Daily Fantasy Football Best Bargains 2022: Week 2Top DFS Values on DraftKings and FanDuel
The best way to cash on weekly fantasy football sites is to load up on as many stars with good matchups as possible. Due to budget restraints, however, fantasy players must sacrifice other positions to nab the stars they want.
Here, you'll find the top bargains at each position on FanDuel and DraftKings that will let you splurge elsewhere. And remember, scoring is IMPORTANT. Here are Fanduel’s and DraftKings’ scoring systems.
Quarterbacks
Mac Jones, Patriots ($6,400/$5,200): QB is usually not the position to cheap out on totally, especially early in the season when we don’t have reliable info on which defenses are the bad ones. But here, Mac Jones is a higher caliber player than the guys who are usually in this range, and that’s an opportunity. The Pats offense looks like a hot mess, it’s run heavy, and Jones has a stable of WRs and TEs that nobody wants to use in season-long or dynasty formats. He had the same setup last season too, and managed two or more touchdown passes in seven games. The matchup vs. the Steelers absolutely pushed his price tag down, but they’ll also be without superstar T.J. Watt. Jones won’t light it up, but if you’re determined to have your savings at QB, Jones should provide a usable floor.
Geno Smith, Seahawks ($6,300/$5,100): Smith is $100 cheaper than Jones, and while he could very well torpedo your entire lineup with turnovers, he also does have a higher ceiling than Mac. Smith has big play receivers in D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, and he actually played reasonably well in Week 1 vs. what should be a capable Broncos defense. The 49ers D is no joke, but Smith also offers a smidge of rushing/scrambling ability, and the potential for a rushing score. Would I be excited to use Smith here? No. But I can acknowledge there’s some upside for the low cost.
Running Backs
Jeff Wilson, 49ers ($6,300/$5,100): Wilson finds himself at the head of the pack of one of the NFL’s best rushing offenses with Eli Mitchell on IR. There’s noise about rookies Tyrion Davis-Price and Jordan Mason and riding the “hot hand,” but Davis-Price wasn’t even active in Week 1. The bulk of the backfield touches will go to Wilson, so he has a very high floor at this affordable cost. The issue for him is TD opportunity. Being the lead back here does not at all guarantee goal line work, which will likely be stolen by WR Deebo Samuel or QB Trey Lance. Still, there’s almost no risk in deploying him as a RB2, or going super cheap at RB with Wilson and our next bargain and having a party at WR and QB/TE.
Darrell Henderson, Rams ($6,200/$5,700): Henderson shocked us all with an 82% snap rate in the NFL’s opener, turning in a respectable 71 yards from scrimmage on 13 carries and five targets. This week’s matchup against Atlanta should be much more favorable to all the Rams’ skill players, so if that snap count continues, Henderson could have himself quite the day and return massive, RB1 value on a below-average price.
Rhamondre Stevenson, Patriots ($5,600/$5,200): Stevenson was a big disappointment in Week 1, playing on just 25% of New England’s snaps. That number should rise though, as he’s a superior pass-catcher to Damien Harris, and Ty Montgomery was placed on IR, removing an irritating impediment to Stevenson’s presence in passing situations. Stevenson and Harris will still cannibalize each other’s value, but if they’re splitting the whole workload 50/50 there’s room for both players to get theirs. It’s when Montgomery is shoehorning himself into 37% of the snaps that the entire backfield becomes a minefield.
Wide Receivers
Jerry Jeudy, Broncos ($6,300/$5,600): Jeudy caught a bomb touchdown in his first game with Russell Wilson at the helm, turning in a four-catch, 102-yard performance in a loss to Seattle. Denver’s game plan was pretty weird, with a lot of TE action in the early going. That should shift quickly, and with Jeudy looking healthy and super fast, he could resemble Tyler Lockett with his ability to have volcanic eruptions in any given week. At $6,300 I’m absolutely here for the ride, especially vs. a projected subpar Texans defense coming off a loss that had to anger Wilson deeply. He’s coming for blood, and Jeudy is going to be one of the beneficiaries of pissed off Russ.
D.J. Moore, Panthers ($6,200/$5,700): Moore was very quiet in Week 1 in his first game with Baker Mayfield, catching just three of six targets for 43 yards. It was a line we’ve seen many times before from Moore, but I hold out hope that Mayfield is, in fact, an upgrade over the many QBs who have failed Moore throughout his career. The Giants offer a big opportunity for the Panthers’ passing game, because their secondary is abominable. If Moore can’t get it done in Week 2, then it’s time to worry about him and avoid him until things change. But I expect Moore to have some big plays.
Adam Thielen, Vikings ($5,900/$5,600): Thielen’s price has dropped below $6,000, which is a major opportunity for us. We probably won’t see it this low again after this game, when he probably scores multiple times against the Eagles in what should be a high scoring game. Minnesota’s new offense led to a supernova performance from Justin Jefferson in Week 1, but as we’ve seen from the Rams in recent years, there’s plenty of room for other receivers to shine and get TDs too. Thielen has scored double-digit touchdowns in back-to-back seasons, so the quiet Week 1 just means he’s due.
Tight Ends
Kyle Pitts, Falcons ($5,900/$5,400): Pitts was a dud in Week 1. So what? The Falcons were in a surprisingly run-favorable game script vs. the Saints last week, and Pitts still drew seven targets, a healthy number for a TE. The Rams are going to come out hungry, and probably will be putting up a lot of points, meaning the Falcons will be throwing early and often. That means Pitts is probably seeing double-digit targets, which we know he can do well with. Pitts is one of two tight ends to ever post 1,000+ yards as a rookie, so I am absolutely not scared of a crappy first game. Pitts is the centerpiece of Atlanta’s offense and he’ll rebound nicely, providing incredible value.
Gerald Everett, Chargers ($5,500/$4,100): Everett scares me, and he should scare you and everyone else. He’s far from reliable, but this week all pass-catchers will be needed to keep up with Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs. The Chargers also will be without Keenan Allen, while the remainder of their receivers profile more as deep explosive targets rather than possession guys. Enter Everett, who is noone’s idea of explosive. He was on the field for 66% of snaps in Week 1, and that’ll rise sans Allen. He’s not going to goose you in Week 2, which is all you can ask of a TE at this price point. And as a bonus, he offers the potential of a back-end TE1 finish.