Indianapolis Colts ($6,200)
Andrew Luck threw the ball 53 times in Week 1, which was the most in football. The Colts can’t run the ball effectively and with a poor defense, he will be forced to throw early and often. This game has one of the highest over/unders of the week and each team should have no problem scoring the ball. Jack Doyle ($4,000) is the pass catcher that you want to pair up with Luck.
Other plays to consider:
- Ben Roethlisberger ($6,900) (Double stack with Antonio Brown $8,800 and JuJu Smith-Schuster ($6,400)
- Matthew Stafford ($6,100) (Stack with Kenny Golladay $4,800)
- Case Keenum ($5,800) (Double stack with Emmanuel Sanders $6,200 and Demaryius Thomas $5,600)
Running Back:
Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints ($9,500)
Yes, he is the most expensive player on the slate. Paying top dollar is risky because it means that he needs to have another game like last week where he scored 46 points, but go all in on Kamara.
The Cleveland Browns made James Connor look like the next great running back and he’s not even in the same class as Kamara. Drew Brees looks at two players when he drops back to pass the ball, Kamara and Michael Thomas. Don’t let the big price tag scare you, he’s worth every dollar this week.
Tevin Coleman, Atlanta Falcons ($5,300)
With Devonta Freeman out, Tevin Coleman will be a popular pick this week. There are times when it’s fine to play the safe and chalky play of the week but at his price and the workload that he will receive he should be a lock and load in lineups. In games where Devonta Freeman has missed, Coleman has averaged 15 fantasy points in those games. Take those 15 fantasy points and lock them in your lineup.
Other plays to consider:
- Christian McCaffrey ($7,000) The Atlanta Falcons will be without their two best players on defense this week. With no Greg Olsen, McCaffrey should see the ball around 20 times this week.
- Jay Ajayi ($6,300) According to coach Doug Pederson, Ajayi should see a heavier workload. He put up 20 fantasy points in week one on only 15 rushes. Don’t be fooled, Tampa Bay isn’t that good and the Eagles should have no problem running the ball against them.
- Adrian Peterson ($5,550) Adrian Peterson touched the ball 28 times last week. He’s going against an awful Colts defense. When the Redskins get close, they will feed him the ball.
Wide Receivers
Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh Steelers ($8,800)
I’m telling you to play the top priced running back and wide receiver. Talk about great fantasy advice. Just like Alvin Kamara, this matchup is too good to ignore. The Kansas City Chiefs just allowed Keenan Allen to have a monster fantasy day against them with 27.8 fantasy points. It’s safe to say that Antonio Brown and JuJu Smith-Schuster are both going to have monster days, play them both this week.
Josh Gordon, Cleveland Browns ($5,800)
This will be the last time this season that Josh Gordon is this cheap on DK. Go all in on this game because when Josh Gordon is on the field, there are few receivers with his upside in the league. Josh Gordon has two career games when playing in a dome. In those two games, he has 35 targets, 18 receptions, 266 yards, and a touchdown. That averages out to 25 fantasy points per game, that’s pretty good.
Other plays to consider:
- Mike Evans ($7,300)
- Nelson Agholor ($6,100)
- Devin Funchess ($4,200)
- Ryan Grant ($4,300)
Tight End
Jack Doyle, Indianapolis Colts ($4,000)
This should almost be a weekly play in all your lineups. He was the second most targeted tight end in Week 1 and that trend will continue. He’s too cheap and it allows for you to pay up for players at other positions. As long as Andrew Luck is under center, Jack Doyle should be in your lineups.
George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers ($3,800)
It’s unbelievable that George Kittle is so cheap again this week. He was the fourth most targeted tight end and he scored 14 fantasy points against one of the toughest defenses last week. With Marquise Goodwin out this week, that only means more targets for Kittle. Putting Jack Doyle and George Kittle in your lineups could be a good move. Both are underpriced.
Other plays to consider:
- Zach Ertz ($6,100)
- Jordan Reed ($5,000)
- Jonnu Smith ($3,100)
Defenses
Philadelphia Eagles ($3,600)
This is going to be a great tournament play this week. Tampa Bay is not as good as they looked in Week 1. The Eagles will get pressure on Ryan Fitzpatrick and that will lead to a handful of sacks and turnovers.
Minnesota Vikings ($2,600)
Aaron Rodgers hasn’t practiced all week and even if he does, he’s not going to be 100 percent. This could be a popular pick if Rodgers is ruled out but even if he plays, I’ll still take my chances on the Vikings defense to wreak havoc on the Green Bay Packers.
Other plays to consider:
- Denver Broncos ($3,300)
- Houston Texans ($2,600)
