RADIO
So, how'd you like that first week of XFL football? Personally, I think it was among the best weeks of spring football I've seen since the concept of spring football leagues returned in 2019 with the AAF. We had some good games. Exciting endings. And we got to remember some names, like Kalen Ballage, who I mentioned last week as a top DFS play.
With DraftKings offering XFL contests again this year, I'll be here every week with lineup picks for the league. It looks like the plan at DraftKings is to do one four-game slate each weekend, even when there's a game on Thursday.
Below, you'll find my thoughts on the Week 2 DFS slate of XFL contests on DraftKings, which goes live on 2/23/2023 at 9:00 p.m. ET. Be sure to also read all our other weekly XFL fantasy football articles. Let's get to it, and good luck RotoBallers!
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DraftKings Quarterbacks - Week 2 XFL DFS Picks
Ben DiNucci - Seattle Sea Dragons, $10,200
Ben DiNucci wasn't the most effective quarterback in the XFL during Week 1. He was only eighth in yards per attempt, and he threw a pair of interceptions. But while those things are discouraging, what makes him my top pick this week is that DiNucci had the volume—a whole lot of it. He led the XFL in Week 1 with 282 passing yards, largely because he attempted 54 passes, the most in the league. Houston's Brandon Silvers was second with 42 pass attempts.
It wasn't that long ago that DiNucci was in the NFL, and of all the quarterbacks in this league, he's the most likely to end up using the XFL as a springboard back into the NFL. Because of that, I expect Seattle to keep letting him throw; they've got to know they have a potential positional advantage over most other teams, though it's fair to value A.J. McCarron's veteran know-how in St. Louis over what DiNucci brings.
St. Louis and Seattle meet this week in what should be a great Thursday night game. Last week, the Battlehawks allowed San Antonio quarterback Jack Coan to throw for over 200 yards.
Luis Perez - Vegas Vipers, $9,300
The name Luis Perez should be seared into your brain if you watch spring football. The former Texas A&M-Commerce quarterback, who led the Lions to a Division II title in 2017, spent 2019 in the AAF with the Birmingham Iron, then 2020 in the XFL with the New York Guardians, 2021 with the Jousters of The Spring League, and 2022 in the USFL with the New Jersey Generals, where he threw the first touchdown pass in the revamped league.
The point is: Perez has a lot of experience doing this thing where he comes in and quarterbacks a group of guys who he barely knows. I think that's a skill. Last week, Perez was third in the XFL in pass attempts and yards, and his three touchdown passes led the league. Yes, he was picked off twice, but I think in a league like this, we have to expect most quarterbacks will turn the ball over. Perez is a solid fantasy option against a Defenders team that allowed a league-high 282 passing yards last week.
DraftKings Running Backs - Week 2 XFL DFS Picks
Max Borghi - Houston Roughnecks, $8,000
The Roughnecks ran the football 20 times in Week 1, with eight of those carries going to Max Borghi. Not great volume, but he made the most of those chances, gaining 42 yards on the ground, an average of 5.3 yards per carry, making him one of just three players to average over five yards per carry with at least five touches in the run game.
Borghi also made an impact in the receiving game, as he was targeted four times, catching all four of them for 32 yards. Overall, that's 12 touches for Borghi. You might prefer that number go up to the 15 range to raise his floor.
One potential issue is that Vegas saw its run game shut down by the Renegades last week, and Houston plays Arlington on Sunday. But Vegas also ran the ball just 15 times, and they also don't have the same talent at running back that some other teams have.
Kalen Ballage - San Antonio Brahmas, $7,100
Ballage's salary almost doubled this week, which makes sense because of how his usage went last weekend. His numbers make the rest of the league look like it didn't run the ball at all. He had 24 carries; Deveon Smith was second with 15 carries. He also had 84 rushing yards; Brian Hill was second with 55. He also added three catches for 13 yards and was targeted four times.
It wasn't all great, though. His 3.5 yards per carry rank eighth among players with at least five carries. Still, volume matters, and the volume was there for Ballage. We might see a drop in volume this week, but Brahmas ran the ball a lot, ranking third in run percentage per DK Nation. While a lot of other teams spread their carries out, San Antonio just trusted Ballage to tote it. Bet on that continuing.
DraftKings Wide Receivers and Tight Ends - Week 2 XFL DFS Picks
Josh Gordon - Seattle Sea Dragons, $10,100
It was clear in Week 1 that the Sea Dragons are the best passing offense in the XFL. Seven XFL players were targeted at least nine times, and three of those seven played for Seattle.
NFL veteran (and former fantasy hype train) Josh Gordon was only third on Seattle's team in targets with nine, behind Jahcour Pearson's 14 and Blake Jackson's 11. He finished the game with six catches for 74 yards and a touchdown.
Gordon's the most talented of the three main receivers in Seattle, which is why I prefer him to the other two this week. But really, I think my point here is that until something changes, I want to have exposure to at least one Seattle receiver in every lineup I make.
Deontay Burnett - Houston Roughnecks, $8,500
Houston threw the ball the second-most times of any team in Week 1, and at the third-highest rate. While I'm not treating Houston like Seattle in a "you have to play a receiver from their team" sense, I am high on this Roughneck offense, especially since they face the Renegades this week, who let Luis Perez throw for 249 yards and three touchdowns last week.
Deontay Burnett was tied for second in the league last week in receptions, hauling in eight passes for 90 yards and a touchdown. His 12 targets ranked only behind Seattle's Jahcour Pearson. And despite that, Burnett is on the sixth-most expensive play at WR/TE. There's some value here.
Sal Cannella - Arlington Renegades, $6,500
You know what? Let's talk about a tight end. DraftKings combining WR and TE into one position probably means a lot of lineups will be played with no tight ends, but I think there's some value available at the position. Sal Cannella is the most expensive tight end, and he's $6,500, which ranks 16th in salary at the WR/TE position.
Cannella's eight targets tied him for eighth in the XFL last week, while his 70 receiving yards ranked seventh and his seven catches tied him for fourth. He's a reliable option for Arlington who can move the chains, and while he doesn't have the same ceiling as a wide receiver, he's a really safe floor play.
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