Week 2 DraftKings Cash-Game Picks
We got off to a good start last week. The lineup above cashed all 50/50s and double-ups and won 65% of the head-to-heads I entered.
Josh Jacobs and Davante Adams were basically all you needed to cash in Week 1 — even at their high ownerships. I wasn’t a huge fan of the Boston Scott play. But I knew he’d be heavily owned, so I almost played him just as a block in case he had a big game. We won’t always get 15 points from our defense, but this is another reminder that paying down at the position is usually the way to go.
Week 2 brought my first kid, so we’ll see what that means for the quality of my cash-game picks. Let’s get to it …
QBs
Dak Prescott, Cowboys ($6,800)
I said last week that we’ll usually be going cheap at QB. This week is an exception.
Prescott was relatively disappointing in Week 1 on the road against a solid Rams defense. But he’s in a prime bounce-back spot on Sunday at home for the Falcons. Atlanta just allowed Russell Wilson to complete 31 of 35 passes for 322 yards and 4 TDs in the opener.
Dallas’ implied total of 29.25 points is the highest of the week.
Kyler Murray, Cardinals ($6,100)
If you need some savings from Dak, Murray is a strong value. He was great in Week 1, throwing for 230 yards and a TD and rushing for 91 yards and another score — all against a tough 49ers defense. Washington brings a scary pass rush to town this weekend, but Murray has the mobility to get away from those defenders and add fantasy production with his legs.
Arizona’s implied total of 27 points is 6th highest on the main slate.
RBs
Ezekiel Elliott, Cowboys ($8,200)
I love the idea of playing both Prescott and Zeke and soaking up all of the Cowboys TDs this week. Elliott was in his usual workhorse role in the opener, playing 88% of the offensive snaps and tallying 22 carries and 4 targets.
Atlanta held Seahawks RBs to just 3.3 yards per carry last week. But Chris Carson smoked them for 6 catches for 45 yards and 2 TDs on 6 targets.
Elliott carries big upside on the ground and through the air on Sunday.
Aaron Jones, Packers ($7,100)
Jones checks in as our top dollars-per-point value at RB. It’s slightly scary that he played just 54% of the offensive snaps and lost 17 opportunities to other Green Bay RBs last week. But Jones garnered 22 opportunities (16 carries, 6 targets) himself, recording 76 total yards and a score.
Game flow and TD upside are working in his favor this weekend, with the Packers 6-point home favorites with a 27.75-point implied total vs. the Lions. Detroit coughed up 5.3 yards per carry to Bears RBs in the opener.
Kenyan Drake, Cardinals ($5,900)
Drake lost 11 opportunities to Chase Edmonds last week. But he tallied 18 opportunities of his own while playing 71% of the offensive snaps. That’s more than enough at this price tag.
Washington boasts a tough front and held Eagles RBs to 3.6 yards per carry in the opener. But this is a strong Arizona running game. And the Cardinals are 7-point home favorites with a big implied total — right where we want our RBs to be.
WRs
Mike Evans, Bucs ($6,400)
An egregious price.
Evans was quiet in the opener. But he played 93% of Tampa’s offensive snaps, so it doesn’t look like that hamstring was a major issue. He practiced — albeit in a limited fashion — on both Wednesday and Thursday, so he should be even healthier for Week 2.
Bucs HC Bruce Arians said earlier this week that he needs to do a better job getting Evans more targets. “I never want to come out of a game without 10 targets to Mike, at least,” Arians added.
So Evans was already a good bet to get fed this weekend. Chris Godwin’s likely absence with his concussion only makes that more likely. Plus, the matchup is sweet against a leaky Panthers pass defense.
Diontae Johnson, Steelers ($4,500)
JuJu Smith-Schuster had the big fantasy outing on Monday night. But it was Johnson who led the Steelers in air yards and targets. His 10 looks were a big 31% share of the team total.
Pittsburgh gets a nice Week 2 spot at home for a Broncos defense missing top pass-rusher Von Miller and top CB A.J. Bouye. Johnson gets the nod over JuJu because he’s $2,000 cheaper.
Corey Davis, Titans ($4,000)
Here’s a case of a guy’s DraftKings salary not adjusting because he played on Monday night. Davis beat the Broncos for 101 yards on 7 catches in the Week 1 win. His 8 targets tied A.J. Brown for the team lead.
Now Brown is out for Week 2 with a knee injury, boosting Davis’ target projection. He figures to see a bunch of Jaguars CB C.J. Henderson, the 1st-round rookie who played well in his debut. But Davis should be able to win enough of those reps to pay off this dirt-cheap price tag.
TEs
Jonnu Smith, Titans ($4,200)
Here’s another guy who should benefit from A.J. Brown’s absence.
Smith had a nice 2020 opener, tying for 3rd on the team with 7 targets and posting a 4-36-1 line. Rostering both Smith and Corey Davis should give us a big chunk of the targets on a Titans offense implied for 25.75 points vs. Jacksonville — the 7th highest on the main slate.
Logan Thomas, Cardinals ($3,600)
Thomas tallied 4 catches for 37 yards and a score in Week 1’s upset win over the Eagles. His usage was even more encouraging. He led the team with 8 targets and ran a route on 86% of QB Dwayne Haskins’ drop backs.
Thomas remains cheap this week for a plus matchup against the Cardinals.
DST
Buccaneers ($2,900)
It might not look like it if you just look at the final scoreboard — but the Bucs defense played well in New Orleans last week. They held the Saints to just just 6.4 yards per pass attempt and 2.4 yards per rush.
This is an ascending unit that’s in a great Week 2 spot at home for a Panthers offense still working in a bunch of new pieces. Vegas has the Bucs as 9.5-point favorites. And Carolina’s 19.25-point implied total is 6th lowest on the main slate.