Every week in this space I'll give you my top values at each position, favorite players projected to be rostered in fewer then 5% of tournament lineups, and contrarian lineups for both FanDuel and DraftKings.
Some weeks it's difficult to navigate avoiding the chalk. This week it starts with a simple mandate: avoid the Chiefs and Raiders. At every offensive position this week the highest projected owned player on both sites is a Chief or a Raider. At most positions there's one of each in the top five. Part of the reason for that is the performance the Chiefs put on against Jacksonville. A bigger part is that the Raiders game happened on Monday night, ater Week 2 prices were released. You can bet Josh Jacobs, Tyrell Williams and Darren Waller wouldn't be this cheap if they'd played on Sunday.
As a reminder, you don't have to worry about avoiding chalk in head-to-heads or 50-50s. This is just a tournament concern. Also, you don't have to avoid all of the chalk. Just enough to differentiate yourself.
*All ownership projections courtesy of UFCollective.
DFS Picks
Jackson's price skyrocketed on both sites after Week 1, but he's still my preferred cash game play on both sites. The Cardinals defense didn't look any better than I thought they would in Week 1 and Jackson possesses a very high floor and ceiling. Expect him to run just a little more in Week 2.
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Barkley is another holdover from Week 1. His matchup against Buffalo isn't great, but the way he's used in both aspects of the game means that doesn't really matter. Expect a huge target share without Sterling Shepard and at least one touchdown.
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The Chargers lost Hunter Henry in Week 1, and it sounds like Mike Williams will be limited at best. That adds up to a big number for Keenan Allen against a defense that just allowed 8-113-1 to Larry Fitzgerald. There are four receivers on this slate who I project for double-digit-digit targets, but Allen is the only one below $8,000 on FanDuel.
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It doesn't feel great suggesting two Giants in cash games but Engram and Barkley might account for 60% of the team's passes. Engram saw 14 targets last week with Shepard on the field and could reach double digits again this week. The discount you get on him versus Travis Kelce allows you to play two stud running backs, Jackson and Allen.
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After one bad performance, Trubisky's price dropped into the "definitively bad" quarterback range this week for a matchup against the Broncos defense. Last we saw this defense it was getting torched by Derek Carr, Tyrell Williams and Darren Waller. I still believe there's big weekly upside for Trubisky, and I'm taking a shot on it hitting when public perception is at it's lowest.
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This one is a little bit weird. Peterson should receive 15 to 20 touches in this game. He has fresh legs and will be fully motivated after being a healthy scratch in Week 1. This Cowboys defense gave up more than 10 yards per carry last week and Peterson's price was slashed because of his Week 1 status. I don't mind using him cash games, but I love him in tournaments.
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I mentioned Fitzgerald's Week 1 performance above, but his usage was really what caught my eye. The Cardinals targeted him down the field more and that resulted in 14.1 yards per reception. This is a much more difficult matchup in Week 2, but the Ravens are banged up at cornerback. At the very least you should get some garbage time opportunities in the second half.
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It's weird that a former top-10 tight end could return in Week 1 with a pair of touchdowns, and there is this little interest in playing him in Week 2. Walker looks to once again be the security blanket for Marcus Mariota, especially in the red zone. He's the pivot off of Waller.
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FanDuel Contrarian Lineup
QB Mitchell Trubisky $6,800
RB Adrian Peterson $4,800
RB Saquon Barkley $9,200
WR Larry Fitzgerald $5,500
WR Allen Robinson $7,200
WR Keenan Allen $7,700
TE Delanie Walker $5,900
FLEX Dalvin Cook $7,900
DST New England Patriots $4,900
DraftKings Contrarian Lineup
QB Mitchell Trubisky $5,500
RB Adrian Peterson $3,400
RB Alvin Kamara $8,200
WR Larry Fitzgerald $4,600
WR Allen Robinson $6,100
WR DeAndre Hopkins $8,100
TE Delanie Walker $3,500
FLEX JuJu Smith-Schuster $7,500
DST Houston Texans $2,800
