RealTime DFS Strategy: Week 2

Fri Sep 17 12:57pm ET
By MIKE BARNER
Contributing Writer

Related photo caption below

Rodgers primed for rebound


The common themes of Week 1 were upsets and injuries. The injuries will have the biggest impact on the DFS landscape heading into Week 2. With that in mind, here are some players to consider for your entries.

Quarterbacks

Aaron Rodgers, GB vs. DET ($6,600): There’s no sugarcoating it, Rodgers was a disaster against the Saints in Week 1. He completed only 15-of-28 attempts for 133 yards, two interceptions and no touchdowns. Considering he completed 70.7 percent of his passes and had only five interceptions all of last season, expect him to bounce back in short order. This matchup certainly points to him playing well given that the Lions already had a weak secondary and have now lost their top cornerback Jeff Okudah to a ruptured Achilles.

Dak Prescott, DAL at LAC ($6,800): Unlike Rodgers, Prescott stormed out of the gate with an excellent performance against the Buccaneers. Although the Cowboys couldn’t pull out the win, he finished with 403 passing yards, three touchdowns and one interception. The Cowboys did lose Michael Gallup (calf) in that contest, but Prescott has no shortage of quality pass catchers with Amari Cooper and CeeDee Lamb still in the fold. In what could be a high-scoring game against the Chargers, Prescott has the potential to thrive.

Player to Avoid

Jimmy Garoppolo, SF at PHI ($5,700): After the 49ers selected Trey Lance in the first round of the draft, the writing was on the wall for Garoppolo. Still, he held onto his starting job for at least Week 1, which was a favorable matchup against the Lions. He took advantage, finishing with 314 yards and a touchdown. Things should be much tougher in Week 2, though, against an Eagles defense that can put pressure on the opposing quarterback and that has Darius Slay patrolling the secondary.

Running Backs

Nick Chubb, CLE vs. HOU ($7,800): Yes, the Texans beat the Jaguars soundly Sunday. However, facing the Browns will be a much more difficult task. The Browns could race out to a big lead early, so the game script could favor a heavy workload for Chubb. He’s already coming off of a productive season debut when he rushed 15 times for 83 yards and two touchdowns versus the Chiefs.

Darrell Henderson, LAR at IND ($5,700): The Rams brought in Sony Michel to provide depth at running back, but he only had one carry in his first game with the team. Meanwhile, Henderson rushed 16 times for 70 yards and a touchdown. He has a firm grip on the starting job, especially while Michel continues to try and familiarize himself with his new team.

Player to Avoid

Mike Davis, ATL at TB ($5,600): This is more about Davis’ matchup than his current role with the Falcons. There’s no question that he’s their lead back after he received 15 carries and six targets in Week 1. The problem is, he has to face a Buccaneers defense that allowed the fewest rushing yards per game last season. When they played the Cowboys in Week 1, they held Ezekiel Elliott to 33 yards on 11 carries. I’m staying far, far away from Davis.

Wide Receivers

Davante Adams, GB vs. DET ($7,800): With Rodgers laying an egg against the Lions, Adams was left with an underwhelming five catches for 56 yards. He finished with seven targets, which was an aberration for him given that he had at least nine targets in all but two of the games that he played in this season. A Rodgers-Adams stack will be pricey, but it could be well worth it.

Courtland Sutton, DEN at JAX ($5,500): Jerry Jeudy suffered an ankle injury against the Giants last week that landed him on injured Reserve. His loss is a big one for the Broncos, who looked to have an improved offense in Week 1 with Teddy Bridgewater under center. Jeudy’s absence could mean more targets are coming for Sutton, who could only muster three targets in their first game. The Jaguars’ passing defense certainly looked porous in Week 1, allowing 291 yards and two touchdowns to Tyrod Taylor.

Player to Avoid

Deebo Samuel, SF at PHI ($6,700): Talk about a strong start to the season. The Lions had no answer for Samuel, who caught nine of 12 targets for 189 yards and a touchdown. The 12 targets were certainly encouraging for his prognosis moving forward, but his overall stat line was aided by the matchup. With Slay possibly shadowing him in this matchup, it might be difficult for him to contribute enough to justify his salary.

Tight Ends

T.J. Hockenson, DET at GB ($5,200): The Lions don’t have much talent at wide receiver, which means plenty of targets should be headed Hockenson’s way this season. That was the case in Week 1 when he hauled in eight of his 10 targets for 97 yards and a touchdown. With the Lions’ suspect defense possibly set to put them in a deep hole, a lot of pass attempts in the second half could lead Hockenson to another juicy stat line.

Noah Fant, DEN at JAX ($4,400): With an improved situation at quarterback, Fant could be primed for a breakout campaign. He was certainly busy against the Giants, catching six of his eight targets for 62. Like Sutton, he could also benefit from the absence of Jeudy, as well as this favorable matchup against the Jaguars.

Player to Avoid

Hunter Henry, NE at NYJ ($4,400): The Patriots completely remade their offense during the offseason, which included bringing in Henry and Jonnu Smith at tight end. Having those two talented players at the position might be good for the team, but it’s not for fantasy since they should limit each other’s opportunities. Henry finished Week 1 with only three targets, while Smith posted five of them. Fant has a more significant role with the Broncos and checks in with the same salary, so taking a chance on Henry isn’t necessary.

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.

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Trey Hendrickson Apr 25 11:30pm CT
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Brandon Aiyuk Apr 25 11:20pm CT
Brandon Aiyuk

The San Francisco 49ers are "more likely" to trade wide receiver Deebo Samuel than Brandon Aiyuk during this year's 2024 NFL draft, according to a source. Aiyuk's name has been mentioned in trade rumors all offseason, but now Samuel is the more likely pass-catcher to be dealt. Samuel, 28, is two years older than Aiyuk but has more versatility in the offense. However, Samuel also has a salary cap hit north of $20 million in 2025. Aiyuk is looking for a new long-term deal as he heads into the fifth and final contract of his rookie deal, but the Niners have been hesitant to give him a market deal given their other financial commitments. San Francisco took rookie pass-catcher Ricky Pearsall with the 31st overall pick in the first round on Thursday night, potentially foreshadowing a trade of either Samuel or Aiyuk in the coming days.

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Justin Herbert Apr 25 11:20pm CT
Justin Herbert

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Caleb Williams Apr 25 11:13pm CT
Caleb Williams

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Jayden Daniels Apr 25 11:13pm CT
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Drake Maye Apr 25 11:13pm CT
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Kyler Murray Apr 25 11:13pm CT
Kyler Murray

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Jayden Daniels Apr 25 11:13pm CT
Jayden Daniels

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Daniel Jones Apr 25 11:13pm CT
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DeAndre Hopkins Apr 25 11:13pm CT
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Michael Penix Jr. Apr 25 11:13pm CT
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Justin Herbert Apr 25 11:13pm CT
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Caleb Williams Apr 25 11:13pm CT
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Sam Darnold Apr 25 11:13pm CT
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Dynasty | The Minnesota Vikings drafted Michigan quarterback JJ McCarthy with the tenth overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Dynasty Analysis: There was a lot of smoke about McCarthy being taken in the top five but he ended up falling to tenth pick where Minnesota was happy to scoop him up. The Vikings will likely hold an open competition between McCarthy and Sam Darnold but it certainly looks like McCarthy has been pegged as the future for the franchise. His upside is debatable in dynasty leagues as McCarthy may not be the most dynamic player in the draft but he does seem like one of the safer options. He looks like a late second or early third round pick in rookie drafts.

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Russell Wilson Apr 25 11:13pm CT
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Dynasty | The Denver Broncos drafted Oregon quarterback Bo Nix with the 12th overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft. Dynasty Analysis: Nix ended up being the sixth quarterback taken in the NFL Draft but the 12th overall selection, being taken by the Broncos. Denver is looking to quickly replace Russell Wilson and Head Coach Sean Payton is reportedly enamored with Nix. All of this adds up to him likely being the week one starter for Denver and gives him a decent runway to be successful. The numbers are very impressive here and Nix now has a pretty solid runway to playing time. As such, his rookie ADP is likely going to rise into the second round of rookie drafts.

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Brock Bowers Apr 25 11:13pm CT
Brock Bowers

Dynasty | The Las Vegas Raiders selected tight end Brock Bowers with the 13th overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft. Dynasty Analysis: Bowers slipped a little in the NFL Draft as teams maneuvered around to secure quarterbacks. In the end, he ended up being taken 13th overall to the Raiders. It's an odd fit as Las Vegas invested in Michael Mayer last season but Bowers should still have a solid chance to contribute early and often. Having a clearer path to being a true TE1 on his team would have likely solidified his spot as a top five rookie pick but this could drop him down just a smidge. Still, he has as much talent as anyone we've ever seen at the position and should have a floor that makes him very desirable in round one of rookie drafts.

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Caleb Williams Apr 25 11:13pm CT
Caleb Williams

Dynasty | After getting a big quarterback upgrade with the selection of Caleb Williams, Moore gets some serious competition for targets as the Bears pick Rome Odunze. Dynasty Analysis: The excitement of Williams throwing to Moore and Co. lasted all of eight picks, as the ninth overall selection of Odunze poses a threat to Moore's workload. While Odunze's downfield prowess compliments the short-mid range deployment of Keenan Allen, Odunze will directly compete with Moore for downfield and perimeter targets. Moore will continue to line up as the WR1 in the offense, but his WR16 dynasty ranking at DLF isn't likely to hold up with his diminished target share.

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Cole Kmet Apr 25 11:13pm CT
Cole Kmet

Dynasty | The Raiders select generational talent Brock Bowers, effectively burying Mayer and his dynasty value. Dynasty Analysis: A chalk sleeper at the TE position, Mayer was positioned for a breakout in 2023. That is, until Brock Bowers came along. The 13th overall pick is considered one of the best TE prospects in league history, and he immediately walks into the starting job in Sin City. Mayer went into the draft ranked as the dynasty TE14 on DLF, in the neighborhood of Luke Musgrave and Cole Kmet, ahead of Dalton Schultz. His ranking is likely to plummet now that he is the backup to Bowers.

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Brian Thomas Jr. Apr 25 11:13pm CT
Brian Thomas Jr.

Dynasty | The Jaguars drafted LSU wide receiver Brian Thomas with the 23rd overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Dynasty Analysis: Thomas landed in a great spot, being taken late in round one by the Jacksonville Jaguars. A true playmaker, he should have every opportunity to replace Calvin Ridley quickly in the Jaguars offense and is a candidate to be the Offensive Rookie of the Year based on his talent and opportunity. This was a solid development for his value and Thomas should have his spot as a top-6 player in rookie drafts solidified as a result.

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