Daily Fantasy Football Week 2: DraftKings DFS Value Guide and Projections
Even in the early moments of Week 2 of the NFL season, previously unheralded players have asserted themselves as high-value commodities across every position. There's no shortage of low-salary, high-value options to choose from this weekend.
Whether it's a couple of overlooked quarterbacks proving themselves worthy of lineup insertion or a Week 1 booming of tight ends with double-digit fantasy totals, surprises haven't been few and far between thus far. It's important not to look too far into one week in some instances, but for others, it's a sign of things to come.
Let's check out some of the highest-value picks of the week at every position and assess their DK points projections.
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Week 2 Guide for Best Value
Quarterbacks
| Nick Foles (Rams) | WAS | 21.0 | $5,500 | 20.7 |
| Tyrod Taylor (Bills) | NE | 15.9 | $6,200 | 16.5 |
| Jameis Winston (Buccaneers) | NO | 16.2 | $5,600 | 21.5 |
Nick Foles is no stranger to being shortchanged, from his stint in Philadelphia to the lack of respect he's getting after leading St. Louis to a shocking win over Seattle in Week 1. After his 21-point debut, he's still cheaper than nearly 25 QBs this weekend (including Robert Griffin III!) and faces a Washington secondary that allowed the league's most ESPN points to quarterbacks last year.
Foles' output is nothing new for fantasy gurus, but Tyrod Taylor's is. The Bills quarterback dazzled in his starting debut against Indianapolis, and he should continue his success against a Patriots defense that allowed 351 yards to Ben Roethlisberger last week. When Bill Belichick is talking about you, you're playing pretty well, as Mike Reiss of ESPN noted his praise of Taylor:
QB value picks conclude with a struggling rookie who should bounce back big. Jameis Winston faces a struggling Saints secondary and should be able to get into a shootout with Drew Brees. Mike Evans is likely to return Sunday, per Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times, and Austin Seferian-Jenkins looks capable of making big plays for Winston every game.
Running Backs
| Shane Vereen (Giants) | ATL | 10.0 | $4,200 | 13.1 |
| Danny Woodhead (Chargers) | CIN | 22.2 | $4,000 | 15.2 |
| Karlos Williams (Bills) | NE | 11.5 | $3,300 | 9.2 |
The team's newest offensive weapon, Shane Vereen, looked like arguably the only effective New York Giant in Sunday's opener against Dallas. The speedy back had 60 total yards from scrimmage in a game where the team couldn't muster but 289, and the Week 2 opponent (Atlanta) just gave up a heap of fantasy points to Philadelphia on the ground.
San Diego's Danny Woodhead is also backup by name, but only that, as he showed DFS players that his value still supersedes that of rookie Melvin Gordon. The Bengals' issues up front should come full circle with the Chargers utilizing Woodhead's speed.
Playing rookie Karlos Williams should hinge upon the availability of LeSean McCoy, who's questionable Sunday, according to ESPN.com's Mike Rodak. Even if McCoy is active and limited, Williams should have the chance to punch one into the end zone like he did in Week 1.
Wide Receivers
| Nate Washington (Texans) | CAR | 19.5 | $3,600 | 12.2 |
| Tavon Austin (Rams) | WAS | 15.5 | $3,500 | 14.5 |
| Harry Douglas (Titans) | CLE | 10.4 | $3,000 | 10.5 |
Nate Washington has slipped right back into that secondary receiver spot like a glove, just as he's done in Tennessee and Pittsburgh. His six grabs for 105 yards showed he'll be a matchup nightmare with teams drawing more to DeAndre Hopkins, and that should continue with Ryan Mallett looking to air it out.
Tavon Austin showed with one touch of the football in Week 1 that he doesn't have to catch a lot of passes to produce. Fresh off taking a 75-yard punt return to the house against Seattle, he'll face a Washington team fresh off allowing a punt return score from Jarvis Landry.
With Marcus Mariota dealing and Kendall Wright wreaking havoc, opportunity has opened for Harry Douglas. He showed in Week 1 that his veteran poise will make him a more attractive candidate for scores than youngsters Justin Hunter and Dorial Green-Beckham, both of whom are priced higher.
Tight Ends
| Vernon Davis (49ers) | PIT | 7.7 | $3,000 | 11.5 |
| Dwayne Allen (Colts) | NYJ | 10.7 | $3,300 | 13.7 |
| Darren Fells (Cardinals) | CHI | 18.2 | $2,500 | 9.9 |
It's been years since Vernon Davis was any sort of fantasy sleeper, but the current state of the 49ers offense indicates that much. However, his cheap price tag should be flocked toward with San Francisco facing a Steelers defense just gashed by Rob Gronkowski.
Dwayne Allen is also surprisingly a high-value pick this week at a low $3,300. Even in a dud Week 1 performance, he caught a touchdown and should be a constant Andrew Luck security blanket against the boisterous Jets front.
Perhaps Darren Fells' Week 1 blowup—82 yards and a touchdown on four grabs—was a fluke, but this Week 2 matchup with the Bears is too enticing to avoid. Chicago gave up the most ESPN fantasy points to opposing tight ends in 2014, a weakness Carson Palmer should be aware of Sunday.
Defense/Special Teams
| Philadelphia Eagles | DAL | 5.0 | $2,700 | 12.5 |
| New York Giants | ATL | 12.0 | $2,600 | 10.0 |
For all the weaknesses the Eagles defense showed at times in their opening loss to Atlanta, they really tightened up in the second half and should keep it rolling against Dallas. The Cowboys offense couldn't finish drives for most of their opener, and the loss of Dez Bryant should loom large as Tony Romo will force plays and throw multiple picks.
Speaking of Atlanta, the Falcons' inability to sustain offense should bubble to the surface against the Giants, whose defense stepped up against Dallas. New York's cornerback strength will be able to limit Julio Jones.
Follow Steven Cook on Twitter for daily fantasy advice, questions, tips and news.
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