Daily Fantasy Football 2023 Week 2: Best Plays And Bargains On FanDuel and DraftKings
The best way to cash on weekly fantasy football sites is to load up on as many stars with good matchups as possible. Here, you'll find the best plays and top bargains at each position on FanDuel and DraftKings. And remember, scoring is IMPORTANT. Here are Fanduel’s and DraftKings’ scoring systems.
For each position I’ll provide the best big name, the best mid range value, and the best low-price bargain. At the end, I’ll also list a big name to avoid at each position.
Quarterback
Best Big Name
Jalen Hurts, Eagles ($8,800/$): Hurts was a surprise dud in Week 1, which is bad news for the Vikings, who aren’t a defensively-oriented team to begin with, and have a short week to prepare for one of the most dynamic playmakers in the sport. The Eagles jumped all over New England early in Week 1, and seemed to take their feet off the gas and coast to a Week 1 win on the road. Now, fired up, and at home for the first time in 2023, this figures to be a showcase for some of the Eagles players who are expected to dominate this season. Hurts should get it done through the air, and, of course, few QBs in the league match his upside as a rusher.
Mid Range Value
Jared Goff, Lions ($7,300/$6,200): Goff posted a good but not great line in Week 1 with 253 yards and one touchdown, but it disappointed managers and DFS players because the season’s opening tilt fell way short of the over/under. The narrative was that Goff should be able to throw all over the Chiefs, especially without Chris Jones, but he followed a pattern set last year in which his road performances were way below what he did at home. Well, Goff is home this week, and facing a Seattle defense that was pretty friendly to Baker Mayfield in Week 1 on their home field. We saw Goff erupt several times at home in 2022 – four of his five games with 300+ yards were at home – and this matchup is far from daunting. I like Goff a lot if you’re trying to save a bit at QB.
Thrift Store
Ryan Tannehill, Titans ($6,400/$5,000): Tannehill’s Week 1 was gross, with only 198 yards and three interceptions, but it was a road game against a really good defense. Tannehill’s not a guy who can light it up anymore, but he does have a legitimate WR1 again in DeAndre Hopkins, a playmaking TE in Chig Okonkwo should they decide to take advantage of his skills, and he’s shown more willingness to involve Derrick Henry as a receiver. Those are some lowkey potent receiving options, especially vs. a friendlier matchup (Chargers) than he faced in Week 1. Also, he’s getting older and less dangerous as a rusher, but he does still offer short yardage touchdown upside.
Running Back
Best Big Name
Saquon Barkley, Giants ($8,800/$8,000): Barkley was my big name to avoid in Week 1, and he was a dud in one of the more lopsided losses in Giants history. Big Blue learned hard lessons in that game, and I expect an intelligent coaching staff to adjust. This team succeeds when they hop on Barkley’s back and let him carry them. Barkley moves the chains, and his success keeps the G-Men in positive, manageable game scripts. He will be fed often in this one against an Arizona defense that projects to be one of the league’s worst. The Giants are battling some injuries along the offensive line, but that could mean more dump-offs to Barkley so they don’t expose Daniel Jones to the beating he took in Week 1. He’s a slam dunk in Week 2.
Mid Range Value
Rhamondre Stevenson, Patriots ($7,000/$6,700): Most saw Miami light up the Chargers in Week 1 and thought “wow this team can win a Super Bowl!” I saw them and thought, “Rhamondre Stevenson might have to catch 15 passes to help the Patriots keep up next week.” Okay, I’m exaggerating, but this matchup is very exciting for Stevenson, who, after starting off very slow in Week 1 finished with 89 yards from scrimmage including 64 yards through the air on six receptions. The Pats don’t want to be a pass-first team with this personnel, but Philadelphia forced them into that mode with their fast start, and Miami is extremely capable of doing the same. Ezekiel Elliott is definitely involved in this offense, but Stevenson’s got the juice and is probably the team’s best pass-catcher.
Thrift Store
Jahmyr Gibbs, Lions ($5,800/$6,300): Gibbs’s price dropped real quick after he was heavily out-touched by David Montgomery in Week 1, but at this range the upside is tough to ignore. Gibbs only saw seven carries, but was at six yards a pop when they did let him touch the ball, and he had a clear touchdown opportunity in the second half in which he simply slipped. It happens. More important than that, is the speed everyone anticipated he’d bring to this team is present in spades, and I can’t imagine this staff seeing that potential and not figuring out ways for him to get the rock more often. This offense is good, but it lacks chunk play potential in the receiving game because Jameson Williams is suspended. Gibbs brings that to the table, and even though he only saw 19 snaps, he touched the ball on nine of them.
Wide Receiver
Best Big Name
A.J. Brown, Eagles ($7,900/$7,700): Brown wasn’t bad in Week 1 vs. the Patriots, but the entire Eagles offense was just off. And even when they weren’t clicking, and playing on the road vs. the best defensive mind in the sport, he ended the game with seven catches for 79 yards. This ain’t a Belichick defense he’s facing in Week 2, and a Hurts-Brown stack, while pricy, sounds absolutely delicious. It’s like ordering the most expensive steak at a top restaurant; the price may hurt, but in the end you’re full and didn’t regret the decision.
Mid Range Value
Deebo Samuel, 49ers ($6,900/$5,600): The 49ers dismantled Pittsburgh in Week 1, but some of the “too many mouths to feed” concerns of the preseason did show up. It’s just that most people reserved those fears for Brandon Aiyuk, and it was actually Deebo whose final line was meh. That’s going to happen for just about everyone in this offense not named Christian McCaffery at some point, and when his price dips it’s time to invest. Deebo just isn’t a traditional receiver, so he’s more boom-or-bust, and therefore does carry more risk. But CMC touched the ball nearly 30 times in Week 1, and the Rams defense isn’t exactly formidable this week. A wise move from the Niners might be to work Samuel into the running game more, and manufacture some touches for him so he can make a few big plays and feel fed. Getting Deebo the rock in open space vs. this secondary has 30-point potential.
Thrift Store
Puka Nacua, Rams ($5,800/$4,900): Staying in the same game, Nacua’s involvement was staggering. He drew 15 targets from Matthew Stafford, catching 10 balls for 119 yards. Immediate comparisons to Cooper Kupp are being made, and that’s pretty disrespectful to Kupp seeing as how Nacua has played in one game. But that level of target share from Stafford cannot be ignored, since Stafford is well known to hyper target his trusted alphas. With Kupp out, that sure looked like Nacua, so even though the 49ers matchup is brutal, someone on the Rams is going to get stats. I’m betting on Puka.
Tight End
Best Big Name
Darren Waller, Giants ($6,600/$5,500): Waller’s lingering hamstring injury is concerning, but none of the top TEs are fully healthy at the moment. The Giants’ offense is simple; it relies entirely on Barkley and Waller to keep the chains moving, and this is obvious to everyone including the Giants’ coaches. With the Cardinals on deck, the team most likely to land the No. 1 pick in the 2024 draft, it’s a classic get-right game. I’d expect both Barkley and Waller to eat, and when Waller eats, it’s a lot of points. He’s close to $2,000 cheaper than Travis Kelce, and I am expecting very similar involvement, with the obvious caveat that Daniel Jones targets do not equal Pat Mahomes targets. That’s what the discount is for.
Mid Range Value
Pat Freiermuth, Steelers ($5,800/$3,700): Freiermuth only saw four targets in Week 1, but that should tick up with Diontae Johnson set to miss time, vacating a ton of targets. Sure, those could be spread out to Allen Robinson and Calvin Austin, but Freiermuth is on the field all the time, and he’s one of their most trusted options in the red zone. Many TEs are touchdown dependent, and Freiermuth is in that category as well, but he does have upside to be greater than that especially with Johnson out.
Thrift Store
Hayden Hurst, Panthers ($5,400/$3,400): Going back to the well with Hurst, as he was a success in Week 1. As predicted, the Panthers offense was stagnant, and when Young was in some trouble, he hit his trusty veteran TE. Hurst played more than half the snaps, caught five balls, and found the end zone. He’s not going to score a TD every week of course, but seeing five to seven targets a week is valuable stuff at this position.
Quarterback to Avoid: Deshaun Watson, Browns ($7,900/$)
Running Back to Avoid: Tony Pollard, Cowboys ($8,000/$)
Wide Receiver to Avoid: Garrett Wilson, Jets ($7,400/$)
Tight End to Avoid: T.J. Hockenson, Vikings ($6,600/$)