DFS week two is here. If you’re tilting because you missed out on some value in your drafts, DFS is the perfect way to get those players in your lineup and win some money. We started the season off on fire with some of last week’s cash game picks. In case you’re new to the article, each week I pick two-to-three players at each position with one of those players usually being my “value pick” so you can spend up elsewhere. Below you’ll find my top cash game picks at each position for the week two main slate.
Quarterback
Josh Allen, Bills @ Giants ($7,500)
Last week I was all in on Josh Allen at $6900. While his play left a lot to be desired, turning the ball over four times, he still exceeded his salary expectations with 17.96 points. He has a juicy matchup with the Giants who allowed Dak Prescott to score 33.4 points in week one with four touchdowns. To be clear, Josh Allen is not Dak Prescott; but with his rushing ability and his more than capable group of receivers he should be able to put up solid numbers while providing a safe floor with his rushing. The Giants defense is going to struggle all season, especially if the offense cannot sustain drives, Allen should be able to take advantage of soft secondary and weak front seven.
Projection: 252 passing yards, 2 TDs, 60 rushing yards.
Dak Prescott, Cowboys @ Redskins ($7,700)
After throwing the ball 32 times for 405 yards and four touchdowns, I expect the Cowboys to get back to their run game this week. It was clear early that offensive coordinator Kellen Moore was going to change this offense for the better. We saw more pre-snap motion and unconventional formations from the Cowboys in week one than we saw all last season. Dak should not need to throw the ball 32 times in this game, but the offense should be efficient enough for him to produce with less volume. Washington looked better than expected in week one, and if this game stays close, we should see Dak put up a similar line to Carson Wentz who threw for three touchdowns against the Redskins defense last week.
Projection: 280 passing yards, 3 TDs, 20 rushing yards.
Gardner Minshew II, Jaguars @ Texans ($6,400)
It was tough to pick a value pick this week as the quarterback pricing has tightened up after week one. Last week Minshew came in for the injured Nick Foles and looked pretty good. He has several weapons in the passing game, and they will likely be playing catchup against a very good Houston offense. Houston’s defense missed Jadeveon Clowney in week one, struggling to apply pressure. Minshew should have a pretty clean pocket to throw from. He scored 18.6 FD points in week one, and I expect similar numbers this week.
Projection: 290 passing yards, 2 TDs.
Running Back
Alvin Kamara, Saints @ Rams ($8,700)
I don’t see any scenario where this game is not a shootout. The Rams rushing defense looks like it has taken a step back after being torched by Christian McCaffrey in week one. Kamara does not receive the same usage as CMC, but his skill set is similar, and he should be able to rip off chunk plays in this high scoring matchup. He has one of the safest floors and highest ceilings on the slate and is worth the hefty price. The over/under on this game is 54 points, and I want as many pieces of that in my cash game lineups as I can fit.
Projection: 24 touches, 157 yards, 1 TD.
Todd Gurley II, Rams vs. Saints ($7,000)
Staying in the same game, give me Todd Gurley versus a Saints defense that gave up eight yards per carry to Carlos Hyde in week one. At $7000 Gurley is the 13th most expensive RB on the slate. He will finish better than running back 13. Gurley only saw 15 touches in week one and of those touches only one goal-line carry. DO NOT PANIC. Gurley looked explosive on his touches, and if one of Malcolm Brown’s touchdowns goes to Gurley and he sees the same workload as week one, he pays off value. Gurley may never again see 25-30 touches in a game, but in this offense, with 15-20 touches he can still return value.
Projection: 19 touches, 108 yards, 1 TD.
Matt Breida, 49ers @ Bengals ($5,600)
There was plenty of value at running back in week one and week two is no different. Under $7000 you have Josh Jacobs, Tarik Cohen, Gio Bernard, Chris Thompson, and Matt Breida as viable value plays. The field will likely be overweight on Gio Bernard this week if Mixon is out. Even if Mixon is out, I prefer Breida over him and the rest of the values. Breida should receive 10-20 carries and is a more polished pass-catcher than Raheem Mostert. The Bengals allowed Chris Carson to score two touchdowns in Week 1 and Breida should find the endzone on the ground or through the air. Zac Taylor showed that with a little creativity the Bengals might have enough weapons to be a competent offense. If the 49ers have to put up points, Breida will be on the field in passing formations.
Projection: 20 touches, 119 yards, 1 TD.
Wide Receiver
Cooper Kupp, Rams vs. Saints ($6,800)
In cash games, the name of the game is rostering players with a high floor. With a combined total of 54 points, your cash lineup should contain several pieces of this game. Kupp had 10 targets in week one, and if he sees that same volume, he should always provide a safe floor with upside. Kupp was an absolute machine in the red zone before going down with an ACL tear last season; I expect him to get back to his scoring ways this week.
Projection: 7 catches, 90 yards, 1 TD.
Josh Gordon, Patriots @ Dolphins ($6,300)
The Dolphins were gashed on big plays in week one against the Ravens. Gordon boasts a career average of better than 17 yards-per-reception. If the Patriots get up big in this game, it should be on the back of some big plays down the field. The Dolphins could not get any pressure on Lamar Jackson so Brady should have a clean pocket and plenty of time to get the ball downfield to his big body receiver. Antonio Brown’s availability is in question with the recent allegations of sexual misconduct. If he does not play, plug Gordon in with the potential for a ceiling game.
Projection: 6 catches, 120 yards, 2 TD.
Tyrell Williams, Raiders vs. Chiefs ($5,900)
Is Tyrell Williams better than DJ Chark and Chris Conley? Yes. Is Derrick Carr better than Gardner Minshaw? Probably. Chark and Conley both reached nearly 100 receiving yards in week one against the Chiefs, and I expect the Raiders to be playing catch up most of this game meaning plenty of opportunities for Williams to get loose. Williams is an exceptional talent and now has the opportunity to be Derek Carr’s number one option in the passing game. His price hasn’t caught up yet so keep plugging him into your lineup and spending up at other positions while you can.
Projection: 6 catches 101 yards, 1 TD.
Tight End
Darren Waller, Raiders vs. Chiefs ($5,400)
I usually like to target two things in cash, games with a high over/under, and situations where a team will be forced to become one dimensional. The Raiders will be forced to throw the ball a lot to keep up with the explosive Chiefs offense, and that means plenty of targets for Darren Waller. He saw eight targets in week one and should see at least that many in this matchup. The Chiefs defense is revamped upfront, but the secondary can still be exposed. They were the worst team in the league last year against the tight end position, and Waller has the physical tools to create separation over the middle. Waller has a solid floor and a potentially high ceiling, which is not something we can say about many tight ends, especially those under $7000.
Projection: 7 catches 98 yards.
Mark Andrews, Ravens vs. Cardinals ($6,100)
His price has come up after the big week one performance but don’t let that scare you away from plugging Andrews into your cash lineups. The Arizona Cardinals got beat repeatedly by T.J. Hockenson in week one and Andrews should be able to take advantage of a very weak Cardinals secondary. Lamar Jackson showed us during the second half of last season that he trusts Andrews and he should see enough targets to make him a viable tight end at his price. Andrews is a field stretcher. I expect him to get open for a couple of big plays and find the endzone in this matchup.
Projection: 5 catches, 85 yards, 1 TD.
Defense
Seattle Seahawks@ Pittsburgh Steelers
The Seahawks are the 18thmost expensive defense on the slate, and they finished with the 5thhighest points in week one. Yes, the matchup is not ideal. Mike Tomlin has a history of bouncing back in a big way after bad losses, but the offensive line in Pittsburgh did not look good in week one. The Seahawks could very well lead the league in sacks this season, and I expect them to get after Big Ben. There will be points scored in this game, but Seattle should be able to rack up multiple sacks and save you some money doing it.
Projection: 5 sacks, 1 Int, 30 Points allowed.
Thanks for reading this article for more DFS insight you can find me on Twitter at @DFF_StevenA .
