Week 2 of the NFL season brings new opportunities to find hidden gems in DFS lineups on DraftKings and FanDuel. With player pricing still adjusting, there are a few value picks that can provide major upside for your fantasy rosters. Below are top DFS value picks to consider for the main slate this week.
QB: Bo Nix ($5k DraftKings, $6.7k FanDuel), Broncos vs. Steelers
As BetQL’s Matt Horner reported, Bo Nix clocked in a run at 20.05 mph in Week 1, the fastest time for any non-WR. The former Auburn and Oregon star flashed that athleticism in college, but it was a pleasant surprise to see him show off his wheels in Week 1. Femi Abebefe of You Better You Bet loves the Broncos this week and there are a lot of reasons to like Nix despite the fact that he accumulated just 138 passing yards last week.
First, as mentioned above, he scrambled five times for 35 yards and a touchdown as Denver’s most effective runner. While that’s scary for the team, it’s great for his upside, especially since he will likely be under heavy pressure once again, which will probably force him to create with his legs. Anytime we can get that multi-dimensional upside at QB, it makes the play so much more valuable.
Second, he threw the ball 42 times last week and is an underdog in this game. While his aDOT was low in his debut, it’s clear that Sean Payton trusts his rookie enough to let him throw the football that many times, even if only a couple of them traveled downfield.
Finally, the price tag is simply too low. He threw for 138 yards with zero passing touchdowns and two interceptions and still finished with 13.0 DraftKings points last week due to his rushing numbers. Now in the thin air of the Mile High City, Nix seemingly has a high floor and, most importantly, a high ceiling that puts 4-5x value in realistic range. You can do a lot worse in the bottom tier of the quarterbacks to roster this week.
RB: Jerome Ford ($5.9k DraftKings, $6.3k FanDuel), Browns at Jaguars
The Browns might have gotten blown out by the Cowboys at home in Week 1, but it was encouraging to see that Jerome Ford has a stranglehold on the running back duties. He rushed 12 times for 44 yards and a garbage time touchdown and caught six of seven targets for an additional 25 yards.
Not only that, but he saw 73% of the RB snaps, got 86% of the team’s rush attempts and also got a 16% target share on 64% route participation, per Jacob Gibbs of CBS Sports. When Cleveland is leading, they’re going to feed him the football on the ground and when they’re down, he’s going to continue to be a third-down/passing down option until Nick Chubb returns.
Since the Browns have an elite defense and have been hurt by Deshaun Watson’s QB play, I expect them to try to establish the run early and often in this game and also attack a Jags defense that is susceptible against the pass to opposing backs. Last week, Jacksonville got pressure on Tua Tagovailoa and stuffed the run game, but that opened up opportunities for Dolphins running backs to make an impact in the passing game. The result: De’Von Achane and Raheem Mostert combined for nine catches for 86 receiving yards. Know that Ford was an elite wideout in high school, so he knows how to run routes, as he’s proven in the NFL.
This is an awesome spot and incredible price tag (RB16 on DK, RB24 on FanDuel) for one of the true bellcow backs that still exist.
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WR: Luke McCaffrey ($3.8k DraftKings, $4.3k FanDuel), Commanders vs. Giants
If you’re a box score watcher who is a fan of small sample sizes, you won’t like this play, but it’s one that I want to get on this week. This week, Commanders HC Dan Quinn was outspoken about McCaffrey’s upside as a slot receiver and after Week 1, I expect his production to improve. He may have recorded three catches for 18 yards (4.8 DraftKings points) in the opener, but he posted a 92% route rate, including 76% from the slot. Shockingly, that three-catch, 18-yard output led Commanders receivers in the opener and, per Scott Barrett of Fantasy Points, he ranked 7th in the entire NFL in Separation Score in Week 1.
Washington even ran a trick play giving McCaffrey the option to throw the football, which is very telling since it was his NFL debut. This Giants defense allowed Sam Darnold to go a very efficient 19-for-24 passing for 208 yards, two touchdowns and an interception in Week 1 and given the very low price tags on both sites, I’m very high on McCaffrey to break out sooner rather than later. I want to be ahead of it and I suspect this will be the cheapest price he’ll be for the duration of his career.
With three drops on 120 targets at Rice last season after converting from QB, per Thor Nystrom of Fantasy Life, McCaffrey also went 17-for-28 on contested situations, is solid as a runner with the football (25 broken tackles) and should benefit from Kliff Kingsbury’s offensive scheme that demands strong slot play.
TE: Brock Bowers ($4.4k DraftKings, $5.3k FanDuel), Raiders vs. Ravens
After catching six of eight targets for 58 yards in Week 1, Bowers is coming in priced as the TE11 on DraftKings and TE12 on FanDuel. As big underdogs, the Raiders are going to have to pass the football and Bowers should be a beneficiary of that game script.
As Andrew Cooper of Fantasy Alarm pointed out on X, Bowers earned a 21.2% target share, ran 77.5% of the routes, ran 65.5% of them from the WR spot, blocked on zero pass plays and had the 2nd-most targets and 2nd-most yards of any TE in the NFL in Week 1.
In other words, he’s more of a receiver than he is a tight end as far as his role is concerned. With hints that he will be used in other ways (out of the backfield, for example) like he was at Georgia, I love his upside at these price tags given the murky outlooks of the entire tight end position as a whole.
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