NFL DFS – Main Slate Optimizer Groups (updated) & Stack Rankings (updated) + Full Game Notes (complete) – Week 2

This article focuses on building lineups with a quality foundation by utilizing the powerful Groups and Rules/Limits tools within the industry’s optimization tools. All of the concepts and pairings included below can also apply to hand-building. The goal is to create lineups with strong correlations among likely point-scorers to maximize the gains from infrequent scoring events within stacks while limiting the likelihood of building inefficient or negatively correlated entries for a full slate of NFL DFS lineups.

This video was made in a former life and features a detailed demonstration of how to apply these concepts in one leading optimizer tool: Fantasy Cruncher – How-To Video

All references to Sims were done via friends of the site: acemind.io

Don’t miss the Above/Below feature article for a few of our top picks, coming Sunday morning

Game notes are updated during the week and initially posted as “work in progress” as they take a long time to create, if teams are missing notes simply check back later in the day/week and they should be updated.


2026 Week 2 DraftKings & FanDuel NFL DFS Stack Rankings

The following stack rankings were created by pairing each team quarterback with his top three scoring options, whether they are three wide receivers, two wide receivers and a tight end, a wide receiver, tight end, and running back, or any viable combination. In some cases, an expensive running back can push the overall price point of his team stack in the value rankings.

TEAMOPPFD$FDpRankFDvalRankDK$DkpRankDKvalRankVegas
DETARI$33,10011$29,200111
CINMIA$33,10028$29,0002112
ARIDET$27,00032$24,500324
SFSEA$30,500411$26,40041213
GBCHI$26,30063$22,500539
SEASF$27,50055$23,900693
HOUTEN$27,20076$23,200759
NOMIN$27,700810$23,70081017
INDPIT$27,100913$23,80091416
LVNE$28,4001117$24,400101715
MINNO$27,9001216$24,800112212
NELV$25,500104$21,8001274
CHIGB$25,300137$20,5001346
NYJCLE$25,100149$20,80014813
DENLAC$26,1001615$21,50015139
CLENYJ$24,2001712$20,40016620
PITIND$26,1001514$22,10017197
NYGWAS$26,3001820$21,400181618
WASNYG$24,7001918$20,00019188
TENHOU$23,4002119$20,300202022
LACDEN$25,0002022$19,700212118
MIACIN$23,5002221$18,100221521

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Week 2 DraftKings & FanDuel NFL DFS Stacks & Optimizer Groups

Overview

Rules and limits are powerful tools for lineup creation for NFL DFS, where our primary focus is creating highly correlated lineups via stacking players from the same game. Lineups will typically be coordinated around the quarterback selection, which informs at least one pass-catcher choice, establishes a budget, eliminates a defense, and sets the tone for the lineup. We will typically look to correlate a quarterback and at least one of his pass-catchers in every lineup, with many of those including a skill player from the opposing team. This player is included to support the stack in a high-scoring game that drives offense on both sides, creating additional correlated scoring potential. Stacking multiple pass-catchers in the same lineup is a sound approach, though there are typically overall ceilings on how much volume is available at any given position. While pass-catching running backs can be prioritized in stacks and group tools, including running backs who are not involved in the passing game is less important at this stage; they will fall naturally into shares as needed. High-volume backs and pass catchers out of the backfield can be included in the groups utilized below, but it is frequently not necessary to do so with the very best players, they arrive in lineups without help.

Rules and limits are typically applied in an optimizer’s Advanced Options menu. Notes are included to illustrate the reasons behind each rule and explain what it does during the lineup creation process. These settings can typically be saved for re-use, which is highly recommended. Saving the groups created below is also a good idea that will save time with updates instead of recreation each week. These groups are created manually, but most optimizers include automated group creators that can help accelerate the curation process.

DraftKings + FanDuel Settings & Advanced Options

Note – Terminology may vary from site to site but these are common functions across most industry tools.

Unique Players Per Lineup– This setting forces the optimizer to utilize at least X new players who were not in Lineup 1 when it creates Lineup 2, and so on. We recommend a setting of at least two unique players, more can be applied depending on the degree of differentiation desired within lineups.

Team Salary– a minimum or maximum salary spend can be applied here as needed, although leaving salary on the table is an easy path toward creating unique lineups while not necessarily making a negative expected value play.

FLEX position– allows restrictions on what positions can be rostered at the FLEX spot. The primary position to restrict is the tight end so that lineups do not include two players from the position. In many industry tools this is a separate option via a checkbox, it can also be handled specifically within groups.

Global Exposure Setting – allows caps on the maximum percentage of lineups a player can appear in within a given pool of lineup construction. This is a powerful tool for shaping lineups but if settings are too low, attempts to build a full set will fall short due to a lack of available players, one of the most common errors in optimizer building. Most optimizers include the ability to calculate ownership caps continuously or at the end of the pool creation process. If caps are calculated continuously, a player with a 25% cap who is utilized in Lineup 1 will not be available for use again until Lineup 5, we recommend turning OFF continuous calculation.

Randomness – provides a random multiplier to each player’s projected point total based on the set values. This valuable tool helps differentiate lineups instead of simply creating them in order of the highest median projected scores. Using some randomness for lineup generation is strongly recommended but the degree to which it is applied is down to personal preference, 15-25% is fine to get started. We suggest heavier randomness to more event-based players like wide receivers while tracking volume-based positions like running backs more toward their median or ceiling projections.

DraftKings + FanDuel Team Stack Rules

This set of rules will force optimizers to build lineups with certain combinations. We are looking to stack at least one skill player, almost always a pass-catcher, with his quarterback while frequently playing a skill player from the opposing team in the lineup. The theory behind this build is that a high-scoring stack will require some response from the opposing team to deliver a ceiling score in most situations. Most optimizers utilize a “complete the sentence” approach for rule creation with selections from drop-down menus following a very straightforward logic. Exceptions to these rules can be added for specific teams and players on most optimizer products.

  • QB with at least one WR/TE from Same Team (note: It is fine to set this to two or to utilize two versions of this rule, one with WR/TE and one with RB/WR/TE, but we can also refine this via Groups)
  • optional – QB with at least one RB/WR/TE from the Opposing Team (we typically prefer the pass-catchers but high-volume running backs can be effective here)
  • QB with at most zero DST from the Same Team (this is a personal preference; high-scoring teams and quarterbacks tend to leave their defenses on the field, exposing them to simple point-scoring negatives)

Limits & Custom Rules and Requirements

Limit rules can be applied to restrict certain combinations from coming together. This is powerful for limiting multiple running backs from the same team or getting overweight to a certain stack within a lineup.

  • Limit QB/RB/WR/TE from Same Team to three
  • Limit RB/WR/TE from the Same Team to one unless paired with QB from the Same Team OR the Opposing Team (this prevents multiple players from a team that is not a primary quarterback-based stack)
  • optional – Limit RB from Same Team to one (we can also do this with WR in a separate rule that adds an “unless paired with QB or opposing QB” but it’s a personal preference for NFL DFS, we typically do not want two pass-catchers from the same team without their quarterback)

We will maintain the list of rules and limits throughout the season, with occasional tweaks. Each week sees another fresh crop of value plays as situations change and injuries create opportunities around the league. These changing roles and emergent value plays are accounted for in creating these groups from week to week. After a large pool of lineups is created utilizing these groups, it is still critical to filter them for factors including ceiling projections and leverage potential. These groups should help ensure that a highly correlated premium set of options that rotates through various combinations is utilized to create the full lineup pool.

Sunday Updates

Any changes and recommended boosts to specific players will be provided in an early morning update each Sunday.


NFL DFS Week 2 Features & Projections

 


Construction Concept

Team groups are built by utilizing the quarterback as the KEY player in group settings. The quarterback decision is the driving factor in determining which stack the lineup utilizes and which corresponding plays are made to work within the structured requirements. In Fantasy Cruncher, built to specification, each team will have two groups, a team group and an opponent group, both of which utilize the same quarterback as the key player. Each game will have a total of four groups. This is the best approach to truly capture the requirement of playing individual “run-back” plays from the opposing team. A more basic approach would be to include all of the skill players from a game in each quarterback’s group and rely on rules and limits to restrict any potential overflow. It is highly recommended to save the early season groups as a foundation that will be updated for the rest of the season. The recommended groups will include skill players who have an active role in their offense and provide significant correlation with their quarterback’s scoring; often, bell-cow running backs who do not specialize in the passing game will not be included in groups as they are projected highly and appear on their own in basically correct distributions, while also not always providing the strongest positive correlation plays. Stacking quarterbacks with pass-catchers and allowing running backs to fall into the lanes created by settings, available salary, and randomness should create a well-distributed set of quality lineups. These groups are updated weekly to account for changes in utilization, schemes, injuries, target shares, and more.

Team Groups for DraftKings & FanDuel – Week 2

The goal is to create a large pool of well-built lineups that can be utilized in any large-field GPP contest. Our approach is to build far more lineups than needed and utilize a sorting table or sim process to filter to the best set of entries. The lineups created in these crunches should provide a broad distribution that includes some of the lower-owned high-upside skill players from each stack. Applying boosts is critical in pushing and pulling ownership to individual players within their team’s stacked lineups if they appear too much or too little.

The groups below are designed so that each quarterback will have two groups to create, one with his skill players and another with the opposing team. A more basic approach would be to add them all to one large group with an “at least three” and let rules and limits set things, but there is a more granular level of control in creating them separately.

Utilizing two groups also allows us to place running backs into the “run-back” position in certain teams while not including them in the primary stack for their team. This is useful when a situation has an extremely highly projected running back that does not necessarily fit into his team’s passing game. These players are threaded throughout the following construction recommendations.

Note for all optimizers the rules can be utilized to force bring-back plays in some sets of crunches and turned off for others as a global function instead of changing each group to “exactly one” bring-back play, wherever applicable, but it will apply to all teams.

 


Arizona Cardinals

Game Total: 41.5 (ARI +4.0 / 18.75)

Offense: 3.4 ypa rush (47.22%) / 7.3 nypa pass (52.78%) / 26.0 ppg

oppDEF: 3.5 ypa rush / 4.7 nypa pass / 9.09% int / 8.33% sack / 19.0% pressure / 10.0 ppg

Key Player: Jacoby Brissett

Setting: at least one / exactly two (these can be alternated in a variety of lineup builds)

Team Group: Trey McBride, Jeremiyah Love, Michael Wilson, Marvin Harrison Jr., Tyler Allgeier (on/off), Kendrick Bourne, Elijah Higgins (large field; on/off), Bam Knight (large field; on/off)

Opposing Setting: at most one / exactly one (these can be alternated in a variety of lineup builds)

Opposing Group: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Jadarian Price, Cooper Kupp, Rashid Shaheed, AJ Barner, George Holani (on/off)

Game Notes:

Quarterback

Jacoby Brissett threw for 277 yards on 27-of-37 passing with a smattering of rushing yards as a small bonus during the team’s Week 1 victory. Brissett managed a completion percentage 7.7 points above expectation for the game, averaging 7.5 yards per attempt on just 5.1 air yards and 7.6 intended air yards per attempt. The quarterback draws a defense that yielded just 4.7 yards per pass in Week 1, he drops into action as a low-end QB19 across the board on both sites and heads up Stack 18 by points and 24 by value on DraftKings and Stack 22/23 on FanDuel.

Running Backs

Tier 1:

Jeremiyah Love checks in as a mid-board DraftKings option but a solid points-per-dollar play on the blue site. The heavily discussed rookie debuted to the tune of 11 carries for 3.7 yards per attempt on the ground and another 2.3 yards per target on four chances and two catches in the passing game. Love scored on the ground and also drew a red zone target, giving him a bit of a boost in the touchdown potential department coming into his second game. Love is RB17/20 on DraftKings but sits as RB19/9 on the FanDuel slate.

Tier 2: 

Noted touchdown vulture Tyler Allgeier carried the ball 17 times in Week 1; the Cardinals were as good as their word that he was the nominal lead running back on the depth chart. The rookie should begin to eclipse him in opportunities as soon as this week. Allgeier is just RB37/38 and RB36/39 in our rankings this week, but he carries a bit more ceiling than many in that range. The running back gained just 3.6 yards per attempt and failed to score in Week 1, while adding two catches for limited passing game value.

Reserves/Very Large Field Darts

Bam Knight played just three snaps with the offense; he has talent but is less than likely to find relevance barring an incident above him on the depth chart.

Receivers & Tight Ends

Tier 1:

Trey McBride is TE1 by points on both sites in Week 2 but he takes a major hit in points-per-dollar value at the position when priced like a premium wide receiver. The tight end more than warrants the investment on most slates, as long as the cost can be offset in other areas. McBride drew a whopping 13 targets in Week 1, hauling in nine of them for 95 yards and a touchdown. With a 6.8-yard average depth of target, McBride’s receiving skills are in play all over the field, including at a premium in scoring territory. A full four of his Week 1 targets came in the red zone. McBride is TE1/21 on DraftKings and TE1/15 on FanDuel but he can easily outplay any value concerns.

Tier 2:

Michael Wilson ran 36 routes in Week 1, drawing a target on seven of those and posting 1.56 yards per route run to badly outpace the production of his counterpart. Wilson draws slightly ahead of Marvin Harrison Jr. in projections this week, the latter having gained just 0.97 yards per route run across 34.0 routes. Wilson worked to a 29.08% air yards share but failed to find the end zone in Week 1. He is WR29 by points but WR43 by value on DraftKings; on FanDuel, he is WR31/33.

Somehow, Marvin Harrison Jr. drew just three targets, only two of which were catchable in Week 1, he caught one of them and turned in 33.0 yards. Harrison Jr. did pick up massive big-play potential on a 23.7-yard average depth of target in Week 1, that alone is enough to make him a worthy dice roll in Arizona stacks. The receiver is affordable on both sites but does not explode for apparent value as just WR31/32 and WR32/28 across DraftKings and FanDuel.

Kendrick Bourne was a bit of a surprise in Week 1, picking up eight targets to lead the wide receiver group. Bourne gained 2.50 yards per route run across 30.0 routes, providing a significant shot at a big value return, though his scoring was hampered by his failure to find the end zone. The receiver caught all eight of the balls thrown in his direction, however, and one would expect that gains him a modicum of trust in the offense. Bourne is a dart throw again in Week 2 as just WR64/69 and WR61/62, but there is a bit more believability to the play this week.

Reserves/Very Large Field Darts

Elijah Higgins and Hunter Long each ran five routes but failed to pick up a target in Week 1, neither provides much value, nor do the depth receivers on this squad.

 

Stack Ranks: DraftKings:  18 points / 24 value; FanDuel: 22 points / 23 value

Best Stacking Options: Brissett-McBride-Love-Wilson +/- Harrison Jr.

Best One-off: Trey McBride

Best Value/Upside/Ownership Play: Jeremiyah Love

Wildcard: Kendrick Bourne

 


Atlanta Falcons

Game Total: 43.5 (ATL +2.5 / 20.5)

Offense: 3.9 ypa rush (54.39%) / 4.5 nypa pass (45.61%) / 13.0 ppg

oppDEF: 7.5 ypa rush / 8.4 nypa pass / 0.0% int / 6.45% sack / 36.1% pressure / 59.0 ppg

Key Player: Cooper Rush

Setting: at least one / exactly two (these can be alternated in a variety of lineup builds)

Team Group: Bijan Robinson, Drake London, Kyle Pitts Sr., Jahan Dotson, Brian Robinson Jr. (on/off), Zachariah Branch (large field), Olamide Zaccheaus (large field), Austin Hooper (very large field; on/off)

Opposing Setting: at most one / exactly one (these can be alternated in a variety of lineup builds)

Opposing Group: Tetairoa McMillan, Jalen Coker, Darren Waller, Xavier Leggette, Chuba Hubbard (on/off), Jonathan Brooks (on/off)

Game Notes:

Quarterback

The Falcons seem likely to soar far higher in Week 2 against a Carolina defense that yielded 59 points and 9.3 yards per pass attempt in Week 1. Drawing the start from the third slot on the depth chart, Rush did not help his team’s chances against Pittsburgh last week. The quarterback completed 12 of 22 pass attempts for a completion percentage that sat an unsustainable -21.3 CPOE mark. Rush threw for 143 yards with a solitary touchdown against two interceptions, gaining just 6.5 yards per attempt on a limiting 4.0 intended air yards per attempt. Even in a good week, it seems far more likely that Rush will fall into a “game manager” category, pushing most of the upside toward the shining beacon of Week 2 fantasy scoring that is Bijan Robinson in this offense. Rush is just QB25 by points and QB23 by value on DraftKings; he is QB25/26 on FanDuel, but could float higher on the skills of the talent that surrounds him and the lack thereof on the opposing defense.

Running Backs

Tier 1:

Bijan Robinson is simply the class of this slate. Robinson is drawing explosive projections in our model in Week 2 and, while tempting, we did not put a thumb on the scales to temper expectations after Carolina yielded 124 rushing yards and three scores to D’Andre Swift in Week 1. Robinson is RB1 across the board on both sites, and it is not close this week. In fact, he is player 1 across the board on both sites, and most of the upside showing in the Falcons stack is created by his individual potential. Robinson rushed for 4.0 yards per attempt on 21.0 carries in Week 1, gaining 1.6 yards before and 2.4 yards after contact per attempt, with a 23.81% broken tackle rate. The running back did not score on the ground, but the massive upside in volume speaks for itself. Robinson also sees significant involvement in the passing game, particularly with Rush taking the short options again and again last time on the field. The running back picked up a team-leading eight catches out of the backfield, gaining another 90.0 yards in the passing game, and scoring the team’s lone touchdown on 10 targets. With Rush at the helm again in Week 2, there is very little reason to expect much change in script. Even if the Panthers pull ahead in a competitive game, Robinson has an outstanding chance for a ceiling game and a slate-leading score; his one downside will be significant and obvious popularity on both sites.

Tier 2: 

n/a

Reserves/Very Large Field Darts

Brian Robinson Jr. carried the ball nine times for 3.4 yards per attempt and went untargeted in the passing game in Week 1. His chances on the ground could amount to scoring potential here and there, but it will be game-flow based and difficult to pin down, rather than specifically role-based. Robinson is merely a dart throw against a bad defense as RB48/48 and RB47/50 across sites.

Receivers & Tight Ends

Tier 1:

Drake London has seen more than nine targets per game over each of the past two seasons, so it seems safe to blame a conservative approach with a third-string quarterback for the receiver drawing merely five chances in Week 1. London caught two of those and gained just 29.0 yards, though they came with a 40.0% catchable target rate. The receiver managed to work at just a 4.4-yard average depth of target, compounding the problem when it comes to creating fantasy points, though that did amount to a 37.99% air yards share in the oddly-slanted one-week sample. London is WR12 by points and WR10 by value on DraftKings; he has potential to break for a big score from just the $6,000 salary mark on that site. On the FanDuel slate, the receiver is WR12 by points but just WR29 by value from a hefty $7,700 price tag.

Tier 2:

Kyle Pitts Sr. rates as just TE12/17 and TE14/12 across sites; his $4,500 price is low in a vacuum but lands poorly in a points-per-dollar sense on a substantially limited opportunity. Pitts was targeted just once in Week 1, despite running 21.0 routes, second only to the 25.0 that London ran in Week 1. Pitts’ lone target was rated as an uncatchable opportunity, but he still comes up empty statistically with 0.0 yards per route run; he is likely to fare better while still showing only limited fantasy quality in Week 2. The tight end plays up in stacks of Falcons rather than in standalone shares.

Reserves/Very Large Field Darts

Jahan Dotson ranks outside of the top-75 at wide receiver across the board on both sites in Week 2, even with his team in a decent spot against a limited defense. The receiver checks in with one Week 1 catch for 19.0 yards in his ledger for 2026, despite drawing four targets in the opener. Dotson worked at a 13.0-yard average depth of target last week; he should see a few downfield chances as the field-stretcher, but he will be limited by Rush at quarterback, only one of the four passes thrown in Dotson’s direction last week rated as a catchable target.

Zachariah Branch is a cheap alternative who also rates outside of the top-75. The third-round rookie ran just seven routes across 18 snaps in Week 1 but did not register a target, getting more action on special teams. Branch will compete down the depth chart with Olamide Zaccheaus in both roles. The veteran caught one target for five yards across nine routes run in Week 1. Neither depth option has anything more than wildcard appeal, if that, in Week 2.

 

Stack Ranks: DraftKings:  5 points / 3 value; FanDuel:  7 points / 11 value

Best Stacking Options: Bijan Robinson-London-Rush-Pitts Sr. +/- Dotson

Best One-off: Bijan Robinson

Best Value/Upside/Ownership Play: Drake London

Wildcard: Jahan Dotson

 


Baltimore Ravens

Game Total: 46.5 (BAL -9.0 / 27.75)

Offense: 5.5 ypa rush (57.81%) / 11.3 nypa pass (42.19%) / 41.0 ppg

oppDEF: 5.0 ypa rush / 5.1 nypa pass / 31.0 ppg / 0.0% int / 2.50% sack / 21.1% pressure

Key Player: Lamar Jackson

Setting: at most two / exactly two (“at most two” allows for “naked” Lamar Jackson lineups; these can be alternated in a variety of lineup builds)

Team Group: Derrick Henry, Mark Andrews, Rashod Bateman, Devontez Walker, Chris Moore, Justice Hill (on/off), LaJohntay Wester (very large field), Elijah Sarratt (very large field)

Opposing Setting: at most one / exactly one (these can be alternated in a variety of lineup builds)

Opposing Group: Chris Olave, Travis Etienne Jr., Juwan Johnson, Devaughn Vele, Alvin Kamara (on/off), Noah Fant (on/off), Bryce Lance (large field), Barion Brown (very large field), Kendre Miller (large field; on/off)

Game Notes: Zay Flowers is out.

Quarterback

Superstar Lamar Jackson slots in as QB2 by points on both DraftKings and FanDuel this week, but he takes a hit when it comes to points-per-dollar at the high-scoring position. The quarterback’s hefty salary puts him in interesting territory for ownership relative to the field against a defense that yielded more on the ground than through the air in Week 1. New Orleans allowed a crushing 5.0 yards per rush attempt but just 5.1 yards per pass, though that came with just one sack and a 21.1% pressure rate in their Week 1 overtime game. Jackson can create chances on the ground in the absence of pressure; he ran the ball seven times for 5.7 yards per attempt on his way to 40.0 yards and a rushing touchdown in Week 1. The quarterback threw for a terrific 324 yards on just 25 attempts, managing a 6.40 CPOE, but he was limited to a single touchdown pass. With Zay Flowers out, Jackson will be without his primary weapon in the passing game, the team is also missing highly-touted rookie Ja’Kobi Lane, Rashod Bateman steps up to the top spot, and options like Devontez Walker and Chris Moore climb the depth chart in Week 2. It may be best to look at Jackson as a standalone option in “naked” shares to capture the potential for rushing touchdowns with limited correlated touchdown value, though this option needs to fade a significant ceiling spot for the team’s running back.

Running Backs

Tier 1:

Derrick Henry looks like an excellent option in Week 2. The Saints coughed up a 25th-ranked 5.0 yards per rush attempt, with a pair of rushing touchdowns, to superstar Jahmyr Gibbs in Week 1. Gibbs’ production came on a hefty 29 carries, but Henry carried the ball 24 times himself last week, and has never been shy about a big workload. The running back remains a wrecking ball; he gained 6.0 yards per attempt and punched in three touchdowns in a Week 1 statement game after slipping down season-long draft boards. Henry is a strong option with a highly secure floor and a massive ceiling as RB3 by points and RB2 by value on DraftKings; he plays much the same as RB2/RB4 on FanDuel.

Tier 2: 

n/a

Reserves/Very Large Field Darts

Justice Hill remains a skilled but low-volume dart throw ranked outside of the top-40 at running back across the board on both sites. Hill picked up one target and carried the ball six times for 3.0 yards per rush attempt in Week 1, providing very little in production or opportunity. Hill is typically a bit more involved in the passing game, averaging around three targets per game the past few seasons, but he is a limited wildcard NFL DFS play.

Receivers & Tight Ends

Tier 1:

Mark Andrews vaults to TE4 by points and TE8 by value on DraftKings and shows similar potential as TE3 by points and TE1 by value from a cheap $5,200 price tag on the FanDuel slate. Andrews stands a good chance to be the first, second, and third favorite option when Lamar Jackson takes to the air this week, he picked up six of the 22 available targets in Week 1 and gained 49.0 yards on his 4.0 catches. Andrews picked up a red zone target and saw reliable chances with Jackson delivering the ball at an 83.33% catchable rate. With Flowers out, more chances are simply likely to flow toward Andrews, particularly in scoring territory, when they do not go toward Henry. Andrews has 31 red zone targets and 16 touchdown catches over the past two seasons.

Tier 2:

Rashod Bateman is a potential value option, particularly on FanDuel where his points-per-dollar mark truly shines. The receiver is WR45/46 on DraftKings, where he rates as merely “fine”; as WR40/WR26 on the FanDuel slate, the $5,000 price tag is doing a lot of heavy lifting. Bateman is a boom-or-bust option with a bit of targeting potential, given the absence of both Flowers and Ja’kobi Lane. Bateman picked up just one target on a 17.0-yard pattern across the 28 routes he ran in Week 1. Bateman caught just 19 passes for 224 yards and two scores in 2025 but had a much better 45-catch campaign for 756 yards and nine touchdowns in 2024, seven more scores than he has had in any other season and three more than in every other season combined.

Reserves/Very Large Field Darts

Devontez Walker missed Week 1 with an injury but is expected to take the field with a decent role in the offense in Week 1, but that does not make him anything more than a wildcard at WR71/67 and WR64/56 across sites. Walker caught six of eight targets across 59 routes run in 12 games last season, though he did score three times in the limited action. He has four touchdowns on seven catches and 11 targets in his NFL career to date. Walker operates as a downfield bomber, pulling in a 22.6-yard average depth of target on the scant chances last season; he has big play potential as a lotto ticket in NFL DFS lineups.

Chris Moore was signed off the practice squad ahead of this week, after suiting up for 25 snaps and catching a 53-yard pass across two targets in Week 1. The 33-year-old veteran seems likely to suit up and play a role again this week; he caught just 11 passes on 23 targets across 14 games in 2025, scoring once. Moore is a low-end dart in DFS contests; he has never scored more than three touchdowns in a season, and that season was 2017.

Stack Ranks: DraftKings:  points/ value; FanDuel:  points /  value

Best Stacking Options: Jackson-Henry-Andrews +/-Bateman

Best One-off: Lamar Jackson or Derrick Henry

Best Value/Upside/Ownership Play: Mark Andrews

Wildcard: Devontez Walker

 


Carolina Panthers

Game Total: 43.5 (CAR -2.5 / 23.0)

Offense: 5.7 ypa rush (35.48%) / 9.5 ypa pass (64.52%) / 37.0 ppg

oppDEF: 2.8 ypa rush / 4.8 nypa pass / 0.0% int / 4.65% sack / 26.2% pressure / 20.0 ppg

Key Player: Bryce Young

Setting: at least one / exactly two (these can be alternated in a variety of lineup builds)

Team Group: Tetairoa McMillan, Jalen Coker, Darren Waller, Xavier Leggette, Chuba Hubbard (on/off), Jonathan Brooks (on/off), Tommy Tremble (large field; on/off)

Opposing Setting: at most one / exactly one (these can be alternated in a variety of lineup builds)

Opposing Group: Bijan Robinson, Drake London, Kyle Pitts Sr., Jahan Dotson, Brian Robinson Jr. (on/off), Zachariah Branch (large field)

Game Notes:

Quarterback

The Panthers exploded for upside in Week 1, playing a competitive game in a shootout that ended with a 59-37 victory for the opposing Bears, but plenty of satisfied NFL DFS gamers with Panthers in their lineups. The big score came on the back of excellent unexpected work from Bryce Young. The fourth-year quarterback completed 23-of-37 attempts for 361 yards and three touchdown passes with one interception. His 4.7 CPOE mark sets a positive precedent, and the quarterback made a strong statement in getting receiver Jalen Coker going early in a game that also heavily involved the team’s number one option. Young will be hard-pressed to repeat his performance this week. Atlanta seems likely to grind Carolina down with the run and limit opportunities if they get ahead, but the Panthers are slight favorites on the road, and Young is QB16/13 on DraftKings, with a touch of value showing. He is just QB16/18 and plays to a lower ceiling on FanDuel.

Running Backs

Tier 1:

Chuba Hubbard surprised in Week 1. The veteran running back gained a sharp 4.9 yards per attempt across 10.0 carries, scoring once on the ground in the effort. He added another three touches on 3-3 receiving with a second touchdown coming in the passing game. This seems likely to be among the outlier starts for Hubbard on the season; the running back was entirely ineffective in his outings last season, and he will be pressed by a talented backup. Hubbard slots in as RB19/18 and RB14/13 across sites; he is a loosely playable second running back or flex option with visible downside.

Tier 2: 

Jonathan Brooks only needs a chance. Brooks looked explosive and made one big play in Week 1, gaining 48.0 yards on his lone catch out of the backfield, working down the sideline on a deep target. Brooks ultimately was only targeted twice and carried the ball just four times, gaining 3.5 yards per attempt on the ground. The running back comes with expectations for a return to form now that he is fully healthy, though we have never actually seen that form on full display in the NFL regular season for an extended clip. Brooks is a value lottery ticket who rates as a strong RB26/25 and RB27/25 across DraftKings and FanDuel.

Reserves/Very Large Field Darts

AJ Dillon carried the ball five times for 5.6 yards per attempt and went untargeted in Week 1. He will see rotational chances as the third man on the depth chart but no more.

Receivers & Tight Ends

Tier 1:

Tetairoa McMillan was second on the team with eight targets in Week 1 but he should be the weekly leader on the whole in this offense. McMillan gained 1.92 yards per route run across 39.0 routes, hauling in five of his targets for 75.0 yards but failing to score. The receiver worked in big play territory with a 14.9-yard ADOT and 33.57% air yards share in Week 1, giving him plenty of upside on an any-given-slate basis. McMillan is WR16 by points on both sites, but he dips to WR36 and WR24 when measured for value on DraftKings and FanDuel.

Jalen Coker was one of the hottest items on the waiver wire in after a breakout performance in Week 1. Coker gained a ridiculous 3.45 yards per route run across 40.0 routes, with 138.0 yards coming on eight catches over nine targets. The receiver was everywhere for Carolina in the scoring extravaganza, working on a 13.8-yard ADOT and 37.3% air yards share, and finding the end zone twice. Coker offers size in the passing game as well, standing at 6’3″ and giving his quarterback a second big target in scoring territory next to McMillan’s 6’5″ frame. Coker is already 2/3 of the way to his 2025 touchdown total and tied the total from his entire rookie year in Week 1 of 2026; a breakout could be underway for a receiver who went undrafted in 2024. Coker is WR27/30 and WR25/23, but over-rostering him could be dangerous against a field that might be chasing this week.

Tier 2:

n/a

Reserves/Very Large Field Darts

Veteran tight end Darren Waller is just TE25/24 and TE25/25 across sites. Waller is part of a committee at the position; he ran 18.0 routes in Week 1, the same total that Tommy Tremble posted in that game. Waller was targeted twice, while Tremble drew an outlier five targets. Waller produced with a bit more efficiency, posting 1.56 yards per route run compared to 1.39, but Tremble won on volume. The low-end pair also shares the role with Mitchell Evans, who was targeted twice over eight routes run last week. This is not a good position to target in Panthers stacks or as a one-off from this team.

Xavier Legette was targeted twice and failed to catch either pass in Week 1. The low-end receiver rates as just WR75/72 and WR76/74 across sites and is no more than a wildcard play. Legette caught 35 passes for 363 yards and three scores last year and had four touchdown catches as a rookie in 2024. The team has draft capital invested in the receiver; he was a first-round pick, but his current role is murky at best.

 

Stack Ranks: DraftKings: 17 points/ 21 value; FanDuel: 17 points / 16 value

Best Stacking Options: Young-McMillan-Coker +/- one of the RBs

Best One-off: Tetairoa McMillan

Best Value/Upside/Ownership Play: Jonathan Brooks

Wildcard: Xavier Legette

 


Chicago Bears

Game Total: 48.5 (CHI -4.5 / 26.5)

Offense: 7.5 ypa rush (55.71%) / 9.3 ypa pass (44.29%) / 59.0 ppg

oppDEF: 3.1 ypa rush / 7.7 nypa pass / 2.38% int / 8.70% sack / 33.3% pressure / 22.o ppg

Key Player: Caleb Williams

Setting: at least one / exactly two (these can be alternated in a variety of lineup builds)

Team Group: Rome Odunze, Colston Loveland, Luther Burden III, D’Andre Swift, Kyle Monangai (on/off), Kalif Raymond, Cole Kmet (on/off), Jahdae Walker (very large field), Zavion Thomas (very large field)

Opposing Setting: at most one / exactly one (these can be alternated in a variety of lineup builds)

Opposing Group: Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, Aaron Jones Sr., TJ Hockenson, Josh Oliver (on/off)

Game Notes:

Quarterback

Caleb Williams and his Bears ran amok in Week 1, posting a monster 59-point score that could be the highest a team goes all year. Williams threw for 269.0 yards and a pair of touchdowns while averaging 9.3 yards per pass attempt and 6.8 air yards per attempt against a terrible Carolina defense. The quarterback draws a Vikings team that yielded 7.7 yards per attempt last week, ranking 26th in the league, but one that gains pressure regularly and came away with three sacks and an interception in last week’s game as well. Williams will need to be sharp to meet his rating as QB4 by points on both sites. He craters by value on DraftKings, where a weighty $6,800 price has him as just QB14 by value, but he holds up as QB6 by value on the blue site. Williams adds quality on the ground; he gained an excellent 6.5 yards per attempt across 10 carries last week, and he punched the ball into the end zone twice to send his individual scoring into the stratosphere.

Running Backs

Tier 1:

D’Andre Swift is a capable running back who had a standout Week 1 against a bad defense. Swift is unlikely to maintain the 6.9 yards per attempt that he gained in last week’s performance. The running back carried the ball 18 times for 124.0 yards and three rushing touchdowns, gaining 2.9 yards before and 4.0 yards after contact per attempt, with an 11.11% broken tackle rate. Swift was only targeted once in the passing game, and his backup picked up two more opportunities on pass attempts while carrying the ball 10 times in the big game. Overall chances are likely to be fewer against a good rushing defense that was second-best in the league in their Week 1 game, allowing just 3.1 yards per rush attempt. Swift averaged 4.9 yards per attempt last season but only 3.8 yards per attempt the year before; now 28-years-old, the truth of his future gains probably lands between those two numbers. The Chicago back is RB13/23 and RB13/21 across DraftKings and FanDuel and carries visible downside this week.

Tier 2: 

Kyle Monangai is a capable running back who had a mini-breakout in late-season games as a rookie last year. Monangai is limited by a good back ahead of him on the depth chart, but would see massive opportunity if something befalls Swift. The second-year player carried the ball 10 times for 10.0 yards per attempt, gaining 100 yards and scoring a touchdown while adding 24 more yards on his two catches out of the backfield. The explosive gains came on two huge gains across the ten carries, but Monangai showed as much production as the starter, and did so on fewer chances. As RB32/37 and RB33/33, the needle is thin, but Monangai is one of the better non-starting running back options on the slate.

Reserves/Very Large Field Darts

n/a

Receivers & Tight Ends

Tier 1:

Colston Loveland was a gigantic disappointment to anyone who invested early-round fantasy draft capital in him this offseason. The tight end was taken 10th overall in last season’s draft and delivered value with 58 catches on 82 targets for 713 yards and six touchdowns in his rookie season. Loveland came into Week 1 with expectations and proceeded to deliver nothing, failing to catch either of his two lonely targets and gaining zero yards on a team-leading 35.0 routes run. It is incredibly unlikely that Loveland gets shut out again this week, even if his team does not deliver another 59-point performance. This is TE2 by points on both sites; he is TE9 by value on DraftKings at a bit of a price, but he remains TE2 by value on the FanDuel slate for just $5,800, an overreaction to the Week 1 letdown. Loveland shows major potential for points-per-dollar production compared to Trey McBride, who costs $1,700 more on the blue site this week.

Luther Burden III led the wide receiver group with 27 routes run in Week 1. The popular breakout pick started his season on the right foot, gaining 2.33 yards per route run with five catches on five well-delivered targets (100% catchable rate). Burden did not find the end zone, but he provides explosive play potential while operating at a 7.2-yard average depth of target with tremendous after-the-catch skills. The second-year receiver is coming off just two touchdowns as a rookie, but he posted 652 yards on 47 catches over 60 targets in his 15-game season, with a pair of 100-yard games and a strong run down the stretch.

Rome Odunze played a bit hurt last week; he was questionable overnight on Saturday and barely contributed on Sunday, catching two passes on three targets over just 22.0 routes run. Odunze’s production was fine with 2.36 yards per route run, and he had a massive 30.0-yard average depth of target to put him in big play territory, but the volume was missing in a high-scoring game that saw Chicago punch the ball in five times in the ground game. Odunze should see a bounceback performance and stands a strong chance to lead the group and land ahead of Burden, if not Loveland, in Week 2.

Tier 2:

Kalif Raymond was a major outlier on just 22.0 routes run in the highest-scoring Week 1 game on record. Raymond was targeted nine times in the limited runs, drawing an 88.89% catchable target rate and hauling in eight of nine for 84.0 yards on a 23.12% air yards share. The 31-year-old veteran drew just 30 targets in 15 games last year and 22 in 12 the season before; both with Detroit. If he continues to see chances, he could deliver steady but unspectacular per-catch numbers. Raymond has never scored more than four touchdowns in a season (2021) and has never gained more than 616 yards (2022); he rates outside of the top-70 across the board at WR on both sites this week.

Reserves/Very Large Field Darts

Cole Kmet is a low-end dart throw at TE; he rates outside of the top-25 positionally and was targeted just three times on 19.0 routes run last week, though he did catch a touchdown pass.

Jahdae Walker caught a touchdown pass in Week 1, with his lone target coming in the red zone. Walker played just under half of the team’s snaps and ran 16 routes, but his potential is limited on the whole.

Zavion Thomas has electric speed and was drafted 89th overall for a bit of flash and special teams potential, but was barely involved in Week 1. Thomas played six snaps, all on special teams, and did not run a route in Week 1. He is nothing more than a wildcard at bad value until a role is established.

 

Stack Ranks: DraftKings: 8 points/ 16 value; FanDuel: 8 points / 9 value

Best Stacking Options: Williams-Loveland-Burden +/- Odunze

Best One-off: Colston Loveland

Best Value/Upside/Ownership Play: Colston Loveland

Wildcard: Kalif Raymond

 


Cincinnati Bengals

Game Total: 45.5 (CIN +3.0 / 21.25)

Offense: 3.9 ypa rush (42.86%) / 7.3 ypa pass (57.14%) / 33.0 ppg

oppDEF: 4.1 ypa rush / 10.4 nypa pass / 0.0% int / 6.45% sack / 15.60% pressure / 36.0 ppg

Key Player: Joe Burrow

Setting: at least one / exactly two / at most three (these can be alternated in a variety of lineup builds)

Team Group: Ja’Marr Chase, Chase Brown, Tee Higgins, Mike Gesicki, Andrei Iosivas, Samaje Perine (on/off), Erick All Jr. (large field; on/off), Drew Sample (large field; on/off), Dohnte Meyers (very large field), Colbie Young (very large field)

Opposing Setting: at most one / exactly one (these can be alternated in a variety of lineup builds)

Opposing Group: David Montgomery, Dalton Schultz, Kayshon Boutte, Jaylin Noel, Xavier Hutchinson, Woody Marks

Game Notes:

Quarterback

Joe Burrow is dealing with a minor amount of back pain that had him listed as questionable, but he is expected to play and stands a chance to excel against a Texans defense that was beaten badly by the pass in Week 1. Houston allowed a 31st-ranked 10.4 net yards per pass attempt to Josh Allen’s Buffalo Bills in a Week 1 loss, and they could yield even more to the high-flying Bengals. Burrow was just OK in Week 1, he completed 25 of 35 pass attempts with a 5.2 CPOE, throwing for 254 yards but just one touchdown, with an interception also on the board. The quarterback needs to reestablish his connection with Ja’Marr Chase, who caught just two passes for 12 yards and did not score last week. Assuming that the connection comes back to life in Week 2, there is major potential to do damage. Burrow rates as QB6 by points and QB18 by value on DraftKings; he is QB6 and QB15 on the FanDuel slate but has more than enough ceiling to pay off the points-per-dollar concerns in Stack 2 by points on both sites.

Running Backs

Tier 1:

Chase Brown delivered 3.5 yards per rush attempt on 16.0 carries last week, gaining -0.4 yards per attempt vs. expectation. The running back had 2.5 yards before and 1.0 yards after contact per attempt, with a 6.25% broken tackle rate and a sole rushing touchdown. Brown was targeted six times in the passing game, an area that helps pad his value for NFL DFS purposes and makes him a valuable part of Bengals stacks. The running back caught five of six chances but did not score on his lone red zone target. Brown is RB6 by points and RB8 by value on DraftKings and lands similarly as RB7 across the board on the FanDuel slate; he has more individual upside than was on display last week. Brown averaged 4.3 yards per rush attempt across his first three full seasons.

Tier 2: 

Samaje Perine carried the ball five times for 4.0 yards per attempt and added another 30 yards on three catches. The running back has just moderate dart-throw appeal here and there as a part of stacks on the hope that he could pick up a cheap outlier touchdown with low-owned correlation to a big Burrow day.

Reserves/Very Large Field Darts

n/a

Receivers & Tight Ends

Tier 1:

Ja’Marr Chase remains the undisputed number one in this offense, regardless of any given week’s limited output in a backward-looking sense. Chase ran 36.0 routes in Week 1 but gained just 0.33 yards per route run in a lousy outing that is unlikely to be repeated. The receiver has been over 1,000 yards in each of his five seasons, and over 1,200 yards in four of five. Chase caught 125 passes on a career-high 185 targets last season, gaining 1,412 yards and scoring eight times, though that pales in comparison to the 1,708 yards and 17 touchdowns he had the season before with a fully healthy Joe Burrow. Despite a Week 1 blip, there is a strong chance for the high-scoring duo to get back on track in Week 2. Chase is WR2 by points and WR1 by value on DraftKings; he is WR2 by points and WR3 by value on FanDuel.

Tee Higgins is the league’s top 1A option. The receiver caught just three passes on six targets in Week 1 but gained 1.90 yards per route run for the game’s 31.0 routes. Higgins worked on a 19.8-yard average depth of target that puts him  regularly in big play territory and garnered him nearly 50.0% of the team’s air yards (48.8%) last week. As WR10 by points and WR11 by value on both sites, Higgins has a chance to play a monster role alongside Chase or as a spoiler to his teammate’s ceiling. The full stack of Burrow-Chase-Higgins has plenty of scoring potential on any given slate, while there are only so many chances to go around it seems unlikely that Burrow will target nine different pass-catchers again in Week 2, creating added chances for his stars.

Tier 2:

Mike Gesicki was targeted a team-leading seven times in a surprising performance. The tight end caught five of those chances and put a touchdown on the board while working at a big-play-adjacent 9.0-yard ADOT for 30.32% of the air yards. Gesicki ran just 17.0 routes for the game, putting him at a ridiculous 4.59 yards per route run that is going to come down as the season continues. Still, there is weekly touchdown-based value for the position on this roster, and potentially a bit more. Gesicki is TE16 by poitns but TE7 by value at just $3,600 on DraftKings, he is a $5,300 option that plays as TE11/7 on FanDuel.

Andrei Iosivas worked as a short option on just a 5.0 yard ADOT for his three targets in Week 1, limiting his potential that usually comes from deep chances down the field on low volume. Iosivas is no more than a wildcard shot at a low-owned touchdown catch on limited chacnces, he rates as WR73/62 and WR72/71.

Reserves/Very Large Field Darts

All of Drew Sample, Erick All Jr., Tanner Hudson, and Dohnte Meyers ran routes in Week 1, with Sample leading the group. The depth tight end ran 15.0 routes and drew three targets, including one in the red zone. Sample caught all three passes and gained 19.0 yards for the game but did not score. There is very little potential for role players to hit the board with so much volume typically going through the stars, even in a week where they were involved, very little happened down here.

 

Stack Ranks: DraftKings: 2 points/4 value; FanDuel: 2 points / 5 value

Best Stacking Options: Burrow-Chase-Higgins +/- Brown

Best One-off: Ja’Marr Chase

Best Value/Upside/Ownership Play: Tee Higgins

Wildcard: Mike Gesicki

 


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Cleveland Browns

Game Total: 42.0 (CLE +9.0 / 16.5)

Offense: 4.0 ypa rush (44.9%) / 9.3 ypa pass (55.1%) / 10.0 ppg

oppDEF: 3.9 ypa rush / 6.8 nypa pass / 2.86% int / 2.78% sack / 27.6% pressure / 33.o ppg

Key Player: Deshaun Watson

Setting: exactly one / at least one

Team Group: Quinshon Judkins, Harold Fannin Jr., Denzel Boston, KC Concepcion Jr., Jerry Jeudy, Raheim Sanders (on/off), Isaiah Bond (large field), Tylan Wallace (very large field)

Opposing Setting: at most one / exactly one (these can be alternated in a variety of lineup builds)

Opposing Group: Bucky Irving, Emeka Egbuka, Chris Godwin Jr., Jalen McMillan, Ted Hurst III, Cade Otton, Kenny Gainwell

Game Notes:

Quarterback

DeShaun Watson came into Week 1 with poor ratings, exited Week 1 looking much the same, and picks up right where he left off in Week 2. Watson is QB22 by points but does see an uptick to QB15 by value on DraftKings. The Cleveland signal-caller is QB23 across the board on the FanDuel slate. Watson threw 22 passes in Week 1 and actually did complete a few more than expectation with a 3.6o CPOE mark. Those completions amounted to 205 yards, good for 9.3 per attempt, with one touchdown pass but also an interception on the board. The quarterback also ran the ball for 38.0 yards, gaining 6.3 per attempt on six carries. There is very little reason to believe in anything on any slate for the Browns, the Tampa Bay defense was “fine” in Week 1 when it came to yards per attempt in both categories, but they allowed scoring; they are more than good enough to suppress the Cleveland offense.

Running Backs

Tier 1:

Quinshon Judkins gained just 2.8 yards per rush attempt across 12 carries, or -1.1 yards per attempt against expectation. The running back was bad in Week 1, but it is fair to question if that is entirely his fault; he gained a mere 1.9 yards per attempt before contact and 0.8 yards after, meaning he was hit early and often on his few attempts. With nothing to really worry about in the passing game, teams can load up against the run. Judkins is just RB16/RB12 on DraftKings and RB15/8 on FanDuel, where he does pick up some cheap value at just $6,000. The loss of Dylan Sampson also leaves a void in the passing game out of the backfield. Judkins does not specialize in this area, but he could benefit from a small uptick in chances.

Tier 2: 

n/a

Reserves/Very Large Field Darts

Raheim Sanders steps up to number two on the depth chart with the loss of Sampson, not that he is worth much for it for NFL DFS purposes. Sanders carried the ball once for one yard in last week’s game and added 25 yards on 3-3 receiving. The running back seems like the most likely candidate to see the targeting that would have gone to Sampson but that will not amount to enough weekly value to put him on the board outside of wildcard shares.

Jaleel McLaughlin slots in as a low-end value backup outside of the top-70 at running back, he brings very little to the DFS scoring table.

Receivers & Tight Ends

Tier 1:

n/a

Tier 2:

Harold Fannin Jr. rates as TE7/5 on DraftKings and TE9/10 on FanDuel; a chance at volume benefits the full-PPR format slightly. Fannin caught two of three targets for 21.0 yards, gaining 0.91 yards per route run across his 23.0 routes last week. The tight end dipped a bit against public expectations, with the team’s rookie receiver tandem drawing a few more chances. Fannin remains a mostly touchdown-dependent option on a weekly basis at a thin position overall.

Denzel Boston was a second-round pick in this year’s draft, 39th overall, while KC Concepcion Jr. was taken 15 picks earlier. With that in mind, it may have surprised some to see Boston run more routes and post a larger fantasy score in Week 1. In truth, both of the neophytes were better than expected in a low-end offense. Boston gained 2.03 yards per route run across his 29 routes, scoring a touchdown and living in big play territory on a 28.5-yard average depth of target that is sure to come down.

KC Concepcion Jr., meanwhile, ran just 19.0 routes but was highly efficient in gaining 2.26 yards per route run and catching four of five passes. Concepcion worked at a 12.6-yard average depth of target for 27.78% of the team’s air yards, putting him well downfield and giving Browns fans something flashy to watch for a change. Either of the rookies could shine a bit any given week; both are extremely limited by the overall nature of the team.

Jerry Jeudy is the veteran and nominal top option on the depth chart, but no one actually believes that to be true. Jeudy ran 25.0 routes and gained 1.04 yards per route run, catching two of four targets on a 50.0% catchable rate. Jeudy is WR60/59 and WR60/64 across sites in Week 2.

Reserves/Very Large Field Darts

n/a

 

Stack Ranks: DraftKings: 25 points/ 6 value (note: this is a product of extraordinarily low raw price points more than quality); FanDuel: 25 points / 20 value

Best Stacking Options: Watson-Fannin Jr.-Boston-Concepcion +/- Judkins

Best One-off: Harold Fannin Jr.

Best Value/Upside/Ownership Play: Denzel Boston

 


Dallas Cowboys

Game Total: 50.0 (DAL -4.0 / 27.0)

Offense: 3.8 ypa rush (34.62%) / 5.1 ypa pass (65.38%) / 20.0 ppg

oppDEF: 5.4 ypa rush / 6.5 nypa pass / 0.0% int / 10.71% sack / 28.10% pressure / 24.0 ppg

Key Player: Dak Prescott

Setting: at least one / exactly two / at most three (these can be alternated in a variety of lineup builds)

Team Group: CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, Javonte Williams, Jake Ferguson, Ryan Flournoy, KaaVontae Turpin, Brevyn Spann-Ford (large field; on/off)

Opposing Setting: at most one / exactly one (these can be alternated in a variety of lineup builds)

Opposing Group: Terry McLaurin, Stefon Diggs, Antonio Williams, Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Ben Sinnott, John Bates

Game Notes:

Quarterback

Dak Prescott leads the Commanders into action after a surprising letdown against a Giants team that dominated the action and kept the ball away from their opponent. The Cowboys had the ball for just 38.89% of the game on offense, the 30th-ranked mark in football in Week 1, limiting chances across the board against a Giants team that did well in muffling those opportunities. Prescott and his teammates have a chance to go nuclear against a low-end Washington defense in Week 2; they rate as the top stack for point-scoring across both sites in the week’s biggest game at 50.0 points. Dallas is a steady 4.0-point favorite at home; their 27.0 implied points is one of the top marks to shoot for on this slate, and they could exceed that against a team that allowed 5.4 yards per rush attempt and 6.5 net yards per pass last week. Prescott threw the ball 34.0 times despite Dallas barely having it last week; the aggressive nature of this offense is very much intact. The quarterback has outstanding weapons at his disposal, with two of the top wide receivers on any given slate and an underappreciated running back, as well as a premium tight end. Dak Prescott rates as QB1 by points and QB 3 by value on DraftKings; he is QB1 across the board on the FanDuel slate. While this should be a highly popular play, there is enough upside to warrant a heavy investment approaching the field’s level of exposure, if not exceeding it. Prescott’s volume of pass attempts alone justifies faith in the ceiling games to come, and he has premium stacking options at every position. Dallas may not be a tremendous football team overall in 2026, but they have all of the weapons to be an elite weekly NFL DFS scoring option.

Running Backs

Tier 1:

Javonte Williams slots in as RB10/11 on DraftKings and RB9/10 on FanDuel, just where one would want him in an attempt to mine underrated value. Williams will slip between the cracks again and again while providing ongoing quality; he gained just 3.4 yards per attempt across a dozen carries against New York in Week 1 but found the end zone in the effort while also posting a strong 16.67% broken tackle rate and gaining more yards per attempt after contact than before it. That he was getting hit after just 1.3 yards on average says a lot about the quality of the opportunities Williams saw in Week 1. The running back has under-discussed value in the passing game; not only does he draw a handful of targets per game, including five in Week 1, but also sees frequent action in the red zone. Williams was targeted 12 times in the red zone in 16 games last season, the same number as Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs, tying him for the league lead at running back. He caught eight of those 12 chances but scored only twice in the passing game. Williams was already targeted twice in the red zone in Week 1 this season.

Tier 2: 

n/a

Reserves/Very Large Field Darts

Emari Demercado and Hunter Luepke both rank outside of the top-55 at running back and hardly warrant consideration; they combined for three carries and zero targets last week.

Receivers & Tight Ends

Tier 1:

CeeDee Lamb remains the preferred option at the receiver position, with a strong 1A available in any version of a Dallas stack. Lamb is WR4 by points and WR5 by value on DraftKings; he is WR4/WR7 on FanDuel, and his counterpart is only a step or so behind on both sites. The superstar receiver was limited to just five catches on eight targets in Week 1, but he did find the end zone while working at an 11.3-yard average depth of target for 35.92% of the team’s air yards and 1.52 yards per route run. Lamb is a dynamite option who will be highly utilized in all formats for NFL DFS; he is worth the investment and is the go-to pairing if one had to select just one to go with Prescott.

George Pickens is right behind his teammate as WR5 by points but WR2 by value on DraftKings and WR5/WR8 on the FanDuel board. Pairing the receivers with their quarterback and attempting to shoot the moon is easily doable on both sites; there is plenty of early-season positional value and leverage down the board. Either of the Cowboys’ premium receivers is also a top option for “bring back” shares in any contrarian stack using the other side of this game in the primary role. Pickens caught three of six targets for just 0.88 yards per route run over a team-leading 32.0 routes in Week 1. The receiver did not find the end zone, but he has major big-play appeal coming off of a 17.3-yard average depth of target. Pickens also drew more catchable balls, getting an 83.33% rate from Prescott to Lamb’s 62.50% rate on shorter chances.

Tier 2:

Jake Ferguson also warrants consideration at his position, particularly for points-per-dollar shares on DraftKings where he costs just $3,800. Ferguson is TE11 by points but TE4 by value on that slate; he is just TE13 across the board on FanDuel. The veteran caught two of two targets for just six yards and 0.22 yards per route run in Week 1, but one of those chances at least came in the red zone. Ferguson is a loosely touchdown-dependent play who can shake free for more from time to time; he is a good alternative to save salary and popularity within stacks that do not utilize both receivers or the receiver-running back pairing.

Ryan Flournoy was a buzzy play in Week 1’s Showdown contests, which could lead to him getting a bit overly popular within a popular Cowboys stack. Flournoy is WR62/68 and WR66/68 in our rankings; he caught two of four passes on a 5.8-yard average depth of target for just 0.85 unimpressive yards per route run in Week 1. The team is expected to continue to work KaVontae Turpin into the mix for more gadget plays as the season continues, with massive volume requirements and competition for the limited touches, Flournoy is not much more than a weekly dart throw.

Reserves/Very Large Field Darts

KaVontae Turpin provides special teams explosiveness but only limited involvement on offense. Turpin ran just five routes in Week 1 but gained 1.6 yards per route run on the short plays. The receiver has very limited potential to find the end zone in the right lineup at very low cost and popularity, but he is no more than a wildcard play

Brevyn Spann-Ford is a cheap alternative at tight end, but he rates around TE60 across the board. Spann-Ford caught both of his targets for 1.75 yards per route run in Week 1, but he provided little else and was not targeted in the red zone.

Stack Ranks: DraftKings: 1 points/ 2 value; FanDuel: 1 points / 1 value

Best Stacking Options: Prescott-Lamb-Pickens-Williams +/- Ferguson

Best One-off: CeeDee Lamb

Best Value/Upside/Ownership Play: Javonte Williams / Jake Ferguson on DraftKings

Wildcard: KaVontae Turpin

 


Denver Broncos

Game Total: 45.5 (DEN -2.5 / 24.0)

Offense: 4.1 ypa rush (31.91%) / 4.7 ypa pass (68.09%) / 10.0 ppg

oppDEF: 4.0 ypa rush / 6.9 nypa pass / 4.55% int / 18.52% sack / 10.0 ppg

Key Player: Bo Nix

Setting: at least one / exactly two (these can be alternated in a variety of lineup builds)

Team Group: Jaylen Waddle, Courtland Sutton, Pat Bryant, JK Dobbins, RJ Harvey (on/off), Evan Engram, Jonah Coleman (large field; on/off), Troy Franklin (large field), Marvin Mims Jr. (large field)

Opposing Setting: at most one / exactly one (these can be alternated in a variety of lineup builds)

Opposing Group: Parker Washington, Jakobi Meyers, Brian Thomas Jr., Brenton Strange, Bhayshul Tuten, Chris Rodriguez Jr. (on/off)

Game Notes:

Quarterback

Bo Nix and his Broncos deserve a bit of a mulligan after a messy Week 1 performance that saw them turn in just 10 points and very little production. The team’s aggressive passing game fell flat as they had the ball for just 43.8% of the game on offense. Nix did not help matters, falling way short of expectations with a -9.1 CPOE and just 4.7 yards per pass attempt overall. The quarterback completed 17 of 28 attempts on just 3.3 intended air yards per attempt, spreading a touchdown and an interception across four quarters. Nix has plenty of weapons in the passing game, but he was unable to find them with reliability. The quarterback delivered a 66.67% catchable target rate to Jaylen Waddle, 60.0% to Courtland Sutton, and 80.0% to Pat Bryant, the one receiver with whom he seemed to have a connection. Nix will have to be better against a defense that has numbers skewed by facing a pathetic Cleveland offense last week. Jacksonville allowed 6.9 yards per pass attempt to rank 22nd overall, but they gained a significant pressure rate and came away with four sacks and an interception in the contest.

Running Backs

Tier 1:

n/a

Tier 2: 

JK Dobbins is the nominal lead running back for this team, though he and RJ Harvey project similarly across sites with Harvey pulling slightly ahead in the full-PPR scoring format. Neither of the running backs distinguished himself in Week 1. Dobbins gained 4.5 yards per attempt but saw only eight carries, and went untargeted in the passing game. Harvey carried the ball three times for 6.0 yards per attempt and caught all four of his targets for another 23.0 yards out of the backfield. The running backs fill out the area between RBs25 and 30 on both sites in both categories; they leave much to be desired.

Reserves/Very Large Field Darts

Jonah Coleman was a big disappointment for clever NFL DFS showdown gamers in the team’s contest in Week 1. With Denver hardly seeing the ball and throwing it at a 2-1 rate when they had it, the highly discussed rookie ended the game without touching the football. Coleman played three snaps on offense and six on special teams, but he was drafted in the fourth round, 108th overall, with the intent of getting his physical attributes on the field. The rookie will see an uptick in quality if one of the options ahead of him on the depth chart goes down, but he remains an interesting wildcard option if he picks up goal-line carries over time.

Receivers & Tight Ends

Tier 1:

Jaylen Waddle bandwagons crashed and burst into flames in Week 1, with the receiver putting up 0.07 yards per route run across 27 wind sprints. Waddle was targeted three times but only two of them were catchable. Only one of those was caught. Waddle turned that catch into a whopping two yards and, unsurprisingly, failed to score. The receiver was brought to Denver to fill a premium role but it should be noted that he has not gained 1,000 yards since 2023 and has never scored more than eight touchdowns in a season. Waddle caught 64 of 100 balls for 910 yards and six touchdowns in a limited Miami offense last year and should be better with his feet properly under him going forward, but preseason expectations were out of hand and needed this reset. Waddle is WR14 by points but WR38 by value on DraftKings and makes a similar dip from WR15 by points to WR22 by value on FanDuel.

Courtland Sutton excelled in this offense last season, posting 1,017 yards and seven touchdowns on 74-124 receiving, giving the veteran a second-straight season of more than 1,000 yards. Sutton has had a productive three years; in fact, he gained just 772 yards on 59 catches in 2023 but found the end zone a career-best 10 times. He has 25 touchdowns in three seasons but was held scoreless in Week 1, catching two of five targets for just 11 yards and contributing more to the problem than the solution for a change. Sutton is a good bounceback candidate as WR25/47 and WR26/30, but his value is misplaced.

Tier 2:

With Pat Bryant picking up six targets and catching four of them for a team-leading 42.0 yards and delivering a touch of value in Week 1’s Showdown, the third man up on the depth chart seems likely to see a bit more popularity than is truly warranted within Denver builds. Bryant is “fine” overall and will not be popular in the raw sense, but a few shares here and there should be expected. The receiver was targeted six times on just a 4.2-yard ADOT, capping his overall potential unless he truly breaks a play. Bryant caught 31 of 49 targets for 378 yards and one score last season, but he could see steady involvement with Marvin Mims Jr. out and only Troy Franklin and Lil’Jordan Humphrey behind him.

Reserves/Very Large Field Darts

Troy Franklin and Lil’Jordan Humphrey take up the final two spots. The low-volume game in Week 1 gave Franklin just one target, which he did not catch because it was non-catchable. Humphrey was inactive in Week 1 but is likely to at least suit up with Mims out. Humphrey has exactly one touchdown in each of the past two seasons.

 

Stack Ranks: DraftKings: 19 points/ 25 value; FanDuel: 18 points / 21 value

Best Stacking Options: Nix-Waddle-Sutton

Best One-off:  Courtland Sutton

Best Value/Upside/Ownership Play: Courtland Sutton

Wildcard: Jonah Coleman

 


Green Bay Packers

Game Total: 45.0 (GB -3.0 / 24.0)

Offense: 3.1 ypa rush (31.34%) / 9.2 ypa pass (68.66%) / 22.0 ppg

oppDEF: 4.9 ypa rush / 3.6 ypa pass / 0.0% int / 8.57% sack / 51.40% pressure / 10.0 ppg

Key Player: Jordan Love

Setting: at least one / exactly two (these can be alternated in a variety of lineup builds)

Team Group: Christian Watson, Matthew Golden, Tucker Kraft, Jayden Reed, MarShawn Lloyd, Chris Brooks (on/off), Jonnu Smith (on/off), Bo Melton (very large field)

Opposing Setting: at most one / exactly one (these can be alternated in a variety of lineup builds)

Opposing Group: Breece Hall, Garrett Wilson, Adonai Mitchell, Kenyon Sadiq, Braelon Allen (on/off), Mason Taylor (on/off), Isaiah Williams (large field)

Game Notes:

Quarterback

Jordan Love draws a Jets defense whose defensive numbers are skewed by a Week 1 matchup against the lowly Tennessee Titans. In that matchup, New York limited the Titans to just 3.6 net yards per pass attempt and just 4.0 yards per play overall. The lousy offense sputtered to just 10 points against New York, but that outcome almost certainly says more about the Titans than it does the Jets. Jordan Love, meanwhile, slots in as QB10 by points and QB8 by value on DraftKings and QB9 by points and QB10 by value on the FanDuel slate; he is a part of the conversation at quarterback at the helm of a quality offense with big play potential. Green Bay’s signal-caller threw for a terrific 387 yards on a huge 42 pass attempts in Week 1, but his -9.0 CPOE left a bit on the table. Love threw a pair of touchdown passes, both going to Christian Watson in a major connection, and he lost one interception along the way. The quarterback was outstanding for upside with 9.2 yards per pass attempt coming from 11.2 intended air yards per attempt as he worked to find Watson and others downfield with regularity. There is potential in the Green Bay offense, but the Jets will apply pressure and try to force Love into mistakes while limiting the time he has to hit the deep connection, rendering him as potentially more “playable” than “priority.”

Running Backs

Tier 1:

MarShawn Lloyd picked up a ton of buzz through the season-long draft days with the void ahead of him on the depth chart. Lloyd immediately let all of those gamers down by gaining just 2.8 yards per rush attempt on his 13 Week 1 carries. The running back put up just 37.0 yards overall and did not find the end zone; he failed to catch his lone target. Lloyd may not be entirely to blame; he was getting first contact after just 1.8 yards on average, but he did not break a tackle and gained just 1.0 yards after contact per attempt. The running back will have to be better on his limited chances, but he could see opportunities around the goal line when Green Bay comes up just short on deep looks for six in the passing game. Lloyd is RB20/17 and RB20/16 across DraftKings and FanDuel in Week 2 against a potentially exploitable Jets rush defense.

Tier 2: 

n/a

Reserves/Very Large Field Darts

Chris Brooks carried the ball seven times and was more efficient than his counterpart in Week 1, posting 4.1 yards per attempt but failing to impress or hit the board for ancillary scoring. Brooks is limited in opportunities as the backup. He is ranked outside of the top-40 running backs on both sites.

Receivers & Tight Ends

Tier 1:

Christian Watson was a Week 1 monster who could continue to pay dividends throughout the season, provided he stays on the field. Watson ran 38.0 routes and gained a ludicrous 3.87 yards per route run last week. The fifth-year receiver was targeted eight times in the passing game, including one look in the red zone; he caught six of those balls, all of the catchable targets, for 147 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Watson operated on an elite 15.9-yard average depth of target for 27.77% of the air yards in a big-play offense. This is WR8 by points and WR6 by value on DraftKings and WR7 by points and WR2 by value on FanDuel. Christian Watson has the tools and game profile to lead the wide receiver position on any given slate when healthy.

Matthew Golden warrants Tier 1 discussion as well. The receiver rates somewhat behind his outstanding teammate, and Green Bay brings a multitude of options on offense, but Golden was the one who picked up a full dozen targets in the team’s Week 1 game. The outstanding volume included two red zone targets, though Golden did not come away with a touchdown catch. The second-year receiver was taken 23rd overall in 2025, giving the team a good reason to keep him involved at the highest levels. Golden worked at an 11.4-yard ADOT for a 33.15% air yards share; he is a tremendous big play option to put next to Watson in upstart stacks of Packers. Golden is a premium value play on DraftKings as WR23 by points but WR9 by value. He is WR23/17 on the FanDuel slate where he has plenty of appeal but is a bit less of a target.

Tier 2:

Jayden Reed is WR36/31 and WR35/34 across DraftKings and FanDuel, which is very much on the board for a 26-team slate. Reed is coming off a seven-target game himself in Week 1, though he only caught three of those for 0.69 yards per route run. Reed’s 29 routes were far fewer than Watson (38) and Golden (40), and he saw lower-quality opportunities with just a 42.86% catchable target rate. Reed’s chances came on a 7.1-yard ADOT that limits his upside by comparison to the big play bombers across the rest of this group.

Tucker Kraft drew a 13.7-yard average depth of target, good for 15.78% of the air yards in Week 1. This puts him in rare territory for tight ends; he has plenty of big play potential and drew six targets over 22.0 routes run in Week 1. Kraft returned 2.95 yards per route run but went without a red zone chance while failing to score. The tight end brings upside to the position in the right week; he rates as TE3 by points but TE14 by value on DraftKings, and may be a better fit as TE4 by points and TE6 by value on the FanDuel board.

Reserves/Very Large Field Darts

Jonnu Smith was targeted three times over 18.0 routes in Week 1; he caught a pair of passes, with a big 43-yard gain helping him to an outlier 50.0-yard performance. Smith has only wildcard potential.

Bo Melton ran six routes and picked up 1.67 yards per route run with one 10-yard catch on his lone target. Melton is ranked outside of the top-100 WRs in Week 2.

 

Stack Ranks: DraftKings:  11 points/ 10 value; FanDuel: 9 points / 6 value

Best Stacking Options: Love-Watson-Golden +/-Kraft

Best One-off: Christian Watson

Best Value/Upside/Ownership Play: Matthew Golden

Wildcard: MarShawn Lloyd

 

 


Houston Texans

Game Total: 45.5 (HOU -3.0 / 24.25)

Offense: 3.9 ypa rush (43.84%) / 7.2 ypa pass (56.16%) / 31.0 ppg

oppDEF: 4.5 ypa rush / 6.0 nypa pass / 0.0% int / 12.50% sack / 16.7% pressure / 27.0 ppg

Key Player: CJ Stroud

Setting: at least one / exactly two (these can be alternated in a variety of lineup builds)

Team Group: David Montgomery, Dalton Schultz, Kayshon Boutte, Jaylin Noel, Xavier Hutchinson, Woody Marks, Foster Moreau (large field; on/off), Jared Wayne (very large field; on/off)

Opposing Setting: at most one / exactly one (these can be alternated in a variety of lineup builds)

Opposing Group: Ja’Marr Chase, Chase Brown, Tee Higgins, Mike Gesicki, Andrei Iosivas, Samaje Perine (on/off), Erick All Jr. (large field; on/off), Drew Sample (large field; on/off)

Game Notes:

Quarterback

CJ Stroud will be without by far his best weapon with Nico Collins out for Week 2. The wide receiver’s absence leaves a gaping hole that may not be fillable with any of the pieces on this squad. Newcomer Kayshon Boutte seems a likely candidate to step forward but his nature is less as a lead option than a downfield bomber. Boutte had one game of more than 100 yards (Week 1) all of last season and did not catch more than six passes (also Week 1) in any game last year. His only other 100-yard game came on seven catches in a Week 18 contest against Buffalo in 2024; he is not a premium receiver. Stroud will look to connect frequently with his tight end, and the team seems likely to lean on their veteran running back again. With Collins active for 57 snaps and totaling 75 yards and a touchdown on seven catches and 10 targets last week, Stroud worked his way to a decent performance. The quarterback finished with 274 passing yards on 26-of-38 passing at an 8.60 CPOE. Stroud gained 7.2 yards per pass attempt on a quality 8.5 intended air yards per attempt; he may live and die with the quality that Xavier Hutchinson and Jaylin Noel are able to bring to the game.

Running Backs

Tier 1:

David Montgomery was outstanding on the whole and rewarded believers in a big way in Week 1. The veteran gained just 3.0 yards per rush attempt but carried the ball 20 times and scored twice on the ground, adding a third touchdown on one of his three catches over three chances in the passing game. Montgomery has been an asset for value touchdown scoring for multiple seasons as a second fiddle; back in a lead role in Houston, he has weekly potential for touchdown-based ceiling games, but his YPA and marks for explosive gains should not be expected to be dramatic. Montgomery will be a very good matchup/price/ownership-dependent play each week. In Week 2, against a defense that yielded 4.5 yards per rush attempt to start the season, he is RB8 by points and RB5 by value on DraftKings and RB6/RB2 on the FanDuel slate.

Tier 2: 

Woody Marks gained 4.7 yards per attempt over nine carries that are significant enough to warrant a Tier 2 placement. Marks was targeted just once out of the backfield and failed to convert the opportunity into a gain, but he has lower-end dart-throw potential to poach touchdowns in relief of the veteran above him on the depth chart but he is just RB36/33 and RB35/38.

Reserves/Very Large Field Darts

n/a

Receivers & Tight Ends

Tier 1:

Dalton Schultz seems likely to lead the way in opportunities in the passing game this week. The tight end picked up eight targets in Week 1, second only to the 10 that were thrown in now-absent Nico’s direction. Schultz caught four of the eight opportunities, relatively in line with a 62.5% catchable target rate. He gained a steady 1.03 yards per route run over 34.0 routes but worked at just a 3.3-yard ADOT for 8.29% of the air yards. Schultz is somewhat dependent on red zone opportunities in the short passing game; he scored just three times last year and twice the year before, despite playing 17 games each season. Now 29-years-old, Schultz is three years removed from the last time he scored five touchdowns and five years removed from scoring eight in his best season (2021 while with Dallas). With Collins out of action and the expectation of targets in what could turn into a shootout against a high-flying Cincinnati team, Schultz has plenty of potential; he is TE5 by points but TE1 by value on the DraftKings slate and lands as TE6 / TE3 on FanDuel.

Tier 2:

Kayshon Boutte is a quality downfield receiver with big play potential who has a chance to stand out in the right role in this offense. He caught the one catchable pass he saw on two targets in his first game with Houston but should be expected to see more chances in Week 2. Boutte gained 21.0 yards on that opportunity, working on a 16.0-yard average depth of target in the limited chances. With plenty of buzz about playbook familiarity and memories of a few big plays for DFS gains from last year, Boutte will get some attention in lower-owned stacks of Texans, and probably more importantly, on the opposite side of Cincinnati stacks as a “bring-back” play, where he provides the most potential value if the game shoots out.

Reserves/Very Large Field Darts

Xavier Hutchinson is WR51 by points but WR25 by value on DraftKings, where he is just a $3,500 investment. Similarly, Jaylin Noel is WR46 by points but WR15 by value for just $3,700. For higher relative cap hits on the FanDuel slate, neither of the receivers ranks inside the top-40 by value. Hutchinson ran 29.0 routes and gained 1.10 yards per route in Week 1, catching all three of the catchable targets he saw on six chances overall. Hutchinson worked at a 9.5-yard ADOT for 18.03% of the team’s air yards but lacks reliability. Noel ran just 15.0 routes but gained 3.53 yards per route run, catching both of his targets for 53.0 yards on a 13.0-yard ADOT. Both receivers rate mostly as wildcards, but they have clear opportunities for targeting with Collins out of action.

Foster Moreau ran 10 routes in the opener, gaining 1.50 yards per route run on two catches from two targets. Jared Wayne ran eight routes, gaining 1.50 yards per route run from one catch for 12 yards but did draw an intriguing red zone target, standing at 6’3″. Neither is an appealing option for anything other than the extremely low-probability dart. The same is true of Cade Stover, who ran four routes and caught one pass for -2.0 yards last week, and Marlin Klein, who gained 16 yards on his lone target over two routes.

 

Stack Ranks: DraftKings: 15 points/ 1 value; FanDuel: 15 points / 3 value

Best Stacking Options: Stroud-Schultz-Boutte +/-Montgomery

Best One-off: Dalton Schultz

Best Value/Upside/Ownership Play: Dalton Schultz

Wildcard: Jared Wayne

 


Jacksonville Jaguars

Game Total: 45.5 (JAC -2.5 / 21.5)

Offense: 3.9 ypa rush (57.14%) / 10.7 ypa pass (42.86%) / 34.0 ppg

oppDEF: 5.8 ypa rush / 5.9 nypa pass / 3.7% int / 6.9% sack / 18.2% pressure / 31.0 ppg

Key Player: Trevor Lawrence

Setting: at least one / exactly two (these can be alternated in a variety of lineup builds)

Team Group: Parker Washington, Jakobi Meyers, Brian Thomas Jr., Brenton Strange, Bhayshul Tuten, Chris Rodriguez Jr. (on/off), Travis Hunter (large field), Josh Cameron (very large field)

Opposing Setting: at most one / exactly one (these can be alternated in a variety of lineup builds)

Opposing Group: Jaylen Waddle, Courtland Sutton, Pat Bryant, JK Dobbins, RJ Harvey (on/off), Evan Engram, Jonah Coleman (large field; on/off), Troy Franklin (large field), Marvin Mims Jr. (large field)

Game Notes:

Quarterback

Trevor Lawrence heads into the Mile High City for an early-season game that often bodes poorly for incoming visitors just getting up to game speed for the season and not acclimated to the environment. Lawrence’s team was terrific in Week 1, the quarterback continued his excellent play from down the stretch in 2025, throwing for 245 yards on just 23 pass attempts (10.7 ypa) and connecting for four touchdown passes. Much was made of the gains that Lawrence found for fantasy scoring from a breakout rushing touchdown total, and whether or not he could repeat the feat; too few discussed the significant strides the quarterback made as a passer last season. Trevor Lawrence was one of the top quarterbacks in fantasy scoring through the second-half of last season; he has a strong chance to carry that mantle throughout all of 2026. Lawrence is QB9 by points and QB6 by value on DraftKings; he slips slightly by comparison on FanDuel where he is QB10 by points but the $7,800 asking price drops him to just QB14 by value. The hope would be that price concerns and thoughts about the opposing defense and environment could suppress the prolific passer’s public popularity.

Running Backs

Tier 1:

Bhayshul Tuten is just RB23/26 on both sites in Week 2. The running back carried the ball 15 times and gained a quality 4.4 yards per rush attempt but was hardly involved in the passing game in Week 1, though his lone target did turn into a catch for 22 yards. Tuten’s upside is limited in a Jaguars offense that will look to throw the ball and work efficiently, while going in other directions for most of their touchdown calls.

Tier 2: 

n/a

Reserves/Very Large Field Darts

Chris Rodriguez Jr. carried the ball six times for 3.8 yards per attempt and went untargeted in the passing game; he is a limited option in his offense and rates outside of the top-40 at running back on both sites.

Receivers & Tight Ends

Tier 1:

Parker Washington leads a talented group of wideouts as WR15/26 on DraftKings and WR14/19 on FanDuel. Washington gained a tremendous 4.61 yards per route run on just 18.0 routes in the team’s Week 1 34-10 knockout against Cleveland. The receiver found paydirt posting a touchdown and five catches over six targets for a 43.21% air yards share on a big play 17.0-yard ADOT. Washington gets downfield and into scoring territory with ease, and he has developed a steady connection with his quarterback, but there are options and the team will spread the ball around, giving them a bit of “difficult to pin down” chaos each week.

Jakobi Meyers is WR26/16 and WR27/20 across DraftKings and FanDuel, though he was limited to just two targets across a team-leading 20.0 routes un in Week 1. Meyers caught both passes and managed to gain 40.0 yards while working at a 14.5-yard ADOT, but it was his touchdown catch that saved fantasy scoring for the week. The lack of volume was a surprise but not in a concerning way; the team was simply highly efficient in an easy win against a bad team. There will be more chances when they are needed.

Brian Thomas Jr. remains a Tier 1 option in this offense despite his ongoing downturn; the talent is tremendous, but the utilization is not ideal for fantasy scoring. Thomas ran 14 routes last week and gained a top-notch 2.86 yards per route run, hauling in three of three targets for 40.0 yards on a 14.7-yard ADOT. His lack of a touchdown catch was the difference between mostly missing the board and being Jakobi Meyers last week.

Tier 2:

Brenton Strange brings quality to the tight end position, but his volume tends to bring up the back of the line in this offense. Strange saw three targets, including one of the team’s two red zone targets in Week 1 – Josh Cameron saw the other oddball red zone target, converting a touchdown and gaining 23.0 yards while catching both of the catchable targets. Strange has touchdown-dependent weekly upside and can find yardage when targeted more than a few times, given a healthy ADOT.

Reserves/Very Large Field Darts

Travis Hunter is a low-end receiver ranked outside of the top-75 across the board. Hunter drew one target and caught it for eight yards, and that was it in Week 1; he should not be expected to do more this week.

 

Stack Ranks: DraftKings: 16 points/ 19 value; FanDuel: 16 points / 15 value

Best Stacking Options: Lawrence-Washington-Meyers +/- Thomas Jr.

Best One-off: Parker Washington

Best Value/Upside/Ownership Play: Brian Thomas Jr.

Wildcard: Brian Thomas Jr.

 


Las Vegas Raiders

Game Total: 43.0 (LV +6.5 / 18.25)

Offense: 3.5 ypa rush (55.22%) / 5.3 ypa pass (44.78%) / 27.0 ppg

oppDEF: 3.4 ypa rush / 7.3 nypa pass / 0.0% int / 2.63% sack / 24.4% pressure / 26.0 ppg

Key Player: Kirk Cousins

Setting: exactly one

Team Group: Ashton Jeanty, Michael Mayer, Tre Tucker, Jalen Nailor, Jack Bech, Mike Washington Jr. (on/off), Malik Benson (very large field)

Opposing Setting: at most one / exactly one (these can be alternated in a variety of lineup builds)

Opposing Group: Omarion Hampton, Ladd McConkey (Q), Quention Johnston, Tre’ Harris, Keaton Mitchell (on/off), David Njoku (on/off), Oronde Gadsden II (on/off)

Game Notes:

Quarterback

Kirk Cousins produced an odd fantasy score in Week 1, completing 21 of 31 attempts for a limiting 5.3 yards per attempt and 160.0 total yards while throwing three touchdown passes and two interceptions. Cousins was all over the place in a way that was entirely unsurprising, with two of the three touchdown passes going to his potentially elite second-year running back. Cousins had a 7.5-yard intended air yards mark and managed a 3.90 CPOE in the performance, but the efficiency masked an overall lack of quality that will stand out against even the Chargers’ defense. Cousins is QB23/24 and QB22/22 across sites.

Running Backs

Tier 1:

Ahston Jeanty is the standout on this team while their premium tight end is absent. The running back failed to impress after his highly discussed sixth overall selection in the 2025 draft, gaining just 975 yards with five touchdowns on 266 carries as a rookie in a terrible offense last season. Jeanty added another five scores and 346 yards on 55-73 receiving to gain overall quality, but the lack of production in the ground game was significant. In his first foray in 2026, the running back looked far more complete. He gained 102 yards on 23 carries, working to a powerhouse 4.4 yards per rush attempt while maintaining his role in the passing game. Jeanty came away with his best game as a pro, adding 45.0 yards with six catches on six targets, including four in the red zone. Jeanty’s two touchdown catches led the team.

Tier 2: 

n/a

Reserves/Very Large Field Darts

Mike Washington Jr. carried the ball seven times for a surprising 5.9 yards per rush attempt in Week 1 and was entirely uninvolved in the passing game. He is unlikely to repeat this performance and is not truly on the board from outside the top-40 at running back.

Receivers & Tight Ends

Tier 1:

n/a

Tier 2:

Michael Mayer drew seven targets to lead the low-end group of pass-catchers in Week 1 while Brock Bowers was out of action; he stands a fair chance to do so again this week. Mayer turned those chances into six catches for 1.33 yards per route run across his 24.0 routes, working at a mere 4.0-yard ADOT. Mayer is TE15 by points but TE6 by value on DraftKings at a low price. He is TE12/8 on FanDuel for $5,300 but others offer more quality at similar prices.

Tre Tucker is WR41/40 and WR41/37 across sites; he is a low-end dart for a touchdown catch. Tucker drew a 12.5-yard average depth of target across 27.0 routes and four opportunities in Week 1, seeing a bit more upside from opportunities than his fellow wide receivers in this group. His two catches and 27 total yards without a scoring play were less interesting.

Jalen Nailor is cheap at $3,900 on DraftKings, pushing him to WR44 against a WR53 points ranking on the site; he is WR53 by points and WR50 by value on FanDuel. Nailor also worked downfield in Week 1, operating at a 12.8-yard ADOT for a 28.07% air yards share on five targets, returning 1.42 yards per route run over 19.0 routes.

Potentially the best wide receiver in the mix, Jack Bech is just a $3,600 option on DraftKings, vaulting him to WR39 by value against just WR58 by points on the site. He is limited to WR55/49 status on the blue site. Bech caught three of four targets for 23 yards and a team-leading 1.77 yards per route run on just 13 routes, including two red zone targets and a touchdown catch. Bech was a second-round pick, 58th overall, just last year; he failed to make an impact as a rookie but should draw action in the red zone.

Reserves/Very Large Field Darts

Malik Benson ran four routes and drew two targets, one of which was catchable. Benson caught that pass for 6.0 yards but had a 15.5-yard average depth of target for the game. It would have been better to catch the other pass.

 

Stack Ranks: DraftKings: 22 points/13 value; FanDuel: 21 points / 17 value

Best Stacking Options: Cousins-Jeanty-Mayer +/-a WR

Best One-off: Ashton Jeanty

Best Value/Upside/Ownership Play: Ahston Jeanty

Wildcard: Jack Bech

 


Los Angeles Chargers

Game Total: 43.0 (LAC -6.5 / 24.75)

Offense: 3.9 ypa rush (41.18%) / 7.7 ypa pass (58.82%) / 14.0 ppg

oppDEF: 4.1 ypa rush / 5.8 nypa pass / 3.7% int / 15.63% sack / 13.0 ppg

Key Player: Justin Herbert

Setting: at least one / exactly two (these can be alternated in a variety of lineup builds)

Team Group: Omarion Hampton, Ladd McConkey (Q), Quention Johnston, Tre’ Harris, Keaton Mitchell (on/off), David Njoku (on/off), Oronde Gadsden II (on/off), Kimani Vidal (on/off), Charlie Kolar (on/off), Brenen Thompson (very large field)

Opposing Setting: at most one / exactly one (these can be alternated in a variety of lineup builds)

Opposing Group: Ashton Jeanty, Michael Mayer, Tre Tucker, Jalen Nailor, Jack Bech, Mike Washington Jr. (on/off), Malik Benson (very large field)

Game Notes: Ladd McConkey is questionable

Quarterback

Justin Herbert is in familiar territory as a reasonable mid-board play who never truly seems to deliver on the apparent upside inherent in his talents. Herbert was “fine” once again in Week 1, though he did end the game at a -1.4 CPOE mark with just 17 completions on 27 attempts for 209 yards and a single touchdown against an interception. The quarterback averaged a steady 7.7 yards per pass attempt on 8.0 intended air yards and has plenty of talent in the passing game, though Ladd McConkey is questionable coming into Sunday morning. Herbert needs to connect more regularly with Quentin Johnston on the big scoring plays, something that may be on the board if McConkey is out of action. As QB12/16, there is only marginal room on DraftKings; Herbert has a bit more of a role as QB 12 by points but QB8 by value on the blue site in Week 2.

Running Backs

Tier 1:

Omarion Hampton had an underwhelming Week 1 with just 43.0 rushing yards on 12 carries, good for just 3.6 yards per attempt and -0.7 against expectation per attempt in a disappointing game. Hampton gained 1.5 yards before and 2.1 yards per attempt after contact and did have a significant 50.0% broken tackle rate on his attempts; he was hit frequently. The running back was uninvolved in the passing game; he will need to provide far more efficiency to hit the board against a Las Vegas defense that was middle-of-the-road against a lousy Dolphins team with an explosive running back in Week 1. Hampton is RB9 by points and RB 13 by value on DraftKings; he is RB10/11 on FanDuel and is in play on both sites. Hampton could provide some touchdown-based upside as a lower-owned running back at the fringes of the positional top-10, but he is a letdown as a pro so far after scoring just four times in nine games as a rookie.

Tier 2: 

n/a

Reserves/Very Large Field Darts

Keaton Mitchell went untargeted and carried the ball just 4.0 times for 2.3 yards per attempt last week; he barely registers as an option in Week 2 but should see a bit more involvement.

Receivers & Tight Ends

Tier 1:

If McConkey is active as currently projected, he rates as WR32/61 and is well off the mark in terms of value on DraftKings; he would land as WR34/52 in similarly poor position on FanDuel. The receiver was active for 18 routes in Week 1 but returned a tremendous 4.56 yards per route run while catching five of seven targets, and all of the catchable balls. McConkey found the end zone in his limited action and would be the lead receiver in a fully healthy week.

Quentin Johnston should benefit most if his teammate is out; he carries a fair amount of big play upside in most situations regardless, though it is noteworthy that he worked to just a 6.3-yard ADOT over 27 routes run and six targets in Week 1. Johnston caught two passes, but that came from only three catchable targets, and he was held to just 17.0 yards. He will have to be far more like the receiver who caught eight touchdown passes in each of the past two seasons, despite playing just 29 combined games. Johnston has a double-digit average depth-of-target mark for his career; it would be surprising if he did not bounce back in Week 2. Johnston is WR24 by points and WR18 by value on DraftKings, and he leaps to WR21/WR12 on the FanDuel slate; much of his value would be extracted from touchdown scoring.

Tier 2:

Tre’ Harris is a cheap alternative in standard builds and particularly if McConkey does not play. Harris ran 27.0 routes in Week 1, tying Johnston for the team lead. He caught three of three catchable balls on his six targets and worked in the middle ground at a 7.3-yard ADOT for 15.38% of the air yards. Harris caught 30 passes on 43 targets for 7.5 yards per target and a single touchdown in 17 games as a rookie but could see added involvement in 2026, given the second-round draft capital that was invested last season.

Reserves/Very Large Field Darts

David Njoku ran 17.0 routes and caught all five of his targets, including a look in the red zone, but failed to score and gained 58.0 yards. While the route-running was a bit limited, Njoku’s number was called when he was on the field, and the red zone target stands out for quality when discussing a big $3,000 tight end on DraftKings. Njoku is TE22/20 on that slate and TE21/21 on FanDuel.

Oronde Gadsden II drew two targets and caught them both for 32.0 yards and nothing more; he is a lower-end option and just a dart at a touchdown.

Brenen Thompson rates outside of the top-80 across both categories on both sites. The receiver caught zero passes while running eight routes on 10 snaps with the offense in Week 1. He was outproduced by Derius Davis, who caught one pass on nine routes over 10 snaps and also has no Week 2 value.

 

Stack Ranks: DraftKings: 14 points/ 22 value; FanDuel: 14 points / 14 value

Best Stacking Options: Herbert-Hampton-Johnston +/- McConkey

Best One-off: Omarion Hampton

Best Value/Upside/Ownership Play: David Njoku

Wildcard: David Njoku

 


Miami Dolphins

Game Total: 45.5 (MIA +13.5 / 16.0)

Offense: 4.1 ypa rush (36.0%) / 8.1 ypa pass (64.0%) / 13.0 ppg

oppDEF: 4.2 ypa rush / 6.0 nypa pass / 3.57% int / 0.0% sack / 23.1% pressure / 7.0 ppg

Key Player: Malik Willis

Setting: at least one / exactly two (these can be alternated in a variety of lineup builds)

Team Group: De’Von Achane, Caleb Douglas, Malik Washington, Greg Dulcich, Chris Bell, Jaylen Wright (on/off), Jalen Tolbert (large field), Kevin Coleman Jr. (very large field)

Opposing Setting: at most one / exactly one (these can be alternated in a variety of lineup builds)

Opposing Group: Christian McCaffrey, Mike Evans, Deebo Samuel, George Kittle, Kaelon Black, Demarcus Robinson

Game Notes:

Quarterback

Malik Willis checks into action with a bit of tangible value-based upside in an otherwise ugly-looking spot against the 49ers in Week 2. Willis threw for 220 yards on 15-of-27 passes last week, posting a -0.40 CPOE while gaining 8.1 yards per pass on 11.4 intended air yards per attempt. The quarterback added another 39 yards on the ground, gaining 6.5 per attempt on six carries, including a rushing touchdown, something that the team’s running back failed to accomplish. Willis slots in as just QB 17 by points but QB9 by value on DraftKings; he is QB18 by points but QB7 by value on FanDuel, but helms a stack that rates as just 23 across both sites by point-scoring potential, putting a bad asterisk on the quarterback’s personal rankings.

Running Backs

Tier 1:

De’Von Achane will no doubt have a few big plays and even some interesting NFL DFS scores during the season, but it is important to be realistic about the running back and this offense’s potential as a whole. Achane was held to just 36.0 yards on 11 carries in Week 1, gaining just 3.3 yards per attempt and falling short of expectations by -0.4 yards per attempt. Achane gained 1.9 yards before and 1.4 yards after contact and failed to break a tackle, while also failing to score. The running back added four catches for another 30.0 yards on five targets but did not do much with them from a 0.8-yard ADOT while seeing all of his targets from outside of the red zone. Achane stands as RB7 across the board on DraftKings, where the price is fair at $6,700. The running back is inexplicably priced at $8,200 on FanDuel, where he lands with a thud as RB8 by points but RB17 by points-per-dollar value.

Tier 2: 

n/a

Reserves/Very Large Field Darts

Jaylen Wright is ranked outside of the top-50 across the board on both sites after carrying the ball once for -1.0 yards and going untargeted in Week 1. Any available chances in the limited offense should be expected to go toward Achane.

Receivers & Tight Ends

Tier 1:

n/a

Tier 2:

Caleb Douglas led a limited collection of pass-catchers with five catches coming from seven targets and a 71.43% catchable target rate over his 32.0 routes run. The receiver picked up a sturdy 2.94 yards per route run while gaining a team-leading 94.0 yards on a 13.9-yard ADOT. The only thing Douglas lacked was a touchdown in the low-end offense, but the placement in big-play territory is at least encouraging. This is no more than a value dart as WR47 by points, but he does climb all the way to WR17 by value for just $3,700 on DraftKings. Douglas is a $5,100 receiver on FanDuel, where he rates as just WR47/WR40.

Malik Washington ran 37.0 routes to pace the team, while also drawing the most opportunities with eight targets. Washington only saw four catchable balls in that mix and hauled in three of them for 53.0 yards while garnering a 39.27% air yards share on his group-best 16.9-yard ADOT. There is big play potential, but not in more than a wildcard sense on any given slate. Washington and his mates will be facing a quality 49ers defense and should be playing from behind throughout. There is not a ton to work with in the Miami offense.

Reserves/Very Large Field Darts

Chris Bell is WR68/66 on both sites; he ran 20 routes and gained 1.25 yards per route run on one catch for 25.0 yards from one catchable target on two looks. Bell is a very low-end play.

Depth tight end Will Kacmarek ran five routes in the team’s Week 1 game, picking up a single target and showing no fantasy value.

 

Stack Ranks: DraftKings: 23 points/ 15 value; FanDuel: 23 points / 24 value

Best Stacking Options: Willis-Achane-Douglas +/-Washington

Best One-off: De’Von Achane

Best Value/Upside/Ownership Play: Caleb Douglas

Wildcard: Caleb Douglas

 

 


Minnesota Vikings

Game Total: 48.5 (MIN +4.5 / 22.0)

Offense: 3.1 ypa rush (55.74%) / 6.3ypa pass (44.26%) / 39.0 ppg

oppDEF: 5.7 ypa rush / 8.8 nypa pass / 2.63% int / 5.0% sack / 20.8% pressure / 37.0 ppg

Key Player: Carson Wentz

Setting: at least one / exactly two (these can be alternated in a variety of lineup builds)

Team Group: Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, TJ Hockenson, Aaron Jones Sr., Demond Claiborne (on/off), Josh Oliver (on/off), DeeJay Dallas (on/off)

Opposing Setting: at most one / exactly one (these can be alternated in a variety of lineup builds)

Opposing Group: Rome Odunze, Colston Loveland, Luther Burden III, D’Andre Swift, Kyle Monangai (on/off), Kalif Raymond, Cole Kmet (on/off)

Game Notes:

Quarterback

Carson Wentz has had a successful NFL career, including a 16-start campaign in 2019 that saw him throw for 4,039 yards and 27 touchdowns with only seven interceptions. While we are coming up on a decade removed from that career-best year, Wentz did throw for 3,563 yards with the same 27-7 touchdown-interception mark in 2021 with the Colts, and even delivered a reasonable 1,216 yards with six touchdowns but five interceptions in his five games with the Vikings last season. All of that is to say that no one should be surprised if the quarterback is successful while at the helm of this offense. Wentz threw three touchdown passes and zero interceptions while managing his way to an ugly -6.70 CPOE on just 12-of-19 passing for only 133 yards. The quarterback capitalized on chances in a big way but the overall volume created a weird statistical mix. Ultimately, Wentz will be carried by the quality of his weapons, which rates as outstanding in the passing game but only marginal on the ground with the loss of Jordan Mason. Carson Wentz is QB11/12 on DraftKings and QB13/13 on FanDuel; he is playable at the very worst.

Running Backs

Tier 1:

n/a

Tier 2: 

Aaron Jones Sr. gained a limited 3.3 yards per rush attempt over his 12 carries in Week 1, totaling a mere 40.0 yards with 1.7 gained both before and after contact and without a broken tackle. Still, Jones did punch the ball in for a rushing touchdown. The veteran failed to catch his only target in the passing game and would have lost ground week after week until losing his job fully to Jordan Mason, had the understudy not taken an injury and hit the IR this week. There should be slightly more leash and a few more touches available for Jones with Mason out of the mix temporarily; the team has just Deejay Dallas and interesting rookie Demond Claiborne behind him on the depth chart. The aging running back is just RB24/21 and RB25/24 across sites, but he carries fair touchdown-scoring potential that is worth a bit of exposure.

Reserves/Very Large Field Darts

Demond Claiborne is only RB52/51 and RB50/48; he is probably more relevant as a waiver wire pickup for season-long leagues on a bit of opportunity in Mason’s absence. With only DeeJay Dallas potentially in the way, Claiborne could see number two opportunities as soon as this week; the coaching staff has said he will have a role after being a surprise inactive in Week 1. Claiborne is just a sixth-round pick, 198th overall, but he had a productive career at Wake Forest and brings raw skills to the table.

DeeJay Dallas is outside of the top-55 running backs in Week 2. The backup turned one target into one catch for one yard in Week 2 and could double or even triple that production this week.

Receivers & Tight Ends

Tier 1:

Justin Jefferson is a premium play coming off of a two-touchdown opener with Wentz at the helm. Given the backup quarterback’s quality, there should be no real qualms about playing the premium receiver against a sieve of a pass defense that gave up the world to the Carolina Panthers in Week 1. Chicago’s defense allowed 8.8 net yards per pass attempt to rank 28th in football last week, and they face one of the league’s truly elite receivers in Week 2. Jefferson gained 3.07 yards per route run across 30.0 routes last time out, catching eight of nine targets and garnering a massive 46.29% air yards share. This is an elite option who lands as WR3 by points and WR7 by value on DraftKings and as WR3/WR6 on the FanDuel slate.

Jordan Addison is a solid B behind Jefferson, but he lacks the upside of a true 1A like Tee Higgins or George Pickens in their respective offenses. Addison gained zero yards in failing to catch either of the targets he picked up despite running 28 routes. Addison should be more involved this week; he was a regular option with 79 targets across 14 games last season and 99 in 15 outings the year before. Addison scored nine touchdowns in that 2024 campaign and had 10 as a rookie the season before but fell off the board badly with the mixed quality at quarterback for this team last year, scoring just three times while putting up 610 yards on 42 catches. The receiver stands to bounce back nicely as the year continues, but he did not get off to a good start, likely chasing most of the NFL DFS popularity away in what should be a terrific spot. Jordan Addison is WR28/35 and WR29/27 across DraftKings and FanDuel; he rates as merely OK but plays up from there based on the matchup and the potential to go under-owned in public lineups.

Tier 2:

TJ Hockenson is the third option in the passing game, though he badly out-targted Addison in Week 1, drawing five chances on his 23.0 routes and gaining 1.57 yards per route run. Hockenson caught a touchdown pass on two red zone opportunities and stands to see ongoing chances in scoring territory with this team potentially struggling for quality on the ground. The tight end is a good option for value as TE9 by points but TE2 by value on DraftKings; your good buddy rates for similar quality as TE10/4 on the FanDuel slate.

Reserves/Very Large Field Darts

Josh Oliver ran nine routes but was targeted at a strong rate with four opportunities in the limited action. Only two of those passes were deemed catchable, and Oliver brought them both in for 22 yards, or 2.44 per route run, but was otherwise entirely uninteresting and would only find a quality score with a touchdown.

Tai Felton was uninvolved over three snaps with the offense and 14 on special teams in Week 1. He caught three passes on three targets, gaining 25 yards over 17 games as a rookie last year, seeing most of his work on special teams. Felton could see a few routes as, technically, the third man on this receiver depth chart while Jauan Jennings is out of action.

Myles Price played three snaps with the offense and nine on special teams, racking up significant return yardage but nothing more.

 

Stack Ranks: DraftKings: 11 points/ 12 value; FanDuel: 13 points / 13 value

Best Stacking Options: Wentz-Jefferson-Addison

Best One-off: Justin Jefferson

Best Value/Upside/Ownership Play: Jordan Addison

Wildcard: Demond Claiborne

 

 


New England Patriots

Game Total: 42.0 (NE -5.5 / 23.75)

Offense: 3.5 ypa rush (46.27%) / 5.4 ypa pass (53.73%) / 10.0 ppg

oppDEF: 3.9 ypa rush / 4.5 nypa pass / 9.09% int / 15.38% sack / 26.50% pressure / 13.0 ppg

Key Player: Drake Maye

Setting: at least one / exactly two (these can be alternated in a variety of lineup builds)

Team Group: Romeo Doubs, Hunter Henry, Mack Hollins, Rhamondre Stevenson (on/off), TreVeyon Henderson (on/off), DeMario Douglas, Eli Raridon, Kyle Williams (large field)

Opposing Setting: at most one / exactly one (these can be alternated in a variety of lineup builds)

Opposing Group: DK Metcalf, Michael Pittman Jr., Pat Freiermuth, Roman Wilson, Jaylen Warren (on/off), Rico Dowdle (on/off)

Game Notes:

Quarterback

Drake Maye had a little bit of a letdown after going early in season-long drafts throughout the run-up to Week 1. Maye carries the weight of expectations in New England, after a breakout 2025 campaign in which he threw for 4,394 yards with 31 touchdowns and a mere eight interceptions in just his second season. Maye’s breakout fueled expectations this season and the quarterback fell flat with just 178.0 passing yards and one touchdown against an ugly three-interception day in Week 1. Maye was erratic; he threw away bad decisions but also finished the game at 3.20 CPOE, though that came on a “management” level 6.8 intended air yards per attempt. The quarterback was prolific on the ground last year as well, punching the ball in for four rushing touchdowns and gaining 450 yards on 103 carries, talents that were on display in Week 1. Maye gained 47 yards on the ground, picking up 6.7 yards per attempt over seven carries but did not score a touchdown. The quarterback is merely OK this week as QB11/17 on DraftKings and QB11/12 on FanDuel against what should be a tough Steelers defense.

Running Backs

Tier 1:

n/a

Tier 2: 

Rhamondre Stevenson rates as RB14/15 and RB17/19 across DraftKings and FanDuel in Week 2. The veteran managed just 2.8 yards per rush attempt but saw an uptick in carries with his understudy out of action last week. Stevenson did very little with the opportunity, living down to expectations with a -1.2 yards per attempt against expectation. Stevenson caught five of six targets to help somewhat with scoring, gaining 44.0 yards with a 5.56% explosive play rate on receptions. The running back is a limited option who will be back to sharing duties with a more talented player in TreVeyon Henderson, creating a bad overall situation for both players.

TreVeyon Henderson has skill on the ground and involvement in the passing game. The 2025 second-rounder paid off the Patriots’ investment of the 38th overall pick with a strong rookie campaign including 911 rushing yards and nine touchdown runs on 180 carries over 17 games, with an additional 221 yards from scrimmage and another touchdown on his 35-42 receiving out of the backfield. Henderson is the better player; he gained 5.1 yards per rush attempt last season and has explosive qualities that should ultimately win out and garner him more of this workload. For now, he is simply in balance with Stevenson and rates as RB29/30 and RB28/30 across sites.

Reserves/Very Large Field Darts

n/a

Receivers & Tight Ends

Tier 1:

n/a

Tier 2:

Romeo Doubs is the nominal number one in the passing game with AJ Brown out of action for a few weeks. Brown’s early exit did not benefit anyone in a Patriots’ uniform, least of all Doubs, who ended the game with zero catches on just three targets over his 31 wind sprints on 40 snaps. The receiver gained 724 yards on 55 catches in his final season in Green Bay last year, posting six touchdown catches in his second-best campaign. Doubs has quality but is miscast when asked to be the top option, he rates as WR34/42 and WR33/38 across DraftKings and FanDuel this week, which is as reflective of the low-quality spot as it is of the reciever himself.

Hunter Henry is a quality tight end who has a nose for the end zone. Henry scored seven times on 60 catches over 17 games last season and has at least five touchdown catches in five separate seasons. The tight end got off to a moderate start in 2026, catching all three of his targets but gaining just 26 yards and failing to score in the process. Henry is a touchdown-dependent option as TE14/11 on DraftKings but sees a bit of potential for value as TE15/9 on the FanDuel board.

DeMario Douglas and Mack Hollins slot into the depth roles as receivers who both rank outside of the top-5o across the board, landing closer to 60. Douglas ran 33 routes in Week 1, leading this group with five catches on seven targets in a surprising performance. The wideout gained just 0.61 yards per route run, however, posting a mere 20.0 for the game while working at a 6.3-yard ADOT. Hollins is the better option; he works downfield with big play potential and had a 13.0-yard ADOT on his five targets last week. Hollins also picked up the team’s lone chance for a wide receiver in the red zone in Week 1. He had a 33.81% air yards share and gained 2.04 yards per route run. The talented depth receiver will see a few big gains on the year; he has a role to play with Brown sidelined for four-to-six weeks.

Reserves/Very Large Field Darts

Kyle Williams did not pick up much value and drops outside of the top-80 positionally in Week 2. Williams ran just six routes and played merely 11 snaps with the offense, going untargeted in a surprisingly poor Week 1 outing. The receiver should be more involved going forward; he caught three touchdowns last season despite hauling in just 10 passes for 209 yards on 21 targets overall.

 

Stack Ranks: DraftKings: 21 points/ 18 value; FanDuel: 19 points / 19 value

Best Stacking Options: Maye-Henderson-Doubs +/- Henry

Best One-off: TreVeyon Henderson

Best Value/Upside/Ownership Play: TreVeyon Henderson

Wildcard: TreVeyon Henderson

 

 


New Orleans Saints

Game Total: 46.5 (NO +9.0 / 18.75)

Offense: 3.6 ypa rush (29.07%) / 7.3 ypa pass (70.93%) / 30.0 ppg

oppDEF: 5.1 ypa rush / 4.5 nypa pass / 3.23% int / 6.06% sack / 46.20% pressure / 23.0 ppg

Key Player: Tyler Shough

Setting: at least one / exactly two (these can be alternated in a variety of lineup builds)

Team Group: Chris Olave, Travis Etienne Jr., Juwan Johnson, Devaughn Vele, Alvin Kamara (on/off), Noah Fant (on/off), Bryce Lance (large field), Barion Brown (very large field), Kendre Miller (large field; on/off)

Opposing Setting: at most one / exactly one (these can be alternated in a variety of lineup builds)

Opposing Group: Derrick Henry, Mark Andrews, Rashod Bateman, Devontez Walker, Chris Moore, Justice Hill (on/off), LaJohntay Wester (very large field), Elijah Sarratt (very large field)

Game Notes:

Quarterback

Tyler Shough’s sophomore season in the NFL got off to a shaky start before the quarterback was able to right the ship in a big way in the second half and overtime, bringing his team all the way to the brink of victory in a 31-30 loss. Shough was tremendous in little more than a half, throwing for 410.0 yards with three touchdown passes against two interceptions, though he did finish the game at -0.50 CPOE with 35 completions on 56 attempts. Shough gained 7.3 yards per attempt through the air and added 2.0 yards per attempt on the ground, a limiting factor that was a bigger part of his game last season. As a rookie, the quarterback ran the ball 45 times for 186 yards and three scores in his 11 games. Shough threw 10 touchdown passes against six interceptions and was a sneaky-good play down the stretch last season, earning him some faith for ongoing NFL DFS quality in 2026. He is QB15 by points but rates well again as QB4 by value on DraftKings; he is QB15 by points and QB3 by value on FanDuel and heads up a playable stack with talented pieces.

Running Backs

Tier 1:

Travis Etienne Jr. is RB 15/22 on DraftKings and RB18/23 on FanDuel but could pop for more if the Ravens are not up to stuffing the run again this week. Baltimore was gouged for 5.1  yards per rush attempt to rank 26th overall in the league in Week 1, they were far better in limiting gains in the pass game. Etienne Jr. is a capable back who makes regular gains in both departments; he gained 5.1 yards per attempt but carried the ball just nine times in the pass-heavy Week 1 game while adding another 32.0 yards on seven receptions from nine targets, including two in the red zone. Etienne did not find the end zone in Week 1 but is coming off of a career-best 13 combined touchdowns last season and has plenty of potential for a score or more.

Tier 2: 

n/a

Reserves/Very Large Field Darts

Alvin Kamara is expected to be active after missing Week 1. The veteran gained just 3.6 yards per rush attempt in 2025, going for 471 yards and a single touchdown over 11 games on the ground and failing to score or make an impact in the passing game. The best days are long gone; Kamara is no more than a low-probability dart at memories of touchdowns past.

Kendre Miller slips down the board to RB53/52 and RB52/55 with Kamara returning, despite showing up for 3.3 yards per attempt on nine carries last week.

Receivers & Tight Ends

Tier 1:

Chris Olave is the class of the team and the leading candidate for a ceiling performance. With a tough matchup against the Ravens’ pass defense, it would be fair to expect the public to go somewhat light on their Olave shares this week, creating a bit of potential if the receiver can continue his outstanding play and stay in the game for the whole game plan. Olave tends to get banged up and miss plays here and there, but the output is immense on any given slate. The receiver gained 3.31 yards per route run across 55.0 routes in the overtime game last week, posting a monster 182.0 yards on 10 catches with an 18.0-yard ADOT good for a 51.1% air yards share. Olave has gargantuan upside and a clear connection with Shough, though they did not connect for a touchdown last week. They will likely need at least one for the receiver to make value in Week 2.

Tier 2:

Juwan Johnson had one of the team’s three touchdown grabs in the high-flying comeback performance. The tight end ran 51.0 routes and gained just 1.06 yards per route run while drawing a high-quality seven targets, including two in the red zone. Johnson gained 54 yards on three catches from a 42.86% catchable target rate on the steady flow of chances. The tight end worked up to an 11.0-yard average depth of target, giving him a bit of bonus for gains even when not finding the end zone. Johnson is TE6 by points and TE3 by value on DraftKings; he is TE5 across the board on the blue site.

Devaughn Vele was a popular pickup in season-long leagues where he will invariably get dropped back to the wire in about two weeks. Vele popped for 69.0 yards with a touchdown on nine targets in Week 1. Under the surface, however, the receiver’s gains amounted to just 1.19 yards per route run over his 58.0 routes. Vele is WR38/27 and WR37.35 across sites; he is only OK for NFL DFS shares in Week 2 against a very tough pass defense.

Reserves/Very Large Field Darts

Bryce Lance ran 45.0 routes in the overtime game, coming away with 0.93 yards per route run while picking up four targets and catching three passes for 42.0 yards. Lance is merely a dart throw comparable to the value provided by second-string tight end Noah Fant, who ran 18 routes but caught four of eight passes for a touchdown and 1.83 yards per route run.

 

Stack Ranks: DraftKings: 9 points/ 7 value; FanDuel: 12 points / 12 value

Best Stacking Options: Shough-Olave-Johnson +/- Etienne Jr.

Best One-off: Chris Olave

Best Value/Upside/Ownership Play: Travis Etienne Jr.

Wildcard: Alvin Kamara

 


New York Jets

Game Total: 45.0 (NYJ +3.0 / 21.0)

Offense: 3.9 ypa rush (61.9%) / 9.0 ypa pass (38.1%) / 23.0 ppg

oppDEF: 3.1 ypa rush / 4.9 nypa pass / 4.17% int / 11.11% sack / 20.0% pressure / 39.0 ppg

Key Player: Geno Smith

Setting: exactly one

Team Group: Breece Hall, Garrett Wilson, Adonai Mitchell, Braelon Allen (on/off), Kenyon Sadiq, Mason Taylor (on/off), Isaiah Williams (large field)

Opposing Setting: at most one / exactly one (these can be alternated in a variety of lineup builds)

Opposing Group: Christian Watson, Matthew Golden, Tucker Kraft, Jayden Reed, MarShawn Lloyd, Chris Brooks (on/off), Jonnu Smith (on/off), Bo Melton (very large field)

Game Notes:

Quarterback

Geno Smith is QB 20/21 and QB21/20 and if that has appeal, we are simply not seeing it. Smith draws a tough defense that was good on both sides of the game last week when it comes to limiting gains, but somehow allowed a ridiculous 39 points to the Vikings. The Packers should be far better off against a quarterback woh threw for 215 yards but no scores in Week 1. Geno Smith managed the Jets to a victory while completing passes with a CPOE mark of 9.4 (19-24) for 9.0 yards per attempt on 7.0 intended air yards per attempt. The quarterback does have quality options in play with Breece Hall and Garrett Wilson both landing around the positional top-12, and a few playable depth pieces, but the overall matchup is low-end, and the Jets are carrying just a 21.0-point implied team total.

Running Backs

Tier 1:

Breece Hall rates as a playable piece with a bit of value; he is RB11/9 on DraftKings and RB11/12 on the FanDuel slate. Hall popped for 102 yards on 4.6 yards per carry over 22 attempts in Week 1, with 2.6 yards coming before contact and 2.0 after on each attempt. Hall broke tackles at a 22.73% clip and scored a rushing touchdown in Week 1, getting his season off to a better start than what the running back provided throughout most of 2025. Hall clawed his way to his first 1,000-yard rushing season on 243 carries (1,065 yards) last year but only scored four times on the ground; he added just one score in the passing game after combining for seven receiving touchdowns across the two previous seasons. Hall gained 4.4 yards per attempt last season; the minor uptick could result in big overall gains if it holds going forward. Hall should also serve as something of a safety valve in the passing game for Smith, though he only drew two targets in Week 1.

Tier 2: 

Braelon Allen is RB38/34 and RB37/36 without a truly clear path to NFL DFS quality. The running back gained 4.0 yards per attempt on 10 carries last week. Allen failed to catch his only target in the passing game and generally does not expect more potential touches than what he drew in Week 1, making him entirely touchdown-dependent as a value dart who does reliably touch the ball a few times per game.

Reserves/Very Large Field Darts

n/a

Receivers & Tight Ends

Tier 1:

Garrett Wilson is WR9 by points and WR8 by value on DraftKings, but he slips further down the board in non-PPR formats. On FanDuel, the leading option for the Jets is just WR11 by points and WR16 by value for his $7,200 price tag. Wilson ran just 21.0 routes in Week 1 but gained a terrific 3.76 yards per route run with six catches over a 48.26% air yards share. The dominant number one for this team did not find the end zone on all those chances at an 11.0-yard average depth of target, but he did catch six of seven passes in a solid start to the season. Wilson’s -1.1 yards after the catch against expectation per reception were underwhelming; he has the talent to improve greatly upon that mark.

Tier 2:

Adonai Mitchell is outside of the top-55 at wide receiver on both sites and is only a loose consideration for a cheap touchdown dart. Mitchell operates at a significant average depth of target. His lingering in scoring territory for most of the game keeps him in play despite lackluster production in general. Mitchell picked up three targets and caught them all in Week 1, gaining 60 yards on a 19.7-yard average depth of target, essentially running 20 yards, catching the ball, and falling down each time. The receiver did not score but his 25.53% air yards share was easily second on the team, and he has explosive any-given-slate upside.

Reserves/Very Large Field Darts

Kenyon Sadiq is gaining buzz after hitting the field for the first time in Week 1. The tight end was injured in the preseason and went entirely underappreciated in season-long and dynasty league drafts (he landed on our dynasty team with a late-round pick), despite going as the only tight end drafted in the first round of this year’s draft. Sadiq paid returns in his first action, hauling in three of three targets in the passing game and, interestingly, punching in a rushing touchdown as a big-bodied back. Sadiq is just TE21/25 and TE22/22 and is likely to go over-owned after a lot of waiver wire discussion ahead of Week 2, but he is playable within misguided stacks of Jets skill players.

Mason Taylor seems likely to slip to second on the depth chart as soon as this afternoon. Taylor ran 17 routes and caught two of three targets but came away with -2.0 yards for the game. The rookie is simply more interesting, but Taylor will have mix-and-match value positionally in an abundance of bad Jets stacks.

 

Stack Ranks: DraftKings: 20 points/ 20 value; FanDuel: 20 points / 22 value

Best Stacking Options: Smith-Wilson-Hall +/- Mitchell

Best One-off: Breece Hall

Best Value/Upside/Ownership Play: Adonai Mitchell

Wildcard: Kenyon Sadiq

 


Philadelphia Eagles

Game Total: 40.0 (PHI -7.5 / 23.75)

Offense: 5.4 ypa rush (47.17%) / 8.1 ypa pass (52.83%) / 24.0 ppg

oppDEF: 3.9 ypa rush / 9.0 nypa pass / 0.0% int / 0.0% sack / 24.3% pressure / 23.0 ppg

Key Player: Jalen Hurts

Setting: at least one / exactly two (these can be alternated in a variety of lineup builds)

Team Group: Saquon Barkley, DeVonta Smith, Dallas Goedert, Dontayvion Wicks, Makai Lemon, Tank Bigsby (on/off), Hollywood Brown

Opposing Setting: at most one / exactly one (these can be alternated in a variety of lineup builds)

Opposing Group: Tony Pollard, Carnell Tate, Tyjae Spears (on/off), Wan’Dale Robinson, Calvin Ridley, Elic Ayomanor, Gunnar Helm (on/off), Daniel Bellinger (on/off), Chimere Dike (large field)

Game Notes:

Quarterback

The high-end Eagles step into a classic “Uncle Milty” situation where they will only have to show so much to impress. Philadelphia draws the terrible Titans, a team whose defense yielded 9.0 net yards per attempt through the air to the Jets in a 23-10 loss. Tennessee is far less likely to hang with Philadelphia; the Eagles are 7.5-point favorites and could put this one away early. Jalen Hurts rates as QB3 by points but QB11 by value on DraftKings and sits as QB3/13 on the FanDuel board. It is fair to expect that Hurts will simply cruise to victory in this one, that could include limited passing touchdowns but upside in the ground game. Hurts put up a -2.1 CPOE in completing 14 of 25 attempts for just 203 yards in Week 1. Despite the unimpressive totals, Hurts threw three touchdown passes against zero interceptions, gained 8.1 yards per pass attempt, and rushed for another 6.6 yards per attempt on 7.0 carries. The talented quarterback is an underrated fantasy asset, particularly with the team’s habit of shoving him into the end zone.

Running Backs

Tier 1:

Saquon Barkley got off to a strong start after suffering a drop-off in 2025. The running back was the best player in football in 2024’s Super Bowl season with 2,005 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns and another 278 yards and two scores in the passing game. Barkley went for 1,140 yards and seven scores on the ground with 273 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the air last season. The running back was fine by most measures, but his dip from 5.8 to 4.1 yards per rush attempt was apparent on the whole. Getting that mark back to 5.5 yards per attempt in Week 1 is a strong indicator in a small sample; the running back has a great chance to maintain that level of quality despite a Titans team whose rush defense was its lone positive attribute in Week 1. Barkley is RB5 by points and RB 6 by value on DraftKings and RB4/6 on FanDuel; he is a good play in stacks or in standalone shares.

Tier 2: 

n/a

Reserves/Very Large Field Darts

Tank Bigsby is barely inside the top-5o positionally, and Will Shipley is outside of the top-65. The running backs combined for five carries and one target in Week 1; there is simply not much meat left on the bone behind Saquon Barkley’s voracious appetite for touches.

Receivers & Tight Ends

Tier 1:

The “DeVonta Smith as a number one” era got off to just an OK start with 1.61 yards per route run across 33.0 routes in Week 1 but a total of just 53.0 yards on three catches. Smith hauled in the only three catchable passes among his six targets, working at a 13.2-yard average depth of target and 37.26% air yards share but missing the end zone. The wideout should be clear to lead the team in opportunities; his six targets paced the field in the passing game, where volume is always much more of a concern than quality of the chances.

Dallas Goedert is TE10 by points and TE19 by value on DraftKings; he lands differently for just $5,700 on FanDuel, where he pops up as TE7 by points and TE11 by value. The Eagles stack rates as a strong play, and the passing game should shine. The veteran is coming off two touchdown grabs in Week 1, with four catches for 77.0 yards, leading the team overall on just five targets. Goedert gained 2.85 yards per route run over 27.0 routes; he is a highly involved tight end with weekly touchdown-scoring potential from the mid-board.

Tier 2:

Dontayvion Wicks is WR42/37 and WR38/39 across sites, limiting his potential for quality on the whole. The receiver was targeted four times while running the second-most routes on the team last week with 31.0. Wicks gained 2.35 yards per route run and put up 73.0 yards with a touchdown catch on a 12.94% air yards share and 19.8-yard ADOT. The receiver is a good option for big plays downfield, filling a notable void in the offense with low-cost potential.

Makai Lemon ranks outside of the top-50 on both sites. The rookie ran 29.0 routes in Week 1 and somehow managed to gain -0.17 yards per route run. Lemon totaled -5.0 yards on three catches over his four targets; he will probably gain positive yardage this week but does not rate as interesting other than a spot filler for depth and variability in stacks of Eagles skill players.

Reserves/Very Large Field Darts

Hollywood Brown and Darius Cooper are extremely low-cost options on both sites. Brown did not get into the Week 1 game despite being active for it, while Cooper played eight snaps with the offense but went untargeted over two routes run.

 

Stack Ranks: DraftKings: 3 points/ 9 value; FanDuel: 3 points / 7 value

Best Stacking Options: Hurts-Barkley-Goedert-Smith

Best One-off: Saquon Barkley

Best Value/Upside/Ownership Play: Dallas Goedert

Wildcard: Dontayvion Wicks

 

 


Pittsburgh Steelers

Game Total: 42.0 (PIT +5.5 / 18.25)

Offense: 2.8 ypa rush (32.81%) / 5.4 ypa pass (67.19%) / 20.0 ppg

oppDEF: 4.4  ypa rush / 7.2 ypa pass / 0.0% int / 7.69% sack / 3.80% pressure / 13.0 ppg

Key Player: Aaron Rodgers

Setting: at least one / exactly two (these can be alternated in a variety of lineup builds)

Team Group: DK Metcalf, Michael Pittman Jr., Pat Freiermuth, Roman Wilson, Jaylen Warren (on/off), Rico Dowdle (on/off), Germie Bernard (large field), Darnell Washington

Opposing Setting: at most one / exactly one (these can be alternated in a variety of lineup builds)

Opposing Group: Romeo Doubs, Hunter Henry, Mack Hollins, Rhamondre Stevenson (on/off), TreVeyon Henderson (on/off), DeMario Douglas, Eli Raridon, Kyle Williams (large field)

Game Notes: Michael Pittman Jr. is out.

Quarterback

Expectations should be low for the Steelers offense in general as long as ancient Aaron Rodgers remains at the wheel. The quarterback’s alleged final season started with a -0.80 CPOE on 24-of-40 passing for 221 yards with a touchdown and 5.50 yards per pass attempt on 10.1 intended air yards per attempt. Rodgers ran the ball three times for -1.0 rushing yards and did not impact the game in a positive way. The quarterback is QB24/25 and QB24/24 across sites; his weekly NFL DFS value is virtually nil.

Running Backs

Tier 1:

n/a

Tier 2: 

Jaylen Warren managed 4.6 yards per rush attempt in Week 1, but the team only rewarded him with 10 opportunities while also allowing him to get bombarded with tacklers, with the first hit coming after an average of just 1.2 yards. Warren broke tackles at a 30.0% clip and put up 3.4 yards per attempt after contact for the game but his overall production was light. The running back added 27 yards in the passing game, catching five of his six targets, with two of those chances coming in the red zone. Warren is competing for opportunities with quality running back Rico Dowdle, who had a bad Week 1 in more limited chances, knocking down the quality of both players overall. Warren is RB21/19 and RB22/22 across DraftKings and FanDuel.

Rico Dowdle gained just 1.9 yards per attempt on eight carries in an ugly Week 1 outing. The running back caught two passes for six total yards out of the backfield and was not targeted in the red zone. Dowdle is an explosive player coming off of back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons on the ground. He scored six rushing touchdowns while putting up 1,076 yards on 236 carries and adding 297 yards and another score on 39 catches in Carolina last season. Dowdle has any-given-slate potential and could eventually win this job outright, but Warren is no slouch, and the job share in a low-end offense is not a desirable situation.

Reserves/Very Large Field Darts

n/a

Receivers & Tight Ends

Tier 1:

DK Metcalf is expensive at $7,000 on FanDuel; he rates as just WR20 by points and WR32 by value on the blue site but looks a touch better as WR20 and WR14 by value on DraftKings. Metcalf ran 42.0 routes and gained PPR value from 10 targets in Week 1. The veteran wideout caught four of those passes, though only five of the total were deemed catchable at all. Metcalf gained just 0.95 yards per route run for the game, posting a total of 40 yards despite a 20.4-yard average depth of target for 51.6% of the team’s air yards. Metcalf is a more valuable PPR player on the whole; his value on FanDuel is quite thin in a bad offense.

Tier 2:

Pat Freiermuth is an affordable tight end on both sites, but that is the extend of things. The pass-catcher rates as TE17/18 and TE17/17 across sites. Freiermuth caught five of five targets in Week 1, including two in the red zone, and he scored a touchdown on his otherwise limited 4.2-yard average depth of target. The tight end is typically touchdown-dependent; if he finds six, he is loosely playable; he is lower-end in every other instance.

Reserves/Very Large Field Darts

With Michael Pittman Jr. out for Week 2, the Steelers will attempt to get production from Roman Wilson, who caught all three of his catchable targets for just 26.0 yards and 0.96 yards per route run in Week 1. The receiver rates outside of the top-60 on both sites.

Rookie Germie Bernard is another option for depth at the wide receiver position. Bernard went untargeted on three routes run while playing just three snaps in his first NFL game. The rookie does not rate well and is an unlikely contributor in a bad offense.

 

Stack Ranks: DraftKings: 24 points/ 23 value; FanDuel: 24 points / 25 value

Best Stacking Options: Rodgers-Metcalf-Freiermuth

Best One-off: DK Metcalf

Best Value/Upside/Ownership Play: Pat Freiermuth

Wildcard: Rico Dowdle

 


Seattle Seahawks

Game Total: 41.5 (SEA -4.0 / 22.75)

Offense: 4.4 ypa rush (45.83%) / 8.3 ypa pass (54.17%) / 13.0 ppg

oppDEF: 3.9 ypa rush / 6.2 nypa pass / 3.7% int / 10.0% sack / 25.6% pressure / 14.0 ppg

Key Player: Drew Lock

Setting: at least one / exactly two (these can be alternated in a variety of lineup builds)

Team Group: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Jadarian Price, Cooper Kupp, Rashid Shaheed, AJ Barner, George Holani (on/off), Elijah Arroyo (large field; on/off), Tory Horton (very large field)

Opposing Setting: at most one / exactly one (these can be alternated in a variety of lineup builds)

Opposing Group: Trey McBride, Jeremiyah Love, Michael Wilson, Marvin Harrison Jr., Tyler Allgeier (on/off), Kendrick Bourne

Game Notes:

Quarterback

Drew Lock is a moderately capable backup quarterback in small doses, facing a defense that was one of the biggest targets in the game last season. Arizona was OK in Week 1, giving up just 14.0 points and holding the Chargers offense to just 3.9 yards per rush and 6.2 net yards per pass attempt. The Cardinals are probably not that good on defense, and the Seahawks have the tools to prove it, but Lock is the key. The quarterback got into last week’s game fairly early, after Sam Darnold exited with a muscle strain. Lock threw 22 passes, completing 16 of them for 187 yards and a touchdown to superstar receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who broke the play for a big gain after the catch. Overall, Lock was just OK; he rates as QB21/22 and QB20/21 across sites in Week 2.

Running Backs

Tier 1:

Jadarian Price is a rookie who clicked into place as the nominal starter with Kenneth Walker leaving town and Zach Charbonnet ailing to start the season. Price competes with George Holani and Emanuel Wilson for touches in this configuration of the rushing attack. The rookie was taken at the end of the first round with expectations of an immediate role coming true in Week 1. Price was terrific in a small sample, carrying the ball for 5.2 yards per rush attempt over 10 tries. The running back added a pair of catches on two targets for limited output. Price did not put the ball in the end zone, but all of the tools needed for quality NFL DFS days were on display, and he earned coach-speak about additional opportunities during the week. Price is in playable range as RB18 by points and RB14 by value on DraftKings; he is likely to go under-owned on both sites and pops up as RB16/15 on FanDuel.

Tier 2: 

n/a

Reserves/Very Large Field Darts

George Holani carried the ball eight times for 3.6 yards per rush attempt and drew one target while getting outplayed by the rookie running back who is now clearly ahead of him on the depth chart. Holani is a low-end RB42/40 on both sites.

Receivers & Tight Ends

Tier 1:

Jaxon Smith-Njigba is a premium receiver on any given slate; he rates as WR1/3 on DraftKings for $8,100 and pulls in as WR1 across the FanDuel board despite his $9,000 price tag. “JSN” to his friends and well-wishers, gained a massive 1,793 yards with 10 touchdown catches on 119 catches from 162 targets in 17 games last season; he is a gamebreaker with major opportunities each week. The wideout gained a ridiculous 4.69 yards per route run over just 26.0 routes with eight catches for 122 yards and a touchdown coming on a 6.8-yard ADOT that added up to a 54.51% air yards share as Lock picked his way downfield.

Tier 2:

Cooper Kupp is WR44 by points but WR33 by value on DraftKings; he is more limited as WR48 across the board on FanDuel. The veteran receiver picked up another two catches for 35.0 yards on three targets over 20.0 routes run in a light Week 1 workload. Kupp did work to a 16.3-yard average depth of target that puts him in big play range, but he is two years removed from a quality scoring year and four years removed from his last 1,000-yard season.

Rashid Shaheed is a downfield bomber with blazing speed who can get open for the big play; it becomes a matter of whether this quarterback can deliver the ball to that spot on the field. Shaheed gained just 0.20 yards per route run over 20 routes, catching one of three targets and working at an uncharacteristic 6.3-yard ADOT that badly limits his potential for a ceiling performance. Shaheed is WR49/49 and WR54/57 in Week 2.

Reserves/Very Large Field Darts

AJ Barner outpaces Elijah Arroyo for the primary tight end role; he caught both of his targets for 13.0 yards in Week 1 while Arroyo went untargeted on seven routes run.

 

Stack Ranks: DraftKings: 13 points/ 14 value; FanDuel: 11 points / 10 value

Best Stacking Options: Lock-“JSN”-Price +/- Kupp

Best One-off: Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Best Value/Upside/Ownership Play: Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Wildcard: Jadarian Price

 


San Francisco 49ers

Game Total: 45.5 (SF -13.5 / 29.5)

Offense: 5.8 ypa rush (46.88%) / 6.0 ypa pass (53.13%) / 27.0 ppg

oppDEF: 3.5 ypa pass / 5.3 ypa pass / 6.67% int / 0.0% sack / 11.1% pressure / 27.0 ppg

Key Player: Brock Purdy

Setting: at least one / exactly two (these can be alternated in a variety of lineup builds)

Team Group: Christian McCaffrey, Mike Evans, Deebo Samuel, George Kittle, Kaelon Black (on/off), Demarcus Robinson (large field), Kyle Juszczyk (on/off)

Opposing Setting: at most one / exactly one (these can be alternated in a variety of lineup builds)

Opposing Group: De’Von Achane, Caleb Douglas, Malik Washington, Greg Dulcich, Chris Bell, Jaylen Wright (on/off), Jalen Tolbert (large field), Kevin Coleman Jr. (very large field)

Game Notes:

Quarterback

Brock Purdy draws a Miami defense that was surprisingly effective in limiting yardage while picking off a pair of passes but failing to sack the quarterback or even pressure him regularly in Week 1. Purdy should be able to overcome the limited challenges that Miami brings to the table; the defense still yielded 27 points in last week’s game. Purdy started the season in mixed form, throwing for just 205 yards on 25-34 passing for a strong 7.4 CPOE mark with three touchdowns and an interception to his name. Purdy has a bit of potential in the ground game as well; he gained 5.8 yards per attempt over five carries but did not score on a rushing attempt. Purdy slots in as QB7 by points on both sites but slips for points-per-dollar value as QB12 on DraftKings and QB16 on FanDuel.

Running Backs

Tier 1:

Christian McCaffrey is a multi-faceted superstar with an obscene level of potential touches each week. The running back carried the ball 10 times and caught five of his eight targets in Week 1 in what should be viewed as a light overall workload. With a tremendous 6.8 yards per rush attempt and 4.6 yards gained before contact in Week 1, McCaffrey still offers clear upside on the ground, while many have trended toward relegating him to more PPR-focused formats in their heads. The public is behind the curve and/or simply does not like the player as much as they should. McCaffrey is always popular, but frequently not to the level that he should be on a given slate, which could be the case in Week 2 against a gettable Miami defense.

Tier 2: 

Kaelon Black is questionable going into Sunday morning but seems likely to play. The rookie running back was an interesting late-round selection (another pick of ours in the dynasty league) who delivered quick value in gaining 4.6 yards per rushing attempt while carrying the ball a surprising 14 times in Week 1. Black put up 65.0 rushing yards and gained 3.4 before contact per attempt, benefitting from the talent around him in the same way that McCaffrey does prior to contact. The rookie third-rounder was viewed widely as a potential reach in that spot, but we tend to avoid arguing with the sharp 49ers unless the topic is “how close to the power station should our practice field be?” Black is RB33/29 and RB30/27 across sites, but it would not surprise to see him outperform those marks assuming his groin issue has calmed.

Reserves/Very Large Field Darts

Fullback Kyle Juszczyk picks up limited targeting in the passing game and is good for a score or two each season; he is almost exclusively utilized for Showdown purposes, rather than full slate play, if at all.

Receivers & Tight Ends

Tier 1:

Mike Evans is WR17 by points on both sites but plummets to WR50 by value on DraftKings and WR51 by value on FanDuel from lofty price perches. The standout receiver has had a Hall of Fame career and finds himself at the focal point of a new offense in which he drew seven targets, including two in the red zone, across 26.0 routes run in his first game. Evans looked much like his old self with 1.88 yards per route run and a touchdown on a 7.9-yard average depth of target last week; he has the quality to outperform the poor value ratings, and his prices are likely to knock ownership down around the edges.

Veteran tight end George Kittle is another awkward points-per-dollar fit with more than enough ceiling potential to break free in Week 2. Kittle checks in as TE8 by points on both sites but slips to twice that mark by value on both sites. The tight end drew five targets, with one coming in scoring range, over just 17.0 routes run in Week 1. Kittle did not find the end zone while catching the only two reasonable throws he saw. There is more upside for volume and scoring; Kittle has multi-touchdown upside on any given slate and remains a strong tight end play in most weeks, though he ultimately trails the peak options at the position.

Tier 2:

Deebo Samuel Sr. is WR33 by points and WR45 by value on DraftKings; he slots in not much better as WR28/36 on the FanDuel slate. Samuel carried the ball once for a 12-yard gain and caught six of seven targets on just 19 routes run to lead the team with a 2.53 yprr in Week 1. The toolsy Samuel picks up gadget play upside and carries plenty of scoring potential while working on a limiting 2.4-yard ADOT. Samuel scored on a passing play in Week 1 and carries ongoing touchdown potential each week, but he comes at a bit of a premium for his median games.

Reserves/Very Large Field Darts

Demarcus Robinson is ranked outside of the top-70 wide receivers in Week 2. The veteran caught both of his catchable balls on three targets, leading to 50.0 receiving yards on just 21.0 routes run, good for comparable involvemnt to all of the team’s top options, with similar gains on a team-leading 15.0-yard ADOT. Robinson scored a low-owned touchdown in Week 1 and could do so again on an any-given-slate basis going forward if the volume remains intact.

Luke Farrell also ran 19.0 routes in Week 1. The reserve tight end caught both of his targets but gained just 19.0 yards on a 1.5-yard ADOT. Farrell has limited appeal for oddball touchdowns, but the team looked in virtually every other direction in the red zone last week.

 

Stack Ranks: DraftKings: 4 points/ 17 value; FanDuel: 5 points / 18 value

Best Stacking Options: Purdy-McCaffrey-Evans +/-Kittle

Best One-off: Christian McCaffrey

Best Value/Upside/Ownership Play: George Kittle

Wildcard: Demarcus Robinson

 


Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Game Total: 42.0 (TB -9.0 / 25.5)

Offense: 4.5  ypa rush (38.45%) / 7.7 ypa pass (61.54%) / 27.0 ppg

oppDEF: 3.9 ypa rush / 9.8 nypa pass / 0.0% int / 4.17% sack / 34.0 ppg

Key Player: Baker Mayfield

Setting: at least one / exactly two (these can be alternated in a variety of lineup builds)

Team Group: Bucky Irving, Emeka Egbuka, Chris Godwin Jr., Jalen McMillan, Ted Hurst III, Cade Otton, Kenny Gainwell, Tez Johnson (very large field), Sean Tucker (very large field; on/off)

Opposing Setting: at most one / exactly one (these can be alternated in a variety of lineup builds)

Opposing Group: Quinshon Judkins, Harold Fannin Jr., Denzel Boston, KC Concepcion Jr., Jerry Jeudy, Raheim Sanders (on/off)

Game Notes:

Quarterback

Baker Mayfield just seems like the type of guy to hold a bit of revenge in his heart for an organization that dumped him unceremoniously and gave a huge extension to a quarterback of questionable character, not that we judge opportunities for DFS scoring on those merits. Mayfield bounced from the Browns to the Panthers to the Rams to the Buccaneers before finding himself; he faced his former team once along the way, while with Carolina, and lost. That situation seems likely to change in a big way on Sunday afternoon. Mayfield is at the helm of a 9.0-point favorite with a 25.5-point implied team total and a high-flying offense. The quarterback rates as a strong buy, even if it comes with some popularity, as QB8 by points but QB2 by value on DraftKings and QB8/4 on FanDuel. Mayfield threw for 216 yards while completing 23 of 28 passes for a 15.40 CPOE but failed to throw a touchdown pass in Week 1’s massive letdown game. He stands to do far better in Week 2 against a Browns team that gave up a 30th-ranked 9.8 net yards per pass attempt last week. The quarterback threw for 3,693 yards with 26 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in 17 games last season while missing several of his big weapons; in a more complete 2024 season, he had a 4,500-yard campaign with a massive 41 touchdowns against 16 interceptions on the year. Mayfield has everything needed for a big NFL DFS scoring day.

Running Backs

Tier 1:

Bucky Irving checks in as RB12/10 on DraftKings but looks worse as RB12/20 for $7,900 on the FanDuel slate. Irving is a strong three-down option with pass-catching ability out of the backfield. The running back gained a tremendous 5.6 yards per rush attempt but carried the ball just eight times in the limited offensive performance Tampa Bay mustered as a unit in Week 1. With another 48.0 yards coming on seven catches from seven targets, Irving added major quality in the passing game. His touchdown came on the ground, already equaling his disappointing 2025 total over 10 games. Irving has significant bounceback potential in 2026; he rates as a good play in a great spot in Week 2.

Tier 2: 

Kenny Gainwell picks up potential from just outside the top-30 across most of the ranking categories. Gainwell is a solid rusher who did not carry the ball and failed to secure his lone target in the lousy outing last week. In a full reset, Gainwell’s potential is restored; he gained 537 yards and scored five rushing touchdowns on 114 carries while adding another three touchdowns and 486 yards on 73 catches from 85 targets as one of the better pass-catching running backs in football last season. Gainwell has a bit of depth and salary-based value in a popular stack in Week 2, but he would require a touchdown to truly hit the board.

Reserves/Very Large Field Darts

n/a

Receivers & Tight Ends

Tier 1:

As the top option in a dynamic passing game, Emeka Egbuka slots in as WR11 by points but just WR19 by value on DraftKings this week. On the FanDuel slate, however, the receiver leaps to WR9 by points and WR4 by value for just $6,500. Egbuka caught all five of his catchable targets last week, totaling 63.0 yards for a team-leading 1.97 yards per route run on 32.0 routes. He was by far the most productive Buccaneers player, despite not finding the end zone. Egbuka worked to a 14.0-yard ADOT and garnered a gargantuan 65.16% air yards share in Week 1.

Chris Godwin Jr. rates strongly on this slate as well. The receiver is WR21/34 on DraftKings but lands for value on FanDuel as WR22 by points but WR13 by points-per-dollar potential. Godwin caught all four of his targets on an average depth of just 0.8 yards in Week 1, limiting his overall gains to just 40.0 yards and 1.25 per route run over 32.0 routes. Godwin had a bit more downfield potential on a 7.4-yard ADOT over nine games last year and 5.6 yards the season before, but we are several seasons removed from his best year with a 9.7-yard average depth of target leading to 1,278 yards in 2023. Godwin Jr. is a strong value option on the FanDuel slate in Week 2; he will be lower-owned than he should be in that spot.

Tier 2:

Jalen McMillan is questionable in Week 2 after missing the season opener, with indications that he will play on a limited snap count that is accounted for in projections. McMillan is a talented receiver who is worth a dart here and there even in limited action, but the expectation for a low snap count thrusts other potential receivers into the mix who also warrant shares.

Reserves/Very Large Field Darts

Cade Otton is the team’s top tight end; he does not rate as an interesting NFL DFS option, but he could see an additional look or two on top of his pedestrian five targets at medium range from last week. Otton gained just 26.0 yards on three catches from five targets in Week 1, his value lives and dies with touchdown scoring.

Ted Hurst III ranks in the back half of the receiving pool coming off of a three-catch game in Week 1. Hurst III ran 30.0 routes in last week’s game, posting 1.20 yards per route run on an 11.3-yard average depth of target. With McMillan likely to be limited, Hurst picks up a bit of added potential on targeting alone.

Tez Johnson drew one target on a nine-yard look that he did not catch in Week 2, his potential is limited even with McMillan ailing.

 

Stack Ranks: DraftKings: 7 points/ 11 value; FanDuel: 6 points / 8 value

Best Stacking Options: Mayfield-Egbuka-Godwin +/- Irving

Best One-off: Emeka Egbuka

Best Value/Upside/Ownership Play: Chris Godwin Jr.

Wildcard: Ted Hurst III

 


Tennessee Titans

Game Total: 40.0 (TEN +7.5 / 16.25)

Offense: 4.9 ypa rush (28.57%) / 4.4 ypa pass (71.43%) / 10.0 ppg

oppDEF: 4.1 ypa rush / 4.7 nypa pass / 0.0% int / 2.86% sack / 8.30% pressure / 22.o ppg

Key Player: Cam Ward

Setting: exactly one

Team Group: Tony Pollard (on/off), Carnell Tate, Tyjae Spears (on/off), Wan’Dale Robinson, Calvin Ridley, Gunnar Helm, Elic Ayomanor (large field), Daniel Bellinger (very large field; on/off), Chimere Dike (very large field)

Opposing Setting: at most one / exactly one (these can be alternated in a variety of lineup builds)

Opposing Group: Saquon Barkley, DeVonta Smith, Dallas Goedert, Dontayvion Wicks, Makai Lemon, Tank Bigsby (on/off), Hollywood Brown

Game Notes:

Quarterback

Cam Ward is the bottom-ranked passer in the bottom-ranked stack of the week, rolling nearly perfect 26 marks across the board but for a lone 25th by value on FanDuel as an individual. He is QB26/26 and QB25/25 in Stack 26/26 on both sites. Ward managed a lousy 4.4 yards per pass attempt on 5.9 intended air yards per attempt in Week 1, totaling just 140 passing yards on 32.0 attempts. The quarterback’s -5.6 CPOE was not a surprise. Ward ran for 5.3 yards per attempt on four carries to pad scoring slightly, but he did not offer much and is likely to do even less against Philadelphia in Week 2.

Running Backs

Tier 1:

n/a

Tier 2: 

Tony Pollard faces a defense that was in the middle of the league with 4.1 yards allowed per rush attempt in Week 1. Pollard did not put up big totals and disappointed season-long gamers who drafted him for value in the later-middle rounds, but on closer inspection he did gain 5.0 yards per rush attempt with 3.7 yards gained before contact and a 14.29% broken tackle rate in Week 1, far more upside than was advertised. The limitation came more from carrying the ball only seven times in a bad offense that never got going. Pollard caught one of two targets on a 12.0-yard ADOT but gained -1.0 yards in the effort in the passing game. He is RB31/32 on both sites but could provide sneaky individual value.

Reserves/Very Large Field Darts

Tyjae Spears is right behind Pollard in rankings but dips for quality overall after gaining just 4.0 yards per attempt and carrying the ball only three times last week. The running back gained another 12 yards total in the passing game, bringing in two of four targets, but he failed to score or do much to create NFL DFS scoring value.

Receivers & Tight Ends

Tier 1:

n/a

Tier 2:

Carnell Tate had an inauspicious NFL debut with 1.06 yards per route run. The rookie caught four of six passes, all of the catchable targets that were thrown his way, and gained 38.0 yards on an 11.2-yard average depth of target. Tate is clearly a highly-talented receiver, but he will be continually limited by quarterback play and the team’s overall quality unless those things take significant steps forward in a hurry. Tate is a dart throw at WR37/54 and WR42/42, despite being a clear number one on the team.

Wan’Dale Robinson is a volume-based receiver with a bit of PPR upside on any given slate. The first-year Titans receiver excelled in that regard with the Giants in previous seasons but came away from Week 1 with only five catches on six targets, gaining 38.0 yards and failing to score but at least posting a solid 12.0-yard ADOT that could put him in scoring range in future games. Robinson is a low-end WR39/41 and WR45/45.

Reserves/Very Large Field Darts

Calvin Ridley is WR61/70 and WR65/67; he is not a strong option on this slate. Ridley caught

Gunnar Helm and Elic Ayomanor each ran more than 20 routes in Week 1, while also accounting for all of the team’s red zone targets with a combined three. The tight end caught four of five targets but gained merely 28.0 yards on a 3.4-yard average depth of target. Helm was targeted once in the red zone, while Ayomanor picked up two red zone targets but only three overall chances. The wide receiver turned that action into one catch for 11 yards, but he scored the team’s lone receiving touchdown.

 

Stack Ranks: DraftKings: 26 points/ 26 value; FanDuel: 26 points / 26 value

Best Stacking Options: Ward-Tate-Robinson-Pollard

Best One-off: Carnell Tate

Best Value/Upside/Ownership Play: Tony Pollard

Wildcard: Tony Pollard

 


Washington Commanders

Game Total: 50.0 (WAS +4.0 / 23.0)

Offense: 4.1 ypa rush (47.76%) / 4.8 ypa pass (52.24%) / 22.0 ppg

oppDEF: 4.5 ypa rush / 7.4 nypa pass / 0.0% int / 6.45% sack / 15.20% pressure / 28.0 ppg

Key Player: Jayden Daniels

Setting: at least one / exactly two (these can be alternated in a variety of lineup builds)

Team Group: Terry McLaurin, Stefon Diggs, Antonio Williams, Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Ben Sinnott, John Bates, Jaylin Lane (large field), Luke McCaffrey (large field)

Opposing Setting: at most one / exactly one (these can be alternated in a variety of lineup builds)

Opposing Group: CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, Javonte Williams, Jake Ferguson, Ryan Flournoy, KaaVontae Turpin, Brevyn Spann-Ford (large field; on/off)

Game Notes:

Quarterback

The chances of this week’s highlight game actually shooting out may ride more on the performance of Jayden Daniels than anyone else on the field. The Commanders quarterback was effective despite a -4.8 CPOE over 34 attempts in Week 1. Daniels completed 18 of those attempts for 164.0 yards and two touchdown passes without an interception, but the overall gains were limited at just 4.8 yards per pass attempt despite a 9.3 intended air yards per attempt mark. Daniels gained another 6.2 yards per rush attempt over his five tries on the ground, but did not score a rushing touchdown. The quarterback offers significant appeal in both categories against the fragile Dallas defense. Daniels is QB5 by points on both sites. On DraftKings, he remains at QB5 by value, but he soars to QB2 by points-per-dollar on the blue site.

Running Backs

Tier 1:

n/a

Tier 2: 

Jacory Croskey-Merritt, aka “Bill,” was good with 63.0 yards on 16 carries, 3.9 yards per attempt, and a rushing touchdown in Week 1. The running back drew just one target in the passing game and went for -7.0 yards on it, but he has a bit of potential on the ground where it matters. Croskey-Merritt rates as RB 22/24 and RB21/14 with a bit of value-based upside on the FanDuel slate as an interesting cheap angle into run-back shares against a desirable Dallas stack.

Reserves/Very Large Field Darts

Rachaad White is outside of the top 33 options at running back across the board, but he could deliver a bit of value here and there if he sees a few targets in the passing game in an eruption of quality. White picked up 3.1  yards per rush attempt on seven limited carries in his Commanders debut, adding 5.0 yards on two catches from two targets, including one in the red zone, but he failed to score. White is a cheap alternative to a running back who is no lock in the top spot, but that does not make him a priority in any sense.

Receivers & Tight Ends

Tier 1:

Terry McLaurin was outdrawn by newcomer Stefon Diggs in Week 1; the incumbent saw just four targets and caught two of the three catchable passes for 14.0 yards in a low-end game. McLaurin is a far better receiver than that; he scored 13 touchdowns in 2024 in his last fully healthy campaign but was limited to just 10 outings last season. McLaurin caught 38 passes for 582 yards and three touchdowns last year but fell far short of season-long expectations from the outset. With Diggs in town, McLaurin has competition for catches up top, but he shows clear value on this slate with his price marked down for that reason on both sites. McLaurin is WR13 by points but WR4 by value on DraftKings and lands as WR13/5 on the FanDuel board.

Stefon Diggs picked up nine targets in his Commanders debut. The veteran receiver caught just four of those chances despite a 77.78% catchable target rate. Diggs turned those four catches into 55.0 yards and a touchdown, gaining 2.20 yards per route run over his limited 25.0 routes. By comparison, McLaurin ran 35.0 routes to lead the team but gained just 0.4 yards per route run in Week 1, a pattern that is unlikely to continue. Diggs caught just four touchdown passes in 17 games last year but did claw his way back to a thousand-yard season with 1,013 coming on 85-102 receiving. The veteran can still get it done when targeted, but his quality will lean on heavy volume. Diggs is WR22/21 and WR24/21 across sites in Week 2.

Tier 2:

n/a

Reserves/Very Large Field Darts

Antonio Williams played 25 snaps with the offense in his debut. The third-round rookie caught all four of his targets on a 13.8-yard average depth of target that led the regular receiving group. Williams gained a tremendous 5.82 yards per route run over his 11 routes and scored his first NFL touchdown in the contest. Given the limited chances on partial snaps, it is difficult to assign much value, but there is clearly a bit of touchdown upside under the covers, if nothing else, for the interesting rookie.

Dyami Brown picked up a pair of targets on ridiculous deep shots; he did not catch either pass on his 32.0-yard ADOT, though that did not grade out as his fault. Brown is barely on the board as WR83/83 and WR85/85.

 

Stack Ranks: DraftKings: 10 points/ 8 value; FanDuel: 10 points / 4 value

Best Stacking Options: Daniels-McLaurin-Diggs +/- Croskey-Merritt

Best One-off: Terry McLaurin

Best Value/Upside/Ownership Play: Jacory Croskey-Merritt

Wildcard: Dyami Brown

 


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