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Week 2 DraftKings Plays: Amon-Ra St. Brown, Anthony Richardson, and More

Week 2 DraftKings plays; Whether you are more of a cash game player or a tournament player, each presents a unique challenge.
Week 2 DraftKings Plays

It is so exciting to have real, live NFL football back in our lives. One of my favorite parts is fantasy football. One of my favorite aspects of fantasy football has become playing on DraftKings. Every week is like a new puzzle to figure out. Whether you are more of a cash game player or a tournament player, each presents a unique challenge. Let’s take a look at my favorite Week 2 DraftKings plays.

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Week 2 DraftKings Plays

Week 1 Recap

It’s always good to be completely transparent and demonstrate accountability. That’s what I like to do with everything I do and that goes for fantasy football as well. Whether it’s bold takes or DraftKings recommendations, I always like to keep track of wins and losses. It’s not only good for the readers to know, but also helps me learn from mistakes moving forward.

Looking back at Week 1, it wasn’t a great start. This week 48% of my recommendations hit the 2.5x value we look for in cash game lineups. This time the quarterback group led the way tied at an 80% success rate. Meanwhile, the running back group brought up the rear tied at a 14.3% success rate. Personally, I was not able to make a profit. We’ll look to get it going even better with the picks and get back into the profits in the Week 2 DraftKings plays.

  • Week 1 – $227 → $46 ($181 LOSS)
  • Year Total – $227 → $46 ($181 LOSS)

Quarterbacks

Josh Allen (BUF) – $7,900 v LV

Josh Allen just had his worst fantasy performance (outside of leaving injured) since Week 13 of 2021. He only scored 12 fantasy points and finished as the QB20 on the week. It’s pretty safe to say Allen is likely to do much better this week. Last week’s encouraging part was that he ran as much as we hoped, chipping in 36 yards on the ground. Allen also attempted 41 passes and actually completed over 70% of those passes. He just made a few critical mistakes that the defense capitalized on, unfortunately. This week he gets a much easier matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders. The Raiders are not a defense to be scared of at all. This game has a nice combined total of 47 points and the Buffalo Bills have a 27.75-point implied total, which is the highest of any team on the slate this week. Look for Allen to get back on track in a big way making him one of the best Week 2 DraftKings plays.

Anthony Richardson (IND) – $6,300 @ HOU

So far, so good for my “Anthony Richardson is a top-ten fantasy quarterback” campaign. He went out and put 21.9 fantasy points on his way to a QB4 finish in his debut against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 1. That included 40 yards and a score on ten carries. The ten carries were the second-most among all quarterbacks trailing only Daniel Jones. Six of those carries were designed runs for Richardson, which was the most designed runs for any quarterback in the opening week. On top of all that, Richardson threw 37 passes. This offense is designed completely around him and he’s going to be a stud in fantasy as long as he stays healthy. This week’s matchup should be a juicy one against the Houston Texans. The Texans tend to shut down opposing quarterbacks but mostly because they are getting gashed in the running game all day. Richardson should be a big part of that. It wouldn’t be surprising at all if he tops last week’s rushing performance. This game is also being played in a dome as well which is another boost. Be prepared for another good performance for Richardson and for his salary to finally break the $6,500 mark starting next week.

Others to Consider: Daniel Jones (NYG) – $6,000 @ ARI, Geno Smith (SEA) – $5,900 @ DET, Ryan Tannehill (TEN) – $5,000 v LAC

Running Backs

Josh Jacobs (LV) – $7,100 @ BUF

After holding out for most of the offseason and preseason, Josh Jacobs was back and looked like he was in his normal, workhorse role. The results, however, didn’t follow. Jacobs only scored 9.1 fantasy points last week finishing as the RB32. The positive that comes out of this is that his salary didn’t jump in a big way despite the usage being truly elite. Jacobs was second in the NFL in expected fantasy points among all running backs on multiple different models. He was one of only four running backs to play at least 80% of those snaps and among those four, he was the only one to receive more than 70% of his team’s rushing attempts. Jacobs also had a 48% route participation and a 12% target share. He also saw 75% of the attempts inside the five-yard line. Jacobs saw truly elite usage in the opening week so it seems very likely he’ll perform better this week, assuming that usage continues. This week’s matchup isn’t a great one against the Bills but the game environment looks good, as previously mentioned. Ultimately, the elite usage combined with a discounted price tag make Jacobs one of the best Week 2 DraftKings plays. 

Kenneth Walker III (SEA) – $5,800 @ DET

Heading into 2023, Kenneth Walker III’s stock seemed to be dropping by the day. He was excellent in the second half of 2022 but then the Seattle Seahawks decided to use a second-round pick on rookie Zach Charbonnet in this year’s draft. The worry was that Charbonnet would eat into the pass game usage right away with a possibility of taking on even more as the season moved on. That still may end up being the case but Walker III dominated the usage in the opening game. He played 65% of the snaps and saw 71% of Seattle’s rushing attempts. The more surprising aspect was that Walker III had a 55% route participation and an 18% target share. This week he gets to play in one of the friendliest offensive environments on the entire slate. The Detroit Lions defense is not very good although their offense is. The same goes for the Seahawks. That’s a perfect recipe for a shootout. The 47.5-point combined total seems to suggest the same. Walker III is simply too cheap this week given the volume and matchup.

Others to Consider: James Cook (BUF) – $6,100 v LV, Joe Mixon (CIN) – $6,500 v BAL, James Conner (ARI) – $6,200 v NYG, Christian McCaffrey (SF) – $8,900 @ LAR, Joshua Kelley (LAC) – $5,000 @ TEN

Wide Receivers

Amon-Ra St. Brown (DET) – $7,800 v SEA

Sticking with that same game, Amon-Ra St. Brown continues to ascend as one of the best wide receivers in the NFL. After averaging 16.7 and 13.4 fantasy points per game each of the last two years, he started his 2023 campaign with 19.1 fantasy points. He’s the clear alpha for the Lions and Jared Goff’s favorite target. As previously mentioned, this is a great offensive environment. The Lions’ defense will likely allow points so they’ll need to put up points to keep up. The Seahawks secondary looks like a bottom-five unit in the NFL and allowed the third-most DraftKings points to wide receivers in Week 1. The Lions have an implied total of 26 points which is one of the highest on the entire slate. They are also playing in a dome, which is another boost to passing offenses. This should be a fun, offensive game much to the benefit of St. Brown. Add it all up and he looks like one of the best Week 2 DraftKings plays at any position.

Puka Nacua (LAR) – $4,900 v SF

Puka Nacua was this week’s main waiver priority among wide receivers after his unbelievable performance in his debut. He caught ten of his 15 targets for 119 yards. Nacua’s 39% target share trailed only Zay Flowers last week. He also had a 40% TPRR and 35% air yards share, both of which are great numbers. There’s no reason to believe that Nacua won’t be Matthew Stafford’s favorite target until Cooper Kupp returns. This week’s matchup against the San Francisco 49ers doesn’t look ideal on paper. The 44.5-point combined total is a fine number the Los Angeles Rams‘ 18.75-point implied team total isn’t great. That being said, They should need to throw early and often seeing as how they are seven-point underdogs. This game is also being played in a dome, another boost to the passing games. Although Nacua’s salary has risen a lot, it’s still too cheap if he continues to be the main weapon for the Rams’ passing attack.

Others to Consider: Deebo Samuel (SF) – $5,600 @ LAR, Tee Higgins (CIN) –  $6,400 v BAL, Ja’Marr Chase (CIN) – $7,900 v BAL, Keenan Allen (LAC) – $7,100 @ TEN, Nico Collins (HOU) – $4,800 v IND, Stefon Diggs (BUF) – $8,000 v LV

Tight Ends

Travis Kelce (KC) – $7,600 @ JAX

Take Travis Kelce out of the tight end mix and absolute mayhem occurs. That’s what happened in Week 1 when Kelce missed with a knee injury. The Kansas City Chiefs lost and the top two fantasy tight ends wound up being Hunter Henry and Hayden Hurst. It’s abundantly clear that the Chiefs (and fantasy managers) need Travis Kelce back. It seems likely that he’ll return this week against the Jaguars. In typical Chiefs fashion, this is one of the best offensive environments on the slate. Both the Chiefs and the Jaguars are good offenses so there should be plenty of yards and points to go around and Kelce should be a massive reason for that. The 51.5-point combined total is the highest on the slate and the Chiefs’ 27-point implied total is the second-highest on the slate. Combine all that with the fact that Kelce is the main target for Patrick Mahomes and a true slate-changing player at a tough position and it makes him one of the best Week 2 DraftKings plays.

Jake Ferguson (DAL) – $3,300 v NYJ

Jake Ferguson was a sleeper for plenty of people heading into the season but I don’t think there was anyone out there expecting him to put up arguably the best usage of any tight end in Week 1. That’s what happened when he saw a ridiculous five red zone targets to go along with a 26% target share. The red zone targets were the best among all tight ends and the target share trailed only Zach Ertz last week. His 43% TPRR was also second among all tight ends. Unfortunately (for those who played him), Ferguson only turned his seven targets into two receptions for 11 yards. This is actually fortunate for those of us who didn’t play him as it kept his salary down this week despite the elite usage. The risk is that the usage doesn’t continue but at this price point, it’s worth the chance to find out.

Others to Consider: Irv Smith Jr. (CIN) – $3,200 v BAL, Luke Musgrave (GB) – $3,200 @ ATL, Chigoziem Okonkwo (TEN) – $3,300 v LAC

Defense/Special Teams

In terms of choosing a defense/special teams, it’s the last spot I fill in every week. It’s pretty random but there are a few areas to gain an advantage. I look to target the heavily favored teams as they usually are playing with a lead. This forces their opponent to throw it more often which can help lead to extra sacks and turnovers and hopefully a touchdown. Another aspect to target is turnover and sack-prone quarterbacks. My advice is to fill out the rest of your lineup first and then pick your favorite D/ST out of the remaining money.

My Tentative Cash Game Lineup

  • QB – Anthony Richardson
  • RB – Josh Jacobs
  • RB – Joshua Kelley
  • WR – Amon-Ra St. Brown
  • WR – Ja’Marr Chase
  • WR – Keenan Allen
  • TE – Luke Musgrave
  • Flex – Jake Ferguson
  • DST – Los Angeles Rams

Make sure to tune in next week to see the results from my Week 2 DraftKings plays and to see the best picks for Week 3. Best of luck to everyone and let’s all enjoy some football and win some money!

 

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Main Photo: Jenna Watson/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK

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